Unified Germany? No.usmarine wrote:
do we control the german govt?Braddock wrote:
Being able to govern your own country without the undesired input of external powers?usmarine wrote:
define freedom then brad. please. and then explain how to keep it alive.
Actually that is a big sore spot now, they don't pay for their own rebuilding the US taxpayer does. They(Iraq) had a multi-billion surplus from the oil they are selling.Bertster7 wrote:
Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Iraq exports a fraction of the amount that the Saudis and Russians export.
We do get a handsome amount of oil from Iraq, but not much compared to other countries. According to the Department of Energy, these were our major imports in July 2008 (in thousands of barrels I believe)
Iraq: 22,634
Saudis: 47,186
Nigeria: 29,711
Venezuela: 32,810
Canada: 71,446
Mexico: 38,484
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_m … mbbl_m.htmIt's not about where the oil goes. It's about where the money from the oil sales goes - which currently is into reconstruction of Iraq, which is done by US contractors. This means that the money from the oil is being pumped into the companies doing the reconstruction.Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Sigh, I do all that research on oil imports and it gets ignored
Where the oil goes is totally irrelevant. What matters is that the Iraqis have oil, which means they will be able to pay for everything.
You've also neglected to mention the fact that Iraq has the second largest proven reserves of oil in the world (after Saudi Arabia).
In fairness it should be the US that pay for the rebuilding.SgtHeihn wrote:
Actually that is a big sore spot now, they don't pay for their own rebuilding the US taxpayer does. They(Iraq) had a multi-billion surplus from the oil they are selling.Bertster7 wrote:
Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Iraq exports a fraction of the amount that the Saudis and Russians export.
We do get a handsome amount of oil from Iraq, but not much compared to other countries. According to the Department of Energy, these were our major imports in July 2008 (in thousands of barrels I believe)
Iraq: 22,634
Saudis: 47,186
Nigeria: 29,711
Venezuela: 32,810
Canada: 71,446
Mexico: 38,484
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_m … mbbl_m.htmIt's not about where the oil goes. It's about where the money from the oil sales goes - which currently is into reconstruction of Iraq, which is done by US contractors. This means that the money from the oil is being pumped into the companies doing the reconstruction.Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Sigh, I do all that research on oil imports and it gets ignored
Where the oil goes is totally irrelevant. What matters is that the Iraqis have oil, which means they will be able to pay for everything.
You've also neglected to mention the fact that Iraq has the second largest proven reserves of oil in the world (after Saudi Arabia).
LOL... there is a comment on that youtube page. It made me chuckle...CameronPoe wrote:
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Q_7DpuQ3M
Hail to the potential Commander in Chief! These are the kinds of idiots that send you poor Americans to war.
I live in Chicago, which is next to the lake... I guess that gives me sailing experience!
I would not call that a research.Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Sigh, I do all that research on oil imports and it gets ignored
I think we have payed them back for what we wrecked, this kinda goes hand in hand with us leaving. You want us out, fine, then we need to stop giving them money hand over fist.Braddock wrote:
In fairness it should be the US that pay for the rebuilding.
And I wouldn't call yer mom hotBeduin wrote:
I would not call that a research.Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Sigh, I do all that research on oil imports and it gets ignored
I think we need to have a mom off in junk drawer.Hurricane2k9 wrote:
And I wouldn't call yer mom hotBeduin wrote:
I would not call that a research.Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Sigh, I do all that research on oil imports and it gets ignored
The powers that be should have foreseen this (or maybe they did and went in regardless?)... the US should just cut the chord now in my opinion, both militarily and financially. Many, many Iraqis are going to grow up hating the US regardless now so why bother hanging around trying to change the inevitable by pumping more money in?SgtHeihn wrote:
I think we have payed them back for what we wrecked, this kinda goes hand in hand with us leaving. You want us out, fine, then we need to stop giving them money hand over fist.Braddock wrote:
In fairness it should be the US that pay for the rebuilding.
When I was their all I saw was corruption, 10s of thousands of dollars given out and all they kept doing was asking for more.
I asked one of our terps who was a college student from Baghdad, what would be best for Iraq and he said stop giving us money and make us work for ourselves.
The US taxpayer is pumping a lot of money into reconstruction in Iraq - but the Iraqis are paying in more.SgtHeihn wrote:
Actually that is a big sore spot now, they don't pay for their own rebuilding the US taxpayer does. They(Iraq) had a multi-billion surplus from the oil they are selling.Bertster7 wrote:
Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Iraq exports a fraction of the amount that the Saudis and Russians export.
We do get a handsome amount of oil from Iraq, but not much compared to other countries. According to the Department of Energy, these were our major imports in July 2008 (in thousands of barrels I believe)
Iraq: 22,634
Saudis: 47,186
Nigeria: 29,711
Venezuela: 32,810
Canada: 71,446
Mexico: 38,484
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_m … mbbl_m.htmIt's not about where the oil goes. It's about where the money from the oil sales goes - which currently is into reconstruction of Iraq, which is done by US contractors. This means that the money from the oil is being pumped into the companies doing the reconstruction.Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Sigh, I do all that research on oil imports and it gets ignored
Where the oil goes is totally irrelevant. What matters is that the Iraqis have oil, which means they will be able to pay for everything.
You've also neglected to mention the fact that Iraq has the second largest proven reserves of oil in the world (after Saudi Arabia).
Last edited by Bertster7 (2008-09-30 12:52:18)
I actually think they're smarter than this "... many Iraqis are going to grow up hating the US." I think western culture is popular everywhere including American culture. I think if(? LOL) and when this Admin. passes into history and leaves the oval office behind - they (Iraqis) will be smart enough to know the US is not George Bush; the US is not current foreign policy - military policy or military/foreign policy mistakes. Those in control are stewards of this country - they can steer it in one direction or another but they certainly are not America; nor the citizenship behind the idea.Braddock wrote:
The powers that be should have foreseen this (or maybe they did and went in regardless?)... the US should just cut the chord now in my opinion, both militarily and financially. Many, many Iraqis are going to grow up hating the US regardless now so why bother hanging around trying to change the inevitable by pumping more money in?SgtHeihn wrote:
I think we have payed them back for what we wrecked, this kinda goes hand in hand with us leaving. You want us out, fine, then we need to stop giving them money hand over fist.Braddock wrote:
In fairness it should be the US that pay for the rebuilding.
When I was their all I saw was corruption, 10s of thousands of dollars given out and all they kept doing was asking for more.
I asked one of our terps who was a college student from Baghdad, what would be best for Iraq and he said stop giving us money and make us work for ourselves.
Last edited by topal63 (2008-09-30 12:56:44)
Well, it is true that Iraq is a different kettle of fish to the likes of Afghanistan (where there is nowhere near as much infrastructure or technology and people can be more easily persuaded by one-sided propaganda from extremists) but the damage and death caused by the invasion will have done just as much harm to America's reputation as the removal of Saddam has done to improve it. That kind of damage is not undone overnight... just look at the Rep. of Ireland, where we have long since put our overt grievances with Britain behind us but underneath the surface there is still a lot of anti-British sentiment (Google "Love Ulster riots" for an example).topal63 wrote:
I actually think they're smarter than this "... many Iraqis are going to grow up hating the US." I think western culture is popular everywhere including American culture. I think if(? LOL) and when this Admin. passes into history and leaves the oval office behind - they'll be smart enough to know the US is not George Bush; the US is not current foreign policy - military policy or military/foreign policy mistakes. Those in control are stewards of this country - they can steer it in one direction or another but they certainly are not America; nor the citizenship behind the idea.
That works for you and against you. For example Islamic extremists often use the cultural imperialism of the US as grounds for militancy in the name of Islam i.e. the erosion of Islamic society by the intrusion of Western ideology and so on.topal63 wrote:
I am not saying grievances are smoothed over in a mere fortnight. But I think historically - the truth is America has a foot-hole everywhere in the world as a culture - once the dark days end; a war ends; etc. Even clear enemies often become allies.
And that would be the radical minority - that is served by our current Imperialistic foreign policy stance. When (if?) that ends - so will the vocal and radical minority loose the gains they've attained as of late - due to those very same policies. Currently neocon philosophy serves Qutb radical philosophy. Weaken the former and the latter is diminished as well.Braddock wrote:
That works for you and against you. For example Islamic extremists often use the cultural imperialism of the US as grounds for militancy in the name of Islam i.e. the erosion of Islamic society by the intrusion of Western ideology and so on.topal63 wrote:
I am not saying grievances are smoothed over in a mere fortnight. But I think historically - the truth is America has a foot-hole everywhere in the world as a culture - once the dark days end; a war ends; etc. Even clear enemies often become allies.
I do agree that an end to the current neo-con domination of the white house would go some way towards ending the 'fashionable' trend of America-hating that has come to be a popular phenomenon these days but what the Bush administration has done is wake the world up to American 'pseudo-imperialism'. The rest of the world was by and large happy to ignore what the US had been up to in other countries since WW2 because they always tried to do it on the QT but this explicit and aggressive foreign policy of preemptive strikes and regime changes that Bush and his cronies have opted for does not allow for such blissful ignorance; sure, the Governments still continue to play ball wit the US and sit on their hands but the people in the streets are speaking out.topal63 wrote:
And that would be the radical minority - that is served by our current Imperialistic foreign policy stance. When (if?) that ends - so will the vocal and radical minority loose the gains they've attained as of late - due to those very same policies. Currently neocon philosophy serves Qutb radical philosophy. Weaken the former and the latter is diminished as well.Braddock wrote:
That works for you and against you. For example Islamic extremists often use the cultural imperialism of the US as grounds for militancy in the name of Islam i.e. the erosion of Islamic society by the intrusion of Western ideology and so on.topal63 wrote:
I am not saying grievances are smoothed over in a mere fortnight. But I think historically - the truth is America has a foot-hole everywhere in the world as a culture - once the dark days end; a war ends; etc. Even clear enemies often become allies.
douche, I bring my service only when the topic requires it and try my hardest not to. Sorry if those 7 years of my life influenced so much. Must have sucked being a POG. Its donkey farts like that think their individual lives are better than the service or the nation as a whole. Oh yeah, youre never funny either. your attempts at humor are just sad. eat a dick.Lotta_Drool wrote:
GS brings his service into everything and acts like it somehow makes him instantly right and his opinion more valid than someone who didn't serve. Not much difference than what this guy is doing in the video but since he lost his leg he has one upped GS and his point is even more valid. I get quite offended seeing people do this.Braddock wrote:
Nice, use an amputee soldier to garner support for the McCain campaign... nice touch how they kept his missing leg for the denouement towards the end of the video.
Although this soldier's opinion is entirely valid (obviously) the style and tone of the video is very cynical. God Save The Queen supports Obama but he hasn't suffered the loss of a limb and subsequently made a video about his personal political opinions, does that mean his opinion doesn't count as much? All these videos do is bolster the opinions of those who have already made their mind on these issues.
Last edited by Spearhead (2008-09-30 18:45:41)
God Save the Queen wrote:
douche, I bring my service only when the topic requires it and try my hardest not to. Sorry if those 7 years of my life influenced so much. Must have sucked being a POG. Its donkey farts like that think their individual lives are better than the service or the nation as a whole. Oh yeah, youre never funny either. your attempts at humor are just sad. eat a dick.Lotta_Drool wrote:
GS brings his service into everything and acts like it somehow makes him instantly right and his opinion more valid than someone who didn't serve. Not much difference than what this guy is doing in the video but since he lost his leg he has one upped GS and his point is even more valid. I get quite offended seeing people do this.Braddock wrote:
Nice, use an amputee soldier to garner support for the McCain campaign... nice touch how they kept his missing leg for the denouement towards the end of the video.
Although this soldier's opinion is entirely valid (obviously) the style and tone of the video is very cynical. God Save The Queen supports Obama but he hasn't suffered the loss of a limb and subsequently made a video about his personal political opinions, does that mean his opinion doesn't count as much? All these videos do is bolster the opinions of those who have already made their mind on these issues.
God Save the Queen wrote:
our guys? youve lost nothing.ATG wrote:
Sounds like a great bunch of people.God Save the Queen wrote:
Ive had to help fish bodies out of canals of guys that sold whiskey.
Lets go get some of our guys killed for them.
lol...it was my username in joint ops: typhoon rising and bf2 you numpty, which was before this forum started genius. and i think you are wrong on your assessment as usual. why the fuck do you even bring me up? GS and drool always slug it out, but yet you feel the need to drag me into it. you are damn right i bring it up when you little spoiled kids think you know combat or understand it.Spearhead wrote:
Lotta drool, funny how you single out gs when usmarine's fucking username exploits his service (and does it way more than gs who hardly does it at all tbh)
yeah. I stand by that post. go fight survivalist.Lotta_Drool wrote:
God Save the Queen wrote:
douche, I bring my service only when the topic requires it and try my hardest not to. Sorry if those 7 years of my life influenced so much. Must have sucked being a POG. Its donkey farts like that think their individual lives are better than the service or the nation as a whole. Oh yeah, youre never funny either. your attempts at humor are just sad. eat a dick.Lotta_Drool wrote:
GS brings his service into everything and acts like it somehow makes him instantly right and his opinion more valid than someone who didn't serve. Not much difference than what this guy is doing in the video but since he lost his leg he has one upped GS and his point is even more valid. I get quite offended seeing people do this.God Save the Queen wrote:
our guys? youve lost nothing.ATG wrote:
Sounds like a great bunch of people.
Lets go get some of our guys killed for them.