Posted on 08/14/2008 5:47:46 PM PDT by Flavius
Gori/Tbilisi - The troopers of Russia's 58th Army, fresh from chasing their US-trained Georgian opponents out of South Ossetia, are just in love with their NATO-issue loot.
'Check out this war trophy,' a T-62 tank commander named Viktor proudly pointed out to a Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa reporter. 'A real NATO-standard bayonet!'
(Excerpt) Read more at monstersandcritics.com ...
Damn. All these years of hard work posting on FR gone in an instant when a very astute FReeper reveals my identity as a Chicom spy. Seriously, are you 15 years old? If so, you have an excuse. If not, you really are a blazing idiot.
Let me start by saying that sending someone to war should always be for a just cause and should truly be to protect the lives and security interests of America.
Just because it's been done for generations doesn't mean that it should be taken lightly today. I suspect that you served our country in the past and therefore feel emboldened or somehow entitled to make such flippant and glib remarks. If anything, you, of all people should know better. Shame on you. The remarks are frankly disgusting. And, more importantly, do you have a point to make about the discussion at hand?
I just read your bio. You have a son who was in the USMC and you still make such inane comments? I’m sure he’d have no problem with a bunch of arm chair commandos hoping for a war everytime things don’t go the way our country would like. What’s wrong with you?
You then went after that statement by saying that you had news for me, that if things didn't turn out well for the Russians they wouldn't turn out well for us. And I agreed with you. And even said that I thought no sane person would disagree with that.
No serious person on this thread has been advocating war with Russia. I certainly am not. But there is a difference between pointing out our tactical military disadvantages in a mature and reasonable way and flying off the handle and accusing anyone who is worried about the growth of Russian arrogance and aggression and hoping to halt it with resolve and strength, as being nothing more than arm chair warriors hell bent on sacrificing others to fight their fight. That offended me, and others, and I told you so. Personal insults have no place in a debate as serious as war and peace
But I think you are also very upset with this situation in Georgia and I understand that. All of us are! Also,I think you are a guy who honestly cares about this country and prays to God we don't go to war with the Russians over this. I know that's what you mean. I know your anger at me and others is because you think we are being flippant about so serious a matter. And you feel you are being unfairly attacked as being a “ChiCom’ lover, etc. That's too bad because I think you are a patriot.Just a little hot headed. So let's lets start off by not attacking each other's motives or bona-fides. We have serious issues to discuss. Our country is in danger from an aggressive exspantionistic resentful country with nukes !
I believe Putin is a killer and a very dangerous man who ultimately threatens us. And I think that view is shared by many people on the thread that for some reason you see as warmongers. That is not fair or accurate.
Anyway, the task at hand is to deal with this new threat. As I said on another thread....if we stop the Russians now and force them to pull back and stay strong, there will not be war...if we don't, there will be. I believe that. Do you?
Takes real courage to call a ceasefire and then not keep your word. Scum of the earth these Russians have shown themselves to be.
Olympics Opening: Soldiers wore nappies for seven-hour stint at Olympic opening
That sounds like a Jack Murtha assessment of how we're doing. More accurately we, and our allied forces, are meeting the challenges in Afghanistan and our forces are finishing an amazing victory in Iraq and handing over control to Iraqi counterparts apace.
Oh, please. That doesn't even deserve a response.
No shit?
Peacekeepers ... the guy who fills in the graves is now a peacekeeper. Very Sovietesky don’tchaknow.
Your post casting our military successes in a horribly negative and falsely biased light didn’t deserve a response.
Never said the military's successes aren't impressive. All I said is that they're kinda tied down right now.
I know soldiers who have their fourth deployment coming up. That's exhausting. I'm not saying they haven't done a great job. I'm saying they're busy.
I'm not saying they haven't done a great job. I'm saying they're busy.
Those two statements don't sound at all alike.
That's because you can't imagine a strained Army doing a great job with the mission they're assigned.
Is that right? Can you imagine that the majority of our armed forces personnel have been to Iraq or Afghanistan? Can you imagine that actions can be taken militarily without boots on the ground or extended occupations?
Not really. That's the whole point of the Counterinsurgency paradigm - that COIN is resource and personnel intensive, but the only way to win in the modern landscape.
Read Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife. This will flesh out that thinking far better than I can.
In the Gospel according to St. Luke, Jesus talks about the folly of a king who goes to war without determining whether he can win. Sun Tzu warned that you don not attack the enemy who is in superior strength. We would be fools to ignore this wisdom today.
Most of them aren't combat arms - or are Navy and AF.
Can you imagine that actions can be taken militarily without boots on the ground or extended occupations?
Please locate an active duty or reservist soldier who is in favor of waging the wars that have been described by the keyboard commandos here over the past couple of days.
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