Time to colonize Iraq---

[queeg]

There are no wars that can be won by the mere progression of arms over ground. We have seen this time and time again in the latter half of the 20th century where a war was declared to change the leadership of a county.

In Panama we saw a change perhaps for the better in the removal of Noriega. Perhaps if the Iraq war had ended within a week and Hussein had been killed or removed we would not be in the place we are now.

There are only two reasonable ends to the current quagmire of Iraq.

A--leave now, and lose the war in the eyes of every nation in the region let alone in the world. Await repurcussions.

B--Colonize and assimilate. ---

If mohammed won't come to the mountain, bring the mountain to mohammed.

Bring a fully western American society to say the Basra region, and slowly assimilate the country northward. Offer huge payouts to families wishing to emmigrate, and offer them bennefits and no taxes for say 20 years. Call the thing the 51st state.

[Bucky]

1. Gulp

Thank you for your "modest proposal." Now if you'll excuse me, I have some actual "Mulligan stew" on the stove.

[queeg]

8. We can package the whole thing --0--

Like an episode of Rawhide---

The Re-thugs---hell, they'll eat it up

Head-em up----Move em out.

Chimpie needs A LEGACY----and he hasn't F--ed up the whole planet yet.

[mitchtv]

2. I don't think the innocent victims of Panama City

I think there was between 2 and 3 thousand killed( civilians).
I'd prefer to leave now, thank you

[gulliver]

3. Maybe Mitch McConnell will go first.

He says everything is just peachy in Iraq, so maybe he can retire over there. I'll bet the real estate prices are pretty good.

[neweurope]

4. That's what the world has been eagerly waiting for -

Americanize the oldest civilization on earth. Yay! Bring hamburger stands and credit cards and hillbilly music and strings of flags and tear down the beautiful mosques and erect mega churches instead!

-------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[caledesi]

13. Oh, that is SO gd...

I needed that laugh.

One of the OLDEST civilizations on earth....inventors of the wheel and oh, might I add mathematics?

Yeah, we need to "civilize" this place...

Supersize me!

[doublethink]

5. I'd rather take my chances on Mars.

okay ... lets send the Republicans, how's that? :shrug: We can train them first in East L.A. though .... just send them there for awhile to see if they have what it takes. Families? 51st state? ahhhhhhh No. Peace. :)

[queeg]

7. I agree

First boatload of emigres----Simi Valley

I assume they are ok in the heat. ---Enough re-thugs there so they have to lock step follow the presidents orders---

Just need to wrap the whole thing up in a nice brochure----

[punpirate]

6. The correct quote is...

... "If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain."

In that change, you might see the flaw in your suggestion. Full colonization would likely cause precisely the opposite you suggest. Currently, the Islamists believe that the region is being corrupted by what?--Western money and culture. Your suggestion would institutionalize Western money and culture in the region. There would be massive uprisings throughout the Middle East. Countries which have managed to contain the radical Islamist movement might be unable to do so, bringing millions more people into conflict.

You also make the suggestion that there are only two possible solutions. That, also, is incorrect. A third possibility, the most rational of them, I think, would be to rather quickly move to shift oversight and distribution of reconstruction to an independent international body, and immediately begin talks with member states of the Arab League to form an Arab peacekeeping force to replace American troops.

That might convince the insurgents that the US is abandoning its very clear intention to make Iraq a puppet state of the US, and the Sunnis, in particular, might see that as an opportunity to take their place in the government, which they have been loathe to do as long as US troops occupy the country.

As Wallace Stevens wrote, "there are at least thirteen ways of looking at a blackbird," and limiting the discussion to just two polar suggestions employs the same sort of black/white, good/evil thinking as Bush.

It's a crappy situation, but is one that cannot be solved without some honesty and imagination. The first part of that, honesty, is necessary to realize that this invasion has been one of imperial overreach, motivated by political and economic greed. Understanding and accepting that opens the door to other solutions. That Bush won't do that makes more creative solutions impossible right now.

Cheers.

[norml]

9. I'll have me some of that bottom land along the Euphrates

Just as soon as we get rid of them pesky Iraqis. I can hardly wait to tell the Rainbow people that I'm really going to be living in Babylon.

[queeg]

10. THAT'S THE SPIRIT!!!!!!!

[Vladimir]

11. You are joking, right? n/t

[oblivious]

12. Choose A: "We won. We freed Iraq. The world is a better place. Bye."

Republican America will accept it as long as their leaders say it.

Democrats will be happy just to get out, no matter what the rhetoric.

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, they already know the US lost, so I don't think any further harm can be done there.

[iconoclastic cat]

14. Uh, hell no.

[Deja Q]

15. Thanks to the DSM, 'B' might lead to real war against the US.

The civilized countries having enough?

[B Calm]

16. The 51st state, I like it. We will send republicans over there to

colonize Iraq...