Comments on: A sensible look at foreign policy

By: Paqui Toscano

Paqui Toscano — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:20:46 +0000

Kyle, great article! Like I said in my comment to Mr. Loch’s comment, I think that this foriegn policy issue is going to be crucially important in the determining the outcome of the 2012 presidential election, and along with health care and other important issues could determine whether or not President Barack Obama clenches another term. Also like I said, I debated a topic in a debate tournament last month regarding the very same issue as you wrote about in your staff column, and realized several very important things. First, that even if we do pull out of Afghanistan and end up leaving the Taliban in control, Al Qaeda, the organization that truly declared war on America by bombing the Twin Towers, are not going to go back to Afghanistan, and even if they try to, the Taliban’s not going to let them. Second, from a practical standpoint as you touched on in your column, Afghanistan is a country that has never been stablilized. Britain couldn’t do it. Neither could the Soviet Union. Why does America think it can now? Finally, the terrorists we’re so desperately afraid of are not at all dependent on Afghanistan, according to The International Herald Tribune. At any rate, I think this is topic hs many different sides and dimensions to it, but in the end, the effort we’re putting into Afghanistan is clearly not worth it any more. Maybe if we had stayed in Afghanistan and not diverted our forces by sending them to Iraq, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in now. But alas, we didn’t — we have George Bush to thank for that one. I like Obama (and his general liberal mindset), but from a practical standpoint, I tend to agree with you.

By: Paqui Toscano

Paqui Toscano — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:10:55 +0000

I understand your point that most kids don’t care about foreign policy. But in this case, I think, Kyle is writing this article for the kids that do, and trust me there are kids out there that do care about foreign policy such as myself, and a whole organization of debaters (members of the National Forensic League) who last month had to debate the subject of President Obama’s Afghanistan war strategy. I’m afraid I don’t share your same disappointment with the whole breed of teenagers. Simply using myself as an example, I in fact care deeply and am glad Kyle took the time to write this article, and as we can see by the comments left, people are reading it. I think how Obama handles Afghanistan is crucially important in the outcome of the 2012 presidential election, and as a citizen of the United States who is excited to become a voter and be a part of this democratic process we cherish so much in America, I am glad that we can examine all sides of this foreign policy issue on http://www.fairmontflyer.com.

By: Jon Loch

Jon Loch — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:30:02 +0000

I understand how this is an opinion column, but who is your intended audience? Most of today’s students could really give two shakes on foreign policy. If they don’t care, don’t waste your time writing. You’ve done your research; I’m very interested to see what other opinions you might have. On another note, I would do something more controversial. That is the only rubbish that people seem to read today.

By: Kyle Ratliff

Kyle Ratliff — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:20:55 +0000

I’m afraid the term you are so desperately searching for is “hippie,” and no, sir, I am not one. I’m simply advocating the foreign policy of our forefathers. It was George Washington who warned against the danger of entangling alliances and preached non-interventionist strategy, and I’m simply reminding us of that.

By: jim feluci

jim feluci — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:36:50 +0000

hippy