A disgusting vat of filth that no self-respecting intelligent person would wade into.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
I'm hoping it won't be a bumper sticker issue anymore.

I'd believe you but for that I Voted for McGovern sticker on the back of your car.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
I'd believe you but for that I Voted for McGovern sticker on the back of your car.

I wasn't old enough to vote. I do still have a Kerry sticker, though.

[SlaveNoMore]

Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
I wasn't old enough to vote. I do still have a Kerry sticker, though.

And you haven't sold the car?

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Spanky
And what have I written that shows that I lack knowledge on either Afghanistan or Iraq? GGG, being his typical arrogant and ignorant self, is implying that if I knew more about Iraq and Afghanistan I would understand better why one would support the war in one and not the war in the other.

Am I missing something here? Has GGG spent a lot of time in either country? Is he fluent in Pashto, Hazari, Dari, Arabic or Kurdish? As he spent a lot of time getting to know a good cross section of the natives of both countries that would give him a special insight on how the people in both countries would react to an invasion by the United States?

My suspicion is that in order to understand GGG's position on Iraq (or any subject for that matter) better I would have to lower my IQ by about twenty points, purge myself of any tendency towards logical or linear thought, and increase my emotional and knee jerk responses to issues. I think those changes would give me a much better insight in to why GGG reaches the conclusions that he does.

And so after familiarizing yourself on the nuances of Middle East, learning Pashto, Hazari, Dari, Arabic and Kurdish (Farsi might come in handy as well) during your time pimping out underage models in Tokyo, your take would be?

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
And so after familiarizing yourself on the nuances of Middle East, learning Pashto, Hazari, Dari, Arabic and Kurdish (Farsi might come in handy as well) during your time pimping out underage models in Tokyo, your take would be?

Some consider Dari, Hazari and Tadjik as dialects af Farsi. Others consider them all dialect of "persian". When statistics show that forty percent of Afghanistan speaks Persian, what they are really saying is that forty percent of the country speaks Dari, Hazari and Tadjik. A statistically insignificant number of people that speak "persian" in Afghanistan speak the same form of persian or farsi that is spoken in Iran. The fifteen percent who speak "turkish" are really broken into Turkoman, Uzbek and kazahk speakers.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
Please, feel free to prove my assessment wrong.

You never seem to back up anything you say. I will give you a chance here. What statements have I made that have led you to believe that my understanding of Iraq and Afghanistan is lacking?

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Spanky
Some consider Dari, Hazari and Tadjik as dialects af Farsi. Others consider them all dialect of "persian". When statistics show that forty percent of Afghanistan speaks Persian, what they are really saying is that forty percent of the country speaks Dari, Hazari and Tadjik. A statistically insignificant number of people that speak "persian" in Afghanistan speak the same form of persian or farsi that is spoken in Iran. The fifteen percent who speak "turkish" are really broken into Turkoman, Uzbek and kazahk speakers.

I saw Borat last night.

[SlaveNoMore]

Shape Shifter
I saw Borat last night.

Did he try to wrestle you?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Did he try to wrestle you?

"wrestling" implies resistance.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Spanky
Some consider Dari, Hazari and Tadjik as dialects af Farsi. Others consider them all dialect of "persian". When statistics show that forty percent of Afghanistan speaks Persian, what they are really saying is that forty percent of the country speaks Dari, Hazari and Tadjik. A statistically insignificant number of people that speak "persian" in Afghanistan speak the same form of persian or farsi that is spoken in Iran. The fifteen percent who speak "turkish" are really broken into Turkoman, Uzbek and kazahk speakers.

From Rory's book, it seems that the Persian he learned in Iran got him by ok in most of Afghanistan. I think he speaks a little Pashtu as well which helped the further east he went.

I liked the book a lot, though dysentary doesn't sound like much fun at all.

ETA: From Rory's second book, it didn't seem like a working knowledge of Arabic was necessary to be put in charge of a province in Iraq, so the language thing may not be essential. I haven't finished the second book yet, though so maybe it's a critical missing element that's hindering our success there.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
From Rory's book, it seems that the Persian he learned in Iran got him by ok in most of Afghanistan. I think he speaks a little Pashtu as well which helped the further east he went.

Classic Persian was always the language of elite in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northern India (because of the Mogul Emprie). Urdu and Hindi ( the "universal Muslim and Hindi dialects used in India) are close to Persian. However, as is usualy with languages different ethnic groups made the language their own. So the Dari, Hazari and Tadjik all formed their own dialects of Persian. You can communicate with these people using Persian Farsi but it isn't always easy.

Persian speakers can't communicate at all with the Turks in the North Western part of the country. Unlike the Turkish languages, Pashto which is spoken in the East, and Baluchi that is spoken in the south, are both indoEuropean languages like Persian but they are still not mutally intelligible.

The differenece between Pashto and Farsi is like the difference between German and English where the difference between Farsi and Dari etc is like the difference between Catalan and Spanish.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
ETA: From Rory's second book, it didn't seem like a working knowledge of Arabic was necessary to be put in charge of a province in Iraq, so the language thing may not be essential. I haven't finished the second book yet, though so maybe it's a critical missing element that's hindering our success there.

I find that astonishing. And its not like Arabic is some obsure language. It is spoken from Morocco to Yemen to Syria, and since you are not supposed to translate the Koran, among the elite it is spoken all over the Muslim world. Unlike other Muslilms who endeavor to learn Arabic so they can read the Koran, since they already can read the Koran many Arabs don't endeavor to learn other languages.

So if you friend Rory didn't speak Arabic what credentials did he have to inspire them to put him in charge?

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
I saw Borat last night.

Do you think GGG is ever going to explain to me what facts about Iraq and Afghanistan that;

1) I clearly demonstrated on this board that I lacked,
2) That he possesses,
3) That when understood by an individual must lead that person to conclude that the war in Iraq was a bad idea and the war in Afghanistan was a good idea?

Or do you think, as usual, he was being an arrogant and ignorant jerk?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Spanky
do you think, as usual, he was being an arrogant and ignorant jerk?

I think that is simply a front he has had up for the last 5 years. I am sure you'll talk him down out of that tree, real soon probably.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Spanky
Do you think GGG is ever going to explain to me what facts about Iraq and Afghanistan that;

1) I clearly demonstrated on this board that I lacked,
2) That he possesses,
3) That when understood by an individual must lead that person to conclude that the war in Iraq was a bad idea and the war in Afghanistan was a good idea?

Or do you think, as usual, he was being an arrogant and ignorant jerk?

You are an annoying little runt, aren't you?

Dude, it was your quiz I was reacting to, and the whole idea of a hypothetical on Iraq and Afghanistan changing fundamental facts about the countries. "Assume Iraq is something it is not..." That is essentially how we got in the war. By a lot of folks assuming away the history of the places.

As to my credentials on the Middle East, judge me based on what I post here, as I do you. You may discover there are a few nuggets I've picked up here and there that are mildly interesting.