[telomerase]

Kerry's plan: now that every Muslim (and most of the Christians, Buddhists, and Cargo Cultists) in the world knows that the US is the direct emissary of Satan, we'll send in some Sociology majors straight out of school to calm them down:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040508/us_nm/campaign_kerry_dc_3

Anyone want to be the first Peace Corps member to be dragged through Fallujah?

[atek3]

Anyone want to be the first Peace Corps member to be dragged through Fallujah?

Word.

atek3

[WonderNine]

I got no interest in being a Piece Corpse here.

[pittspilot]

:banghead:

[Unlucky]

Ya mean like one of the do-gooder chicks killed in South Africa around 10 years ago while trying to spread socialism inside the townships?

[CarlS]

What a great plan. Since the Peace Corps will solve all of the probems, we can bring our troops home as soon as they hit the ground in Iraq. :rolleyes:

[capt_happypants]

It's not a joke, and he's damned serious.

We're trying to deal with a culture that celebrates in the desecration of the dead, worships suicide bombers, and calls the for the enslavery of female prisoners.

Bush sent in 1st Marines. Kerry would send in the Peace Corps.

Go cram it with walnuts, you effete, man-panty-wearing, East Coast uber-snob.

[OF]

Well put. :D

- Gabe

[Third_Rail]

VERY well put.

[Malone LaVeigh]

The military option is working SOOOO well....

[capt_happypants]

And what would be your alternative?

Kerry doesn't have a realistic plan. Going back to the UN is not a practical option. Many of its' members were making a killing (literally and figuratively) from the ill-named Oil for Food Program, and they turned tail after getting their Baghdad HQ rearranged via car bomb (IIRC, they didn't want protection from the local US troops, and then whined like a pouty two year old at the lack of protection from Uncle Sugar). The UN's track record in places like Srebenicia and Kosovo doesn't give me much comfort when I think about a UN-led operation in the Sandbox.

Some of our so-called "allies," (*cough* France *cough*) aren't worthy of the name, and I can't figure what purpose would be served by allowing Chirac to help dictate our foreign policy (I can just see Chirac lecturing Kerry, "Non! You must lick with more gusto! Ze Germans are very, very mean if their jackboots are not shiny!")

I suspect Kerry is reliving his glory days of the 1960s, when he had such moral clarity and vision (and more tail than he could shake a stick at). Sending the Peace Corps into a place where gunships stalk at night, snipers wait in the darkness, and death waits at every corner is the worst kind of idealistic fantasy.

[Lennyjoe]

How did I know he would say that.:rolleyes:

[Malone LaVeigh]

And what would be your alternative? Well, first I wouldn't keep doing what's not working. And I would look into getting local sponsorship for some sort of development group to build good will. It can't hurt.
Kerry doesn't have a realistic plan. And our current leadership does?

[kentucky bucky]

He doesn't have to say ANYTHING to be laughable and his record is his biggest joke. He has been a joke since he got off that boat in Vietnam.

[Cal4D4]

We are indeed having major problems there. I would like to know specifically what ML would curtail/increase/add to the mix. Good will is good, but force protection is too. Before we start singing "Kumbaya Lord, Kumbaya" and dance around the campfire what role would you give us in the international Islamic terrorist power play? They already declared war on the US, Spain and whoever and drew first blood (9/11, Madrid, whatever). They were denied free reign in Afganistan and are being challenged in the Phillipines, but they still have tremendous ability and desire to try to destroy western culture. Iraq is the new frontier for the radical Islamists. We, the western culture, are the infidels. For those that care enough, we are to be eliminated and it's ok to use any extreme. If we succeed, alot of radical mullahs will be selling apples at the market and chasing goats around the desert. If they succeed, those same mullahs will be important civic and religious leaders. This is the first item I would ask that you address/solve because it paces all the others. There is no occupation or sovereignty or economic issue until we have identified our role. Peace Corp and UN appeasement at one extreme and tactical nuke saturation grid by grid as the other. What do you have to offer ML, I agree our situation needs to be improved here and abroad. Let's hear your approach.

[Cactus]

Maybe we just need to send over Rodney King as our" Ambassador of Good Will". Can't we all just get along?

[pittspilot]

"Well, first I wouldn't keep doing what's not working. And I would look into getting local sponsorship for some sort of development group to build good will. It can't hurt."

And what does that mean?

Specifics please, your original suggestion is just a fancy sounding platitude.

[Malone LaVeigh]

Oh, fer cryin out loud. Did I (or Kerry for that matter) say I would completely pull the military out? Adding some good-will ambassadors that would have more street cred in the ME than our military is a viable option, that's all I'm saying. I'm certainly not going to write a policy dissertation for you lunks.

Iraq is the new frontier for the radical Islamists. Thanks to GWB.

[pittspilot]

Actually, you (and Kerry for that matter) have said very little about what you would do.

Kerry has mentioned that he would like international involvement, although what that means exactly is still an open question.

Now, I am curious about the ambassadors with "street cred." Would these be the same ambassadors who ran things throughout the 90's and 80's? You see, I thought your point, if I remember from other threads, is that out past policies are in large part to blame for our current troubles. That is an argument that any reasonable person would be able to entertain, and I think we could come to some sort of an agreement about that.

However, I can't think of how you mean as having street cred? Our policy in the ME has been screwed up for decades.

[capt_happypants]

Cut-n-pasted from www.belmontclub.blogspot.com

It is time to return to the United Nations and return America to the community of nations to share both authority and responsibility in Iraq, and take the target off the back of our troops. This also requires a genuine Iraqi security force. The Bush Administration simply signs up recruits and gives them rudimentary training. In a Kerry Administration, we will create and train an Iraqi security force equal to the task of safeguarding itself and the people it is supposed to protect. We must offer the UN the lead role in assisting Iraq with the development of new political institutions. And we must stay in Iraq until the job is finished.

Go BACK to the United Nations? You mean the United Nations that raked in billions through the fraudulent Oil-for-Food Program? You mean the United Nations that allowed so-called "peacekeepers" to sit idly by in Srebenicia and in Rwanda while hundreds of thousands were slaughtered? You mean the United Nations that's throughly screwed the pooch in Kosovo?

I'd bet the Iraqis would LOVE to see the blue helmets back - there's a lot of IEDs and RPGs that wouldn't be flying towards our guys.

That's not a policy - it's empty-headed, feel-good platitudes. It's almost comical in its' naivete, but this is a war. Platitiudes get people killed.

Five issues that I'd like to see Kerry or his supporters answer:

1. How do you plan to address the issue of troop rotation and OpTempo in Iraq and Afghanistan? What changes do you think are necessary within the active duty/Reserve/NG forces?

2. If Iran goes nuclear within the next five years, how do you intend to deal with it?

3. If the West loses access to Mid East oil, what steps should be taken to prepare for such an eventuality?

4. What is your vision (ugh) for the War on Terror?

5. When a nuclear device is detonated in the West, how should we respond?

[c_yeager]

Since when is the peace-corps a bunch of Sociology majors straight out of school

What exactly is WRONG with the peace-corps?

I would lend a lot more credence to your argument if you didn't preface it lies.

[M2HMGHB]

As long as they'd give me an M1A1 and a good crew and full combat load out I would go. Till then I'd take a safer job, like jumping from bridges 100s of feet in the air without a bungee cable or a parachute.:rolleyes:

[TheEgg]

I'm certainly not going to write a policy dissertation for you lunks.

Sigh. So, we cannot possibly be expected to understand the thinking of superior minds, ummmm? :scrutiny:

[fallingblock]

"Iraq is the new frontier for the radical Islamists."
************************************************************

Better there than in our backyards!:D

Go get 'em, Dubya!