# Another 17 U.S. soldiers have lost their lives today **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 3, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-17-u-s-soldiers-have-lost-their-lives-today/211068 "2003-11-03T01:47:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-17-u-s-soldiers-have-lost-their-lives-today/211068/101 "2003-11-08T14:56:37Z")
> [@](#): > > The young lawyer Le Chi Quang was sentenced to four years in jail on November 8, 2002 for having advocated political reforms via the Internet. The other two well-known dissidents followed: Dr. Pham Hong Son was arrested on March 29, 2002 and journalist Nguyen Vu Binh was arrested six months later on September 25, along with some others. They are in prison for having expressed opinions on corruption, democracy and freedom. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-17-u-s-soldiers-have-lost-their-lives-today/211068/102 "2003-11-08T16:06:44Z")
\>\> Vietnam: all of you would be in jail And your point is. . .? ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-17-u-s-soldiers-have-lost-their-lives-today/211068/103 "2003-11-08T16:11:59Z")
In a good number of countries you woudn’t go to jail… so what ? ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-17-u-s-soldiers-have-lost-their-lives-today/211068/104 "2003-11-08T16:44:36Z")
Wait. This is not paint-by-numbers. I did not bring up Vietnam. It was posited that Vietnam was an example of a little nationalist socialist pariadise, or whatever. Vietnam has unrest, and no political freedom whatsoever, right now. We should give up because Iraq has unrest that we can “never” stop? Boo-fucking-hoo, cry me a river. Put in two more divisions and guard the borders. Leaving = total chaos and even more deaths. We’ve learned this lesson _ding_ Vietnam. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-17-u-s-soldiers-have-lost-their-lives-today/211068/105 "2003-11-08T17:11:03Z")
As I’ve just said in another thread, think Afghanistan circa 1980 and all that radicalised Muslim youth pouring in from all points to fight the occuypying superpower (USSR) with weapons supplied by the other superpower( the US), including a young Saudi by the name of Osama. If this lot get _decent_ weapons and lots of 'em (presumably Chinese), the US will have to walk and the neo-cons will have to leave the oil behind. I doubt the Chinese will deliver, but that’s your analogy. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-17-u-s-soldiers-have-lost-their-lives-today/211068/106 "2003-11-08T19:15:50Z")
… plus I don’t think the chinese even need to deliver. Local supplies with a bit of contraband is enough. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-17-u-s-soldiers-have-lost-their-lives-today/211068.md?page=5)