All military resistance to the liberation of Iraq is over, and in 25 days! US combat loses, 89. Not bad as wars go, or even holiday weekend traffic deaths.
Yea, I know, snipers and such will kill more but that is another story. The point is , ALL of Iraq was liberated in 25 days!
NEXT!

I expect there is a whole lot of people on this forum in deep denial. It is now your turn. Flail away. :D :D

We did it pretty fast :m:

Americans have a saying that goes like:

"Easy come...Easy go":m:

Originally posted by SuperFudd
I expect there is a whole lot of people on this forum in deep denial. It is now your turn. Flail away. :D :D

You think there's people in this forum who thought U.S. could not win this easily and this fast? The debates on on this forum concerned the justification for war and the consequences of war. -- not whether or not U.S. could win.

Actually earlier on I heard way too many people say it would drag out into a vietnam like war. Also things like that we would cause deaths in the millions or the like.

Yeah it’s pretty easy to take over when you don’t have to contain the looters, rapists & murderers.

Heck, we get those every time we have martygraw. And please tell me: what war turned out more successful but with fewer casualties? (on both sides)

Perhaps this war had the fewest casualties per capita. But I can’t label it a success unless the casualty count was worth the outcome, and I doubt it will be. Ten years from the now I think the average Iraqi will be just as poor as dirt, almost as oppressed, still no voting rights, and some will be minus their loved ones who were killed. Others will be servants to those who were lucky enough to snag an ancient artifact during the looting, or trying to raise their child born of rape on the $40 a month American wages.

And I believe you are wrong. I believe in ten years Iraqi civilians will be at least as well off as Italian or Mexican citizens and still be improving.

I may not be able to prove my hypothesis, but can you prove yours?

Originally posted by Clockwood
I may not be able to prove my hypothesis, but can you prove yours?

I hope you are right. Signs point to the opposite, however. For example this:

From Wolfowitz lays out plan for Iraq transition to democracy ( http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/04/10/sprj.irq.wolfowitz.iraq/index.html):

Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz Thursday said coalition countries will prod Iraq toward democracy, but the Iraqis themselves will have the final say about what form of government replaces Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime.

Right there you know that Iraq will surely remain an oppressive dictatorship, because the “Iraqis themselves” do not have a voice, a vote, nor are there any plans to give them one so they can have a “final say.” It is not the average Iraqi who will have the say, but warlords. They aren’t known to give up their fortunes for democracy.

Other signs like this:

From Basra Fears Return of the Baathists (http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=25172):

The new police chief served as a police major under the Baath Party government, and many of those at the meeting refused to accept that the same police force that until so recently carried out orders for arbitrary arrests, torture and enforcement of dictatorial laws would now be reinstated in the newly freed Iraq.

Think any women were allowed in that meeting?

And this:

From Winning Hearts and Minds by Hiring Them (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55510-2003Mar30.html):

[The British] will pay slightly more than the prevailing $35 or $40 a month.

Yep, things are looking up in Iraq all right! Keep in mind that the US could establish democracy, could ensure women’s rights, could have prevented the raping & pillaging, could pay more than subsistence wages, and could alleviate losses, like for the kid whose arms were blown off. They just won’t or didn’t.

"I believe that in 10 years the Iraqi citizens will be as well off as Italian or Mexican citizens."

There is no way you can put Italy and Mexico in the same social or economic catagory.

Hell the Mexicans are flocking across our border by the thousands per day. Will the Iraqi's be doing that in ten years when they are well off enough?