[afx114]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]afx: Which does beg the obvious question: Which is the best type of diplomacy?[/quote]

I don’t think there is a right/wrong or best/worst. It’s not so black and white. The whole point of diplomacy is that it’s a nuanced dance between two parties. One situation may call for military action, one situation may call for silence, one situation may call for talking.

Consider this analogy: Say you have a child who does something horribly bad. Maybe crashes your car on a drunken binge on prom night, who knows. What’s the best way to handle the situation? Send Dad in with a belt in one hand and a paddle in the other to back the kid into a corner and teach him a tough lesson? That might work. Or maybe sit the kid down with Dad, Mom, the siblings, Grandma, Grandpa and have an intervention? That might work too. But you have to ask: would you rather have the kid hate you for the beating, or respect you for sitting him down and having a chat?

You don’t back a snake into a corner and not expect it to strike.

Bottom line is, we’ve taken the silence/shun/beating route these past 8 years and it hasn’t gotten us anywhere. Maybe it’s time to try the talking/intervention route.

[afx114]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]afx: Which does beg the obvious question: Which is the best type of diplomacy?[/quote]

I don’t think there is a right/wrong or best/worst. It’s not so black and white. The whole point of diplomacy is that it’s a nuanced dance between two parties. One situation may call for military action, one situation may call for silence, one situation may call for talking.

Consider this analogy: Say you have a child who does something horribly bad. Maybe crashes your car on a drunken binge on prom night, who knows. What’s the best way to handle the situation? Send Dad in with a belt in one hand and a paddle in the other to back the kid into a corner and teach him a tough lesson? That might work. Or maybe sit the kid down with Dad, Mom, the siblings, Grandma, Grandpa and have an intervention? That might work too. But you have to ask: would you rather have the kid hate you for the beating, or respect you for sitting him down and having a chat?

You don’t back a snake into a corner and not expect it to strike.

Bottom line is, we’ve taken the silence/shun/beating route these past 8 years and it hasn’t gotten us anywhere. Maybe it’s time to try the talking/intervention route.

[afx114]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]afx: Which does beg the obvious question: Which is the best type of diplomacy?[/quote]

I don’t think there is a right/wrong or best/worst. It’s not so black and white. The whole point of diplomacy is that it’s a nuanced dance between two parties. One situation may call for military action, one situation may call for silence, one situation may call for talking.

Consider this analogy: Say you have a child who does something horribly bad. Maybe crashes your car on a drunken binge on prom night, who knows. What’s the best way to handle the situation? Send Dad in with a belt in one hand and a paddle in the other to back the kid into a corner and teach him a tough lesson? That might work. Or maybe sit the kid down with Dad, Mom, the siblings, Grandma, Grandpa and have an intervention? That might work too. But you have to ask: would you rather have the kid hate you for the beating, or respect you for sitting him down and having a chat?

You don’t back a snake into a corner and not expect it to strike.

Bottom line is, we’ve taken the silence/shun/beating route these past 8 years and it hasn’t gotten us anywhere. Maybe it’s time to try the talking/intervention route.

[afx114]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]afx: Which does beg the obvious question: Which is the best type of diplomacy?[/quote]

I don’t think there is a right/wrong or best/worst. It’s not so black and white. The whole point of diplomacy is that it’s a nuanced dance between two parties. One situation may call for military action, one situation may call for silence, one situation may call for talking.

Consider this analogy: Say you have a child who does something horribly bad. Maybe crashes your car on a drunken binge on prom night, who knows. What’s the best way to handle the situation? Send Dad in with a belt in one hand and a paddle in the other to back the kid into a corner and teach him a tough lesson? That might work. Or maybe sit the kid down with Dad, Mom, the siblings, Grandma, Grandpa and have an intervention? That might work too. But you have to ask: would you rather have the kid hate you for the beating, or respect you for sitting him down and having a chat?

You don’t back a snake into a corner and not expect it to strike.

Bottom line is, we’ve taken the silence/shun/beating route these past 8 years and it hasn’t gotten us anywhere. Maybe it’s time to try the talking/intervention route.

[afx114]

John Bolton: Yosemite Sam diplomacy, mustache and all.

The dude’s credibility is nil. He’s a big part of the reason why so many nations have had issues with us these past 7 years.

P.S., for another example of how diplomacy works: Gaddafi/Libya. I’m sure Bolton opposed that too.

[afx114]

John Bolton: Yosemite Sam diplomacy, mustache and all.

The dude’s credibility is nil. He’s a big part of the reason why so many nations have had issues with us these past 7 years.

P.S., for another example of how diplomacy works: Gaddafi/Libya. I’m sure Bolton opposed that too.

[afx114]

John Bolton: Yosemite Sam diplomacy, mustache and all.

The dude’s credibility is nil. He’s a big part of the reason why so many nations have had issues with us these past 7 years.

P.S., for another example of how diplomacy works: Gaddafi/Libya. I’m sure Bolton opposed that too.

[afx114]

John Bolton: Yosemite Sam diplomacy, mustache and all.

The dude’s credibility is nil. He’s a big part of the reason why so many nations have had issues with us these past 7 years.

P.S., for another example of how diplomacy works: Gaddafi/Libya. I’m sure Bolton opposed that too.

[afx114]

John Bolton: Yosemite Sam diplomacy, mustache and all.

The dude’s credibility is nil. He’s a big part of the reason why so many nations have had issues with us these past 7 years.

P.S., for another example of how diplomacy works: Gaddafi/Libya. I’m sure Bolton opposed that too.

[afx114]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
Speaking of Afghanistan: The US was waging a fairly successful campaign against the Taliban prior to the NATO handover. Post-NATO, the situation has deteriorated markedly.[/quote]

And why did we turn Afghanistan over to NATO? To focus our time and resources in Iraq. That’s what we like to call “eye off the ball.” Blame NATO all you want, but I don’t recall ever seeing a “Mission Accomplished” banner in celebration of our victories in Afghanistan.

[afx114]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
Speaking of Afghanistan: The US was waging a fairly successful campaign against the Taliban prior to the NATO handover. Post-NATO, the situation has deteriorated markedly.[/quote]

And why did we turn Afghanistan over to NATO? To focus our time and resources in Iraq. That’s what we like to call “eye off the ball.” Blame NATO all you want, but I don’t recall ever seeing a “Mission Accomplished” banner in celebration of our victories in Afghanistan.

[afx114]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
Speaking of Afghanistan: The US was waging a fairly successful campaign against the Taliban prior to the NATO handover. Post-NATO, the situation has deteriorated markedly.[/quote]

And why did we turn Afghanistan over to NATO? To focus our time and resources in Iraq. That’s what we like to call “eye off the ball.” Blame NATO all you want, but I don’t recall ever seeing a “Mission Accomplished” banner in celebration of our victories in Afghanistan.

[afx114]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
Speaking of Afghanistan: The US was waging a fairly successful campaign against the Taliban prior to the NATO handover. Post-NATO, the situation has deteriorated markedly.[/quote]

And why did we turn Afghanistan over to NATO? To focus our time and resources in Iraq. That’s what we like to call “eye off the ball.” Blame NATO all you want, but I don’t recall ever seeing a “Mission Accomplished” banner in celebration of our victories in Afghanistan.

[afx114]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
Speaking of Afghanistan: The US was waging a fairly successful campaign against the Taliban prior to the NATO handover. Post-NATO, the situation has deteriorated markedly.[/quote]

And why did we turn Afghanistan over to NATO? To focus our time and resources in Iraq. That’s what we like to call “eye off the ball.” Blame NATO all you want, but I don’t recall ever seeing a “Mission Accomplished” banner in celebration of our victories in Afghanistan.

[afx114]

This thread is of epic proportions and should be added to the Piggington Hall of Fame.

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