Well, if you read my post, I limited the scope to the United States. I'm well aware of the geographical limits of the Americas.
Lewis and Clark did not used primitive maps that came before. They used guides who had been in the areas, local Indians for translation and information, but once they moved into what now is NW Iowa/SE South Dakota, they were beyond any known maps.
Furthermore, the actual formal surveying of the United States was done by small groups as they plotted out the baselines as part of the Public Land Survey System.
If the US/UK/NATO/Israelis/Indian militaries and intelligence services weren't out there poking and prodding the networks of current and potential foes...I'd be *very* disappointed.
The main problem with the "reasoning" for the invasion was WMD. There were so many Iraqi violations of the 1991 cease-fire that warranted a continuation of the war, but which were just ignored.
As for the UK getting "involved because they thought it was politically expedient" is fantasy, the US/UK were going to hit Iraq the moment an Allied aircraft was shot down over Iraq. See Operation Desert Badger for planning during the Clinton/Blair administrations.
Every time Iraq fired AAA or a SAM at an Allied plane in a no-fly zone, violation of the cease-fire from March 1991.
Lets not forget that the Iraqi government before the US/UK invaded was sponsoring terrorism in Israel, or plotting to murder current and former heads of state, and killing tens of thousands of civilians a year, oh and the did have stockpiles of chemical weapons left...
"The mapping of America was done by fur traders and those seeking treasure. You could go on and on."
No it wasn't. The mapping of the United States was done by a long and detected surveying project. Or maybe you mean things like Lewis and Clark and the Powell expedition. Sorry, those weren't fur traders or treasure seekers, those were flat out scientific and exploration expeditions. Like the Apollo missions of their day.
Don't need to screw around with Q ships. An LHD/LHA with Marine Harriers, some Cobra gunships and a SEAL/SAS or Delta teams with Chinooks and CH-53s sitting in the middle of the action area with some maritime surveillance would do the job. Like the Global Hawks and maritime predators they keep trying to sell the Navy and Australia.
Theres been a war on piracy since 1801. And a war on slavery off the coast of Africa that the US was involved in. Theres a power vacuum now with the fall of the Soviet Union and the shrinking of navies and naval basing.
Back before, the Soviets had naval basing in the region, out of Somalia and at times, Yemen. That dried up, Somalia got disastrous and the UN pulled out. the boil festered and now we are seeing some fallout for giving up on Somalia in the mid 90s.
The fighting in the Middle East now two big blocs, the Israeli-Arab conflict and the Shia-Sunni conflicts are *not* because of religion. They are side effects of Nationalism, with some minor sub-factions who are primarily motivated by religion (Islamic Jihad, AQI, AQ).
Zionism while is a Jewish movement, its not a religious Jewish movement, it is a secular movement. The Palestinian Authority is not a religious movement, it is a nationalistic movement with Christian and Islamic members.
Iraq's problems are not because of religion, they are because of three competing nationalistic movements. The old Ba'ath party's chaos in the wake of Iraq's fall, Kurdistan and the increasing regional influence of the Iranian Republic, which is a new name for the Persian Empire, a multi ethnic and multi religious state.
So all these movements use religion? Yes. But they are not religious movements. When someone from Hamas blows up an Israeli checkpoint, its not for God, it is for the cause of Palestinian nationalism. When an Israeli F-16 bombs a Hezbollah camp, while the pilot is Jewish, its not because of the religion, it is because of Israeli national politics.
As for the Crusades "converting or killing everyone in their path", thats not what happened on any side in the conflict during the Crusades. There were atrocities, especially during the sack of Jerusalem and the fall of Acre but the Crusades were not mindless bloodbaths of conversion. Nor were the Islamic conquest of the Middle East, Asia and North Africa during the 700-800s - unless one was a Pagan, then you did have to convert or die. So...hopefully one was a Christian or Jew when the Muslims showed up back then...
We cared about the spread of communism because it upset the system in place in the industrialized world at first. Then we figured out communism meant millions and millions of people in prisons and starved to death. Look at the two big Communist revolutions and the aftermath of each was more dead than what the Nazis did in Germany/Europe. So Communism was bad.
We care about defending Israel...well it goes back to WWI and the British mandate for Israel and a zionist state became a US mandate after WWII when the US assumed alot of the British responsibilities.
Oh and we didn't want the Israelis getting in bed with the Soviets either. Helps that there is a huge Jewish population in the US and alot of US high tech in Israel and that Holocaust thing is a big motivator to keep supporting Israel.
The modern battlefield is awash in radio traffic, the US and NATO have spent billions on secure battlefield communication sets since the 1970s and while some haven't worked well, the US has a pretty robust network they can deploy now.
For fighting the PLA/DPRK I could see a risk of brute force jamming. But unless you are fighting a NATO or modern Middle Eastern army (Israel), the chances of finding a electronic warfare equipped foe that can degrade US/NATO comms in the next 20 years is going to be slim.
What's wrong with the Cowboys vs. Indians war (whatever it's called)?
There was never a "cowboys vs indians" war. In the United States there were a number of what are called Indian Wars or Campaigns. For example, the one I study, the Northern Great Plains Indian Wars from 1860-1891 had a number of phases and campaigns. Dakota War of 1862, Red Cloud's War (1866â"1868) - which the Indians won, Colorado War (1864â"1865), Black Hills War, or Little Big Horn Campaign (1876â"1877), Cheyenne War (1878â"1879), and Pine Ridge Campaign (November 1890 â" January 1891).
Yep, exactly, and even if you tell the USPS, that doesn't mean even with the databases in place the Feds or Local Governments are going to know where you are.
From my experience, as an adult having lived in South Dakota, Oregon and Colorado, its fine to just move around the country.
It is your responsibility to have your mail forwarded to your new address, the Government doesn't know where you are unless you tell them and for general things (mail/taxes/bills) there is no checking up on if your address is accurate.
"...in the same way that European pioneers headed to America knowing they would not return home."
Huh, well there were quite a few European pioneers who went to the Americas and went back to their home countries. Mostly the military and leadership positions, but still it wasn't universally a one way trip.
The only fields in the US with a government salary cap are government jobs - Federal/State/Local/Education/Military.
The only private sector jobs with strict salary caps are sports. Doctors, depending on the institution might have structured salary schedules, but theres no law keeping them there. Private sector engineering might have similar structures but there are usually bonus systems in place for performance.
Huh...I know some airline pilots, jets like the CRJs, they make calls all the time from the cockpit when over areas with alot of towers. One guy I knew made international calls constantly because it would make the connection but not connect the billing to his call, he has done this for 7 years now.
Any government, not just the US, will use any means in their grasp to run a police state. The US is a little better off than others because there is a nice armed culture and strong Courts here that keeps the Feds on their toes compared to say, the UK.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, if you read my post, I limited the scope to the United States. I'm well aware of the geographical limits of the Americas.
Lewis and Clark did not used primitive maps that came before. They used guides who had been in the areas, local Indians for translation and information, but once they moved into what now is NW Iowa/SE South Dakota, they were beyond any known maps.
Furthermore, the actual formal surveying of the United States was done by small groups as they plotted out the baselines as part of the Public Land Survey System.
If the US/UK/NATO/Israelis/Indian militaries and intelligence services weren't out there poking and prodding the networks of current and potential foes...I'd be *very* disappointed.
The main problem with the "reasoning" for the invasion was WMD. There were so many Iraqi violations of the 1991 cease-fire that warranted a continuation of the war, but which were just ignored.
As for the UK getting "involved because they thought it was politically expedient" is fantasy, the US/UK were going to hit Iraq the moment an Allied aircraft was shot down over Iraq. See Operation Desert Badger for planning during the Clinton/Blair administrations.
Every time Iraq fired AAA or a SAM at an Allied plane in a no-fly zone, violation of the cease-fire from March 1991.
Lets not forget that the Iraqi government before the US/UK invaded was sponsoring terrorism in Israel, or plotting to murder current and former heads of state, and killing tens of thousands of civilians a year, oh and the did have stockpiles of chemical weapons left...
No, its all the fault of the Bush administration.
"The mapping of America was done by fur traders and those seeking treasure. You could go on and on."
No it wasn't. The mapping of the United States was done by a long and detected surveying project. Or maybe you mean things like Lewis and Clark and the Powell expedition. Sorry, those weren't fur traders or treasure seekers, those were flat out scientific and exploration expeditions. Like the Apollo missions of their day.
Don't need to screw around with Q ships. An LHD/LHA with Marine Harriers, some Cobra gunships and a SEAL/SAS or Delta teams with Chinooks and CH-53s sitting in the middle of the action area with some maritime surveillance would do the job. Like the Global Hawks and maritime predators they keep trying to sell the Navy and Australia.
Theres been a war on piracy since 1801. And a war on slavery off the coast of Africa that the US was involved in. Theres a power vacuum now with the fall of the Soviet Union and the shrinking of navies and naval basing.
Back before, the Soviets had naval basing in the region, out of Somalia and at times, Yemen. That dried up, Somalia got disastrous and the UN pulled out. the boil festered and now we are seeing some fallout for giving up on Somalia in the mid 90s.
The fighting in the Middle East now two big blocs, the Israeli-Arab conflict and the Shia-Sunni conflicts are *not* because of religion. They are side effects of Nationalism, with some minor sub-factions who are primarily motivated by religion (Islamic Jihad, AQI, AQ).
Zionism while is a Jewish movement, its not a religious Jewish movement, it is a secular movement. The Palestinian Authority is not a religious movement, it is a nationalistic movement with Christian and Islamic members.
Iraq's problems are not because of religion, they are because of three competing nationalistic movements. The old Ba'ath party's chaos in the wake of Iraq's fall, Kurdistan and the increasing regional influence of the Iranian Republic, which is a new name for the Persian Empire, a multi ethnic and multi religious state.
So all these movements use religion? Yes. But they are not religious movements. When someone from Hamas blows up an Israeli checkpoint, its not for God, it is for the cause of Palestinian nationalism. When an Israeli F-16 bombs a Hezbollah camp, while the pilot is Jewish, its not because of the religion, it is because of Israeli national politics.
As for the Crusades "converting or killing everyone in their path", thats not what happened on any side in the conflict during the Crusades. There were atrocities, especially during the sack of Jerusalem and the fall of Acre but the Crusades were not mindless bloodbaths of conversion. Nor were the Islamic conquest of the Middle East, Asia and North Africa during the 700-800s - unless one was a Pagan, then you did have to convert or die. So...hopefully one was a Christian or Jew when the Muslims showed up back then...
We cared about the spread of communism because it upset the system in place in the industrialized world at first. Then we figured out communism meant millions and millions of people in prisons and starved to death. Look at the two big Communist revolutions and the aftermath of each was more dead than what the Nazis did in Germany/Europe. So Communism was bad.
We care about defending Israel...well it goes back to WWI and the British mandate for Israel and a zionist state became a US mandate after WWII when the US assumed alot of the British responsibilities.
Oh and we didn't want the Israelis getting in bed with the Soviets either. Helps that there is a huge Jewish population in the US and alot of US high tech in Israel and that Holocaust thing is a big motivator to keep supporting Israel.
The modern battlefield is awash in radio traffic, the US and NATO have spent billions on secure battlefield communication sets since the 1970s and while some haven't worked well, the US has a pretty robust network they can deploy now.
For fighting the PLA/DPRK I could see a risk of brute force jamming. But unless you are fighting a NATO or modern Middle Eastern army (Israel), the chances of finding a electronic warfare equipped foe that can degrade US/NATO comms in the next 20 years is going to be slim.
What's wrong with the Cowboys vs. Indians war (whatever it's called)?
There was never a "cowboys vs indians" war. In the United States there were a number of what are called Indian Wars or Campaigns. For example, the one I study, the Northern Great Plains Indian Wars from 1860-1891 had a number of phases and campaigns. Dakota War of 1862, Red Cloud's War (1866â"1868) - which the Indians won, Colorado War (1864â"1865), Black Hills War, or Little Big Horn Campaign (1876â"1877), Cheyenne War (1878â"1879), and Pine Ridge Campaign (November 1890 â" January 1891).
Yep, exactly, and even if you tell the USPS, that doesn't mean even with the databases in place the Feds or Local Governments are going to know where you are.
Selective Service is not universal as it only applies to one gender.
From my experience, as an adult having lived in South Dakota, Oregon and Colorado, its fine to just move around the country.
It is your responsibility to have your mail forwarded to your new address, the Government doesn't know where you are unless you tell them and for general things (mail/taxes/bills) there is no checking up on if your address is accurate.
True it was a IB. Sorry, late and forgot.
They did lose a crew. Apollo I during pad testing.
Wargame Construction Set in '86 was good stuff too
Really, after about mid-point through the second book, the entire series lost its footing.
True, but members of the First Hundred (and one) did return to Earth, well in the future, but still they did.
"...in the same way that European pioneers headed to America knowing they would not return home."
Huh, well there were quite a few European pioneers who went to the Americas and went back to their home countries. Mostly the military and leadership positions, but still it wasn't universally a one way trip.
Yes, its a pack mentality, same reason alot of folks with the same mindset go into Law Enforcement, the military, etc.
Its not that they are "big fake pussies", its because they want to belong to something.
Yea, I have to agree.
I'm most wary of a Subaru, my friends all agree that Subaru wagon/suv/crossover drivers are the worst, most erratic drivers out there by brand.
The only fields in the US with a government salary cap are government jobs - Federal/State/Local/Education/Military.
The only private sector jobs with strict salary caps are sports. Doctors, depending on the institution might have structured salary schedules, but theres no law keeping them there. Private sector engineering might have similar structures but there are usually bonus systems in place for performance.
Huh...I know some airline pilots, jets like the CRJs, they make calls all the time from the cockpit when over areas with alot of towers. One guy I knew made international calls constantly because it would make the connection but not connect the billing to his call, he has done this for 7 years now.
Any government, not just the US, will use any means in their grasp to run a police state. The US is a little better off than others because there is a nice armed culture and strong Courts here that keeps the Feds on their toes compared to say, the UK.