All Hank, all the time.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Better? He's less green, and not constantly on the go, but kinda skeletal.

IRL, I'm betting.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Brent Scowcroft: Dick Cheney asked for planning for the use of tactical nuclear weapons against Iraqi troops before the First Gulf War.

(Scroll towards the bottom of the post.)

Attributed to a Republican and shit!

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Brent Scowcroft: Dick Cheney asked for planning for the use of tactical nuclear weapons against Iraqi troops before the First Gulf War.

(Scroll towards the bottom of the post.)

Attributed to a Republican and shit!

Again - there is a big big difference between asking for "a plan to use" and "planning to use" tactical nuclear weapons. I don't think the current administration ever has or ever will "plan" on using nuclear weapons unless some sort of WMD is unleashed on the US. Otherwise that option is out. They may look into it, but they will never seriously plan on doing it.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Spanky
Again - there is a big big difference between asking for "a plan to use" and "planning to use" tactical nuclear weapons.

I appreciate your gracious acknowledgement that you misunderstood my original post. Thank you.

[Spanky]

Did I?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Spanky
Again - there is a big big difference between asking for "a plan to use" and "planning to use" tactical nuclear weapons.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I appreciate your gracious acknowledgement that you misunderstood my original post. Thank you.


Post #1859

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
is why the White House told the Pentagon to plan for the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Spanky
Did I?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Spanky
Again - there is a big big difference between asking for "a plan to use" and "planning to use" tactical nuclear weapons.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I appreciate your gracious acknowledgement that you misunderstood my original post. Thank you.


Post #1859

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
is why the White House told the Pentagon to plan for the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exactly. Again, thank you.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Exactly. Again, thank you.

two educated Americans, who live in the same city, work in the same profession and both seem to have rather nasty little alcohol problems, if the two of you have this much diffuculty communicating- once elected how can we really hope Hillary will be able to work out acceptable term for a cease fire with Osama bin Laden?

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
two educated Americans, who live in the same city, work in the same profession and both seem to have rather nasty little alcohol problems, if the two of you have this much diffuculty communicating- once elected how can we really hope Hillary will be able to work out acceptable term for a cease fire with Osama bin Laden?

Cease fire? Who's talking cease fire?

I thought the plan was to invade another country or two where he wasn't. I mean, after the six-week occupation, reconstruction, and democratization of Iraq is finished.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

When the dust settles and the fires stop burning, is Israel going to be any happier with who is occupying the other side of its northern border? Is Israel doing anything to reduce support for Shi'a radicalism of Hezbollah's kind or to legitimize and strengthen the alternatives to Hezbollah?

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
When the dust settles and the fires stop burning, is Israel going to be any happier with who is occupying the other side of its northern border?

Quite possibly. The notion of either an international force, or international assistance for Lebanon to try and control the country and implement the security council resolution re disarming Hezbollah, has been raised. And that would certainly be an improvement.

Is Israel doing anything to reduce support for Shi'a radicalism of Hezbollah's kind or to legitimize and strengthen the alternatives to Hezbollah?

Probably not. But pulling out of Lebanon did not have that effect either. Nor did pulling out of Gaza. Nor would anything else, I believe.

On the other hand -- and this is historic -- Arab powers have already spoken out against Hezbollah. Will Saudi and Egyptian pressure have some effect? Will those countries be able to pressure Syria to tighten up its borders and to cut off its own support for Hezbollah?

As for strengthening the alternatives.... I'm not sure what alternatives you mean. I suspect that in the next Lebanese elections, Hezbollah's claim to stand against Israel will be less convincing.


Finally, there is the question you didn't ask: Will Israel have killed enough trained Hezbollah fighters, destroyed enough weapons, and damaged enough infrastructure to make Hezbollah less of a threat for a few years? Ultimately, I think this is the only question that matters. I do not think that the broad desire to destroy Israel is going anywhere -- and I don't think that Israel can really do much to allay that desire, except at the margins. Ultimately the issue is not Gaza or West Bank or Golan or Synai or Southern Lebanon. It's Israel, the fact of its existence. And the only people who can do anything about that sentiment -- the "destroy Israel" sentiment -- are Arab and Muslim leaders. Given that, simply damaging the army that attacks it is a worthwhile goal for Israel to pursue.


And before you ask -- attacking the civilians who were fleeing in accordance with Israeli instructions was a pretty fucking stupid thing to do.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

I'm planning to respond to Sidd, but I figured I'd keep quiet for a little while to see what others say.

Meanwhile, here's a little quiz to test how blue or red you are.

I score a 7, which makes a swing-stater, just shy of red. Who'd have thunk it? (Me, actually.)

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
I'm planning to respond to Sidd, but I figured I'd keep quiet for a little while to see what others say.

All the boards are a little dead today. I blame the heat. (But not "global warming." Everyone knows that's just something the Worldwide Conspiracy of Scientists thought up.)

Meanwhile, here's a little quiz to test how blue or red you are.

I score a 7, which makes a swing-stater, just shy of red. Who'd have thunk it? (Me, actually.)

I got an 8 -- red, enough said. With all due respect, that is the dumbest quiz I've ever seen. Really stupid questions, and far too many "none of the above" answers.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
With all due respect, that is the dumbest quiz I've ever seen. Really stupid questions, and far too many "none of the above" answers.

So is Audi red-state, or is that Saab? WTF?

[Adder]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Quite possibly. The notion of either an international force, or international assistance for Lebanon to try and control the country and implement the security council resolution re disarming Hezbollah, has been raised. And that would certainly be an improvement.

You have to hand it to Isreal; this plan is brilliant. It looks now like they are going to bomb the hell out of their neighbor, effectively invade, and then leave someone else (probably us) to handle the occupation. If only the Bushies had thought up such a scheme for Iraq.

And I'm sorry, but I don't see how anyone could answer TS's second question with a yes.

Will Israel have killed enough trained Hezbollah fighters, destroyed enough weapons, and damaged enough infrastructure to make Hezbollah less of a threat for a few years?

Even if the answer is yes (which probably is over short enough horizon), how long will it last, and will it have been worth it?

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch



I got an 8 -- red, enough said. With all due respect, that is the dumbest quiz I've ever seen. Really stupid questions, and far too many "none of the above" answers.

Look, just because the quiz didn't include "Brie!" as a response to every fucking question doesn't necessarily point to the fault of the quiz-makers.