https://www.dynamic-designs.us
http://www.dynamic-designs.us/d-dforum/

Hello RPG Lovers!
http://www.dynamic-designs.us/d-dforum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=8		 Page 2 of 2
Author:  Wildbill [ Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hello RPG Lovers!
ultpaladin wrote:
Interesting background info Wildbill, I'm actually a political science/history major with a focus on international relations. In fact over the next several quarters I'll be working on a paper that proposes a constitutional design for Iraq that would mitigate ethnic and sectarian conflict. Obviously such a proposition is a little late, but it is certainly an interesting what if.


Read the Balfour Declaration (I believe it was called) that led to the creation of the French Mandate for Lebanon, created by the League of Nations to carve up the Ottoman Empire. After being granted statehood, the Lebanese factions rotated their leaders in offices of state, the Maronite Christians, Shia and Sunni Muslims, even the Druze. (BTW, this was the subject of my Master's thesis.) Would such a scheme work in pluralistic Iraq where Sunni Muslims have always held sway? Would the Kurds and the southern Shia get a fair shake?

Lebanon fell apart when Hassef al-Assad, actually an Alawite minority in his own country of Syria, invaded in 1976. The Hezbollah movement holding the Bekaa Valley didn't help matters either. Lebanon lacked a strong enough army to repel the invaders. Therefore, if the Iraqi military is not rebuilt and armed, Iran could easily destabilize Iraq for decades (in the vacuum of a full American withdrawal), even invade and occupy. The only way any plan of stable government will work in Iraq is through the creation of a covenant that all factions will respect, coupled with a strategic deterrence force sufficient to mitigate regional foreign aggression.

In my humble opinion, the U. N. is a greater failure than the League of Nations, nothing but a communist mouthpiece during the Cold War. Anyway, good luck building your model, but I see nothing but Armageddon coming.
Author:  ultpaladin [ Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hello RPG Lovers!
The confessional system in Lebanon is a mess and direct cause for that long civil war. The Shiite Muslims have far higher birthrates than the Sunnis or Maronites and when you have government apportioned out based on census data from far decades ago, it inevitably results in conflict.

As for the UN, it can never really be an effective body in international relations unless nation-states are actually willing to cede more power to it and remove or limit the effects of permanent member vetoes. And frankly, if that did happen, it would open up a pandora's box of problems. I think the UN does do some good stuff such as fighting famine and disease and protecting world heritage sights so I think there is still a role for it.
Author:  Red Soul [ Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hello RPG Lovers!
No matter how much you try and trace back in history you'll see Middle-East has been a region where trouble brews.
I don't have extensive knowledge of treaties and conventions concerning there, but it has always been my opinion
that the problem goes beyond what any ammount of paperwork could solve - its way too fundamental - the simple
decision to remain apart and dedicate animosity towards parties different than oneself.

Its a common human behavior everywhere, from high school cliques to international relationships...
it all boils down to the same thing in the end:
people have problems understanding and accepting others.
In all it just becomes more visible because it involves, as I said earlier, a handful of "gunpowder barrels" so to speak.
Until people realize difference is no sufficient reason to create relational fissures in any level, nothing will get
resolved.

As for international organisms, they tend to be, chiefly, nothing more than paper tigers...so flickle a spark at them
and they'll burn themselves off in the horizon...the end result being military intervention which just feeds the cycle.
Author:  Lalakoboldslayer [ Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hello RPG Lovers!
That reminds me of the time I beat Ar tonelico II-PS2. There was a dialog that doesn't get out of my mind, it is something like that:

Tastiella:
What is the simplest, yet strongest reason for the rise of conflicts?

Lyner:
The reason is that people don't try to understand each other.
People don't even try to see things from other peoples' perspectives, to see why they do certain things.
They don't want to know what other people want or need, what they strive to achieve.
When people refuse to understand each other, conflicts arise.
People only see the harms others are causing them. They don't understand why something bad is happening.
And when you don't know why you're being hurt, your only course is to strike back.
But if you know why you may have to suffer, there may be a better a solution to your problem.
Usually people won't fight unless they have a reason.
Author:  Red Soul [ Wed Oct 21, 2009 2:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hello RPG Lovers!
Good example, it pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter.
Page 2 of 2 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/