Iraq Spinning Out Of Control....Again!

Richard S. wrote:Yes your exactly right Devil and it just goes to show how callous these people can be towards even their own people.

Exactly right Richard. These people have been fighting & killing each other for thousands of years & will continue for thousands more. U.S. forces being there just provide fresh targets.

Richard S. wrote:Just to add you only have to look at other places like India and Pakistan to see the same violence.... Is the U.S. to blame for the bombings there as well? I think not.

I never claimed we were to blame for that Richard, but........I suppose an argument could be made for us having some culpability by our occupying a middle eastern country (Iraq) more & more obviously against the will of the Iraqi people, as stated by their freely elected representatives & Prime Minister. Regardless of the justification or necessity, Arabs see our troops killing their people, grow up hating the US & become desensitized to the violence they see on their TV screen each day.

coalmeister wrote:Waste it just like the last thirty years worth.

Let me see if I follow your argument: The American Cancer Society is wasting our money on cancer research but us spending 10 billion a month in Iraq to pay off corruption (on both sides) is money well spent & you're happy to have your hard earned tax dollars going over there?


Got it!

Well guys, I served in Iraq in 2004. Believe me I won't be going back. I retired from the military in March.

The problem over there are the corupt polititians, police chiefs, and high ranking Iraqi Army officials. A lot of things that the U.S. buys and and gives to the people, are then taken by these "censored". It burns my but!!

Don't get me wrong. The U.S. is doing a lot of good over there. Most of the Iraqi people want us there. There are only a few that don't. The Iraqi people thought that after Saddam was out of the picture, the U.S. would build them all a nice house and give them money. That was my perspective while I was there. Now, I think that they know that will never happen. At least now their economy is getting a lot better.

I could ramble on and on about the problems over there and the things I've seen, but I won't. I just think that the U.S. should be out of there in 2 years.

sterling_40man wrote:Well guys, I served in Iraq in 2004. Believe me I won't be going back. I retired from the military in March.

I applaud your service in Iraq. It's very rare we get anyone here who has actually been there, on the ground. Nice to have you first hand perspective.

sterling_40man wrote:The problem over there are the corupt polititians, police chiefs, and high ranking Iraqi Army officials. A lot of things that the U.S. buys and and gives to the people, are then taken by these "censored". It burns my but!!

Major problem over there but there's also plenty of U.S. corruption over there too. Whenever there is allot of cash changing hands, there will be corruption.

sterling_40man wrote:Most of the Iraqi people want us there. There are only a few that don't.

I'm sure that was true 4 years ago & from the localized perspective of a GI in a particular area..... I have talked with many Iraq veterans who don't feel quite as welcome as was your experience & both the Iraqi parliament & their Prime Minister have recently indicated that they want us out & their country back.

sterling_40man wrote:At least now their economy is getting a lot better.

While ours is going down the toilet!


Thanks for your service & for joining the thread!

sterling_40man wrote:Well guys, I served in Iraq in 2004.

Forgot to ask you a question:

What was the average GI's attitude towards the U.S. civilian military types (like Blackwater employees) who were getting paid big money to do what you guys were risking your lives to do, for allot less? (any animosity? Did they look down their noses at you guys?)

Devil5052 wrote:

coalmeister wrote:Waste it just like the last thirty years worth.

Let me see if I follow your argument: The American Cancer Society is wasting our money on cancer research but us spending 10 billion a month in Iraq to pay off corruption (on both sides) is money well spent & you're happy to have your hard earned tax dollars going over there?


Got it!

Ask me in a couple years when the dust settles. If it is relatively stable and democracy has the princes & the mullahs back on their heels, the girls are going to school, women are free to move about without fear, the princes are sharing the wealth, and freedom is flourishing, imho it will be worth it. The U.S. has been doing this type of thing for years- They think we are pretty funny with our 5 year time lines when they think in centuries

I would hate to think of how many tin pot dictators would be butchering their people in our hemisphere if there was no fear of the U.S. For example Costa Rica has no military because they know we would rescue them if over run. They put the money they save into health care for there poor.

coalmeister wrote:If it is relatively stable and democracy has the princes & the mullahs back on their heels, the girls are going to school, women are free to move about without fear, the princes are sharing the wealth, and freedom is flourishing, imho it will be worth it.

and if they officially ask us to leave their country in the short term, do we? (Their freely elected parliament & Prime Minister want us out......What should we do?)


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/world/ ... 9717.story

Devil5052 wrote:

coalmeister wrote:Waste it just like the last thirty years worth.

Let me see if I follow your argument: The American Cancer Society is wasting our money on cancer research but us spending 10 billion a month in Iraq to pay off corruption (on both sides) is money well spent & you're happy to have your hard earned tax dollars going over there?


Got it!

Wow! Did I say all that?

coalmeister wrote:Wow! Did I say all that?

You sure did!

Devil5052 wrote:

coalmeister wrote:If it is relatively stable and democracy has the princes & the mullahs back on their heels, the girls are going to school, women are free to move about without fear, the princes are sharing the wealth, and freedom is flourishing, imho it will be worth it.

and if they officially ask us to leave their country in the short term, do we? (Their freely elected parliament & Prime Minister want us out......What should we do?)

Very good question. I think the Prime Minister is pandering in an election year, wow he has learned democracy quick.

coalmeister wrote:Very good question.

Thanks........and your answer is?

Devil5052 wrote:

coalmeister wrote:If it is relatively stable and democracy has the princes & the mullahs back on their heels, the girls are going to school, women are free to move about without fear, the princes are sharing the wealth, and freedom is flourishing, imho it will be worth it.

and if they officially ask us to leave their country in the short term, do we? (Their freely elected parliament & Prime Minister want us out......What should we do?)

If they want us out, I guess it's "see ya"

coalmeister wrote:If they want us out, I guess it's "see ya"

Good for you....We agree!


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/world/ ... 9717.story

Devil,

To answer your question, we were quite jealous of those civilian guys. They made quite a bit of money. As far as not getting along or not liking them, I never saw it.

Iraq Spinning Out Of In Control

As Fears Ease, Baghdad Sees Walls Tumble

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/world ... ref=slogin