Which Wars Did You Support?
 

Which wars that the US participated in, did you all support? Should we have invaded Iraq? Should we have invaded Afghanistan? Should we have been involved in Kosovo? Did you support the first Persian Gulf War? Should we have sent troops to Vietnam? Should we have sent troops to Europe in World War II?

Please give your reasoning also. This should be an interesting discussion.

Rupert,
Although very many of my ancestors fought valliantly in many, going back to the "revolutionary" one, and the "civil" one (as if there's ever a civil kind of war), I'll just have to say that my answers to all of yours are NO.
I am a pacifist. I believe in the "Prince of Peace".
I "turn the other cheek", talk, and attempt to resolve differences in a peaceful and agreeable way BEFORE, not after.
Seems to me, unless humans begin to start thinking in alternative ways, and given the technologies of destruction of our own creation, those that we've devoted our most "educated minds" to invent, the only hope for humans is to not look back on which were "good ones" and which ones weren't, but to see a better approach to resolve differences.
If not, no amount of "evaluation" will decide those that are justified.
Many more will die in the process.
If you and others wish to "stay the course", we all are indeed doomed.
http://www.antiwar.com/

I respect what you are saying but it does seem that there are times when there is no choice. Let's take World War II for example. Hitler was gobbling up Europe. If we didn't get involved, Germany would have taken over the world.

should just turn the other cheek, i guess that would be the one with blinders on. then it'll all be all better.

...all of them and im on one side ...ours..
vietnam was before my time..but i remember many hippys getting beat down on the news..68 chi town ..ive served with a few guys that were in nam....it seemed that it was it micro managed war with no real intent to win..for that im not supportive..but i do support the troups that went..
granada..needed to be done yes
kosevo ..yes
bombing of kadafi yes
desert wars 1 and 2 yes

all of them...and none of them.

It's kind of the way I feel about this board...I would be content to sit back and let people fight it out amongst themselves...but inevitably it disrupts the whole board so someone has to step in on occasion and straighten things out...

it's a simplistic view I know...but that's why I'm not running this country...

It's kind of the way I feel about this board...I would be content to sit back and let people fight it out amongst themselves...but inevitably it disrupts the whole board so someone has to step in on occasion and straighten things out...

QUOTE]
...you just cant wait to drop the hammer...admit it damit>>>lol

Paisjpq: So well put! But this old dog is tired.....

I support the war on drugs. We're winning!!

The interesting thing is that practically any war will be popular as long as we win. If you look at the polls on the Iraq war, the vast majority of Americans were happy that we invaded Iraq even a couple of years into the war. Even after they knew that we didn't find any WMDs, the vast majority of Americans still thought it was good that we went into Iraq. The only reason the war has become unpopular is because the war is not going well.

I would pretty much say the same for Vietnam. If we would have gone in there and won the war, most Americans would say that it was a great idea.

I guess most Americans are very results oriented.

I support any and all wars.
thats how civilization advances.


Repent

I support all of the wars we been in since i've been born 1981. Especially in Kosovo with our hero Bill Clinton showing the way.

what up Jerry.
you have not been around lately all that much.
Bill Clinton was not our hero.
may be your hero, but the country forgot about him in about 2 seconds.


Repent

Under-supported War's

1. War of 1812 (I love that war..)
2. The Chocolate War (Robby Gordon's first film.. Great.)
3. Ward Cleaver ("June.. What are we going to do about the Beaver?")
4. Estella Warren ('nuff said)
5. Ward 8 (Old-fashioned ****tail no one appreciates anymore)

Estella Warren was in a war?

hell, tim, i'm sure more on here want to hear about the Beaver war!

Sorry....er,musta missed that one!:eek:

That is the truest (most true?) thing you've ever said. And yes, regardless of right or wrong in intent, I agree that the winning side tends to think the war they won was a good idea and the losing side that it wasn't.

I'm currently fighting the Battle of the Bulge.

meaning she is up to about 105lbs:rolleyes:

Not after this weekend... I made Christmas cookies. Eight thousand Christmas cookies. Of which I've eaten four thousand.

I support THAT war...and am currently on active duty :D

you two are nuts....although I already knew that.

Although me thinks this working at Starbucks isn't gonna help my fat gut much either:o

OMG; I didn't know your second job was at Starbucks!

I am both proud and embarrassed to say I help pay Kev's wage virtually every day... curse you, Starbucks, and your chai tea deliciousness...

Hey Genuine Risk,
Please put your favorite cookie recipe in the cookbook.
Thanks.

Rupert,
WW II was a continuation of WW I. The conditions imposed in its aftermath brought on the desperation for the German people. Like them, those that reside in our own country have a deep sense of "nationalism". It's a very good play...something that many have been willing to give their lives for.
Yes, Hitler was a very bad, fanatical despot. No arguement.
Just realize that he played the market that invested their hopes in his strategy. Read back through the threads and see how many that post here feel the same way about their own nation.
Speaking of "taking over the world", if you've read Gwen Dyer's book, "WAR",
the motivations for participation are well stated, as are the tactics.
His work puts the intent in a historical context. He also documents many conflicts. You'll just have to read it to see the commonality of the present.
Speaking of which (the present), have you had a chance to read Frank Rich's book, "The Best Story Ever Sold"? It might be worth your time, since you asked the question.
Here's a link to a book review.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/bo...rssnyt&emc=rss

Said better than I could.
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1218-32.htm

I could write a separate book on practically every war we've ever fought and title each one "The Best Story Ever Sold". In every war, our leaders give us a justification as to why the war is necessary. In other words, they are "selling us" on the war. In every one of these cases, it would be easy to come up with a counter-argument as to why the story we were sold was misleading. I don't think that proves anything. You could say the same thing about anything.

I'll give you an example. I could say that burglar-alarms are the "best story ever sold". Then I could give you all these reasons as to why the arguments in favor of burglar alarms are misleading. I could say that burglar alarms don't really make you safer and that they won't prevent you from being burglarized. I could say that there is less than a 1% chance that your house will get burglarized this year even if you don't have an alarm. Etc, etc, etc.
I could conclude that burglar alarmsa re nothing more than a big scam.

Anyway, you get my point. I could write a book as to why burglar alarms are unnecessary and explain why many of the arguments in favor of them are misleading. Would my book prove anything? Not really. The book would give some good counter-arguments and it would tell you why some of the arguments that the burglar-alarm industry makes are somewhat misleading. But the book would not prove that burglar alarms are unnecessary.

Anyway, the point is that you could write a book called "The Greatest Story Ever Sold" on practically anything that is sold. And if you did your research, I'm sure you could come with some good arguments against the product being sold. But this wouldn't prove anything. It wouldn't prove that the product is not good. And it would not prove that the sellers of the product did anything wrong.

Rupert,
You certainly put thought into this response.
Did you read the links?
I won't get "longwinded". I'll just say that your burglar alarm anology is about like comparing an apple to an orange.
Burglar alarms don't kill people, they protect them.
Wars kill people, no one is secure.
When buying a product that sellers are selling, "Let the buyer beware".
'Nuf said.

you don't count them if you take one at a time off the plate and walk away while eating....or if you eat those that stuck together, or the ones who break in half. or the chips that fall by the wayside....