[FlamingCobra]

need to pull out so we can go to our next war.

No. The United States needs to stop sticking its nose in everyone else's business. That's why so many countries despise us. A lot of the wars we get involved in (like Vietnam and Libya) are none of our concern. It's just for publicity. And we get no benefit out of it. In fact, we just get more of our people killed and dig ourselves deeper into the hole. Wars are expensive, and the general consensus is that the United States citizens are tired of wars.

Unless, of course, your comment was meant to be sarcastic.

[Bobboau]

on, it was more resigned to the inevitable.
he knows no matter how many wars we get into none of them will lead to the thermonuclear eradication of the human race.

[FlamingCobra]

on, it was more resigned to the inevitable.
he knows no matter how many wars we get into none of them will lead to the thermonuclear eradication of the human race.

Because nobody wants to push the big red button with MAD written on it.

[Mongoose]

Except Nuke.

[Pred the Penguin]

I vote Nuke for president...

[Beskargam]

i feel like he would get something done. . .

[TwentyPercentCooler]

need to pull out so we can go to our next war.

No. The United States needs to stop sticking its nose in everyone else's business. That's why so many countries despise us. A lot of the wars we get involved in (like Vietnam and Libya) are none of our concern. It's just for publicity. And we get no benefit out of it. In fact, we just get more of our people killed and dig ourselves deeper into the hole. Wars are expensive, and the general consensus is that the United States citizens are tired of wars.

Unless, of course, your comment was meant to be sarcastic.

It may be the unpopular thing to do around these forums these days but I actually completely agree with you. We humans have a nasty habit of creating our own worst enemies. If we, as a nation, would quit trying to pretend that we're the world's police and sticking our thumb in everyone else's pie, and if we would silence the idiot fundies that keep claiming the U.S. is a "Christian" nation (most of the founding fathers were absolutely not Christian), we probably wouldn't have quite as many terrorists wanting to destroy us, and the ones that still did wouldn't have such a strong religious basis for wanting to do so.

Also, I can't believe no one has made this joke yet: Is Iraq pregnant? The pull-out method doesn't work. 

[Slasher]

I'm curious how many permanent bases they'll really let us keep up over there after eight years of effort and investment.

[Klaustrophobia]

need to pull out so we can go to our next war.

No. The United States needs to stop sticking its nose in everyone else's business. That's why so many countries despise us. A lot of the wars we get involved in (like Vietnam and Libya) are none of our concern. It's just for publicity. And we get no benefit out of it. In fact, we just get more of our people killed and dig ourselves deeper into the hole. Wars are expensive, and the general consensus is that the United States citizens are tired of wars.

Unless, of course, your comment was meant to be sarcastic.

It may be the unpopular thing to do around these forums these days but I actually completely agree with you. We humans have a nasty habit of creating our own worst enemies. If we, as a nation, would quit trying to pretend that we're the world's police and sticking our thumb in everyone else's pie, and if we would silence the idiot fundies that keep claiming the U.S. is a "Christian" nation (most of the founding fathers were absolutely not Christian), we probably wouldn't have quite as many terrorists wanting to destroy us, and the ones that still did wouldn't have such a strong religious basis for wanting to do so.

Also, I can't believe no one has made this joke yet: Is Iraq pregnant? The pull-out method doesn't work. 

that's very naive.  those aren't the reasons many hate the USA, those are the most convenient excuses to hate us.  take those away and the hate remains, with a new reason. 

[karajorma]

Actually he's quite right about the sticking their thumb in every pie.

Hell look at Bush's Axis of Evil and name a single country on it that wasn't in that situation due to America's meddling.

[Grizzly]

Then there's that massive support of Israel thing... Although that probably also counts as sticking fingers into someone else's pie...

Hmm. I wonder. What would the world be like if the USA kept to itself most of the time? Let's say that they never invaded the philipines - did not interfere in WW1, etc..

[karajorma]

We'd probably be complaining about the British doing it instead.

[Nuke]

i feel like he would get something done. . .

like all the female interns at the white house, and dope would be legalized, and civilization would be reduced to a smoldering ruin.

We'd probably be complaining about the British doing it instead.

or the nazis.

[Grizzly]

or the nazis.

Dunno - Russia might have been them down eventually - but thank god for those flanking manouvres.

[MP-Ryan]

MP-Ryan, wish I had my hands on the reports on the increasing numbers of malformed newborns from Fallujah.. by just googling "Iraq nuclear pollution" you will find disgusting photos.. The Iraqi government requested the WHO help to asses the damage from pollution on people's health.. that's all I meant.. So if, like you said, have a degree in genetics you'll know that even depleted uranium causes genes alterations to some degrees..

Depleted uranium has very small residual levels of radioactivity and while it's dust has been partially attributed to human health effects when exposure occurs in large quantities, the link between DU exposure and birth defects is not documented in humans.  DU has about 60% of the radioactivity of naturally-occurring uranium (as it has a different isotope composition).  Uranium produces ionizing radiation, which is capable of damaging DNA under the right circumstances; DU produces a hell of a lot less.  The WHO actually notes that DU is more chemically toxic than radiologically (Full report, 2008, WHO conclusions), and tends to affect organ systems like kidneys and not the reproductive system.

The chances of a higher incidence of birth defects (if indeed there is, and I see no sources illustrating that assertion posted thus far) being attributable to DU from munitions used in Iraq are pretty slim.  There are lots of potential other sources.  And again, you need to actually establish that the levels of birth defects are elevated above background.

Some good reading on DU (which I used myself, and apologies as it seems to be a few years old):
WHO Fact Sheet - http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs257/en/
IAEA Website - http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/depleteduranium/
2001 study on the health effects of DU [note the abstract] - http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/depleteduranium/properties.pdf
UN Secretary General 2008 Report on Uranium Weapons - http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/docs/52.pdf

TL;DR:  My earlier-planted bull**** flag remains on the field.

There are a lot of good reasons to oppose the invasion of Iraq and subsequent military actions, but birth defects among Iraqi children don't appear to be one of them.  Making silly broad statements like that just undermines the legitimacy of other points you raise at the same time.

[Mikes]

Because nobody wants to push the big red button with MAD written on it.

Actually... a not unsignificant portion of the electorate might want to do just that.

The growing amount of radical Christians in the US who wouldn't really mind or even want some kind of "Apocalypse" to herald the 2nd coming of Christ is getting somewhat worrying...

MAD only works as long as people aren't...

[Sushi]

Because nobody wants to push the big red button with MAD written on it.

Actually... a not unsignificant portion of the electorate might want to do just that.

The growing amount of radical Christians in the US who wouldn't really mind or even want some kind of "Apocalypse" to herald the 2nd coming of Christ is getting somewhat worrying...

MAD only works as long as people aren't...

Oh please. Do you really believe that?

Actually he's quite right about the sticking their thumb in every pie.

Hell look at Bush's Axis of Evil and name a single country on it that wasn't in that situation due to America's meddling.

Bitter after being snubbed for membership in the "Axis of Evil," Libya, China, and Syria today announced they had formed the "Axis of Just as Evil," which they said would be way eviler than that stupid Iran-Iraq-North Korea axis President Bush warned of his State of the Union address.
Membership closed

Axis of Evil members, however, immediately dismissed the new axis as having, for starters, a really dumb name. "Right. They are Just as Evil... in their dreams!" declared North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. "Everybody knows we're the best evils... best at being evil... we're the best."

Diplomats from Syria denied they were jealous over being excluded, although they conceded they did ask if they could join the Axis of Evil.

"They told us it was full," said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"An Axis can't have more than three countries," explained Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "This is not my rule, it's tradition. In World War II you had Germany, Italy, and Japan in the evil Axis. So you can only have three. And a secret handshake. Ours is wicked cool."

International reaction to Bush's Axis of Evil declaration was swift, as within minutes, France surrendered.

Elsewhere, peer-conscious nations rushed to gain triumvirate status in what became a game of geopolitical chairs. Cuba, Sudan, and Serbia said they had formed the Axis of Somewhat Evil, forcing Somalia to join with Uganda and Myanmar in the Axis of Occasionally Evil, while Bulgaria, Indonesia and Russia established the Axis of Not So Much Evil Really As Just Generally Disagreeable.

With the criteria suddenly expanded and all the desirable clubs filling up, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, and Rwanda applied to be called the Axis of Countries That Aren't the Worst But Certainly Won't Be Asked to Host the Olympics; Canada, Mexico, and Australia formed the Axis of Nations That Are Actually Quite Nice But Secretly Have Nasty Thoughts About America, while Spain, Scotland, and New Zealand established the Axis of Countries That Sometimes Ask Sheep to Wear Lipstick.

"That's not a threat, really, just something we like to do," said Scottish Executive First Minister Jack McConnell.

While wondering if the other nations of the world weren't perhaps making fun of him, a cautious Bush granted approval for most axes, although he rejected the establishment of the Axis of Countries Whose Names End in "Guay," accusing one of its members of filing a false application. Officials from Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chadguay denied the charges.

Israel, meanwhile, insisted it didn't want to join any Axis, but privately, world leaders said that's only because no one asked them.

Source: http://www.satirewire.com/news/jan02/axis.shtml

[General Battuta]

I haven't been this relieved about a pull out since that time I didn't conceive a child

[TwentyPercentCooler]

need to pull out so we can go to our next war.

No. The United States needs to stop sticking its nose in everyone else's business. That's why so many countries despise us. A lot of the wars we get involved in (like Vietnam and Libya) are none of our concern. It's just for publicity. And we get no benefit out of it. In fact, we just get more of our people killed and dig ourselves deeper into the hole. Wars are expensive, and the general consensus is that the United States citizens are tired of wars.

Unless, of course, your comment was meant to be sarcastic.

It may be the unpopular thing to do around these forums these days but I actually completely agree with you. We humans have a nasty habit of creating our own worst enemies. If we, as a nation, would quit trying to pretend that we're the world's police and sticking our thumb in everyone else's pie, and if we would silence the idiot fundies that keep claiming the U.S. is a "Christian" nation (most of the founding fathers were absolutely not Christian), we probably wouldn't have quite as many terrorists wanting to destroy us, and the ones that still did wouldn't have such a strong religious basis for wanting to do so.

Also, I can't believe no one has made this joke yet: Is Iraq pregnant? The pull-out method doesn't work. 

that's very naive.  those aren't the reasons many hate the USA, those are the most convenient excuses to hate us.  take those away and the hate remains, with a new reason.

Oh, I'm not naive enough to think that we could get rid of hate entirely. It's ingrained into human nature. Notice that I qualified my statement by saying we wouldn't have as many people hating us, and the reasons for doing so just wouldn't be as convenient. There will be plenty of hatred left over to go around. But if I were the President, I would bring our troops home and, in a speech, announce that the days of the U.S. meddling in world politics were over. We have plenty of our own problems here at home, we don't need to make more.

[General Battuta]

Also, I can't believe no one has made this joke yet: Is Iraq pregnant? The pull-out method doesn't work. 

****