kallend 2,027 #1 November 26, 2006 As of tomorrow, the US involvement in the Iraq War will be longer than the US involvement in WWII (although the mission was said to have been accomplished in May 2003). No end in sight.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ExAFO 0 #2 November 26, 2006 There is a basic rule of business that has served me very, very well in other aspects of my life: Never Chase Sunk Costs. This rule is simple, obvious, and almost never heeded. When you buy a car and the muffler falls off, maybe you replace it. When the transmission falls out, maybe you replace it. When the gaskets blow, you junk the car. Yes - you have sunk some serious money into the lemon, but that money is gone. Spending more will not bring it back. That is the basic rule that people ignore: Make your decisions based upon where you are now and where your goal is. What you have already spent bears no - NO - relevance to the equation. We have lost three thousand troops and killed a hundred times that many Iraqis in this ill-considered and incompetently executed adventure in small-minded delusions. Spending another 10,000 will not make it any better. We failed. We need to set a new goal and get to it as efficiently as possible. All of the self-serving, bellicose rhetoric about "honoring the fallen" and "not making their sacrifice in vain" is chasing a sunk cost that has already been spent. One of the several characteristics this conflict shares with Viet Nam is the time lag between when a fact becomes patently obvious and when our leadership acknowledges it. It seems that nobody in Iraq has any doubt that they are in a sectarian civil war and are not marching towards becoming a stable democracy. So we need to convene a study group to consider this. If any one of us, however we feel about Iraq, were able to go back to 1965 and tell McNamara and LBJ what to do in Viet Nam, would anybody urge them to stay the course and commit more troops? That would be communist Viet Nam, one of our largest trading partners in Asia, where the president made some very complimentary remarks the other week. Although it was nice to see Dubya finally get over there. Never Chase Sunk Costs.Illinois needs a CCW Law. NOW. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #3 November 26, 2006 Well Said.... Now if they will only listen to the voice of reason . I still think the SECDEF and all the other people making this war need to be right there in Baghdad with our troops...Too bad Rummy was not there for the whole period of time he presided over this nice little war that George and his "YES MEN" advisors dreamed up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickjump1 0 #4 November 26, 2006 Wonder how many MIAs got written off for the sake of trading with Vietnam.Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ExAFO 0 #5 November 26, 2006 QuoteWonder how many MIAs got written off for the sake of trading with Vietnam. I agree it is bad that there are unaccounted for GIs from the Vietnam Conflict, but the consensus is that none are living. Engaging Vietnam in trade serves to improve relations. That could lead to greater openness in the endeavor to find more remains to account for those missing.Illinois needs a CCW Law. NOW. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wuffo2 0 #6 November 26, 2006 QuoteWell Said.... Now if they will only listen to the voice of reason . I still think the SECDEF and all the other people making this war need to be right there in Baghdad with our troops...Too bad Rummy was not there for the whole period of time he presided over this nice little war that George and his "YES MEN" advisors dreamed up.Yeah right. They sneak in for one day for PR on the taxpayers dime. You think they have the balls to stay for a bit. NOT. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #7 November 27, 2006 Quotethe US involvement in the Iraq War will be longer than the US involvement in WWII. Then how come we still have troops stationed in Germany and Japan? It could be said that our involvement in those nations is still a residual from WWII, just like our current involvement in Iraq is a residual from our defeat of Hussein. So I question your calculation of "involvement". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #8 November 27, 2006 QuoteThen how come we still have troops stationed in Germany and Japan? It could be said that our involvement in those nations is still a residual from WWII, just like our current involvement in Iraq is a residual from our defeat of Hussein. So I question your calculation of "involvement". Boy that's a bit of a reach. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NCclimber 0 #9 November 27, 2006 QuoteQuoteThen how come we still have troops stationed in Germany and Japan? It could be said that our involvement in those nations is still a residual from WWII, just like our current involvement in Iraq is a residual from our defeat of Hussein. So I question your calculation of "involvement". Boy that's a bit of a reach. Yeah, it's right up there with comparing our current situation to WWII. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #10 November 27, 2006 QuoteYeah, it's right up there with comparing our current situation to WWII I don't think comparing time frames is a stretch. Certainly not to the same degree that claiming that having active military bases in germany is the same as the situation in Iraq....now that is a stretch... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ExAFO 0 #11 November 27, 2006 Quote Then how come we still have troops stationed in Germany and Japan? Japan-Their Constitution restricts their military. We fill in the gaps. Plus they want some protection from the DPRK. Deustchland-a hangover from the Cold War. There are far fewer US troops there than there were 10 years ago, and it only gets smaller.Illinois needs a CCW Law. NOW. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #12 November 27, 2006 <> But there is also an equally valid maxime.... Never throw good money after bad! (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,027 #13 November 27, 2006 QuoteQuotethe US involvement in the Iraq War will be longer than the US involvement in WWII. Then how come we still have troops stationed in Germany and Japan? It could be said that our involvement in those nations is still a residual from WWII, just like our current involvement in Iraq is a residual from our defeat of Hussein. So I question your calculation of "involvement". That wasn't very good at all - I've seen you do better than that.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #14 November 27, 2006 QuoteQuoteQuotethe US involvement in the Iraq War will be longer than the US involvement in WWII. Then how come we still have troops stationed in Germany and Japan? It could be said that our involvement in those nations is still a residual from WWII, just like our current involvement in Iraq is a residual from our defeat of Hussein. So I question your calculation of "involvement". That wasn't very good at all - I've seen you do better than that. At least I addressed your issue. All you could manage was an irrelevant snide remark. So I'll have to assume that you have no valid rational response. Yet another opportunity for real debate shot to hell. I'm out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steveorino 7 #15 November 28, 2006 USA WW2 casualties: 407,000 + USA Iraq War casualties: 2,400 - I have a son in Afghanistan and a son-in-law in Iraq. I'm gratefull for some differences. steveOrino Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
