On Mon, 06 Aug 2007 03:31:03 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm,
Gunner Asch quickly quoth:

On Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:02:39 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sun, 05 Aug 2007 15:27:43 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm,
Gunner Asch quickly quoth:

On Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:42:17 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:
So, what have we accomplished in Iraq besides providing a large
training ground for terrorists?


Killed a ****load of terrorists,

But haven't we also -created- more than we've killed? We're still
taking the rap for all the ****ups of the new gov't there.

No..we have not created more than we have killed. The Syrians and
Iranians have created them.

I'm not so sure that war hasn't created them by the deaths of their
families, and when we jumped in, it simply increased it exponentially.


liberated 25,000,000 from a very nasty despot,

One we helped create/define?

Nope. Read your history.

I know he was always a bad guy, but the CIA training didn't help
matters any. He was loved and hated by his people, but for most of
them, things are worse now.

formed a central Democratic government

Which still can't function at all without our constant help?

Indeed. But they did have at least 4 general elections so far, with
women also voting for the first time.

I don't think there is any chance in Hell that the Iraqi gov't will
come even close to being democratic, or Republican.


and since the
surge..it appears that terrorist attacks are way way way down, the
Iraqis themselves are dropping a dime on the insurgents and the nation
is slowly coming to gether.

Every accomplishment you've stated is going to (or might) congeal in
the future but isn't ready for prime time this year. sigh

Taking tribal 12th century people into the 21st takes time.

Agreed.


Minnows swimming in the schools.

Read some Mao, and some Sun Tzu...and some von Clauswitz.

Who's your fave translator for Sun? I almost bought the illustrated
copy by Griffith last year but it was $25.

My copy is by Giles.


Not a bad idea. I downloaded _On War_ (Vom Kriege) from Project
Gutenberg.

Read Mao first.

You want me to read the Little Red Book by Mao Tse Tung? If not that,
what book/author?

Ayup. Peoples War as well

How about his version of _The Art of War_ and _On Guerilla Warfare_?

--
"Excess regulation and government spending destroy jobs and increase
unemployment. Every regulator we fire results in the creation of over
150 new jobs, enough to hire the ex-regulator, the unemployed, and
the able-bodied poor." -Michael Badnarik