election...


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/07/internat...print&position=

key points


..Army officials are now considering whether to request that the temporary increase of 30,000 soldiers approved by Congress be made permanent. One senior Army official said Thursday that the increase is likely to be needed on a permanent basis if the service is to meet its global commitments - despite the additional cost of $3 billion per year.

...A principal focus will be to address one of the biggest problems facing the military in Iraq today: how to train Iraqi soldiers and police officers to replace the American troops now securing the country. Commanders have expressed disappointment in the performance of many of the Iraqi forces.

...Pentagon leadership was also considering whether to change mobilization policy to allow reservists to be called up for more than 24 months of total active service, which is the current limit.


Meanwhile, the unnecessary deaths of young Americans continue: Guerrillas in Baghdad detonated a roadside bomb on Thursday evening as US Bradley Fighting Vehicle went by, killing 7 American troops. In a separate incident or incidents in Anbar province west of the capital, guerrillas killed two US Marines. It was the highest one-day toll for US troops since the Mosul luncheon bombing in mid-December.

great plan.

IMHO this ill advised war will drag on and on.


And the man power necessary.....


Draft?

They keep saying that there's no draft.... as a mother of an almost 16 year-old, somehow that continued denial still does not make me rest easy....

:angry:

They keep saying that there's no draft.... as a mother of an almost 16 year-old, somehow that continued denial still does not make me rest easy....

:angry: [/b][/quote]
Oh Canada , my home and native land....


altogether now!


;-)))

Oh Canada , my home and native land....


altogether now!


;-))) [/b][/quote]
Now let's not get silly! :rolleyes:

It makes me nervous but I'm not ready to run out on my country. Unfortunately my son thinks that the draft is a cool thing. *sigh* He's been trying to work his way into the military for awhile now - most recruiters he speaks with say he wouldn't qualify for the jobs he wants (he's RG color blind) but of course that wouldn't stop him from getting drafted as a gun bunny.

Maybe I can hide him in the attic? :unsure:

Boys will be boys.

As a teenager I was off to the Brtish Military.That didn't last too long.

Now I am like "WTF was I thinking"

LOL

I'm hoping my son comes around to his senses as well..... *sigh*

B)

I have no problem with the war, i was just wondering how many soldiers died in the period between when senator Kerry said that we needed more troops on the ground, and Bush said the contrary, only to do a 180 after all the voted were counted. how much blood is on those hands because Bush knew that putting more troops on the ground would have hurt hus reelection campaign.


Well at least they finally caught up, a few hundred needless deaths later


And this isnt mentioning the lack of supplies the troops have, the humvees they drive with plywood floors, the "temporary" soldiers that have now become permanant now that there isnt an election to be won.

Bush has gone in with the right agenda, just abandoned our boys at times when it counted.

I'm hoping my son comes around to his senses as well..... *sigh*

B) [/b][/quote]
dont worry, the all volunteer army is almost done with. I would love to see new recruit numbers for the last 6 months.

bt then again, as long as we have poor people who can either don a uniform or a mcdonalds apron, and whos only shot at college is the military, we will always have lambs for the slaughter

yes, more than likely, draft.

since we wont take decisive action, the coninual spreading of our troops too thin, will result in something we dont want, the winning party in the democratic elections in Iraq forcing our hand. the WORST thing possible that could happen at this instance is for one of our other time bombs to blow up in our face. we are ill equipped to deal with syria, or Korea at this time. the soldiers we have over there have been there too long. they need to come home for a while before we ask much more of them. American industry needs to pick up if we are going to escalate this campaign, and most of all, the rest of the world needs to get off its asses and see what is happening, that they too are in danger. grave danger, and its time to stand up for themselves instead of playing the ostrich.

yes, more than likely, draft.

since we wont take decisive action, the coninual spreading of our troops too thin, will result in something we dont want, the winning party in the democratic elections in Iraq forcing our hand. the WORST thing possible that could happen at this instance is for one of our other time bombs to blow up in our face. we are ill equipped to deal with syria, or Korea at this time. the soldiers we have over there have been there too long. they need to come home for a while before we ask much more of them. American industry needs to pick up if we are going to escalate this campaign, and most of all, the rest of the world needs to get off its asses and see what is happening, that they too are in danger. grave danger, and its time to stand up for themselves instead of playing the ostrich. [/b][/quote]
Grimm,

I think more and more the rest of the world is in fact leaning the other way.

Believing the actions of the coalition to be premptive and based on reasoning that was both unsafe and unsound.

I see more of the coalition extracating themselves from the situation especially those with elections nearing and support at home waning.

Though I agree Sadam was a son of a bitch , I think the remedy maybe worth than the illness.

And it deeply saddens me to see the worlds greatest and most powerful country continue to fight this unwinable war at the cost of many lives , and despite the majority of the population of the US ( 70% , I believe) believe Bush made a mistake , continue to state with pride..

"I support , my President"

No!!! That is not democracy.
Your president is supposed to support you.

Support the troops doing their duty , by all means.Hell I'm Canadian and I salute their bravery ,valour and honour.

But to continue to support a President whose basis for the war was proven to be without foundation , is simply ludicrous.

Hey, keep things in perspective here, grimm.

The importance of re-electing GW is worth the lives of a couple hundred folks who would be ditch diggers, truck drivers or jiz moppers if they weren't being all they could be.

I have read that the UN believes Iraqi non combantants dead from this war far exceeds 50,000.

As an example...

The Crusaders invaded Arabia to bring Chritianity to it even if it meant killing them.
George Bush wishes to bring democracy to them even if it means killing them

(ok..I heard that on the Daily Show last night , but it doesn't invalidate it)

Hey, keep things in perspective here, grimm.

The importance of re-electing GW is worth the lives of a couple hundred folks who would be ditch diggers, truck drivers or jiz moppers if they weren't being all they could be. [/b][/quote]
you know, cum streaks...



I think the timing of it all stinks. WE canty finish what we started without more people on the ground, but people on the ground is not popular american or international opinion, so world leaders are hesitant to pull the trigger.


Nick,

as for being on the wrong side, i disagree, just wait until its foreign embassies from france, germany, et alll that are being suicide bombed, that it is the mass transit systems of these nations that are being threatened.. what then. Do you think these people actually care that Germany, France and others withheld? That is not and will never be the reason for the murders, excecutions and bombings..

A coalition is what is needed. Hussein was merely the first step. Syria, Jordan, whatever is needed to put enough pressure on the house of Saud to stop funding these INTERNATIONAL acts of terror.

Mike is right, this is a world war. we are just the bad guys because we took the first step.

I would agree with this too... why force democracy down non democratic nations throats... they have their own systems, let them live under it, just dont bring it outside your borders. which, to this point, they have been unable to do.


And the daily show may very well be the most credible news source out there lately:)

Nick,

to clarify, i don't think the rest of the world will have a choice... not when it comes crashing down.

Being forced to agree with both those points forces me to resort to calling you a

HOMO


in reasonably large print.

hahah takes one to know one, poofter:)

More credibile than the 6 o'clock news, funnier than the Tonight Show....

More credibile than the 6 o'clock news, funnier than the Tonight Show.... [/b][/quote]
can leap small buildings in a single bound?;)