[aldo_14]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4897786.stm
[q]
It sounds eerily like the Cold War - and that is no mistake.

The "Long War" is the name Washington is using to rebrand the new world conflict, this time against terrorism.
[/q]

Perhaps they can't find any terror.  Or maybe it's too specific an enemy when you do more bombing than they do.

Anyone remember The Power of Nightmares?

[karajorma]

Yep. Great show that. It really was right on the money about what's going on here.

Plus it seems to be the only place that remembers Osama Bin Laden's James Bond style fortress. Remember how that turned out to be a cave with a couple of days supplies in them in the end?

[Grug]

Nope.
Gah, its all bull crap. Real Life slowly becomes more and more like a glossed Hollywood movie.
The world needs a giant does of anti-biotics to kill off all the morons. >..>

Heh, another one I should add to the list kj?

[Mefustae]

Remind me again how the US is supposed to 'win' a war against a freakin' verb?

Edit:

He believes that will help win hearts and minds, by ending the impression that the US is occupying the Middle East.

Winning Hearts & Minds, eh? Well, since it worked sooooo well last time, why shouldn't they try it again?

[aldo_14]

Remind me again how the US is supposed to 'win' a war against a freakin' verb?

Edit:

He believes that will help win hearts and minds, by ending the impression that the US is occupying the Middle East.

Winning Hearts & Minds, eh? Well, since it worked sooooo well last time, why shouldn't they try it again?

I think the problem with the hearts and minds strategy was that winning them mainly involved picking them up off the road.

[karajorma]

Heh, another one I should add to the list kj?

Definitely. Power of Nightmares actually covered a lot of stuff in it that was very interesting and actually explained why the neoconservatives were so interested in Iraq etc as well as covering what the Islamic terrorist movements are actually all about. First time I've ever heard an explaination for either of those that made sense in fact. You'll notice that both Aldo and I mention stuff from the show frequently.

[an0n]

See, this is why (pre-Blair) Britain was always better than America.

It shows the depth of the corporate infestation when senior Whitehouse officials feel the need to brand their policies with catchy names and spin them on FOX with pretty graphics and celebrity endorsements.

Before Blair started taking shaft from Bush, Britain was all "Yeah, we're blowing some people up". Now it's all 'War On Terror' and 'War In Iraq' and 'War On Drugs'. What the **** ever happened to plain ol' 'crime fighting' and 'cluster-****ing'?

[Kosh]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4897786.stm
[q]
It sounds eerily like the Cold War - and that is no mistake.

The "Long War" is the name Washington is using to rebrand the new world conflict, this time against terrorism.
[/q]

Perhaps they can't find any terror. Or maybe it's too specific an enemy when you do more bombing than they do.

Anyone remember The Power of Nightmares?

I remember that show, it was pretty good.

It did remind me of that Osama Bond fortress. I remember seeing it on Meet the Press all those years ago, but I forgot about it. At the time I really wasn't sure how a rag-tag band of terrorists could pull enough resources to construct a complex like that (let alone the half dozen or so that Rummey said there were).

[Ace]

If anything something as ambiguous as "The Long War" is even more scary than "War on Terror." (which is still vague as hell)

 At least with the former your average person could go: "Well I'm not a terrorist!" Now with this one there's not even a stated enemy...

[an0n]

I'm betting it's the Communists again.

[NGTM-1R]

You may yet end up being right on that.

[an0n]

I'll be shocked if it's not Communists and/or 'Immoral Persons' - basically meaning anyone who threatens profits or religion.

I just hope the BNP get into power in the UK before we spend so long sucking US dick, they lead us off the cliff with 'em.

I'd rather be governed by a bunch of xenophobes than McDonalds....

[Rictor]

I'm betting it's the Communists again.

It (sort of) is.

[Descenterace]

Bring back the Monster Raving Loony party. I'd vote for 'em.

[TheCaptain]

I think there's enough 'terror' on all sides - the voting public might become confused. The House probably thought they'd just call it a 'Long War' because it's goning to damn well be one, and they could then move on to the next middle east hot-spot

There are A LOT of things the Republican White House have done wrong over the years. But the whole 'War on Terror' debarcle, the naming of the 'Axis of Evil' and all that other happy 'peace-talk' rubbed me up the wrong way from the start. The guy didn't really have good people with him back then, to let him carry on that way.

It doesn't mean that I don't agree with many other things that have been done in this pseudo-war - because I do - but George Dubyah and his 'crusade' against terrorism should have been founded on a little bit more solid gound in some instance (we all know what I'm referring to here...), and he should be looking WAY off into the future. These little conflicts are going to start seriously bleeding their armed forces down, if the recent trend of confrontationism in the US Administration continues.

[Grug]

Heh, another one I should add to the list kj?

Definitely. Power of Nightmares actually covered a lot of stuff in it that was very interesting and actually explained why the neoconservatives were so interested in Iraq etc as well as covering what the Islamic terrorist movements are actually all about. First time I've ever heard an explaination for either of those that made sense in fact. You'll notice that both Aldo and I mention stuff from the show frequently.

Interesting. *adds to list*
Do you have all these shows?

Maybe I should just swing by when I'm in the neighbourhood one day and have a movie marathon or something.
Either that or have off with all your DVD's.

[ZylonBane]

Sounds like a job for UNATCO!

[WeatherOp]

Nope.
Gah, its all bull crap. Real Life slowly becomes more and more like a glossed Hollywood movie.
The world needs a giant does of anti-biotics to kill off all the morons. >..>

Heh, another one I should add to the list kj?

But, wouldn't the morons become immune to the anti-biotics, and in the end creating more morons then we had before?

[Grug]

Nope.
Gah, its all bull crap. Real Life slowly becomes more and more like a glossed Hollywood movie.
The world needs a giant does of anti-biotics to kill off all the morons. >..>

Heh, another one I should add to the list kj?

But, wouldn't the morons become immune to the anti-biotics, and in the end creating more morons then we had before?

Thus why it needs to be cleaned in one go.
Or build a better immune system.

[karajorma]

Interesting. *adds to list*
Do you have all these shows?

Maybe I should just swing by when I'm in the neighbourhood one day and have a movie marathon or something.
Either that or have off with all your DVD's.

I watched Power of Nightmares when it was on BBC2. Afterwards I found I was quoting it so often that I wanted a copy so I downloaded it off of the net using emule.