Quote:That worked SOOOOO well in Cuba, Nicaragua, and 1991 Iraq.
Cuba had Soviet support.
I'm sure the US didn't try supporting rebels in 1991 Iraq. I don't think Iraq ever had a significant rebel faction under Saddam, unless you count the Kurds, but they wanted their own country, not to replace Saddam.
What was done in Nicaragua? I don't remember any US involvement there.
Meanwhile, we did succeed in Chile, Libya, and Egypt. (admittedly Obama took the wrong side in the last two cases, so maybe it's best if we wait until 2017).
Quote:so naive its scary.
I've read through the posts I've missed out on, and I have to point something out to you, jj...
You just attacked boudreaumw's statements by attacking him personally... does that mean his argument is erudite and you have failed to find fault with his argument?
Obviously you would disagree with what I just wrote...
But it's clear that you have an opinion you are not going to back down on. That's fine.
But, jj, you do not own the facts as part of your winning argument. The major points of your argument are opinions and thus cannot be considered fact.
It is not a fact that Iran holds hostages. That is your opinion based on your political leaning. It is the opinion of Iran that the Americans being held broke the law.
I appreciate your passion on this subject, but you act as though you own the facts, you don't. You own your opinion that this is a bad deal. That's all you own.
There is no fact you have provided that makes your opinion of the deal more valid than those that disagree with you.
Quote:Cuba had Soviet support.
I'm sure the US didn't try supporting rebels in 1991 Iraq. I don't think Iraq ever had a significant rebel faction under Saddam, unless you count the Kurds, but they wanted their own country, not to replace Saddam.
What was done in Nicaragua? I don't remember any US involvement there.
Meanwhile, we did succeed in Chile, Libya, and Egypt. (admittedly Obama took the wrong side in the last two cases, so maybe it's best if we wait until 2017).
We took out Noriega on Christmas of 1987 or so...
I think that's what he's referring to...
By the way... that forth way that jj refers to was thrown out the window when Iranians saw what we did to Iraq.
Nobody wants American military intervention in their country. Iraq proves that type of democracy building does not work...
Quote:We took out Noriega on Christmas of 1987 or so...
I think that's what he's referring to...
So Panama, not Nicaragua. And it worked. But it was a US military action.
I wouldn't call that supporting the opposition, which I'd equate to supplying them weapons, advice, and intel.
Getting rid of a dictator and then setting up a pro American puppet regime isn't exactly the best way to win the hearts and minds of the citizens of a nation you just attacked and are now occupying.
Just something to think about...
Quote:Getting rid of a dictator and then setting up a pro American puppet regime isn't exactly the best way to win the hearts and minds of the citizens of a nation you just attacked and are now occupying.
One might even argue that it's a great way to build an atmosphere supportive of fringe terror groups that want nothing more than to topple the American-installed government and claim the country as their own...
Tj bender, thats why precipitous withdrawl is a bad idea.
Anchor, for some reason the left does not want to acknowledge that a major destabalizing force in iraq was iranian weapons and influence.
More importantly in 09 iran they didnt have to create anything from scratch. There was an organic uprising expressed through their own democratic process that we could have supported.
Quote:Tj bender, thats why precipitous withdrawl is a bad idea.
Anchor, for some reason the left does not want to acknowledge that a major destabalizing force in iraq was iranian weapons and influence.
More importantly in 09 iran they didnt have to create anything from scratch. There was an organic uprising expressed through their own democratic process that we could have supported.
The "major destabilizing force" in Iraq was in fact the good ole US of A. Tough pill to swallow, I know.
Quote:Tj bender, thats why precipitous withdrawl is a bad idea.
So what's the alternative then? Indefinite occupation?
JJ,
It's revisionist history to say Iran destabilized Iraq... the fact is that the usa's terrible management of the occupation lead to a vacuum which lead to Al Qaeda in Iraq, remember that? Yeah, all Qaeda in Iraq happened... not to even mention how we basically set up the sunni / shia antagonism by completely disbanding the military and then putting the minority sect in charge of the puppet regime we implemented! To say iran was at fault is so simplistic, not to mention entirely untrue.
Also, we had this discussion regarding a neo-con wet dream of invading iran in 2009--- the fact is that was an impossibility, and if you are honest with yourself, you'd acknowledge that there was nothing we could have done to help the green party of hope.
Lastly, I'd like to point to back to what I said earlier, I appreciate your opinions on this matter, and I like reading your thoughts, for the most part... :-)
But the point of view you have are merely opinions on this subject, the facts just don't coincide with a lot of your positions, in my mind-st least.
Quote:Residual securitt force
...which is still an occupation force.
Quote:We took out Noriega on Christmas of 1987 or so...
I think that's what he's referring to...
Quote:So Panama, not Nicaragua. And it worked. But it was a US military action.
I wouldn't call that supporting the opposition, which I'd equate to supplying them weapons, advice, and intel.
Actually, I was referring to the "Contras" of the Iran-Contra affair.
You remember - that time the Reagan administration was selling arms to the Iranian government, and using the money the sales raised to fund rebels leading a fight against the Communist Sandanista regime in Nicaragua, circa 1987?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80...tra_affair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandinista...tion_Front
You know what eventually took down the Sandanistas? Technically nothing, as they're still in power, just not as Marxist as they once were. AN ELECTION. The Bush administration poured millions of dollars into the campaign supporting the opposition, Violeta Chamorro. And unlike Marcos in the Phillipines in 1986, they were actually fair, and when Sandanista president Ortega did not win, he actually stepped down.
End of conflict, but not the Sandanista party.
Back to Iran.
We monkeyed with Iran's political process during the Eisenhower administration, and don't think the Iranians have forgotten. We've also shot down a civilian jetliner of theirs for good measure, killing 290 innocent people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655
And as I've mentioned before, I think Iran sucks, just as every theocracy sucks - but they do have a basis for not liking us aside from their hatred of Israel and our continuing support of that country.
Quote:JJ,
It's revisionist history to say Iran destabilized Iraq... the fact is that the usa's terrible management of the occupation lead to a vacuum which lead to Al Qaeda in Iraq, remember that? Yeah, all Qaeda in Iraq happened... not to even mention how we basically set up the sunni / shia antagonism by completely disbanding the military and then putting the minority sect in charge of the puppet regime we implemented! To say iran was at fault is so simplistic, not to mention entirely untrue.
1.) I never said that it was the only destablizing force. Obviously in a country like Iraq with so many different groups with different alliances and agendas there are going to be several factors in forming a long standing stable democracy. In America's history it took us 100 plus years to fully settle the question of current federalism vs. confederation including a civil war.
2.)Last i checked, the rivalry between factions of Islam has been going on a long time before America entered the scene and I'm sure that the actions of Sadaam against rival groups didn't exactly warm everyone's hearts to come over and braid each others hair.
3.) I will admit that I am no expert but i have been up the last hour pouring over parliamentary election results and its hard for me to see the installation of a puppet government .
Also, we had this discussion regarding a neo-con wet dream of invading iran in 2009--- the fact is that was an impossibility, and if you are honest with yourself, you'd acknowledge that there was nothing we could have done to help the green party of hope.
We can agree to disagree.
Lastly, I'd like to point to back to what I said earlier, I appreciate your opinions on this matter, and I like reading your thoughts, for the most part... :-)
But the point of view you have are merely opinions on this subject, the facts just don't coincide with a lot of your positions, in my mind-st least.
And you have a right to think that. If you would like to point out a factual misrepresentation that I have made about the contents of the deal with Iran then i would be happy to amend my position. As it stands, 150 billion dollars of unfrozen assets is a fact, the delays in the inspections process is a fact, the banning of American inspectors is a fact, the fact that according to the deal the break out time in 2025 will be zero is a fact and when questioned about hostages the president authoring this foreign policy didn't make the distinction to then call them prisoners under due process.
Quote:...which is still an occupation force.
1.) If you want to call troops supporting Iraqi forces that then that's fine.
2.) that's a lot better than the current occupying force.
Quote:Actually, I was referring to the "Contras" of the Iran-Contra affair.
You remember - that time the Reagan administration was selling arms to the Iranian government, and using the money the sales raised to fund rebels leading a fight against the Communist Sandanista regime in Nicaragua, circa 1987?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80...tra_affair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandinista...tion_Front
You know what eventually took down the Sandanistas? Technically nothing, as they're still in power, just not as Marxist as they once were. AN ELECTION. The Bush administration poured millions of dollars into the campaign supporting the opposition, Violeta Chamorro. And unlike Marcos in the Phillipines in 1986, they were actually fair, and when Sandanista president Ortega did not win, he actually stepped down.
End of conflict, but not the Sandanista party.
Back to Iran.
We monkeyed with Iran's political process during the Eisenhower administration, and don't think the Iranians have forgotten. We've also shot down a civilian jetliner of theirs for good measure, killing 290 innocent people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655
And as I've mentioned before, I think Iran sucks, just as every theocracy sucks - but they do have a basis for not liking us aside from their hatred of Israel and our continuing support of that country.
With all due, scratch that. The United States doesn't go around shooting down planes just because our sea captains have a fetish for the smell of burning flesh. You neglect to mention the fact that the ships crew was fired upon and that they tried to hail the aircraft 10 times and were unsuccessful. I would hold it as a tragedy any time civilians are killed and this certainly qualifies. At the same time, the reaction of a battle commander when he perceives a threat in an attempt to protect his crew is wholly different than just blowing up innocent civilians because of a religious dogma, like the subsidiaries of Iran do on a regular basis!
Quote:So what's the alternative then? Indefinite occupation?
Just like in Germany and Japan? Worked out pretty well it seems.
Quote:Just like in Germany and Japan? Worked out pretty well it seems.
Apples to oranges. Germany and Japan did not have religious factions within their borders that were dying to get a chance to murder each other.