Yay, its my birthday/The war in Iraq

[Raggit]

And I know just how important it was that everybody know that!Ã, 

The bad thing about this is, one more year and I gotta register for the draft.Ã,  Ã, 
And what a birthday suprise THAT is.

[Squinky]

Happy birthday dude. Nice to see your still here.

[IM NOT TEH SPAM]

Happy birthday, but what draft are you talking about?

[Pet Terry]

Happy birthday Raggit. I remember back in the days when you used to be one of the youngest AGSers (I think?). Have a good one.

[Huw Dawson]

Hehehehe... I'm one of the youngest now

That's probably something to do with the lack of games I've produced... ah well.  8)

[Raggit]

Happy birthday, but what draft are you talking about?

Are you asking me what the draft is, or are you asking me if I believe a draft is coming? 

[Vel]

Happy birthday, Raggit! All the best wishes!
Why don't you come round #ags so often lately? We sierra fans are minority now/  :'(

[Czar]

Happy birthday, but what draft are you talking about?

I think he is talking about the NBA rookie draft.
He has to be picked first so hence the desperation.
I can feel you man.

C.

[Moresco]

happy bday! oh he's referring to the "draft".  the army i guess, in case a draft ever comes...which it won't.

[Squinky]

I remember signing up for the draft....some a-hole at the post office was making machine gun fire noises behind me....

[IM NOT TEH SPAM]

When has there been a draft in the last 9 years though?

[Raggit]

The last draft we had was in Vietnam, seeing as it was the last major war we had. 
As the casualty rate continues to creep upwards, sooner or later a draft is inevitable.  Unless the war stops, but I don't believe that's going to happen any too soon.

[IM NOT TEH SPAM]

We have more than enough troops to go through the war without needing a draft, Raggit.  What do the newspapers say--somewhere around 1,000 dead troops?  That's nothing close to any of the last major wars we had, thank god.  Even so, there's not that much fighting going on at the moment either.  Every few weeks some dumbass suicide bomber tries something and fails, that's about it.

[Raggit]

King Nipper,

How can you say that bombers are "failing"?Ã,  http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/07/iraq.main/index.html

Just because bombers are only killing three or four people in every attack doesn't mean they're "failing".Ã,  It's a small but steady trickle of lives being lost and it all adds up.

According to the article above, we've lost a total of 1,953 U.S. troops in Iraq, as of Oct. 7.Ã,  That's almost two-thousand American lives.Ã, 

On September 8, 2004, CNN reported the U.S. death toll in Iraq had made it to 1,000.Ã,  One year later on Sept. 7, 2005, we'd lost another 882 troops about.Ã,  Now we're at 1,953.

So, for arguments sake, let's assume we're going to be losing about 1,000 troops a year, give or take some. If that's the case, by the middle or end of 2006, we'll have lost around 3,000 people.Ã,  Ã, 

If we're going to save ourselves and the world from terrorists like we were trying to do with the communists, it's probably not going to happen over night, if ever.Ã,  This could go for years and years, a few lives here, a few more there.
And what with the currently low support for Bush and his war, it doesn't look like new recruits are breaking down the doors to get in.
Major General Michael Rochelle, the US Army's recruiting commander, told a May 20 press conference: “Today's conditions represent the most challenging conditions we have seen in recruiting in my 33 years in this uniform..."
That was reported on June 1, 2005.

I see this post is getting very long, so I'll have to curb my enthusiasm for debate and cut right to the chase.

What I'm saying is, I think the tides are turning against Bush and his policies and his wars.Ã,  I don't think there is an end in sight for Iraq, despite what we're told.Ã,  Vietnam lasted some eleven years.Ã,  I doubt a lot of people saw a draft coming in those days, but they were wrong.Ã,  And, out of curiosity, what is the purpose of this Iraq war?

[Moresco]

this is always what happens to birthday threads....  they turn into debates about war!

[Raggit]

I know!  I remember when I was two, arguing with my parents about whether or not the Korean and Vietnam wars were worth the cost and what the results were. 

[Andail]

Happy birthday, mate.
I agree with your posts wholeheartedly, well written.

[IM NOT TEH SPAM]

I'm not going to bother debating.  You're mind is set, and discussing this with you is not going to change you're mind.  There's a time and a place, and I don't know enough to even bother talking to you.  So remove your "the war in iraq" from the thread, and let's all sing happy birthday 

[Vince Twelve]

Translation: I just got served!

I don't know enough to even bother talking to you.

And Happy Birthday Raggit!  When the draft comes, just move out of the country!

[IM NOT TEH SPAM]

Go to hell, asshole.  I didn't even read his post entirely-I just decided that if it gets to the point of 500 word answers to my post it will only escilate, and I don't want to be stupid and make enemies through polotics.  But if you wanna believe something, go ahead.  Just don't be a dick.

EDIT: This happened to me before, by the way.  Discussing polotics with other people.  I played WC and it happened, the only thing it resulted in was me and some other guy getting booted from a game.  On the hero6 forums it ended with me getting yelled at by a moderator.  It never ends well like this, because our ideals will not be changed by people we don't know in countries and states far away.  So just let it be.