Sayonara Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 What? The UK went in with the USA, and Australia deployed its forces there too. Remember? How we got more reports of Australians being missiled by gunships than we did of Al-Quaeda cells being found? It was only three years ago, for god's sake. Whether or not a nation is invading another country at the time has nothing to do with whether or not they can make promises to that country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 What? The UK went in with the USA, and Australia deployed its forces there too. Remember? How we got more reports of Australians being missiled by gunships than we did of Al-Quaeda cells being found? It was only[/u'] three years ago, for god's sake. I called it a USA invasion because the token nature of other nations contributions completely minmal. Having a few dozen UK and Australian special forces attached to the USA iinvasion doesn't make it a multinational force. This was a US operation with all that that implies. Whether or not a nation is invading another country at the time has nothing to do with whether or not they can make promises to that country. It does make a complete difference to the moral responsibility. When the daisy cutters were being dropped the Americans were clear and honest in their intentions. They stated that this was a matter of hitting the Taliban and Al Qaeda, that any benefits for Afghanistan were good, but not the main point. The war in Afghanistan was never a matter of bringing democracy or freedom from tyranny or any of those lovely justifications used for the war in Iraq. It was simply a war to hit enemies. You can point to cynicism, brutality, arrogance, but not to breaking of promises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 I called it a USA invasion because the token nature of other nations contributions completely minmal. Having a few dozen UK and Australian special forces attached to the USA iinvasion doesn't make it a multinational force. This was a US operation with all that that implies. Well, you can call that what you like, but the bottom line is that in my original post - which you are taking issue with - I posed no requirements either for sole consideration of invasion conditions, nor for consideration of invasion conditions per se. Hello strawman. It does make a complete difference to the moral responsibility. When the daisy cutters were being dropped the Americans were clear and honest in their intentions. The daisy cutters themselves are merely an easily-remembered pointer for a temporal location. If you want me to be more specific, or less glib, say so; don't turn to semantic pedantry. You can point to cynicism, brutality, arrogance, but not to breaking of promises. Actually I can, and I have done - as has atinymonkey. We* did make promises, and have not fulfilled them. I am quite aware that "not yet fulfilled this promise" is not the same as breaking a promise, but then I have not at any point accused anyone of breaking promises, so I am not beholden to that criterion. * by which I mean variously the UK, the coalition, and/or the signatories to the Bonn Agreement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 Well, you can call that what you like, but the bottom line is that in my original post - which you are taking issue with - I posed no requirements either for sole consideration of invasion conditions, nor for consideration of invasion conditions per se[/i']. Hello strawman. As i am not misrepresenting your position there is no strawmanning. You argued that promises were made that were not kept. I argued that only minimal promises were made and these have been kept. The daisy cutters themselves are merely an easily-remembered pointer for a temporal location. If you want me to be more specific' date=' or less glib, say so; don't turn to semantic pedantry.[/quote'] Semantic pedantry? Are you misunderstanding my posts? Where is the sematic pedantry? Actually I can' date=' and I have done - as has atinymonkey. We* did make promises, and have not fulfilled them. I am quite aware that "not yet fulfilled this promise" is not the same as breaking a promise, but then I have not at [b']any[/b] point accused anyone of breaking promises, so I am not beholden to that criterion. What promises are you refering to? If you actually came out with any examples it might shed some light on this discussion. According to my reading of the Bonn Agreement those promises made have been kept. You could justly argue that more should be done, that more should have been promised. I am pointing out that very little was promised in the first place. That the war in Afghanistan never had any humanitarian disguises, it was a naked power play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 Then we will simply have to disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 Then we will simply have to disagree. Ok. But you've still left me confused about the semantic pedantry bit. We seem to have crossed wires somewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 It refers to your habit of narrowing the focus of your counter-argument down to a single combination of words, and their specific meanings, which strips out any vestiges of context. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 It refers to your habit of narrowing the focus of your counter-argument down to a single combination of words, and their specific meanings, which strips out any vestiges of context. I prefer to think of it as remaining focussed on the essentials. Funny how perceptions can vary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 The perception that the context in which events occur is important to understanding those events doesn't seem terribly outlandish to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 The perception that the context in which events occur is important to understanding those events doesn't seem terribly outlandish to me. Then what are we disagreeing about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Dunno. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Jokers to the left of me, jokers to the right, here i am, stuck in the middle with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleolithic Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Martial law, what a great liberation. The reason these people hate america is because the west has been screwing them for the past 50-60 years, invading them would only motivate their hatred even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aardvark Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Martial law' date=' what a great liberation. The reason these people hate america is because the west has been screwing them for the past 50-60 years, invading them would only motivate their hatred even more.[/quote'] Who are you talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anindya Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 I can't claim to be an expert in Middle East religions' date=' but seems to me Saudi Arabi and wahhabism is the heart of the current terrorist threat. Most of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia after all. They continue to teach hate. Seems like this would be easier to tackle then invading all the countries over there. Don't you think?[/quote'] I guess you think that Bush is a messiah sent to earth to bring peace!! The American s with their CIA are responsible for keeping the Wahhabis House of Saud) in power ,they created Bin Laden and Saddam. I don't get how their teachings and beliefs become an issue ONLY when it comes and bites them in the arse.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john5746 Posted March 17, 2005 Author Share Posted March 17, 2005 I guess you think that Bush is a messiah sent to earth to bring peace!! Oh, yes and his love is heading to India soon!! The American s with their CIA are responsible for keeping the Wahhabis House of Saud)in power ' date='they created Bin Laden and Saddam.[/quote'] No argument there, maybe it can be reversed? I don't get how their teachings and beliefs become an issue ONLY when it comes and bites them in the arse.... So you want them to do something about ALL the beliefs they have an issue with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Static Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 I can't claim to be an expert in Middle East religions' date=' but seems to me Saudi Arabi and wahhabism is the heart of the current terrorist threat. Most of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia after all. They continue to teach hate. Seems like this would be easier to tackle then invading all the countries over there. Don't you think?[/quote'] The current problem, I think, can be boiled down to fundementalism/extremism in all forms. It is more prevealent in Saudi Arabia, that I would agree with. But they aren't the location of even most of the problems facing America today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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