Coalitions of the Unwilling

October 22, 2006 8:12 AM

Coalitions of the Unwilling Despite the dislike at this site of one link posts, I believe this to be an important article so at the risk of scornful comments, here it is "THE Middle East is no stranger to doom and gloom. The most enduring conflict of the past century, between Israelis and Palestinians, drags on drearily today. The first wars of the 21st century have also unfolded there, in Afghanistan, Iraq, western Sudan and Lebanon. This being so, the West has a long history of espying new spectres in the region. In the 1950s and 1960s it was Nasser, Egypt's passionate pan-Arabist leader. In the 1970s it was Palestinian terrorism; in the 1980s Khomeini's Islamic revolution; since the turn of the century, al-Qaeda-style mayhem; and now again revolutionary Iran, newly expansionary and perhaps, some day, armed with nukes. ...."
posted by Postroad (5 comments total)

You know, the post would have been fine without the disclaimer.
posted by wheelieman at 8:25 AM on October 22, 2006

Postroad, you've managed to demonstrate the exact the reason why people put numerous links in posts like these: Because it is often convenient.

Despite the pedigree of many Mefi users, there might be a few here that are unfamiliar with the history of the ME, with Nasser Sayyid Qutb and UK/US involvement in the region before and After WWII, much less Russia's involvement and the Reagan-era catspaw creation of the Taliban.

See, hyperlinks are your friend. And I would be an ass to make specific references without providing them.)
posted by vhsiv at 8:30 AM on October 22, 2006

There is no "dislike at this site of one link posts." There is, from Matt, a long-held dislike of one-link news/opinion piece posts.

That said, I didn't find anything particularly insightful in the summary, Postroad. Invading Iraq has strengthened violent enemies and has caused even high-minded Western enterprises like the proposed UN force in Darfur, to be seen with suspicion. Inflexibility in hard-line US positions is causing missed opportunities with the Palestinians and Syria.

What's new here?
posted by mediareport at 8:31 AM on October 22, 2006

Hey I love 1-link posts, just not when they are links to opinion pieces on a battered-within-an-inch-of-its-life topic, with zero¹ new information in them. You wish to generate a discussion which is fine, but it is a secondary outcome to posting a good link.

¹The only new information was:

"Ayatollah Khamenei, brandishing a Kalashnikov and speaking in his fluent classical Arabic in a Friday sermon on October 13th, put the matter more bluntly. Blasting critics of Hizbullah as “cringing hirelings of the Great Satan”, he said that the Iranian-funded militia's victory had made the group so loved that Muslims everywhere felt they had participated in it.

posted by peacay at 8:36 AM on October 22, 2006

Folks, if you wanna debate the merits of one link posts, take it to the grey. Otherwise stay on topic here.
posted by wheelieman at 8:43 AM on October 22, 2006