Re: The Axis of Weasel

[Jon Gabriel]

From: "J. van Baardwijk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: The Axis of Weasel
Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2003 21:44:10 +0100

At 14:25 4-2-2003 -0600, Marvin Long wrote:

> I think it is about time that people like you and Gautam make up their
> minds about this. On one hand they complain about the military of other
> (especially European) countries lacking the training and equipment to play
> a role of any importance in international conflicts, on the other hand they
> complain that those countries let the US do all the hard work.

I don't understand why these would be thought contradictory.... They seem
more complementary to me.

They are not complementary, they are contradictory. Gautam et al. are saying that other countries lack the training and equipment to play an important role in international conflicts -- IOW, they are not capable of doing any "heavy lifting" and must therefore leave the "heavy lifting" to the US. Yet at the same time Gautam et al. *complain* that those countries don't do the "heavy lifting".

Are these countries capable of training their citizens to do 'heavy lifting'?
Yes.

Are these countries capable of purchasing heavy weapons?
Usually.

Will they do so?
No.

In other words: first they say "other countries are not capable of doing X", and then they *complain* that those other countries don't do X.

I think what is being said is "other countries refuse to do X even though they are, theoretically capable of doing so'.

Of course, that's just how I'm reading it. I could be wrong. :)

Jon

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