How to beat the Taliban in Afghanistan / Pakistan (and win the war on terror)

[Peter Dow]

You have a massive lack of understanding of the Middle East based off of the content of your post.

There's a lot that's the same about war strategy irrespective of what region the theatre of war is in.

That's like an infantry man telling me, "there's a lot you don't know about shooting an Arab". Really, how different can it be?

You've also got a very large case of narcissism as well.

Yes I sent myself a valentine this year.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJkh_xhvukA"]Valentine for Condoleezza Rice from Peter Dow. Roses Are Red. - YouTube[/ame]

As for me not helping the war on terror...

I meant helping me with the strategy side of things.

It's like an architect telling a brick-layer that he can't help with the house design but he can help build it. It's division of labour, each bring different skills to the job in hand.

I've spent my entire adult life prosecuting or preparing to prosecute the war on terror.

Thank you for your service.

I've got more than words invested in this fight.

As have I. In a global war, the front lines are all around us. Who knew the twin towers were on the front line? Or the London underground? Or Glasgow airport?

There have been instances of writers being targeted, shot and killed by terrorists for their writings regarding the war on terror.

Who knows if I will be targeted for my war strategy?

How many friends have you lost to the wars?

The same number as I have friends in Aberdeen where I stay. None. I don't make friends often or easily. People tend to keep their distance from me. I make them uncomfortable for some reason. Also I get bored with most people very quickly and prefer to do some thinking or writing than while the day away with a friend.

Women I like but more as lovers than friends but I've no more lovers than I have friends at the moment either.

How many patrols have you pulled?

None unless you count computer games. I'm not a member of the military. I'm an intellectual, scientist, writer, game player, with an interest in fighting for freedom.

Although I did approach the UK military a couple of times with a view to joining when I was younger I never got very far through the recruitment process before being rejected.

How many civilian body bags have you filled as a byproduct of this war?

Again, none.

How dare you pretend you assume the same level of risk as soldiers assume protecting your selfish ass.

I didn't mean to imply the risk was the same level. Then again, some soldiers have different levels of risk than other soldiers. There's no one single level of risk for everyone.

I argue with you on GWOT

OK well I appreciate having people to sharpen my arguments on. Thanks for joining in with this thread.

because your ideas are idiotic and will only get people killed that shouldn't be killed.

Well my ideas are not idiotic. It's idiotic not to seize control over satellite broadcasting into the middle east and we wouldn't need to kill anyone to do it, probably.

Not doing so, allowing state sponsors to use satellite TV to recruit terrorists massively increases the risk to our soldiers.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxLSVF3T1nI"]Iraq X-File: USA vs USA (1) Support satellite terror TV NOT! - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7bHk0Rl6i4"]Satellite terror TV incites Jordanians to terrorism in Iraq. - YouTube[/ame]

So not putting a stop to that when it is so easy to do, when sometimes we are even paying for the satellites which are being used to broadcast enemy propaganda, well - that's idiotic.

Having the kind of fervor for war you express is dangerous and reeks of not understanding how terrible war is.

It's more dangerous when a poor strategy drags a war out over more than a decade when a good strategy could have won it by now.

As for Baghdad Bob, I think I'll keep him. I was one of the soldiers that shut that guy up. I was one of the soldiers that took Baghdad while he was saying we were committing suicide at the gates of the city. He motivated us to fight harder simply so we could shut him up....and we did.

So you don't love the Iraqi information minister? This isn't your favourite website?

http://www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com/

Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf

He gained something of a cult following in the West, appearing on T-shirts, cartoons, and in internet phenomena.[6] In the UK, a DVD documentary was sold about his exploits and televised interviews, called "Comical Ali".

He had a similar role for Saddam as Geobbels had for Hitler. Goebbels would surely have been hanged at the Nuremberg War crime trials if he had not poisoned himself.

al-Sahhaf should have been hung with Saddam but was allowed by our idiotic leaders to go free to go to make a fortune and to give every other paid liar - like the ones lying to us today about Pakistani military "not" sponsoring the Taliban with the sure and certain knowledge that even though those lies have cost us thousands of lives of our soldiers and many more civilian casualties that the paid liar will get off with no punishment.

Treating these paid liars as funny or harmless is simply helping the enemy.

Our leaders should know better but because they are stupid, they don't.

That's why we need an unfriendly guy like me to point out what we need to know and what we are doing wrong.

I'm not here to win friends but to win this war.

Since you likely have borderline personality disorder or Asperger's syndrome or both you wouldn't understand the context in which I have this avatar. That's also probably why you don't listen to anyone who actually has experience in these matters and have become fixated to the point of obsession about doing it your way.

Borderline genius more like.

We have this thing called the freedom do speech and the freedom of expression. This keeps *******s like you from being able to censure things that make you uncomfortable. That's the point...the truth can get real uncomfortable sometimes and we need to be allowed to say those uncomfortable things no matter how much they are disagreeable. I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand.

And I ought to have the freedom to point out that with that avatar you are undermining at the strategy level all the good you may have done at the footsoldier level.

I thank you once again for your service in the latter and would continue to deplore you obstructing the former with that brainless avatar.

I mean if you had on his picture, "this liar should have hung with Saddam", then that would have been good strategically speaking, but oh no, you've got him there under his cult comedy figure name of "Baghdad Bob", like it's just a bit of fun.

If we invaded Iraq and the most important outcome of that invasion (that you choose to draw attention to) was that this liar got a well paid job in another country then it wasn't worth the lives we lost but that seems to be the conclusion someone could draw from your avatar.

You make think it is cool but it is not. It's dumb, dumber and dumb-ass.

 

[predatorarchery]

A LOT of blather

I have skimmed through his site. I have read a lot of the replies here. I think this conversation has turned into more BS than substance.

I have fought Muslims in 11 countries, on 4 continents. Until we all pull are heads out of our collective arses, we will be burying are dead for another 100 years. The locations and the enemies are all tied together by one thing. If you refer to Saudi, or Pak, or Iran. Hezbollah, Assad, Taliban, regardless, there is one uniting aspect NOBODY seems to address.

In Germany, the Nazi party kept people in check. Hitler motivated the masses with speeches of a great 1000 year "Reich". The PEOPLE were the thing that kept Hitler and the Nazi in power. They did not lose this power until the PEOPLE felt the wrath of the Allies. When we broke their spirit to support what they believed in, Germany collapsed.

The people in these aforementioned countries are the support of these regimes. Period. We can cause uprisings. Look at the Arab Spring. But we are paying for that now. Take away a dictator and replace him with Extremists? That didn't work out so well. Did it?

What is the common denominator here? All of these countries have a citizen base that keeps them in power. They all are??????? Then what is it we must accept. The basis for their motivation is one and the same.

Islam is the sticking point. I've studied it, so I am not making anybody accept the conclusion that I have. Nor do I want to have some stupid debate on the peacefulness of their beliefs. If any of it were true, the people wouldn't abide by the rhetoric of the "EXTREME".

With that said, we need to, as a whole understand the forgone conclusion. If the powers that be are to continue, they MUST continue to draw on the support of the people. By force, or by democratic means, it is still the same.

If we continue to look at the individual nations as separate problems, we will continue the current course. The powers that be need to unify as we did in WWII. The Brits, U.S., Russia, Europe, Aus, need to stand together at the root cause.

The root "CAUSE" of any group needs to be the focal point of any conflict. The root cause of Germany, was the "WILL" of the German people. Hitler was their leader, but the people were the backbone. We destroyed their "WILL".

In the U.S. Civil War, the North only started to win after Gen. Sherman wiped out everything in his path. Ask a German survivor of Dresden why they would no longer support a powerful Germany. With that being said, where does that leave us?

Main concept of the Islamic faith is ruling the world. So why would any Muslim turn off his pride, his will to support the "CAUSE"? If he lives under a tyrant he still has one root that keeps him in the fight. That is his faith in the Muslim faith.

Until WE understand that, and are willing to take action, we will continue to fill body bags. We will continue to have to listen to the blather of the people who do not understand the reality of life.

I am not promoting death and destruction to Muslims around the world. I am referring to the targeting of their core motivations. I am also referring to the fact, unless we are willing to step up and take the proper steps, this SOP will not change.

My biggest irritant while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq both was the fact that they could attack us from a mosque with no fear of reprise. We were afraid to upset people. WTF? If we are to deal with this problem, then we MUST be willing to do it.

And FOREMOST, we have to stop looking at this is multiple conflicts. They are one and the same. I do not care if they are on different continents, it has the same root cause and effect. The German people were given aid and hugs AFTER we destroyed the enemy. Same with Japan. These individual conflicts, BATTLEFIELDS in THE BIGGER SCHEME of THINGS, must be coerced into the understanding that being on the wrong side is painful. If and only then will this mess have any kind of resolution.

My operational understanding of reality comes from the fact I managed to live through 24 years of service as a soldier and contractor. I am not going to address this post with debate. I have spoke my piece, and leave it up to you all to decide.

To all who believe, Merry Christmas. To the rest G'day.

 

[senojekips]

It's dumb, dumber and dumb-ass.

You have described yourself well here, but no one is going to take the slightest notice of you until you start your medication again.

 

[brinktk]

I have skimmed through his site. I have read a lot of the replies here. I think this conversation has turned into more BS than substance.

I have fought Muslims in 11 countries, on 4 continents. Until we all pull are heads out of our collective arses, we will be burying are dead for another 100 years. The locations and the enemies are all tied together by one thing. If you refer to Saudi, or Pak, or Iran. Hezbollah, Assad, Taliban, regardless, there is one uniting aspect NOBODY seems to address.

In Germany, the Nazi party kept people in check. Hitler motivated the masses with speeches of a great 1000 year "Reich". The PEOPLE were the thing that kept Hitler and the Nazi in power. They did not lose this power until the PEOPLE felt the wrath of the Allies. When we broke their spirit to support what they believed in, Germany collapsed.

The people in these aforementioned countries are the support of these regimes. Period. We can cause uprisings. Look at the Arab Spring. But we are paying for that now. Take away a dictator and replace him with Extremists? That didn't work out so well. Did it?

What is the common denominator here? All of these countries have a citizen base that keeps them in power. They all are??????? Then what is it we must accept. The basis for their motivation is one and the same.

Islam is the sticking point. I've studied it, so I am not making anybody accept the conclusion that I have. Nor do I want to have some stupid debate on the peacefulness of their beliefs. If any of it were true, the people wouldn't abide by the rhetoric of the "EXTREME".

With that said, we need to, as a whole understand the forgone conclusion. If the powers that be are to continue, they MUST continue to draw on the support of the people. By force, or by democratic means, it is still the same.

If we continue to look at the individual nations as separate problems, we will continue the current course. The powers that be need to unify as we did in WWII. The Brits, U.S., Russia, Europe, Aus, need to stand together at the root cause.

The root "CAUSE" of any group needs to be the focal point of any conflict. The root cause of Germany, was the "WILL" of the German people. Hitler was their leader, but the people were the backbone. We destroyed their "WILL".

In the U.S. Civil War, the North only started to win after Gen. Sherman wiped out everything in his path. Ask a German survivor of Dresden why they would no longer support a powerful Germany. With that being said, where does that leave us?

Main concept of the Islamic faith is ruling the world. So why would any Muslim turn off his pride, his will to support the "CAUSE"? If he lives under a tyrant he still has one root that keeps him in the fight. That is his faith in the Muslim faith.

Until WE understand that, and are willing to take action, we will continue to fill body bags. We will continue to have to listen to the blather of the people who do not understand the reality of life.

I am not promoting death and destruction to Muslims around the world. I am referring to the targeting of their core motivations. I am also referring to the fact, unless we are willing to step up and take the proper steps, this SOP will not change.

My biggest irritant while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq both was the fact that they could attack us from a mosque with no fear of reprise. We were afraid to upset people. WTF? If we are to deal with this problem, then we MUST be willing to do it.

And FOREMOST, we have to stop looking at this is multiple conflicts. They are one and the same. I do not care if they are on different continents, it has the same root cause and effect. The German people were given aid and hugs AFTER we destroyed the enemy. Same with Japan. These individual conflicts, BATTLEFIELDS in THE BIGGER SCHEME of THINGS, must be coerced into the understanding that being on the wrong side is painful. If and only then will this mess have any kind of resolution.

My operational understanding of reality comes from the fact I managed to live through 24 years of service as a soldier and contractor. I am not going to address this post with debate. I have spoke my piece, and leave it up to you all to decide.

To all who believe, Merry Christmas. To the rest G'day.

The US made their bed from the short sighted foreign policy we've prosecuted since the end of WWII. Now we are laying in it. If we keep shitting on people, they'll eventually get tired of it. BTW, which company did you work for in A-Stan and Iraq? I certainly hope you weren't the type of contractor that **** in a military units battle space and left them with weeks and months of problems with the locals because the contractors were "cowboying it up". I've seen that dozens of times, cleaning up the mess of the contractors while they rake in the profits and we rake in the wounded...

 

[Peter Dow]

Your "knowledge" is 20 years out of date, it's all basic stuff easily outshone by a large number of school children many of whom have had no formal training whatsoever. If you were even one tenth as smart as you imagine, you would have coded your own site rather than merely altering an old version of someone else's code.
Wow!,.... I never even saw a computer until I was in my mid 40s but have used MySQL for many years with SMF as do many people not using XAAMP or similar. You are a complete fraud, living in the past where idiots like yourself tried to convince others that all this basic stuff was akin to Black magic.

So much for your Degree. It appears that your reputation in your own chosen field is a standing joke among your peers and superiors, ignored and despised by your own relatives, frequently described as a "Serial Pest". No amount of self aggrandisement will fix that. Not here, or in the real world, your total ignorance of any form of understanding of that which you comment on is glaringly apparent to even the most inexperienced readers.

From what I read it would seem you have rarely ever actually held down a paying job of any sort, preferring to see yourself as a (completely ignored) advisor to others. Typical of those who can't manage their own lives, you feel your expertise is in trying to tell others how to ru(i)n theirs.

Baron Munchhausen would blush in your company.... I'd put money on the fact that you are most likely a chronic sufferer of Aspergers Syndrome and you are off your medication.

It's all true. I am living in the past but in the year 2005 which to be fair, is only 8 years ago. I had to travel in my TARDIS into this future time to see if you dumb asses had won this war yet. So disappointing.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ZeW95ypbc"]Dr Rice - that's who! Condi as Doctor Who. (High Quality) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[senojekips]

It's all true. I am living in the past but in the year 2005 which to be fair, is only 8 years ago. I had to travel in my TARDIS into this future time to see if you dumb asses had won this war yet. So disappointing.

No where near as disappointing as it would be if idiots like you had any influence where we would all most likely be dead.

 

[Peter Dow]

That last sentence strikes at the heart of it all.

He appears to be a mentally unstable individual that is not operating in the same reality as the rest of society. It is really quite sad when you think about it. Imagine what would happen in the world if he was able to have his way...

Ah yes, that'll be the reality in which the leader of the free world bows to the leader of the unfree world.

Imagine what would happen in the world if we free men didn't have a leader who bows to oil rich monarchs like the Saudi king just so we can sell his royal family stuff and instead I had my way and we booted their royal asses out of the way and just took the oil we need with profits to the people, not to the royals to spend on their jihadi terrorists to kill us.

Imagine that, no money for jihad, no money for more 9/11s and no money for the Taliban ...

 

[Peter Dow]

Beware of the RINO

His only real attribute of any note is that he has the hide of a rhinoceros,... anyone else would die of shame to be shown to be such a fool so regularly, unfortunately he also shares the looks, poor sight and complete lack of logical thought of the same animal.

Beware the RINO, the Republican In Name Only.

The next president of the USA eating out of the hand of the heir to the UK throne, Prince William.

This contradictory but tamed political animal has been president of the USA since LBJ and has wined and dined with kings and queens instead of upholding the rights of the people of the world to elect their own presidents rather then getting stuck with an imposed monarch.

 

[senojekips]

Fcuk,.. it looks like we've got a real live hero on our hands here, we'd all better start saving up our adulation.

My son had the rare occasion to run into US PMCs in Iraq, and said they were considered by all others to be the role models for the type of Yank Cowboy everyone just loves to take the p!ss out of.

They'd tool up like they were off on a 10 day insertion behind the lines, just to go down to the chow hall. Like the butcher's dog,... pretty much all p!ss and wind, and having read several of your posts you certainly seem to have that sown up.

Prolly a Wannabe he has most of the hallmarks.

 

[brinktk]

Well shucks Cap, I didn't mean to piss in your Wheaties... I didn't realize all that "battle space" was yours.... I apologize for collecting a pay check. Oh wait, we worked with JSOC in both places. They asked us to be there. Oh, and the guys I served with had all been in Spec Ops prior to going there. Our ROE was better than yours. Maybe that pisses you off. I know it pissed off the locals. Either way bud, I served my time in the Army, PROUDLY.
As far as who I worked for, that is amongst friends. Not school teachers. If I want my life made public, I would go on Twitter. If you want to ***** about MERCS, it is a free country.
And as far as wounded go, we all got them. I personally packed more than one gainfully employed US Soldier out of the ****, that, by the way, was stirred up before we got on scene.
So, with that said, Thank You for your service to my country.

P.S. Being that you are on officer in the U.S. Army, don't risk your whole career over an opinion that can be construed as less than becoming of an officer. I know somewhere in the UCMJ there is something along the lines that will get you screwed for bad mouthing the country.

P.S.S. Don't let the leftists at the ol University drag you down with em.

P.S.S. Playing Cowboy.... I heard that a lot from Inf puke officers in the Army, bitching about us in the 75th. Is there any thing to that? Just a question.

"YOUR" country...I suppose it couldn't possibly belong to anyone else...and bad mouthing the country? WTF, speaking the truth is all of a sudden bad mouthing? I'm not into groupthink thank you very much. I'm quite entitled to speak how I feel about our foreign policy in a setting such as this. Please refrain from telling me how to act or how to think, I know those of you all far on the right like to do that, just don't do it with me.

That battle space I was speaking of didn't specifically belong to "ME", but it certainly belonged to a unit. I don't give a crap if you all were former SF or worked with SF, you guys still made a habit of shitting all over the place. We were the ones who had to clean it up. We were the ones who had spent months establishing relationships with the locals and building networks to create targeting packages. How is it that almost every time you guys rolled through my AO you managed to get at least ONE person killed (locals wise)? Oh that's right, you guys just kill without thinking, like scared little children. And you can get away with it too because you don't have to go through that neighbor hood the next day, or next week, or next month. WE DO.

It's called counter insurgency, and since you haven't been in the Army since before 9/11, you're likely quite the rookie to it. Indiscriminately killing is not the way to go. Don't assume your ROE was so awesome...I was there in the beginning when there was virtually NO ROE and all that did was exacerbate the friction between us, and the people we were supposed to be protecting. It's great for shooting at other guys wearing uniforms...not so great when the people become the terrain.

I'm sure that's all FAR above your head since you obviously have a disdain for people who are college educated or people who's views that differ from yours. You DO understand we have a constitution that ensures there is a dissenting voice right? You do understand that we need opposing views within our government don't you? I'm not talking generic views, I'm talking on real divisive stuff. We need that opposite feedback, the future of this country depends on it. Seems you're too busy not seeing the forest for the trees.

It's obvious you have a disdain for officers too. Talk about fulfilling ALL of the stereotypes! Stop trying so hard guy. You're not that serious, and probably not even that good. You've been out of the mix for too long high speed... PMCing is certainly out of the mix...there's really not a whole lot to driving through a city and shooting at stuff...If your skill set was more than that then I sure never saw it. That's okay though, I know it's tough to let go of all that when you live in a world where you're incapable of seeing more than the 50 meter target. Where you're incapable of executing any type of forethought whatsoever...where you're simply reactionary and unwilling to think objectively. Must be a really sad, and scary world you live in.

P.S. BTW the 75th isn't the end all be all...it may have been when you were in, but 12 years of continuous warfare has the regular grunt outfits seeing way more action than you bat boys pulling outer cordon for CAG on your short little 4 month long deployments...

 

[brinktk]

LOL, I did piss in your Wheaties. You are right, I do not like Liberals. Do they, you, have a right to speak? YES. Do I have the right to NOT have to give a rats ass about your opinion. Hmmm? I thought so.
I have a lot of respect for officers. I have a son that is. Some of my best friends are. And do I have a college education? YES. I even had to put up with LIB profs. Did I debate them? Of course. Did I have to suck up to them and let them brainwash me? Hell no.
And finally, before you talk of counter insurgency tactics, what the hell do you think the SOF have been doing since the 1960's? Where the hell have you been? Never mind. I thank you for your time in country, but from the bottom of my heart, I think fools like you are what has become the demise of the Army. I'm sure you are the same type of D.S. that will walk his guys into an ambush, and fill out your after action and blame your point man.
If you are so dear to the belief that the WE are to blame for the worlds problems, I think you should resign your commission and join the Obama administration. Because as far as an Officer of the U.S. Army, it is NOT your place to be counter productive to the well being of the troops. By running your mouth, you breed malcontent and lower morale of the soldiers under your command. You also, in my opinion, sound just like that little ***** that is hiding out in Russia.
We all had operations we did not like. We ALL had to pick up the pieces of others B.S.. But some of us had the self respect to keep our opinions among ourselves.... That is our duty, to give up our freedom in the protection of others.
So as I said before, Thank You for your time overseas. I am sorry that your opinion of Spec. Ops, the 75th, and others like me is so low. And I am sorry you apparently had to walk behind us and them, and sweep the mess.

I don't think you're in a position to judge my performance as an officer. I came up through the ranks and most of my time down range was as a Non Commissioned Officer and all of it was on the line. You assume I'm a liberal, which I am not, simply because I don't agree with the narrative you spout as things being all rainbows and unicorns. We did the direct action thing all during OIF 1,2, and 3. I know, I was there. A lot of it was counter productive. I KNOW mistakes were made both at the strategic level and at the tactical level. What kind of leader would I be if I didn't learn from these mistakes?

I have NEVER blamed my soldiers, only myself and the leadership. You're right, there were crap situations where there was simply no good solution to the problems we faced. Still, we picked up the pieces and moved out and continued mission. I never discussed this stuff WITH my soldiers. Besides, when down range, we had much more pressing matters to be concerned about other than politics. That still didn't mean I didn't put my CoC's feet to the fire when they were jacked up. Yes, I was quite vocal to my CoC when they mishandled situations or failed to provide the support they were supposed to when dealing with MY soldiers. It is a leaders job to ensure your men are taken care of, I did that unashamedly. I made sure to lead from the front and never ever asked my soldiers to do something I wouldn't do. If my CoC told me to shut up and drop it, I would. Yet, it was my job to put it out there because we were the guys on the ground assuming all the risk. I'm not above assuming risk if there is a payoff. I'm not willing to unnecessarily assume risk just because a commander wants to rack up missions to go on his OER.

Just because I say stuff you don't agree with doesn't mean I'm incompetent. I would urge you to ask ANY soldier who has served under my command how I was as a leader, it certainly won't paint the picture you have in your head.
I haven't been "brainwashed" by the university "libs". I've only just started as a military science professor at a university that has a very close relationship to the Army post located a mere 3 miles away. This is likely one of the least liberal universities one could attend. Also, almost all of my time is spent in the military science department which is filled with green suiters or retired green suiters. I teach 1st year cadets within the ROTC program...not a lot of opportunities to "brainwash" my cadets in the "liberal" mindset you seem to think is so prevalent.

Your assumptions are many and couldn't be more off target. Our foreign policy HAS been short sighted. I'm also a historian and have done the research to know that a lot of the problems guys like us have to deal with operationally are a direct result of the failures of our elected representatives ability to do their freaking jobs. I am entitled to have an opinion on that since WE are the ones who pay for it. I'm not willing to prostrate myself before their stupidity and simply suck it up while drawing up 9 lines for the wounded. Someone has to be held accountable. The people are largely ignorant of the plight of the guys on the ground and that needs to change. Unfortunately, it's joe snuffy who ends up paying for it the most.

 

[A Can of Man]

brinktk, there is absolutely no reason why you should have to answer to that kind of garbage, nor is there any reason to explain yourself either.

 

[senojekips]

brinktk, there is absolutely no reason why you should have to answer to that kind of garbage, nor is there any reason to explain yourself either.

Well said,... brinktk has at least earned the respect of those on this site.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

liberal
ˈlɪb(ə)r(ə)l/
adjective
adjective: liberal

Willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas.
synonyms: tolerant, unprejudiced, unbigoted, broad-minded, open-minded, enlightened, forbearing.

antonyms; intolerant, narrow-minded, bigoted, unenlightened, closed minded, prejudiced, biased, partial, one-sided, sectarian. Having or revealing an obstinate belief in the superiority of one's own opinions and a prejudiced intolerance of the opinions of others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[predatorarchery]

Your assumptions are many and couldn't be more off target. Our foreign policy HAS been short sighted. I'm also a historian and have done the research to know that a lot of the problems guys like us have to deal with operationally are a direct result of the failures of our elected representatives ability to do their freaking jobs. I am entitled to have an opinion on that since WE are the ones who pay for it. I'm not willing to prostrate myself before their stupidity and simply suck it up while drawing up 9 lines for the wounded. Someone has to be held accountable. The people are largely ignorant of the plight of the guys on the ground and that needs to change. Unfortunately, it's joe snuffy who ends up paying for it the most.[/QUOTE]

Good, now we can agree on something. My opinions again are my opinion. Maybe wrong, maybe right. I know I have ate a LOT of **** in the last 24 years because of fools in London and D.C..
I accept the fact that you were probably a good NCO. I accept the fact that your beliefs are earned. I also agree with your last para.
We have an obligation to maintain morale, and protect our soldiers. We must also maintain the premiss, that even if we don't like it, we have a job to do. When we complain openly, it does cause hate and discontent. Whatever it is, this situation is FUBAR. I will continue to train my soldiers. You train your Officers. Hopefully when they are in a foxhole together, they will not get each other killed.
Again THANK YOU for your service.

 

[A Can of Man]

Good, now we can agree on something. My opinions again are my opinion. Maybe wrong, maybe right. I know I have ate a LOT of **** in the last 24 years because of fools in London and D.C..
I accept the fact that you were probably a good NCO. I accept the fact that your beliefs are earned. I also agree with your last para.
We have an obligation to maintain morale, and protect our soldiers. We must also maintain the premiss, that even if we don't like it, we have a job to do. When we complain openly, it does cause hate and discontent. Whatever it is, this situation is FUBAR. I will continue to train my soldiers. You train your Officers. Hopefully when they are in a foxhole together, they will not get each other killed.
Again THANK YOU for your service.

Dude... are you for real? lol

 

[senojekips]

Dude... are you for real? lol

I think that someone feels he must impress the locals and make his mark,... quickly.

Something that may happen in time, but like everyone else he'll have to earn his stripes.

 

[senojekips]

Funnily enough, we don't care that you don't care, we put up with real idiots before you ever came on the market.

 

[predatorarchery]

I have skimmed through his site. I have read a lot of the replies here. I think this conversation has turned into more BS than substance.

I have fought Muslims in 11 countries, on 4 continents. Until we all pull are heads out of our collective arses, we will be burying are dead for another 100 years. The locations and the enemies are all tied together by one thing. If you refer to Saudi, or Pak, or Iran. Hezbollah, Assad, Taliban, regardless, there is one uniting aspect NOBODY seems to address.

In Germany, the Nazi party kept people in check. Hitler motivated the masses with speeches of a great 1000 year "Reich". The PEOPLE were the thing that kept Hitler and the Nazi in power. They did not lose this power until the PEOPLE felt the wrath of the Allies. When we broke their spirit to support what they believed in, Germany collapsed.

The people in these aforementioned countries are the support of these regimes. Period. We can cause uprisings. Look at the Arab Spring. But we are paying for that now. Take away a dictator and replace him with Extremists? That didn't work out so well. Did it?

What is the common denominator here? All of these countries have a citizen base that keeps them in power. They all are??????? Then what is it we must accept. The basis for their motivation is one and the same.

Islam is the sticking point. I've studied it, so I am not making anybody accept the conclusion that I have. Nor do I want to have some stupid debate on the peacefulness of their beliefs. If any of it were true, the people wouldn't abide by the rhetoric of the "EXTREME".

With that said, we need to, as a whole understand the forgone conclusion. If the powers that be are to continue, they MUST continue to draw on the support of the people. By force, or by democratic means, it is still the same.

If we continue to look at the individual nations as separate problems, we will continue the current course. The powers that be need to unify as we did in WWII. The Brits, U.S., Russia, Europe, Aus, need to stand together at the root cause.

The root "CAUSE" of any group needs to be the focal point of any conflict. The root cause of Germany, was the "WILL" of the German people. Hitler was their leader, but the people were the backbone. We destroyed their "WILL".

In the U.S. Civil War, the North only started to win after Gen. Sherman wiped out everything in his path. Ask a German survivor of Dresden why they would no longer support a powerful Germany. With that being said, where does that leave us?

Main concept of the Islamic faith is ruling the world. So why would any Muslim turn off his pride, his will to support the "CAUSE"? If he lives under a tyrant he still has one root that keeps him in the fight. That is his faith in the Muslim faith.

Until WE understand that, and are willing to take action, we will continue to fill body bags. We will continue to have to listen to the blather of the people who do not understand the reality of life.

I am not promoting death and destruction to Muslims around the world. I am referring to the targeting of their core motivations. I am also referring to the fact, unless we are willing to step up and take the proper steps, this SOP will not change.

My biggest irritant while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq both was the fact that they could attack us from a mosque with no fear of reprise. We were afraid to upset people. WTF? If we are to deal with this problem, then we MUST be willing to do it.

And FOREMOST, we have to stop looking at this is multiple conflicts. They are one and the same. I do not care if they are on different continents, it has the same root cause and effect. The German people were given aid and hugs AFTER we destroyed the enemy. Same with Japan. These individual conflicts, BATTLEFIELDS in THE BIGGER SCHEME of THINGS, must be coerced into the understanding that being on the wrong side is painful. If and only then will this mess have any kind of resolution.

My operational understanding of reality comes from the fact I managed to live through 24 years of service as a soldier and contractor. I am not going to address this post with debate. I have spoke my piece, and leave it up to you all to decide.

To all who believe, Merry Christmas. To the rest G'day.

This was my original point, then got berated for my job as a contractor. Anyway, this is the point.

 

[senojekips]

In other words, there is no point, you are just another blowhard Redneck who pulls his strides on one leg at a time.

You could well have some interesting and very worthwhile opinions, and to be honest I was quite impressed by your first post. Your first answer to brintk made me look again and it all went downhill from there. You've just gotta just stop the, "Mountain man, I am" bullsh!t,... you're not impressing anyone. No doubt we've all run into dozens of blokes like you before and your attitude just smacks of a deep insecurity complex and gets people wondering. It certainly started ringing alarm bells with me, you sounded like a typical Wannabe that's trying hard not to get shown up, and there's no logical need for any (ex)Service person to do that

Welcome aboard.

 

[brinktk]

Thanks for your confidence men. He has a lot to offer this forum and I hope you all will give him the chance to do just that. This was just a big misunderstanding and is a good example of what can happen when assumptions are made. With that being said, let's turn our attention back to the OP.