who
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culver%27sRTHKI wrote:
who
The irony of guns, is that they can save lives.
- SuperJail Warden
- Gone Forever
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Whenever I go south I like to go to Waffle house.
I like Ihop the best though. I went to Denny's once in Florida since there aren't any around me. When I asked for more syrup the guy gave me attitude and told me we weren't at Ihop. I didn't tip him because of that.
I like Ihop the best though. I went to Denny's once in Florida since there aren't any around me. When I asked for more syrup the guy gave me attitude and told me we weren't at Ihop. I didn't tip him because of that.
- SuperJail Warden
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i just checked their website. they exist all over the place and there are few in Pennsylvania but none in NY, NJ or further up the NE. I assumed they were a southern thing
Last edited by SuperJail Warden (2015-03-08 17:00:00)
The trend is moving towards fast and elite, not masses of ships. With the exception of carrier groups (which China is not close to catching up on), a large navy doesn't necessarily equate to a stronger navy. China is extending its tentacle to areas of rich natural resources (Africa), as the US and other imperial powers used to do. I'd be more worried if I were Australian or African or maybe even Russian. There's no point in going full-scale invasion of the US unless it's to stop aggression. They rely on our economy waay too much to invade and risk a huge downturn in buying power as a result of a conflict.SuperJail Warden wrote:
By the year 2050, China will have built a huge Navy bigger than the U.S.'s. Then they are going to take over Hawaii and the U.S. will not be able to do anything about it. Then all hell is going to break loose in the U.S. because we are suddenly only 49 states.
Here's a great read on the history of ISIS and an intelligence veteran's take on how to win the War on Terror. Totally worth the time and very insightful
An Intelligence Vet Explains ISIS, Yemen, and "the Dick Cheney of Iraq"
hope you like, MacB
An Intelligence Vet Explains ISIS, Yemen, and "the Dick Cheney of Iraq"
hope you like, MacB
- SuperJail Warden
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That was good. I knew the northern Sunni tribes were connected with Saddam's regime in the past but I didn't think the Baathist were still operating after the invasion. I assumed the regime completely collapsed and Sunni militancy was totally sectarian in nature.KEN-JENNINGS wrote:
Here's a great read on the history of ISIS and an intelligence veteran's take on how to win the War on Terror. Totally worth the time and very insightful
An Intelligence Vet Explains ISIS, Yemen, and "the Dick Cheney of Iraq"
hope you like, MacB
I agree completely with his 9 point plan. I wasn't expecting such an aggressive stance though. I can't recall any public figure advocating for action so strongly. I would add that I want the U.S. to be a part of the Arab-Turkish invasion force. A point I would elaborate on if needed.
I disagree with his belief that ISIS/AQ is a cult movement. Considering he is Muslim, I think he is dishonestly trying to distance Islam and terrorist action. I accept the explanation of AQ that was explained to me by a Turkish Princeton professor. He argued that Islamic terrorism is the result of the defeat of Arab Socialism and Muslim states by Israel in the 6 Day War. Pan-Arabism failed so Bin Laden and others expanded the movement to include all Muslims in a religious struggle against Israel and their supporters. Rather than a cult or purely religiously motivated group, they are an anti-western movement foremost. It was also silly calling the invasion of Iraq the biggest policy failure since the civil war.
Reddit is stupid on Foreign policy 9 out of 10 times but /r/syriancivilwar is a good sub to follow. There is a lot of primary source stuff posted by Arabic speakers who can provide context to what you see and read. There are still the occasional stupid westerner going on about "Why isn't Turkey helping fight ISIS?!" "Kick Turkey out of NATO!" though.
I think his calling the invasion of Iraq the biggest policy failure was a bit hyperbolic, yeah.
I think he takes such an aggressive stance because he has a pragmatic view of how to 'win'. It's nice to think shit won't get real bloody and terrible, but that seems to be the reality.
I tend to agree with the idea that it is an ideological war/cult movement to be won. Perhaps Islamic terrorism at-large was born out of frustration related to the defeat of Arab socialism as your Turkish professor states, but there is pretty compelling circumstantial and logical evidence that AQ (and "neo-Islamic terrorism" for lack of a better term) was borne out of failed US foreign policy in the region. I call it neo-Islamic terrorism because I truly believe there are two distinct terrorist factions in the region - the traditional, Hamas/Hezbollah type factions that yes, were created out of the successive defeats by the Israeli army, and the new breed - the ISIS, Boko Harem, AQ types that flourished AFTER US intervention. One key factor here is the lack of overlap between the two factions - they operate almost entirely independent of each other. AQ and ISIS take the position of trying to promote an Islamic Caliphate - Hamas and the ilk are more interested in Arab unity. They are two disparate ideologies.
Hamas and the PLO and Hezbollah are not decidedly anti-west as much as they are pro-Palestinian/Anti Zionist Israeli government. AQ and ISIS are decidedly anti-west, as evidenced by the burning of the west-backed Jordanian pilot. I really think there is a very marked difference between the two types of Islamic terrorist organizations.
I think he takes such an aggressive stance because he has a pragmatic view of how to 'win'. It's nice to think shit won't get real bloody and terrible, but that seems to be the reality.
I tend to agree with the idea that it is an ideological war/cult movement to be won. Perhaps Islamic terrorism at-large was born out of frustration related to the defeat of Arab socialism as your Turkish professor states, but there is pretty compelling circumstantial and logical evidence that AQ (and "neo-Islamic terrorism" for lack of a better term) was borne out of failed US foreign policy in the region. I call it neo-Islamic terrorism because I truly believe there are two distinct terrorist factions in the region - the traditional, Hamas/Hezbollah type factions that yes, were created out of the successive defeats by the Israeli army, and the new breed - the ISIS, Boko Harem, AQ types that flourished AFTER US intervention. One key factor here is the lack of overlap between the two factions - they operate almost entirely independent of each other. AQ and ISIS take the position of trying to promote an Islamic Caliphate - Hamas and the ilk are more interested in Arab unity. They are two disparate ideologies.
Hamas and the PLO and Hezbollah are not decidedly anti-west as much as they are pro-Palestinian/Anti Zionist Israeli government. AQ and ISIS are decidedly anti-west, as evidenced by the burning of the west-backed Jordanian pilot. I really think there is a very marked difference between the two types of Islamic terrorist organizations.
a few more pieces of info from the comments/questions section (terrible as hell on kinja)
toecutter wrote:
I agree with everything written here. With the close cooperation between Iraq and Syria (much deeper than thought), does this lend any credibility to the theory of WMD being transferred to Syria before/during the Iraq invasion or not? I have no opinion either way on this, it's all in the past now. By the sound of things, anything could be possible. Also, I've been telling people for a long time that it's a religious/ideological problem and not just a military one. They laugh it off, I guess it's hard to grasp, in the 21st century, that something like this could happen. But it is. Very good post.
KingPinDaddyHoHo is the interviewed from the article. He was doing a Q/A in the comments. Bold mineKingPinDaddyHoHo wrote:
There is no truth to that ridiculous rumor. The Duelfer report does describe finding scraps and munitions fired into the dirt at test ranges but the UN supervised the destruction of the Iran-Iraq war ear stockpile. No reason to invade. the same report found that the Iraqis prepared hiding artillery shells and weapons for 6 months to start an insurgency and allow in any terrorist who wanted to come. Way more important intell.
- SuperJail Warden
- Gone Forever
- +641|3958
People on the left like to argue that Saddam wasn't connected with terrorists organizations in order to a make point against the American invasion. I made it before too. I guess I was wrong. That doesn't invalidate their argument that the war was stupid though.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is so hopelessly convoluted I don't pay much attention to or research it. I looked up the amount of suicide bombings in Israel and they seem to have stopped for a good amount of time. I am not sure if that gives validity to your argument that they are ideologically disconnected from AQ/ISIS or if Israel's blockades of Palestinian territory is really effective. Suicide bombings are hard to prevent if the people are out to get you though.
In the Atlantic, they had a really good frontpage article about the ideological underpinnings of ISIS and AQ. You should take a look at it if you already didn't.
It's funny how quickly things can degenerate. If you had asked me how I think the Islamic world was progressing a week before the Tunisian fruit vendor set himself on fire, I would have been pretty optimistic. My outlook on the area is low now. It will probably get lower.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is so hopelessly convoluted I don't pay much attention to or research it. I looked up the amount of suicide bombings in Israel and they seem to have stopped for a good amount of time. I am not sure if that gives validity to your argument that they are ideologically disconnected from AQ/ISIS or if Israel's blockades of Palestinian territory is really effective. Suicide bombings are hard to prevent if the people are out to get you though.
In the Atlantic, they had a really good frontpage article about the ideological underpinnings of ISIS and AQ. You should take a look at it if you already didn't.
It's funny how quickly things can degenerate. If you had asked me how I think the Islamic world was progressing a week before the Tunisian fruit vendor set himself on fire, I would have been pretty optimistic. My outlook on the area is low now. It will probably get lower.
- SuperJail Warden
- Gone Forever
- +641|3958
I am happy with the Iranian Nuclear deal. From what I understand, it would allow Iran to be a paranuclear state. There are already plenty of those and the world is no worse for it.
I'm annoyed that our political leaders are so afraid of looking unpatriotic or unamerican that no one in power will admit that there isn't anything the U.S. could do to stop Iran from eventually getting a nuclear weapon. Sanctions are an annoyance more than anything to undemocratic state. An invasion of Iran would be several times worse than the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Their strongest neighbors are all already allied with us so we can't diplomatically isolate them anymore than they are. And Russia is going to support them however they can to spite us. We need to be honest with ourselves about our capabilities in the world and abandon this cold war belief that everything in the world is and can be subjugated.
I'm annoyed that our political leaders are so afraid of looking unpatriotic or unamerican that no one in power will admit that there isn't anything the U.S. could do to stop Iran from eventually getting a nuclear weapon. Sanctions are an annoyance more than anything to undemocratic state. An invasion of Iran would be several times worse than the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Their strongest neighbors are all already allied with us so we can't diplomatically isolate them anymore than they are. And Russia is going to support them however they can to spite us. We need to be honest with ourselves about our capabilities in the world and abandon this cold war belief that everything in the world is and can be subjugated.
Same stuff eh?
I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something. - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.
jay-sus brin, was shitting on the d&st forum ur last hurrah?13rin wrote:
Same stuff eh?
this forum introduced alot of introspection for me, and even at my advanced age made me confront if i was rebelling still or had formed my own opinion.
i found myself agreeing with middle America, and that led me to explore middle America and for me to realize i like the coasts a whole lot more than the middle.
bitches love beaches, kiddies, just try to take yours to the middle of the country or offer her a trip seaside.
- SuperJail Warden
- Gone Forever
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It is very funny that the right wing in the U.S. are cheering on the British election victory for the conservatives. They are also happy conservatives rule in Australia and Canada. Their parties are conservative, so they must be conservative like the GOP, so they think. It's funny because Obama is in many ways more right wing than the leaders of any of those nations.
politicians aren't smart the world round. politicians are dumb people that want power and money
- SuperJail Warden
- Gone Forever
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President Obama isn't Muslim. But his stepfather was and he grew up in an Indonesian school. He probably has some sympathies for Islamic people that needs closer examining.
okSuperJail Warden wrote:
President Obama isn't Muslim. But his stepfather was and he grew up in an Indonesian school. He probably has some sympathies for Islamic people that needs closer examining.
- SuperJail Warden
- Gone Forever
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Considering Obama's living arrangements he at one time probably did consider himself Muslim and absorbed some of that culture into his psyche. I am not trolling. Why is it wrong to bring this up but okay to bring up the background of other candidates?
the repubs have alreayd done the obama is a muslim thing to death.SuperJail Warden wrote:
Considering Obama's living arrangements he at one time probably did consider himself Muslim and absorbed some of that culture into his psyche. I am not trolling. Why is it wrong to bring this up but okay to bring up the background of other candidates?
- SuperJail Warden
- Gone Forever
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Well, in light of these facts, questioning his religious views is certainly understandable. The Kenyan birth thing is crazy though. Just stupid.
The only reason you would raise such questions is if you're also operating with the assumption that someone with Muslim views poses some kind of threat. Meanwhile, you have the clown car of evangelical Christians already in Congress and some running for president in this country.
people thought it was a pretty major deal when kennedy became president. some of the more nutso baptists and protestants were kinda losing it due to his religion
Tony Blair didn't "reveal" he was a Catholic until he left office, although that was largely because he was technically breaking constitutional law (it's now been changed).