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west
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Postby west » Mon Dec 05, 2005 2:23 am

Stan wrote:By the way, you do realize that from the time America declared independence until the time America voted for it's first president there were a few years in between, right? Things like this take some time and sacrifice. It isn't like clicking on a web link and sitting at your monitor waiting for the page to load.

I see impatience as a root cause for the much of the grumbling. Rome wasn't built in a day, they say. Nor should we expect it in Baghdad.


Yah, okay, but we declared independence from our colonial rulers ourselves. Iraq was invaded by a foreign force that disliked their oppressive regime, and now the foreign force is wrapped up in an insurgency that hates them and can't leave. It's as if, instead of declaring independence, we were invaded by France, and THEN started the guerilla insurgency movement.

And I think the phrase you're looking for is "Rome wasn't BURNED in a day."

It's NOTHING like the war for independence in America and it's frankly very disingenuous of you to make that comparison.
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Postby Stan » Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:40 pm

The insurgency is not being led by the average Iraqi citizen (if Iraqis at all).

Iraqi's did claim independence themselves...remember the Kurds? Are they less Iraqi than Sunnis? If you believe rule by Saddam Hussein was the will of the people in Iraq you're fooling yourself.

Do you also believe that the insurgency is being masterminded, directed and executed by Iraqis? Come on. I think you're being a bit disingenuous, or naive.
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Postby west » Tue Dec 06, 2005 12:24 pm

Of course I don't think that the "average" Iraqi (assuming you mean Shia and Kurd) is involved with the insurgency; the vast majority of Sunni Muslims aren't either.

And the Kurds have been fighting for an independent state throughout the Middle East, not just in Iraq.

And of course I agree that Saddam's rule was terrible. I never said it wasn't. But the US invasion was poorly thought out, poorly rationalized, poorly implemented, and is going rather poorly. Not to mention it made Iraq into a haven for terrorists, which it previously hadn't been.
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Stan
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Postby Stan » Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:38 pm

Now we're coming a little closer to agreement on a few issues. Iraq is becoming a place where terrorists are located...could call it a haven, but it is far from the breeding ground that you called it earlier. Terrorists are converging there to fight Americans and their allies. Hmmm...what better place to fight our enemy than on a battle ground?

Now as far as poor planning, execution, and rationalization, some of that I agree with. The rationalization that we used was made by most of the world including the UN and those now opposed to the war (of course not everyone). So, though it was poor rationalization, it was made using the data everyone had you can't blame that on America or any political party within.

As far as planning and execution of the war plan...I think I agree to a point, but I'm not a war expert so I can't say what I would have done differently. The biggest mistake seems to be the disbanding of the Iraqi army, but to disband them kind of made sense at the time.

I don't think the casualty rate among soldiers is comparitively high. At the current casualty rate to achieve the same American dead numbers (since they are the main fighting force) as in Vietnam this war would have to continue for close to 60 years.

I'm hearing talk of America beginning to pull out in 2006. Not sure if this will happen, but if it does I don't think anyone in their right mind can claim that things went poorly for this war in general.

Accomplishments:

1. Depose a dictator that has a history of invading nieghbors and killing his own people.

2. Establishing a democracy where the will of the people can be excercized.

3. Hunting, fighting and killing terrorists with armed soldiers instead of unarmed civilians.

4. Exposing the true intentions of the terrorists to the rest of the middle east. I am confident that most people in the middle east are as disgusted by actions of the terrorists in Iraq as we are in America.

5. Exposing Russia and France as supporters of the Iraqi regime in order to make a buck.

6. Putting North Korea and Iran back on their heals.

7. Helping promoters of sufferage and freedom through the middle east make a bolder and more concerted claim and winning the right to vote in many places around the middle east.
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Postby formerly known as hf » Tue Dec 06, 2005 9:21 pm

I'd like to pick up on just one particular point I disagree with:
Stan wrote:I am confident that most people in the middle east are as disgusted by actions of the terrorists in Iraq as we are in America.
Could you explain why you are confident? As far as I am aware from what I have seen coming from Middle Eastern media is that they are annoyed at the fact that the US has invaded another country in such a manner.
Indeed, from my position here in London, where we not that long ago felt the extent to which there is a renewed hatred for those who supported the attack, it seems to me that there is, if anything, more sympathy towards the terrorist causes that the US and British armies and governments are fighting against.
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Postby Stan » Tue Dec 06, 2005 9:47 pm

I'm not talking about middle east media. I'm talking the human beings who have compassion for the innocent people being murdered by terrorists. If anyone had an inclination to see bin Laden and gang as a modern day Salladin I believe he and people like him have been exposed as the murderers that they are.

I believe they are as disgusted by beheadings and the blowing up of weddings and police stations as much as I am. I'm confident in that because ANYONE with compassion would be disgusted by it.
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Postby Pie » Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:54 pm

AMEN TO THAT!!!

BUT... heres the question.... how many people over there even HAVE compation, and how many are too lazy to get of there arses and think and just listen to media?
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Postby Talapus » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:28 pm

Pie wrote:...how many people over there even HAVE compation...?


Pie, it sounds like you trying to imply that people in the middle east have little or no compassion. If that is actually what you are trying to say, you are crazy. People by nature are compassionate, just as much in the middle east as any other place. I know many people from that region of the world, and I can say with certainty that although their lifestyles may be different then ours, they are just as compassionate people as you or me.
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Postby Schme » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:28 pm

I’ve read through all this here now, but I don’t want to pick apart everything piece by piece to respond, so I won’t. I’ll just go at everything at once.

I’ve went at this before here, I think, but I’ll do it again.

People always at the U.N. “For not doing anything.” People forget the whole point of the U.N is to make sure that nothing ever happens. That’s what supposed to be doing.

The reason they didn’t stop America from doing what they did in Iraq is firstly, because they can’t. The U.N., like I said, does nothing. That’s not what they do. What would they do? Have all the countries in the U.N. send soldiers to defend Iraq?

The U.N. is a great organization. Without them, those small wars would go on legally like they did in the past. Indonesia bowls over a few countries? Who’s to stop them if the U.N. is not there? Vietnam? Like hell.

By going past the U.N. to illegally invade Iraq has effectively destroyed the United Nations. If the most powerful nation in the world is not “In”, nobody’s going to be.



Nuking Japan. Good idea.

If America had not hit Japan with those nukes, they would have lost hundreds of thousands more troops, and the Japanese Empire would have done a lot more shit too the people of this world. Believe me, without those nukes, Japan would probably had won. The Japanese have never been a meek people.

Hell, if the Emperor had not told the Japanese to stop killing Americans, the States never could have occupied Japan.



The Iraq occupation is not at all going well, for anyone.

First, on comparing United States soldiers dead (not to mention casualties), well, sure, you can compare it to other conflicts, but they are not the same as this conflict. For one thing, this is not a war like in WWII or Vietnam. This is an occupation. Want to see a successful occupation, look a Afghanistan (if we’re comparing it in numbers of dead Americans, that is.)

Over two thousand dead (almost certainly at about a few hundred more than the official figures) is several American deaths daily.



This is not mentioning how well things are going for people in Iraq. For every dead American soldier, I’d guess there’s about four dead Iraqis. Under Saddam, there was oppression, and yes, some were killed for political reasons, many in fact, but there was order. People were not killed in the streets daily, bombs did not go off in the cities, your children could go to school and play outside safely.

There were not many violent Islamists, and those that were around were kept under control.

The occupiers are even more oppressive than Saddam Hussein was, but with less order. The armies that control the cities are now just better armed and less disciplined, in addition to being extremely demoralized. When the Ba’ath Party ran things, there was not martial law, either.

Women could walk the streets without fear, women could be in government, a women could go meet a friend at a café. Not anymore, no chance in hell.

And aren’t the people of Iraq living luxuriously these days? With all the splendors of western culture, yes indeed! Western culture a hundred years ago, that is.

Half the time, no electricity, no water, and when it works it’s no good.

Want a fun way to kill an afternoon? I have a fun idea! Let’s go wait in line for ten hours for a couple litres of gasoline!

And see all the freedom and democracy they have? A president appointed by America, with no power. Municipal elections torn to shreds by military bureaucrats.

Oh, and by the way, a few billion American dollars have disappeared. Billions. No one knows where they’ve gone.


And what did you say about most fighters coming from other countries? That’s not true. Sure, there’s some, yes. But most of them are Iraqi. Anyone who says otherwise is fooling themselves. Where else would they come from, eh? Iran? Not likely. An Iranian would stick out like a sore thumb in Iraq, and if he tried to kill anyone, (or, at least, anyone American) he wouldn’t get so far.


Same goes for anyone from Afghanistan, Turkey, Sudan, and pretty well everywhere else.

Do you really think there’s that many Jordanians coming over? I don’t think so. We’re talking A LOT of people.

And do you think that many people care enough? Besides Iraqi’s, who are actually fighting people in there own homeland, I don’t think that many people are gonna put in the effort. No, the people killing Americans, they’re Iraqi’s.






But can you really blame them?

How do you think the founding fathers and their followers would have reacted if the Spanish had all of a sudden decided to attack the Colonies because of a falling out with the British? Perhaps they didn’t like the Royal Family, but they’d still have defended their homeland and their people.


What if the Chinese decided to come in and depose George Bush? OK, he’s gone, great, but what if they decide to stick around and help you “Rebuild your economy” and occupied your cities with their soldiers, made you obey laws created by a Chinese man in the Whitehouse taking orders from across the pacific ocean. “Christianity is all well and good, my American friends, but we can’t allow it to have anything to do with the government. We’re helping you adopt good old western ideals.”

No doubt you’d break out the automatic weapons pretty soon, wouldn’t you? Of course you would, and rightfully so.

C’mon. The occupation isn’t going well at all.




And stop with all the shit about outsiders running the fighters in Iraq. That crap. You sound like a goddamn conspiracy theorist.

If China occupied America, who do you think would run the resistance? Mexicans? Canadians? India? Think, man. Believe me, Iraq holds it’s own. It wouldn’t work any other way.



I don't have time go over everything, like I said, but really, you should think stuff over. Put yourselves in other's shoes.
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Pie
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Postby Pie » Wed Dec 07, 2005 12:18 am

Ehem.... well...... First of all.......

In america, there arn't many international terrorist groups just running around, so yea... if china came over... shure we would be defending ourselves.

Secont... have you ever really seen any faces inside of the cars holding any boms? Do you really look into every singal car that passes you? no... i didn't think so.

As for other bomings... If the iraquis are really doing the bomings, then why couldn't a jordanian?(Grammer) Its not like you would notice every singal person if you were walking doun any 50,000+ metropolice.(Sp?) So, if Iraquis can do it, why couldant anyone els? Its not like you can really see everyone. Even if the city is in an emergancy state.

Now, its time for STORYTIME WITH PIE!!!!! If kearny was a large 50tousand + metropolice, then, in the recent blizzerd, there might have been 1000 cars running around being suspitious unstead of just 500, and did i see anyone inside of them? No. Would have that bome, if properly placed, killed anyone(If there was one?)? Yes. Probably as much as any other boming in Iraqu.

So really, they could be coming frome china for all we know. Hey, theres chinese in america, so why not iraqu?

And really, its cindof like the 51% of shares thing. U.S. has 'bout 51%shars of U.N. and after that, theres nothing anyone can do, really.

I actually have to say, this ocupation resembles the Koryan war, just in a smaller scale.

STORY TIME!!! In korya(Whatever) the U.S. evadid the U.N. and came into Korya, and compleatly WOOPT THE NORTH KORIANS!!!! BUT THEN, china came into the war and then the casualties came rolling in.

North koria=Iraque

WOOPT!!!!!=We WOOPT the governent of iraque.

CHINA=terrorists.

Casualties=bomings.

Scale= were really winning, actually. Seriously. compared to a war that resembles this war.. were winning.

So, if you know how i think, this should really be convincing.And if you know that china really didn't have much more than your avarage terorist.


(EDIT: Well.... america cindof has riligious freedom, and we aren't opressed. Were getting there... but not quite yet. So really, were giving the iraques riligious and governmental freedom.
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Stan
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Postby Stan » Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:11 am

Schme not only do you have awful taste in shirts (sorry Agar) but you ramble more than my grandmother after a few too many beers (God rest her soul).

The "classic" members of Al Qaeda are verterans of a war in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, dude. Bin Laden didn't get fame status in Yemen or al Zawahiri in Saudi Arabia. They went to the war just as Zarqawi and his flunkies are doing in Iraq. Sure there are Hussein holdouts fighting Americans, but they are apparently coming to the table to negotiate. They are telling you that in Canada, right? (That's not a crack on Canada, I'm just busting Schme's balls here a bit.)

Come on man, think! What you say would make sense if it not for the fact that you're speaking about irrational zealots that think they stand to gain a gaggle of virgins if they kill themselves. The terrorists in Iraq for the most part are NOT Iraqi. I'm not saying it's rational to you or me, I'm saying that's what's going on.

Mexico and Canada isn't going to blow themselves up against Spain because it wouldn't be held as a religious war to the Mexicans and Canadians like it is in Iraq and with Al Qaeda. Surely you understand the difference. After all you were wise enough to admire my picture. There's got to be some sense in that head.

By the way, did you ever find your sandwich?

(I hope you know I'm using that "tone" in a somewhat joking matter cause I think you can handle it.)
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Postby formerly known as hf » Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:32 am

Stan wrote:I believe they are as disgusted by beheadings and the blowing up of weddings and police stations as much as I am. I'm confident in that because ANYONE with compassion would be disgusted by it.
So I'm guessing, with your compassion, you are also utterly disgusted at similar things (be-headings, police stations attacked, women and children killed by missile and gun fire etc etc) that have been carried out by US troops in the name of 'freedom'?
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Stan
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Postby Stan » Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:08 am

I am disgusted and saddened by civilian deaths, yes. The difference is that it is not policy of the American (and allies) to behead live civilians and post the video on the internet in order to frighten people. Likewise, it is not policy to intentionally kill innocent people in roadside explosions or missile fire, for that matter.

Unfortunately, living breathing human beings live in war zones. I wish it were not the case, but how can that be changed and when was it ever any different.

Are you disgusted in beheadings and hotel bombings?

Please explain to me and others what do you think will be the course of events if America leaves Iraq. Please explain. I am really interested to find out what you think will happen.

edited several times because of "fat finger" typing.
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Postby Pie » Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:19 am

What, if America leavs Iraqu right now? CAOS!!! UTTER CAOS!!!!

Actually, i really don't know. In my personal belief, it could go three ways.

1) The government will be overwelmed by a large number of fanatics with bombs strapped to there chests, and the government will fall verry, verry fast, unless somone comes in again, or a god comes and saves there sorry arses.

2) The government will hold against any invaders, and become a sucsesful government, but of course eventually slide into caos :twisted:

3) All of the fanatics will stop attacking and everyone will go on with there depraved of chokolat lives. :twisted: untill the government falls into caos becous of corruption. :twisted:

[/unfounded therys]
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Postby formerly known as hf » Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:03 am

I can only speculate.

I agree with pie for once, there would, indeed, be CAOS

The infrastructure - water, fuel, electricity, even food provision, in much of Iraq, especially more remote places, is pretty much non-existant and dessimated by the conflict (and insurgents)
If the US was to entirely pull out, I can't imagine that would help situations.

Iraq has, as planned I suppose, been entirely brought to its knees. To such an extent that recovery solely by the efforts of Iraqis is something somewhat unimaginable.
Iraq, after the occupation, WILL need outside support if it is to become stable again, if it has any hope of even getting its people water and fed anytime soon.

The fact that this has resulted in numerous, highly paid, development projects for US construction firms (let alone oil extraction firms) Is, I suppose, entirely just a fortunate coincidence of the occupation.
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