[extropy-chat] Tyranny in place (resend 1)

[Joseph Bloch]

Keith Henson wrote:

>At 09:22 PM 10/2/2006 -0400, Joseph wrote:
>  
>
>>In allying themselves
>>with the Soviet Union against the Axis, the Allies were merely using one
>>form of Totalitarianism to help defeat another. They could just as
>>easily have reversed the process, allying themselves with Nazi Germany
>>against the USSR, and then fought the Axis thereafter.
>>    
>>
>
>Not possible unless the USSR had attacked.
>
>And though there was lots of noise about it, and fighting around the edges, 
>in the post WWII years USSR (with its expansionist communist memes) never 
>attacked.  I think I know the reason.  Anyone else want to state it?
>  
>

Hitler beat him to it. Stalin would've invaded Germany within months if 
not sooner.

See Viktor Suvorov, “Who was Planning to Attack Whom in June 1941, 
Hitler or Stalin?” /Journal of the Royal United Services Institute/ 
(June 1985), and /Icebreaker: Who Started the Second World War/ (London: 
1990).


>  
>
>>Islamist totalitarianism is no different in its goal and broad form than
>>either Naziism or Soviet Communism. It seeks global domination, and does
>>through through the totalitarian control of the populace (in this
>>specific case, that control is achieved through politico-religious,
>>rather than purely political ideology).
>>    
>>
>
>Ok.  Why is this happening *now* rather than say 40 years ago?  I.e., what 
>has changed?
>  
>

I am rather embarassed that it needs to be spelled out. The USSR 
collapsed, the Cold War ended, the threat of nuclear annihilation 
(temporarily) was withdrawn, and the dampening effect of the global 
quasi-military/political/economic struggle between communism and 
capitalsm was removed. One cannot under-estimate the effect of the Cold 
War on all the nations of the world, especially those who were proxies 
of one side or another. There were no _major_ conflicts during that 
period (Korea, Viet Nam, Afghanistan, El Salvador, etc. not rising 
anywhere close, even collectively, to the level of a World War II or I-- 
hence the term "Cold War"). In that context, the post-9/11 wars in 
Afghanistan and Iraq may be seen as a prelude to the new "major" 
conflict between Islamist extremism and the West, in the same way that 
the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, or the Japanese invasion of China was 
seen as the prelude to World War II.

I can find very little to add to the discussion at this point, so 
barring some super-repliable comment, I will consider my points made and 
get back to working on the new project.

Joseph