Morch

Steely Dan, on 2012-05-22 12:41:15, said:

Like so many conflict situations there is no military solution in isolation. "Removing the Taliban completely" cannot be done by force of arms alone, it needs political and economic attention to enable change to happen. Sadly ever since 2001 the goalposts and objectives in Afghanistan for ISAF have evolved and morphed into something unobtainable given political and economic realities.

It just underlines the point that military action needs to be a thought through, joined up process with clear and realistic military and political objectives. Once the main forces exit in 2014 you will probably see a continuing presence of SF, drones and other assets tasked with the targeting of terrorists.

Just when you think Thailand couldn't get any more surreal it sneaks up and bites you on the arse again.

They drove him and his vehicle 300 kilometres on the back of a transporter. FFS.

Quote

there is also no point in ridiculing people who, after a dump, spread the shit remains evenly with paper instead of using their hands and water to clean their arses.

folium, on 2012-05-01 12:58:28, said:

Well it was 57 years ago and the last 2 letters of the name was US!.

folium, on 2012-05-01 12:10:11, said:

The conflicts you refer to were often had economic roots. The Irish troubles had religion on the surface, but really it was an issue of the overthrow of the Government of Eire as well since the IRA wanted to replace the Irish government. At its core, the Irish  troubles sprang from real and perceived social inquities. Same for Malaysia, where today, the Chinese and Indian ethnic groups suffer from government mandated discrimination. The Kurds in Turkey is all about the Turks trying to control a region and people that were at one time  independent and that are of a different culture.

What we  see in Pakistan is a  group of thugs intent on imposing their specific religious views on others. It's as simple as that. Attempts to win the hearts and minds of such people by offering economic opportunities will not work, There is no point in offering modern gadgets to people that live in the stone ages and still wipe their arse with their hands.  as much as I regret the loss of life of the aid worker, it was expected. Pakistan is a screwed up state armed with nuclear weapons and  throwing money and aid to it is  just delaying the inevitable. What I find amazing is that India and Pakistan have the same origin. Yet India with one of the largest muslim populations in the world is able to maintain a semi democratic government, and a semi free press along with some respect for fundamental civil rights.  Pakistan cannot. India has not  suffered from military coups, but Pakistan has. India's government is not dominated by doctrinair  muslims, while Pakistan is. That says it all. It also explains why it is to be expected that more aid workers will end up dead in Pakistan.

PattayaParent, on 2012-04-27 10:43:57, said:

what about those like me who love and hate India? when i'm in Thailand i love India. when i'm in India i love it for a day or two, then start to hate it and count the days till my flight leaves.

Morch, on 2012-03-29 12:56:22, said:

I wouldn't normally pick up on spelling mistakes, but is this done with a letter opener?

submaniac, on 2012-03-29 11:03:42, said:

No they are not scary hiring standards you are scare mongering!

A nervous breakdown can happen to anyone for a number of reasons and it would be almost impossible to identify such a problem occurring in the future at any form of selection process. Thank God the co pilot had the monumental courage and kuhoonas to lock the cockpit door. Do you have any idea how much of a massive decision it is to lock the Captain out of the cockpit! That is a lost job and occupation for life if you are wrong. The co-pilot showed incredible courage and you are talking of scary hiring standards! I would place him amongst the best, and the passengers are very very lucky he was up front.

The ignorance on display here is overwhelming. Laws are supposed to apply to both the rich and connected as well as the poor but as soon as one of the rich guys gets arrested all of a sudden the USA is a police state.

Clooney expected to get arrested as part of the publicity he wants for the issue.

It's a worthy issue, I'm just wondering why Obama hasn't acted on it yet? I bet Clooney expected something to be done soon after Inauguration Day 2009 and he must be disappointed today.

As for there being no oil there, there wasn't any oil when we went into Somalia back in 1992 to feed people and there wasn't any oil in Bosnia when we had to go in to stop the genocide in the mid-90's. Most people here already knew that.

GentlemanJim, on 2012-03-20 14:44:34, said:

When you fire a rocket at a residential area, and the eye in the sky tracks you home, do you have the right to complain when your family becomes collateral damage?  It's a bit hard to claim the moral high ground when you're starting from an abyss.

GentlemanJim, on 2012-03-20 13:00:31, said:

Oh, please. You don't think the Iranian Islamic revolution was a political movement?!?

GentlemanJim, on 2012-03-20 12:57:35, said:

This is old news and splitting frizzy hairs, dude. Over 90 percent of Jews in the world fully support the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state. That doesn't mean supporting every policy of the current government of Israel as I'm pretty sure the majority of global Jews are against the West Bank settlement policy.

Israelis do generally say Jewish state, not Zionist state, but keep in mind most Israelis even the liberal ones are most definitely Zionists! Jewish state means homeland for the Jewish PEOPLE. All kinds of Jews, secular and religious.

Pakboong, on 2012-03-19 14:40:51, said:

Don't be bloody ridiculous. Crap weapons inherently have a low success rate, but when they hit a kindergarten everybody cheers.

When the counter-strike takes out the launchers and a few of their family, its indiscriminate killing. Cry me a river.

Pakboong, on 2012-03-17 21:44:57, said:

While historically correct, you fail to mention that catapults were used to lunch disease infected bodies (both animal and human) into crowded besieged cities. They were also used to break down walls and gates, not on residential buildings.

Does the fact that your enemy is using pitifully inadequate weapons in any way diminish the fact that he is attacking you with the intent of causing death and destruction? Do you ignore him because his success rate is low and he hasn't killed one of your children YET?

Pakboong, on 2012-03-17 21:44:57, said:

I don't believe there were sirens available during the middle ages.

Have you ever experienced the adrenaline rush of hearing a siren knowing there is something incoming and you have no idea where it might land or who it might harm?

If you haven't lived under the duress of being bombarded daily with, however ineffectual they may be, rockets from the enemy, then how can you belittle the fear of living your daily life under that pressure.