Lynn of Reflections in D Minor talks about this quote:

Europeans with nothing but carrots and Americans with nothing but sticks is dysfunctional in the face of militant extremists bent on destroying them both---sticks, carrots and all.

she has her disagreement with it, but mine's a little different.

It ain't about the choice between whackin' your donkey or feedin' it yummies.

It's good cop/bad cop

It's about scarin' the crap out of the perps, and then offering them a friend and a way out that doesn't involve them getting a beating that would make the Rodney King treatment look like a soak in a jacuzzi.

I'm watching Iran making deals with the EU and I can just hear the talk in the figurative brightly lit interrogation room:

"Hey, you better give up your nuke program. These crazy cowboys... I don't know how long I can hold 'em back... maybe if you just co-operated... otherwise... you know... they're just f'n NUTS!"

Funny how much better negotiations work when you have Clint Eastwood waiting in the wings with brass knuckles.

Posted by: Harvey at 11:18 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Great point! It seems like Frank's Nuke the Moon strategy is working...

Posted by: Susie at November 27, 2004 08:21 AM (vXRVX)

2 Or perhaps it is a sign that the foreign policies of America towards Iran since the end of the seventies has left them feeling isolated and that the only people left to talk to are the EU? Just thought I would throw that in there :-p

Posted by: Alex at November 27, 2004 08:51 AM (a1D32)

3 Or perhaps it's a sign that only the EU is gullible enough to believe that a promise from Iran is worth more than a thimbleful of warm spit :-P But you're probably right about Iran feeling isolated. I'm hoping that eventually they'll get lonely enough to call my $3.99 a minute dial-a-hooker chat line :-)

Posted by: Harvey at November 27, 2004 02:29 PM (ubhj8)

4 Ah, you misread me. I was saying that the policies set out have achieved what they were designed to do - simple as that. Hell, the EU will probably offer Iran membership soon enough. "Former dictatorship? No proper economy? Need subsidies? Come right in and join the club!" And unless you do hookers in a burkha line I think you might be waiting a long time...

Posted by: Alex at November 27, 2004 03:33 PM (a1D32)

5 Hmmm... burka hookers... "so... what are you wearing" "It's black, it's shiny, I'm covered head to toe. You can't even see my eyes through the face-screen" "I. Am. So. Aroused!"

Posted by: Harvey at November 28, 2004 12:34 PM (ubhj8)

6 No, Harvey, you've got it all wrong. Burka hookers would talk like this: "I'm lifting it up right now... you can see my toes... I've got a toe ring on... now I'm taking it off... now you can see the matching anklet..." "Oooh, that makes me so hot!" Remember, in the Middle East, T&A stands for "Toes & Ankles".

Posted by: Wacky Hermit at November 30, 2004 01:47 PM (1OwrP)

7 WH - LOL! :-D

Posted by: Harvey at November 30, 2004 06:51 PM (ubhj8)

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