John Prezioso

That is not the case at all. If you have dissenting opinions, VOICE THEM! This thread to my knowledge was not about who is right and who is wrong. It's about YOUR OPINION about the overall attutude of the soldiers in combat.

There are 2 main trains of thought on the drug legalization issue as I can tell. 1) On the one hand, there are those who believe that making drug legal would mostly de-claw the brutal drug cartels, and would have minimal effect on society, since people not doing drugs right now are not pre-disposed to drug use and therefore would not start once made legal. The current illegality of drugs makes criminals out of otherwise harmless, innocent people. Legalization would go largely unnoticed by the vast majority of Americans. 2) On the other side, the legalization of drugs would be just another sign of the degradation of our society. True, on an individual level, the only victim is the user, but the overall effect on society would be wholly detrimental, as more people would turn to drugs, have their lives ruined, and become derelicts, transients, and, worse still, criminals. Unemployment, poverty, and crime would rise sharply, and society would suffer as a result. Regardless of which side you may fall, it would be hard for anyone to argue that we have gotten our money's worth out of what our government spends annually on the war on drugs. Put simply, the way we are fighting the war on drugs is not only NOT working, but it may actually be making things worse. For what it is worth, I tend to lean towards the latter category.

quote:From that statement alone it is easy to infer that you believe you're better, more important and more full of 'honour' just because you are a soldier. He is. At least to those of us who revere what sacrifices a soldier makes and the nobility of his dedication. No one says you can't disagree with him, Cruis. But you have to understand, the American Fighting man is an intensely proud and loyal beast. And they don't have much tolerance for those who don't cut it. ANYONE could be a soldier; all they need is the motivation and the heart to stick with it when things get tough.

Iraq HAD ties to terrorism. Whether or not it had specific ties to 9/11 (which it apparently didn't) is irrelevant. A terrorist is a terrorist, whether he is in Palestine (if such a place can be said to exist) or in London. Nomad, your assertion that the mission was changed due to "successive investigations showing that all previous justifications weren't matched by facts gathered on the field..." is wrong. Iraq HAD weapons of mass destruction and materials needed to start a nuclear program. It is indisputable. What became of them between the mid-90's and the start of the war in 2001 has never been determined. Terrorist training camps HAVE been discovered in Iraq. And they were NOT established after the invasion. That would be asinine. Or haven't you seen the fuselage and cabin from the "hijacker-training" facility? Saddam's histroy of unprovoked aggression against our allies in the region (Kuwait and Israel) made him a clear target imo, as did his unwillingness to comply with SEVENTEEN prior UN resolutions. Debating the necessity of the Iraq war has become a moot point by now, hasn't it?

quote: They are not only fighting for the cause, they are fighting for the right of people to disagree with it. Absolutely. And so long as the disagreement is done with respect regarding our soldiers' sacrifices, I have no quarrels with said disagreement. Dissension is always a touchy thing at a time of war. It can be detrimental to troop morale if taken too far, like our media is constantly doing. But a good point Grizzle.

I get the feeling you have never met any soldiers. This is not a slam against you; just an observation. If I am wrong, please tell me. And no one denied that some soldiers may be disgruntled. Hell, I am disgruntled at work. But I keep doing it. Why? Because it's my JOB. The one that keeps my family eating, and living under a roof. How much more important is the job that soliders do? They may be disgruntled, and sometimes the pressure may get the best of them, but these men are the finest America has to offer. The non-brave ones don't last very long, believe me.

I have lived in 4 major cities in my life, and it is a shame what the drug problem does to the inner city.

As a side note, I think it is telling that the vast majority of posters here with military experience (myself included) are vehemently IN FAVOR of the mission in Iraq and the war on terror. And that was an excellent post Jag. Kudos!

quote: why not liberate all the african countries with brutal dictators too then.Ignore the typical liberal claptrap and rote answers for a minute. 1) The US was involved in a mission in Afghanistan at the time of the beginning of the Iraq war. How many wars do you think it is prudent to fight at once? 2) Our mission was battling terrorism through liberation and the overthrow of a brutal agressor with ties to terrorism. 3) Before you say it, Iraq (and the region as a whole) was more of a threat than North Korea. Our goal is to eliminate those who would attack the US again. Clearly, with the multitude of terrorist training camps in Iraq and the surrounding region, this would be accomplished in the middle east much better than in a remote, isolated country led my a paranoid idiot worried about holding onto his own power more than anything else. quote:Maybe iraq is just a foothold, but it seems a little strange to believe that its where the last battle against terrorism will be won or fought. Why? Because you would hate to admit that something done by an administration with an opposing political affiliation to yours did something that not only sounded the beginning of the end for terrorism, but also freed 25 million people from the torment and suffering of a brutal animal?

IRON EAGLE 4!!! ...Or not.

SIG test.

quote: they were thrust into a war under false pretenses. Wrong. quote:why can't they just come home? Because then the terrorists will have won and our fallen soldiers' sacrifices would be in vein.

Back on topic, I think people will continue to point to what politicians and lawyers are doing and start hollaring about first amendment rights and such. Things like "Parents should do a better job" usually get thrown around. But consider: The latest Leisure Suit Larry had an AO release, and as far as I know, there hasn't been ANY litigation directed towards it or any calls for federal investigation. Is it that the game didn't sell well enough to make a stink about? Possibly. But I think the real issue was Rockstar's underhandedness and dishonesty that has led to their trouble. Just because you avail yourself of the 1st amendment rights you are given does not mean you have the right to deceive the ratings board and parents. Rockstar should have been smarter.

You are right Cruis.in - I can understand how any soldier can begin to lose faith under such strenuous conditions. It is important to understand though, that this does not decrease their stature one iota. These men and women are doing fantastic in a unbeleivably difficult situation. That they are human is no surprise. But their honor is unquestionable. I think your sig says it all, cruis.in.

quote: And uh... what did any of this have to do with Rockstar? Heh, you got me!

Not me, but it Is the first place I come to after reading the news!

quote:Raising your kids is by no means a pointless endeavor. However, these people that I speak of Hellbinder, live their lives with no purpose other than to reproduce and die, with menial hobbies like making scrapbooks of long-gone memories of how small and innocent their children used to be to pass the time.Not taking sides, Deepfreeze, but you might change your mind a bit when you have a few more years under your belt. I have little doubt that you would take one look at my life and think it was as unfulfilling as the life you described above. But I can tell you, my "9-5" life IS fulfilling, in that it allows me to feed, clothe and house my wife and kids, which to me is as noble an endeavor as any I can think of. That, and raising some great kids whom I hope will do better and go farther than I did and will. You might be surprised what one can find fulfilling.

You guys are making me want to sell my computer...

quote: I like street and to be honest it bothers me that he got banned. He adds a lot of color to these forums and you 'd think by now that folks would be used to his "style" and wouldn't take any of it personally. His "style" involved scathing insults of the worst kind, demeaning and condescending genralizations, downright offensive accusations, incessant antagonism, and constant thread hijacking. I have stopped frequenting other forums because of that particular "style", and I really would prefer it REMAIN prohibited here. Look, you and I disgree on things, Grizzle. I don't want you banned, though. You make for interesting conversation, and more importantly, you do it respectfully. The only one Street seemed to respect was himself. I honestly hope that when his temp-ban period is up, he returns, but only if he learns to "grow up" and debate as if the other people were not complete and utter idiots.

quote:Street's New Sig Anything that EVER happens, you can be sure that BUSH and his WAR-CONSIPRACY Had something to do with it. They either profited from it, Stole from it, or Killed it, so no matter what this topic is, if it has anything bad, it's Bush's Fault, if it has anything Good, it's because the Loving Democrats by the Grace of God came to our rescue! You know, I feel obligated to point out that SC doesn't want us posting to people who have been banned, but I gotta say this is GREAT!

I was kind of joking. Kind of...

quote:I was probably about 14 when I got GTA3. Whipper-snapper!

*Exhale* Thank goodness. I have been holding my breath until the announcement of AWA's release. I was starting to turn purple...

You are right - it is not a kids game. But why did Rockstar lie about the content? All this does is prove the anti-game crusaders right (in this case). They REALLY screwed up, imo.

I really should feel guilty about cheering when I read the headline... I really should!