"They are the most enthusiastic about warfare who are the least familiar with it."

—Vegetius, De Ri Militari

I think I'll let the dead Roman sum up my own feelings on the matter.

still quoting old europe?

4 mechanized divisions, an airforce and navy took care of that in a couple of weeks...

iraq is occupied.

iran is toast.

catch the dispersion...

Still drinking the Rumsfeld kool-aid?

Old Europe went down this road many times before. They saw exactly where it ends. We might save ourselves some trouble and grief by paying attention. The basic rules of the game never change.

Iraq is occupied, but hardly under control.

Iran seems to be doing just fine.

That last bit doesn't make any sense.

if you were a vietnam conbat vet, you would.

anyone out there want to translate, for quill and his shipmate?

That would explain it. All of my deployments have been to the Middle East. :-)

quill:

no prob.

it means: do you understand?

copy that?

Rog.

Still counting the days, though. :-)

quill:

don't fall for the media constructs at slate...

if you're in the shit, god bless you, i volunteered for nam.

you're entitled to your opinion if you have a social security number.

keep your head down...only mr. kinsley has any nads at slate and he's fighting for his life against a deadly disease.

dubya doesn't have to sweat anything and that's rare in this world...more power to him.

your service to this country counts for a lot more than slate...maintain.

Did you know that 7 years ago the US had no national debt and prior to that time, our debt had been held by other Americans. Bush changed all that - we'll see records deficits (in inflation adjusted dollars) before the end of his term and that the two primary holders of US debt are China and Japan? Yes, Bush has had a big impact on national security - he sold us to our enemies, one credit card at a time to finance his war games.

Pick any survey in the last 5 years - any one at all. Bush has taken the nation down to the very bottom of the scale, both in terms of national rankings and fear. In just two short terms, the US has become the most hated, most feared and most despised nation. In two short terms, we've gone from the top to the bottom...except in Poland, of course. Imagine - a US President being the most hated political figure on the planet. It's quite an achievement, especially when considering the impact he has had on national security. You

Dubya not only has to worry; he has to repent. As the man who destabilized the world, bankrupted the US and undermined the prestige and honor of the nation, the only thing he doesn't have to worry about is his special seat in hell. I suspect that he may not be considered legally competent, not really understanding the consequences of his actions. Didn't stop Reagan from getting an airport, a library and a bunch of politicians panting to be considered in the same breath as the only president to serve with organic brain disease.

Oh well, we can thank Bush for bringing down standards to a level where one doesn't even need a brain to be competitive.

lib:

it's just the beginning of america's response to state terrorism...

it's expensive (our debt is purchased because it's a secure investment underwritten by courts and international investment contracts), but dubya and the next president and the next president will have to make up for what bill clinton ignored while he pandered to his european betters...

mr. knsley has a guardian web page and he can explain how important it is to suck up to europe's cultural group grope known as the u n, the hague and the e u.

dubya dispensed with all of that and went right to just the most obvious perp: saddam.

if europe has a good opinion of you there's a word for that: you're a european colony.

you seem to have changed shape, lib? were yu the one demonstrating outside the texas whitehouse in the recent past?

Hello le-idiot. You may be slipping-up slightly when you say, "it's just the beginning of America's response to state terrorism."

We've always had a response to that, examples are numerous.

What we're dealing with now is non-state sponsored terrorism!

Thus the refocusing on the Afganistan region. Iraq is a dead end. I'm not going to get it a quagmire of an argument on that issue. I know what I know.

We will never completely win the war on terrorism. What we can do is contain it.

Containment is hammpered by being tied down in Iraq.

Did you know that 7 years ago the US had no national debt and prior to that time, our debt had been held by other Americans.

I think you flubbed your opening line. The U.S. did have a national debt seven years ago. <link>

But, you know it did because you then said that this debt was held by other Americans.

I was very confused by this statement and didn't bother to read the rest of the post. I'm guessing it assigns personal blame to GWB for various national or worldwide problems.

tyrt:

le-idiot's rant has been european colonial policy and cultural tribal identities (both defining the colonizers and the colonies) that have defined european conquest for the last 500 years or so...

non-state is just ok but le-idiot contends that in fact europe, russia and china -- and their colonies (substtute operatives for non-state), including the british commonwealth and cultural sphere's defined by language, religion and techno-hooks like professional training and certifications, licensing and even legislated trade barriers (both import and export) exert a present and historically consistent control and subordination of the local schmucks -- who defend their oppressors culture and perpetual influence.

somethin' like that...

the arabs generally fall for that hook all the way to geneva and london. sorry to run-on.

the terrorists are run by europe against united states strategic interests and against european governments (as in the london and spain attacks) if the populace doesn't play ball. it's like the brits chasing the brazilain kid into the train car to drill him...almost a princess di takeout without a jamb car. don't get involved in european ops unless your allen dulles and can also sit on the warren commission.

Le-idiot. Please, one example. Just one example, anywhere in history, where one nation, state, tribe or clan, invaded another and was able to maintain an occupation until it was able to get the invaded nation to accept them? Accept them, that is without an underlying current of discontent, if not outright hostility.

Me thinks your moniker fits you perfectly.