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It's Not Easy Being Hard »

Posted by: pc25 1 month, 3 weeks ago

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On the day the Colombian military freed Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other long-held hostages, the Italian parliament passed yet another resolution demanding her release. Europe had long ago adopted this French-Colombian politician as a cause celebre. France had made her an honorary citizen of Paris, passed numerous resolutions, and held many vigils.

Read Full Story at article.nationalreview.com

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pc251 month, 3 weeks ago

FTA
Ingrid Betancourt's liberation is yet another vindication of much-reviled hard power.
In the Bush years, hard power is terribly out of fashion, seen as a mere obsession of cowboys and neocons. Both in Europe and America, the sophisticates worship at the altar of "soft power" the use of diplomatic and moral resources to achieve one's ends.
What is done to free these people? Nothing. Everyone knows it will take the hardest of hard power to remove the oppressors in Zimbabwe, Burma, Sudan, and other godforsaken places where the bad guys have the guns and use them......
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  pc251 month, 3 weeks ago
  
  And so the innocent languish, as did Betancourt, until some local power, inexplicably under the sway of the Bush notion of hard power, gets it done â;; often with the support of the American military. "Behind the rescue in a jungle clearing stood years of clandestine American work," explained the Washington Post. "It included the deployment of elite U.S. Special Forces . . . a vast intelligence-gathering operation . . . and training programs for Colombian troops."
  
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    libsRfunny1 month, 3 weeks ago
    
    Didn't the liberals tell you, PC? Resolutions and paperwork ALWAYS get things done! Nothing is more effective than a bag of wind half a world away exhaling profusely!
    Why, look how effective the bags of wind controlling our Congress have been in their nearly two years in power! Now, what we need is a Congressional investigation and subpoena of Bin Laden! Yes sir. Nothing works better!
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      pc251 month, 3 weeks ago
      
      perfect example here ......all the pleas, diplomatic efforts, lighting of candles, novenas, accomplished exactly NADA.
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icono11 month, 3 weeks ago

When "diplomatic and moral resources " do fail to get results then 'hard power' usually will.
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aniokly1 month, 3 weeks ago

We are not dealing with people who respond to Diplomacy. Sometimes Diplomacy just doesn't work, and then we have to use harsher methods.
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jimdoze1 month, 3 weeks ago

Charles Krauthammer is, intellectually, a man amongst boys!
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Wolfie20071 month, 3 weeks ago

Don't get me wrong, I love Italy and all things Italian but why waste the time on meaningless gestures. Have you ever seen a bully who was intimidated by words?
Excellent, pc, thanx.
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Wolfie20071 month, 3 weeks ago

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  Wolfie20071 month, 3 weeks ago
  
  I thought Propeller was getting a make over?
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HOUSEMD1 month, 3 weeks ago

FTA: Upon her liberation, Betancourt offered profuse thanks to God and the Virgin Mary, to her supporters and the media, to France and Colombia, and just about everybody else. As of this writing, none to the United States. Makes you want to run out and save another country huh?
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