Theos-Talk Archives (March 2003 Message tt00217)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bartl@s...> wrote:
> The one who, when Iran committed what any other country would have 
> called an act of war against the United States, had the reaction, 
> "Please sir, can I have another?"

Other countries did not call it an act of war, but appeared in the UN 
and urged the Iranians "in the strongest terms" to turn out people 
loose and stop feeding them porridge with worms in it. I admired 
them for that. Sending in troops would have got them all killed so 
urging the Ianians "in the strongest terms" was probably the most 
sensible thing to do.

Roger Dawson, who teaches negotiating skills, vites this as an 
excellent example of the "Good cop, Bad cop" stratefy in action. 
When Carter lost the election his people told the ayatollah-man that 
thir time for dealing with Reasonable Jim (the Good cop) was running 
out. If they gloated over their hostages much longer they would deal 
with Cowboy Ron and his gunslinging underling Alexander Haig, who 
used to command NATO (the Bad Cops). It turned out later Reagan was 
more timid than Carter, but the chief beardo (a contraction 
of "bearded weirdo") swiftly turned the hostages loose without anyone 
firing a shot. They were home before Reagan was inaugurated. 
Incidentally this was Dawson's example, not mine. It is a case study 
in the use of Good Cop, Bad Cop as a negotiating gambit.

Unsophisticated people who condemn the UN, the French, etc., may 
study the current situation. The Good Cop, Bad Cop strategy is being 
used again. Allegedly Jacques Chirac and Dubya have a close working 
relationship and confer via telephone frequently. If Colin Powell 
judges that it is necessary to delay miltary action without appearing 
to back down or reduce pressure, he will need the UN as a device for 
pulling this off. Negotiating is quite an interesting and complex 
process which people who have not studied it cannot appreciate. All 
is not as it seems.

That said, I still find Dubya worrisome. Bill's points are well 
taken, though.

Kudos to Erica for posting all those vile comments from the Talmud. 
I knew parts of it were crude, but I did not know any of that stuff 
was in there.