Containment;

I am reminded of a Three Stooges episode where Moe is nailing down a warped wooden plank on one end and the other end pops up and then Curly nails down the other end and Moe’s end pops up hitting Moe in the head and back and forth they go; slapstick at its best.

As I am waxing poetic on the stooges I am reminded of the wobbly table that the stooges are trying to fix by sawing down the other legs little by little until there are no more legs and the table is deemed fixed.

Let’s name all the stooges, Larry, Curley, Shemp, Joe and there de facto leader Moe.

Now, when comedy turns to tragedy reason needs to turn to force.

Moe needs to huddle up the stooges and send some stooge to the upstairs bathroom to fix the leaky pipe without getting entangled in all the bends and fittings; another great episode!

How many times must Larry have big handfuls of hair ripped out of his head before he does what the head stooge intends?

How did Curley get so fat yet always seem hungry must be his metabolism or something? But then again, Curley will swallow anything.

Would you let the stooges come and do an odd job for you? Have you ever seen the stooges rip a wire out of the wall only to have another stooge on the other side of the wall yank the stooge right through the wall; pure comedic genius?!

Let’s get our carriers and subs into position, call up the troops, polish up the nukes, pull as many innocents out of harms way as possible and completely and permanently take over the entire Middle East – Israel included.

Does anyone have a problem with this or am I being a ‘lunkhead?’

Too severe, ok, then just Iran, still too harsh then maybe Iraq, still too steep, ok then, maybe we should just pull the plug on the whole middle-east and let things develop organically, let nature take its course without any US interference? Can’t do that either; we are too tied in? Hmmmm….. Then how about that whole take over the middle-east thing I mentioned just a little while ago?

What? Did Curly bite off more than he could chew? Is he having a hard time swallowing a chunk of crab shell? Remember – ‘pinkies out!’

 

alastair



Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 173

Posted: 10 Sep 2006 07:39 Post subject:

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The US has proved that it is unable even to take control of Iraq, despite support (tacit and material) from various allies.

The idea that the US could take over the entire Middle East is fantasy in its purest form.

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pheffler



Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Posts: 58

Posted: 11 Sep 2006 07:28 Post subject: So you think...

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I'm sure we have war plans, on the shelf, for countries like Canada, Mexico, and Great Britain. I'd imagine that we have several, very up-to-date plans for the middle east and I’m sure there being tweaked on a regular basis.

Now, the last time I checked we still had our fissionable weapons and attack subs and our military satellites were still up there. Are you going to actually say it is completely impossible for the USA to take over the entire middle east, I mean come on. I guess we weren’t ready to annihilate the USSR and obviously the Middle East is much bigger and scarier then the Russian Bear ever was huh?

Ok, so, let me see if I have this straight, we are incapable and it is a flight of fancy to even begin to imagine that the USA could, when push comes to shove, extinguish the entire Middle East. I’m sure you’re thinking the US would never want to go down that road and the current Will of the US would prevent it from ever taking over the Middle East and ergo the US won’t take over the Middle East and therefore it is pure fantasy; or maybe my read is wrong.

Respectfully, here’s what I have to say about that... poppycock.

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alastair



Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 173

Posted: 11 Sep 2006 09:02 Post subject:

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Of course the US (or others) could turn the Middle East into a radioactive wasteland. Destruction, however, is not the same as takeover.

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dscotese



Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 7

Posted: 11 Sep 2006 09:47 Post subject: How much will you contribute?

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Pheffler,

All of the might the US can muster comes from the private citizens that pay taxes. While we are obviously stupid enough to allow our money to be spent as it has been in the past, ongoing expenditures on violent and destructive "solutions" continue to degrade our capitulation.

If you are willing to fund an operation to take over the Middle East and you can find enough other people to help contribute, go for it. But when you imagine the uses to which US tax revenue can be put, remember that not one cent of it is being spent by its rightful owners.

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pheffler



Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Posts: 58

Posted: 11 Sep 2006 11:46 Post subject: Where do I start...

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Complexities aside; a war could be waged, without turning the area into a wasteland. Granted, there would be some cleaning up to do. We have chemical and biological weapons too and I think nukes can be used both tactically and strategically.

Yeah, yeah, UN conventions and various treaties aside; we could cobble together a final solution on the Middle East, one that would serve as both a message and warning to the rest of the world – a line-in-the-sand, so to speak.

Now, onto the other note…

So war has devolved to a popularity contest, where each dollar is a vote and every person has an equal share; especially when it comes time to vote? We have established treaties with and have poured monies into other countries, so they get a say too, huh?

Money? What is money but a social treaty anyway? If you frame the question differently, then you might be able to get more people to awaken to the idea of just taking the Middle East; that is, until we don’t need or want it anymore. A dollar well spent is a dollar not wasted. We are penny wise and pound foolish.

I vote that we, the United States of America, are best capable of using the resources of the Middle East to help the people in the Middle East and that we the United States of America are more capable of allowing each individual living in the middle east to better pursue liberty and happiness.

This isn’t Star Trek and we don’t have to follow the prime directive; we have a vested interest, one where are own future survival hangs in the balance.

Many hands make light work…
We don’t have to do it alone you know; but sometimes, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

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