OTB Radio - 7 April 2010

 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/otb/2010/04/07/politics-and-foreign-affairs

Comments

[Mary]

Colonel. Did I hear you say in this interview that military action will be taken against Iran? Are you saying that we have failed to deter the Israeli government? Was it Sneh's op-ed that caused you to come to this conclusion or something else?

[Patrick Lang]

Mary

I fear the worst, but then, I always do. pl

[Jackie]

Col.,
I just listened to this tonight and found it informative. A while back I asked if a war could be won anymore and I think you answered no, but I could be wrong. The wikileaks thingie is why I don't think traditional "war" is possible anymore.

I thought the second half was more interesting concerning Israel. I didn't hear what Mary heard and I hope to god I never hear we are going to take action against Iran. For what? Deposing the shah?

(Was that your dog barking early on in the broadcast?)

[Mary]

OK. Well let's be clear here. According to Sneh, Israel is arguing that they would be justified in engaging in preventive military action so that their best and brightest don't leave the country on account of being constrained in their colonial enterprise by a diminution in their regional hegemony.

This is what passes for reasonable Zionist thinking? I'm thinking this points up some serious flaws in Zionism as a political system and whether there is any morality left in it.

[Patrick Lang]

Jackie

No. Wars can still be won but at what cost? pl

[Jackie]

Col.,
Thank you for the clarification on the war issue. In economic times like this I would say the cost is too high in terms of dollars. In normal times, it is too high in lives, ours and theirs.

Mary,
Interesting point on Zionist thinking. Maybe they could just cool the rhetoric and the neighborhood would be a nicer place to live.

[SAC Brat]

Thanks for posting this. When you are on television you never seem to get the chance to cover a subject in depth. Your discussion on OTB was really good for setting a perspective on the topics covered.

I particularly enjoyed your comments about experts and threat generation. I had an uncle who had been an embassy guard in Moscow in the early 1960's and then went on to learn to read, write and speak Russian and was a professor of Russian and Soviet studies. He had applied to help the US intelligence agencies several times in the 1970's, 80's and 90's but we always joked that his travel experiences and being able to speak the language were what ruined his chances. The man was even a long time Republican until recently.

As for the comments on vacuum tubes and nuclear weapons, I'm doubtful due to my experience supporting avionics on aircraft from the 1960's. Where the challenge can be is rebuilding older circuit boards with that used early generation transistors and other electronic components that no longer in production.