Highlander asked.

Highlander 

My way of thinking such things through is entirely subjective.  I have always been opposed to systems of “objective” analysis of real world problems in the analysis of human affairs.  I have opposed them whether in intelligence or in academia.  The great difficulty with objective systems is that they inevitably build models for whatever they are studying.  Such models require that a problem be “factored” for the elements of the study.  This creates artificialities since human affairs concern humans and humans are more complex than any model can be made unless the subject studied is extremely narrow. Any widening of the subject beyond something like a market place mechanism is likely to lead to false results through an inability to reflect actual human thought.  Not surprisingly, social “scientists” do not like my position on this, but since none of them are Hari Seldon, I am not impressed. 

My own analysis is based on two altogether subjective aspects of my mental process: 

-        I view all of human experience as a continuum extending through time, developing, expanding and reflecting an accumulation of learning and development by human groups in a variety of paths, some of which share characteristics and many of which do not.  This is basically a river of moving data that is growing and changing as it flows.  We live in a small segment of that river’s current but the course of the river upstream has made our piece of the river what it is and the river flowing through and past us creates a future that is shaped by the stream as it flows forward in time.  This does not mean that what has been will necessarily be, but it does mean that the elements of the past will be present in any future.  It means that something truly new in human affairs is a rarity.  We often think things are new but usually that is because we do not know enough about the past.  I watch continuously for what  have recently been called “black swans.” 

-        I have spent my life accumulating knowledge in a wide variety of fields.  I have a good memory.  My mind is like a filing cabinet with most of the files available for inspection.  Anomalous phenomena stand out against the picture formed by the stream of history in much the same way that a moving object stands out against a static  or constant background.  I often see them clearly. 

Israel?  I don’t think God is a real estate agent and I don’t think the Israeli claim to a divine right to Palestine is anything more than the kind of myth making that Elie Khedourie discussed in his book on nationalism.  I have no objection to Israel, its existence or its regional ambitions.  I have never been interested in taking anyone’s side against the Israelis.  As I said before my only complaints about Israel are that they manipulate out political process to their advantage and to American disadvantage and they use their access to a 5^th column among our citizens to do it.   The other thing I don’t like about our relationship to Israel is that the relationship is very one sided.  The alliance with Israel has never been profitable on a net basis and it still is not.  Pl

Comments

[William R. Cumming]

No public assessment of the Israel/US allowed. Result could well be another Holocaust where the US stands by and watches. And most American Jews will also do nothing. Each day that passes makes it more likely that Israel's theocracy will end in catastrophe for that nation-state and others. Time will tell.

[Jackie]

WRC,
Where does your Holocaust remark come from? Was there anything about that in this post? What did I miss?

[jr786]

"As I said before my only complaints about Israel are that they manipulate out political process to their advantage and to American disadvantage and they use their access to a 5th column among our citizens to do it."

This. And it is this that enables all the other actions that contribute to anti-American feeling in the region. Every time the Israelis bulldoze somebody's house, or some settler throws wine on a Palestinian woman or...

All of these actions are made possible by the complete impunity enabled by manipulation of the American political process. That's an enormous 'only'.

[Roy G.]

Very eloquently stated, Col, and I appreciate your insight into human nature and your own thought process.

Highlander, I admire your willingness to admit your position and to open up to hear an argument against your strongly held position. This is something the world needs more of, on more topics than just Israel.

[William R. Cumming]

The Holocaust began with the fundamental dishonesty of lies. Just as Highlander discusses human relations are never objective and capable of dissection. Deep atavistic fears that are often nameless and in fact in error need to see the sunshine of open discourse whatever their sources and whenever they can. Just as Israel nuclear strike capability is never discussed the real drivers of Arab/Israeli and USA relationships are not discussed. An example. Look closely at USA refugee policy and policies. The USA could have alleviated some of the pressure on GAZA and elsewhere by increasing the quotas of Palestinians to the USA. After all if we give asylum to women from countries that believe in genital mutilation [a policy with which I agree] why not give the same to those who are treated as subhumans by one nation-state. And yes I do firmly believe you reap what you sow.
Americans cannot continue to pretend that all involved in Presidential races can continue to be foreign policy naifs when realities continue to be ignored. That is why I advocate the 1st Amendment and equal treatment of women as the basis of US foreign policy and foreign relations. Why is it that two of the three great western religions, and perhaps all three, are entirely happy with theocratic government? Thanks Tom Jefferson for helping break the hold of the Church of England on the American colonies and other Christian sects. No one can argue the Pilgrims were not a theocratic sect but that is never discussed in American history books or the fact that the founders did not establish an outpost of Christendom or why exactly we call it WESTERN CIVILIZATION not Christendom. Not that Western Europe did not try that scheme many times up to putting boiling oil down the throats of the heretics (many who were Christians)! I see the SERBS are at it again. Killing the "other" highly acceptable to the SERBS leadership. Why?

[walrus]

Col. Lang, "Renaissance Man" might possibly be an apt description of your approach.

[turcopolier]

walrus

It is a matter of education and aptitude, not equations or other claptrap. pl

[Cal]

I don't like Israel, don't think the Jews were 'entitled' to a country the world imposed on the natives of Palestine. Don't like professional victims, whiners, bullies, liars, parasites, hypocrites or thiefs. Don't like supremacist attitudes, religious mumbo jumbo, chosenness,self serving myths and historical revisionist.
Don't like agents of influence, fifth columns in my government or country. Don't like propagandist, censors,wimps who shoot women and children, war and greed mongers or political corrupters.
Can't think of single damn thing I like about that midget nazi outpost of so called Jewish self determination we have sunk 1.6 trillion dollars and the US reputation into.

Feed them to the Turks,I am sick of them.

[Medicine Man]

The Eastern Roman Empire certainly had a lot of problems with politicking and infighting, but probably no more so than any of the feudal societies that were their rivals. Their vanquishers -- the Turks -- themselves suffered a brutal succession/civil war a mere 3(?) decades before the actual fall of Constantinople. The "Byzantine" nature of the latter Roman Empire is much bandied about, but a I don't think they were that much worse off politically than most of the medieval world.

They were simply ground down by centuries of defending a precarious position in Europe. The defeat at Manzikert was probably the point of no return, for all the reasons Col. Lang points out. I also remember reading that the loss of Asia Minor deprived the empire of much of their horse stocks too, though I can't cite anything to back that up.

[highlander]

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Your reply was to the point, and refreshingly free of some academic sounding claptrap.

[Medicine Man]

Annnd, this reply was in the wrong thread. Less posting late at night for me. Apologies.