# I pit "criticizing the Plan without giving it a chance to work" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 27, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736 "2007-01-27T17:35:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/1 "2007-01-27T17:35:04Z")
It’s called **analysis** , moron. See, there’s this thing we do known as (not to use any big words with four whole syllables like ‘analysis’) ‘figuring out whether a plan will work before you try it’. Which, perhaps, you might try because every other plan you’ve had has failed badly. As a pit, yes, this is lame. I’m too apoplectic to conjure up a linguistically splendid pitting but needed to vent before my head exploded. However, with the kind assistance of [thesaurus.com](http://thesaurus.com), I’ll borrow these synonyms for ‘stupid’, ‘bungler’, ‘ass’, and ‘dolt’ which only scratch the surface of my feelings about your fuckwittedness: ass, blockhead, boob, booby, cretin, dimwit, donkey, dork, dumb ox, dumbbell, dunce, dunderhead, fool, halfwit, ignoramus, imbecile, jackass, jerk, kook, meathead, mental defective, moron, nincompoop, ninny, nitwit, pinhead, pointy head, simpleton, stupid, tomfool, twit, yo-yo, blockhead, bonehead, dolt, donkey, dope, halfwit, idiot, imbecile, jackass, jerk, numskull, schmuck, twerp,airhead, ass, blockhead, bobby, boob, chump, clod, dodo, dope, dumdum, fool, goon, idiot, ignoramus, lamebrain, lunkhead, oaf, sap, simpleton, stupe. There are some duplications. That only means that you’re doubly so. 2008 is too far away, damnitall. I live for the day when something happens that will finally wipe that smirk off your stupid face. Of course, that would require that you actually comprehend the scope of the damage you’ve wreaked and that means you’d need the ability to - oh - think. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/2 "2007-01-27T17:38:06Z")
You should attribute alphabetized lists of synonyms that you copy from other sources. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/3 "2007-01-27T17:40:29Z")
My problem is that this plan has already been given a chance to work. Twice. It’s failed twice before, why should this time be any different? > [@Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shulz](#): > > ``` > PELOSI: He's tried this two times — it's failed twice. I asked him at the White House, 'Mr. President, why do you think this time it's going to work?' > > BUSH: Because I told them it had to. > > PELOSI: Why didn't you tell them that the other two times? > > ``` > [@Liberal](#): > > You should attribute alphabetized lists of synonyms that you copy from other sources. Saying that he got it from [thesaurus.com](http://thesaurus.com) isn’t good enough for you? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/4 "2007-01-27T17:43:24Z")
Or how about “We did give your plan a chance to work dumbass! What the hell do you think we’ve been letting you do these past 5 years? Plan 1, plan 2, plan 3, plan 4. They’ve all failed. What are you going to do when this one fails? Ask for another chance to watch another plan fail before we criticize?” I believe the phrase is “3 strikes your out.” How many strikes do you think you should get? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/5 "2007-01-27T17:45:17Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Carrot] Saying that he got it from [thesaurus.com](http://thesaurus.com) isn’t good enough for you? [/QUOTE] Whaaa? Is there something wrong with what I said other than the fact that it doesn’t apply in this instance? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/6 "2007-01-27T17:47:44Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Whaaa? Is there something wrong with what I said other than the fact that it doesn’t apply in this instance? [/QUOTE] What? Is there something wrong with just saying, “Sorry, I didn’t see that.”? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/7 "2007-01-27T17:55:44Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] What? Is there something wrong with just saying, “Sorry, I didn’t see that.”? [/QUOTE] Is there something wrong with just laughing off something said by someone you hate? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/8 "2007-01-27T17:59:34Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Is there something wrong with just laughing off something said by someone you hate? [/QUOTE] Seriously, is there something wrong with simply apologizing that you missed the attribution? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/9 "2007-01-27T18:00:13Z")
Oh, Jesus. Why do you have to make every thread all about Frank? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/10 "2007-01-27T18:02:51Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Oh, Jesus. Why do you have to make every thread all about Frank? [/QUOTE] There aren’t enough rolleyes in the world for that one. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/11 "2007-01-27T18:03:10Z")
Kiss and make up, you two. I would expand this pit to all general notions of “let’s put this Plan in place and re-evaluate it later.” It ignores the inertia in government. Starting new spending, or founding a new agency or sub-agency, is ten times easier than it is to eliminate that new growth once it proves useless (or even harmful.) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/12 "2007-01-27T18:04:11Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Is there something wrong with just laughing off something said by someone you hate? [/QUOTE] Well, you could just admit your error, seeing as how it was a fairly minor one to begin with (though you chose to address that instead of the OP’s point), instead of overreacting when I pointed out what you missed. > [@Liberal](#): > > Oh, Jesus. Why do you have to make every thread all about Frank? Dude, this is about _you_ getting pissy when I pointed out that **Quiddity Glomfuster** had indeed cited his list. All **Frank** did was call you on it. By the way, you have four posts in this thread. **Frank** has three. How is this about **Frank** , again? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/13 "2007-01-27T18:20:49Z")
About that plan…It worries me. Given the caveat that hippies are not widely known for tactical and strategic acuity (even though I _kill_ at Civ III…), this one strikes me as straight out of the George Armstrong Custer Strategic Compendium. _Please Mr. Custer…I don’t wanna go!.._ The Plan, so far as I’ve heard, is to thrust our force into hostile neighborhoods, clear out the “bad guys”, and then…we stay there. We locate our troops within potentially hostile territory, in a clearly defined space. And then, if there’s any major concentrated attack, we rely on Mr. Malikis army to save our bacon. They will rush to our assistance, and fling themselves into harms way…on our behalf. Because they just love us to pieces, love us half to death. And just so no one gets the idea we’re taking sides here, we’re going to mount an incursion into Anbar Province, because that’s where the AlQ are. Mixed and mingled with all of those Sunni. In the only Sunni dominated province in Iraq. And we’re going to do this with 4,000 troops. The entire province. 4,000. Marines, granted, but still… _…Duck yer head, Charlie, duck yer head! Szzzziiiiip! Oooh, I beat that smarts…_ I should very much like to be wrong here, but it sounds like we’re going to stir up that ants nest and then dangle our troops as bait. And then when the bad guys attack, we will crush them with Mr. Maliki’s wholly non-sectarian army (who love us, as I mentioned…) How quickly will they arrive? If the bad guys quietly amass a couple hundred or so fanatics to attack our guys position, how quickly will Dolta Force arrive? Ten minutes? An hour? Pencil it in for Wednesday, after lunch? Is this a brilliant strategic ploy, masquerading as shit-wittitude, or is it just what it appears to be? If you think its a bad plan, the time to criticize is \*before \* we get a bunch of guys killed. Not after you “give it a chance” to blow up in your face. I thought that was obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/14 "2007-01-27T18:31:04Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Carrot] Well, you could just admit your error, seeing as how it was a fairly minor one to begin with (though you chose to address that instead of the OP’s point), instead of overreacting when I pointed out what you missed. Dude, this is about _you_ getting pissy when I pointed out that **Quiddity Glomfuster** had indeed cited his list. All **Frank** did was call you on it. By the way, you have four posts in this thread. **Frank** has three. How is this about **Frank** , again? [/QUOTE] My dears, I’m a ‘she’. > [@neuroman](#): > > I would expand this pit to all general notions of “let’s put this Plan in place and re-evaluate it later.” Amendment accepted. Move and carry? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/15 "2007-01-27T18:31:22Z")
[QUOTE=neuroman] Kiss and make up, you two. [/QUOTE] I oppose this plan, yet have nothing _better_ to offer. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/16 "2007-01-27T18:35:58Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Oh, Jesus. Why do you have to make every thread all about Frank? [/QUOTE] Time for your meds again, Liberal. Your heading down that path again. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/17 "2007-01-27T18:36:11Z")
> [@QG](#): > > My dears, I’m a ‘she’. I was guessing. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/18 "2007-01-27T18:37:36Z")
Shock and _ewwwww!_ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/19 "2007-01-27T18:46:01Z")
> [@](#): > > PELOSI: He’s tried this two times — it’s failed twice. I asked him at the White House, ‘Mr. President, why do you think this time it’s going to work?’ > > BUSH: Because I told them it had to. I liked the _Daily Show’s_ accurate characterization of this as “Magical Thinking.” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736/20 "2007-01-27T19:01:16Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] There aren’t enough rolleyes in the world for that one. [/QUOTE] My response to Captain Carrot _was_ an admission of error. It was intended to be a humorous one. Would a smiley have helped? Or a username like IddyPiddyTiddy? Or an evacuation of the bone up your ass? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-criticizing-the-plan-without-giving-it-a-chance-to-work/389736.md?page=2)