# Is Washington, DC a quagmire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 14, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washington-dc-a-quagmire/195153 "2003-08-14T15:30:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washington-dc-a-quagmire/195153/61 "2003-08-17T00:46:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > At this rate, continuing military action will wipe out the resistance and destroy the enemies’ stored weapons over time, especially since they don’t have a good source of replacement armaments. Oh please. When has continuing military action _ever_ wiped out indigenous resistance? I can’t think of a single case off the top of my head. And if there’s a demand for replacement weapons, there will surely be a supply. The only way to “wipe out” indigenous resistance is to eliminate the social and economic motivations for engaging in it. Military responses can minimize the effects, but is powerless to eliminate it barring repression of Orwellian magnitude. Now, if certain of **Sam** ’s past posts are correct, and the resistance is mostly last-gasp Baathists, and there is no popular support, then a military response may eventually be effective. I personally think that the evidence doesn’t support this conclusion, but I could certainly be wrong on that score. However, pointing to a few raids resulting in arrests and weapons confiscations is largely meaningless. If you could point to solid progress in restoring infrastructure, or getting serious foreign investment underway I’d be much more impressed. Bringing about order and prosperity will end the resistance, not the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![zoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71c47a/32.png) [@zoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washington-dc-a-quagmire/195153/62 "2003-08-17T01:10:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gorsnak \* > On the other hand, if you recognize that this entire thread is a load of dung, then you really are just stirring shit. \*\* A thread I started was locked because it was just to stir up shit. It seems we do not have a forum for that. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washington-dc-a-quagmire/195153/63 "2003-08-17T02:23:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > \*\*The word for it is _“satire”_. \*\* It’s only satire if it’s funny. I don’t see anyone laughing, and even you seem to have a serious “point” to make with it. So, no… wrong word. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washington-dc-a-quagmire/195153/64 "2003-08-17T02:38:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Avalonian \* > **It’s only satire if it’s funny. I don’t see anyone laughing…** I already admitted that the OP wasn’t that funny. Do you suppose it would have been more amusing as a limerick? _American, seeking empire Got caught in a desert quagmire…_ Nah. Even rhymes don’t make it funny. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washington-dc-a-quagmire/195153/65 "2003-08-17T07:01:40Z")
Someone wanna explain to me again why **Collunsbury** got banned but **december** doesn’t? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washington-dc-a-quagmire/195153/66 "2003-08-17T07:55:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*Someone wanna explain to me again why **Collunsbury** got banned but **december** doesn’t? :rolleyes: \*\* I have no idea. It seems that no matter what he writes (or where he writes it), he is let off the hook. No disciplinary action, no changing of ways, nothing. Seems nuts to me. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washington-dc-a-quagmire/195153/67 "2003-08-17T13:58:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*Someone wanna explain to me again why **Collunsbury** got banned but **december** doesn’t? :rolleyes: \*\* Because he doesn’t actually _say_ “Fuck off, morons”. He uses different wording instead. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washington-dc-a-quagmire/195153.md?page=3)