Best Powerpoint Evar: Army Captain's "How to Win in Anbar"

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Originally Posted by Banquo's Ghost

Agreed, but none of these solutions built around local warlords - whilst pragmatic - further the stated aim of the regime change: i.e. to introduce a stable western-style democracy into the Middle East as a catalyst for others.

If all that happens now is a retreat into Saudi-style authoritarism in return for "favours", we might as well have left Saddam alone and bought him off.

Would have been a damn sight cheaper.

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The idea that you can just plant a western style democracy somewhere in the middle east seemed always quite laughable to me. These people were not raised in such a democracy and will have difficulty understanding how it works. Hell, most people in the west have no idea of what it takes for a democracy to work, if you'd ask random people I bet for a lot of them it will be about 'majority rule' or 'equal rights' (which are both complementary and opposite, in a way). A form of government has to evolve, you can't just change it overnight, expect a few years of anarchy and then for everything to go fine. This isn't Civ.

What could have been done, and probably should have been done, was creating a 'higher house', 'house of lords' or 'senate' where people like the shieks could have held real power and could have provided stability to the country.
Another big mistake was the introduction of federalism, it's just not a stable system, especially not in small countries, and it requires a heck of lot of checks and balances, and goodwill of the people and the politicians involved for it to actually work. The situation in Iraq met none of these criteria.

Thats what I said.

The problem is the American belief that only their flavour of democracy works. One begins to wonder if Blair's local assrmblies were/are a way to impress his chums over the pond. There is no need for true federalism in the modern world with modern communications. The US is proof of this, laws in that country are ridiculously chaotic. You don't even have one age of consent!

The British had a plan for post-Iraq, the Pentagon had a plan. The American Admistration had a crusade.

Hence the problem.

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Originally Posted by Wigferth Ironwall

Thats what I said.

The problem is the American belief that only their flavour of democracy works. One begins to wonder if Blair's local assrmblies were/are a way to impress his chums over the pond. There is no need for true federalism in the modern world with modern communications. The US is proof of this, laws in that country are ridiculously chaotic. You don't even have one age of consent!

The British had a plan for post-Iraq, the Pentagon had a plan. The American Admistration had a crusade.

Hence the problem.

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Given the difficulty of pan-Atlantic communications, and how the British traditions of scepticism of government and a free and hostile press tend to muddle things, one has to admit Blair has been a remarkably competent governor of the UK, doing everything asked of him by his boss in Washington without inciting the British into open revolt. I think he'd make a very good governor of Iraq, preferably based in somewhere like Ramadi without unnecessary burdens like a guard to separate him from the Iraq people. I think the British people would be grateful if President Bush would give Governor Blair this honour.

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Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit

This is truely the best powerpoint ever.

(Note - do you know where use of the word 'evar' came from?)

Crazed Rabbit

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The Simpsons I think.

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Originally Posted by doc_bean

Well, if the police get rid of the insurgents you now have only one group of thugs to worry about. I guess that's part of the reasoning. It's important that they concentrate on getting rid of the insurgents first before starting the in fighting though.

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Indeed. Then again, the police in the USA get away with a lot of crap, too...well, like you said, the insurgents would be taken care of.

Didn't you guys see the picture of me when I was in the Corps?

Stache is okay, but regulated. :army: + :biker: = ~:thumb:

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Originally Posted by Divinus Arma

:army: + :biker: = ~:thumb:

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:inquisitive:

:laugh4:

More than one combination you can get with those smilies.

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Originally Posted by Ironside

:inquisitive:

:laugh4:

More than one combination you can get with those smilies.

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AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

You're right! LOL! :laugh4:

+ :helmet: + :indian_chief: + :cowboy:

In the navy...