No doubt about this one -- this is a given. Bush wants Saddam out and he'll do it with or without the rest of the world. Make no mistake about it, though. As soon as the United States of America invades Iraq, the U.S. will never be the same place it was. We're turning into something ugly and the ball has been set into motion. Many years from now we'll look back at see that September 11'th was just one day in the start of a long road of ugliness for the United States. What are we to do? We're over 225 years old. Most of the states can't balance their budgets and the only thing our federal government can do is build a missile defense system. Perhaps there is no solution -- maybe it is inevitable. Why can't we just get off oil, get out of regions of the world we have no business being in and focus on domestic affairs before this country gets itself into a hole that it can't dig out of?
Why can't we just get off oil, get out of regions of the world we have no business being in and focus on domestic affairs before this country gets itself into a hole that it can't dig out of? "coz that guy tried to kill my dad"
Cos we are Imperialist bastards, who will continue to steal, destroy and, in the process, commit state-sponsored mass-murder to achieve our resource-grabbing aims... and we wonder why the civilized world hates us ? ... and then we cry when some bunch of kids get lucky with the WTC, forgeting that what they did to us in revenge is but a drop in the ocean compared to the terrorism that we have committed across the world... we need our heads examined... This time, things will be different... not only will we have galvanized 1 billion Muslims against us, but the majority of the civilized world will be indifferent to our "plight" when the Muslim Terrorists hit us in our malls, on our transport networks, in crowded streets, in our offices and when we are on vacation overseas... leaders of foreign states aren't gonna bother coming over to Washington to give us their condolences next time around... instead these leaders will stay right out of it, cos they will view US terror against the Muslims as having been more devastating than Muslim revenge terror against the US... at least the Muslim Terrorists didn't stay on our land, establish military bases, install a puppet government to suppress us, and steal our resources... something which we have done bigtime... ...we are isolated fuckers, whose only claim to fame is having a big military and a sickening foreign policy... God Bless us all, and may God have mercy our policy makers... cos we are going to war... read my lips... we are going to war... Another excellent post Aphie... I totally agree with you...
Why does the US government poke it's nose into the world's business? What is it about power that makes politicians think they are right? Think they are God and have the power of life and death? Pisses me off.
Aren't you guys over dramaticizing this just a tad? Remember the 'experts' and the media who said the Persian Gulf war would drag on for years? Remember how the 'experts' and the media said that the oil wells on fire would take years to be capped? Remember the 'experts' opinion on the length, cost and result of the war in Afghanistan? Remember the Russian government officials and retired generals who were paraded before the camera to wail and shriek at the horrible quagmire the US was going to enter? Remember?!?! Have you guys learned nothing from recent events? Saddam's sorry assed regime will fall faster than ANYONE predicted/predicts. (ok except me!) Don't get me wrong...I don't like war and I'm not advocating war. What I am saying is that by looking at the facts we can say that this is going to be a very short war. Which would be great because then that many lives would be saved (on both sides). And if you will pardon the trader in me to sneak out....it will also be good for the market (although I don't think anything can save this super-cycle bear from totally mauling everything in sight).
An interesting post. I don't agree with MOST of it, but it is interesting. I have never understood the need for the self-penalizing attitude that jumps out each time one looks for answers. Understand something, it is not your place to look for, expect, or hope that most folks agree with, look like, or wish to associate with you. You have blurred together way too many standard "ISM's here, and you're not old enough to have experienced them and the reality to which they are focused and based upon. Consequently, you have standardized (IMHO) them into what would APPEAR on the surface to be a good position to start dialog with the "World Who Supposedly Hates You!" I too wish that America would leave the world stage to its own vices. The weight of the collapse of many of these phantom governments would allow for the changes that are ultimately inevitable. You can not police these environs with Americanized cultural standards and rules. Ever present is the liberal attitude that all will play nicely in this sandbox if we just level the fields. There are things that we should clean up. THE THINGS THAT WE PUT INTO PLACE. The Saddam's, the Bin Ladden's, etc., that we have puppeteered. It's not difficult if you are committed. I sit in wonderment when I hear some of the posturing positions. Positions like, don't attack because many thousands of lives of Americans, our military especially, will be in harms way because of our actions. That, is one of the understood perils of ANY military action anywhere at anytime. Wake up! This terrible fate is occurring all over the globe already by those who wish to, need to, make a statement. Where the newness of it happening here is a reality, so too is the understanding that folks everywhere are already saddened by the happenings/occurrences for some time in their environs. Welcome to the world. I hear the continued clamor of those who fear the possible "Scorched Earth" possibilities of Saddam. Many of whom repeatedly echoed the Iraqi cry in the last tangle of, "There will not be enough body bags for all the American soldiers if they dare confront us." Many of these folks filled my TV screen daily crying that, "The military is taking the cowards approach to war by not using the same level of arms to battle the Iraqi." Yes, that was the statement. I almost died with laughter when one analyst angrily stated, "We would be losing this war if we were to fight fairly, one-on-one, hand-to-hand. We're only winning because they only have small arms to battle against the high technology that America is using." Trust me here. I have relatives who served then, and some who serve now. We were and are concerned for their safety, but not their ability to successfully meet this challenge. I have an uncle who belongs to a group of off-the-record Washington based generals who quietly (regularly) say that we are in trouble if we try to do this thing. He openly boasts that he has never seen combat. He is a book brat with more degrees and seminars on war to his credit than I could care to mention. He's a lifer! He's also angry that he has not been included in the "Insiders of Power" circle. He say's that he has done the time and he now deserves the call. He told me that his answer to all this stuff is simple. We should sit with the Iraqi leaders and offer them a solution based upon us agreeing to allow the development of whatever technology naturally, "IF" a) we can be allowed to establish some internal monitoring of things as they develop, b) we deploy a patrol force based on the borders of Iraq and their neighbors, and, c) we be granted some land within the country to develop a solid military presence. He feels that they would accept this willingly if we were to offer some financial consideration sort of like we did in Saudi Arabia. My fear? That he and that sinkhole policy might be listened to. Now, you'll never hear his plan on the nightly news anywhere. He won't go on the record publicly for certain personal concerns. But he happily touts that he lunches with the local media at least once or twice a week. One wonders if he might express his opinions over a meal or two. Aphexcoil, stop apologizing every time you have a better condition than someone else. Stop trying to help others level the field by intentionally slowing and burdoning your own successes. And for everybody's sake, stop trying to understand WHY someone does not want to like, doesn't wish to share with, doesn't care to follow, doesn't want to emulate, really needs to kill - YOU! The answer for someone (WITH POWER), somewhere, sometimes, upon this whole giant sphere of ours IS, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE THAN WE DO, AND YOU'RE ENJOYING IT! Because in that arena you will ALWAYS find yourself, guilty!
Your bio says you live all over the world....do you sometimes call the U.S. your home? Are you a U.S. citizen?