Should Iran make a pre-emptive strike in Israel & USA?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Interesting that the word "threat" is quoted in your sentence, implying that your using the word ironically, as if the USSR et al were not, in fact, threats.

That last sentence is very true. The fact is, the US isn't desirous of really letting loose. If it did, it would be a very frightening and crappy prospect.

Funny, I read Rum's post to mean "bogus threats drummed up to mean political needs."

[Don't Panic]

Last time the us cut loose would have been for about 45 months in the mid-40s.

[Coito ergo sum]

Interesting that the word "threat" is quoted in your sentence, implying that your using the word ironically, as if the USSR et al were not, in fact, threats.

That last sentence is very true. The fact is, the US isn't desirous of really letting loose. If it did, it would be a very frightening and crappy prospect.

Funny, I read Rum's post to mean "bogus threats drummed up to mean political needs."

Pretty much the way I read it. I fail to see how the Soviet Union was a bogus threat.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Interesting that the word "threat" is quoted in your sentence, implying that your using the word ironically, as if the USSR et al were not, in fact, threats.

That last sentence is very true. The fact is, the US isn't desirous of really letting loose. If it did, it would be a very frightening and crappy prospect.

Funny, I read Rum's post to mean "bogus threats drummed up to mean political needs."

Pretty much the way I read it. I fail to see how the Soviet Union was a bogus threat.

And my post excluded the REAL threats from the bogus ones. Do read, please.

[Rum]

Interesting that the word "threat" is quoted in your sentence, implying that your using the word ironically, as if the USSR et al were not, in fact, threats.

That last sentence is very true. The fact is, the US isn't desirous of really letting loose. If it did, it would be a very frightening and crappy prospect.

The threats I was thinking of were/are many and varied. Their reality as far as public perception is concerned has not necessarily been if you like an objective reality..as ever in conflict. The threat from the USSR was real enough despite their inability to get reliable missile delivery systems working consistently (one reason they went for the biggest bomb possible!). Other threats have been far less credible. Arguably 9/11 was not a major threat as such, or even symbolic of one. The USA's response changed the game though - and it did what it did partly because it didn't know what else to do.

It would have been politically impossible to do very little at the time. Who knows what might have happened if wiser minds had been around.

[Coito ergo sum]

Interesting that the word "threat" is quoted in your sentence, implying that your using the word ironically, as if the USSR et al were not, in fact, threats.

That last sentence is very true. The fact is, the US isn't desirous of really letting loose. If it did, it would be a very frightening and crappy prospect.

Funny, I read Rum's post to mean "bogus threats drummed up to mean political needs."

Pretty much the way I read it. I fail to see how the Soviet Union was a bogus threat.

And my post excluded the REAL threats from the bogus ones. Do read, please.

Except that Rum specifically mentioned the USSR as the first example of one of those "threats." I'm not following you here.

[Gawd]

Osama bin Laden is a genius, the US can't afford to fight Iran let alone pay the interest on all the money it owes.

And if you've not noticed, Iran is not threatening anyone. It is America and Israel that are threatening Iran and making it a scape goat.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Except that Rum specifically mentioned the USSR as the first example of one of those "threats." I'm not following you here.

My bad, missed that. Do carry on.

[Coito ergo sum]

Interesting that the word "threat" is quoted in your sentence, implying that your using the word ironically, as if the USSR et al were not, in fact, threats.

That last sentence is very true. The fact is, the US isn't desirous of really letting loose. If it did, it would be a very frightening and crappy prospect.

The threats I was thinking of were/are many and varied. Their reality as far as public perception is concerned has not necessarily been if you like an objective reality..as ever in conflict. The threat from the USSR was real enough despite their inability to get reliable missile delivery systems working consistently (one reason they went for the biggest bomb possible!). Other threats have been far less credible. Arguably 9/11 was not a major threat as such, or even symbolic of one. The USA's response changed the game though - and it did what it did partly because it didn't know what else to do.

It would have been politically impossible to do very little at the time. Who knows what might have happened if wiser minds had been around.

Wiser minds like who? What is the alternative action you're contemplating would be done by the wiser minds? Would the wiser minds not have responded militarily in Afghanistan?

I have no doubt at all that a President Clinton or Gore would most likely have gone into Iraq just as Bush did, because they would have based their decisions on the same information that was available in 2001 and 2002.

[Coito ergo sum]

Osama bin Laden is was a genius, the US can'tafford to fight Iran let alone pay the interest on all the money it owes.

And if you've not noticed, Iran is not threatening anyone, except wiping Israel off the map, the destruction of the US and parking massive military might (implicitly with its nukes that it, wink wink, isn't really developing, but is)..

It is America and Israel that are threatening Iran and making it a scape goat.

A scapegoat? What actions of what other country are being falsely blamed on Iran?

[Ian]

Osama bin Laden is a genius.

Nobody whose current address is a pile of shark poop can possibly be called a genius.

[Coito ergo sum]

Osama bin Laden is a genius.

Nobody whose current address is a pile of shark poop can possibly be called a genius.

I wonder if they lied about dumping him, and froze him and put him in a bin at Langley...?

[Ian]

Osama bin Laden is a genius.

Nobody whose current address is a pile of shark poop can possibly be called a genius.

I wonder if they lied about dumping him, and froze him and put him in a bin at Langley...?

Remember Gawd's Razor: All things being equal, the explanation involving the most outrageous and sinister American/Zionist conspiracy theory tends to be the correct one.

[Seth]

Osama bin Laden is a genius.

Nobody whose current address is a pile of shark poop can possibly be called a genius.

I wonder if they lied about dumping him, and froze him and put him in a bin at Langley...?

Osama bin Langley?

I hope they skinned him, tanned him and stuffed him and he's residing in the Langley CIA museum.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Osama bin Laden is a genius.

Nobody whose current address is a pile of shark poop can possibly be called a genius.

I wonder if they lied about dumping him, and froze him and put him in a bin at Langley...?

Remember Gawd's Razor: All things being equal, the explanation involving to most outrageous and sinister American/Zionist conspiracy theory tends to be the correct one.

Okay then:

bin Laden was a triple-agent, Muslim extremist/CIA plant/Mossad flunkie. He took orders from Jerusalem to talk the CIA into a pogrom against the Muslims.