USA in Iraq. whats your impression?

Originally Posted by PALux

30 years ago we got our a$$ kicked in a country 40% the size of Iraq with nearly 5 times the troop strength.
Will it take another 58,000 lives? Will we never learn????
Phil Lux
Vietnam Vet

Originally Posted by Carrera

It's quite fascinating to study the causes behind the fall of the Roman Empire <snip>

Originally Posted by davidmc

just heard, on the radio today, that the cia chief in bagdad sent a secret cable stating that the security situation in iraq is worsening. Wonder how bush is going to get around that w/ the elections due in january

Originally Posted by patch70

Have you been reading 'Rubicon'?

Originally Posted by FredC

Big, big secret hey? What he mean't was coded. It means send more turkeys out for Xmas.
By the way David, have a goose, much more fun. If she doesn't like it swipe her with a broom handle on the neck, and don't forget the Idaho Russets basting in the fat. I'll be over as soon as I can get on Concorde again.
Keep scribbling, and raise a dram to the hard bastards who left their land over here.

Originally Posted by davidmc

It's a damn shooting gallery over there. Guess Cheney/Bush/Rummy did'nt account for that kind of reception. Go figure Alot of young republican voters, over here, are very bitter because they voted for Bush yet, can't bring themselves to join the military & fight his war for conspicious consumption (the "rich"). Four Halliburton employee's died in ystrdy's mortar attack along w/ @ 16+/- military personnel

Originally Posted by Carrera

People as a whole never learn from history or don't consult history as a means of learning.
It's quite fascinating to study the causes behind the fall of the Roman Empire that lasted for hundreds of years. It wasn't a sudden fall or a single military defeat that caused Rome to fragment but a gradual deterioration of the former system of values that made them a power in the first place.
The main reasons the Roman Empire fell were:
(1) Church and State merged.
(2) Mass immigration and foreign cults altered the value system within society.
(3) Lack of democracy led to political decisons being taken by a small minority.
(4) Numerous civil wars
(5) Society became too soft and prone to hedonism.
Nothing really changes and societies everywhere tend to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Originally Posted by FredC

Thanks Dave, that's a cracker of a post. Nobody here on the national news popped that one in. Keep in touch on this one. We got Blair putting the Palestine/ Israeli back on the road, and the new leader coming to London for talks. Sharon refused all attempts to be inclusive.

Originally Posted by davidmc

Yes, heard on the radio news today that PM Blair is the first western(?) head of state to visit, since Arafat's death. I do believe, as Blair(?) or some other poster has said, that the entire middle-east problem rest's w/ "The Israel/Palestine dispute." Everything else is just "window dressing"

Originally Posted by PALux

30 years ago we got our a$$ kicked in a country 40% the size of Iraq with nearly 5 times the troop strength.
Will it take another 58,000 lives? Will we never learn????
Phil Lux
Vietnam Vet

Originally Posted by limerickman

Big Brother won't allow you lot to get this type of information - so here it is.

Before I start though - I think myself and the other Europeans here ought to open up a Free America Forum, just to give you the news that your media/goverment try to censor on a daily basis.
A reverse "Radio Free Europe" - if you like.

Mr.Bliar did in deed visit the Middle East.
You will have seen the pictures of Bliar visiting Chairman Arafats resting place in Ramallah today.
You will notice that Mr.Bliar did not being any adornments for Mr.Arafats grave.
Why ?
Because our Jewish friend, Mr.Sharon, stamped his foot and said that on no account can Mr.Bliar be seen to leave a tangible adornment for Chairman Arafats resting place.
That this would not go down well in Israel.

Indeed.

The real estate tenant is now dictating to the previous absentee landlord how he (absentee landlord) should conduct himself in a territory occupied by the
real estate tenant.

It saddens me greatly that the West acquisece to these people who have been a blight on history for the past 2,000 years.
They're a cancer that need to be removed - permanently.

Originally Posted by FredC

Right so, Lim, I'd like to send my felicitations to you and Mrs Lim on this occasion of truce from our enemies, and we shall all go out for a ride on the bike. Oi'll be tinking about Midnight mass in Bethlehem, where I attended many years ago. No Uzi posers then.
Yes I saw that, and what it did was show Sharons lack of diplomacy, and enhanced is reputation as an ignorant banana republic dictator funded by Murkier

Originally Posted by limerickman

Indeed - compliments of the season to you and yours, Fred.

I sent MCM a note wishing her all the very best also.

Originally Posted by FredC

Thank you indeed

I just googled in Halliburton. Top slot Forbes. So far 59 Halliburtons have been killed. The four yesterday all worked for the catering subsidary. Interesting really as my friends man is a quartermaster for the UK, and has spent time recently in Iraq. Murkia must think it's a school dinner contract.