russia/ georgia

[BleedBurgundy]

Originally Posted by saden1

Regardless of what the Russians are doing, South Ossetians are rejecting Georgian advances for reunification. Get a clue, they don't to be part of your country! Rumor also has it that South Ossetia has oil. Facts have it that Russia already had troops there for "peace keeping."

You know, if Israel can do it, United States can do it, why not Russia? China? Anybody else for that matter? If you got the power flaunt it!

What an amazingly salient point. Why does this perspective constantly elude 99% of Americans?

[saden1]

Originally Posted by That Guy

yeah, i was saying those "peacekeepers" that were already there pre-invasion may have given the seperatists weapons and instructed them to use them to provoke a georgian response and give russia a reason to start a tank stampede...

at this point it's sort of hard to tell what's been happening on the ground in exact detail though.

You mean to tell me they set the whole thing up and went to war under false pretense?

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by BleedBurgundy

What an amazingly salient point. Why does this perspective constantly elude 99% of Americans?

I think that concept eludes closer to 100% of Americans (and everyone else around the world for that matter). Even those who champion the virtues of the UN want the U.S. to use its power unilaterally when the mood so strikes.

Take Kosovo and Bosnia as an example. For years, the left had talked about the need to work through international organizations to accomplish our foreign policy objectives because, after all, one day we would no longer be top dog. Then along came the breakup of Yugoslavia and some horrific crimes against humanity. The left wanted to take action but, alas, Russia threatened to veto any UN Security Council resolutions authorizing the use of force against their Serb allies. So what did the left do? They told the UN to go f' itself and bombed the Serbs without UN approval.

I don't mean to pick on the left. The right tends to care even less about the UN and international law.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

I believe the Georgians cracked down on separatist rebels allied with Russia. It's questionable as to whether the Georgians were "in the right," but it's almost unquestionable that the Russians are "in the wrong."

It's a complex situation (as most of these situations are) involving multiple countries. To act as though this is just the US sending its military might into the region, and making some sort of connection between this and a draft is simply ignorant.

[djnemo65]

Given how important this issue is it's a shame that this thread was framed as an attack on Bush, who really is a very minor player in this fiasco.

[dmek25]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

It's a complex situation (as most of these situations are) involving multiple countries. To act as though this is just the US sending its military might into the region, and making some sort of connection between this and a draft is simply ignorant.

if the connection between 9-11 and iraq can be made, so can this one. i dont know why this seems so unreasonable. i dont think old W has any problem opening up the cold war again

[KLHJ2]

In 2004 the military was considering reinstituting the Draft.

U.S. considering mandatory draft - Opinion

And again in 2007

Iraq war czar: Consider a draft - CNN.com

In 2007 it was explained why they didn't.

US not considering draft: Pentagon

Conclusion: It is not a strectch of the imagination that reinstituting the Draft is considered by our government and military from time to time. However, they always revert back to the "An all volunteer Army is a better Army" theory.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by dmek25

if the connection between 9-11 and iraq can be made, so can this one. i dont know why this seems so unreasonable. i dont think old W has any problem opening up the cold war again

Two wrongs don't make a right, or something like that. What about Putin? You think he has any problem opening up the cold war again?

I echo the sentiments of djnemo here "Given how important this issue is it's a shame that this thread was framed as an attack on Bush, who really is a very minor player in this fiasco."

Look, my point is you don't like Bush. We all get it. A lot of people don't. But it minimizes legitimate resons to have issues with him when one posts something that is inaccurate or incomplete with the not so thinly veiled pretense to present an attack on him. I think it's a good thread you brought up but personally I feel your statements in the original post are entirely misleading and ignorant in several ways.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Angry

In 2004 the military was considering reinstituting the Draft.

U.S. considering mandatory draft - Opinion

And again in 2007

Iraq war czar: Consider a draft - CNN.com

In 2007 it was explained why they didn't.

US not considering draft: Pentagon

Conclusion: It is not a strectch of the imagination that reinstituting the Draft is considered by our government and military from time to time. However, they always revert back to the "An all volunteer Army is a better Army" theory.

Good information. Thanks

[70Chip]

From the U.S standpoint, the main strategic goal should be to prevent the alliance of the two Fascist Powers-China and Russia. Paging Richard Nixon.

[Schneed10]

Wow Dmek, once again putting on display for all the Warpath to see exactly how uneducated you are.

Pathetic attempt at a good topic.

[FRPLG]

The attacks on Bush in this thread are simply the most obvious reflection of politics we've seen on this board. Rather than understanding what is actually going on the lefties are seeing only what they want to see and quite honestly they're being seriously obtuse. I get that people don't like Bush and disagree with him but it is thinking like the examples shown here that make finding solutions for our problems so difficult. No one ever wants the "other side" to get any credit for anything and they work constantly to discredit them while not focusing on working for solutions. It comes from both sides but the attitude towards Bush is the most flagrant example. I thought the way the right went after Clinton was bad but I think the way the left goes after Bush is somewhat worse.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

The attacks on Bush in this thread are simply the most obvious reflection of politics we've seen on this board. Rather than understanding what is actually going on the lefties are seeing only what they want to see and quite honestly they're being seriously obtuse. I get that people don't like Bush and disagree with him but it is thinking like the examples shown here that make finding solutions for our problems so difficult. No one ever wants the "other side" to get any credit for anything and they work constantly to discredit them while not focusing on working for solutions. It comes from both sides but the attitude towards Bush is the most flagrant example. I thought the way the right went after Clinton was bad but I think the way the left goes after Bush is somewhat worse.

I think it's really only one person in this thread, not the "lefties" as a whole.

[jdlea]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I think it's really only one person in this thread, not the "lefties" as a whole.

I agree, I generally don't take part in political threads on this site because of the incorrect statements like the one in the original post and the blanket statement FRPLG just made.

I think what's sad is that it seems that both sides have so polarized politics. I don't understand why every moderate has been basically forced to join the (I'd say) 3% of extremists on the edges of political reason. It makes no sense for parties to be so divisive toward one another.

[saden1]

No need for personal attacks...they certainly don't elevate and evolve the conversation.