He won’t, don’t worry.
While I truly hope your POV is correct, what makes you confident that your predictions are correct?
vibrotronica, I know how you feel, but please, take a break from the boards or go have dinner with a friend or something before getting your blood pressure up over posts on a message board. I blew a gasket just after 9/11, insulted some people who needed it -and some who didn’t- and had to take a month or so off for my own good.
Hope for the best, work for peace, and just post to the fun threads for a while.
[/Personal Hijack]
Jimm hit the nail on the head for me.
The undermining of the UN.
You want to know the truth? I couldn’t really give a fuck about the people of Iraq. They have my sympathies, as do any who live in fear under a totalitarian regime, but to be honest, I have plenty more people ahead of them in my pity-pile, for example the people of North Korea. My belly is in a knot for the future of the UN.
I fear the US more than other nation state at the moment. If, as it seems will be the case, they choose to make their move without the ratification of the UN on this matter, then (imho) a dangerous precedent has been set. A year and a half ago I watched the news, and the horrendous attack on the states, and just about my third thought was of the cultural history of vigilanteism in the US.
What happens with the UN from now on? Is it “us” against “them”, with them being the USA? These are worrying times 
question - aren’t the predictions of the length of war predicated on the prior Gulf conflict (ie it’ll only take 3 weeks 'cause last time blah blah blah)?
if so, I would be concerned - I would think there’d be a difference for soldiers fighting against a force invading their country vs. fighting against another force in another country.
I just feel he doesn’t have the capability to launch such an attack, and I don’t think his generals will do it if commanded. So, perhaps if Saddam himself is pressing the button, maybe, but I think he’ll be too busy hightailing it to Libya or something.
Why let facts or anything based in reality get in the way of your idiotic little world view? Lithium is fun, isn’t it?
In particular your assertion about him not attacking Israel: why wouldn’t he? He did last time. Admittedly the attacks were largely symbolic, but they still killed and injured people. This time round he might take more care to try and drag Israel into a wider conflict, especially in the light of what Sharon has said about retaliation. Or do you think that UN actions over the years have robbed him of the capability of hitting Israel?
See, this is a real problem. Me too. And most people I know. I love the US of A. The US is an ally. But I am fucking terrified of the current government.
wring, you can find more detailed predictions in this GD thread started by Sam Stone. Needless to say, many of us are less optimistic.
Well, it’s hard to counter a skillful rebuttal like that, but for everyone’s reference here’s one thread, and another one in which the oil theory is explored in more depth.
Bite yourself, jim, ol’ fool. You could have just as easily have gotten it right in the first place as for placing your trust in someone else’s reporting.
& if you’re going to be such an ass, I’m certainly not interested in having you as a friend.
For one, I believe has significantly less scuds then 1991, and I’m sure there are far more contingencies to deal with them then the last around. I’m sure that any sites in western Iraq will be amongst the first getting taken out.
What, I’m supposed to make a 3 page, footnoted and cited reply to an idiotic statement in the pit? 
Thanks for the links, however, they do seem to agree that anyone who says ( as rjung has, ad nauseum ) that “It’s all about the oil” has no clue what they’re talking about.
where the fuck is that depressed smiley when you need it?
I think the predictions of a quick war are quite optomistic. yea, we’ll bomb the shit out of the major cities, but don’t undersell the concept of ‘protecting one’s home from an invading force’. and, of course, they currently occupy all the real estate there. and eventually, it’ll become a ground war which bring the probability of booby traps, land mines etc.
Well, we already did, and it turned out that most of the people in Afghanistan are better off than they were before. Not where anyone wants them to be by a long shot, but better. At least children are allowed to fly kites and sing songs. People are not beaten in the street for their clothing. As far as I know they are no longer dragging women into soccer fields to be shot. Do you recall the welcome that the US got upon entering?
Word is (sorry, I don’t have a written cite, but this was on cable new last night) that huge numbers of Iraqi soldiers have already packed white flags and are just waiting for a chance to surrender. I’m not suggesting they are cowardly, just that they are not willing to die for SH.
I don’t want to go through another attack like 9/11. If SH doesn’t use the WMD himself he will sell them (if he hasn’t already) to someone else. Better to stop it first.
BTW, does anyone here remember Chamberlin? Great Britain and Germany pre-WWII? There was big-time support for appeasement then until it was too late. Never again.
Monty, on further examination, I wasn’t wrong: the article I cited quoted Ari Flescher (contents of link have now changed, but here’s one with the same quote); the live news you saw appears to have Powell using a similar phrase. Different people.
Furthermore, we all trust other people’s reporting, all the time. Including you, no doubt.
Please tell me in what manner I’ve been an ass? Based on your abrasive manner since I joined these boards, I was heretofore completely unaware that you had any interest in befriending me. I’m sorry if I have disabused you of my worth.
Ah. So your reading comprehension is the equal of your debating skills then?
Excuse me? It seems it is better than yours if you believe that the threads linked to support a simple minded “It’s all about the oil” theory.
Nope. I believe those threads supply web links which support a nuanced “control over oil supplies is the primary reason for Bush’s war” theory. I also believe the threads linked show that rjung’s position is far from simple minded. (What, you don’t have to rebut more strenuously than an idiotic insult, but he has to provide full support for his argument in a Pit thread? Riiight… )
Hush, dear. It’s 7 o’clock, and the President is lying. Shhhhh.