Why the Merkins will never win.

[SixPackBack]

$10 on the American.........Spudchuchka is always getting a kickin

[kerryg]

We like our bad guys and our good guys clearly defined, don't we? It's more difficult ( pretty much impossible really,) to try grasp every point of view, weigh every historical/cultural/political etc element, so that an informed and balanced judgement can be made. Instead we just look at the headlines and latch onto the point of view that best fits our own set of prejudices. There are few things that can be put into simple "right versus wrong" or "black versus white" categories so to make them fit we choose to disregard or at least minimise the bits of information that don't fit our view.

The Americans waged an unjust war in Iraq. Right. The Americans toppled a very bad bastard from power in Iraq. Right. Many Iraqis hated and feared Hussein. Right. Many others loved him. Right etc etc

I think this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Hussein) makes bloody interesting reading. I really didn't know about the Kuwait situation (it was part of Iraq till the Poms drew a line across a map and said "now that's Kuwait"). I didn't know the Kuwaitis were angle-drilling into Iraq's oil fields. I didn't know that Kuwait refused to give Iraq any debt relief from it's long and costly war with Iran (where Kuwait was arguably a beneficiary of Iraq's war effort) despite Iraq's people's suffering. I didn't know that Hussein accomplished many many improvements for the Iraqi people including free and complusory education etc etc.. I know he was (from all accounts) a murderous individual. I'm not defending him, God knows, but it would be a lot nicer if our villains would just wear a black hat (like in the old cowboy movies) 'cos sometimes I get a bit confused about who's good or bad or perhaps a mix of both

[Lou Girardin]

This post is more about the stupidity of anyone doing things like this Sarge. Whether they're your people, Poms, Kiwis, whatever.
You will not win their hearts and minds by actions like this. The lesson was taught in Vietnam, Afghanistan Part1 (to the Russians).
The US and Russians should have paid more attention to how the British beat the insurgents in Malaya, then they would not have had to face the quagmires that they have.
The lesson is that you must have the backing of the people. If you achieve this, the insurgency will wither on the vine.
If you don't, you can never win. No matter how much fear you try to generate.

[SARGE]

This post is more about the stupidity of anyone doing things like this Sarge. Whether they're your people, Poms, Kiwis, whatever.
You will not win their hearts and minds by actions like this. The lesson was taught in Vietnam, Afghanistan Part1 (to the Russians).
The US and Russians should have paid more attention to how the British beat the insurgents in Malaya, then they would not have had to face the quagmires that they have.
The lesson is that you must have the backing of the people. If you achieve this, the insurgency will wither on the vine.
If you don't, you can never win. No matter how much fear you try to generate.

i just think its damn funny that no-one remembers the beheadings and the way the contractors were burnt and dismembered in Fajulla..


one of the US commanders in Iraq publicly stated that he WANTED the extremists to come to Iraq..


just so they would not have to hunt them down around the world..


kind of " lets just finish it.."

maybe this is the same?

i pesonally would have stuffed their bodies inside hollowed out pigs before i torched them

[Lou Girardin]

But you have to be better than the animals.
If you do the same things they do you are the same. If you do the right thing for the right reasons you will have the worlds support.
It's called claiming the moral high ground.

[SARGE]

But you have to be better than the animals.
If you do the same things they do you are the same. If you do the right thing for the right reasons you will have the worlds support.
It's called claiming the moral high ground.

moral high ground went out the window long ago bro.. this is medieval

[Lou Girardin]

moral high ground went out the window long ago bro.. this is medieval

The middle ages is where a lot of the present problems started.

[SARGE]

The middle ages is where a lot of the present problems started.

yup..couldnt agree more


fuck...thats a bloody first eh Lou?

[Oscar]

A US Army unit burnt the bodies of two Taleban fighters they had killed in Afghanistan. Apparently it is the supreme insult to face the bodies to the west and burn them.
A psy-ops unit broadcast taunts to other Taleban in the area to try and make them attack.
The whole problem here though, is that everyone around is Muslim. You insult one and you insult them all, friend and foe.
How can such rank stupidity still be tolerated?

Yeah, but first they flew hijacked airliners into a building and killed thousands of civilians and then they kidnapped some innocents and saw their heads of with blunt knives...














...opps, silly me - it was the people that the US are oppressing that did that. As you were, that's obviously perfectly OK.




BTW, Lou...if you can simplify a situation like Afganistan, it's probably 'cause you are simple....

[Zed]

...Apparently it is the supreme insult to face the bodies to the west and burn them.

Poop...they think that's bad, over there they used to have their women walk at least 10 paces behind the man on the street but now they have them walk 10 paces in front, you know why? Land mines!

[TonyB]

:slap: Dang I need to start reading more!

Whys that? Did the word Oxymoron trip you up?
Bah!- 'tis easy Ox= large steer (bull with no nuts)
Moron= stupid, so clearly Oxymoron = big stupid cow. Or big stupid impotent one.

No need to thank me, I am here to help.

[DMNTD:Me]

Whys that? Did the word Oxymoron trip you up?
Bah!- 'tis easy Ox= large steer (bull with no nuts)
Moron= stupid, so clearly Oxymoron = big stupid cow. Or big stupid impotent one.

No need to thank me, I am here to help.

Yes it did...thank you

[RiderInBlack]

Whys that? Did the word Oxymoron trip you up?
Bah!- 'tis easy Ox= large steer (bull with no nuts)
Moron= stupid, so clearly Oxymoron = big stupid cow. Or big stupid impotent one.

No need to thank me, I am here to help.

I thought it came from bleached blonds. Oxy from the fact tney use Peroxide for the bleaching. Moron because they the were consider the dummer Blond due to the fact they thought Blonds had more fun (need Hitcher or Skyrider on this).

[DMNTD:Me]

I thought it came from bleached blonds. Oxy from the fact tney use Peroxide for the bleaching. Moron because they the were consider the dummer Blond due to the fact they thought Blonds had more fun (need Hitcher or Skyrider on this).

Hehehe...I think we have a winner!
How 'bout that weather

[RiderInBlack]

But you have to be better than the animals.
If you do the same things they do you are the same. If you do the right thing for the right reasons you will have the worlds support.
It's called claiming the moral high ground.

That's why it's so hard to play the good-guy. You cann't use any dirty tricks.
As I have state to others before USA's responces to 9/11, You can not stop terrorism by going in to their country and blasting the shit out of them. Good for revenge, but bad for controlling the problem. To many innocents die giving the "Terorist" more reasons to fight.
USA needed to learn from the mistakes made by UK with Ireland and Israel with Palistine (sp).
Results of the present campain? Is Terrism on the decrease or is it on the increase? Hmmm.