Comments on: Under Siege http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2009/01/01/under-siege/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=under-siege n. the principle of good order<br /><br /> "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:25:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: el_longhorn http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2009/01/01/under-siege/comment-page-1/#comment-23937 el_longhorn Sun, 04 Jan 2009 05:15:59 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=7986#comment-23937 Excellent comment. How do such smart people make such horrible miscalculations about basic human nature? I am reminded of a universal observation of case workers in child protective services - the child NEVER wants to leave the parent, no matter how bad the abuse. Excellent comment. How do such smart people make such horrible miscalculations about basic human nature? I am reminded of a universal observation of case workers in child protective services – the child NEVER wants to leave the parent, no matter how bad the abuse.

]]> By: Bustrofedon http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2009/01/01/under-siege/comment-page-1/#comment-23632 Bustrofedon Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:33:00 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=7986#comment-23632 Very well said - there are many other examples one can cite from Serbia in 1999 to Cuba with its 50 year US Embargo to Iraq under Saddam Hussein where punitive "smart" sanctions punished the people while leaving the corrupt regime intact. And certainly punitive bombing of England (1940) and Nazi Germany (1940-45) didn't turn the people against their respective governments, they rallied, with perhaps dogged or weary determination, against the violence imposed on them from outside. Very well said – there are many other examples one can cite from Serbia in 1999 to Cuba with its 50 year US Embargo to Iraq under Saddam Hussein where punitive “smart” sanctions punished the people while leaving the corrupt regime intact. And certainly punitive bombing of England (1940) and Nazi Germany (1940-45) didn’t turn the people against their respective governments, they rallied, with perhaps dogged or weary determination, against the violence imposed on them from outside.

]]> By: taxman10m http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2009/01/01/under-siege/comment-page-1/#comment-23623 taxman10m Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:16:05 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=7986#comment-23623 Props for a Stargate reference. Props for a Stargate reference.

]]> By: Elvis Elvisberg http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2009/01/01/under-siege/comment-page-1/#comment-23622 Elvis Elvisberg Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:51:46 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=7986#comment-23622 <i>the population will not blame their leadership for the poor conditions, regardless of the leadership’s myriad flaws, but will readily fall prey to whatever demagoguery the leadership engages in to pin the blame on outside forces that are trying to destroy them.</i> Not that the US was under siege, but George Bush Jr.'s popularity shot up after 9/11. When you're attacked, that's what happens. But conservatives, when advocating attacks, always posit the absence of conservatives on the other side. ("Nationalists" or "aggressors" would be a better term here than "conservatives," actually). I'd note that sanctions <i>can</i> be successful, as they were vs. Libya and South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. Those sanctions regimes, though, were universally supported except by a few stray extreme pan-Arabists and Dick Cheney, respectively. The Israeli blockade of Gaza does not enjoy that level of political commitment and popular support. Happy New Year, Daniel and commenters. Glad to see this blog up and active again. the population will not blame their leadership for the poor conditions, regardless of the leadership’s myriad flaws, but will readily fall prey to whatever demagoguery the leadership engages in to pin the blame on outside forces that are trying to destroy them.

Not that the US was under siege, but George Bush Jr.’s popularity shot up after 9/11. When you’re attacked, that’s what happens. But conservatives, when advocating attacks, always posit the absence of conservatives on the other side. (“Nationalists” or “aggressors” would be a better term here than “conservatives,” actually).

I’d note that sanctions can be successful, as they were vs. Libya and South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. Those sanctions regimes, though, were universally supported except by a few stray extreme pan-Arabists and Dick Cheney, respectively. The Israeli blockade of Gaza does not enjoy that level of political commitment and popular support.

Happy New Year, Daniel and commenters. Glad to see this blog up and active again.

]]>