26-11-2003 22:02									#31
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quote: Originally posted by David Floyd And, for that matter, just stop pissing them off by being the world's greatest and most interventionist military power, and we should be fine. 9/11 didn't happen in Europe, after all.

They're smart enough to hit a target with some significance, so Europe skates. The initial goal (widely stated by al Qutb and al Maududi, and taught in radical madrassas in many current countries) is the forceible unification of the existing Islamic world under a single fundie state. Then they go after converting the rest of the world. The only difference (besides a gutting of the US economy) isolationism would make is that we'd be lower on the target list, but they'd have a much easier time carrying out their goals.

	26-11-2003 22:17									#32
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Most of the islamic world doesn't agree with their goals, let alone the rest of the non-islam world.

	26-11-2003 22:39									#33
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Whaleboy points and laughs at the American military

	26-11-2003 22:52									#34
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quote: Originally posted by MikeH Most of the islamic world doesn't agree with their goals, let alone the rest of the non-islam world.

Then again, most of the Islamic world isn't known for caring what the common citizen thinks. Just what the head of the guys with the most guns think. The madrassas recognize (and both al Qutb and al Maududi taught) that their vision will have to be imposed by force in the Islamic world.

	27-11-2003 00:18									#35
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I think whaleboy is a better name then elijah.

	27-11-2003 03:01									#36
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quote: With your hippie-ass idea of a defensive posture, they could,

Oh bullshit. I doubt the terrorists have a single landing craft between them, and I doubt that all the STATES that sponser terrorism have more than a dozen between them. I'm talking about reducing the military to the minimum necessary for DEFENSE, not complete ELIMINATION of the military.

quote: The only difference (besides a gutting of the US economy) isolationism would make is that we'd be lower on the target list,

Exactly right.

quote: but they'd have a much easier time carrying out their goals.

Explain to me, please, how a larger military would have prevented 9/11. If you are referring to their goal of uniting the Arab world, well, that's the Arab world's problem. I'll buy oil from whomever is selling it, unless you want to try to make me believe that Islamic fundies would suddenly stop selling oil to a NON-INTERVENTIONIST US, for no good reason. And in any case, Middle Eastern oil is more the problem of Western Europe and Japan than the US - we have our own Western Hemisphere and other sources. So, if the Europeans and Japanese want massive, offensive militaries to protect the oil they primarily use, let them spend the money and take the losses - I don't see why the US should.

	27-11-2003 04:38									#37
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quote: Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat Nope, but the Pentagon and that ******* in the white house are going to have to realize that if you want to keep full time soldiers, you're going to have to pay them like full time soldiers and deal with family and quality of life issues.

The guard and reserves have long been treated like second class soldiers. Less benifits and less respect. (with the level of training for a lot of units in the past, it was somewhat deserved) Now with both taking on increased responsibilities to the point to where they are full time soldiers, its time for the same level of compensation. The level of family support for guard and reservist is appalling compared to full time active duty. Unlike active componants, most of the familes are spread out across a state and sometimes two. We have our armory but its hardly up to the task of large scale family support. For most wives and kids, access to military posts is few and far between. Driving 2 hours in most cases. These kinds of things should have been considered. If not by the Petagon, then by the National Gaurd and Reserve leaders.

	27-11-2003 05:01									#38
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Oh, and I missed one point: Any Islamic clerics who think a unified Islamic world could actually win a war THEY STARTED against a First World country is violating their religion's rules on drug use.