Iraq: 51st State?

2008-08-27 15:37:27

#1

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6825|North Carolina

http://www.our51ststate.com/

The above link is obviously satirical, but I was thinking about it, and actually... It might not be such a bad idea.

Consider how we've spent about half a trillion on Iraq so far with no payback in sight. Even after the supposed "withdrawal," we're going to be operating a bunch of bases there, which just means more money down the hole. Yet, if we did add them to our union and nationalize their oil for our own government, Iraq would become a reasonable investment.

Now, I know this would likely result in another insurgency and protests from all over the world, but we'd eventually overcome all of it. We did it the first time around, right?

2008-08-27 15:38:38

#2

Flaming_Maniac: prince of insufficient light; +2,490|7126|67.222.138.85

It doesn't make economic or defensive sense. Politically not such a bad idea.

2008-08-27 15:40:35

#3

.Sup: be nice; +2,646|6873|The Twilight Zone

Flaming_Maniac wrote:
It doesn't make economic or defensive sense. Politically not such a bad idea.

Oil is there. How does it not make economic sense?

https://www.shrani.si/f/3H/7h/45GTw71U/untitled-1.png

2008-08-27 15:41:45

#4

Flaming_Maniac: prince of insufficient light; +2,490|7126|67.222.138.85

.Sup wrote:
Flaming_Maniac wrote:
It doesn't make economic or defensive sense. Politically not such a bad idea.
Oil is there. How does it not make economic sense?

Economic policies would be a nightmare.

2008-08-27 15:43:20

#5

.Sup: be nice; +2,646|6873|The Twilight Zone

Flaming_Maniac wrote:
.Sup wrote:
Flaming_Maniac wrote:
It doesn't make economic or defensive sense. Politically not such a bad idea.
Oil is there. How does it not make economic sense?
Economic policies would be a nightmare.

Such as?

2008-08-27 15:46:20

#6

Spearhead: Gulf coast redneck hippy; +731|7109|Tampa Bay Florida

You're kidding right?

2008-08-27 15:48:04

#7

.Sup: be nice; +2,646|6873|The Twilight Zone

Spearhead wrote:
You're kidding right?

No.

2008-08-27 15:49:10

#8

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6825|North Carolina

I'm not kidding, Spear...

Flaming_Maniac wrote:
.Sup wrote:
Flaming_Maniac wrote:
It doesn't make economic or defensive sense. Politically not such a bad idea.
Oil is there. How does it not make economic sense?
Economic policies would be a nightmare.

I know what FM is alluding to, but it would make more sense than making Puerto Rico a state. Iraq has enough oil to make the payback possible after a few decades. Puerto Rico doesn't have anything of that magnitude to make it worth it.

2008-08-27 15:50:42

#9

.Sup: be nice; +2,646|6873|The Twilight Zone

USA is running Iraq already. Maliki will do whatever you say. So its not that hard to control Iraq.

2008-08-27 15:51:29

#10

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6825|North Carolina

.Sup wrote:
USA is running Iraq already. Maliki will do whatever you say. So its not that hard to control Iraq.

Exactly... as it currently stands, we're pouring money into it without getting any tax money back.

2008-08-27 15:52:06

#11

jord: Member; +2,382|7098|The North, beyond the wall.

I wonder by what number the insurgency would multiply by...

First thing they'd do is attack the Oil transports and Drills. IED with a fuel tanker, boom.

2008-08-27 15:53:29

#12

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6825|North Carolina

jord wrote:
I wonder by what number the insurgency would multiply by...

First thing they'd do is attack the Oil transports and Drills. IED with a fuel tanker, boom.

Well, before announcing our plans to make it a state, we'd need to concentrate a good portion of our troops near the oil infrastructure. We already do this to a degree.

2008-08-27 15:55:26

#13

jord: Member; +2,382|7098|The North, beyond the wall.

Turquoise wrote:
jord wrote:
I wonder by what number the insurgency would multiply by...

First thing they'd do is attack the Oil transports and Drills. IED with a fuel tanker, boom.
Well, before announcing our plans to make it a state, we'd need to concentrate a good portion of our troops near the oil infrastructure. We already do this to a degree.

Yeah, it still only takes a guy to dig a hole and put an IED in, go off to his house and watch the road. That's how insurgency's work.

2008-08-27 15:55:47

#14

Home: Section.80; +447|7267|Seattle, Washington, USA

Flaming_Maniac wrote:
It doesn't make economic or defensive sense. Politically not such a bad idea.

Politically, a terrible idea. People think that recognizing Kosovo's independence set a dangerous precedence? This would set the precedence that you invade, you can annex. It would (hopefully) spark global outrage, threaten the sovereignty of every nation, and make a mockery of every time we try to play ourselves off as having humanitarian intentions in foreign policy.

2008-08-27 15:56:08

#15

Flaming_Maniac: prince of insufficient light; +2,490|7126|67.222.138.85

.Sup wrote:
Flaming_Maniac wrote:
.Sup wrote:

Oil is there. How does it not make economic sense?
Economic policies would be a nightmare.
Such as?

A sudden acquisition of that magnitude would make the economy go haywire. Thousands of people looking to directly capitalize on it, thousands more looking to invest in it, people moving out of the lower 48 for job opportunities, companies in bioengineering and other alternative energy related industries go down the tubes, interstate trade completely imbalanced, and money generally moving out of the continental U.S. In the long term it has potential nothing more nothing less, but an opportunity for 1000% growth overnight is just as bad as a slow decline.

2008-08-27 15:56:50

#16

Spearhead: Gulf coast redneck hippy; +731|7109|Tampa Bay Florida

I seriously doubt that more than 5 percent of Iraq would want to become a part of the USA.

Unless you're saying you will kick them out/kill them like we did with the native Americans?

Economically it makes sense, maybe, but really now, politically we'd be fucked and we'd create thousands if not millions of terrorists worldwide. Not to mention the country back home would fall apart anyway.

2008-08-27 15:57:42

#17

blademaster: I'm moving to Brazil; +2,075|7065

Home wrote:
Flaming_Maniac wrote:
It doesn't make economic or defensive sense. Politically not such a bad idea.
Politically, a terrible idea. People think that recognizing Kosovo's independence set a dangerous precedence? This would set the precedence that you invade, you can annex. It would (hopefully) spark global outrage, threaten the sovereignty of every nation, and make a mockery of every time we try to play ourselves off as having humanitarian intentions in foreign policy.

yeah they should just claim it as 51st state and start sending people from U.S. to live there hehehe

2008-08-27 15:57:49

#18

Flaming_Maniac: prince of insufficient light; +2,490|7126|67.222.138.85

Home wrote:
Flaming_Maniac wrote:
It doesn't make economic or defensive sense. Politically not such a bad idea.
Politically, a terrible idea. People think that recognizing Kosovo's independence set a dangerous precedence? This would set the precedence that you invade, you can annex. It would (hopefully) spark global outrage, threaten the sovereignty of every nation, and make a mockery of every time we try to play ourselves off as having humanitarian intentions in foreign policy.

It would only work if it was voted on by Iraqis speaking for Iraq, and since we're living in fairyland anyways I get to assume that. If there was a referendum and it passed, how could the world disagree?

2008-08-27 15:58:13

#19

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6825|North Carolina

jord wrote:
Turquoise wrote:
jord wrote:
I wonder by what number the insurgency would multiply by...

First thing they'd do is attack the Oil transports and Drills. IED with a fuel tanker, boom.
Well, before announcing our plans to make it a state, we'd need to concentrate a good portion of our troops near the oil infrastructure. We already do this to a degree.
Yeah, it still only takes a guy to dig a hole and put an IED in, go off to his house and watch the road. That's how insurgency's work.

True, but it's not like we don't have any experience dealing with it. I'd say we're pretty acclimated to it by now. We might as well take it to the next level, because in the end, we'll have a lot more resources to work with. Conquest just takes a lot of bloodshed in the short run, but it's certainly not without rewards.

2008-08-27 16:00:51

#20

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6825|North Carolina

Home wrote:
Flaming_Maniac wrote:
It doesn't make economic or defensive sense. Politically not such a bad idea.
Politically, a terrible idea. People think that recognizing Kosovo's independence set a dangerous precedence? This would set the precedence that you invade, you can annex. It would (hopefully) spark global outrage, threaten the sovereignty of every nation, and make a mockery of every time we try to play ourselves off as having humanitarian intentions in foreign policy.

What you say is true to a point, but this is somewhat inevitable coming from other countries. For example, would we really be able to do much if Russia had decided to stay in Georgia?

We'd just have to drop the humanitarian side, which I don't have a problem with.

2008-08-27 16:01:04

#21

blademaster: I'm moving to Brazil; +2,075|7065

Flaming_Maniac wrote:
Home wrote:
Flaming_Maniac wrote:
It doesn't make economic or defensive sense. Politically not such a bad idea.
Politically, a terrible idea. People think that recognizing Kosovo's independence set a dangerous precedence? This would set the precedence that you invade, you can annex. It would (hopefully) spark global outrage, threaten the sovereignty of every nation, and make a mockery of every time we try to play ourselves off as having humanitarian intentions in foreign policy.
It would only work if it was voted on by Iraqis speaking for Iraq, and since we're living in fairyland anyways I get to assume that. If there was a referendum and it passed, how could the world disagree?

U.S. dont listen to anyone we can just declare its independence just like we did in Kosovo, and be like ahhh which country is next to conquer

2008-08-27 16:02:24

#22

Spearhead: Gulf coast redneck hippy; +731|7109|Tampa Bay Florida

Turq wtf? I thought you were a non-interventionist. This seems kind of imperialistic dont you think?

2008-08-27 16:02:54

#23

.Sup: be nice; +2,646|6873|The Twilight Zone

Flaming_Maniac wrote:
.Sup wrote:
Flaming_Maniac wrote:

Economic policies would be a nightmare.
Such as?
A sudden acquisition of that magnitude would make the economy go haywire. Thousands of people looking to directly capitalize on it, thousands more looking to invest in it, people moving out of the lower 48 for job opportunities, companies in bioengineering and other alternative energy related industries go down the tubes, interstate trade completely imbalanced, and money generally moving out of the continental U.S. In the long term it has potential nothing more nothing less, but an opportunity for 1000% growth overnight is just as bad as a slow decline.

Alaska.

2008-08-27 16:03:28

#24

God Save the Queen: Banned; +628|6763|tropical regions of london

turq just likes labels.

2008-08-27 16:03:55

#25

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6825|North Carolina

Spearhead wrote:
Turq wtf? I thought you were a non-interventionist. This seems kind of imperialistic dont you think?

I'm a non-interventionist when we're not already in the country in question.

If we've bothered to invade a country and topple its government, I don't have a problem with annexing it.

BF2S Forums Iraq: 51st State?

Flaming_Maniac wrote:

.Sup wrote:

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jord wrote:

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Home wrote:

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jord wrote:

Home wrote:

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Home wrote:

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.Sup wrote:

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