# "Bring 'em on!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 3, 2003, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008 "2003-07-03T12:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/141 "2003-07-07T14:36:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > Keep fantasizing **Shodan**. I can’t wait to gloat about the election of Howard Dean in about 16 months. 😉 Don’t be too complacent… If I were you people, I would keep a damned close eye at the proceedings during the next elections. You now _know_ what these people are capable of. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/142 "2003-07-07T16:28:56Z")
I think it’s a little early to be calling the election in either direction, thankyouverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![Milum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Milum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milum)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/143 "2003-07-07T16:40:00Z")
Then from way over there in the Netherlands, **Latro** took time to write… **"Don’t be too complacent… If I were you people, I would keep a damned close eye at the proceedings during the next elections. You now know what these people are capable of."** Hey thanks\*\* Latro\*\*, your advice reminding the Democrats to keep a damned close eye on the Republicans in the coming elections so they don’t pull no more damn dirty elections tricks was thoughtful. By the way, how’s the Queen? Has she appointed a new Prime Minister for yall yet? And **Latro** , that damned lying \*\*CIA \*\*of ours has issued this report… **Netherlands** :\* major European producer of illicit amphetamine and other synthetic drugs; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering.\* I just thought you might want to know what they said. . 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/144 "2003-07-07T16:50:33Z")
What the hell are you talking about, **Milum**? ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/145 "2003-07-07T16:56:30Z")
Oh, it’s just the usual pubbie rant ‘We don’t have to listen to a word you yurps say because you’re not a 100% perfect either. Lalalala can’t hear you…’ ---
**Author:** ![braintree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@braintree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/braintree)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/146 "2003-07-07T17:55:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manhattan \* > \*\*"From Berlin, Rome and Tokyo we have been described as a nation of weaklings – “playboys” – who would hire British soldiers, or Russian soldiers, or Chinese soldiers to do our fighting for us. > > Let them repeat that now! > Let them tell that to General MacArthur and his men. > Let them tell that to the sailors who today are hitting hard in the far waters of the Pacific. > Let them tell that to the boys in the Flying Fortresses. > Let them tell that to the Marines! " > > Franklin Roosevelt, February 23, 1942. \*\* Um, Manhattan, this was not an example of FDR taunting the Axis to try and attack us to see what happens. This was a rouse-the-troops/we’re-coming-to-get-you speech just after we had entered WWII in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. Therefore, it is not truly analagous to the President’s “Bring 'em on” egging of real and potential Muslim terrorists to attack US soldiers who thought they’d won the war already and, therefore, might not appreciate the necessity of getting shot at or bombed. Context and nuance, Son. Context and nuance. ---
**Author:** ![braintree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@braintree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/braintree)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/147 "2003-07-07T19:08:01Z")
I can’t help but notice a distinct strain of doublethink permeating the logic of President Butch and his supporters. The opinions of people who are well-informed are, for some reason, being held as less valuable than the ones of people who are ignorant. Similarly, during the run up to the war it seemed that only the opinions of people who had never actually appeared in combat were treated as the only ones that really counted. The war in Iraq is regarded by many as vengence for the September 11th attacks only the Iraqis had nothing to do with it and the Saudis, who have nearly everything to do with it, are touted as our most trusted allies in the region next to Israel. And while lying about a handful of illicit bee-jays was looked upon as fatally shredding the fabric of trust between the government and the governed, lying to get us into a war is being greated as a yawn. There’s no doubt about it: things are certainly passing strange these days. Perhaps, the Bush-heads are right and 2004 will be a slam dunk for the unholy b\*stards. But I think not. For one thing, thanks to our news media people are uninformed but they’re not necessarilly stoopid. If a Democrat can show that they’re being ripped off (which they are) and lied to (which they are) and that their loved ones were sent off to risk their lives under false pretenses (which they were) and the steady drip-drip-driop of American blood continues (which, in view of the fact that we can’t really leave, it will), it isn’t hard to imagine them getting pissed off and realizing whom their biggest domestic political enemies actually are no matter what the bloated ex-welfare cheat and former draft dodger Rush Limbaugh, or others, may have to say about it. An important and valuable link: [http://www.theonion.com/onion3925/bush\_asks\_congress.html](http://www.theonion.com/onion3925/bush_asks_congress.html) ---
**Author:** ![Milum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Milum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milum)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/148 "2003-07-07T19:10:01Z")
“Oh, it’s just the usual pubbie rant 'We don’t have to listen to a word you yurps say because you’re not a 100% perfect either. Lalalala can’t hear you…” - \*\* Latro\*\* No Latro, what I said was… Why don’t you eurosnobs with your prissy Constitutional Monarchys keep your royal sticking noses out of our internal election buisness here in the states. That’s what I said. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/149 "2003-07-07T19:49:57Z")
Hey, it’s _our_ election too. Who you elect for president affects us too. We just don’t get a vote in it. which is pretty frustrating. All we can do is urge you to make a better choice. With your attitude, I really have no idea why there is a German-Dutch force to help you in Afghanistan, so you could go and play in Iraq. Where another force of 1000 Dutch soldiers is about to be despatched to, in order to help with the mess you created _there_. ---
**Author:** ![Publius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@Publius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Publius)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/150 "2003-07-07T20:03:35Z")
It’s terrible, but I did find a certain amount of dark humor in contrasting Bush’s “bring 'em on” to another quote that appeared on the front page of the _New York Times_ on 15 June. I have a copy of it here: > [@](#): > > You call Donald Rumsfeld and tell him our sorry asses are ready to > go home," Pfc. Matthew C. O’Dell, an infantryman in Sergeant > Betancourt’s platoon, said as he stood guard on Tuesday. “Tell him to > come spend a night in our building.” ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/151 "2003-07-07T22:29:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Milum \* > **"Oh, it’s just the usual pubbie rant 'We don’t have to listen to a word you yurps say because you’re not a 100% perfect either. Lalalala can’t hear you…" - \*\* Latro** > > No Latro, what I said was… > > Why don’t you eurosnobs with your prissy Constitutional Monarchys keep your royal sticking noses out of our internal election buisness here in the states. > > That’s what I said. \*\* I see. Well, thanks for your contribution to the informed debate; I’m sure your fellow Republicans appreciate your support. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/152 "2003-07-07T22:55:31Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by ChaosGod_ > **manhattan I sincerely can’t interpret that quote as an invitation to attack the soldiers.** > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by braintree \* > \*\*Um, Manhattan, this was not an example of FDR taunting the Axis to try and attack us to see what happens. \*\* Keep telling yourselves that. Keep trying to convince people (including, for all I know, yourselves) that if Bush had said “Tell it to the Marines” this exact thread wouldn’t have occurred. Hell, make his statement the centerpiece of the 2004 Democratic Convention[sup]1[/sup], for all I care. Every bit of bleating is another red state. [sup]1[/sup]: Which, BTW, there’s still time to move to New York if you put some effort into it. Boston? Really, guys. You don’t want to have it in Boston. I’ll bet even the Boston Tourist Bureau doesn’t have its convention in Boston. Have you seriously tried to get a motorcade around that town? Or tried to find good Thai? Come to New York. We’ll show you a good time, a great convention, and we could sure use the business. Thanks for your consideration. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/153 "2003-07-07T23:36:39Z")
At least the comment _did_ divert some attention away from the latest unemployment figures. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/154 "2003-07-07T23:47:22Z")
It was mentioned, as I recall, in the context of being a sure sign of impending economic recovery, in much the same way that pennies on the patient’s eyes means he’s getting better. ---
**Author:** ![Milum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Milum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milum)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/155 "2003-07-08T02:10:09Z")
\*\*"I have answered and I will continue to answer, you bet. Because the prize we seek, at this time in history, is a way of life. It’s called freedom, liberty. Freedom is worth whatever it takes, And I say bring it on!"\*\* \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Retiring General Tommy Franks 7-7-03 (today) ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/156 "2003-07-08T03:32:53Z")
So Tommy Franks gets to make up for the shame of being criticized by his old boss Schwarzkopf for not driving hard enough on the Iraqis in ’91 and letting the Republican Guard get away by kicking some Iraqi tail in’03 and parroting Bush’s words. Well [Color me](http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3046117)[Thrilled](http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=3050148). Nope, nothing bad going on over there anymore. ---
**Author:** ![braintree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@braintree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/braintree)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/157 "2003-07-08T12:52:03Z")
Why, Manhattan, I do believe you’re cracking. Us Demmies can beat President Butch by running to the right of him on national defense. He’s really vulnerable there. The easiest way for a terrorist to sneak a nuclear bomb into the country is via container vessel. Before 9/11 only 2% of all containers were opened and examied by customs agents. Today? Um, it’s still 2%. A missle defense shield ain’t gonna do much about that, Son. Then there’s chemical plants. Right now there’s one in South Kearny, New Jersey with a large tank brimming with sulfer dioxide. One bomb there and there’d be a cloud big enough and toxic enough to wipe out about a million people. They did try to pass a law mandating tightened security but Republicans, in obessiance to industry lobbiest, put the kibosh on that one. Eventually, the truth reveals itself. It’s just a question of how much damage has to happen first. Beware the bitch goddess reality. She’s some bitch. And, by the way, for those of you who are still trying to convince yourselves that George Bush isn’t stupid, here’s a little something to sooth your stomachs. It’s a quicktime clip of the President sitting on his ass for five whole minutes doing nothing just AFTER being told that a second plane had hit the WTC and that we were definitely under attack. I recall being frantic when I first heard the news but President Bush is such a dim bulb he hangs around to take full political advantage of a photo op. Let’s do a little thought experiment and try to image what the Republican response would have been if Clintion had done the same thing. Then compare that to the pathetic rationalisations Manhattan and his insipid friends are about to try and palm off on us. [http://www.thememoryhole.org/911/bush-911.htm](http://www.thememoryhole.org/911/bush-911.htm) ---
**Author:** ![braintree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@braintree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/braintree)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/158 "2003-07-08T13:08:25Z")
Hey, Manhattan, one more thought: Your real name isn’t Anne Coutler by any chance, is it? ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/159 "2003-07-08T14:09:37Z")
Liberals were mortified when Reagan called the USSR an evil empire. They were also appalled when he said the USSR would collapse under the weight of its own immorality. When the libs are all piling onto this statement, I have to feel pretty good about our position on other issues. You know what it really was? A backhanded compliment aimed at our solidiers. Nothing more, nothing less. He was simply saying we were prepared to deal with any armed uprising. Imagine you are a newly free Iraqi. The rumors flitting about are that the Fedayeen will make American life miserable and soon the US will pull out a la Mogadishu. The stage will be set for another oppressive ruler cut from the same oppresive cloth as Saddam to take control. You hear about the increase in attacks on America. It seems the Fedayeen are making progress. After all, Bush Sr. left Iraqis out to dry after Gulf One. Then the President says "There are some who feel like that, you know, the conditions are such that they can attack us there, my answer is, 'Bring ‘em on.’ “We will deal with them harshly if they continue to try to bring harm to the Iraqi people.” You think that maybe, just maybe, you can stay the course and with the support of the Americans you can carve out a small little happy life for yourself free of fear from thugs operating as your government. From our cushy lives over here, it may have sounded cavalier. But to an oppressed Iraqi fearful of a regime that is still smoldering, it lifted spirits I am sure. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bring-em-on/186008/160 "2003-07-08T14:12:10Z")
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