Comments on: Holding out for a citizen http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/ I might have been born yesterday, sir, but I stayed up all night. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:50:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Ananth http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36350 Ananth Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:56:02 +0000 http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36350 Most of the violence in the past 2 years was caused by Al Qaeda in Iraq, specifically spurred on by the Golden Mosque attack. That triggered the low level Civil war with Sunni vs Shia violence. There was undoubtedly some violence against US troops by Internal Iraqi factions, but the large majority of it was attributial too Al Qaeda. The start of the surge and the Anbar Awakening, and having Sunni's work with the US and Sadr and the shia militia's at least disbanding for now left Al Qaeda all alone, and now they have basically been wiped out. AL Qaeda was in Iraq. They may not have been there at the start of the invasion, but they were definitely there afterwards, and were major accelerant of the violence in the country. Most of the violence in the past 2 years was caused by Al Qaeda in Iraq, specifically spurred on by the Golden Mosque attack. That triggered the low level Civil war with Sunni vs Shia violence. There was undoubtedly some violence against US troops by Internal Iraqi factions, but the large majority of it was attributial too Al Qaeda. The start of the surge and the Anbar Awakening, and having Sunni’s work with the US and Sadr and the shia militia’s at least disbanding for now left Al Qaeda all alone, and now they have basically been wiped out.

AL Qaeda was in Iraq. They may not have been there at the start of the invasion, but they were definitely there afterwards, and were major accelerant of the violence in the country.

]]> By: Steve http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36347 Steve Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:23:55 +0000 http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36347 I'll have more to say later, when I have time to be coherent, but how can Al Qaeda win a victory in a country they aren't even really fighting in? I mean, the Sunni warlords don't get the win? Ex-Baathists? Shiite militias? Why would you want to give Al Qaeda a mulligan like that? Seems counter-productive. I’ll have more to say later, when I have time to be coherent, but how can Al Qaeda win a victory in a country they aren’t even really fighting in? I mean, the Sunni warlords don’t get the win? Ex-Baathists? Shiite militias? Why would you want to give Al Qaeda a mulligan like that? Seems counter-productive.

]]> By: Ananth http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36344 Ananth Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:43:05 +0000 http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36344 He's a democrat. He is going to raise taxes. He is going to propose new government services that have to paid for, which leads to more taxes. He is going to claim that most of the reasons government programs such are NCLB aren't suceeding is because of not enough funds, but wont' do anything to deal with the problem with the poeple (read unions) who are ineffiecient and wasting. Also, he is going to appoint judges to the supreme court who read the constitution to say what the wish or want it would say causing the problems of laws being defacto created by judges rather than going through the political process... (I am not advocating overturning roe per se, but it was a terrible legal decision based on the arguments in the decision) I am not all war all the time, though I think military action has it place. My problem with his foreign policy comes down to a this Presidents don't lose wars, countries do. Whatever you think of how we got into Iraq. it is a fact that leaving Iraq in the circumstances it was in last year would have been claimed as a victory by Al Qaeda and made the US much less safe. Now, because the violence has been tamped down, at least leaving it can not be spun by Al Qaeda as military loss for the US. The US Leaving will would have more to do with impatience with the Iraqi government. The fact is, if we had done what Clinton or Obama wanted we would have left giving al qaeda a victory. He’s a democrat. He is going to raise taxes. He is going to propose new government services that have to paid for, which leads to more taxes. He is going to claim that most of the reasons government programs such are NCLB aren’t suceeding is because of not enough funds, but wont’ do anything to deal with the problem with the poeple (read unions) who are ineffiecient and wasting.

Also, he is going to appoint judges to the supreme court who read the constitution to say what the wish or want it would say causing the problems of laws being defacto created by judges rather than going through the political process… (I am not advocating overturning roe per se, but it was a terrible legal decision based on the arguments in the decision)

I am not all war all the time, though I think military action has it place. My problem with his foreign policy comes down to a this

Presidents don’t lose wars, countries do. Whatever you think of how we got into Iraq. it is a fact that leaving Iraq in the circumstances it was in last year would have been claimed as a victory by Al Qaeda and made the US much less safe. Now, because the violence has been tamped down, at least leaving it can not be spun by Al Qaeda as military loss for the US. The US Leaving will would have more to do with impatience with the Iraqi government. The fact is, if we had done what Clinton or Obama wanted we would have left giving al qaeda a victory.

]]> By: Steve http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36311 Steve Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:55:16 +0000 http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36311 <blockquote>I don’t agree with *any* of his policies, but I think there is something perhaps transformative about him, and he could go a long way towards fizing this red state/blue state crap as well as do wonders for this country along racial lines… ... Also, I would have pegged you to be more for Clinton giving your feminista tendencies</blockquote> I have a statement and a question. My statement is this: feminism does not mean women are better than men at all times. Just that women are people just like men, so check your privilege. My question is this: what of Obama's policies are you not down with? I'm actually curious, 'cause he's a total economic centrist, his foreign policy is pretty tame unless you love war at all times -- anyway, I'd like to know what your policy preferences are, and how they differ with Obama, or align with McCain.

I don’t agree with *any* of his policies, but I think there is something perhaps transformative about him, and he could go a long way towards fizing this red state/blue state crap as well as do wonders for this country along racial lines…

…

Also, I would have pegged you to be more for Clinton giving your feminista tendencies

I have a statement and a question. My statement is this: feminism does not mean women are better than men at all times. Just that women are people just like men, so check your privilege.

My question is this: what of Obama’s policies are you not down with? I’m actually curious, ’cause he’s a total economic centrist, his foreign policy is pretty tame unless you love war at all times — anyway, I’d like to know what your policy preferences are, and how they differ with Obama, or align with McCain.

]]> By: Tom http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36253 Tom Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:27:40 +0000 http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36253 "it should depend on frustrating, tortoise-slow bureaucracies that exhibit not a whit of common sense, but function in the aggregate to produce the most opportunity for the most people" Happy to help the cause. “it should depend on frustrating, tortoise-slow bureaucracies that exhibit not a whit of common sense, but function in the aggregate to produce the most opportunity for the most people”

Happy to help the cause.

]]> By: Ananth http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36235 Ananth Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:25:37 +0000 http://stevesiwy.com/blog/2008/02/04/holding-out-for-a-citizen/#comment-36235 I tell, for the first time in a long while I am thinking about voting for Democrat in the Fall. I have often said that I would take Obama over anyone in the republican field save John McCain, and even then I would really have to think about. I don't agree with *any* of his policies, but I think there is something perhaps transformative about him, and he could go a long way towards fizing this red state/blue state crap as well as do wonders for this country along racial lines... However, I have a sneaking sensation that the Clinton machine is going to snatch bring Obama back to Earth, making just a man, in which case, I won't have to really fret about who to vote for.... Also, I would have pegged you to be more for Clinton giving your feminista tendencies, and I like how when Obama or Clinton attack each other its from the *republican* playbook. I don't think Karl Rove is helping any of them.... I tell, for the first time in a long while I am thinking about voting for Democrat in the Fall. I have often said that I would take Obama over anyone in the republican field save John McCain, and even then I would really have to think about. I don’t agree with *any* of his policies, but I think there is something perhaps transformative about him, and he could go a long way towards fizing this red state/blue state crap as well as do wonders for this country along racial lines…

However, I have a sneaking sensation that the Clinton machine is going to snatch bring Obama back to Earth, making just a man, in which case, I won’t have to really fret about who to vote for….

Also, I would have pegged you to be more for Clinton giving your feminista tendencies, and I like how when Obama or Clinton attack each other its from the *republican* playbook. I don’t think Karl Rove is helping any of them….

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