Commissar

North Korea is and likely will remain a potential target of the US for the forseeable future, and not just because of their desire for nuclear weapons - which they probably already have. If you don't know why, there's no use in continuing this debate.

Well, that and the fact that a million land mines and forty thousand Americans are all that is currently preventing a Korean reunification in force.

Wow. Has Afghanistan's link to terrorism been forgotten already? I don't care where you're from, the leader(s) of your country agreed that Afghanistan was a justified military offensive. The average Afghani is quite happy that the Taliban are out. We haven't invaded Iran, to my knowledge. And if you don't know why we're in South Korea, I can't help you. Tell me, right now, how many of the eighteen Iraqi provinces currently have any signs of insurgent activity. It's four. When was the last time Iraq had a democratic election? Know what? I don't like Bush, either. I don't think we should've gone to Iraq, either. But to pretend that we're not making progress there is asinine. Will the grand Bush strategy work? I have no idea, and I still have my doubts. But it's a course that the world's committed to at the moment, and there's not much you can do about that. Al-Qaeda makes up a large percentage of the current Iraqi insurgency. If you don't believe that al-Qaeda has any interest in flying over here to kill people in order to gain something, once more, I can't help you. I for one believe we need to pick our battles carefully and fight only where we need to, but let's start arguing within the frame of reality here.

congrats, you're a moron for joining... go get yourself killed for absolutely no reason. i wont even mention what a ****ed up organziation the army really is... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I believe this merits a response. Military members don't get to pick their battles. But let's say, for a moment, they did. There are plenty of MENSA-class minds who genuinely believe that the involvement in Iraq will spell better security for America in the future. I don't happen to agree with them, but that's not my call to make. And it doesn't matter, either. Whether it's a good idea or not, there are soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines over there and in Afghanistan who are doing precisely what their country has asked of them, and there's nothing idiotic about wanting to be there to provide leadership, support, or simply watch their ass when they kick down that door. They had the stones to sign on the dotted line; they deserve people who are committed to performing to the best of their ability right there along with them. Speaking of stones and smarts, let's go take a real intellectual challenge. Strap some boots on and get running. When you can't go any farther, keep running. When you're puking your guts out, keep running. Do that for three weeks, knowing that there're three more months of it to come if you make it through. Oh, and here's where the intellectual part comes in: when you finally get to stop running, make a decision. A real decision, not some "What color should my lightsaber be?" crap. Make a decision with your life and the lives of four to forty of your closest friends depending on you being right. Now do it twenty times a day. Let's hone your problem-solving skills after you've been run ragged for a month straight and dropped fifteen pounds - most of it muscle, because you're not getting enough nutrition. Solve problems when you're tired, when you're cold, when you're wet, when you're hungry and thirsty, when you can't call it a day and go home. It's real easy to snipe at a guy from the anonymity of the internet. Fact of the matter is, there probably isn't much he couldn't outperform you in at the moment, and it wouldn't even be a contest when he's finally done with hooah school. Three months of hell takes a level of commitment and dedication that you're not likely to find in front of a keyboard. And while we're all having ourselves a good time here, he could get the word at any moment that he's headed out. Sorry, honey, I can't tell you where I'm going, when I'll be back, or what I'll be doing. Moron? He could be as dumb as a rock and I'd prefer to buy him a beer any day over whatever personality spawned your post. When we need them, he and guys like him are the ones we count on, and you have the audacity to take potshots from the cheap seats. Go sit in a corner until you learn some manners.

Congrats, man. Keep your feet together and your head down. Out of curiosity, did you have any ANGLICO boys going through with you?

Going through the Dark Light album from HIM. Those crazy, rockin' Finns.

Hey, you're the expert.

Iran isn't Iraq. There is quite a difference between a country that was controlled (and weakened) for over a decade by UN-sanctions against pretty much everything and a country that could buy anything it wants on the world market. Not to forget, Iraq was ruled by a secular ruler, unlike Iran. In addition to that, Saddam wasn't exactly popular in parts of the population. I think you could expect the Iranians to defend their country a bit more fanatically than the Iraqis did, especially if their government plays the " the west wants to destroy the Islam" card. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I doubt it. Even if they do, so what? The US hasn't lost a platoon-level or greater engagement in the Middle East...ever. And believe me, we'd kill for some good old-fashioned symmetric warfare these days.

If war errupts you'll need 'tons of boots'.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> War wouldn't erupt.

I have to confess, I have something of an odd hobby. Never played Star Wars: Galaxies in my life, don't intend to, but on the off chance I'm bored for a couple of minutes I'll skate on over to its forums and read, with great glee, about the continual implosion of that game. From what little I know of how the developers have butchered it, they had similar thoughts to the sort you were expressing earlier in this thread; they felt the game was too complex, too slow, and needed to be dumbed down and quickened up. I don't know, maybe they had Ninja Gaiden fresh on their minds as well. It's an interesting study, though, in what sort of havoc you can wreak if you try to alter a genre too much.

You're right. Nobody's farming computer-related work over to India, for example. They're not known for their programmers.

You an American? If so, what exactly have you done to oust Bush? You voted? Please tell me you at least voted. I'm willing to bet you weren't out running a volunteer campaign in either of the last two elections, or even just working for the official Gore/Kerry camp passing out flyers. Apathy will get somebody elected every single time. You know what? Bush is the most fit person to lead the country. Know why I say that? He was elected to do so, twice. There's no other qualification aside from citizenship and age mentioned in the Constitution, and he met both of those, so knock off the unqualified chatter. Democracy doesn't ensure you get the best man for the job. Democracy ensures you get the man that the people want. It's been that way for quite some time now, and you know what? Not a single president has overstayed his term. There has been a peaceful transition of power with every unsuccessful incumbent bid, or the reaching of a term limit. Not many other countries can boast that kind of record, so suggesting that democracy doesn't work as far as allowing the governed to choose their government is a little bit on the crazy side.

There's no H at the beginning.

And why can't you get rid of the Republican party?

We the People have the power to remove his sorry ass. Germany had no such power. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Such naivity. Do you really that can happen? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It's going to happen in three years. Of course it can happen. What the hell are you smoking?

I believe I'll stick with my beedog.

I should put up a new picture. I also have a hard time believing there are only two people from the good coast on this board.

How's the view from left field?

Oh, I don't know. I know a guy in Fallujah who got shot in the head yesterday. Had his helmet on, though, so he's alright. Reporter actually mentioned it on the news while I was driving home. You're going to want to rethink that, maybe after a glance at Frappr.

It's, "Gerald Ford...dead today...eaten by wolves."

The former.

"Baghdad. ****. I'm still only in Baghdad. Every time I think I'm going to wake up back in the desert. When I was home after my first tour, it was worse. I'd wake up and there'd be nothing. I hardly said a word to my wife until I said yes to a divorce. When I was here I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the desert. I've been here a week now. Waiting for a mission, getting softer. Every minute I stay in this room I get weaker. And every minute ***** squats in the sand he gets stronger. Each time I look around the walls move in a little tighter. Everyone gets everything he wants. I wanted a mission, and for my sins they gave me one. Brought it up to me like room service." Good 'nuff?

It's not that big of a deal.

Yeah, I'm not surprised the 360 can't compete in the Japanese game market. I mean, come on, we're all partial to Japanese games, anyway. Everyone remembers that PS2 seminal achievement, right? Or am I the only one who played Guilty Resident Hibachi Non-Sequitur Malapropism #Reload 2!? Come on, I'm sure you played it. The one where you're the typical American cop with a mullet from Badger Township? And with the zombies and everything? And you can capture those cute little kikomon cartoon animals to train up and help you fight the zombies? And when you got to an important bit you'd go to a cutscene and the game would like completely change over into a fighter for a little bit and you'd do all these crazy insane moves like the Dragon Fist. And speaking of dragons, man, who'd have thought they'd have dragons in that game? But they so rocked, especially 'cause they were done in that cell-shaded animation style and old-school 2D. Rock on. Oh, oh! And remember how you could spend hours coming up with camouflage patterns for the wooded stages? Even the usual ninja headband that, you know, everyone wears? Man. That game was scary as hell but probably mostly because I have a weak heart and weak bladder and things popping out of nowhere on my TV with some moody music in a dark setting with my lights off and no more popcorn and being wired on caffeine at four in the morning eating pocky and stuff always makes things scary. And the anime-style graphics were the best because it gave me new outlets for my cosplay fetish which is just super cool, and my friend told me you can even unlock a hentai tentacle rape scene. Money.

Novel idea.