[ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+ Afghanistan, When is it all too much?

[Ratt]

I have been reading something from another forum I'm on, and thought that I would share it. Now I realise that this topic may cause some controversy, and for that I apologise, but I think it is worth talking about. Here is what was written:

To update you on some things:

The netherlands is planning to quit helping the amrican war effort in Afghanistan. The government is devided on the subject and half of the government doesn't want to send in 1100 of our soldiers to afghanistan.
This is how the american government replies:
"If the netherlands doesn't help with the war effort they will face dire sanctions."

I mean?! WTF! now USA is threatening the netherlands! How long will it be until the headlines in the newspapers read: BALKENENDE, PREMIER OF THE NETHERLANDS HAS KEPT HIS WEAPONS OF MASS DESCTRUCTION FROM THE PUBLIC. OUR SPIES REPORT LARGE FACILITIES.

I mean... fuck off, we are fucking STORING damn american missiles and waste!

Bat as I always say: The USA may have bombs, but we can cut off their drug supply we PRODUCE the stuff that your officials are addicted to...
what happens when we stop the flow


This post was written by a friend of mine in Holland. What *really* concerns me is that if Bush has pretty much said to the world "You are with us or against us" and other countries that have supported the USA now wish to withdraw troops, they must be allowed to. I say this because the way it sounds to me is that Bush may/will attack countries that have withdrawn their troops.

I was all for some action to get Osama Bin Laden, but there is now a new government, one that does not support him. By all means leave some troops for peace keeping, and to find the prick, but it has been over four years and they still have not found him. Maybe a smaller force would be more successful?

[afraven]

Well, as a member of the Air Force, I've had the terrible pleasure of visiting the Middle East on many occasions. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afganistan, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE etc. I've been shot at on a few occasions by small arms fire and had some of those bastards on a hill from outside our base launching mortars on our tents, then running away before our security forces could get to them. The way they think is that 1 of their lives is worth 10 American's lives. I know this because I've spoken with many moderate thinking Arab workers on base and they told me this personally. In the Arab world, the man with the biggest stick is the king, point blank, and in order to get them to understand you are serious, you have to basically bitch-slap them regularly. Don't ever feel sorry for me or my military counterparts because we're fighting an unpopular war and get sent away to foreign lands, we raised our right hand and swore to defend the Constitution of the US and to obey the President, so help us God, and we will. No different than a fireman or policeman, only difference is, the military are the "defenders of Democracy", however, we're not the "practicers of it." I love my country and our way of life, and I want it for my daughter and her kids. If it takes turning the entire Middle East region into a sheet of fucking glass from dropping a nuclear weapon on their collective asses to stop this terrorist shit, then so be it! It's a case of Social Darwinism, and in the end, every Arab who dons a Pizza Hut table cloth on their head, wearing a belt ladened with C-4 exposives, deserves to meet Ala before they carry out their dirty deeds. Until you've been there and seen what you're military has seen, the looks of happiness on the Iraqi childrens' faces, reconstruction, schools, markets, and most of all, FREE SPEECH that they'd NEVER had before, you can't speak. If you believe the press, you're sadly misinformed. Fact is, bad news sells more papers and programs than good news does. I'm sorry to have drawn this out, but I feel our country did what it needed to do after 9/11. Afterall, you don't tip-toe into the lions' den, you kick down the door, have your spear ready, scream like a banshie, and say," Where is that son of a bitch!"

[somfan]

Well, as a member of the Air Force, I've had the terrible pleasure of visiting the Middle East on many occasions. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afganistan, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE etc. I've been shot at on a few occasions by small arms fire and had some of those bastards on a hill from outside our base launching mortars on our tents, then running away before our security forces could get to them. The way they think is that 1 of their lives is worth 10 American's lives. I know this because I've spoken with many moderate thinking Arab workers on base and they told me this personally. In the Arab world, the man with the biggest stick is the king, point blank, and in order to get them to understand you are serious, you have to basically bitch-slap them regularly.

I guess we have the bigger stick for now.

Don't ever feel sorry for me or my military counterparts because we're fighting an unpopular war and get sent away to foreign lands, we raised our right hand and swore to defend the Constitution of the US and to obey the President,

Unfortunately, you are in the unenviable position of obeying a president who
is  himself by several accounts violating the Constitution of the US.

so help us God, and we will. No different than a fireman or policeman, only difference is, the military are the "defenders of Democracy", however, we're not the "practicers of it."  I love my country and our way of life, and I want it for my daughter and her kids. If it takes turning the entire Middle East region into a sheet of fucking glass from dropping a nuclear weapon on their collective asses to stop this terrorist shit, then so be it!

Yes, there were folks like that who were advocating using nuclear weapons against China and Vietnam 35 years ago.  Today we're peddling Kentucky Fried Chicken in both countries.  What political objectives do you really think can be achieved with such extreme measures as the use of nuclear weapons?

It's a case of Social Darwinism,

Speaking of social Darwinism, the self-deluding arrogance of the Bush administration may well lead eventually to much diminished US power in both Asia
and the Middle East.  Other important things are going on in the world while the US is involved in the quagmire of military adventurism in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was certainly a factor in bringing down the Soviet Union.  And Bush is not raising taxes to finance and "support" the troops.  But coming generations of US taxpayers will be paying the trillions of dollars of war related costs.  BTW, we skipped out on having to pay the remediation costs in Vietnam after that similar debacle.  (Self-interest can sometimes be involved in losing.)


and in the end, every Arab who dons a Pizza Hut table cloth on their head, wearing a belt ladened with C-4 exposives, deserves to meet Ala before they carry out their dirty deeds. Until you've been there and seen what you're military has seen, the looks of happiness on the Iraqi childrens' faces, reconstruction, schools, markets, and most of all, FREE SPEECH that they'd NEVER had before, you can't speak.
[SIZE=7][COLOR=red]Sorry, but we can, and do speak, and I know  veterans who
don't share your view of the situation in that region in its totality.

If you believe the press, you're sadly misinformed. Fact is, bad news sells more papers and programs than good news does. I'm sorry to have drawn this out, but I feel our country did what it needed to do after 9/11. Afterall, you don't tip-toe into the lions' den, you kick down the door, have your spear ready, scream like a banshie, and say," Where is that son of a bitch!"