[RunningOnMT]

Originally Posted by Old Grump

Oh dear God, let this be a joke.

How about some range time and marksmanship training instead? How about we don't go to war unless there is a declared war and we go in to win with everything we have available for the fight?
Forget Gizmos and Gee Whizz tech until it is proven technology and small enough you don't need 3 men and a wheel barrow to haul it around.

Yeah, okay, I am a dinosaur, so sue me.

Generally I'm for anything that makes it easier to kill the enemy, however I have to say I tend to agree with you old Grump...I have very little patience anymore for running around all over the world, breaking the bank, and wasting American lives on war which in the end doesn't significantly change the balance of power one iota.

When we first invaded Iraq I thought it was the right thing to do; after all Saddam was a tyrant that threatened world peace and he had to go. My brother argued with me that unless we were under immediate threat that we should stay home and mind our own business. That when we were threatened or Americans harmed we should unleash hellfire on those responsible and not stop until they were annihilated.

Now after all these years the muslims are still in charge and to the extent that Islam is still at war with us, not much has really changed in the grand scheme of things. I think my brother was right; had we not gone into Iraq and Afghanistan we'd still have a lot of good men with us and our economy would be much better off. The muslims are still there, and they still don't like us. So the potential threat is still there. We could have made ourselves less vulnerable to terrorist attack by simply exercising our right to refuse entry into the country of ANY muslim, and been way ahead of the game.

And I suppose maybe we both have a tiny bit of nostalgia for the old ways. Some level of technology is fine. I mean I'd hate to go to war with a musket but then again machinery that makes it so much easier to kill without skill and courage leads to hollow victory. And in the endless weapons race mankind has been in since the stone age, the technology you are using on your enemy today will kill you tomorrow.