At least they don't have to shout "bang"....yet

[Vuk]

You are right, because there will NEVER be world peace, as much as we may desire it, we must be prepared to defend ourselves. And what do we care if a crappy little country like Iran gets intimidated? We have to make our intentions known to the world. We could do it by staying out of complete BS wars like Clinton's war in Bosnia! Republicans like McCain are the problem. Bush messed up, too, but he did a heck of a lot more good than bad. We don't need to have the largest military in the world...simply the best. We certainly do NOT have one large enough now.

[Husar]

And what do we care if a crappy little country like Iran gets intimidated?

China sez: "And what do we care if a crappy little country like the US gets intimidated?"

If what you say was official US policy, even I would turn to official anti-americanism and join Osama and his gang because I'd rather live without a big nation that thinks others are just crappy and should just be bombed to the stoneage if they don't do what the big one wants.
When we germans said similar things, you were surprisingly against us.
Also keep in mind that by trade, those small, completely unimportant countries help finance your huge army.

[Tribesman]

Ironside you clever bugger , you managed to quote Saddam in your different perspective of Vuks post

believe that you misunderstand me. I am not saying we need an immense army, but simply one that could defend us if we were attacked. A good-sized, well-equipped, welltrained, wellinformed fighting force and the ability to raise more and supply them on the spot.
We can't claim that today, stuff has to change.
(I get you point, but I'm not saying we need a massive invasion force, but just a respectable army like ol' Teddy had.)

There is so much to misunderstand when it makes no sense.
So who exactly is it that you think is going to attack you and what exactly is your army able to do about the likely suspects ?
Bugger all unless either you have a massive invasion force (that you say you don't need) or you are going to nuke an entire region in an attempt to kill a couple of nuts who were hiding in a shack there but have since moved out .

[Vuk]

Ironside you clever bugger , you managed to quote Saddam in your different perspective of Vuks post

There is so much to misunderstand when it makes no sense.
So who exactly is it that you think is going to attack you and what exactly is your army able to do about the likely suspects ?
Bugger all unless either you have a massive invasion force (that you say you don't need) or you are going to nuke an entire region in an attempt to kill a couple of nuts who were hiding in a shack there but have since moved out .

Anyone who could attack us. If China and its allies attacked the U.S., how long do you think it would last? Not very...esp. with all the nukes Clinton gave them.

Why? Even a small modern army can call in enough firepower to make any army from any point in the past ashamed. Anyone invading America would be obliterated.

Not quite, we have an army of men that can't even read a compass. Our military is the most pathetic thing in the world. We have so few men and so few defensive missiles that we could be crippled in ONE missile attack.

China sez: "And what do we care if a crappy little country like the US gets intimidated?"

If what you say was official US policy, even I would turn to official anti-americanism and join Osama and his gang because I'd rather live without a big nation that thinks others are just crappy and should just be bombed to the stoneage if they don't do what the big one wants.
When we germans said similar things, you were surprisingly against us.
Also keep in mind that by trade, those small, completely unimportant countries help finance your huge army.

I never said we shouldn't care about them or that we should attack them, but that we should not base or domestic or military policy on their opinions of us. We should do everything we REASONABLY can without endangering ourselves or hurting foriegn diplomacy, and if they don't like it: tough. What would you do if they said they were intimidated by our airport security? Get rid of it? We can have good relations with another country, but we don't need to be ruled by them.
Pardon me, but Germany is the farthest thing from a model country. In fact it is just about the most messed up country in the world.

We fought the Germans because of a screwed up web of diplomacy. America wanted war with Germany and so forced Japan into a war, and then instead of demoliting the Japenese who did horrible things to us, concentrated everything on Germany. Later nuking innocent civilians in an attempt to show Russia our power. The US's diplomacy has sucked quite a bit when you think of it.

[Samurai Waki]

The US doesn't need a massive Army. We need an Army that is quick and flexible, well able to approach hot spots throughout the world with enough force to knock out a small country, but not one big enough to take on a major regional power. Because if war ever comes between the US and China for example, its going to be a war fought with Nuclear Weapons not soldiers.

[BigTex]

The US doesn't need a massive Army. We need an Army that is quick and flexible, well able to approach hot spots throughout the world with enough force to knock out a small country, but not one big enough to take on a major regional power. Because if war ever comes between the US and China for example, its going to be a war fought with Nuclear Weapons not soldiers.

While I'll agree the US needs a more flexible army. Something I think we're working towards. I also don't see were the US military is so handicapped. Last I checked they had full first strike capability over China.

But a war with China will not involve nuclear weapons. It would if all goes well involve a first strike to China, wipping out communications and most of their airforce. It would then move to Korea and to India. A war with China would be a long one, and to win would involve alot of deforestation aerosols used by the US. War with China would be won by starving the worlds largest country to peace.

[Pannonian]

Not quite, we have an army of men that can't even read a compass. Our military is the most pathetic thing in the world. We have so few men and so few defensive missiles that we could be crippled in ONE missile attack.

You're exaggerating a tad. Remember the US outspends something like the next 20 biggest spenders in the world combined in Defence. If that doesn't give you a workable military, something has gone ridiculously wrong in the planning. If we had those kind of resources, there would have been twice as many pink bits on the map.

Perhaps, instead of demanding ever more cash for the military, you should start looking at what you want your military to do, and plan it accordingly.

[BDC]

Not quite, we have an army of men that can't even read a compass. Our military is the most pathetic thing in the world. We have so few men and so few defensive missiles that we could be crippled in ONE missile attack.

But they would still be obliterated afterwards, so no one is going to do it.

[Tribesman]

Anyone who could attack us. If China and its allies attacked the U.S., how long do you think it would last? Not very...esp. with all the nukes Clinton gave them.

With all the Nukes Clinton gave them
Do you mean the exchange of data as part of a test ban treaty

[Scurvy]

Perhaps, instead of demanding ever more cash for the military, you should start looking at what you want your military to do, and plan it accordingly.

or just have no military at all, and spend the money on something useful (-obviously not possible)

[Del Arroyo]

OT: Is there a member ignore option on this site? Because I might just use it on Tribesman.

EDIT: No threats or personal attacks please. BG

[BDC]

or just have no military at all, and spend the money on something useful (-obviously not possible)

Bribes?

[Ironside]

You are right, because there will NEVER be world peace, as much as we may desire it, we must be prepared to defend ourselves. And what do we care if a crappy little country like Iran gets intimidated? We have to make our intentions known to the world.

Is your intension that the "will of the US" is to do this?

The U.S. has to be in a position where other nations will fear a war with them so much that they would never dream of attacking. THEN the U.S. can prosper. The U.S. has been steadily declining as a world power just as its military has.

Because you're already there...

Bush messed up, too, but he did a heck of a lot more good than bad. We don't need to have the largest military in the world...simply the best. We certainly do NOT have one large enough now.

What you do lack is boots on the ground for a (relativly) civil occupation in unruly territory, and way more where it matters, politicians that doesn't have "guts" to deploy the amount required (and that's been a severe issue since the invasion).
To get much more troops you would require a paradigm shift in the requitment of troops in the US.
You could hold Iraq by a little more uncivil occupation style, but that would make Bush's speech-writers focusing a bit on freeing the Iraqi people from thier worldly possessions and liberating them from the fragile crust known as mortality.
It would also make my first statement false...