Climbers on Mt Hood

[dBrong]

Not to be hard hearted, but to have military aircraft searching for several days, and the sheriffs department coordinating a search. I don't like my tax dollars being spent that way.

I think if you want to engage in risky behavior, then you should buy some sort of insurance policy. What a bunch of morons!

[Jim Rose]

>>Not to be hard hearted, but to have military aircraft searching for several days, and the sheriffs department coordinating a search. I don't like my tax dollars being spent that way.<<

I have to agree with you about that-- I also don't like them being spent on foreign countries. Iraq for one!

>>I think if you want to engage in risky behavior, then you should buy some sort of insurance policy. What a bunch of morons!<<

The problem relates right back to that button that says, " Do not press this button"

[dBrong]

I have to agree with you about that-- I also don't like them being spent on foreign countries. Iraq for one!

I agree.

Could anyone dig up how much we spent on Iraq, and what that would buy for us in the US (like health care. Have we spent as much as we would have on health care for a year?) I'd like to see some comparision.

[ColleenC1]

usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aairaqwarcost.htm - 39k

aprrx. 1 billion per month

[gail]

I have to agree with you about that-- I also don't like them being spent on foreign countries. Iraq for one!

I agree.

Could anyone dig up how much we spent on Iraq, and what that would buy for us in the US (like health care. Have we spent as much as we would have on health care for a year?) I'd like to see some comparision.

Let's not get back on this Iraqi war again. Whatever we have spent on it, isn't near enough to either win the war or save our troops. But nevertheless your mantra is old and stale - I want to hear MISSION ACCOMPLISHED for real!

Did you know that during the Korean War - which was never a declared war, at all - there were 90,000 American troops killed in a 30-day period in the Battle of the Bulge? The measly minus 3,000 pale in comparasion. Korea didn't attack us and we didn't win, and we are still there. But because we didn't finish that war, we are now contending with a nuclear threat. Boy! we did good on that war, didn't we? And now you think we should do the same in this one. Everytime i hear a complaint about this war, I send another note to President Bush saying 0- "Keep up the good work, Sir. Let's win this one!"

As far as the hiker - I agree with you. Maybe there is evolution or whatever and this is the Darwinian of the Stupid award.

[dBrong]

usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aairaqwarcost.htm - 39k

aprrx. 1 billion per month

As I said, let's make a comparison... $48 billion dollars - what would that buy for the US. I'm interested in the scale of our investment.

[DonTom]

I think if you want to engage in risky behavior, then you should buy some sort of insurance policy. What a bunch of morons!

Americans have the legal right to be morons (or even Mormons! ;D)

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err."
--Mahatma Gandhi

"The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. "
--John Fitzgerald Kennedy

-Don Quoteman

[Jim Rose]

>>Let's not get back on this Iraqi war again. Whatever we have spent on it, isn't near enough to either win the war or save our troops. But nevertheless your mantra is old and stale - I want to hear MISSION ACCOMPLISHED for real!<<

And yours is dead wrong--- You are in a minority. We should pull out and if they don't behave, bomb them back to glass--- There's no reason for any of our troops to be killed in that rectum of the world.


http://fredoneverything.net/FOE_Frame_Column.htm

[dBrong]

We should pull out and if they don't behave, bomb them back to glass--- There's no reason for any of our troops to be killed in that rectum of the world.

I agree. We are not fighting a war. We're just hangin' out there trying to make these ungrateful savages behave.

[Eric]

Not to be hard hearted, but to have military aircraft searching for several days, and the sheriffs department coordinating a search. I don't like my tax dollars being spent that way.

I think if you want to engage in risky behavior, then you should buy some sort of insurance policy. What a bunch of morons!

There's something to be said for this; I'd be ok with billing people for the costs associated with rescue efforts when made necessary by stupid/needlessly risky activity, etc.

[Eric]

I believe the figure is in excess of $2 billion per week.

[Eric]

We're neither "saving the troops" nor going to see "Mission Accomplished" (whatever that is).

This idiot debacle continues to get worse with each passing month.

[mrblanche]

I'm glad George W. Bush was elected President, and that we invaded Iraq. Everyone needs a "religion," and clearly yours is attacking those things. Your rants on the subject are as dogmatic as Gail's on her pet subjects, you know.

[Eric]

I'm glad George W. Bush was elected President, and that we invaded Iraq. Everyone needs a "religion," and clearly yours is attacking those things. Your rants on the subject are as dogmatic as Gail's on her pet subjects, you know.

Mike,

Deriding a failed policy is not "dogmatic."

Or do you think the "mission" is being "accomplished," too?

[Jim Rose]

>>There's something to be said for this; I'd be ok with billing people for the costs associated with rescue efforts when made necessary by stupid/needlessly risky activity, etc. <<

The US Coast Guard does----

[Eric]

It strikes me as reasonable.

It's one thing to be involved in accident; quite another to engage in activity that is inherently dangerous - especially when it's for recreation - and then expect the general public to foot the bill when the feces hits the fan!~

[mrblanche]

Mike,

Deriding a failed policy is not "dogmatic."

Or do you think the "mission" is being "accomplished," too?

Since you claim to be a journalist, and as such probably passed your English classes, you know from reading my message that that is not what I said.

What I said is that you have made it your religion to deride that policy in the most negative and offensive terms, and would probably not change that tone no matter what happened.

Just as an intellectual exercise... Let's suppose that suddenly, unexpectedly, a large cache of nearly-ready nuclear or chemical weapons was found in Iraq. Further investigation shows that the current government there knew of it and was conspiring to hide it so that it would have those weapons after the Americans left, and the Coalition forces just happened to stumble on a dissident who revealed their existence.

Remember, this is just a "what if" scenario. I'm not speculating that any such thing will happen.

Now, think it through. Imagine all the ramifications.

Imagine what you would write. Imagine what your response would be to those who you told Bush was liar, and that those weapons didn't exist.

I mentioned here some time back a science-fiction book that looked at the effects of a discovery that challenged not only every religion, but also the very foundations of current science. It made the clear connection that the scientists were as "religious" about their beliefs as were the various religious groups, and just as willing to destroy the new evidence.

We all have to be careful not to assume that our view is the only possible view, and that those who hold other views are innately wrong and evil. That is the basis of bigotry of every stripe.

[Eric]

And you know better than to use fallacies and straw men to make an argument!

The fact is no "WMD" were found; it's not my burden to defend myself against your unproven hypothetical. I argue from the facts as they are. Nothing else is relevant.

And yes, I deride the policy in the most negative terms I can think of; why in the world would I do otherwise? This war has been a catastrophe.

Do you disagree?

[mrblanche]

A "catastrophe?" No, I don't agree.

A pretty poor outcome of a fairly inevitable course of action, no doubt. A re-enactment of some of the same errors made in Vietnam, without question.

But to ascribe evil intent to the leadership, no, I can't go along with that. Especially when it was supported by many of those who now deride it.

And I guess you refuse to even think about the possibilities, even though to do so might temper your vitriol. But it probably wouldn't. After all, you have to say your prayers every day, right? Is it five times? Five nasty messages every day?

If you would just give it a rest, you might win more converts.

[Eric]

What I'm refusing to do is take the bait of accepting your hypothetical- which would be akin to giving Bush credit for doing the right thing. All the evidence is to the contrary - so why in the world would I agree to such terms?

And leaving aside the "WMD" bogey, it is simply unconscionable how ineptly the war has been managed; I am really surprised you would defend Bush in any way on this score. His adamant know-it-all-ism (and that of his defense secretary and advisors) is, simply, despicable. It has cost almost 3,000 soldiers their lives (and let's not forget the 20,000 wounded, many gravely). And the many more who will die and be wounded in the weeks and months (and perhaps years) to come. I take that kind of thing seriously. You, apparently, do not.

You also forget that even when much of the "evidence" (aluminum tubes, "yellowckae" from Niger, the "mobile labs" - etc.) had been clearly discredited, The Chimp and his subordinates continued to peddle it.

That is, indeed, "evil intent" in my book. The filthy SOBs also continued to imply/impute a 9/11-Iraq "connection" long after this was completely discredited, too. I found such deliberate demagoguery loathsome. And still do. You appear to have forgotten all about it - or just don't care.

ColinPowelll said it all. We are losing. And we are losing because The Chimp "decided" he knew best - and everyone else should just shut the hell up and follow the lead of the Great Decider.

FInally, please note: I am merely responding to the relentleslly pro-war/pro-Chimp posts made by Gail and yourself. I (and others) are sick to death of this war - and Bush. If that's "vitriolic" - so be it.