ISIS and the Middle East
« on: August 11, 2014, 10:24:06 AM »
I thought I'd create a kind of news/discussion thread in regards to this since we have nothing regarding it right now. For a basic idea of who these guys are and what they're doing, there's the Wikipedia page and various images of their crucifixions, decapitations and other atrocities available courtesy of their social media presence.

Obama recently initiated air strikes against ISIS artillery positions, in order to protect civilians at threat as a result of ISIS advances in northern Iraq. They currently control some critical dams, giving them the power to flood Baghdad, which is a scary prospect. The Iraqi army has so far proven incapable of holding their own territory despite severely out numbering and out gunning ISIS, usually because they flee in the face of advances, effectively gearing up ISIS in the process.

There's been a lot of talk in Australia regarding what we should do, as a great many of ISIS' international supporters have come from Australia. It's unlikely US air strikes will do anything but delay advances. I don't think the west has the stomach for another war in the middle east, so the only option that would put an end to this group quickly is an unlikely one.

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2014, 11:04:51 AM »
I think the US will probably start giving arms to the Kurds while providing air support.

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Offline Lemon

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Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2014, 02:35:32 PM »
A 10th crusade might do the job. On a serious note, though, they are fucking sick. If you guys haven't seen it, watch the VICE documentary coming out on them now.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE. IGNORE RAMA SET.

Eddy Baby

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2014, 03:26:53 PM »
Time to start target practice I suppose..

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2014, 08:13:27 PM »

Ghost of V

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2014, 08:15:46 PM »
« Last Edit: August 11, 2014, 11:05:21 PM by Vauxhall »

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2014, 09:52:48 PM »
I wonder if George W Bush and Tony Blair feel at all responsible for this?
« Last Edit: August 11, 2014, 09:58:57 PM by The Terror »

Rama Set

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2014, 10:34:58 PM »
I wonder if George W Bush and Tony Blair feel at all responsible for this?

lol no

Thork

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2014, 10:47:58 PM »
America will do whatever is the most expensive option possible. That's why they have wars. To pacify the industrial military complex. Actually going into a place and winning a war in a week is no use at all. Expensive airstrikes over several months, support, setting up military cities, medical supplies, food supplies ... that's what the US is about.

So this suits them. Poke ISIS for as long as possible using the most expensive hardward possible in the most inefficient way possible, means plenty of tax payer money wasted and massive amounts of debt generated. Oh, and absolutely don't wipe out the enemy. Its important they can regroup, rebrand and rejihad again somewhere else.

Britain will want a piece of this too. However the British public are kind of up to speed. We know war is a racket and we largely have stopped giving a hoot about arabs killing each other, despite our media doing its best to show as many injured children as it possibly can. I think the British will try to get in on the action, but there is no way we will before our general election on 7th May 2015 as it would be suicide for the Conservatives.

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Offline Lemon

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Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2014, 11:04:11 PM »
I wish this didn't have to involve the U.S., really.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE. IGNORE RAMA SET.

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2014, 11:06:13 PM »
America will do whatever is the most expensive option possible. That's why they have wars. To pacify the industrial military complex. Actually going into a place and winning a war in a week is no use at all. Expensive airstrikes over several months, support, setting up military cities, medical supplies, food supplies ... that's what the US is about.

So this suits them. Poke ISIS for as long as possible using the most expensive hardward possible in the most inefficient way possible, means plenty of tax payer money wasted and massive amounts of debt generated. Oh, and absolutely don't wipe out the enemy. Its important they can regroup, rebrand and rejihad again somewhere else.

Britain will want a piece of this too. However the British public are kind of up to speed. We know war is a racket and we largely have stopped giving a hoot about arabs killing each other, despite our media doing its best to show as many injured children as it possibly can. I think the British will try to get in on the action, but there is no way we will before our general election on 7th May 2015 as it would be suicide for the Conservatives.

Is that why you guys are building brand new aircraft carriers and heavily contributing to the JSF? The most expensive option here would actually be to engage the ISIS in a coordinated ground war. No one would do that following the events of the last decade, so for now it's air strikes and humanitarian missions.

Saddam Hussein

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2014, 01:21:44 AM »
I'm convinced that we only narrowly avoided another huge invasion with the Syria situation last year, due mainly to the overwhelmingly negative response from the American people.  Here's hoping we can keep it up for this nonsense.

Thork

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2014, 07:56:47 AM »
America will do whatever is the most expensive option possible. That's why they have wars. To pacify the industrial military complex. Actually going into a place and winning a war in a week is no use at all. Expensive airstrikes over several months, support, setting up military cities, medical supplies, food supplies ... that's what the US is about.

So this suits them. Poke ISIS for as long as possible using the most expensive hardward possible in the most inefficient way possible, means plenty of tax payer money wasted and massive amounts of debt generated. Oh, and absolutely don't wipe out the enemy. Its important they can regroup, rebrand and rejihad again somewhere else.

Britain will want a piece of this too. However the British public are kind of up to speed. We know war is a racket and we largely have stopped giving a hoot about arabs killing each other, despite our media doing its best to show as many injured children as it possibly can. I think the British will try to get in on the action, but there is no way we will before our general election on 7th May 2015 as it would be suicide for the Conservatives.

Is that why you guys are building brand new aircraft carriers and heavily contributing to the JSF? The most expensive option here would actually be to engage the ISIS in a coordinated ground war. No one would do that following the events of the last decade, so for now it's air strikes and humanitarian missions.
Actually we are playing a new game. Someone has cleverly worked out that if we include purchasing weapons in our GDP figures, the more weapons we buy, the more productive we seem. So we can now buy more and more, spend more and more, and yet for all the world, it looks like we are actually becoming a wealthier nation.

Quote from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-28679674
In the past, government spending on weapons was considered to be just consumption by governments - from next month some of it will count as an investment.

We aren't alone. Everyone is doing it all of a sudden. Lies, damned lies and statistics.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2014/05/23/Italys-GDP-data-to-include-prostitution-drug-trade/4121400871912/

Higher GDP means we can borrow more and get further in debt. Yay!

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2014, 08:02:29 AM »
Yes, but you're still buying brand new jets and aircraft carriers. Semantics aside, you brits obviously aren't as smart as you think.

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Offline Pete Svarrior

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Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2014, 08:04:23 AM »
Thork, you're scary sometimes. Please don't ever be a politician.
Read the FAQ before asking your question - chances are we already addressed it.
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Thork

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #15 on: August 12, 2014, 08:09:54 AM »
Yes, but you're still buying brand new jets and aircraft carriers. Semantics aside, you brits obviously aren't as smart as you think.
The objective is to loot the tax payer for as much money as possible without causing civil unrest. We are right up there as some of the best in the world. We are pretty smart.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_revenue_as_percentage_of_GDP

Thork, you're scary sometimes. Please don't ever be a politician.
I'd be an awesome politician ... and you'd be on the next flight back to Poland. >:(
« Last Edit: August 12, 2014, 08:11:35 AM by Thork »

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #16 on: August 12, 2014, 08:12:18 AM »
What does relating tax revenue to GDP say? And why is it relevant to you numpties building aircraft carriers?

Thork

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #17 on: August 12, 2014, 08:17:32 AM »
What does relating tax revenue to GDP say? And why is it relevant to you numpties building aircraft carriers?
We are experts in stealth tax. It is easy to say my earnings aren't taxed at world record levels, but add in things like fuel duty, our VAT rate, stamp duty, inheritance tax, tax on fags and booze, business rates etc etc and you have a better picture of how much of our wealth ends up back in the treasury, ready for handing out to vested interests. GDP to tax is one of the best ways to see this picture as it is all tax returned against output. (Assuming our GDP rate isn't bastardised to the point that it becomes meaningless too. )

Building an aircraft carrier is now not consumption. Its viewed as a plus, not a minus to our GDP. Imagine we spend 5 times our GDP on weapons (using debt) ... the numbers would say we are 6 times richer than we were despite us being absolutely broke.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2014, 08:25:06 AM by Thork »

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #18 on: August 12, 2014, 08:35:48 AM »
But it is consumption. All carriers and jets do is suck up resources and scare Argentina into not attacking piddling islands in the middle of nowhere. They're the exact opposite of an investment, they reward absolutely nothing while sucking up resources. And their role in modern warfare is extremely questionable.

Thork

Re: ISIS and the Middle East
« Reply #19 on: August 12, 2014, 08:44:08 AM »
But it is consumption. All carriers and jets do is suck up resources and scare Argentina into not attacking piddling islands in the middle of nowhere. They're the exact opposite of an investment, they reward absolutely nothing while sucking up resources. And their role in modern warfare is extremely questionable.
I know this. But that's how we are now wasting our money. Its a lot more politically palatable.