[Vision2020] No, Dale, I meant these questions

Sunil Ramalingam sunilramalingam@hotmail.com
Thu, 23 Oct 2003 12:33:45 -0700


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<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P>Dale, </P>
<P>Are you always this defensive?&nbsp; "Lynch?"&nbsp; I'm not even trying to discuss slavery (or the post Civil War South) here...</P>
<P>On Oct. 20, 2003, I asked you some questions. I am reposting them for you, since you keep responding to the question I am no longer asking you:</P>
<P>"You haven't addressed my wild claim that the Administration is shoveling money to certain companies via no bid contracts. Does that worry you as a libertarian? Do you think the miracle of the marketplace might result in our needing to pay less? Do you see a problem with the way reconstruction is proceeding? </P>
<P>We may agree that we can't leave Iraq worse off than we found it. [I will go further now, and say I think we have a duty not to leave Iraq worse off.]&nbsp; Do you think that one reason we cannot get international help (aside from our pre-war conduct) is that we refuse to relinquish sole control? Do you think that if perhaps we took a different approach we might obtain a different result?"</P>
<P>Since I must not have been clear before, leading to your latest post that doesn’t answer the questions above, let me say again that I am not asking for your opinion of the rationales offered for the war; in 2035, when Pres. Jenna Bush declassifies them, I might consider asking you, but until then, let’s not address that issue, please, I beg you.&nbsp; </P>
<P>Sunil</P>
<P>p.s.&nbsp; In a show of peace, I won't even argue about how you have mischaracterized what I said.</P>
<P>p.p.s&nbsp; That p.s. is kind of phony of me, isn't it?&nbsp; I mean, once I've claimed to have been mischaracterized, isn't the issue out there anyway?&nbsp; Damn that Margaret Sanger! (or is it Bill Clinton's fault?)<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;From: "Dale Courtney" <DMCOURTN@MOSCOW.COM>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;To: <VISION2020@MOSCOW.COM>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Article on 'use' of intelligence 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 09:15:23 -0700 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Sunil, 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;I'm still not sure what you want from me in this conversation. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;* 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; The war in Iraq was unjust 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;* 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; The USA has no business being there. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;* 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; Having said that, we have to exit wisely so that we don't leave Iraq 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;worse off than when we arrived. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;It was you who said that, going on your gut instincts, you knew that Bush 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;concocted the story. My only point was that individuals in their right minds 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;(pardon the pun) don't make decisions based on emotions and impulse. Rather, 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;they rely on data and information; and in this arena, that comes from 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;classified sources that neither you nor I have access to. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Those were my only points. You'll have to find someone else to whip on if 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;you are looking to lynch for ideas that are disagreeable to your own. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Best, 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Dale 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Actually, realizing that you weren't going to answer my question, I had 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;asked you a couple of other questions about the course of reconstruction in 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Iraq and am still awaiting your reply. Naturally I am gratified to see your 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;new unwillingness to jump to conclusions, and assume you will apply it to 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;areas that don't require security clearances; otherwise your post might be 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;seen as sanctimonious. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
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