Rumsfield's Parting Thoughts

[fastpat]

Originally posted by Lothar
Pat,

I favor "freedom-based" solutions. I have had the NYT telemarketers call me to offer the NYT delivered to my house. I routinely tell them that I would not have that rag anywhere near my home. I don't read socialist propaganda.

Many others are choosing not to read their paper and they are losing readership. If no one buys their rag, there is no need for government interference.

Exactly, the only legitimate way to handle that.

However, many, if not most, newspapers today get their cue for "all the news that's fit to print" from the NYT, so if you read a newspaper at all you're likely getting a NYT story some of the time.

[stevepaa]

Originally posted by fintstone
until the manly work is done

Damn those pacifists anyhow. How dare they say we don't have the right to kill each other.

ever watch Star Trek, the Organians in Errand Of Mercy?

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by Aurel
Best quote of the day, hands down. You truly are a comic genius, Fint. Thanks for the laugh !

Aurel

One silly question here... How many of the posters on this thread are active duty military? How many of these posters have a MOS in the military that was combat related?

I count one person that fits and its the person who is making the statement about Rummy that many of you do not like and are making fun of.

Lets see, Fintstone is active military and has an extensive background dealing with this sort of thing, both in the past and right now. You guys have absolutely no idea what he does and if you found out you would be blown away.

Aurel and Sinjin please tell us about your extensive military background and training, then we can compare everyone as equals. It would be much more fair this way.

Stoney, dont you just love it when people who never wore a uniform (or was a bedpan General) knows everything there is to know about strategy, planning and warfare? Wonder if they stayed in a Holiday Inn last night too boot??!! Bet that they forgot that Rummy was also a soldier and has more experience than anyone posting on the thread...

Joe

[hunter914]

Originally posted by Joeaksa


Lets see, Fintstone is active military and has an extensive background dealing with this sort of thing, both in the past and right now. You guys have absolutely no idea what he does and if you found out you would be blown away.

Joe

First, be sure to wipe up before typing Joe.

Second, YOU'VE told us all about Flintstone and what he does. You've posted a couple of times that he's the guy leading the task force to capture Osama bin Laden and, I guess, in his spare time he's building laser deathray-equipped Boeings.

You really ought to keep classified info a little closer to the vest.

[m21sniper]

How do you know what he told you isn't disinformation?

[Superman]

Dubya classifies documents to cover his butt. Like for example.......ummmm......THIS ONE. Not for national security reasons. And I imagine that's what pisses Joe off. Dubya's cover-your-ass classification decisions are not sticking. The nation is finding out, and will continue to find out, what's been really going on in Washington lately.

But let's set that aside in favor of something infinitely more obvious. A newspaper reports what it sees. A newspaper is free to report whatever it sees. If a newspaper is government-regulated, then it is not a free press. If a newspaper is government-regulated and then the libs take over (as you know darned well they will) Congress, then you'd have newspapers that are run by government liberals. Do you still want to press for regulation of the press?

The problem is not that the NYT reported what it saw. The problem is that the NYT saw this memo. (Actually, the problem is that the memo was classified in the first place)

Joe, if you were railing against the publication of information that should have stayed classified, I would be as angry as you. But there are two differences. I would be angry at the person who leaked the information. The other difference is that information personally embarrassing to Dubya.......is not information that should stay classified.

Sorry. I live in a democracy. Voters' decisions depend on the information available. If Dubya is an embarrassment, then I'd like the voters to know that. And they seem to know that now.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
One silly question here... How many of the posters on this thread are active duty military? How many of these posters have a MOS in the military that was combat related?

No one that I can see, well no one besides me that is.

I count one person that fits and its the person who is making the statement about Rummy that many of you do not like and are making fun of.

I didn't see anyone making fun of my posts, Joe, did they do that behind my back?

Lets see, Fintstone is active military and has an extensive background dealing with this sort of thing, both in the past and right now. You guys have absolutely no idea what he does and if you found out you would be blown away.

No, fintstone has no background of that kind at all. Where did you get such a silly notion? Oh, from him, oh well then. And you're the queen of Sheba, too.

Aurel and Sinjin please tell us about your extensive military background and training, then we can compare everyone as equals. It would be much more fair this way.

Tell about the extensive military background of Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, Libby, and on and on. You've dug this hole, let's see you take a crap in it now, genius.

Stoney, dont you just love it when people who never wore a uniform (or was a bedpan General) knows everything there is to know about strategy, planning and warfare? Wonder if they stayed in a Holiday Inn last night too boot??!! Bet that they forgot that Rummy was also a soldier and has more experience than anyone posting on the thread...

Joe

Profound words from a flying bus driver, NOT.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by hunter914
First, be sure to wipe up before typing Joe.

Second, YOU'VE told us all about Flintstone and what he does. You've posted a couple of times that he's the guy leading the task force to capture Osama bin Laden and, I guess, in his spare time he's building laser deathray-equipped Boeings.

You really ought to keep classified info a little closer to the vest.

Fintstone isn't leading squat, he's not even active duty, and hasbn't been for years. He's in his fifties, and a reservists, MAYBE.

[fintstone]

Originally posted by hunter914
First, be sure to wipe up before typing Joe.

Second, YOU'VE told us all about Flintstone and what he does. You've posted a couple of times that he's the guy leading the task force to capture Osama bin Laden and, I guess, in his spare time he's building laser deathray-equipped Boeings.

You really ought to keep classified info a little closer to the vest.

Sheesh...why the insults? Is there still a task force looking for Osama? Isn't he the democrtatic presidential nominee? LOL. Did someone not have their nappy today? Oh, and it is "Fintstone".
Joe is correct. It does seem that those most interested in bashing the military are those with the least knowledge/experience. He is also correct regarding my military experience. I don't know why some of you denigrate it. For the record, I have just under 26 yrs active and about 3 yrs reserve. I actually complete 30 years in about a month. I retried from active duty but was recalled to fill an urgent need for my skills in the AF Reserves. I am currently dividing my time between serving in the reserves and working as a DoD civilian (GS). I work for DoD leading a team that develops and tests joint tactics, techniques, and procedures for all services that are immediately put to use on the battlefield. In the reserves, I do whatever they need me to do to help with the war effort, but am currently serving as a space flight test engineer.
I have done a lot of different jobs in the military from aircraft maintenance, special ops, ICBM missile launch officer... to engineer and scientist. The military lets one do a lot of different things if you are smart, work hard, and hang around long enough.
I usually don't respond to these posts because they mostly appear to be feeble attempts to get me in trouble from passing sensitive info. I would appreciate your discussing the contents of my posts and not my employment.

[fintstone]

Originally posted by fastpat
Fintstone isn't leading squat, he's not even active duty, and hasbn't been for years. He's in his fifties, and a reservists, MAYBE.

Every time I open one of your posts reminds me why I have had you on "ignore" so long. Strangely enough....every time I do, you are telling some sort of lie about me. I guess a good reminder to avoid your posts now and then is necessary.

I will give you points for being partially right. I am only active duty when the reserve puts me on active duty. That was weeks ago, not years. I was definitely in a leadership position....certainly not emptying bedpans to eek out a measly pension from a military I abhor as some do. When I am not pulling reserve duty, I am also in a leadership position ...leading a team of joint service military officers and enlisted as well as government civilians and contractors. Even with your limited service, you should be able to understand...if you try.
Oh, and I am not even in my "fifties."

[fintstone]

What did Rummy do?

[svandamme]

Originally posted by fintstone
What did Rummy do?

that's a very optimistic list...
especially the war on Terror list
"Liberated xx million in Afghanistan from the Taliban"

yeah, that's why they still get bullied by the Taliban, and schools get rebuilt during the day, while teachers get killed at night

Liberated xx million of Iraqi's , killed a bunch of em in the process, and allowed foreign fanaticals to enter the country because the job wasn't planned right, despite Shinzeki's estimates of what was necessary


Humanitarian Operations & Disaster Relief
it's not like Rummy went to the disaster areas and did the work now is it? all he did was pass on the order from higher up or from congress, that the militay was to go and help out..


not even going to bother with the rest

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by svandamme
that's a very optimistic list... especially the war on Terror list

not even going to bother with the rest

Good, glad you did not bother because you would lose the argument.

You are correct, it was a very optimistic time before 9/11, then everyone's world changed. Anyone put in that situation would have a difficult time dealing with it, but he did.

Again Stijn, what is your military qualifications and background? You seem to have forgotten to enlighten us...

[svandamme]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Good, glad you did not bother because you would lose the argument.

You are correct, it was a very optimistic time before 9/11, then everyone's world changed. Anyone put in that situation would have a difficult time dealing with it but he did.

Again Sinjin, what is your military qualifications and background? You seem to have forgotten to enlighten us...

what are Rummies qualifications?? sure he was in the military
but he sure as hell was never a general, in fact when his General made a correct assesment, he dismissed it , and dismissed that general...

they kinda left that, and the problems it caused out of the list
hence my comment bout that list beeing optimistic


my qualifications: i was born in Ypres, raised on a former battlefield, i know the end result of stupid wars , led by idiots far away from the frontlines...that's all the qualifications i need to be against wars , and against warmongering chickenhawks on a powertrip...

[Joeaksa]

And how much military experience and years of service do you have? You left the service as what, a Col. or General or what?

You seem to feel that Rummy should have ranked that high so just curious...

[svandamme]

why do i need any military experience, to see that Rumsfeld did a bunch of no-no's?

or don't you agree that he bullied Shinzeki' out because he felt he knew better, and isn't it clear now ,that Shinzeki was spot on with the assesment ???

does one need military experience to put 2 and 2 together?

why the hell would i even want to be in the military if i'm a pascifist?? i don't have any urges to be ordered around by others, simply because they can.. let alone be sent abroad to some foreign ****hole, because the secdef knows best? ha!

[Joeaksa]

I rest my case your Honor....

[svandamme]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
I rest my case your Honor....

didn't proove anything there, but sure , rest away

[JSDSKI]

There is no clause in the Constitution or Declaration of Independence that says "Experienced Only May Apply" when exercising rights.

History will judge decision made during the Iraq campaign. My OPINION is that history will not be kind to those who conceived, developed and ran it - whether or not they had personal military experience. Might as well say that only people with direct experience of foriegn cultures and politics should be allowed to create strategy and tactics for going to war with those cultures.

[Joeaksa]

Scott,

Correct however who is ready to have surgery done by a plumber? Television repairman fixing your 911? The gardner wiring your house?

Its called experience for a very good reason. Anything important in this world and our lives deserves experience.

We can have all the people logging onto the forum possible, but why is it that the majority of the people with experience in this area posting on this thread support one view, and largely not being listened to, and the rest of the people (and one of them is not even living in America, and not an American) support a different view.

One would think that unless they wanted the plumber to start preforming surgery on people, that the smarter people in this word would listen to the experienced military people. Its sure not being done on this forum most of the time.

I have lived in 6 countries in my short life and hope to live in 1 or 2 more before "heading West." I just get tired of so many people who do not live in America ranting and raving about how bad it is, how we are the worst country in the world and such. Also, why are so many people dying every day trying to get into such a terrible country?

Strongly agree with your last statement. Problem is that the vast majority of Americans have never been futher than 200 miles away from where they were born, which is a shame.

Joe