Dear "Straight Pride" Jerk . . . .

[giblets]

Exactly. It's not all about worrying that we'll be taken over, it's about people asking for help. Charity, of sorts. We can help, so we do, when asked.
The U.S. has never won a conflict and kept the land that was "won".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Cession

[Al B. Sure!]

Also, **** off and die in a fire Sloww, I was an actual factual vet in a combat zone. How much action did you see driving a truck around that air force base?

That's out of line, Lonestar.

[MRT144]

When's the last time a straight person was beat up for being straight. Gay Pride is about being proud of who you are IN SPITE of the social stigma still present. Plus it's fun to gawk at the parade.

[giblets]

Good luck doing it without the military. How can you make sure the aid gets where it's supposed to go?

Look at the Somali aid situation in the 90's. It took American boots on the ground for something good to come out of it and it all went back to hell as soon as the troops left.

NGO's are somehow able to operate in most developing countries without having their own armies. Somalia is not exactly a typical developing country.

[Al B. Sure!]

I don't think anyone is saying "dissolve the military."

But we put boots on the ground in Somalia and fought the bad guys. Many American lives were lost. Was our nation ever threatened by what was happening in Somalia? No. Did we gain or even expect to gain anything from helping Somalis? No.

I'm making the point it's not just about us Americans and defending the Constitution and our borders. We get involved elsewhere because America is needed elsewhere even if we won't benefit from it and we're shouldering the burden.

[giblets]

But we put boots on the ground in Somalia and fought the bad guys. Many American lives were lost. Was our nation ever threatened by what was happening in Somalia? No. Did we gain or even expect to gain anything from helping Somalis? No.

I'm making the point it's not just about us Americans and defending the Constitution and our borders. We get involved elsewhere because America is needed elsewhere even if we won't benefit from it and we're shouldering the burden.

Considering what a complete failure intervening in Somalia was I don't understand why you keep bringing it up when you're making your case for warmongering.

[notyoueither]

When's the last time a straight person was beat up for being straight.

I think they call that privilege.

[Lonestar]

That's out of line, Lonestar.

You going to tell him he was out of line for calling me a coward?

[Lonestar]

But we put boots on the ground in Somalia and fought the bad guys. Many American lives were lost. Was our nation ever threatened by what was happening in Somalia? No. Did we gain or even expect to gain anything from helping Somalis? No.

I'm making the point it's not just about us Americans and defending the Constitution and our borders. We get involved elsewhere because America is needed elsewhere even if we won't benefit from it and we're shouldering the burden.

Alright, let me rephrase this:

"I don't think anyone is saying do not perform humanitarian missions with military assets".

There is a big difference between that and, say, invading Iraq "just because".

[MRT144]

That's out of line, Lonestar.

Ranking of Vets on Apolyton

Lonestar
...
Slowwhand
...
Al B Sure

[Lonestar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Cession

+ every Indian War ever.

[DinoDoc]

"I don't think anyone is saying do not perform humanitarian missions with military assets".

Why should the US military be an international Meals on Wheels?

[Al B. Sure!]

Ranking of Vets on Apolyton

Lonestar
...
Slowwhand
...
Al B Sure

I'm no vet.

The problem with Lonestar making that argument is that the next man (let's say an artillery bubba) can say he doesn't know ****. Then the infantryman denigrates that artillery man. Then the guy with the Silver Star denigrates the infantryman. It's stupid. There's always someone who did more than you or had it worse than you or whatever. There's no need for mud-slinging on Sloww who still did his part and served.

[Al B. Sure!]

You going to tell him he was out of line for calling me a coward?

Where did he call you a coward? I don't see it. Did he catch himself and edit it?

Oh I see. That was a possible interpretation of what he said.

[Lonestar]

Why should the US military be an international Meals on Wheels?

In your universe "I don't think anyone is saying do not perform humanitarian missions with military assets" is the same as "we should perform humanitarian missons all the time, everytime, with military assets"?

Military assets are great for first responders. There is absolutely no way to get around it, and probably another quarter of a million Sumatrans would have died if the USN, RAN, and FN hadn't intervened immediately after the 2004 tsunami. And we were out after 8 weeks or so. Such activites are hardly "meals on wheels".