Posts made by 221B Baker Street

And I am against the concept of refusing medical help to injured people - regardless of whether or not they are legal/illegal immigrants.  The “anchor babies” are still human being, babies, with every much of a right to life as you or I have.  And I might add, they are American citizens with the right to be raised by their parents.  If these people were paid decent wages, then the “Tijuanas” you mention wouldn’t happen, and I’m not certain it happens anyway.  If they were paid decent wages, they could pay their hospital bills.  They would also contribute more because they would be able to do so.  You really should consider their circumstances more carefully before you speak because IMO your arguements are … very weak … at best.

I don’t like the idea of a full US Navy roaming the Pacific and would generally want to strike on J1 (while the US navy is split apart).

However, you could make a decent case that Japan could simply ignore the US in the Pacific and do something else with their fleet on J1 (Australia anyone?) If Japan is careful, the US cannot do any real damage, but Japan might suceed in drawing the US away from Germany by leaving their Pacific fleet alone.

IL,

IMO you should consider that a heathy respect of the culture of your home country (whether Germany or Mexico) can be a good thing.  Also, I don’t beleive most Mexicans or other immigrants (whether legal or not) are trying to get something for nothing.  Most are trying to make a better life for themselves in “the land of opportunity.”  I think they would gladly pay American taxes if they were paid American wages (most are not  :x ) and would otherwise take responsibility if given the chance.

There is no reason to hate these people in general.

It will be even messier if Turkey is part of the EU when this takes place.  However I think this should resolve itself before that happens as it doesn’t look like the EU is letting Turkey join anytime soon.

It isn’t certain what will happen with regards to greater Kurdistan (Kurdish areas in Iraq, Turkey, Iran), although it could certainly get ugly there.

Any Kurds in Syria?  I’m not sure, and if so what that would imply as well.

Nevertheless, this goes back a long ways to when the British occupied Iraq (taken from the Ottoman Empire in WWI if I am not mistaken).  It is always a difficult thing to go back to the pre-colonial (and pre Ottoman empire) nations and boundaries as often they were not clearly marked or identifiable.  Besides, there is oil in N. Iraq…and everyone wants a peice of that!

How DARE they!  :x

Seriously, its not over yet.  The Kurds will eventually want an independent nation - and will have to have a civil war to do so.  Will they go to this extreme? Or will they be satisfied with being part of Iraq to avoid said civil war?

Not that I think Civil Wars are necessarily bad - consider the American Revolutionary War (freedom from Great Britian, OH YEAH  :-D ).  Or the American Civil War that freed approximately 12% of the nation from slavery.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051114/hl_nm/britain_cold_dc;_ylt=AjgpFeg0VUJINrJWFtwtavgDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

From the article:
Getting chilly can bring on a cold, British scientists said on Monday, overturning medical orthodoxy that says there is no connection between developing the viral infection and a drop in body temperature.

Is the study flawed, or have all the previous advice from Doctors and Scientists been wrong?

I’ve come across Europeans (as well as Japanese) here in the states.  I have even had some French houseguests for a couple of weeks before.  I’ve only noticed them either at some vacation spot (New York City or the Grand Canyon) or when they are staying with someone I know or at the airport.  It is difficult to see someone on the street and identify them as European without even speaking with them.

I’d love the opportunity to talk about this with someone who lived through it!  Too often we overlook WWI because of WWII, but in many ways, WWI was a more significant event IMO.

It would also be interesting to get a WWI veterans viewpoint on the world today!

I’m still not getting the connection… how does this relate to violence from WWI veterans?

Well, if you want to be that precise then you are correct.  As I have stated earlier I view this clause with an attempt to determine its intent.

@F_alk:

I think any veteran of “western front” WWI would beat you up (even with his crutches if needed) if you claimed that the French are all cowards.

What brought this on?

Falk,

It does matter.  That their promised ticket to “heaven” can’t be equated to a monetary figure is irrelevant.  To the suicide bombers, their heaven is much more real to them than a boatload of cash handed to them right then and there.  They might even question why we say that the money, which will be only temporary compared to an eternal heaven, is real?

Still, Chengora has a good point - when is this motivation an ideology?  I’m still thinking about that.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051111/ap_on_re_us/vanishing_vets_3;_ylt=Akq.zzMWQXjxGY3w4RFPVmFsaMYA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5bGVna3NhBHNlYwNzc3JlbA–

Amazingly, there are still veterans of that war still around.

Chengora wrote:

Quote from: 221B Baker Street on Today at 06:52:13 PM
Not really true Falk.  The insurgents and/or AQ may be motivated by the promise of “heaven” for killing the infidels in a holy jihad.  Certainly the promise of a guaranteed entry into heaven would be a value well in excess of any possible material pay here on earth - which is one reason there is no shortage of suicide bombers.  Hence at least some of the insurgents could be considered mercenaries.

Additionally, a weak arguement could be made that the US troops are sent at the request and nominally under the command of the Iraqi government though I’m inclined to say you are correct w.r.t. the US forces.

Interesting argument, but I think that defines the idea of “payment” rather too broadly, no?  I have tended to consider religious motivation for battle under the rubric of ideology, and perhaps this isn’t the way to really think about it.  However, if we assume that for the moment, then promises of heaven are akin to promises of social and political immortalization (kind of).  I wonder if any ideology can fall under this rubric then, and if so, that means that fighting for nationalism or preservation of freedom, etc. could also be considered a reward of some kind.  After all, many people join the military for financial reasons, but realistically, I am reluctant to call them mercenaries in any sense.  I think a much safer ground legally to address the issue of religious motivation is based on discrimination.  Totalizing ideologies make no distinction between civilian and combatant, and it’s easier to assess it on that issue rather than trying to figure out what motivates each individual soldier.  Thoughts?

Yes, it can be difficult to clearly distinguish between financial incentive and ideological incentives.  For example, I come in contact with people for which money, and attaining it, is their god (for lack of a better word here).  Others however, do not care about money at all but perhaps take great pride in other matters, so I interpret the “private gain” mentioned earlier rather liberally, not necessarily in financial terms.  Perhaps I shouldn’t do so however …  :|

@F_alk:

Now, Article 47:
Mercenaries:

1. A mercenary shall not have the right to be a combatant or a prisoner of war.

2. A mercenary is any person who:
(a) Is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict;
(b) Does, in fact, take a direct part in the hostilities;
© Is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party;
(d) Is neither a national of a Party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a Party to the conflict;
(e) Is not a member of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict; and
(f) Has not been sent by a State which is not a Party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces.

So, US troops are not mercenaries because of (f).
The insurgants are not mercenaries because of ©.

Not really true Falk.  The insurgents and/or AQ may be motivated by the promise of “heaven” for killing the infidels in a holy jihad.   Certainly the promise of a guaranteed entry into heaven would be a value well in excess of any possible material pay here on earth - which is one reason there is no shortage of suicide bombers.  Hence at least some of the insurgents could be considered mercenaries.

Additionally, a weak arguement could be made that the US troops are sent at the request and nominally under the command of the Iraqi government though I’m inclined to say you are correct w.r.t. the US forces.

As Russia I wouldn’t be afraid to retake Cauc with everything and leave 1 inf in Karelia, building the rest in Moscow and landing my planes there.

So would you as Germany attack Cauc, Karelia or both? Cauc will be difficult for you to take as there will be a large amount of forces there, and your infantry reinforcements are out of position in E. Europe.  If you take Karelia only, I will probably have sufficient forces in Moscow/Cauc to retake this.  I will leave 1 inf in Cauc  leaving that a killzone.  If you try to take both, I’ll probably have sufficient force to retake both from Moscow IF I WANT TO (and I might not  :evil: ).

Any way you slice it, Germany on G3 or G4 will now be out of tanks, with few planes after the sinking of the UK navy, and still two moves away from Russia.  Japan will still be far away in the East.  But now, the Allies will have rebuilt their fleet and Germany must try to defend all of Europe against a 1-2 US/UK punch or a 1-2-3 UK/US/USSR punch in the East.  In my experience, its best for Germany to wait for Japan.

Surely there are more productive things to do than argue about whether America = US?  :roll:

Yeah, I really can’t imagine what it is like to be living in these communities while this is going on.  The closest thing I can relate to would be power outages, ice storms, or the tornados when I was growing up in Missouri - which is nothing in comparison.

I wouldn’t wish these on our shortsighted, selfcentered friends here on this board - I’d rather they mature enough to realize this is a real tragedy.

Community is a great answer to the WHY question! Its not an easy thing to do considering the barriers of location, economics, differing culture, and even differing languages.  It is possible however - for example look at the radical changes in the US with regards to the racial segregation of the 1860’s to 1960’s and the great changes in the last 40 years with race relations.  The fact that this isn’t happening in the US (there are nearly as many muslems here as there are in France) despite the Iraq war may be due in part because of our desegregation and equal opportunity efforts.  Even with 5 million muslems in the US, AQ had to import bombers from Saudi Arabia for 911 (yeah, I know there were a few Americans in AQ - but not many considering the population of Saudi Arabia isn’t much bigger than this).  I think it will take a great commitment on the part of French society (similar to the EO and discrimination laws the US enacted) to really solve the root of the problem.

I’ve only seen Japan directly help defend Germany with fighters - its just too difficult for Japan to ship other defensive units to Europe.  I suppose it might be possible for Japan to do so from Moscow after Russia has fallen (if the US/UK don’t conceed, which they might not) and if Germany is being heavily pressured.

Another way to do this that I’ve never actually seen one: if the Axis controls both Karelia and Novo and if Japan can get one inf (perhaps with paratroopers - a house rule) in Karelia, is to strafe Moscow each round and retreat all forces to Karelia, then to E. Europe, then to Germany.  Its kind of a roundabout way to help Germany, as Japan I’d rather use the forces to kill Russia and then play Japan vs US/UK trying for either an economic victory or to regain Germany (which would probably also give an economic victory).

Falk,

Interesting to hear they consider themselves French - not what seems to be reported in the media here, although I have not seen or heard much about this point at all (granted that I haven’t had time lately to really look into what is happening). This makes it hard for me to form a considered opinion on the matter.