Happy 5 year anniversary!!!

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Has it really been five years already? Wow, time really flies with the distractions of life.
I remember when we first started out. They said it would be a quick relationship. That we wouldn’t last. But, we knew better. We knew we had something special.

I’ve been pretty busy these days. Easy to forget about you. Take you for granted. Forget about all the special things you bring to my life. Sometimes I take a hit of crack and reminisce about the early days of our relationship.

I remember back when you were projected to be this little $50-60 billion "conflict." But my how you’ve grown! It’s hard to believe that now you’re projected total cost is $3 trillion... that’s a lot of zeros! Don’t sweat adding those zeros. I still find you as sexy as the day we met!! I love you for what is inside, not your exterior.

I think about what you bring to my life. Your ability to suck all the resources of this nation is quite something. The infrastructure of our nation is suffering in innumerable ways because of the lack of available money. It will likely take near an entire generation to recover from you.…..whenever you stop.

And how do we even recover from the human losses and tragedies? Oh, you little heartbreaker. You know damn well we’ve created another generation of mentally ill war vets, just like those from Vietnam we all see wandering the streets of our major cities. Over 200,000 have applied for disability benefits. Then there are the 3990 fatalities in the US forces, and by extension 3990 families that have been changed forever. So many of them seem to be young parents. I don’t want to forget the other 308 coalition deaths, the 29,314 US wounded, or countless Iraqi deaths and injuries. And by countless I mean countless. Nobody really knows. But since they started trying to keep track in 2005 there have been 47,000 fatalities.

So war, I really think it’s about time you and I went our separate ways. I don’t think I can handle another year of you. But to be realistic I know how tricky it can be to end these kind of dysfuctional realtionships, so I’ll just hope that next year at this time we’ll both have moved on and have started the healing process.

[red]

what are you talking about, it all ended 4 and a half years ago

http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/blogs/council/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/6_22_bush_mission_banner1.jpg

he looks like he's taking it in the ass, probably from condie in that picture btw

[Kiwon]

The "Mission Accomplished" sign, of course, was for the ship and sailors finishing their tour.

The war, of course, still has 95 more years to go.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

The "Mission Accomplished" sign, of course, was for the ship and sailors finishing their tour.

The war, of course, still has 95 more years to go.

Wow. A new explanation everyday. I'd like a reference for that.

Bush stated at the time that this was the end to major combat operations in Iraq.

[sheepshead]

The "Mission Accomplished" sign, of course, was for the ship and sailors finishing their tour.

The war, of course, still has 95 more years to go.

Wow. A new explanation everyday. I'd like a reference for that.

Bush stated at the time that this was the end to major combat operations in Iraq.

This isn't new at all. Anyone with a brain and who isn't buying everything the far left wackos and MSM shoves down their throat-knows, this was put up by the ship and for the ship. The press runs with it and you guys eat it up. If you get all your news from the Comedy channel--well....You don't need a reference, just common sense sometimes.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

The "Mission Accomplished" sign, of course, was for the ship and sailors finishing their tour.

The war, of course, still has 95 more years to go.

Wow. A new explanation everyday. I'd like a reference for that.

Bush stated at the time that this was the end to major combat operations in Iraq.

This isn't new at all. Anyone with a brain and who isn't buying everything the far left wackos and MSM shoves down their throat-knows, this was put up by the ship and for the ship. The press runs with it and you guys eat it up. If you get all your news from the Comedy channel--well....You don't need a reference, just common sense sometimes.

Right. To bad, Bush's explanation contradicts that.

Bush stated at the time that this was the end to major combat operations in Iraq. He stated nothing about the ship per se.

Take off the blinders.

[oregonpackfan]

I do not look forward to the 6th, 7th, ....anniversaries. :(

[texaspackerbacker]

Wow, I just checked this thread. I thought it was the 5th anniversary of Packerrats or something. But it seems ANOTHER Iraq thread has sprung up--with a whole lot of illogic and bogus posturing.

Well, Sheepshead, you held your own, and now the cavalry has arrived.

You got it exactly right about the left demagoguing the Mission Accomplished idea--which was meant for and very true for that carrier group. It was true for the military in general--which was spectacularly successful in defeating Saddam's vaunted military.

Arguably the nation-building--basically a LIBERAL concept which Bush's people chose to embrace--was a different "mission" altogether.

[the_idle_threat]

what are you talking about, it all ended 4 and a half years ago

http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/blogs/council/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/6_22_bush_mission_banner1.jpg

he looks like he's taking it in the ass, probably from condie in that picture btw

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p53/the_idle_threat/buttSex.jpg

[sheepshead]

Wow, I just checked this thread. I thought it was the 5th anniversary of Packerrats or something. But it seems ANOTHER Iraq thread has sprung up--with a whole lot of illogic and bogus posturing.

Well, Sheepshead, you held your own, and now the cavalry has arrived.

You got it exactly right about the left demagoguing the Mission Accomplished idea--which was meant for and very true for that carrier group. It was true for the military in general--which was spectacularly successful in defeating Saddam's vaunted military.

Arguably the nation-building--basically a LIBERAL concept which Bush's people chose to embrace--was a different "mission" altogether.

Thanks Tex, this BDS gets a little out of hand sometimes.

[sheepshead]

I do not look forward to the 6th, 7th, ....anniversaries. :(


Ask the people of Seoul, Tokyo, Berlin etc if our presence there is worth it to them? Ask next time you buy a Hyundai or that LG refrigerator on your kitchen, or your neighbors Subaru or VW.

[Joemailman]

Foe the record, you guys are half right about the banner. Navy officials suggested a Mission Accomplished banner. The White House agreed, and the banner was created by the White House.

[sheepshead]

Foe the record, you guys are half right about the banner. Navy officials suggested a Mission Accomplished banner. The White House agreed, and the banner was created by the White House.

Yeah, but if the thing was hung on the Truman Balcony, they might have a point. It was hung on a ship and the ships are now doing other things.

[Zool]

Just for the record, the left is against the war and the right is for the war?

[GrnBay007]

Just for the record, the left is against the war and the right is for the war?

That question should probably have it's OWN political thread. We need a few more. :D :wink:

[Zool]

I'm actually serious about this one. I cant believe that anyone believes this war is doing anyone any good. If you do think that, send your children over to fight. Better yet, just go yourself.

[hoosier]

I'm actually serious about this one. I cant believe that anyone believes this war is doing anyone any good. If you do think that, send your children over to fight. Better yet, just go yourself.

Be quiet, that's what we have poor people for.

[Scott Campbell]

The anniversary was last month you crackhead.

[sheepshead]

Just for the record, the left is against the war and the right is for the war?

nobody wakes up in the morning and says oh good we're still at war. Whether you agree or dont agree that we should have gone, we cannot cut and run and the dirty little secret is no matter who gets in office we are going to see this thing through. We wont leave early and turn the region over to insurgents any more than we did in 2006 when the Dems took over congress.

[Zool]

I cant wait for the Iraq war movies to start coming out in 20 years showing how fucked up everyone is from it.

[Kiwon]

I do not look forward to the 6th, 7th, ....anniversaries. :(


Ask the people of Seoul, Tokyo, Berlin etc if our presence there is worth it to them? Ask next time you buy a Hyundai or that LG refrigerator on your kitchen, or your neighbors Subaru or VW.

I live in Korea and many, many of my neighbors have worked or studied, or have relatives in the U.S. They lead stable and relatively prosperous lives in an environment of less crime and better education than many places in the States.

Surrounded by Japan, China, and North Korea, the South Koreans know exactly who their best friend is and how their modernization came to be. The significance of the American sacrifices of 55 years ago are not lost upon them.

While the cultural differences between Koreans and Iraqis have to be considered before any hard conclusions are formed, there is no question that the U.S. presence in South Korea has been a huge positive for both sides.

[oregonpackfan]

You got it exactly right about the left demagoguing the Mission Accomplished idea--which was meant for and very true for that carrier group. It was true for the military in general--which was spectacularly successful in defeating Saddam's vaunted military.

[/quote]

How in the world did Saddah Hussain have a "Vaunted Military?"

He had no navy, his air force did not fly a single sortie in the entire war. His army consisted of just 1 well-trained battalion. The rest of the army consisted of conscripted, poorly-trained soldiers who did not want to fight for him.

The outcome was easily predictable.

[Scott Campbell]

The outcome was easily predictable.


If it was that predictable, we wouldn't still be there.

[The Leaper]

If it was that predictable, we wouldn't still be there.

We aren't in Iraq currently because of Hussein's armies.

[Scott Campbell]

If it was that predictable, we wouldn't still be there.

We aren't in Iraq currently because of Hussein's armies.


I don't think it really matters why. Invading is a tactic that is only effective and successful if you can get in, win, and get out - quickly. Once your looking back at 5 years of this, you have to realize that we clearly underestimated what it was going to take.

This country has no appetite for conflicts that involve troops on the ground in a foreign country for the better part of a decade. So if we can't win quickly, then you have to resort to some other method - covert ops or bombing runs, or God forbid, diplomacy to solve your problems.

[GoPackGo]

This country has no appetite for conflicts that involve troops on the ground in a foreign country for the better part of a decade. So if we can't win quickly, then you have to resort to some other method - covert ops or bombing runs, or God forbid, diplomacy to solve your problems.

That describes me pretty well. When I voted for Bush in 2004 I felt he was the best canidate to feed my appetite for 911 payback on Bin Laden and anyone who harbored and protected him, not the conflict we are in right now in iraq with no end in sight.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

The anniversary was last month you crackhead.

I know, but i'm a crackhead...what, you expect me to be on time?

[Scott Campbell]

The anniversary was last month you crackhead.

I know, but i'm a crackhead...what, you expect me to be on time?


Of course I don't expect you to be on time. But why would you expect me to let it slide? :lol:

[texaspackerbacker]

The outcome was predictable, but NOT because of anything negative about the quality of the enemy army, but because of the greatness of the American military.

Let me explain it like this: The Vikings play the Dolphins, and it's predictable because the Dolphins are so bad. However, the Packers play the Vikings, and it's also predictable--not because the Vikings are so bad, but because the Packers are so good. THAT--the latter example--was the case with U.S. v Saddam's Iraq.

Before the first Gulf War, Jane's Fighting Forces--the definitive rater of military forces--had Saddam's military rated at 4th best in the world. Even after we quickly defeated THAT vaunted force, the bulk of Saddam's army remained intact--to a MUCH greater extent than Oregon or whoever it was stated. Perhaps you've heard of the Republican Guard--not some organization that guards Republicans. These were Saddam's elite forces. He didn't commit them in the first Gulf War. Thus, they were there in all their splendor when we invaded Iraq. Our army and marines ran through them like a hot knife through butter. Somebody mentioned Saddam's lack of an air force. Well, that's because he flew all his planes to Iran for safe keeping--and then couldn't get them back.

The mission indeed WAS accomplished at that point.

Then, the SECOND MISSION began--the previously liberal policy of nation-building. Honestly, I think we would have accomplished THAT mission fairly quickly too. However, a new factor was injected. Al Qaeda decided that NOT having a thriving free representative democracy in Iraq was MORE INTOLERABLE for them than their previously top mission--committing terrorist acts against America at home. They bombed the mosque at Samarra and perpetrated a bunch of other acts of barbarism to stir up latent sectarian violence. They WANTED to instigate a civil war. Fortunately, leadership of the three Iraqi factions stopped short of that.

That al Qaeda commitment has cost us huge amounts of money and 4,000 or so troops. It has also been a MAJOR DETERMINANT IN PREVENTING ACTS OF TERROR IN AMERICA that would have cost us many times MORE money and many times MORE loss of life.

There is just no getting around that bad news/good news assessment of the war--with the good news greatly outweighing the bad.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

The anniversary was last month you crackhead.

I know, but i'm a crackhead...what, you expect me to be on time?


Of course I don't expect you to be on time. But why would you expect me to let it slide? :lol:

I wouldn't. I expect it out of you. Somebody has to keep this crackhead in line.

[Kiwon]

The anniversary was last month you crackhead.

I know, but i'm a crackhead...what, you expect me to be on time?

You heard Brett Farve retired, right?