Iraq and the Kansas Tornado. You should be angry. We all should.

[newguy88]

http://www.yahoo.com/s/575648

Time to set priorities.

[Lazarus]

Defending the country is top priority.

[two4theroad]

Hmmm, vehicles to transport and protect our troops or vehicles for garbage duty. Not a hard choice to me.

[Mwsinron]

**** happens

[newguy88]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

Defending the country is top priority.

Uh oh, saddam was not a threat to america. The fact that a bunch of politicians thought a two bit scummy dictator arab was going to be a a problem for us was a joke.

No gang the national guard was meant to do what it is asked in Kansas. Not in Iraq. Wanna war get a draft!

[SoonToRetire]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

Defending the country is top priority.

I agree. So why did we get into Iraq?

[Mwsinron]

Time to march on Washington!

[newguy88]

Originally Posted by SoonToRetire

I agree. So why did we get into Iraq?

Becuse Wolfowitz and Cheney told Bush to do it. Because we could. Because Saddam tried to kill his daddy.

Because we let warlords try to kill bin laden in tora bora and failed and decided that we needed to catch saddam. The easy mark.

Americans were told to go shopping while we did shock and aw $hit!

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by newguy888

Uh oh, saddam was not a threat to america. The fact that a bunch of politicians thought a two bit scummy dictator arab was going to be a a problem for us was a joke.

No gang the national guard was meant to do what it is asked in Kansas. Not in Iraq. Wanna war get a draft!

A draft is what we don't need. If there are not enough volunteers then we should queston whether we should be there. The alternative to the National Guard being used in Iraq is the draft. Which would be worse. Tornados in Kansas have nothing to do with whether the Country should be defended. Everyone in the military today is a volunteer. As was I in 1975.

[SoonToRetire]

Originally Posted by newguy888

Becuse Wolfowitz and Cheney told Bush to do it.

That's a little simplistic. I'm speculating but from all I've read and know, it was a case of group think fostered by PNAC and the Defense Policy Group and sold to Bush as the proper response to 911. Cheney was a protagonist in selling the idea and Bush was an easy sale because of his own neocon views and his father's legacy. Once that happened, it was a Bush policy with Wolfie and Rumsfeld becoming its executors, but they were so enamored with technology they didn't plan for a post saddam phase and wouldn't even let anyone discuss it. They were clueless about boots on the ground. Intel was brought on early as a justification with the data manipulated as necessary to sell the idea to the public, much to Powell's consternation. At least that's my take. In either case, this is the new 'Nam, something I would never in my wildest dreams think it would happen again in my lifetime. I didn't think we would be that f* stupid.

[newguy88]

I didn't think we would be that f* stupid.

Then you do not subscribe to my thought that almost all Politicians are the jerks we all hated in High School!

[bssc]

In college, we discussed that after Soviet forces crushed the Prague Spring (in 1968), the Ukrainian grain harvest was one of the poorist in history because the troops and trucks that normally helped gather the grain were elsewhere. One of my professors called this choosing between guns and butter. We also felt that this was a sign that the Soviet war machine had serious problems.

I think that the US doesn't have the same magnitude of problems but it does show that some of tradeoffs that the military has been making is not quite working out as planned. After all, during the Vietnam War, the National Guard mostly stayed at home. But is all about choices and taking risks that don't work out.

[Texas Proud]

I kind of agree... the troops should be the 'normal' army, not the national guard....

They are doing long term damage to our future with the way they are fighting this war... people will not reup because of fear that they will be called for a 'small' war...

I wonder what we would do if we have an all out war with Korea or China If we are spread SO thin with this small of a war... I am worried...

[chinaco]

99% of Dems, 98% of independents, and 60% of Repubs (not the hardline faithful) agree. Bush F@*k up on Iraq! Those are not verifiable stats... Just based on discussions at the lunch table.

I am independent, but eat lunch with several bleeding red repubs that are dem haters. They openly admit that bush scr3wed us. They will vote the party line in the next election... but if they had to do that last election over again, Kerry would be president "even though they can't stand him".


Indpendents and moderate repubs will vote against the repub candidate in the next election. Control will swing back to the dems in full (will be like when clinton was first elected)... The pendulum swings!

[donheff]

Originally Posted by chinaco

I am independent, but eat lunch with several bleeding red repubs that are dem haters.

I really like it that Republicans are now "reds."

[Joss]

"The pendulum swings!"

I agree, the pendulum swings, as it always does.

The Dems screwed their chance a while back and the batton was handed to the Repubs. Now the Repubs have screwed their chance and it will go back to the Dems. Back and forth. So it goes.

There are lots of things in life to be offended by, if you like. But I feel that outrage, anger, whatever, at everything political is pi$$ing in the wind. Life is too short to SEEK reasons for anger, especially when there's plenty of folks to do it for you. Spend too much time at anger and it will damage you. But, hey, what do I know.

[HFWR]

"I see you've got your fist out
Say your piece and get out
Yes I get the gist of it
but it's all right

Sorry that you feel that way
The only thing there is to say
Every silver lining's got a
Touch of grey

I will get by / I will get by
I will get by / I will survive"

Grateful Dead, Touch of Grey