I know how to end our involvement in the Iraqi war. It isn't even hard.

Ready?

Make it unprofitable.

Now, before anyone gets silly and points out how much it is costing the American people in both tax dollars and strains on our military, I think it should be OBVIOUS that I don't mean for the ones footing the bill.

I mean "make it unprofitable for the ones making money off of it."

For example, "contractors" should get paid the same as the members of our military for the same services -- or less. Truck drivers in the military make about $18K a year, right? Then, that is what we pay the contract houses. (It is up to them to find people willing to risk life and limb for crap wages; our military has outsourced the job, so our soldiers don't need to do it anymore.)

Also, all supplies purchased for the military are now being purchased at -- hmmm -- let's see: 25 cents on the previously paid dollar. Its about PATRIOTISM, you see, because We Are At War, so no (Carpet Bagging!) Profiteering, please.

Its nothing personal; its purely practical. The Republicans have to go along with it, too, because its about being "fiscally conservative" and "not spending money we don't have."

The list of folks who have been making money from the "war on terra" is pretty long, and a penny saved (by keeping it and not paying full price) is definitely a penny earned.

Applause, please. I'm confident our elected Representatives will soon find a way to declare "Peace With Honor" when their paymasters quit profiteering from it.

:)

...to rebuild their own country, rather than outsourcing the job to K&R, who then charge ten times as much, and hire and import labor from other nations that they pay half as much. The profit margins on this war are ASTRONOMICAL... Using Iraqi labor (and thus driving down unemployment, which stands at about 60% of the young Iraqi male population (coincidentally, the largest demographic in the insurgency) to build a house might cost let's say $10,000. But instead we pay K&R $50,000 to build the same house, and they outsource the actual construction to Indians and Kuwaitis and Indonesians and pay them $4,000 to do the job. More money for Bush's freinds and family. Hey, he's "creating jobs"...

One would almost think someone was actively working to "keep the insurgency going" (and thus make sure they continue to make tons of money). But that really couldn't be happening now, could it?

:sarcasm:

I always hear the argument of "you broke it you buy it" but instead why not take all the money contractors like Haliburton have made in Iraq and use that money to make jobs for the Iraqi's to rebuild their country. That way they can work on getting their lives back (if they're still a live of course). That way you're not there but still helping to rebuild it.

The US troops really have to stay to protect the profiteering contractors and their employees.
In 1991 after GW1, the Iraqis rebuilt their country just fine...
Now, they are kept away from rebuilding, and vampire-like foreign contractors are given free reign to gouge the American taxpayer, without doing any real work (still no electricity most of the time in Baghdad), and fueling the insurgency with unemployment and unescapable poverty.

Halliburton won no-bid contracts for 1 million, for bridge construction that was available from Iraqi companies for $100,000.

However, not many people mention these facts when they talk about troop withdrawal. Troops should be withdrawn ASAP, but at the same time, profiteering companies should be sent home and replaced by Iraqi companies, with US footing the reconstruction bill of course. After all, you broke it, you pay...

If the US doesn't stop the gouging and profiteering by Halliburton, Bechtel and Co, the troops will have to remain to protect them. Why would an Iraqi army, even well trained protect those who are stealing its resources??

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

This is about War Criminals in the White House and INNOCENT PEOPLE DYING EVERY DAY.

Do you understand that plenty of Republicans (both elected and citizen) are APPALLED by this administrations disregard for human life and the consititution?

Why would you make a game out of this? A joke? Do you think death and destruction are funny?

that everyone who ever voted for his incompetent, lying, sorry ass remove themselves from society?

If you are wondering why you are getting banned any second, it is because of your PS. Read the rules next time, or learn how to play the game a little better.

I hope you find peace in your heart some day.

The U.S. Military may remain in Iraq.

The Patriot Act may be renewed (again with sunset clauses).

The United States may monitor phone calls by potential** terrorists.

** Since every human being in the world has the potential to be a terrorist, this means the US may manitor everyone, of course.

In return:

If in the event, there is another terrorist attack on the United States, the Republican Party will disband, and contribute all of its assets to the families of the victims.

All Republican Senators and Congressmen will resign.

FOX, Sinclair and Clear Channel, will contribute $1 Trillion Dollars to the victims and their families.

If Republicans and the "Right" truly possess the "Courage of your Convictions," it's time to either "Put Up, or Shut Up!"

P.S. I'M a SECOND generation Marine from a midwestern farm.


On edit: now doesn't that sound just as amazingly fucking stupid coming from me as it did from you? However, if you and yours are actually stupid enough to believe that, given all the above, you can/will prevent all future terrorist attacks on the United States, then I think me and mine can be convinced to let you give it a try. You really would have to be a complete moron to issue a 100% guarantee against future terrorist attacks.

So, what do you say? You feeling lucky, punk?

Also, your solution makes no sense. The REPUBLICANS were in charge during 9/11 (when they were ignoring the 'warnings' etc.), but I guess really stupid people could try to blame it on Clinton. After all, he had been out of office for nine months when it happened, so since Bush was still learning how to do the job, one couldn't actually expect him to do it, could they? And, after all, just because Bush disbanded the existing systems in February of 2001 (as written up on page 9 of the "Report to Congress on the Military's Role in Domestic Terrorism" in April of 2001), and DIDN'T PUT ANYTHING ELSE IN PLACE until September 12, 2001 (when he put the old system back in place, which is why we haven't been attacked since), heaven forbid he actually be blamed for his incompetence -- why, his folks were on the Hill trying to cut spending for terrorism prevention on September 10, 2001!!!

But, I'll go along with some of your plan: let's get rid of the INEFFECTIVE TIME AND MONEY WASTING CRAP and do stuff like (now this might be crazy!) actually put effective things like basic security at our chemical factories and nuclear facilities, and spend money on checking out more than 1 or 2% of the UN-INSPECTED CARGO coming across our borders daily, or any of half a dozen things anyone with more than half a brain could come up with to make America safer in intelligent ways. And, let's fire some of those airport security folks who let guys with box cutters on board our airplanes while we're at it, too, okay? (Except that would have opened up the airlines for lawsuits, and Bush couldn't let that happen!)

Your plan is pretty typical Republican nonsense. No wonder the country is so unsafe, especially if you actually vote!

:eyes:

It is as if there is this collective memory hole for these people. They forget Republicans during the 90s and throughout the 2000 election cycle claiming Democrats were taking terrorism too serious when our real enemy was in China. They forget George Tenant complaining to Congress in June 2001 that the new administration was ignoring his warnings on terrorism. They forget Bush nicknaming the Director of the CIA, "Chicken Little" because he kept badgering Bush on the topic of terrorism.

You are being ruled by fear by masters of fear-mongering.

'The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself'
'Those who would give up liberty for security deserve neither and will lose both'.
Oh, and btw, Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9/11, dumbass.

You are in love with an corporatist/fascist agenda -you want a daddy to protect you. You are a coward.

P.S.- A FORMER third generation Republican.