posted
Iraqi's obviously have too much spare time on their hands to build IED's and other offensive "toys"..
what can we do to take their minds elsewhere?
quite frankly? Americans fill their time up so much they don't even have time to go demonstrate at the White House fence, right? so what are we doing? playing golf, watching car races, baseball and football.
what would Iraqis LIKE to be doing?
camel racing?
seriously? how about soccer? form up leagues, send them lots of soccer shoes and balls and goals? build lighted fields and beuatiful stadiums everywhere? (they would prolly prefer to play after dark, it's cooler)...
if you build it? they will come
how about more suggestions?
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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I'd guess even soup kitchens and bingo would be a welcome relief.
They also say the number of attacks and IED are starting to subside.
I think we are going to see continued stability over there now that we have starting working with the tribal leaders in the population rather than the governmental body. Unfortunately this will likely be represented as a vindication of Bush's troop surge when it doesn't have anything to do with that. In the end though, as long as it brings safety and stability, I don't really care who claims credit.
-------------------- No longer eligible for government service due to lack of tax issues. Posts: 5178 | From: Up North | Registered: Dec 2005
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how about credit to the guys/gals with sand in their boots?
the surge will kill some bad guys, but will it make more, like we did before?
the workshops where they assembled the IED's prolly had to be moved, i won't beleive the surge actually works till the bombings cease for a couple months... and if it doesn't work? it won't be because our troops didn't do exactly what Bush asked them to do... the Iraqi parliament needs to hear US citizens saying they are sick of them not getting the job done... nothing will get better if the politicians don't make some serious progress..
if i was an "insurgent" i'd be laying low till the heat is off... but then i'm not there, so what do i know?
how many brand-new soccer shoes can can you buy with 1/10th billion dollars?
do the kids there like Gameboys? they are about the same price as top shelf shoes...
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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Looks like one side of a jr. high school "sock-hop".
Somewhere, safely away from the dance floor are a whole lotta guys watching out of the corners of their eyes trying to figure out what those chicks find so interesting in that activity.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Woulda helped if they had hired Iraqis to do the work Hal.... and their like poured into the pockets of republican donating contractors at ten to twenty times the cost. Then Iraqi daddies could buy those soccer balls and athletic shoes and feel like a role models to their kids instead of fourth class animals.
Woulda been even better if the damned news services had ask a few questions instead of enthusiastically jumping onto dubyas propaganda wagon and let the people find out it was all a sham before the invasion.
Yeah, I know, the pottery is broken now and we own it. But, crap, no matter how much super glue we use to stick it back together, it will be forever broken.
Humpty dumpty had a great fall. And all of King George's horses and all his men Can never put Iraqis together again.
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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Looks like one side of a jr. high school "sock-hop".
Somewhere, safely away from the dance floor are a whole lotta guys watching out of the corners of their eyes trying to figure out what those chicks find so interesting in that activity.
assuming that is Iraqi girls, I too see more in common with sock hops than with IEDs...
posted
"Bush just watched too many John Wayne movies...."
Have to agree with that.......but I add that he can't even understand their themes.
However, there is not now and never has been anything positive we can do in Iraq.
We continue refuse to accept that they will live as they see fit and can't get it through our biased hard heads that they see very little fit in anything we propose or want.
We need to learn that we cannot mold others to our will and ways.
(Anyway, it is morally and ethically abominable to even try. We stink to high heaven in the world.)
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
they will live as they see fit and can't get it through our biased hard heads that they see very little fit in anything we propose or want.
WTF bdgee??? why do you think i asked what they want? Bush never did...
now i am asking, and it's about time everybody else does too..
as you (and Collin Powell) said? we broke it, we bought it... lets see what will actually work instead of giving up...
most Americans have finally realised Bush is in la-la-land.... even if he's right for the wrong reasons? he does have one thing right, you don't really think we can just up-n-leave do you?
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise. Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
At this point the only thing that will fix Iraq, as far as the US is concerned is the same thing that fixed Vietnam.
If enough Iraqi people want a different life then they should fight for it, we have given them every opportunity by now. It appears from what i read and see, that Iraq does not appear much different than Vietnam in principle. That's why CashCow statements were no surprise to me.
I hope that i am completely wrong about my assesment of what is going on in Iraq.
It also seems to me that our Congressmen are voting on Iraqi issues to make us think they are fighting this thing tooth and nail. Yet to me its all a game, and nothing will be done until after the next election. The reason seems to be to help get a particular canidate elected and to make sure one party is going to get the credit for a big change in our Iraq policy.
I just hope i am completely wrong for our troops sake.
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Had a friend who was in Iraq last year take a look at that video. He says they don't act, dress, or look like any Iraqi girls he saw while he was over there.
Anywho...
I personally see some positives within the negatives recently and have hope for the future. But it all depends on being realistic and empowering the men who the population know and trust. I'm not saying abolish the Iraqi government, but its gonna be tribal leaders that make the peace. They know their people.
After that is when it gets hard. Reconciling the tribal leaders agendas with the government officials agenda without creating a Hamas type discontent party and at the same time trying to leave open the door to "Americanized ideals" such as equality for women without making it look like we are shoving our values at them. Oh ya, and add the economic factor of oil production and corporate/political greed and corruption into the mix. That's when the intellectual war will start and it will be just as dogged as this guerrilla warfare we are seeing now. If not quite as bloody. (Hopefully)
Posts: 5178 | From: Up North | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
I may not think we can just up and leave, but I certainly think we should......for our own sake and for the sake of the world.
Any notion that any good can be rescued by us in Iraq is wishful thinking. There wasn't ever any way we could do anything by force but make Iraq worse, even before we broke it.
It's broke and we can't fix it. It's time to admit that.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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We could still salvage somewhat of a reputation in the long run if we close the book on the warfare and provide positive realistic guidance through the first steps of democracy afterward. It won't happen under this admin though. If we aren't helpful in the aftermath I see Iraq making the same mistakes as Russia in the governmental reform process leading to all sorts of troubles.
-------------------- No longer eligible for government service due to lack of tax issues. Posts: 5178 | From: Up North | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
irag does mot like us...they do nopt want us associated with them .. AT aLL!!....not our business!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........................
get the fack out and leave them alone;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
-------------------- jordan Posts: 5812 | From: st paul,mn | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
This iraq situation reminds me of a scene in the Godfather Part 2:
Michael Corleone: I saw a strange thing today. Some rebels were being arrested. One of them pulled the pin on a grenade. He took himself and the captain of the command with him. Now, soldiers are paid to fight; the rebels aren't.
Hyman Roth: What does that tell you?
Michael Corleone: It means they could win.
-------------------- Let the world change you... And you can change the world.
Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna Posts: 4669 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Leave thoes people alone and let them settle thier business themselves.
Iraq should have never been done it is time we rethink our whole mid east policy.
After our presidential election we will have a chance at doing that the shrub has already made it impossible for him to get anything done.
Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005
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There never was a time when anything we might do in Iraq had any hope of success.
They don't want us and are insulted by our refusal to respect that opinion. The rest of the world is similarly and rightfully insulted.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Oh my. I didn't know being super religious was a requirement.
Guess I better give all my flicks to uni or andy or ruthie, since I ain't qualified.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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