Originally Posted by
manfrommaine
YOU said that we had treaties with neighbors of Saddam that stated that "An attack on any of they countries is considered an attack on the US"
And when pressed on the veracity of that claim you then tap danced and back pedaled and said "No actual mutual defense treaties exist with those Nations."
No tap-dancing nor back-pedalling. What I stated is pretty clear. We're allied with the countries I listed, and we have used force to remove an occupier ffrom one, were invited to set up shop in another for the purpose of military defense, and we jumped through hoops to provide Israel with Patriot missiles during the First Gulf War.
You're playing semantics. Actual in-writing treaties don't exist but it's quite obvious the agreements do.
and then you claimed that a quarter of our military budget was taken up in keeping Saddam in check and when challenged about the veracity of THAT claim you say, [i]"I don't know the actual percentage nor do I really care, nor is it relevant to the fact that he tied up a lot of military assets for 13 years. If my quick guess was incorrect, so be it. I'll try to get over it. Don't worry about me. If the actual number was all that relevant to the discussion I would have looked it up. Trying to make a stand on irrelevancies appears to suit you thus far."
I didn't claim a quarter of our military budget was taken up by anything. Learn to read, squid.
Now if the real number were anything approaching 25%, that would in fact be quite relevant and would help you make you case. What if the real number were more like 3%.... now THAT is an "irrelevancy". I am suggesting that you play fast and loose with all sorts of things and then, when confronted with your bullshit, you claim that expecting you to be honest and debate issues with fact instead of smoke blowing bullshit - that the truth is somehow "irrelevant". You, sir are a bullshit artist. Perhaps you were a gunny in the corps... but I find it hard to believe that someone with as little regard for the truth as you exhibit could have advanced that far in the Marine Corps that I served alongside
The only thing I'm guilty of is not anticipating a dirtbag like you wanting to play stupid little games of literalism instead of discussing an issue. If you're all you claimed to be, then obviously you got waste more than your fair shair of time in the Gulf, as did I. There isn't just a two-man outpost stationed in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Baharain.
The MEUs I deployed with were roughly manned by 2500 Marines (sorry, no exact, to the man strength report) and at least that many of you dumbass squids to drive and clean a LHD and two LPDs. Not to mention the guided missile cruiser we picked up prior to entering the Gulf.
That isn't taking into account the Army, Air Force and Navy personnel doing one-and-two year stints in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Baharain.
If you don't think that cost a shitload of money and tied up manpower and materiel, then you just ain't thinking. And if you want an exact number, feel free to go find one.
I see. Ignore historical fact to suit your argument. Sheer genius on your part. "It isn't happening to me right now in my yard so it's not a problem." That it?
That has never been my argument. I suggest that after 9/11, the identity of our most dangerous enemy was made clear to us - and it wasn't Saddam and his secular baathist regime in Iraq which, besides being rather prick-like to his OWN people, was accomplishing some VERY real and valuable things for us. If you do in fact "agree that Islamic fundamnetalists present the greater danger." then you should share my concern that we have focused the greater amount of our men, money and material on something that was not the greater danger.
I agree, and have not stated otherwise.
and when I said, "to use our military force to protect America..... and I served 25 years in the Navy willingly, enthusiastically acting as a part of the muscular arm of American foreign policy. I have supported many of our country's military excursions over the years...just not this one."
you flippantly replied, "How nice."
Was that some backhanded statement of agreement with me, or are you just a blowhard gadfly without the requisite balls or grace to pull it off?