Comments on: Lebanese president: UN resolutions don’t count http://www.yourish.com/2007/05/06/3103 Cutting straight to the point Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:14:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Michael Lonie http://www.yourish.com/2007/05/06/3103/comment-page-1#comment-26154 Michael Lonie Tue, 08 May 2007 04:34:32 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2007/05/06/3103#comment-26154 Well oiled by baksheesh is the least of it. Corruption is virtually universal in the Third World (and is prominent in Israel, largely thanks to its excess of socialism). It's not unknown in places like New Jersey, New York and Chicago (we won't go into Louisiana, where it is epidemic). People don't like corruption but they can often work around it. It's the tyranny, lack of rule of law, and lack of property rights, well nigh universal among Arab states, that makes them like banana republics, and it's the murderousness that makes them worse. Well oiled by baksheesh is the least of it. Corruption is virtually universal in the Third World (and is prominent in Israel, largely thanks to its excess of socialism). It’s not unknown in places like New Jersey, New York and Chicago (we won’t go into Louisiana, where it is epidemic).

People don’t like corruption but they can often work around it. It’s the tyranny, lack of rule of law, and lack of property rights, well nigh universal among Arab states, that makes them like banana republics, and it’s the murderousness that makes them worse.

]]> By: chsw http://www.yourish.com/2007/05/06/3103/comment-page-1#comment-26139 chsw Mon, 07 May 2007 18:55:19 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2007/05/06/3103#comment-26139 IOW, what Arab country is NOT a banana republic? Or, perhaps all Arab governments are simply oily governments and must be well-oiled by baksheesh in order for anything to get done. chsw IOW, what Arab country is NOT a banana republic? Or, perhaps all Arab governments are simply oily governments and must be well-oiled by baksheesh in order for anything to get done.

chsw

]]> By: Michael Lonie http://www.yourish.com/2007/05/06/3103/comment-page-1#comment-26128 Michael Lonie Mon, 07 May 2007 01:03:16 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2007/05/06/3103#comment-26128 What's the Middle East version of "bananna republic"? That's a toughie. Syria, Egypt, Libya, et bloody cetera all have similarities to La Republica de los Banannas. Except that most Latin American caudillos were more civilized and less bloodthirsty than Arab ones are. What’s the Middle East version of “bananna republic”?

That’s a toughie. Syria, Egypt, Libya, et bloody cetera all have similarities to La Republica de los Banannas. Except that most Latin American caudillos were more civilized and less bloodthirsty than Arab ones are.

]]> By: Eric J http://www.yourish.com/2007/05/06/3103/comment-page-1#comment-26127 Eric J Mon, 07 May 2007 00:07:30 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2007/05/06/3103#comment-26127 Shouldn't UNSC 1701 have had something to do with the Klingon Question? Or perhaps Photon Torpedo anti-proliferation. Shouldn’t UNSC 1701 have had something to do with the Klingon Question? Or perhaps Photon Torpedo anti-proliferation.

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