Real Real Interesting Quote by Gorbachev to Powell

[Farnan]

Was reading Soldier, the biography of Colin Powell, and I read this, which seemed very predictive:

Gorbachev, noticing Powell (who was then Reagen's National Security Adviser) was a military man, said, "What are you going to do now that you are losing your best enemy?"

[bushbush]

find the nearest guy and say "you are the best now cuz you have WMD".

[Rapax]

Well, it didn't take long to come up with a new best enemy did it?

[Big War Bird]

Was reading Soldier, the biography of Colin Powell, and I read this, which seemed very predictive:

Gorbachev, noticing Powell (who was then Reagen's National Security Adviser) was a military man, said, "What are you going to do now that you are losing your best enemy?"

The world realigned itself into a civilization based paradigm of which there are two vicious belligerents, the West and Islam.

[Каие]

I'm sorry the West and Islam or the World and Terrorism?

[Rapax]

Terrorism apparently isn't ambiguous enough already to compete with communism, so it just has to be islam.

[Big War Bird]

I'm sorry the West and Islam or the World and Terrorism?

You read me correctly, the main provocateurs in the current world paradigm are the West and Islam. They are diammetrically opposed expansionist ideologies that are bound to conflict.

[Каие]

You read me correctly, the main provocateurs in the current world paradigm are the West and Islam. They are diammetrically opposed expansionist ideologies that are bound to conflict.

Which is it drugs or drink, cos you are on something.

[RZZZA]

Big War Bird, you also leave out the likes of Russia, China, and the rising powers of south american countries and india.

[Big War Bird]

Big War Bird, you also leave out the likes of Russia, China, and the rising powers of south american countries and india.

I ddin't say that they didn't exist. Of course they exist, but none of those countries have naturally expansionist ideologies thus are not bound by their own beleifs to be at the throats of anyone else. The West and Islamic world are different. They hold universalist ideologies that say, "their way or the highway."

[RZZZA]

you think western culture is inherently expansionist?

[Big War Bird]

you think western culture is inherently expansionist?

Yes, read the Magna Carta, the US Constitution, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the UN Charter.

They all have (to greater or lesser extents) this particular vile and dangerous and often violent idea that all people are equal. As they say around here, "Thems fightin' words."

[HorseArcher]

Mikhail Gorbachev on security threats

[RZZZA]

lol, you're pulling my leg....?

[Big War Bird]

lol, you're pulling my leg....?

Refute it.

[RZZZA]

refute what? I think you're joking. I dont see the analogy between what is written in our declaration of independence and the alleged inherent expansionism of western culture.

[Rapax]

I think calling "the West" an ideology is already pretty amusing. Is that the story for a new future-set computer game? The western coalition vs. the muslim brotherhood?

[Big War Bird]

refute what? I think you're joking. I dont see the analogy between what is written in our declaration of independence and the alleged inherent expansionism of western culture.

I'm not joking at all. The abbreviated world structure I just pointed it out is best way of explaining the the geopolitical landscape since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

[RZZZA]

I'm not joking at all. The abbreviated world structure I just pointed it out is best way of explaining the the geopolitical landscape since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

I disagree completely, its not just the western countries vs the rising middle eastern powers. Its also the west vs the eastern powers of russia and china and its' allies which grow ever more powerful. Its also the burgeoning powers of south america, Brazil and India are likely to turn into powerful economic rivals. The middle eastern nations factor in as well but they're just a part of the geo political landscape.

You also seem to hold the opinion that war is only waged based on idealogical grounds, something i deem very wrong

[Big War Bird]

I disagree completely, its not just the western countries vs the rising middle eastern powers. Its also the west vs the eastern powers of russia and china and its' allies which grow ever more powerful. Its also the burgeoning powers of south america, Brazil and India are likely to turn into powerful economic rivals. The middle eastern nations factor in as well but they're just a part of the geo political landscape.

No, you actually agree with me. These powers you refer to are will have their tensions and disagreements (even wars) between them, however none are so acute and irepairable as the differences between the West and Islam.

You also seem to hold the opinion that war is only waged based on idealogical grounds, something i deem very wrong

The civilization model does not exclude wars along any number of reasons, but seeks to explain how countries and people define what their identities and how they relate to each other and define their self interests. Their will still be wars amonst civilization members but the most powerful force working to shape the future is civilizational identities.