My history is not as good as it should be.. so how in the hell did England move into Ireland in the first place? Why is it still there?

Why won't they go home peacibly? Just wondering..

Here's my $.02 worth. It really doesn't matter what your particular viewpoint is on the Iraq/U.S. situation (especially you frenchies;) Kidding frenchies....

IMHO, as citizens of the most powerful and influential country on the planet we need to realize that in order to maintain such lofty status we better start acting like the most powerful/influential country on the planet. If we aren't going to police the world who is? The U.N.? Ha. The U.N. is ineffectual bureaucracy mired in committee. It makes the gridlock in Washington D.C. look like kiddie hour arguments.

See we backed you guys a few times and had peanuts after the crisis, you got the reconstructions deals not us! - Caen Fred

Excusez moi? I vaguely recalling reading about bailing out the entire continent of Europe on two separate occasions. Talk about reconstruction deals. Keyword search "Marshall Plan" on the internet and see what pops up. If Europeans (especially the French) think that this is only about money think again. Lord knows that the Vichy Government didn't make any money selling goods to the Nazis after the Blitzkrieg obliterated the Maginot Line in less than 2 or 3 days.

Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

If not us, who?

If not now, when?

Foreign policy decisions should never, I repeat never, be made by popular opinion or by a vote.

Originally posted by ionman

IMHO, as citizens of the most powerful and influential country on the planet we need to realize that in order to maintain such lofty status we better start acting like the most powerful/influential country on the planet. If we aren't going to police the world who is?

And if we do "police the world", we had better be ready to pay the price for assuming such a role that the rest of the world does not want us to assume. Because we WILL be forced to pay that price and it may be far greater than you imagine.

Carl

Sean: I'd be honoured to share a good conversation and a beer with you!

Sean: I'd be honoured to share a good conversation and a beer with you!

Who ever said that people with differing opinions can't get a long! Just one thing, You or BambiKiller will have to buy. I'm only 18:cry:

Oh oh… don’t worry Stryder, I did too flanked a few class in my youth !!! In my case it was the English classes not the history one

I set the curve on my History Final. 318/320 one point per question.:classic: After my time serving my country I want to be a history teacher at the citadel.

TKR514 - we just floated over there and kicked the s*** out of them (see any similarities?) After that as per the film Braveheart, we set up nobles who controlled the land on behalf of the king for a tithe (rent and the obligation to provide men in arms when needed) each year. If you watch the film Michael Collins you'll see how we moved out of there (a relief in the end as per the French in IndoChina) but held on to the North but I don't know why and I've been saying for years we should move out and let 'em get on with it !

Ooh ionman, bailing us out ? The US gratefully took over the markets left by us around the world but particularly in the Pacific, you got frre rent bases everywhere, you (or I should say that fine liberal MacArthur ran) Japan and without it the Korean war would never have happened as it was THE perfect base. You even built up their manufacturing (with English help - see Austins in Datsun guise) and complained like us when they started exporting !

And the UK didn't stop paying our war loan until at least the late '70s !

Besides, what would you have done if Hitler had controlled ALL of western Europe and was ahead of everyone with the developement of the A-bomb ?

If you guys want to be the world's police force, go ahead but act like one, within the (international) law and act impartially, accepting not to be liked by everyone, everywhere - in short - ASSUME!

You get your hairy Kibbutz over here and I won't need to buy, my wine cellar is well stocked ! I'll never get over your laws, you can drive, get married but good ol' fermented vegetable juice still has to wait !

Really, really good to discuss something deep in depth with a variety of opinions - cheers guys !

Still wondering where the Aussies are hiding now that they've joined the super-powers of the UK and Spain !

I am just a middle aged white American woman who loves my country, my neighbor and my God!

I think it is great we can all have a civilized, grown-up discussion about world events and the one thing that brings us all together, whether from France, Austrailia or the US is our Z's!!

Where else would we be able to come together from all parts of the world and chat!

thanks friends around the world!

:finger:

HEY THERE SEAN.

The Aussies are not in hiding mate. The 2000 troops we have over there might not seem much when compared to America and England but, mate, AT LEAST WE ARE THERE.

One thing we Aussies will ALWAYS do is meet our obligations to the best of our ability.

Saddam HAS TO BE STOPPED.

Personally I and most Australians would have preferred to see the Allies go in with the full support of the U.N. and that support would have been forthcoming had it not been for the power of veto.

The blood of Australian and American servicemen and women has been shed and MIXED on battlefields all over the world in WW1, WW2, Korea (anyone heard of the battle of Kapyong??), and Viet Nam.

We Veterans in Australia have a saying that applies.

TOGETHER THEN, TOGETHER AGAIN.

As I said before mate, at least WE are THERE.

Rick.

I am 20 years old...so I apologise for posting on this topic.

Now that its pretty obvious that OUR (and I really emphise that, brits, yanks and aussies...we are brothers in arms) troops are gonna get in there and knock the crap out of Iraq (seriously, who does Saddam think he is kidding...SAS Colt M4 Carbine armed crack troops and AUG armed troops vs AK-47 armed civilians and a few pissed Iraqi soldiers? We have so many planes (A-10 are dangerous things eh!), helicopters, support staff, ships, carriers, tanks, missiles (gotta love the tomahawk!) etc surrounding the area, I think its safe to say its gonna be over pretty quick (history repeats itself)...I THINK, as it is my opinion, that Bush is pissed cause his dad couldn't do the job, and after America helped Iraq 25 years ago, then Iraq turned around and gave them the finger, and is now again...the US is pissed, tired of all this crap..and what about the citizens of Iraq...the general concensus is that most want him gone!! I would hate to be a woman in Iraq and be subjected to the $^!# that they have to go through...and I gotta say, if there is no war, what do we do? I challenge someone to answer that rationally, realistically and sanely! I don't like war, but then again who does! I don't want ppl dying for no reason, but here is good reason...Indifference will kill all that is good if we don't recognise evil and crush it with wishes to return home to find our loved ones secure and safe!

Once again, Cheers ppl!

Take care, and heres hoping for as few innocent casualties as possible!

Originally posted by 1 Bravo 6

[b

The Aussies are not in hiding mate.

Hi Rick:

I could be wrong, but I THINK that he was referring to the Aussie members of this club who hadn't been participating in the thread. I don't think he meant your military actually hiding from partcipating in the "events" about to unfold in Iraq.

Again, I could be wrong. Hate to speak for another member, but that is what I took his statement to mean.

Carl (one of the ones who remembers that the Aussies have been with us through thick and thin)

I'd take part in this thread if everyone didn't write so much!!

Shows everyone has a lot to say about the subject, which is natural. I just don't like posting on topics which I haven't been following. That and I'm the first to admit I'm not the most up to date in the world of politics.

Sean Dezart,

So, it's logical that the Irish are still upset & will make things difficult for the English (invaders/settlers)) that are still in Ireland after all this time. Sounds reasonable. Wish them well from the States in retaking all of Ireland for the Irish.

We'll have the same resentment if we spend too long in Iraq and I would expect those folks to make our occupation unpleasant too. Just like the Irish, Palestinians, etc, there will be resistance to occupation... IMHO.