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Author Message
25 new of 404 responses total.
nharmon
response 325 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 22 17:01 UTC 2006

Thats an interesting point Rane. But I'm not sure you can apply this to
Iraq since most of the insurgency are not Iraqis, but are muslim
extremists from other countries like Syria.

Another difference is that the insurgency is not fighting an oppressive
government, but rather a government that isn't oppressive enough! :)
rcurl
response 326 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 22 17:14 UTC 2006

I'd like to know what factual information you have about the makeup of the 
Iraq insurgency fighters. I heard recently it is mostly radical Sunni 
Iraqis.

Their arms and explosives come from munition dumps plundered when we 
invaded and failed to protect them. The foreign fighters weren't in Iraq 
in any number then.

The radical Sunnis expect a Shiite/Kurd government will be oppressive, and 
they are therefore resisting it.

Even with foreigners in the Insurgency - I presume that when armed 
American citizens rise up with their 30-06s against our government, they 
will welcome Canadians coming to assist them.
marcvh
response 327 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 22 17:21 UTC 2006

...just as, when we were rebelling against the British, we were happy to
accept outside aid from the French.  I don't think many people would
argue that the American Revolution wasn't a genuine movement but was
instead the meddling of a bunch of cheese-eating surrender monkeys.
Most successful insurgencies will need some kind of outside assistance
eventually.

My take is that such an insurgency, unfortunately, ups the ante on
brutality.  If the occupying force is willing to be extremely brutal
(e.g. the Germans occupying Belgium) then the occupier is likely to
prevail militarily (but perhaps not politically.)
mcnally
response 328 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 22 20:24 UTC 2006

> But I'm not sure you can apply this to Iraq since most of the
> insurgency are not Iraqis, but are muslim extremists from other
> countries like Syria.

  That's almost certainly not correct.  It's possible the majority of 
  the people setting off car bombs in mosques and marketplaces are
  foreign terrorists but the bulk of the insurgency appear to be Sunni
  Arabs who feel they will be effectively disenfranchised by the new
  government.

> Another difference is that the insurgency is not fighting an oppressive
> government, but rather a government that isn't oppressive enough! :)

  Don't kid yourself, the current Iraqi government is, and will continue
  to be, plenty oppressive.
bru
response 329 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 04:42 UTC 2006

no I do not support the Iraqi insurgency.  silly statement.
rcurl
response 330 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 05:43 UTC 2006

Why not? The Iraqi insurgents are doing what you want American insurgents to
do. 
mcnally
response 331 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 07:19 UTC 2006

 Kidnap journalists and detonate car bombs in public places?  When did 
 bru claim he wanted anyone to do that?

 Look, I like to turn someone's words against them as much as the next
 grexer, possibly more, but the equivalence you've set up is too weak
 even to be called "flimsy."  Surely a respected professor who prides
 himself on his logic can do better..
bru
response 332 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 08:43 UTC 2006

No, it is not what I want american insurgents to do.  I do not want 
another american civil war.

What I do want is for people to understand and respect the constitution 
and not warp the original intent to meet their own ends.

What I want is for people to understand that the ability to do 
something does not mean that you have to do something.

What I want is for the people who are charged with defending this 
country to understand that they are not invincible and that they can be 
killed just as quick by a .22 caliber round in the wrong hands as by 
a .308 in those same hands.
cross
response 333 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 15:17 UTC 2006

This response has been erased.

nharmon
response 334 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 16:31 UTC 2006

I'm not defending anybody here, but I learn more by stating something on
Grex and having it contradicted than by asking a question.
rcurl
response 335 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 16:31 UTC 2006

Don't think that American insurgents wouldn't resort to kidnappings and car
bombings. 

Bru writes "What I do want is for people to understand and respect the 
constitution and not warp the original intent to meet their own ends", but 
the original intent was clearly stated to be to form "A well regulated 
Militia", and this has been upheld by the Supreme Court. Who is warping 
the "original intent to meet their own ends"? Bru.
nharmon
response 336 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 16:38 UTC 2006

If you take "militia" as meaning another military, then I can see your
point. But if you take "militia" as meaning an armed citizenry, can you
see our point?
marcvh
response 337 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 17:28 UTC 2006

The most famous contemporary American "insurgents" used bombs in 
Oklahoma City and Atlanta.  I see no reason to believe that, in the
presence of a more oppressive government, these tactics would change.
nharmon
response 338 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 17:39 UTC 2006

Theodore Kaczynski and Eric Robert Rudolph were insurgents. Timothy
McVeigh was not.
bhelliom
response 339 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 17:43 UTC 2006

McVeigh was a terrorist.
marcvh
response 340 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 17:44 UTC 2006

How is McVeigh different from the people planting car-bombs in Iraq?
I'm not sure I follow.
nharmon
response 341 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 17:55 UTC 2006

An insurgent is someone who tries to exact political change through
violence. McVeigh's purpose was vengance for the Branch Davidian attack
two years before.

The people in Iraq planting car-bombs are terrorists, but some may not
be insurgents.
rcurl
response 342 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 18:07 UTC 2006

Re #336: "But if you take "militia" as meaning an armed citizenry, can you
 see our point?"

How can just a randomly armed citizenry be a "A well regulated Militia"? 
It's impossible: clearly the 2nd Amendment means "another military" 
regulated by some governmental agency. The Supreme Court agreed with this. 
What is SO DIFFICULT to understand about "A well regulated Militia"?
nharmon
response 343 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 19:14 UTC 2006

Re #342: I'll take that as a >NO< to the question I asked.

A radomly armed citizenry is the necessary pool by which the militia
must be drawn. The 2nd amendment ensures that pool is always there.
rcurl
response 344 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 19:33 UTC 2006

That's  not what the Supreme Court said.
eprom
response 345 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 20:20 UTC 2006

ok..Whats with the silly argument that if you've never served in the 
military, your point is somehow less valid?

I'm sure Bela Karoli couldn't do a back handspring to save his life, 
but it certainly doesn't mean he don't know what he's talking about.
nharmon
response 346 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 20:32 UTC 2006

Its not so silly when the argument is that if you never served in the
military, your knowledge of the military is less valid.

Re #344: Care to cite some examples?

albaugh
response 347 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 21:28 UTC 2006

> The thing that's irritating about you is that   
> you somehow feel that you're in a position to lecture to the rest of us.

Now isn't that the marine, sorry, Marine calling the kettle black.
cross
response 348 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 23 23:48 UTC 2006

This response has been erased.

mcnally
response 349 of 404: Mark Unseen   Jan 24 00:05 UTC 2006

 Neither of you strikes me as an especially reliable and unbiased
 source of information on the topic.
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