Karzai assassinated

[Siege]

I would love to keep the war going in Afghanistan for another decade.
That would allow us to rotate everybody through afghanistan at least once, so when a real war comes up we have the edge of a veteran army.
But for some reason american wars are far more expensive than anybody elses, and I fear we cannot afford the bill with the economy as it is.

[grumbler]

That would be a miscalculation on your part.
Half brother in western culture means that you don't care about him as much as for a full brother.

But in Western culture, this isn't true.  You Middle eastern types consistently misunderstand western culture.  A half-brother that was raised with the family is a closer relative than a brother raised away from the family.  Unlike you Middle Eastern type, what counts in the West isn't blood, but rather familiarity.  Further, in the West we have strong bonds that extend past the family, which is why, for instance, when you Middle Eastern types suicided into the World trade center, many westerners took that very personally.

[Siege]

That would be a miscalculation on your part.
Half brother in western culture means that you don't care about him as much as for a full brother.

But in Western culture, this isn't true.  You Middle eastern types consistently misunderstand western culture.  A half-brother that was raised with the family is a closer relative than a brother raised away from the family.  Unlike you Middle Eastern type, what counts in the West isn't blood, but rather familiarity.  Further, in the West we have strong bonds that extend past the family, which is why, for instance, when you Middle Eastern types suicided into the World trade center, many westerners took that very personally.

Oh I understand the last part, national identity as oppoussed to tribal identity.
I don't think is that real to everybody, but if you think is real is real, at least to you.
Europeans claim to have some sort of universal humankind identity.
I call it bullshit.
Well, not all Euros claim that, but at least the intellectual liberal class that dominates most of Euro.

In general, it seeems to me that western culture destroyed tribal identity for the benefit of national identity, and now is in the process, or have been for a while in the process, of destroying family identity. Western family units have been reduced to 3 people: husband, wife, and one single child.

[The Minsky Moment]

Really funny how every time a bad guy get killed the media don't forget to mention the "dangerous power vacuum" they leave behind.
Hey, don't kill Hitler, it would leave a dangerous power vacuum and the situation could get worse.

Im getting sick of the liberal media.

The story probably mentions that the killing will leave behind a dangerous power vacuum, not because the "media" is "liberal", but because the killing is likely to leave a dangerous power vacuum behind.  The writer probably figured that might of interest to readers.

Moreover, one doesn't need to invoke Internet Common Law to see the fallacy in comparing Hitler to A.W. Karzai.  What exactly is the basis for saying Karzai was a "bad guy"?  Because he was corrupt?  Afghanistan is a society bereft of the rule of law; everyone in a position of power and authority is corrupt by western standards.  Because he was rumored to be complicit in the drug trade in some vague way?  Drugs are the primary economic commodity and export of the country. 

What can be said with some confidence about A.W. Karzai is that he did a decent job of keeping a lid on things in Kandahar, by cutting deals with various tribal leaders in the regions (i.e. "corruption"). Maybe he could have done the job better, or with less alienation of dissident tribes, or with a little less graft.  Perhaps we shall now find out but I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out whoever the government now relies on to keep the players in region within the lines is turns out to be less effective.

[Ed Anger]

Bit of a bait and switch with that title.

I'm sure you'll do a thread anyways, beacuse it is 'important'.

[DGuller]

One of these days the Karzai Karzai is going to get whacked, and no one will believe me when I inform Languish of it. 

[Neil]

Hey, don't kill Hitler, it would leave a dangerous power vacuum and the situation could get worse.

Depends.  If you killed Hitler after the Night of the Long Knives but prior to or early in the war, then there's no power vacuum at all.  Goering takes over, and with his enormous personal popularity he's probably pretty much impossible to challenge by any of the other major Nazis.  Prior to the Night of the Long Knives, but after his coming to power, you end up with a likely civil war between Goering and Roehm.  Late in the war, you end up in an awkward situation because while Goering is the legal successor and still rather popular with the people in general, his prestige has been damaged by Luftwaffe failures and having been on the outs with Hitler for some time.  On the other hand, Himmler and Bormann have been building up their personal power.  And then there's the army.

[Viking]

Really funny how every time a bad guy get killed the media don't forget to mention the "dangerous power vacuum" they leave behind.
Hey, don't kill Hitler, it would leave a dangerous power vacuum and the situation could get worse.

Im getting sick of the liberal media.

That is precisely what happened. The SOE comissioned a report on the assassination of Hitler and determined that if they killed him someone competent might take command, so they decided to leave him alive until the end of the war.

[Caliga]

Yeah, I remember reading that too.

[The Brain]

Really funny how every time a bad guy get killed the media don't forget to mention the "dangerous power vacuum" they leave behind.
Hey, don't kill Hitler, it would leave a dangerous power vacuum and the situation could get worse.

Im getting sick of the liberal media.

That is precisely what happened. The SOE comissioned a report on the assassination of Hitler and determined that if they killed him someone competent might take command, so they decided to leave him alive until the end of the war.

In related news the National Archives train assassins. Who woulda known?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/lesson17.htm

[grumbler]

Western family units have been reduced to 3 people: husband, wife, and one single child.

It may look like that to non-Westerners, but it isn't so.

[grumbler]

That is precisely what happened. The SOE comissioned a report on the assassination of Hitler and determined that if they killed him someone competent might take command, so they decided to leave him alive until the end of the war.

Thank god the SOE made that decision!  Of course, they could have reached the opposite conclusion, and it would have changed nothing.

Of course, a competent German leader wouldn't have wasted all the resources Hitler did on the Final Solution, so maybe the SOE people should feel like shit for deciding to not even attempt to whack Hitler.

[grumbler]

In related news the National Archives train assassins. Who woulda known?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/lesson17.htm

Obviously, fake documents, because the SOE comissioned a report on the assassination of Hitler and determined that if they killed him someone competent might take command, so they decided to leave him alive until the end of the war.  Operation Foxley must be a fraud, then.

[Siege]

That is precisely what happened. The SOE comissioned a report on the assassination of Hitler and determined that if they killed him someone competent might take command, so they decided to leave him alive until the end of the war.

Thank god the SOE made that decision!  Of course, they could have reached the opposite conclusion, and it would have changed nothing.

Of course, a competent German leader wouldn't have wasted all the resources Hitler did on the Final Solution, so maybe the SOE people should feel like shit for deciding to not even attempt to whack Hitler.

Good point.
Who are the SOE?

[Grey Fox]

That is precisely what happened. The SOE comissioned a report on the assassination of Hitler and determined that if they killed him someone competent might take command, so they decided to leave him alive until the end of the war.

Thank god the SOE made that decision!  Of course, they could have reached the opposite conclusion, and it would have changed nothing.

Of course, a competent German leader wouldn't have wasted all the resources Hitler did on the Final Solution, so maybe the SOE people should feel like shit for deciding to not even attempt to whack Hitler.

Good point.
Who are the SOE?

British CIA in WWII. Special Operations Executive