BS: The Iraq Solution

Subject: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 02:22 PM

There's a growing movement to get our troops out of Iraq now and even the neocons would like to get out ASAP. The problm is that the interim government in Iraq is not capable of defending the country against the terrorists.

Here's the solution. Let's give them weapons of mass destruction. Then they can nuke or gas or infect the terrorists whenever they raise their ugly heads and the "coalition forces" can withdraw immediately. And, later on, we can find the WMDs and justify going in there in the first place.

Or did we try this once before?

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 02:24 PM

Hillarious. Ever thought of becoming a stand-up comic?

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Justa Picker
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 02:29 PM

Nah.
Food - Air Conditioning & Satellite TV (with HBO)

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Amos
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 02:48 PM

Give them air conditioning and they will fall in love with Yanqui Imperialism -- the ideologues won't have anything to say in the face of all those BTUs of heat relief!!

A

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Peace
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 08:56 PM

Good one, B and J.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: kendall
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 09:04 AM

I see Iraq ending up just like Yugoslavia; broken into pieces without a strong leader like Tito was.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Amos
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 12:32 PM

Unfortunately, Kendall's analsyis is probably close to the truth. A recent survey of the country by returning Iraqi national leaves him feeling he might do best to forget the country. Powell warned Bush before the invasion he would end up owning the place.

A.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Ebbie
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 06:09 PM

groan How in the world did we come to the pass where we made the Iraqi's lives immeasurably more difficult. Saddam was bad but under him they at least knew where the boundaries of their lives were.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: freda underhill
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 08:03 PM

and they had electricty and running water.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 10:59 PM

Wahts a neocon?

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Peace
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 11:01 PM

And only the Kurds got murdered.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: beardedbruce
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 11:08 PM

brucie:


kurds = support US = BAD
(although God knows why, given our lack of support for them.)

Sunni = fight US = GOOD

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Amergin
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 11:11 PM

Bring my brother and his comrades home is the only choice. I could care less what they do after.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 11:16 PM

"the interim government in Iraq is not capable of defending the country against the terrorists"

No, and neither was the previous Iraqi government (under Saddam) capable of defending the country against the terrorists, who practice "Shock and Awe" tactics...who possess vast military forces and fleets of aircraft carriers...who drive Hummers, Abrams tanks, and Black Hawk helicopters and take their orders from Washington. Nope, the terrorists have proven a bit too well-armed and well-funded for any Iraqi government to deal with, and they have created a hell on Earth in that country. It is reminiscent of the situation in Poland in 1939-45. Call Baghdad the New Warsaw.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 11:25 PM

Anyone going to tell me?

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: GUEST,Clint Keller
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 11:33 PM

I don't know, but beardedbruce, DougR and OldGuy are neocon groupies.

clint

and tarheel

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: GUEST,Clint Keller
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 11:35 PM

woops. that's not "clint and tarheel," that's "bb, DougR et al and tarheel."

clint

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 11:35 PM

They're people who are adherents to a certain political-social philosophy which they refer to as "conservative" (it isn't conservative at all), but I'm damned if I'm going to bother trying to explain it tonight...why not just do a Google search for a definition of it?

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: beardedbruce
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 12:31 AM

Actually, I consider myself one of the Radical Middle- but around here anyone who actually looks at both sides of the question is derided as whatever the person posting dislikes the most.

As I have stated before, there is a lot that the Bush administration does that I do not approve of- but the liberals have offered nothing in terms of policy that IMO would make me feel safe.

link

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 12:50 AM

neocon

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: CarolC
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 12:54 AM

Neocons

They're basically people who call themselves "Conservative" but have abandoned most of the basic, traditional principles of conservatism, such as fiscal responsibility and isolationism, and have only global dominence as their basic agenda and goal. Members of the current administration who are Neocons include Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, and Douglas Feith. Of those people, Dick Cheney is the only elected official. The rest are appointees.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: CarolC
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 12:56 AM

Cross posted with Bev and Jerry.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 09:25 AM

Little Hawk - I thought that's what the 'Cat was for, so people like me, who are awake at 3 a.m. through work-related insomnia, can talk to other 'Catters, socialise and hopefully improve their knowledge. I COULD google, but it's not so much fun as conversing with a real person.

Sorry if I got that wrong! :0)

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: CarolC
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 11:49 AM

Ironically, the more havoc the Neocons create in the world (and they've been doing it for a while now, but not quite as openly as they have been lately), the more of a traditional "Conservative" I become. I'm starting to think isolationism, at least on the part of the US, may be a good thing. Seems like most of the time, when we get involved with "helping" other countries, we just end up making things much, much worse.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 12:11 PM

"...when we get involved with "helping" other countries..."

well, the Berlin airlift and the Marshall Plan and the Peace Corps and
billions of aid (mostly unrepaid) to various countries in the last 50 years were mostly 'help', but that's not exactly the same as invading a country and increasing internal strife 'for its own good', hmmm?

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Amos
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 12:18 PM

We don't usually have to invade them first to help.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: CarolC
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 12:26 PM

To be fair though, Bill, a lot of that "aid" was either military aid (which hasn't always been used in the best interests of ordinary citizens of whatever country we gave it to), or was used to prop up dictatorial client regimes. Maybe a more honest term to use than "aid" would be "leverage".

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 06:49 PM

Agreed, Strollin', but I was too tired and threadbare at that point to bother giving you the definition. Fortunately, CarolC stepped into the breach and did it for me.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: beardedbruce
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 08:16 PM

brucie:

link

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 08:38 PM

I think England had its neocon phase in the Thatcher era.
Its a bit like a cocaine high - everything absolutely dreadful looks like an exciting challenge. At any rate while the country is in the grip of it - they won't see any alternatives to acting like rude arrogant warmongering morons. You're only four years into it - if your experience is anything like ours you have another five or six to go.
They will keep promising the green shoots of recovery - but it never comes cos they spend all the wealth of the country on mad right wing theories and schemes. In England it was a national curriculum in schools(with all kids doing the same whatever level of ability)and they wanted all doctors to become some shopkeeper/businessmen - it was all crap - no teachers or doctors wanted it - just a few right wing ideologues.
Another strange by product of it - after years of causing massive unemployment - young people growing up without jobs and very disillusioned. they claim that everything the next lot achieve - by doing the exact opposite is all on account of their foresight. Be ready for that one.

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 10:04 PM

Well, if you burned a city down you could later claim credit for inspiring all that new construction, right?

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 14 Oct 04 - 05:25 AM

We know all about your "link" brucie. In all likelihood yon is Saddam's work. But didn't we all go to war because of buried weapons of mass destruction---nothing as trivial as murdered children? Or are you one of those who approve of Mr Tony Blair's stout declaration that he "apologises for misconstrueing intelligence reports' , but will "NOT apologise for getting rid of Saddam"---something for which an apology wasn't even once requested? They make me even sicker than Saddam does; they're reckoned to be on OUR side, representing US!! May the plagues of Hell be on all their houses...

Subject: RE: BS: The Iraq Solution
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 14 Oct 04 - 09:13 AM

hey LH, you were tired? How tired do you think I was - it was 3 am fer Gawdsake! I had matchsticks propping me eyelids open! :0)
Thanks for the explanation though. And thanks CarolC too. :0)