And they don't help at home?

[daleduke17]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100805/...stan_floods_87

Why the fuck is the USA helping Pakistan? We're broke.

Oh wait, here's why:

The United States is unpopular in Pakistan, and Washington will be hoping the relief missions will help improve its image, however marginally

There's a whole country you're ignoring, Washington. It's called the United States of America.

[Hobbs]

How is the government ignoring the US? Really, I want to know. I'm getting sick and tired of people going, "Wah, the gov'ment!!"

[Red Panda]

Pakistan is on the border with Afganistan. Improving out standing with Pakistan will motivate them to help stop Taliban opertives who are working out of their country. Remember how in Vietnam we bombed Combodia and Loas and people didn't like it? This is the oppisite of that. Securing Afganistan will end the fighting over there quicker, get troops home, and will save the US money.

[Hobbs]

Wow, Red...that was a reasonable argument. And one that I agree with wholeheartedly. Just because you don't understand the Afghan War strategy, doesn't mean that the government is doing something bad.

[Greenday]

You mean the US government is ignoring it's own sick, hungry, and poor to help other countries?

Nothing new here.

[Hobbs]

You mean the US government is ignoring it's own sick, hungry, and poor to help other countries?

Nothing new here.

That's all that really needs to be said.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Just because people are sick, hungry and dying doesn't mean the government isn't doing something about it. Both the government and private organizations do a lot to care for those who are unable to do so for themselves both here and abroad. The thing being that operations like this are first and foremost blunt instruments. They're most effective when the bureaucracy of determining who does or does not need assistance is minimal, which means that, absent an unusually high concentration of those in need, the whole system get's bogged down in sorting out who does or doesn't qualify, who should or shouldn't, if/how the qualifications should be adjusted, etc. and while plenty of people get help that need it, there's also the inevitable waves of moochers to contend with.

The fact of the matter is that, no matter how hard it tries or how much money it spends, the government, nor any organization(s) will ever be able to take care of everyone who needs it. At least they're trying to help, and many are doing the best they can. Let's not call them assholes one and all just because the inevitable occurs.

At the end of the day any comment that uses the phrase "The government always" is going to be just as false as any comment that uses the phrase "Corporations always".

[Mikkel]

You mean the US government is ignoring it's own sick, hungry, and poor to help other countries?

But isn't the present government actually trying to do something for the sick at least, or won't the healthcare reform do exactly that?

And I agree with Red Panda, if USA get more popular in Pakistan, it will save lives, both soldiers and civilians, in Afghanistan. I'm not to optimistic, though.

[draggar]

Help at home, let's see...

Our government handed out billions to banks to help troubled homeowners.

Our government hands out god knows how many billions in social security, disability, unemployment, food stamps, and other benefits.

We also have insurance policies that help us in a time of need that most other nations don't have. (OK, this isn't the government).

We also have a government that handed out billions of dollars the past few years to help with needed projects (highway work, bridge and dam repairs, etc.).

The government also allows people to file for bankruptcy (despite it's over abuse it does help out a lot of people).

[Greenday]

Our government handed out billions to banks to help troubled homeowners.

Billions of dollars to banks who spent it recklessly. Awesome. Good allocation of funds.

[Red Panda]

We should have let those banks go out of business. Sure the ensuing aftermath would put America in a huge depression, but it would have shown them!

[daleduke17]

The government: local, state and federal, scream "we're broke". We're laying off employees and forcing others to take furlough days. But, damn it, let's go spend billions of dollars on a country who doesn't like us in an unlikely event that they may stop hating us. Here's an even better way to save the lives of our soldiers. Pull them all out immediately. Screw Afghanistan, screw Iraq, screw Pakistan. Nine years to try and find Bin Laden, just about as many to bring democracy to Iraq. Both failures. Just bring the troops home and start pouring those billions of dollars into the United States economy.


And, Hobbs, I'll still stand behind the belief that your esteemed Commander-in-Chief is an idiot.

[Hobbs]

That may be, but he's not as big an idiot as the Republicans trying to undermine our war efforts. Sadly, it seems they want us to fail just so they can say, "See, told ya so!" which I think is unconsciounable[sic].

Neither of them are failures, per se, but the situation in Iraq is hardly Obama's fault. In fact, I think he should be commended for his ability to fix it as much as he has. Pulling them out immediately is exactly the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. This isn't a game where you can just say, "You suck!" to your opponent and storm off like a tempremental child. This is a game of life and death, where each move brings us closer to victory or defeat.

Helping in Pakistan is exactly the right course of action in stemming the flow and growth of extremist Islam. If you've ever played strategy games, it's a lot like Go (can't find the accent mark) rather than chess. In chess you strategically place pieces trying to capture a central point. The Islamic fundamentalist plan is more like Go, acquiring territory to outmaneuver and capture the game field-putting the US (and the West) into a corner for its eventual demise. So we certainly could do that, but our power and influence would dwindle to nothing; and the America you so love and revere will be gone within the century.

[Red Panda]

http://www.fratching.com/showthread.php?t=2989


I can't think of any way a secure pro America Afghanistan could help America. Lets just pull out.

[daleduke17]

Neither of them are failures, per se, but the situation in Iraq is hardly Obama's fault. In fact, I think he should be commended for his ability to fix it as much as he has. Pulling them out immediately is exactly the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. This isn't a game where you can just say, "You suck!" to your opponent and storm off like a tempremental child. This is a game of life and death, where each move brings us closer to victory or defeat.

How would it be the worst idea ever? Our troops are alive, they're home and we'd have money to rebuild our country while all of the groups over there blast themselves apart. If they try to come and mess with the US, then they have one hell of a gift box on the front step waiting for them.