Quote :

"100 cop increase would be to momentarily stop the gang violence so that communities could train themselves and ultimately take control of their neighborhoods."

Citizens's Arrest!!! Stop Snitchin!!!

Quote :

" As of right now, we should continue to hunt the few insurgents that are left. Iraq needs to secure its boarders better. This should be their primary focus. Once power is transferred to their government, Illegals (pretty much the same situation that we have) will influx into the new democracy. The will do this for one of two reasons: either to escape their country and live in freedom, or to invade and take it over! Either way, the boarders must be much more secured than ours if the government has a chance to succeed long term."

LOL you naivity of world politics and history is sad. The insurgency is not some conventional army like the japs in WW2 that we can fight till we capture the flag. The thing about guerrilla and terrorist networks is that whenever we cut off the head another will grow back.

I got a big laugh out of the comment about illegals will flock to Iraq in search of freedom and democracy . hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

If I were some ignorant country bumpkin living in podunk i'd probably buy that line, grab my flag, and be like USA #1

[Edited on December 23, 2007 at 12:33 AM. Reason : ll]

12/23/2007 12:31:12 AM

Quote :

"The insurgency is not some conventional army like the japs in WW2 that we can fight till we capture the flag. The thing about guerrilla and terrorist networks is that whenever we cut off the head another will grow back. "

In theory, if you eliminate the current threat, control who comes into the country, and have the infastructure and capabilities to handle future threats, this should not happen....its a general mass balance....input+generation-output-consumption=accumulation.....

On second thought, Im arguing with a bunch of college kids who live off of MTV and coffee shop politics...def not worth my time....probably why you shouldnt be able to vote until you are actually contributing to society IMO.

[Edited on December 23, 2007 at 1:14 AM. Reason : .]

12/23/2007 1:08:32 AM

Quote :

"In theory, if you eliminate the current threat, control who comes into the country, and have the infastructure and capabilities to handle future threats, this should not happen."

guess this is plausible. however, how will we as the US accomplish this?? Why should we be acting as the world police in the first place.

12/23/2007 1:15:44 AM

of course the surge isn't working. have you been listening to the media recently? are they reporting any progress? of course not. clearly the surge is failing or they would reporting things to the contrary, right?

besides, who cares if the surge is working. it's time to bring everyone home because that's what will get me the most votes next year!

12/23/2007 1:38:40 AM

ITS THE LIBERAL CONSPIRACY!!!

12/23/2007 1:44:00 AM

hehe, I had to add the last part, otherwise no one would realize I was trolling there

oh, and one more thing: there is no "a" in the word "borders." Unless you are talking about someone who offers "room and board" or who puts boards on houses and the like

[Edited on December 23, 2007 at 1:48 AM. Reason : ]

12/23/2007 1:46:59 AM

This is the type of enemy we face, folks:

Quote :

"BAGHDAD (AP) — Remote-controlled explosives strapped to two mentally retarded women detonated in a coordinated attack on Baghdad pet bazaars Friday, Iraqi officials said, killing at least 73 people in the deadliest day since the U.S. sent 30,000 extra troops to the capital last spring."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkx-3oYeFwuWKCusr2jrojs98w8wD8UHL82G0

2/1/2008 1:08:02 PM

illustrating these people really don't care about democracy.

Good thing we took out Saddam to help the war on terrorism, right hooksaw!

2/1/2008 1:22:10 PM

^ Blame America first, right, comrade?

Our enemy remotely detonated explosives that were strapped to two mentally retarded women. Can you try to suppress your Bush derangement syndrome for a couple minutes and address this heinous crime? Thanks.

2/1/2008 1:26:06 PM

when you're resorting to retard bombs

you might be on your last leg...

...

now we can say that "suicide bombing is totally retarded" with a straight face

[Edited on February 1, 2008 at 1:30 PM. Reason : lololololololo... sad face]

2/1/2008 1:28:39 PM

^ Well, to be sure, those two unfortunate souls were definitely not freedom fighters.

Yes and even

2/1/2008 1:33:52 PM

ignoring the fact that our troops would not even be in harms way had it not been for the faulty evidence and justification bush used to involve us in the Iraq debacle.

Quote :

"Blame America first, right, comrade"

nahh not blame america i blame bush. thats right though your philosophy is "if you do not like it then GTFO" which is clearly the standard of thinking in any healthy democratic institution. I believe the comrade comment has me confused with GoldenViper. Just because i do not believe in playing world police or neo-colonialism does not tie me into support some kinda of socialist marxist society.

nice try Troll



[Edited on February 1, 2008 at 3:00 PM. Reason : a]

2/1/2008 2:57:59 PM

HUR quick question:

Would you say over the last couple years, or last couple months, you've started to lean a little more to the right and perhaps wanted a little less obtrusive 'small government' etc?

2/1/2008 3:16:08 PM

I'll agree to that. Really since my sophmore year though i've always considered myself a libertarian. Liberal on social issues (no moral police, eliminate victimless crimes, safeguarding civil rights, etc) and conservative on fiscal issues (balanced budget, pro-capitalism, against free handouts for chronic poverty, less gov't spending, etc).

Used to be though i placed more weight on social issues. As i have gotten older though and began working i've started placing more though on economic issues as i watched my paycheck getting chomped away by the man. I will gladly support a GOP candidate with a ecnomic policy i like as long as they are at least moderate on social issues. I can not tolerate those from the Christian right that act like the gov't should be the moral police. At least i can respect the humanitarian/environmental viewpoint of the liberal tree-hugger and/or increased socialism democrats. I also have gotten more cynical of politicians in general and desire a smaller fed with increased respect to the 10th amendment allowing teh state gov't to have more control on various issues.

Regardless i still support a more non-interventionist foreign policy.

[Edited on February 1, 2008 at 5:39 PM. Reason : l]

2/1/2008 5:36:57 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/04/iraq.main/index.html

GOOD GOING GUYS, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

2/4/2008 8:35:24 AM

Quote :

" Back at the main Fallujah police station, Sergeant Jason Howell pulled me aside. “What are you hearing from Marines about the Iraqis?” he said. “A whole range of opinion,” I said. “I probably hear the same things you hear. It doesn't sound to me like anyone censors themselves.” He clearly itched to say something to me on the record. I didn't know if it would be good or if it would be bad, but that didn't matter. I turned on my digital voice recorder. “I was here before,” he said. “This isn't my first time in the Fallujah area.” I knew then that he would say something good about the Iraqi Police. He has seen progress with his own eyes on two separate deployments. All the returning veterans I spoke to were on average more optimistic than the others. “You had the same job before?” I said. “Yes,” he said. “I was actually in Karmah.” Karmah is a smaller city about a ten minute drive (at normal speeds) from Fallujah toward Baghdad. It is sort of a suburb, and also a place unto itself. Every single Marine and MP said Karmah was more dangerous, violent, and terrifying than Fallujah. You probably have not even heard of it, but that's because journalists have not spent any time there. From the point of view of Americans who fought there or elsewhere in Anbar, Karmah might as well have been Mordor. “I was on a Police Transition Team,” he said. “We were the first embedded Police Transition Team that had taken over that station. When we started we had around 65 Iraqi Police, and when we left we had 94. We made a lot of progress. We improved the station. The biggest success we had there was the relationship we built with the Iraqis. This mission revolves around the relationships and friendships we make with these guys. They won't work with you unless they trust you, just like you won't work with them unless you can trust them.” “You trust them, then?” I said. “I do,” he said. “In general. There will always be some questions, just like in a police department back in the States. You won't necessarily know everybody that well or on that personal of a level. But in general I do trust these guys. They sacrifice a lot to do this job. I think a lot of people who come over here with a negative outlook, with a negative opinion of them, they don't think about the fact that they aren't just sacrificing their own safety. While they're out here doing this job, nobody is at home protecting their families. Their families are at home unattended, and they are constantly threatened. Coalition forces are obviously high-priority targets for insurgents, but another major priority is these Iraqi Police officers and their families. They risk a lot. They put a lot on the line to do this job.” “You seem more optimistic than some of the others I've talked to,” I said. “Is that because of your experience last year, or is there another reason?” “I had a very good experience last year,” he said. “We were fully embedded. We lived in the police station 24/7. I didn't leave the police station but once a month. I had very good relationships, life friendships, with my Iraqi Police officers. After all the things I've seen – they show you respect if you understand what they put themselves and their families through – it gives you a better understanding of the sacrifices they make.” “What do you think about the Iraqi Police who used to be insurgents?” I said. He laughed darkly. Clearly he did not want to talk about that. “There's some controversy about this in the U.S.,” I said. “A lot of people are worried that we are arming and training our enemies.” “Obviously if that happens, that's bad,” he said. “I've been lucky enough so far not to have experienced that. I haven't met any Iraqi Police who were insurgents. I've heard of that happening, but I haven't had that experience.” “What if you did meet an Iraqi Police officer who was an insurgent?” I said. “Would that bother you or be water under the bridge?” Some Marines really don't care all that much as long as the Iraqis are genuinely on their side now. So many Iraqis switched sides after the Anbar Awakening that it may not even be possible to keep all the former insurgents off the police force. It might even be foolish to try, just as dissolving the Iraqi Army after the invasion is widely seen now as a mistake. “If that happened,” Sergeant Howell said, “there would have to be some questions and further investigation. All I can really say is, thank God I haven't had to deal with that personally.” “So, what kind of progress have you seen?” I said. “What were the Iraqi Police like when you first got here compared to what they're like now?” “A lot of the guys in general have a lot of experience,” he said. “Whether it's policing or with tactics and patrolling operations. A lot these guys were in the Iraqi Army for 20 years before joining the police force. There are people who were medics in the Iraqi Army. And the good thing about these police stations is that the Iraqi Police are from the local towns. Soldiers in the Iraqi Army come from everywhere in the country. This really helps the Iraqi Police because they know all the civilians who live in these towns, just like in the small towns back home. This helps build trust between the police and the civilians.” What about the progress he's seen? “When we first got to our station last year,” he said, “the Iraqi Police were not being paid, they weren't really operating, and few bothered to show up for work. By the time we left, we had 94 Iraqi Police officers hired. They were being paid. They did show up for work. They were doing joint operations with us. They were going out into the city, talking to people. The biggest thing that helped us was our relationship with them, the friendships. I have to be honest with you. Saying goodbye was emotionally hard. I lived with these guys for seven months.” He choked up a bit and had to look away for a moment, lost in memories of something deeply personal and trying hard not to cry. An Iraqi Police officer in Karmah “I was lucky enough three weeks ago to go back to Karmah,” he said. “And my Iraqi Police were still there. The same guys from last year. As soon as I came into the station and they saw me they started jumping around, dancing, and yelling. There are four brothers who are all Iraqi Police at the Karmah station. One of the brothers was on shift when I got there. That night he called his brothers and his father – his father is a tribal leader – and they all came in the next day. Their father wanted to meet me.” He choked up again slightly and had to pull himself together. “So…there's a lot more to this mission,” he said. “If you go into everything with an open mind, you can take so many lessons out of this mission, not only with community policing and the mission at hand, but with human relationships in general.” I had heard this before. Maybe the majority of Americans who work closely with Iraqis feel something like this. Despite the corruption. Despite the incompetence. Despite the fact that some of them act like a bunch of third graders. The Iraqis really are brave, even if it doesn't look that way sometimes from far away or even up close. They are fighting for their survival in ways most Americans can barely imagine. Their enemy is possibly the most ferocious group of indigenous killers in the entire history of Mesopotamia. “We’ve actually become attached to these people on a personal level,” Army Colonel John Charlton said to me in Ramadi last summer. “We feel responsible for their safety. We’re concerned about what will happen to our Iraqi friends if we don’t succeed in this country.” "

http://www.michaeltotten.com/

http://michaelyon-online.com/


[Edited on February 4, 2008 at 9:26 AM. Reason : sd]

2/4/2008 9:23:23 AM

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/media/pdf/TF_%202-7_%20IN_%20_Feb_%2008_%20Newsletter.pdf

2/4/2008 11:21:12 AM

2/4/2008 11:27:52 AM

Quote :

"I'll agree to that"

well HUR thats funny, cause that would make you pretty much the definition of a neoconservative

funny how you throw that term around about other people in a negative connotation, when your own political views are 'neocon'

2/4/2008 11:29:36 AM

well my views on foreign policy doesn't really go along to well with the Big Stick ideology of Neo-Cons.

Plus Neo-Cons tend to appease and lasso in the Christian right vote by supporting the war on drugs, preservation of "family values", FCC (federal censorship committee) censor of TV and air material, anti-gambling initiatives, pro-life, advocating abstinence instead of safe sex in schools, and other enforcement of morals through legislation which i STRONGLY oppose

[Edited on February 4, 2008 at 12:02 PM. Reason : a]

2/4/2008 11:54:39 AM

neocon literally means new conservative, and refers to someone who used to be more liberal but who has become a conservative...i think you are still misusing the word as some type of label for anything you dont like about certain conservatives when thats not at all the meaning of the word neocon...of course most of the media misuses it the same way so i don't blame you for not knowing what it really means when the media doesnt either

2/4/2008 12:04:14 PM

from a entomology basis you are correct but..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism#Evolution_of_neoconservative_views

Neoconservative policies

Quote :

"Neocons do not feel ... alarm or anxiety about the growth of the state in the past century, seeing it as natural, indeed inevitable"

Quote :

"Traditional Moral Values: "The steady decline in our democratic culture, sinking to new levels of vulgarity, does unite neocons with traditional conservatives". Here Kristol distinguishes between traditional conservatives and libertarian conservatives. He cites the shared interest of Neocons and Religious Conservates in using the government to enforce morality: "Since the Republican party now has a substantial base among the religious, this gives neocons a certain influence and even power"

Quote :

"Aggressive support for democracies and nation building "

2/4/2008 12:10:09 PM

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article3346386.ece

This seems to be a bit of encouraging news.

Quote :

"Al-Qaeda in Iraq faces an “extraordinary crisis”. Last year's mass defection of ordinary Sunnis from al-Qaeda to the US military “created panic, fear and the unwillingness to fight”. The terrorist group's security structure suffered “total collapse”. "

2/11/2008 2:20:06 PM

^^ You mean etymology. "[E]ntomology" is the scientific study of insects, dumbass.

^ Indeed.

2/11/2008 2:27:29 PM

Iraqi lawmakers pass 3 key bills

Quote :

"BAGHDAD -- Iraqi lawmakers overcame weeks of deadlock today to pass three key measures: a $48-billion national budget, an amnesty law and legislation paving the way for provincial elections by Oct. 1. U.S. officials have been pressing Iraq's main ethnic and religious factions to approve these and other power-sharing measures, without which they fear recent security gains could be lost. 'These are difficult issues. They required a lot of effort, a lot of compromise, but they are important steps forward,' U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker said at a news briefing after the measures were passed with a single vote. 'A lot of challenges face Iraq and will continue to face us all in support of Iraq. But the work of the council of representatives today deserves congratulations from all of us.'"

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraqlaws14feb14,0,969545.story

What's this?! Political progress! GASP!!!1[/sarcasm]

[Edited on February 13, 2008 at 1:20 PM. Reason : .]

2/13/2008 1:20:05 PM

Most Iraqis Oppose U.S. Troop Presence but Admit Situation Improving

Quote :

"Fifty-five percent of Iraqis now say their own life is going well, up from 39 percent 12 months ago. And 62 percent say security in their local area is good, up 16 percentage points from last year. These results, from an ABC poll carried out across Iraq and released today, paint a picture of a damaged country that is gradually starting to pull itself together again. 'Believe me, the situation is a million times better than it was before,' says Um Tiba, a radio talk show host in the town of Fallujah. She has an hour-long show every day – her listeners call in with problems about their families or their relationships — and few people talk about the war with her. For the first time in three years, people told our pollsters they were more concerned about social and economic problems than about violence — only a quarter now say security is the main concern in their lives. The poll was conducted last month, Feb. 12-18."

http://abcnews.go.com/International/Story?id=4465682&page=1

3/18/2008 1:49:18 AM

The situation is improving from "goddamn fucking horrible" to "goddamn horrible". Funny thing is we caused it to be in this state to begin with. When I spill milk all over my kitchen floor and then mop up 10% of the mess, I declare victory too!

Mission accomplished! Hell fucking yeah!

3/18/2008 1:51:10 AM

Quote :

"'Believe me, the situation is a million times better than it was before,' says Um Tiba, a radio talk show host in the town of Fallujah. She has an hour-long show every day – her listeners call in with problems about their families or their relationships — and few people talk about the war with her."

3/18/2008 2:00:38 AM

Iraq is awesome and safe.

Hell no, I wouldn't visit there. Are you nuts?

3/18/2008 2:13:34 AM

A newer poll in March http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/14_03_08iraqpollmarch2008.pdf

There's the full poll results. Overall, things haven't changed meaningfully since feb of last year, poll-wise.

Lots of things are worse compared to 2004, and many things are about the same as feb of last year, while several other things are marginal improvements from last year. Overall, the poll shows mixed messages from Iraqis.

For this question "Not personally, but in terms of Iraq, what in your opinion is the single biggest problem
facing Iraq as a whole?"

Security-related things were the biggest issue, which is at odds with the ABC poll. And US occupation being the next biggest category at a mere 5%.

For the question of "From today’s perspective and all things considered, was it absolutely right, somewhat
right, somewhat wrong, or absolutely wrong that US-led coalition forces invaded Iraq in
spring 2003?"

49% said it was somewhat right or absolutely right, identical to 04 levels, but much better than last year, while 50% said it was somewhat or absolutely wrong, UP significantly from 04, but also better than last year.

88% say the supply for electricty is not good, which is oddly significantly worse than the past 4 years of the poll.

46% of Iraqis said the security situation has gotten better in the past 6 months, which is significantly better than the previous set of six months.

Only 20% of Iraqis have confidence in US occupation forces, with 79 having little or no confidence, but oddly, 30% say we've done a good job (with the same seventy saying we've done a bad job), and 30% saying they support the work of occupation forces (much worse than 04 but marginally better than august 07).

And lastly for my reporting, 38% now say the US should leave immediately, which is 9 points lower than in august, but 12 points higher than in 2005. Only 4% didn't want conditions for withdrawal. And 27% say us being there makes things better while 61% says it makes things worse, which is slightly improved from last year.

[Edited on March 18, 2008 at 2:31 AM. Reason : ]

3/18/2008 2:28:54 AM

^

Quote :

"Q12a [ASK IF Security Situation has “become better” in Q11] Who do you feel deserves the most credit for this improved security?"

Odd that the US military wasn't even an option for this particular question, but was one for the "who to blame for worse security" question.

Not that this would discredit the results or anything, as a later question shows that Iraqis have much less confidence in US troops than they do their own security forces/police, but it does indicate the subtle bias that can slip into what is supposed to be an objective survey.


And kind of unrelated, but something else a bit odd in the poll:

Quote :

"Q34 For each item I name, please tell me if you think the United States should or should not have a future role in that area: Providing training and weapons to the Iraqi army Should 76 Should not 23 Refused/don’t know 1 Providing financial aid for reconstruction within Iraq Should 73 Should not 26 Refused/don’t know - Assisting in the security of Iraq in terms of Iran Should 68 Should not 31 Refused/don’t know - Assisting in the security of Iraq in terms of Turkey Should 66 Should not 34 Refused/don’t know - Participating in security operations against al Qaeda or foreign jihadis in Iraq Should 80 Should not 19 Refused/don’t know 1"

Most of these hardly seem possible without continued US occupation and military operation within Iraq (especially the last one), yet, throughout the rest of the poll the majority of Iraqis seemed to be against the presence of US/Coalition forces in Iraq. How is the US going to "participate in security operations against jihads in Iraq" if the US military leaves Iraq?

Do they want us to use our magical American powers to fix all their problems from a distance? That's certainly what it seems like.

...Of course, that sort of irrational thinking shouldn't be surprising, given the attitudes of most of the modern world's population.

3/18/2008 3:09:31 AM

^ Yeah which is why I said "Overall, the poll shows mixed messages from Iraqis."

3/18/2008 10:34:52 AM

Quote :

"'Believe me, the situation is a million times better than it was before,' says Um Tiba, a radio talk show host in the town of Fallujah. She has an hour-long show every day – her listeners call in with problems about their families or their relationships — and few people talk about the war with her."

Is this woman lying? Why would she?

3/18/2008 10:16:51 PM

There goes hooksaw again. If only liberal studies majors involved statistics or critical thinking so he could understand the difference between data and anecdotal evidence.

3/18/2008 10:20:51 PM

^

Quote :

"What's your major again, LostClues?"

Enlighten us, nutsack.

3/18/2008 10:27:30 PM

It's called having read books and knowing something about something.

Your major is called "reading the internet" and then "pretending conservatism is in any way a viable way of thinking."

The funny thing is that you fail awfully at these two objectives.

3/18/2008 10:43:12 PM

3/18/2008 10:45:39 PM

Quote :

"Is the surge working?"

The answer is no.

3/18/2008 10:46:31 PM

My name is LiusClues, I'm going to move to a country and live there and enjoy all the freedoms and benefits, for the sole purpose of discrediting and bashing that country. I'm a real winner with high goals and aspirations.

3/18/2008 10:53:22 PM

Quote :

"Is the surge working?"

The answer is no.

3/18/2008 10:54:16 PM

You would've been censored from this website long ago if this were good old Communist China

3/18/2008 10:55:40 PM

The answer is no.

3/18/2008 10:57:30 PM

i'm glad you're qualified to know the answer

3/18/2008 10:58:12 PM

Yea you're totally qualified to provide stellar analysis aintcha buddy

3/19/2008 12:21:39 AM

you too troll, you too

troll the white guy, troll the american, troll troll troll

3/19/2008 12:22:30 AM

Which is more ironic

You calling anyone a troll

You claiming someone isn't qualified

Trick question

Don't burnout trying to answer

[Edited on March 19, 2008 at 12:24 AM. Reason : >.<]

3/19/2008 12:24:27 AM

i'm a froshkiller dickrider

i think double spacing makes me cool

i'm so fucking awesome

wow i hate america

[Edited on March 19, 2008 at 12:25 AM. Reason : >.< (this isnt my asshole btw, i like camel dick)]

3/19/2008 12:24:56 AM

Post like treetwistah

Random words

5th grade insult

Random words

Unironic pun

3/19/2008 12:27:21 AM

you're such a loser, why dont you stop post stalking me and mind your own fucking busines

can you really not find anything better to do than obsess over me? are you that much of a loser?

3/19/2008 12:29:34 AM

Why don't you call dell tech support and figure out how to turn your internet off

Maybe the voices in your head will stop then

3/19/2008 12:31:00 AM