Are you a Newt Gingrich conservative?

[CAnnoneer]

I have been reading Newt's communiques for a long time now and seem to agree with him on virtually all issues. Many of his ideas to fix different fedgov disasters are innovative and sound. Does that make me a Newt Gingrich conservative? Is there such a thing? Are you one?

[ilbob]

is newt still conservative? or has he gone over to the dark (populist) side?

[HankB]

The times I've seen him speak or give an interview since he left office make me think he's one of the few - very few - politicians that have their heads screwed on correctly.

We could do worse than having him in the White House . . . and as things are shaping up, we certainly will, no matter which party's candidate wins the Presidency.

[ilbob]

his supposed ideas are not much more than platitudes, except on national security and immigration.

obama gives more specifics.

[Finch]

Bleh. After going over his website, I can see how much of a war monger this guy really is. He actually thinks Al-Queda has the power to destroy the United States. 

[Manedwolf]

Bleh. After going over his website, I can see how much of a war monger this guy really is. He actually thinks Al-Queda has the power to destroy the United States. 

Yeah, I don't know where anyone would get that idea. 

[Finch]

Yup, America was destroyed. We are all finished. DONE I tell ya, DONE!

A group of thugs attacked us...that's why Newt wants to invade Iran....right?

[Bogie]

He actually thinks Al-Queda has the power to destroy the United States.

They do. After the nutjobs manage to pop a nuke or dirty bomb in a major city, the US as you know it will be gone. Things will change overnight.

[HankB]

his supposed ideas are not much more than platitudes, except on national security and immigration.

He also has denounced the Kyoto nonsense and, I believe, LOST.

[MrRezister]

He actually thinks Al-Queda has the power to destroy the United States.

They do. After the nutjobs manage to pop a nuke or dirty bomb in a major city, the US as you know it will be gone. Things will change overnight.

You mean like when the Prez suspends Habeus Corpus for US Citizens?  It will truly be a dark day...

[Finch]

He actually thinks Al-Queda has the power to destroy the United States.

They do. After the nutjobs manage to pop a nuke or dirty bomb in a major city, the US as you know it will be gone. Things will change overnight.

You mean like when the Prez suspends Habeus Corpus for US Citizens?  It will truly be a dark day...

Hey! Your freedoms can't get in the way of the war or Terrah!

[De Selby]

He actually thinks Al-Queda has the power to destroy the United States.

They do. After the nutjobs manage to pop a nuke or dirty bomb in a major city, the US as you know it will be gone. Things will change overnight.

They will only change if you and everyone else votes people into office who are willing to change it. 

The nutjobs can't force us to do anything-they are only capable of murdering and barbarism.  How we respond to their crimes is up to us-and we should take responsibility for it instead of refusing to admit that we have choices and that we, the folks who pull the strings in this country, are ultimately responsible for any lost liberty as a result of terrorism, not the terrorists.

[SomeKid]

He actually thinks Al-Queda has the power to destroy the United States.

They do. After the nutjobs manage to pop a nuke or dirty bomb in a major city, the US as you know it will be gone. Things will change overnight.

They will only change if you and everyone else votes people into office who are willing to change it. 

The nutjobs can't force us to do anything-they are only capable of murdering and barbarism.  How we respond to their crimes is up to us-and we should take responsibility for it instead of refusing to admit that we have choices and that we, the folks who pull the strings in this country, are ultimately responsible for any lost liberty as a result of terrorism, not the terrorists.

They are only capable of murdering and barbarism because we have gone soft. We ought to start rounding all of them up, and executing them en masse. Wipe a few countries out in this manner, and sooner or later the leaders of the countries we are blotting out of existence will get the hint, and help us kill the terrorists. Then, we won't have to do nearly as much backbreaking labor alone. If the Muslim world fails to join us and stamp terrorism out? We stamp the entire Muslim Middle East out. Simple enough.

[MrRezister]

If the Muslim world fails to join us and stamp terrorism out? We stamp the entire Muslim Middle East out. Simple enough.

Ah, yes - the old reliable "kill all the people who might be bad guys until the ones who are left like us" strategy.  That always works.

[ilbob]

If the Muslim world fails to join us and stamp terrorism out? We stamp the entire Muslim Middle East out. Simple enough.

Ah, yes - the old reliable "kill all the people who might be bad guys until the ones who are left like us" strategy.  That always works.

This approach has had a long history of success, since prehistoric times. The morality of this approach is the issue. Its also hard to sustain, as it tends to be hard on those doing the enforcing, especially these days.

Sadly, I am beginning to think we might have made a mistake in going to Iraq. Iran seems to be a much worse problem these days. We will probably have to deal with them at some point. We will probably have to deal with NK somehow as well. I think part of the equation for going after Iraq was that a more or less stable democracy next door would put a lot of pressure on the mullahs in Iran. The stability is shaky, but improving, and it is quite clear that the mullahs really are scared of such a thing. It is hard to keep people in the dark ages when the 21st century is next door. Whether we can keep it up long enough to do any long term good is another story.

[CAnnoneer]

There is some gratification in the notion that worse comes to worse, we can always let the nukes fly and turn the region into the biggest mirror in history. But, the reality is that such a solution is unsustainable, especially culturally and politically. There are a few of us in this country that are willing to go all the way and have it in them to "become death, the end of things" if it comes to it, but the vast majority of the electorate are nowhere near there. Besides, if we do go for the nuclear option, the cultural damage to our own side will be devastating. What is the point of winning against the barbarians if we then turn into the Third Reich? I guess we'll be alive for sure, but beyond that, it will not be much of an existence.

We just have to see Iraq through. The question is how to minimize the damage and somehow try to get some payback at least financially, e.g. by oil, so that at least the fiscal damage is curtailed somewhat. Iraq certainly will not be a 21st c. nation or a democracy any time soon, but at least they can be stabilized enough to start the process that will take 20 years to complete, while most of our troops are gradually pulled out. We need to put the big-boy pants on and recognize this as a nation.

[Bogie]

Actually, I sort of wonder why we're paying the CIA...

Go talk to Mustaffa Abduhl Ibrihim El-Camel, and let him know...

"Now, you boys play nice, and get along, or we're gonna send someone in the night for you. Just you. And you won't like it."

After he misbehaves, show the pictures to his successor, with the same message.
 
Sooner or later, you'll get to the smart one.

[AZRedhawk44]

I think part of the equation for going after Iraq was that a more or less stable democracy next door would put a lot of pressure on the mullahs in Iran. The stability is shaky, but improving, and it is quite clear that the mullahs really are scared of such a thing. It is hard to keep people in the dark ages when the 21st century is next door.

I think this is a less and less viable argument.

United Arab Emirates is a very technologically-welcoming and open society with considerable freedom to participate in global markets.  They can play in stocks, surf for porn on the internet, and read any book they want to from everything I have heard about them so far.  They are a "next door neighbor" to Iran and Saudi Arabia, but they haven't influenced any Muslim-equivalent of "glassnost".

I doubt Iraq will either.  They will need the next 20-30 years to rebuild their reputation away from being seen as a puppet banana republic of the US before they are taken seriously in Middle East regional politics.

[Bogie]

You know, I think Newt has matured in this direction for one reason.
 
He knows he has very little chance of a successful run for major office. So he's speaking his mind with common sense. And paradoxically, that might get him a run at a major office...
 

[Manedwolf]

I think part of the equation for going after Iraq was that a more or less stable democracy next door would put a lot of pressure on the mullahs in Iran. The stability is shaky, but improving, and it is quite clear that the mullahs really are scared of such a thing. It is hard to keep people in the dark ages when the 21st century is next door.

I think this is a less and less viable argument.

United Arab Emirates is a very technologically-welcoming and open society with considerable freedom to participate in global markets.  They can play in stocks, surf for porn on the internet, and read any book they want to from everything I have heard about them so far.  They are a "next door neighbor" to Iran and Saudi Arabia, but they haven't influenced any Muslim-equivalent of "glassnost".

I doubt Iraq will either.  They will need the next 20-30 years to rebuild their reputation away from being seen as a puppet banana republic of the US before they are taken seriously in Middle East regional politics.

The UAE is New Rome, complete with slaves.

Dubai was built by and runs on the back of literal slave labor, imported workers who get minimum wage and aren't free to wander around outside their living areas, as if they could afford anything in a make-believe city of seven-star hotels anyway. If they're killed in construction projects, as many are, nobody notices, nobody cares.

That won't last forever. I fully expect to see Dubai in flames someday. It's just inevitable.

[De Selby]

He actually thinks Al-Queda has the power to destroy the United States.

They do. After the nutjobs manage to pop a nuke or dirty bomb in a major city, the US as you know it will be gone. Things will change overnight.

They will only change if you and everyone else votes people into office who are willing to change it. 

The nutjobs can't force us to do anything-they are only capable of murdering and barbarism.  How we respond to their crimes is up to us-and we should take responsibility for it instead of refusing to admit that we have choices and that we, the folks who pull the strings in this country, are ultimately responsible for any lost liberty as a result of terrorism, not the terrorists.

We ought to start rounding all of them up, and executing them en masse.

So your problem isn't with the Nazi method, it's just that they targeted the wrong people?

[De Selby]

[it is quite clear that the mullahs really are scared of such a thing. It is hard to keep people in the dark ages when the 21st century is next door. Whether we can keep it up long enough to do any long term good is another story.

The mullahs are scared?  Of what? Having all their proxies elected to control Iraq?

[Sergeant Bob]

They are only capable of murdering and barbarism because we have gone soft. We ought to start rounding all of them up, and executing them en masse. Wipe a few countries out in this manner, and sooner or later the leaders of the countries we are blotting out of existence will get the hint, and help us kill the terrorists. Then, we won't have to do nearly as much backbreaking labor alone. If the Muslim world fails to join us and stamp terrorism out? We stamp the entire Muslim Middle East out. Simple enough.

I read posts like this and I have to wonder, "Why is this guy still allowed to post on this board?".

It would be nearly impossible to Godwin this guy.

[Bogie]

Actually, he's not all -that- far off base... Iran's leadership claims to welcome martyrdom... That's scary...
 
Remember 9/12/01? People wanted heads on stakes. Think how this country will react if the nutjobs successfully nuke a major city? All those folks will dust off their little lapel pins, and will be -demanding- that we glass half the middle east. And they quite possibly will -get- their wish.
 

[CAnnoneer]

I had a jolly sick idea just now - nuclear mushroom lapel pins!