Update on the war against "Al-Qaida"

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by This_person

Then, their problem is with their Royals, not us. It's not our fault they don't like our lifestyle, and we don't force it upon them. If they don't buy the Big Mac and the Run DMC CD, then they don't have to worry about having them.

...I agree. However, they see the money and support we give as being the source of their power. Right?

[This_person]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...but how titanically hypocritical is it to invade a nation because an attack us originated their and then, while we have the force and opportunity, to stand by and ignore the growth in heroin making it's way to US shores, essentially an attack on us.

It's not hypocritical because herion is not an attack on us any more than Bon Jovi is an attack on Saudi Arabia. Killing us AGAINST OUR WILL, like blowing up our embassies and ships and buildings, and flying planes into buildings, etc., is an attack on us. Providing us with a product WE DEMAND is our own stupidity. If you shoot me, you've attacked me. If you sell me a gun and bullets and I shoot myself, you did NOT attack me.

You can't be part of killing 3,000 people in one day and costing us billions, but, you can be part of killing 3,000 and costing us billions as long as it is one at a time and spread out over the course of a year.

I'm not for that at all. I think drug users are exteremely stupid. I think we should jail drug users, and send drug dealers to rehab instead of the other way around. At least then, there MIGHT be a lowering of drug use.

If we make the argument that Afghani's need the drug money and we just have to accept certain compromises then we make the argument that they needed the money OBL brought as well. So, why couldn't we also accept that?

Who's making that argument?

My argument is they have the right to sell us whatever we buy, just like we have the right to sell others whatever they buy. If we're stupid enough to buy it, that's our problem, not theirs.

When we start analyzing that things could have been done in a MUCH better way, at some point, the scales of reason dictate that it was a mistake. As it is, we're using the same rational a gambler does; Keep playing. This will work sooner or later.

I see it kind of like driving to NYC from here via Little Rock. We realize we made the mistake somewhere between Little Rock and NYC. We can learn from the mistakes, but we still need to get to NYC, so we have to keep driving. The method may have been wrong, but that doens't mean stop in Kentucky and burn the map.

[This_person]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...I agree. However, they see the money and support we give as being the source of their power. Right?

I would hope they don't. The power of ANY government is the people governed, whether that's in their laws or not. Thousands of years of governments being overthrown - including monarchies - should demonstrate that.

[This_person]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...and we freaking had them. We were all over them and the FBI was told "Nope. You got that info from CIA. Can't have that."

So, we turn our society upside down for want of one little piece of paper saying our law enforcement and intel services shall work together?

Yeah. Our mistake in government. Kinda crappy, isn't it?


BTW, what's your signature line mean? I don't know the quote.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by This_person

us I see it kind of like driving to NYC from here via Little Rock. We realize we made the mistake somewhere between Little Rock and NYC. We can learn from the mistakes, but we still need to get to NYC, so we have to keep driving. The method may have been wrong, but that doens't mean stop in Kentucky and burn the map.

...where do you see us in 5 years? 10? A generation? A 'good' Afghanistan? A 'good' Iraq? Still looking for NYC? Still worth the trip?

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by This_person

BTW, what's your signature line mean? I don't know the quote.

...is a thread about car key remotes not working in some spots and someone said that covering it with foil would make it work by eliminating the interference. I just thought it was a hoot; American 2008; Your key fob needs a tin hat!

[This_person]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...where do you see us in 5 years? 10? A generation? A 'good' Afghanistan? A 'good' Iraq? Still looking for NYC? Still worth the trip?

Are you asking what I hope for, or what I expect reality to be ?

In a generation, or maybe even two (see Japan, Germany), I hope for a "good" Iraq, that may even influence it's neighboring countries' societies. I see a much better Afghanistan already, though sinking from neglect.

Worth the trip? Probably. We found out the need for the trip to Iraq was much lower than we (and every other intelligence service of every other nation) thought, but the results may turn out to be worth it in the long run. The need for the trip to Afghanistan has already been worth it.

[This_person]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...is a thread about car key remotes not working in some spots and someone said that covering it with foil would make it work by eliminating the interference. I just thought it was a hoot; American 2008; Your key fob needs a tin hat!

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by This_person

We found out the need for the trip to Iraq was much lower than we (and every other intelligence service of every other nation) thought,

...I'm never gonna buy into that non sense. It was obvious they were full of it from the get go. I just bought into the illusion that we were going over, killing everyone who needed it and imposing US law.

Blix and everyone else knew pretty much everything was gone. It just couldn't be proved and Saddam felt he could not prove it as the threat was part of his power.

I supported the wars. I just expected a 1991 style execution; not this nation building, Vietnam/Korea style horse####. Absent our incredible battlefield medicine, we're looking at something like 15-20,000 KIA. As it is, taking over 40,000 KIA/WIA is criminal with our power.

[This_person]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...I'm never gonna buy into that non sense. It was obvious they were full of it from the get go. I just bought into the illusion that we were going over, killing everyone who needed it and imposing US law.

It's what Albright thought, what Clinton thought, what Bush was given as a turnover into the presidency, what the Russians told us, the English told us, and, as you state below, what Saddam told us. What part of it do you disagree with? We can all agree it was probably wrong (Syria is the only one who really knows if it was false from the beginning or not), but you have to agree it's what everybody THOUGHT.

Blix and everyone else knew pretty much everything was gone. It just couldn't be proved and Saddam felt he could not prove it as the threat was part of his power.

Your last is really a big part of the proof - we thought it, he helped us continue to think it. Powerfully. To his detriment.