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Iraq Elections
Dartful Dodger:
--- Quote from: DrewKaree on February 04, 2005, 02:50:11 pm ---I know, it's nitpicking, but I know there are others here figuring it out just like I did, and putting a check in the box next to your name for "can't be trusted".
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My profile is set up to automatically check that box for everyone.
mr.Curmudgeon:
--- Quote from: DrewKaree on February 04, 2005, 02:23:17 pm ---How do you defeat an enemy without giving them reason to fight you?
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First you have to determine who the correct enemy is first. Up until now, we hadn't had any direct conflict with the Iraqi people, Baathists, and/or "Insurgents"...
So that's the first thing. Then, once you correctly determine who and where your enemy is *cough* Al Qaeda/Saudi Arabia *cough*...we can start talking tactics.
As I mentioned up-thread, I'm not naive enough to think you can fight an enemy without expecting them to fight back, nor am I against conflict in general. You're trying to get me to paint myself into a corner with a question that based on a red-herring to begin with.
I repeat, the goal is to defeat your enemy as quickly and as efficiently as possible, without creating more recruits and/or unifying numerous enemies against you in a common goal. Failure to do that has been the downfall of many a great empire.
...But instead, Bush threatens Iran while the purple ink is still wet on the fingers Iraqi citizens. Awesome!!
mrC
ChadTower:
--- Quote from: mr.Curmudgeon on February 04, 2005, 04:17:19 pm ---I repeat, the goal is to defeat your enemy as quickly and as efficiently as possible, without creating more recruits and/or unifying numerous enemies against you in a common goal. Failure to do that has been the downfall of many a great empire.
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It fails because it's not possible indefinitely. The presence of a strong leadership position creates rebellion by its very nature. That's just how humanity has worked throughout history.
mr.Curmudgeon:
--- Quote from: ChadTower on February 04, 2005, 04:26:33 pm ---The presence of a strong leadership position creates rebellion by its very nature.
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So we live in a world of perpetual warfare? Bet that makes a great bedtime story for the kids.
Yeah, there is probably always going to be challenges to America's leadership role, my concern is sustaining the longevity of said leadership through strategic initiatives that do not undermine the very spirit that enabled our country to obtain the role in the first place.
mrC
ChadTower:
--- Quote from: mr.Curmudgeon on February 04, 2005, 04:47:23 pm ---So we live in a world of perpetual warfare? Bet that makes a great bedtime story for the kids.
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Yes, we do, and history is replete with war after war after war. Every day there is some conflict going on someplace. This is a fact. Humanity is violent.
--- Quote ---Yeah, there is probably always going to be challenges to America's leadership role, my concern is sustaining the longevity of said leadership through strategic initiatives that do not undermine the very spirit that enabled our country to obtain the role in the first place.
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This is my concern too... the US was not the singular global power until the period just after the USSR fell. The world has evolved to a point where the US is no longer going to be the singular power and we're either going to accept that or we're going to fight to maintain it. So far, we are fighting to maintain it, though it took an attack on US soil to provoke that mandate. Are we going to conquer Iran next? Are we going to invade North Korea? What about China? India? We can't take them all even if we had moral justification.