Clarification

Post #277,290 by bepatient 1/3/07 1:47:33 PM Reply	Clarification I didn't mean a complete withdrawal...but now I re-read and thats what it appeared I was saying. What needs to happen is to have the troops drawn down significantly. That appears to be a direction that is entirely possible. That is a multibillion dollar windfall for the government ... and it could even be delayed to the 24-30 month time frame and still have a significant impact on balancing the budget. Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry._{Adrian Belew}
Post #277,291 by pwhysall 1/3/07 1:58:15 PM Reply	Do you read/see the same news as me? [link\|http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6223923.stm\|Bush to reveal Iraq troop boost], for example. This is the diametric opposite of what you say needs to happen. Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes! [link\|http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?pwhysall\|A better terminal emulator] [image\|http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h262/pwhysall/Misc/saveus.png\|0\|Darwinia\|\|]
Post #277,311 by bepatient 1/3/07 5:57:39 PM Reply	That is not at issue Short term troop increases can still be met with reductions starting 18-24 months from now...and thats when it needs to happen. Ideally, we will have some type of expense offset also. Point is, its not impossible to balance the budget in 5 years. It may not be horribly likely...but it isn't impossible. Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry._{Adrian Belew}
Post #277,314 by pwhysall 1/3/07 6:03:16 PM Reply	That's not what you said First, get out of Iraq (in full force) in the next 12-18 months. That's not "reductions starting in 18-24 months", that's "the last marine steps on the last US plane leaving Baghdad in 18 months". And now that's changed from "out of Iraq in 18 months" to "start thinking about reductions in a year or so". Do you see why I'm finding your argument confusing and contradictory? Reality is that no such reduction is going to occur and, indeed, the wheels are in motion for tens of thousands of additional US troops to go to Iraq. Further, the experience of Iraq so far tells us that they'll end up staying there. Any budget-balancing hypothesis that relies on any reduction of materiel committed to Iraq is doomed from the outset. Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes! [link\|http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?pwhysall\|A better terminal emulator] [image\|http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h262/pwhysall/Misc/saveus.png\|0\|Darwinia\|\|]
Post #277,316 by bepatient 1/3/07 6:15:20 PM Reply	Ok. Opinion noted. I don't think we are going to be there with this level of troops in 2 to 3 years. You do. Yes, current news makes it appear bleak..but we have only 2 years left of Bush leadership...and I don't think he will be able to maintain this policy and ensure party reelection....SO...he is going to have to change policy within 2 years. Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry._{Adrian Belew}
Post #277,318 by hnick 1/3/07 6:38:58 PM Reply	Right... It's a temporary increase Like a temporary increase from the telephone company. It's only temporary; the rollback will come. It'll happen. Really. But first they need another temporary increase. Eventually the telco goes away. Eventually we'll leave Iraq. But Bush will do everything in his power to either put off the actual pullout until the next reprobate does it, or he thinks he can actually be able to claim a victory of some sort. Only out of curiosity, you understand, what makes you think the Republican party can make Bush do anything at all? The dumbos have both houses. He can carry on as usual and blame everything on them. If he really fucks up, the republicritters can smear the next dumbo candidate to death with how bad they did when they had power. There is absolutely no control over him any more. He is a vain, intellectually lazy underachiever who is only interested now in securing a legacy. There is no doubt in my mind that he can hunker down and wait for the next turkey to take the heat. In the mean time, he can continue to curry favor with the big guys that got him in in the first place. Wouldn't want to piss them off. He may need to get bailed out sometime in the future. My tiny bits of copper alloy as usual...

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