The next war

[BenBurch]

The invasion there is already complete. They even use US dollars as currency.

When did they stop using the Colon? When I worked there in the 80s you still had to convert dollars.

 

[Cain]

A strategy which kind of fails if we, you know, win.

Which is, like, what's happening in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Oh, please. They have plenty of incentive on their own. You know, it isn't even always about us. They have other enemies too.

Again, reading comprehension. I'm not you understand what "further incentivizing means."

Actually, it has worked. Have we been hit since by another 9/11? No. Hell, have we been hit since by another embassy bombing? Again, no. Al Qaeda use to hit us every couple of years. Not anymore.

Uh huh. So if we do get attacked again? Well, then obviously we have not been making enough war. Funny how that works.

I'm so glad 7/7 did not reach us. The hundreds of people regularly murdered in car bombings claimed lives on Iraqi rather than American soil. Perfect.

As for the pattern of al-qaeda's attacks... I mean, you just have so many data points. Shedding dollars and blood on endless war is clearly a policy that works. Cause and effect.

 

[Ziggurat]

Again, reading comprehension. I'm not you understand what "further incentivizing means."

You don't get it. It doesn't matter if we provide "further incentive" if they've already got more than enough incentive without us. And they do.

Uh huh. So if we do get attacked again? Well, then obviously we have not been making enough war. Funny how that works.

So... the actual track record doesn't matter. Funny how that works.

I'm so glad 7/7 did not reach us. The hundreds of people regularly murdered in car bombings claimed lives on Iraqi rather than American soil. Perfect.

Perfect? No, of course not. We don't live in a perfect world. But do I prefer that the fighting happens in Iraq rather than here? Hell yes. I make no apologies for that.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Oh, please. They have plenty of incentive on their own. You know, it isn't even always about us. They have other enemies too.



Actually, it has worked. Have we been hit since by another 9/11? No. Hell, have we been hit since by another embassy bombing? Again, no. Al Qaeda use to hit us every couple of years. Not anymore.

Well ignoring all the IEDs and such that blow up our troops. But I guess our troops don't count. So then the cole attack must not count either.

 

[Tricky]

When did they stop using the Colon? When I worked there in the 80s you still had to convert dollars.

Oh, they still use the Colon too, but there is not a single store in San Juan that doesn't take dollars.

 

[kevsta]

A strategy which kind of fails if we, you know, win.

heh yes, but you haven't done that since prior to Vietnam so its not very likely is it? however I suppose probability is on your side as time drags on.

Actually, it has worked. Have we been hit since by another 9/11? No. Hell, have we been hit since by another embassy bombing? Again, no. Al Qaeda use to hit us every couple of years. Not anymore

.

oh dear oh dear.

firstly, no, no actual embassies, but someone walked right into a CIA HQ and blew it and everyone around him into the ether not very long ago, does that count?

then add up all the casualties since your successful strategy started, (just the American ones, never mind the hundreds of thousands of innocents slaughtered in the process) and compare to 911 and the occasional embassy attack, and you will find that American blood is still flowing fast.

you've won nothing, all you've done is deliver targets (victims) directly to their countries so they dont even have to travel to atack Americans anymore.

 

[kevsta]

Perfect? No, of course not. We don't live in a perfect world. But do I prefer that the fighting happens in Iraq rather than here? Hell yes. I make no apologies for that.

I think its people like you that makes much of the rest of the world long for the chickens to come home to roost in the USA.

seriously, hugely radical idea I know, but..

.. how about the USA just STOP THE WARS !! ?

get out of other people's countries and mind your own business ?

unthinkable, obviously.

 

[BenBurch]

Oh, they still use the Colon too, but there is not a single store in San Juan that doesn't take dollars.

It is a BEAUTIFUL place. I should have bought property in the 80s. A 3 BR house in San Jose was $4000. But I was a broke single father then.

 

[Ziggurat]

I think its people like you that makes much of the rest of the world long for the chickens to come home to roost in the USA.

Oh great, another Ward Churchill.

seriously, hugely radical idea I know, but..

.. how about the USA just STOP THE WARS !! ?

How do you stop a war you didn't start? You win. Hugely radical idea I know... oh wait, no, that's the way the world actually works.

You don't like me being a hard-nosed realist, but the world is not kind to people who kid themselves about its harsh realities.

 

[Ziggurat]

Well ignoring all the IEDs and such that blow up our troops. But I guess our troops don't count. So then the cole attack must not count either.

I didn't mention the Cole for a reason. It's not that it doesn't count, but I'd rather that the attacks happen on military targets than civilian targets.

But tell me: what was the bloodiest day of WW2 for American troops? Were we losing the war on that day?

 

[bikerdruid]

But tell me: what was the bloodiest day of WW2 for American troops? Were we losing the war on that day?

next you are going to tell us how the united states won ww2.....
the rest of the allies fought two years longer than you did.
nice of you to show up, eh.

 

[ponderingturtle]

I didn't mention the Cole for a reason. It's not that it doesn't count, but I'd rather that the attacks happen on military targets than civilian targets.

But tell me: what was the bloodiest day of WW2 for American troops? Were we losing the war on that day?

You know when you think of the military as sacrificial victims a lot of things make more sense.

 

[Minoosh]

Because they weren't American or even allied corpses. We didn't like either country.

We supported Iraq at the time with economic aid, training & certain weapons.

Mainly because it wasn't Iran.

I have never understood why developing a nuclear program is such a long process. I don't get why the technology, or even actual warheads, can't just be obtained from a willing purveyor.

 

[Minoosh]

I honestly don't think that using a nuke will automatically lead to global nuclear warfare.

Maybe not. But there is that "fog of war" element which piles on uncertainty. You'd think we'd all know better, but retaliation is a very strong impulse.

 

[Ziggurat]

next you are going to tell us how the united states won ww2.....

Yes, we won. So did Britain. So did Canada. So did Australia. So did the USSR. Even France (kind of). The Allies won, which means everyone on the Allies side won.

the rest of the allies fought two years longer than you did.

Quite irrelevant to my point.

 

[Ziggurat]

I have never understood why developing a nuclear program is such a long process. I don't get why the technology, or even actual warheads, can't just be obtained from a willing purveyor.

Because so far there haven't been any willing purveyors of actual weapons. The risk is too high, the reward is too low, and there just haven't been many players in the game.

 

[Minoosh]

What if they give one to one of their terrorist proxies to detonate in a US harbor, like New York or LA?

Silly thought maybe, but if Iran wants to set off a nuke, I have a feeling they'll want the credit. Kind of a national pride thing. The IRI is partly defined by its nose-thumbing at the U.S.

But what I really wanted to say was, sorry about your cat.

 

[ponderingturtle]

We supported Iraq at the time with economic aid, training & certain weapons.

Mainly because it wasn't Iran.

I have never understood why developing a nuclear program is such a long process. I don't get why the technology, or even actual warheads, can't just be obtained from a willing purveyor.

Because getting a scientist or technician to sell their knowledge is much easier than a nation to sell a nuke.

 

[BenBurch]

Because getting a scientist or technician to sell their knowledge is much easier than a nation to sell a nuke.

And if there are any warheads in the black market, the price they ask must be the value of a small country or AlQ would have used one.

 

[kevsta]

How do you stop a war you didn't start?

interesting, these "wars" start themselves do they?

You win. Hugely radical idea I know... .

it is pretty radical, let me know when or if it happens again

You don't like me being a hard-nosed realist, but the world is not kind to people who kid themselves about its harsh realities.

i'll repeat, as you seem to have missed the pertinent part..

get out of other people's countries and mind your own business ?

unthinkable, obviously.