To quell the violence between Catholics and Protestants in N. Ireland we must send 20000 Arab troops

[noahmijo]

into that region.


Oh what? you guys have a better plan?? let's hear it!!!


That's effectively what Bush is saying. I hope more people than I (outside of DU I mean) think understand that what you've got in Iraq is two groups that have hated eachother for centuries going at it unpoliced and Bush wants to send a group of people whom BOTH groups hate (or at least will not tolerate them being the authority) and everyone's gonna join hands and sing kumbaya.


4 years is long enough. This "We broke it we should fix it" mentality is long overdue as a failed policy. The moment Saddam was removed from power that's the moment anyone who knows a little history figured this is the end of a one man dictatorship over a country and the beginning of yet another Islamic fundie ruled nation.

Nothing's going to change that now unfortunately. Nothing. Only the Iraqi people can, and from what I know they aren't favoring a Jeffersonian style method of Democracy.

[Common Sense Party]

1. There's not a whole lot of violence going on right now in North

Ireland. Nothing like a couple decades ago.

Nothing like Iraq.

You might want to change your analogy to Darfur or something like that.

[noahmijo]

2. Yes I know that, it's an analogy not based so much on present time but on history

The Vietnam War isn't going on anymore but does that stop people from comparing it to Iraq?

Plus an audience of Joe Blow Americans is at least semi-likely to recognize the Irish-English conflict. "Darfur" to them might sound too much like some sort of German food.

[Benhurst]

3. No, I like your analogy.

Non-English-speaking, non-Christian troops in a nation torn apart by religious differences held by two branches of the Christian faith.

Thank God things are going better in Ireland, but the analogy not only holds, it's a good one.

[sg_]

10. Sorry to be fussy

but its Northern Ireland ;-)

and yes you are correct. There is not really much going on at the minute, same goes for the past good few years. The only recent event of note was the rira firebombing shops causing tens of millions of pounds of damage, that was 5 or so months ago.

Other than that, nothing out of the ordinary in the grand scheme of things

[Mrs. Overall]

4. Good analogy that "average joe" can understand.

I hope this post gets recommendations.

[Mandate My Ass]

5. Excellent post

Shows the general idiocy and cultural ignorance for what it is.

[peace13]

6. Good one!

I get you. It could happen though if the Arabs develop a taste for green beer and fancy dancing that they just can't live without!

[corkhead]

7. The Arabs would be the "Deciders", but their ulterior motive is to take over the Whiskey Markets

edit for spelling

[IndyOp]

8. To extend your analogy - the Catholic/Protestant conflict was NOT about

religion, it was about many generations of discrimination against Catholics, such that they did not have decent schools, jobs, homes, and a say in how they would be governed.

Again - in Iraq we have a population with 70% unemployment - the U.S. has been paying ITSELF (Halliburton, KBR) and European companies and non-Iraqi's (people from neighboring nations who will work for little more than food) instead of giving the money for reconstruction to Iraqi's to rebuild their nation.

Want to end the "civil war" - send enough $$$ so that everybody gets a JOB - people with jobs hold debates on TV and radio and in public squares - people without jobs get guns.

US TROOPS OUT NOW. Reparations so that Iraqi's can rebuild and end the violence. Provide monetary support for a third party to hold multilateral talks to get the nations in the region talking.

The End.

[suziedemocrat]

9. We DID break it. We SHOULD fix it. But we CAN'T!

Too bad we've made such a mess of things and of course we'd like to make amends, but we just seem to keep making things worse.

I wish I knew the answer. Unfortunately, the correct answer was never going to war in Iraq in the first place. Now, it seems there is no answer. Diplomacy seems to be a better bet than more troops though. But, this administration will never be good at diplomacy. I think Biden is correct and the country should be split into 3 different countries. Those countries were arbitrarily drawn up anyway.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Not that far off from Idi Amin's suggestion

Among the most extraordinary of the files is one that details a seemingly serious offer by the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin to broker peace in Northern Ireland.

In view of an upsurge in violence in 1974, "I avail my good offices at the disposal of the opposing sides in Northern Ireland", Amin, whose eight-year rule brought an estimated 400,000 deaths in Uganda, wrote to the British government.

Rather than dismiss Amin's offer for the deluded flight of fancy it clearly was, a polite if firm refusal was needed, Foreign Office officials decided.

One official wrote: "As the general's messages go, this is one of his more lucid and, although it is as preposterous as one might expect, the acting high commissioner believes that it was sent with the best of intentions."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Idi-Amin-offered-helping-hand-on-Northern-Ireland/2005/01/02/1104601243961.html