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Confucian
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Registered: 03/31/09
Posts: 1,741
Loc: USA
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The Middle East
#19374159 - 01/05/14 06:09 PM (10 years, 25 days ago) |
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Best article you'll read on The Middle East. Written in 2010-11, it's like reading straight into the future. (Long but great read imo.) Re-released today on Stratfor.com, a geopolitical intelligence firm.
Strategic Reversal: The United States, Iran, and the Middle East
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KremrBigSikter
Spränger Språnger




Registered: 07/23/11
Posts: 3,918
Last seen: 8 years, 3 months
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Why does the best article on the middle east have the words "the united states" in every paragraph? I want to read about hummus and syrian dancing.
-------------------- I have pneumonia
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RiderOnTheStorm
Reject thug culture



Registered: 11/26/12
Posts: 1,855
Loc: Hug a hippie today
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Re: The Middle East [Re: Confucian] 1
#19374302 - 01/05/14 06:49 PM (10 years, 25 days ago) |
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Read the whole thing, it will be interesting to see how much of this plays out in the next few years.
I would love to see Saudi Arabia put in it's place.
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MisterSandman
Neo Nazi



Registered: 03/23/13
Posts: 2,936
Loc: Meth
Last seen: 8 years, 3 months
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Quote:
KremrBigSikter said: hummus
I fuckin love hummus
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Repertoire89
Cat



Registered: 11/15/12
Posts: 21,773
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I think its interesting that the author is worried about India gaining power in the middle east, that in some way it would a bad thing for the US. India is a pawn of England, which is basically one with the US.
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RiderOnTheStorm
Reject thug culture



Registered: 11/26/12
Posts: 1,855
Loc: Hug a hippie today
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Quote:
Repertoire89 said: I think its interesting that the author is worried about India gaining power in the middle east, that in some way it would a bad thing for the US. India is a pawn of England, which is basically one with the US.
The author is working from the assumption that the top US priority is to limit the power and influence of all countries but itself, to maintain it's superpower status. That's the gist of the book that this chapter comes from.
India has gained a lot of traction as an up and coming world super power and if they are not held in check, by Pakistan according to Friedman, they will eventually become a threat to the USD and America's overall influence as an empire, and therefore we must balance their influence and power by empowering their enemy. It's tried and true realpolitik but it largely fails to take globalization and world economies or resources other than oil into account.
The guy who wrote this also wrote a book in 1991 that predicted an upcoming war between the US and Japan, which obviously didn't take place, but some of his theories from the book this chapter is sourced from already have come true.
Most interesting to me is the shit about Iran, I do think he might be right about that and I think he's right about China's recent rise being largely stifled too, I trust Chinese economic data about as much as I trust Chinese Rolexes. Their rise will depend on us paying them back the $16 trillion or whatever that number is up to now.
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Repertoire89
Cat



Registered: 11/15/12
Posts: 21,773
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Well I think he's dead wrong about India, its hegemonized with the west. The author doesn't seem to have a realistic grasp on the situation imo
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ViscousGoo
sketch as fuck

Registered: 12/31/13
Posts: 136
Loc:
Last seen: 9 years, 5 months
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The author seems out of touch, nationalistic and xenophobic.
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my3rdeye



Registered: 08/10/12
Posts: 4,354
Loc: Canada
Last seen: 2 years, 8 months
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Shwarma too.
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Repertoire89
Cat



Registered: 11/15/12
Posts: 21,773
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Re: The Middle East [Re: my3rdeye]
#19376083 - 01/06/14 07:15 AM (10 years, 25 days ago) |
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Quote:
my3rdeye said: Shwarma too.
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