I think the day of thinking that the enemy of my enemy is my friend ended on 9/11... Well maybe at least for some?

I don't know if Westerners of late have believed (naively) that the enemy of my enemy is my friend ----but have relied on "realpolitik" in foreign diplomacy ----- you do what you have to do at the time.   Flip a coin between Stalin and Hitler ---- O.K. , we'll deal with Hitler now and Stalin later ----- I don't think the allies ever really thought that Stalin was a friend. 

So, Tom, when will we learn?  I guess when the reality of warfare doesn't demand dealing with questionable individuals, or we don't fight wars at all -------- tell the devil to stock up on winter clothing.



Justin

DD,

You are looking at this the wrong way.

History teaches, but that is all we learn.

We are doomed to repeat it for the exact reason of, "That is what we know"

Individually, as a community and finally as a culture, we will do as we have always done.

Look at it this way. All of what we know is in the past. Right? Of course it is.

So when it come to group think, which is what culture is, the easiest most secure thing in the world

is do what one has always done.

Think I am full o crap? Maybe, but in a microcosm look at the routine of any day in your life

and tell me how much it changes one day to the next. See?

Patterns make us comfortable, you often hear the word stability in all kinds of relationships.

As Carpenters we have a advantage of changing employment options, but that still does not change the routine much.

It does not fully change the patterns of the way we think.

Because we derive our comfort from what we know, and all we know is history.

Per

Per, What makes our history unique is that we are descendants of people who escaped controlling governments to a new world, became united to fight against oppression for liberty and freedom while making a strong self-attempt at government morality in a corrupt world. Repeating lessons learned in our history is not such a bad thing.

Oooh sorry Per!

I didn't know you were waxing philosophically?

History is one of the most important subjects we can teach our kids because it has a nasty habit of repeating itself.  Yet, most kids don't know when the war of 1812 was fought or who is buried in Grant's tomb, much less know who was Grant.  heck, most kids today don't even know there was a Civil War here!  Unbelievable.  Anywho, here is a link on an e-book (it's a free download) written by a local car talk guy nee history buff and it provides insight to many of the reasons why things are the way they are.  Great read and worth the cost.    Backside of American History

As a grip:
5 wake
6 brekky
7 call
12 lunch
6 dinner
Wrap
shower
sleep

As a Chippy:
5 wake
6 brekky
7:30 start
12 lunch
4:30 wrap
5 dinner
6 shower
10 sleep

On the weekend:
8 wake
9:30 Karate (my son, not me, don't be silly)
1:00 massage
2-3 lunch
5 beer
10 bed

similar enough that somebody would know after two days where to sit with a rifle if they were trying to take me out. Booooring.

Boah looks like an interesting read......Howard.



 

EVERY war is more about commerce than anything else.