Gimme a U! Gimme a G! Gimme an A N D A! What does it spell? Uganda!

[Stinky The Clown]

Yippee.

Go team.

Here's a hundred, just to get some shit started.

[FarLeftFist]

1. We are going to kill people who are trying to kill people.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. You forgot the preferred phrasing. "We are going to hunt down and kill (insert name of bad guy here)

There is ALWAYS a way to justify a good war.

[cliffordu]

12. Fuck me, man, I wish I could live in your strident, correct,

perfect and lawful world.

Where we might -counsel- or -censor- or -scold- these murdering fucks.

Has it occurred to you that our soldiers are actually going there because it's the right thing to do, that it's NOT about oil, money, balls or Empire??

Could it be that you cannot tell the difference??

:hurts:

[Posteritatis]

14. Careful, you'll cause people to sprain a paradigm. (nt)

[msongs]

16. there may be people who think you deserve the same treatment, so that's ok then nt

[Posteritatis]

19. Are you going to try to argue that Kony *doesn't* deserve a bucket of consequences? (nt)

[cliffordu]

20. Anyone thinking I deserve the same treatment is

welcome to give it a try.

[JTFrog]

31. Yea, cuz cliff is such a murdering fuck.

Your one liners are always a turd in the punchbowl. :eyes:

[Stinky The Clown]

25. I'd prefer to exercise my free choice and not fuck you, thanks.

Mmmmkay?

[cliffordu]

29. Whatever ya needs, stinks.

Keep on keepin' on.

[piratefish08]

37. PLEASE name a conflict in the last 30 years that was not centered around oil, money, balls or empire

Be honest......

[cliffordu]

39. Somalia

[Aerows]

53. And that lasted about 10 minutes

Had very few resources dedicated to it, and mostly was about strategic claims geographically - related to ... you guessed it, oil (shipping). Don't get me wrong, we had an uphill battle there because the country is so lawless and I don't think we should have been involved, but we weren't strictly involved for pure reasons.

[yardwork]

63. Look up Somalia on a map. Check out it's near neighbors.

[AverageJoe90]

54. Well......

1.) The first anti-terror operations in Afghanistan under the Clinton administration.
2.) Somalia
3.) U.S./Nato involvement in Libya(could still be hijacked by oil interests in the near future though).
4.) The restoration of Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power in Haiti, 1994.
5.) The cruise missile attacks on Al-Qaeda in retaliation for the Kenyan & Tanzanian embassy bombings, August, 1998.

Can't come up with any more, though.

[Aerows]

52. No, it's about oil

They discovered a huge oil deposit in western Uganda. I'd like to be more optimistic, but frankly? I'm just not anymore. After Operation Iraqi Liberation and Operation Independent Libya, two countries that suspiciously have shitloads of oil, it's kind of hard to not see the trend.

I know you want to believe, and so would I, but that tasty patch of oil tells me different. Why aren't we in Syria? Why didn't we go into Bahrain? They lack the precious motivation of black gold.

[mod mom]

59. isn't it just sickening?

f-ing oil!

[cliffordu]

72. How far did you drive your car, today??

Just sayin......

[polly7]

74. wow. nt.

[mod mom]

79. In fact, I am very conscious of whenever I drive my 50+ mpg vehicle

and I didn't drive at all.

just saying...

[yardwork]

62. No, our soldiers are not going there because it's the right thing to do.

That simply doesn't happen.

[BOG PERSON]

69. it's ALWAYS about oil/money/balls/empire

grow up!

[AnnieBW]

50. We're hunting down the Ugandans who want to kill gays?

Cool!

As far as that country is concerned, they can go fuck themselves until they get a more inclusive attitude. No more foreign aid for them!

[Aerows]

56. Both sides do it, unfortunately

As a lesbian, I deplore what both sides have done to gays, lesbians, women and children.

[Robb]

2. If you don't trust POTUS, consider Russ Feingold. (nt)

[cyberpj]

5. I'm ready. But it would take a massively successful write-in campaign. nt

[Robb]

9. Heh. My point is that Feingold sponsored the bill in Congress

Authorizing precisely this action.

Among other things, http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s1067/text">it reads:

It is the policy of the United States to work with regional governments toward a comprehensive and lasting resolution to the conflict in northern Uganda and other affected areas by providing political, economic, military, and intelligence support for viable multilateral efforts to protect civilians from the Lord’s Resistance Army, to apprehend or remove Joseph Kony and his top commanders from the battlefield in the continued absence of a negotiated solution, and to disarm and demobilize the remaining Lord’s Resistance Army fighters....

[bigtree]

21. Sen. Bernard Sanders, Sen. Barbara Boxer, Sen. Sherrod Brown, Sen. Al Franken

Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Sheldon_Whitehouse . . .

all co-sponsors.

[Robb]

27. Downthread I note Human Rights Watch.

Warmongers one and all, I guess.

[bigtree]

30. I guess they can all be wrong about this

As with all of our military expeditions, I worry for all involved; save for the murderous perps. Folks are right to be skeptical about the scope and efficacy of inserting American troops into a foreign conflict. In this case, however, I share the sponsors' hope that they can bring this resistance force and faction in Uganda under control so that reconciliation and reconstruction of the country and government can continue unabated. I note that the bulk of that resolution is a commitment to economic and diplomatic assistance and resource. I hope they can get back to an unfettered focus on all of that.

[polly7]

40. HR Watch.

Among those involved in UN Watch are Co-Chair, AJC’s David A. Harris. Core values: “AJC has long believed that the development of a comprehensive U.S., energy program is essential to the economic and social well-being of our country.” Their website is an exceptionally instructive listen and read. (viii)

Ambassador Alfred Moses, former US Ambassador to Romania, Heads UN Watch. His company, Secure Energy’s Mission : “Improving US., Energy security”, “Securing America’s Energy Future.” (ix)

Board Member Ruth Wedgwood is : “an international law expert … at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) a former member of Donald Rumsfeld’s Defence Policy Board (formerly headed by Richard Perle.) Closely associated with: “a number of neo-conservative and rightist pro-Israeli groups – including Freedom House, UN Watch and Benador Associates – a neo-con dominated public relations firm.” She “has been a vocal advocate of the war on terror … strong defender of the Patriot Act and decision to invade Iraq.” (x)

Executive Director Hillel Neuer, has served as law clerk to the Supreme Court of Israel, is a Graduate Fellow at the Shalem Center think tank and holds a host of law degrees. In addition to extensive human rights legal Advocacies and Testimonies, as associate in the international law firm of Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison llp., (New York) “He was associate in the legal team that successfully represented Raytheon Company in various claims against Hughes Electronics Corporation.” Neuer was also instrumental in achieving victory for the California Public Utilitites Commission in: “various disputes with Pacific Gas and Electric Company …” (xi)

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/libya-oil-banks-water-the-united-nations-and-americas-holy-crusade/

[SkyDaddy7]

76. OUCH! I saw that comming but...

once it landed it looked painful! I love it when informed folks like yourself show just how uninformed others are. Thank-you!!

[ClarkUSA]

3. "The decision to deploy armed military advisers into the region was welcomed by human rights groups"

President Obama said Friday that he had ordered the deployment of 100 armed military advisers to central Africa to help regional forces combat the Lord’s Resistance Army, a notorious renegade group that has terrorized villagers in at least four countries with marauding bands that kill, rape, maim and kidnap with impunity...It is led by Joseph Kony, a self-proclaimed prophet known for ordering village massacres, recruiting prepubescent soldiers, keeping harems of child brides and mutilating opponents.

“For more than two decades, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has murdered, raped and kidnapped tens of thousands of men, women and children in central Africa,” Mr. Obama wrote in a letter to Congress announcing the military deployment. “The LRA continues to commit atrocities across the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan that have a disproportionate impact on regional security.”

The decision by Mr. Obama to deploy armed military advisers into the region was welcomed by human rights advocates who have chronicled the atrocities committed by Mr. Kony and his subordinates... Tom Malinowsky, the Washington director of Human Rights Watch, said the group had been advocating for such a deployment. Putting more skilled advisers in the field with the armed forces of these countries would be a significant improvement over the previous level of assistance, he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/world/africa/barack-obama-sending-100-armed-advisers-to-africa-to-help-fight-lords-resistance-army.html?hp

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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

[ClarkUSA]

10. I see you got the Outrage of the Day memo, even if you're defending the Lord's Resistance Army.

Carry on.

[msongs]

18. angry man with a foul mouth. ok nt

[Union Scribe]

61. Yeah yeah yeah, "if you hate war you love terrorists"

Nice to see you supporting the Bush Doctrine out loud.

[WillyT]

7. Yeah... And Apparently... Iran Is In The On Deck Circle...

:shrug:

:kick: & Rec!!!

[dionysus]

65. .

:rofl:

[Tatiana]

8. At least he is being equal opportunity with fomenting regime change.

I was wondering when we were going to help out the "Freedom Fighters" in some of the war-ravaged African nations.

It's depressing to think we may have another cowboy in office, even if he is a lot better at executing wars than his predecessor.

[rucky]

11. I didn't know Uganda had oil. n/t

[Posteritatis]

15. I'm sure that was Feingold's motivation when pushing for this. Right. (nt)

[polly7]

23. Uganda’s Oil Potential Arouses International Interest

The French Ambassador to Uganda has said that the exploration for oil in the country is a key opportunity for Uganda’s government to press ahead with its development agendas.

Speaking during celebrations to mark the French National Day in Kampala, Ambassador Aline Kuster-Menager said, "Exploitation of the country’s oil resources offers a unique and key opportunity for Uganda to boost its development with new and substantial financial resources," The Monitor reported.

Recent discoveries of vast oil reserves, particularly the oil rich Albertine Graben, with estimated reserves of at least 2.5 billion barrels of oil, mean Uganda is set to become a key oil producer on a part with other African oil producing nations, such as neighboring Sudan, Angola, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea. Some estimate place the Albertine Graben reserve as high as six billion barrels of recoverable oil.

On the basis of such reserves, government analysts estimate that Uganda will be able to support production of over 100,000 barrels of oil per day for the next two decades.

http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Ugandas-Oil-Potential-Arouses-International-Interest.html

[Aerows]

58. Massive oil field in Mid-Western and Western Uganda n/t

[Kaleko]

13. Guess where else these troops are going in Africa...

WASHINGTON (AP) —
President Obama is dispatching roughly 100 U.S. troops to central Africa to help battle the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army.

The rebel group is accused of a campaign of murder, rape and kidnapping that began 20 years ago.

The White House says the first troops arrived in Uganda on Wednesday. Ultimately, they’ll also deploy in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Yes, South Sudan is right next to Uganda and that's where huge oil fields are known to exist.
Mere coincidence, of course.

[bigtree]

17. sure, it's near the oil

. . . but that's where the center of the conflict is. Not a coincidence.

[Kaleko]

34. So, are you convinced of sheer altruism as a US motivation for this deployment?

[bigtree]

36. only if you believe the 100 soldiers are there to secure an oil field or something

Do you have any idea what the U.S. is doing in Uganda, outside of this military action?

[Kaleko]

38. That's a nonsensical answer to my question.

[bigtree]

41. I know

There's plenty out there about the U.S. diplomatic and economic initiatives for you to discover and digest. You don't need my opinion as a filter. I will say that I think it's an absurd *notion that 100 soldiers are being sent there to secure the oil for America. If there's a market for Ugandan oil, then I'm certain our nation's ambitious entrepreneurs are already there securing their own relationships with the Ugandan government. However, after a free-for-all of bribes and backdoor deals with government officials, this summer Uganda's dubious Parliament ordered an end to any new oil deals with foreign companies until a strict law governing the industry is in place.

Nothing in that atmosphere is going to be truly altruistic, in the sense that the assistance wouldn't have some political or economic motivation attached. I will say, though, outrage over the miniscule detachment which isn't expected to be directly involved in any military offensive is curious, considering there are myriads of similar U.S. military deployments around the globe which barely cause a ripple of concern. I gotta hand it to the President for remaining committed to the cause of Ugandan reconciliation and reconstruction aid and assistance, with the first foray of diplomatic activity actually occurring in 2008.

*edit

[Kaleko]

48. You're assuming far too much about what I have yet to discover or digest,

and I wasn't asking for your opinion in order to use it as a filter. My question was designed to make you state your underlying belief in the motivations for the US putting more boots on the ground in Africa at this time.

It's abundantly clear to me that nothing the Empire does on foreign soil or at home is for humanitarian reasons, and in that we evidently disagree.

[bigtree]

68. that makes no sense at all

Plenty of folks in our government are motivated by 'altruism' in their pursuit of aid and assistance to the sub-Saharan region.

[Kaleko]

71. Please read what I said instead of imputing a meaning that isn't there.

I didn't say that some individuals in Congress aren't motivated by altruism. What the Empire ends up doing however, has been entirely consistent with the goals of disaster capitalism.

Sheesh.

[bigtree]

78. sure

. . . but that's how we treat each other, here at home, as well.

The bulk of us are clumsy, disruptive, self-centered, destructive, needy, emotionally-challenged, ethically-challenged . . . All of that goes with us when we rush in; especially when we flail our military forces around like we're playing a game of jacks.

Yet, we sometimes rise slightly above all of that and lend a necessary hand. That's not to say that the collateral effect of our beneficence is incorruptible, but we don't usually enter into a vacuum of innocence and virtue when we embark on these 'altruistic' enterprises abroad.

[Nye Bevan]

22. I suspect that if you were one of the villagers being massacred and raped

your perspective on this would be slightly different.

[Stinky The Clown]

24. As I said. There is always an easy way to justify a good war.

That statement is not in support of the bad guy. It is in opposition to another war.

When you're a hammer, every problem is a nail.

Where you're a nation with the world's only superpower grade army, everything looks like a target.

[Nye Bevan]

28. If I had been US president, I *would* have sent troops to Europe in World War 2.

I *would not* have invaded Iraq in 2003.

I *would* send military advisers to Uganda given what is going on there.

You?

[Stinky The Clown]

33. WWII - yep. Iraq - nope.

Viet Nam started with "advisers."

WWII was with two (three, if you count the Italians) actual governments.

This thing in Uganada is quite different.

[Number23]

66. Wow. You completely missed that posters' point

(In addition to spelling both Vietnam and Uganda wrong)

It seems evident that they are saying that as president, there are wars and combat operations that are worthy and they would have sent forces to participate in them. I would wager most American agree.

And considering that human rights groups have encouraged and requested the exercise in Uganda, I have no idea what you and the handful of folks in GD are complaining about (except that it seems this same handful complains about EVERYTHING).

[Poll_Blind]

26. No! No! You've got it all wrong! THIS TIME IT'S GOING TO TURN OUT DIFFERENT!

When you post things like that, it just spoils it for me. You people!

Just think of it this way- the more wars we have in play, the greater our chances that we're actually going to win one!

PB

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

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

[Worship Money]

35. I think this deployment is a good idea. Wish them success.

I'm completely serious.

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

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

[Taverner]

43. My sentiments exactly. I'm disgusted with the war cheerleaders here.

And I went up there, I said, "Shrink, I want to kill. I mean, I wanna, I wanna kill. Kill. I wanna, I wanna see, I wanna see blood and gore and guts and veins in my teeth. Eat dead burnt bodies. I mean kill, Kill, KILL, KILL." And I started jumpin up and down yelling, "KILL, KILL," and he started jumpin up and down with me and we was both jumping up and down yelling, "KILL, KILL." And the sargent came over, pinned a medal on me, sent me down the hall, said, "You're our boy."

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

44. I'm sure that our motives are pure and humanitarian......just like they usually are.

As the millions of dead we've left all over the world will attest to our altruism.

[Cleita]

45. Watching what news was on MSM today and not

a word about it. Al Jazeera had decent coverage and also brought up the point that Uganda has lots of oil that the oil companies can get their hands on and exploit. It seems that the oil companies are well entrenched in the Pentagon. Just my humble opinion, but it sure makes sense. How many more of our young people will be sent to die for Chevron, Exxon, BP et. al.? I'm writing the President and asking him why he wants to make the same mistake JFK and LBJ made with Vietnam?

[white_wolf]

46. I bet if Bush had done this everyone on here would be against it.

It's clear to me that some people are fine with war as long as their guy does it.

[bigtree]

47. I remember folks I respect in Congress pressing Bush for years to intervene in Africa

. . . to stop the killing there.

The Black Congressional Caucus has been pressing this President to intervene in the Sudan and Darfur, as well. I don't think oil or anything is their motivation, by the way.

[Bobbie Jo]

49. People who make this twisted analogy...

Make the mistaken and simplistic assumption Bush and Obama are cut from the same mold with the same intentions.

[Telly Savalas]

73. And you'd be wrong

I think we need to pull out of Iraq a lot faster and am annoyed with the President that it isn't happening.

I think that our ongoing presence in Afghanistan probably a bad idea.

However to deploy 100 troops to assist in advisory capacity to help in the opposition to one of the worst abusers of human rights in decades is not an objectionable policy.

[AnnieBW]

51. DEPLOY GAY MILITARY ADVISORS TO UGANDA!

I've got a way that this could work. They're still trying to legally kill homosexuals in Uganda, right? Well, the DoD should make sure that any military advisor sent to Uganda has recently come out of the closet! That way, we can show them that it doesn't matter if you are straight, you just need to shoot straight!

[Aerows]

57. I don't know if you meant that facetiously

Or what, but if so, the humor fell a little flat with me. I'm a lesbian, and I find it rather disgusting to suggest that only gay service members be deployed into a country that has had a horrible track record of abuses against gays, lesbians, women and children. That's on BOTH sides.

[Aerows]

55. The tasty patch of oil in western Uganda will forever taint the mission

I realize that the LRA is horrible, but the folks on the other side are horrible too.

The things going on in Syria are terrible, but we aren't jumping in there with both feet because they are mostly landlocked and have no oil.

[Posteritatis]

60. Syria's landlocked and has no oil? That's news. (nt)

[Aerows]

64. *largely* landlocked

And doesn't have oil. Compare their oil reserves to others, my friend. Syria, unfortunately, has a mere drop in the bucket compared to Libya or Iraq. Even Uganda or Sudan. Those nations have *FAR* more.

And it is largely landlocked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_exports

They are in the Arab league, but they are far from a major producer.

[Posteritatis]

67. Syria's about as "landlocked" as Poland is

Your argument on that one is completely absurd and trying to push it more is embarrassing to watch.

I like how you're claiming Uganda has more oil than Syria by pointing at a list where it doesn't even rank, by the way.

[Mimosa]

70. And it's 1, 2, 3...what are we fighting for?

Team America knocks off bad guys all over the world, settling conflicts, stabilizing situations for development.

A Brit friend said US is making Africa safe for Petrobras:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/07/tanzania-exploration-petrobras-idUSLDE7660ZJ20110707

[JI7]

75. shit has already been going on, if you oppose what we are doing then oppose it

but don't act like everything is great and we are starting something bad.

[sarcasmo]

77. I think you can buy those Army guys buy the bucket at Toys R Us.