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coboardhead
Joined: 26 Oct 2009 Posts: 4304
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 11:48 pm Post subject: |
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isobars wrote: | coboardhead wrote: | Defense spending is as responsible for our debt as any government program. |
But without it we'd all be speaking German, Japanese, or Russian, and would soon be converted, killed, or enslaved at the hands of radical Islam in accordance with the Koran, Ch 9. |
Yes, and without other government programs and spending we would have no schools, roads and bridges. And, our seniors would have no health care (except for the wealthy). My point...We want it we gotta pay for it. Wars included. |
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wynsurfer
Joined: 24 Aug 2007 Posts: 940
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 8:15 am Post subject: |
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Isobars, you are also clarvoyant I see. Some wars are necessary like wwII. The vast majority we have fought have been about expanding markets for big business. President Theodore Roosevelt in 1897 said "I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one" Why? Industries production had exceeded demand and we needed more markets. We did'nt have to wait long however, the next year we declared war on Spain. We invaded Cuba and the Phillipines claiming to being on the rebels side, but the rebels did'nt want us there either so we slaughtered 600,000 of them. It's called millitarism. Look at what we did in Iran in the 50's overthrowing the country's democraticly elected president, Mohamed Mosssadegh in a coup orchestrated by MI6 and the CIA. Mossadegh wanted to privatize Irans oil offering to split the profits with the oil companies. So we put a corrupt dictator in power, The Shah.
Great Idea huh? Strange way we have of spreading freedom and democracy. |
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mac
Joined: 07 Mar 1999 Posts: 17780 Location: Berkeley, California
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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Moderation is a lost place in the political spectrum these days. Obviously World War II involved genocide--as did the dissolution of Yugoslavia. But the effectiveness of military intervention--including in Serbia and failed states in Africa, is not a simple question. Iso answers it as a matter of faith (and right wing knee jerk), not as a matter of whether it works, is in the US interest, or can be afforded. Perhaps it pays to listen to the reasoned analysis of a former CIA agent as to some of the down sides of relying too much on the military, much less on military responses. From the Amazon.com review:
Quote: | The time for serious soul-searching regarding the role of the Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence community in general is long overdue. The recent intelligence failures regarding the unanticipated collapse of the Soviet Union, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the run-up to the Iraq war demonstrate a CIA and a $50 billion intelligence enterprise that cannot provide strategic warning to policymakers and, even worse, is capable of falsifying intelligence to suit political purposes. It will not be possible to reform the enterprise until we understand and debate the nexus between intelligence and policy, the important role of intelligence, and the need for an intelligence agency that is not beholden to political interests. The recent appointment of three general officers to the three most important positions in the intelligence community points to the militarization of overall national security policy, which must be reversed. The military domination of the intelligence cycle makes it more difficult to rebuild strategic intelligence and to provide a check on the Pentagon's influence over foreign policy and the use of force. Failure of Intelligence is designed to inform such a debate and suggest a reform agenda. |
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MalibuGuru
Joined: 11 Nov 1993 Posts: 9307
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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I've said this before. When 911 happened I felt that finally we'd close our borders and get a grip on who is here. Sadly we lost 3000 souls, and Bush followed by the Dems pushed us into 11 years of a pathetic waste of our national treasure. (Men and $) I was so naive that Bush would think this through.
Now, Panetta announces they'll be sending women to the front lines. Could it get any worse? Oh yeah, we are pushing into N Africa, and face Islamic madness throughout the Arabian pennisula thanks to our interventionism. |
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coboardhead
Joined: 26 Oct 2009 Posts: 4304
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MalibuGuru
Joined: 11 Nov 1993 Posts: 9307
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 2:22 am Post subject: |
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Yeah. Exactly. The 1st guy, either right or left that stands up and says this is elected. Seems like they're afraid the money will stop flowing into their campaigns.
Like I've said. The Romans knew how to conquer without losing too many men. We just haven't learned our history yet. |
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MalibuGuru
Joined: 11 Nov 1993 Posts: 9307
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:49 am Post subject: |
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John Kerry today said "more than ever, foreign policy has become economic policy" Our new Secretary of State sees reality pretty clearly. And our young men will continue to fight for what? Money? |
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keycocker
Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 3598
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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Yes.
Lobbyist money paid directly to Congress to be exact.
The Congress we hold in contempt and nearly always re elect. |
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DanWeiss
Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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Kerry was about to begin his confirmation testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but was interrupted by a woman in the back of the hall who advocated for ending the war. She was removed, and the Chairman said "Welcome" at which point everyone laughed. Everyone except John Kerry. Kerry embraced the woman's message and her delivery, reminding everyone that he once came to Washington to get his voice heard on the same issue.
We will soon have a windsurfer on the Cabinet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOaNO9LrWYw _________________ Support Your Sport. Join US Windsurfing!
www.USWindsurfing.org |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20946
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:47 am Post subject: |
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My gravest concern about Kerry is his worship of all things European. I'm afraid he may subjugate the U.S. to the UN, as Hillary was reportedly considering, in many issues from AGW to warfighting. The UN has already ranted about the trillions we owe the world in AGW reparations and the right they want to arrest, try, and punish individual U.S. soldiers on the world's battlefields. That's too bad, as his resume appears well suited to the Sec State position ... as long as he doesn't come running home at every paper cut. |
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