Constine/Xahar/Intermoderate Foreign Policy Debate

[The Mikado]

Good evening, (ladies and) gentlemen!  We are here tonight to see two of the brightest young minds on Atlas debate the major foreign policy crises of the world and the role America should play in them.

Before we begin policy questions, I'd like to ask both participants to have introductory statements explaining the basic principles that shape their foreign policy.

[The Mikado]

Can we get someone without absolutley awful foreign policy views to join?

Would the participants be willing to accept a third challenger?

[The Mikado]

Well, if Xahar's fine with it, the first person who volunteers before question 1 will be accepted.

Still waiting for opening statements.

[The Mikado]

If Xahar's OK with it, Intermoderate will be our third participant.

[The Mikado]

I will interpret "Meh" as Xahar agreeing to Intermoderate's participation.

Once we have his statement we can begin in earnest.  Also, to prevent the thread's degeneration into an unreadable flame war right from the get go, Israel/Palestine will not be addressed until the third question.

[The Mikado]

It's kind of late on the East Coast...

True, but I have time to ask question 1:

What should the role of NATO be in the Post-Cold War world, and what role should the United States play in that organization?

[The Mikado]

Very good.  Xahar, Ben, any thoughts?

[The Mikado]

Unless intermoderate wants to rebut Xahar, we will wait for Ben's response and move onto the next topic, Afghanistan.  (Still formulating the wording of the question)

Sorry that the first topic turned out kind of dull.

[The Mikado]

C'mon, c'mon... you know what we're all waiting for...

Yes, and like any showman, I know not to put the star attraction on first.

[The Mikado]

Could I participate in one of these debates sometime?

Master thread's here: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=85096.0

Find a partner and go for it!

Anyway, back to our participants: Ben Constine is late with his reply, so we will move to question 2.  He can put a paragraph or whatever on NATO into his next answer.

Anyway:

2:  Since October of 2001, the US-led coalition has had an increasingly heated battle with the Taliban in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.  Do you view the war in Afghanistan as making significant progress and how should the American government proceed in its dealings with its allies and with the governments and peoples of Afghanistan and Pakistan?

[The Mikado]

Revival time!  We are here with Round 2 of this epic debate.  Question is still Afghanistan.

[The Mikado]

Thank you, intermoderate.

This isn't going well, is it?

Might as well skip to the main attraction.

A few years back, Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer caused quite a bit of a stir by arguing that American foreign policy was being unduly swayed by a strong Israel lobby including Jews and Christian Zionists, and that this lobby was distorting rational Mideast policy.  Do you agree that US policy towards Israel/Palestine is adversely affected by pro-Israel American special interests and, if so, how would you redirect policy if completely freed from lobbying interests?

[The Mikado]

Bump. Can't answer now; Internet limited. I'll be back on Saturday.

Fair enough...I'll have limited access until Sunday.

I Just noticed that the image in my sig doesn't work.

[The Mikado]

Has anyone else here actually read the Walt/Mearsheimer paper?

[The Mikado]

Good, now answer the Israel Lobby question.



(BTW, I find myself in almost 100% agreement with the preceding statement on Afghanistan, for what it's worth)

[The Mikado]

You did not just bump this thread after a quarter of a year.