H2Andy:i would love to know how you can give advice to your child about the Iraqi war without taking US foreign policy into condideration. if you want to call that political, that's your call
to me, politics is more Bush v. Clinton, or Democrats v. Republicans ... some people have made mention of that in the thread, but note that I don't really care about that
my kid will be dead no matter what the name of the guy in office or his political affiliation. makes no difference to me
do enlighten me, since you know my thinking better than i do ... what is it that i am saying?
that it's bad to ignore generals who need double the troops we have to go into Iraq?
that it's bad to send toops into combat without proper body armor?
that it's bad to have insufficient armored vehicles that can protect infantry from IED's?
that is bad to start a war not knowing the local conditions and the history and religion that will make occupation of that country a virtual impossibility?
that given those circumstances, it's a bad idea for my child to go and get killed in a mistaken war?
that seems like common sense to me, not politics
Andy to me it's not about the war at all. If my daughter wanted to choose a military career I would support her and encourage her. After all I did enlist right in the middle of the Vietnam War. Which was a lot less popular and our service folks didn't get the positive reinforcement they do today (thank god! for this change), and we had a lot more deaths. I dropped out of high school to do it and my Mom supported (had to sign actually) my enlistment. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.
Yep they could die, but they could die tech diving or recreational diving, or just crossing the street.
And there is nothing trivial about anyone dying before there time.
My opinion on your thread - imho if you had posted your recent comments in post #2 the entire thread would have read better to me, and maybe the mods would have left a few more posts in place. From my perspective it now looks like a fishing expedition.
H2Andy:do enlighten me, since you know my thinking better than i do ... what is it that i am saying?
I have seen you post similar statements in more than one thread - maybe it's coincidence or maybe some of us just "read" your posts in the wrong context- maybe you should just enlighten me.
If you want to debate the war and it's policies lets go for it - in a different thread. Trust me - no one has more contempt for Rumsfeld than I do. Of course that would violate the TOS which you are rather familiar with.
Cheers
Steve