A splash of cold water

[Ravenstorm]

Every once in a while, something will happen that will suddenly put things into an entirely different light than it was a second ago.

Like the entire country, we here have had a fair amount of bickering, debates, and insults over current events and politics. Opinions have often been extreme and vituperative. Well, I was just reading through the news when I came upon a story that had nothing to do with Bush or Iraq.

And as I read it, all of a sudden, it seemed just a little less important whether or not Dubya got re-elected. And the outrage over the execution of one American by religious fanatics was put into a very unflattering perspective.

The reality of not being American (http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=701062004)

Whatever may happen in November or what the outcome in Iraq, it does make one thing very clear: Americans have it damn good no matter what. That's a situation I whole heartedly approve of the US getting involved in.

Raven

[Skirmisher]

Yes...I was watching a report on that last night i think.

Amazing and horrific.

If there is anywhere the US SHOULD become invoved in some way, that would both help literally hundreds of thousands of lives and at the same time show that we do not act solely when it directly benefits us, this seems to be it.

I know it is asking our people in the armed forces to once more go in harms way, but wouldn't it at least be nice to be able to state without any fear of contradiction that we are there to HELP.

A chance to do a truly noble deed is before us. I hope our leaders will be up to the task and show the world what the US is made of.

[Delirium]

Do you think the UN would do something like this? If the US does something do we have the soldiers available with Iraq and Afgahnistan happening already?

And i agree with you Raven things like this make me thankful my biggest worry is something silly like Kerry being elected. Much better than seeing a pregnant woman dead with her dead baby falling out of her stomach.

[Atlanteax]

Bush may probably still send troops anyways... to use the opportunity to claim "humantarian mission" while focusing on finding the Islamic extremists in Sudan and killing them.

Sudan is part of the horn of Africa, and its promixity to the MiddleEast cannot be ignored by the U.S., hence the rationale that the Bush adminstration will probably intervene regardless of the normal hesitation to put troops in harm's way for little/no gain (the gain here is to continue to roll back the Muslim front in the War on Terror)

[Delirium]

but wouldn't it at least be nice to be able to state without any fear of contradiction that we are there to HELP.

Id bet that there would be some that would make it sound like we went there just cause we like killing brown people or whatever else they could claim.

I truly would hope we could get more help from other countries if/when we do go though.

[Blazing247]

<A chance to do a truly noble deed is before us. I hope our leaders will be up to the task and show the world what the US is made of.>

Yes, I hope our leaders will be up to the task of sending our troops, our BROTHERS, SISTERS, SONS, DAUGHTERS, MOTHERS, FATHERS, COUSINS, and BEST FRIENDS to die, to do this "noble deed".

Do you consider Operation Freedom a "noble cause"? If not, why?

I don't mean to take your quote and make an issue out of it, but what reason do we have to be in Sudan, and yet not Iraq? Which one poses more of a threat to safety within our borders?

Forgive my crudeness, but while it's unfortunate this is happening in Sudan, this isn't a U.S./Sudan issue. This is a UN issue, and not something the world should look to us for first. Then again, that's the way it works..."Oh the arrogant Americans are butting their heads into thing they don't belong in" one second, and "Oh the selfish Americans aren't helping out the Rwandans. What bastards." the next.

<If the US does something do we have the soldiers available with Iraq and Afgahnistan happening already? >

Technically, yes. However, we are at a lower state of readiness than we want to be at right now with the high turnaround rate we are experiencing with troops coming back from Iraq. Thus, all the talk about bringing the draft back.