bush_cheney2004 Posted August 24, 2008 Report Posted August 24, 2008 After months of saying a timetable in Iraq was tantamount to surrender, Bush is finally talking about a timetable so that troops can be moved to Afghanistan. President Bush leaves office in only five months. Any "timetable" with significant re-deployments is longer than that. I'm still not convinced that Iraq is ready to drop the partitions or has a government ready or willing to address its problems, however, it is now and will be their problems to solve. The U.S. can't stay forever and the Iraqi government is asking them to leave. It is time to go. A key part of the U.S.-Iraqi draft agreement envisions the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq's cities by next June 30. Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
Guest American Woman Posted August 24, 2008 Report Posted August 24, 2008 ....the Army has changed thier plans for me and i'll be leaving for Afganistan this Sunday, so i won't be able to post for a while....i have secured a new laptop and will try to post from afgan when time permits....once again thank you all, for putting up with an old Army guy.... Just saw this now and since it's Sunday am, it's likely too late, but I just wanted to say "take care" and let you know you'll remain in our thoughts. All the best to you in Afghanistan! Hope to hear from you from time to time. Quote
Argus Posted August 24, 2008 Report Posted August 24, 2008 Certainly there won't be an occupation of Iran under Obama. McCain seems convinced that his solution worked in Iraq and will now work in Iran. Iraq could well have worked, had it been done with a little more expertise. Unfortunately, Bush gave Rumsfeld a free hand and Rumsfeld screwed the pooch royally. His lack of planning, and his consistent habit of arrogantly overruling senior generals who actually knew what they were doing were the main reason Iraq came very close to total failure. But I don't necessarily blame Bush for that. I can recall the election 8 years ago, where it was fairly well known that Bush didn't know much about the world. But we were told to be confident he would have top notch people advising him. Well, Bush bowed to the "expert knowledge" of these guys who had so much experience, and they let him down. Had McCain been president things would have gone differently. However, no president, democrat or republican, is going to occupy Iran, nor is there any need to. Obama's reflexive pacifism can be quite dangerous in a dangerous world. Jimmy Carter was a nice guy but his administration was not up to challenging Iran, much less the Soviet Union. And Obama makes Carter seem like a militarist. Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
Argus Posted August 24, 2008 Report Posted August 24, 2008 Was one of those objectives replacing a secular dictatorship with an Islamic theocracy? Today the constitution of Iraq, like the constitution of Afghanistan, is one where the Koran takes precedence over all other legislation. I am starting to think that this is necessary, that, in fact, it might be a required stepping stone for all Muslim states. For the most part, they have no history or tradition of democracy or democratic values. What they see of democracies in the West is often not inspiring. They don't trust politicians. The only people they do trust are their religious figures. So it might well be that religious theocracy is a required intermediate step before democracy can be instituted. The problem is that religious dictators, like any other, once in power, want to stay in power. Only these ones can claim God is on their side. We see that in Iran, where, I think, many people are now more than ready for true democracy. And their awe of religious figures and their nobility has become somewhat jaundiced, for they've seen that religious dictators are really no better than the secular kind. Of course, the tyrants are resisting, but at least, in Iran, what people want is a shift to more freedom. If you compare that to, say, Egypt or Saudi Arabia, what the mass of people wants is less freedom, religious tyranny, religious law. Well, perhaps they have to go through the same phase Iran has endured. Of course, it remains to be seen how long this phase lasts, or what an emerging democracy might look like afterwards. Without the constant goad of Israel we might have already been seeing that in Iran. Then again, the mullahs would probably have invented some other outside "threat" if Israel weren't there. Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
Argus Posted August 24, 2008 Report Posted August 24, 2008 Do you think IF Harper had the power to bring the draft into play he wouldn't? The Canadian military is very low on personnel and Harper would do it for a short time. His son Ben is what 13-14? He have to have the war over before Ben ws 18! Harper is a very self-center person, he would do what made HIM look good to other countries, especially a Republican ruled US!! The shortages in the Canadian military are not due to a lack of volunteers. Therefore, no draft is needed. Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
jdobbin Posted August 24, 2008 Author Report Posted August 24, 2008 However, no president, democrat or republican, is going to occupy Iran, nor is there any need to. Most would have thought the same about Iraq. The military has been cautioning the administration for months now about not attacking Iran or thinking that the U.S. has the horses to fight a war in Iran. So far, Bush has listened. I don't know about McCain. He seems to want to go to war with Iran. Obama's reflexive pacifism can be quite dangerous in a dangerous world. Jimmy Carter was a nice guy but his administration was not up to challenging Iran, much less the Soviet Union. And Obama makes Carter seem like a militarist. Is that the same reflex pacifism that seems determined to push for a surge in Afghanistan, the country actually responsible for September 11? Quote
Argus Posted August 24, 2008 Report Posted August 24, 2008 Perhaps the number of Georgians killed is not quite up there with the number of Iraqis killed. Like you care. Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
Argus Posted August 24, 2008 Report Posted August 24, 2008 You actually buy into that crap? That's only what the gov't tells us. The real motives are are much more complex and anyone with reason should be able to understand that. The motives don't really matter. All that matters is the results. Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
normanchateau Posted August 24, 2008 Report Posted August 24, 2008 (edited) I am starting to think that this is necessary, that, in fact, it might be a required stepping stone for all Muslim states. For the most part, they have no history or tradition of democracy or democratic values. What they see of democracies in the West is often not inspiring. They don't trust politicians. The only people they do trust are their religious figures. So it might well be that religious theocracy is a required intermediate step before democracy can be instituted. The problem is that religious dictators, like any other, once in power, want to stay in power. Only these ones can claim God is on their side. We see that in Iran, where, I think, many people are now more than ready for true democracy. And their awe of religious figures and their nobility has become somewhat jaundiced, for they've seen that religious dictators are really no better than the secular kind. Of course, the tyrants are resisting, but at least, in Iran, what people want is a shift to more freedom. If you compare that to, say, Egypt or Saudi Arabia, what the mass of people wants is less freedom, religious tyranny, religious law. Well, perhaps they have to go through the same phase Iran has endured. Interesting theory but I see no unequivocal supporting evidence for it. While it's true that an Islamic theocracy replaced an unpopular dictator, this was because Khomeini had more supporters than the numerous other anti-Shah Iranian groups, many of which were secular but not united. Iran was ready for democracy years earlier. Iran's first democratic government was headed by Prime Minister Mosaddegh until he was overthrown by SIS and CIA agents in 1953 who replaced him with the Shah. Had the coup d'etat not occurred, Iran might today be a democracy spared from decades of brutal Islamic theocracy. Edited August 24, 2008 by normanchateau Quote
Oleg Bach Posted August 25, 2008 Report Posted August 25, 2008 Interesting theory but I see no unequivocal supporting evidence for it. While it's true that an Islamic theocracy replaced an unpopular dictator, this was because Khomeini had more supporters than the numerous other anti-Shah Iranian groups, many of which were secular but not united. Iran was ready for democracy years earlier. Iran's first democratic government was headed by Prime Minister Mosaddegh until he was overthrown by SIS and CIA agents in 1953 who replaced him with the Shah. Had the coup d'etat not occurred, Iran might today be a democracy spared from decades of brutal Islamic theocracy. A stern and honourable Christian can befried a Muslim - a western secularist egotist can not. Look what the Americans did a few years ago - they sent an openly gay infidel as an emmsary to Iraq - what the hell were they thinking? This was a grave insult. .....and logically speaking - those Muslims that say they are killing in the name of God are NOT Muslims - God is ALMIGHTY..and to say that God is weak and needs help to birth or murder shows the mind of an infidel. Also - our troops are now under a policy that allows the sodomy and soul destruction of young underprivledge boys in Afghanistan - these broken and ruined boys are your future suicide bombers- what the hell are you thinking - much like the occultist Catholics that soul rob a child through the rectum...when are we going to do what is right - firstly - no more creation of crazed suicide bombers through sodomy - we have to think ahead and put a stop to this second rate occultism. Quote
Army Guy Posted September 2, 2008 Report Posted September 2, 2008 Hey guy's just had a few minutes to spare, actually can't sleep still adjusting to the time change....They been keeping us pretty busy here last things like zeroing wpns that sort of thing....still pretty hot, well compared to back home it's hot....food is the same fried everything on the menu, should'nt complain, in a couple days it will be IMP's , meal in a bag, yummy.... Just wanted to say thanks for all the kind words, i means alot to not only me but to everyone here...PS eyeball i knew you liked me, admit it , it's the uniform ain't it .....your kind of growing on me to... Anyways just waiting to replace the old gaurd here, and doing some ride alongs until my entire crew is on the ground...i look forward to remaining on the board when every i can, My laptop gets more miles on it than i do , as i pass it off to whom ever is going to the main camp to down load.....with that in mind sometimes it takes a few days for me to respond.... Quote We, the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have now done so much for so long with so little, we are now capable of doing anything with nothing.
Wilber Posted September 2, 2008 Report Posted September 2, 2008 Thanks for everything you are doing AG. You and your buddies come home safe. Quote "Never trust a man who has not a single redeeming vice". WSC
M.Dancer Posted September 2, 2008 Report Posted September 2, 2008 ....food is the same fried everything on the menu, should'nt complain, in a couple days it will be IMP's , meal in a bag, yummy.... Someone on a facebook page was reminiscing about the rations circa early 70s... The C-rations they gave us on the survival weekend. Yum-yum, canned bacon, butter from a toothpaste tube and oversized crackers for breakfast! I miss the canned bacon. On the otherhand, the lung..... Quote RIGHT of SOME, LEFT of OTHERS If it is a choice between them and us, I choose us
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