Cold War Warrior Award 2008

[TheMercenary]

[spudcon]

Maybe TW is bin Laden, and no one is paying any attention to him anymore. Bin laden the attention whore!

[DanaC]

Except maybe to prick tw in the touch-hole from time to time.

Is that what they call it these days?

[TheMercenary]

Never heard of it. Pie-hole is common for the one on top, butt-hole would be on the other end. I am sure there is a host of examples but that one eludes me.

[BigV]

oh ffs

touch hole is the place on a cannon where a trickle of black powder serves as the fuse.

get it? UG would provoke tw into an explosion. ha ha. yeesh.

[headsplice]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

And you are extremely naive. Please share with us your wealth of experience in this matter. Thanks.

Okay, operationally, AQ was limited by the coalition invasion of Afghanistan. Since the massive (though incomplete) pullout of US forces, particularly Special Forces, from that region, there's been a resurgence of the policital/military entity that has supported them the most (the Taliban). That being said, while they have plenty of moral support, their basic capacity for engagement is extremely limited by their lack of a solid base of operations as well as a lack of discreet funding.
I'm not saying they aren't dangerous, to ignore them would be monumentally stupid. But they got away with attacking us because we weren't listening to the intel/chatter coming our way (the 9/11 Commission Report said as much).
Orders of magnitude in difference between the two groups, really. Nukes and the single largest land army (whether or not that operational capacity was actually up to snuff, that was a LOT of bodies to throw at NATO) in the world versus dudes in the mountains?
No contest.
And while the mujahedeen forced out the Red Army, it was a war of attrition and the persistence of native forces in assymetric warfare, much like Vietnam for us, rather than a full-scale military victory.

[headsplice]

Originally Posted by classicman

And is Obama going after him if/when in office? Please do tell almighty and all knowing T-Dub.

I haven't seen anything specific, which is worrisome. I do know that we are currently focusing resources in the wrong place, though. Hopefully that will change, but again, I've got no clue.

[TheMercenary]

The Special Forces have not pulled out completely. We have a strong operational presence in many parts of the country with some success in many places better than others. Hind sight makes arm chair quarter backs out of the most seasoned critics. How we got to this point is really a non-argument to me, what are going to do about it now is the larger question. Anyone who thinks that the AQ organization, as lose an association as they may actually have with various like extremists around the world, is not a threat and will continue to be a threat to numerous states around the world is a fool. This is a battle we will be engaged in for a long time to come. And the first president to pull back from the fight will pay the price for that error.

Iraq is an entirely different discussion IMHO.

[DanaC]

oh ffs

touch hole is the place on a cannon where a trickle of black powder serves as the fuse.

get it? UG would provoke tw into an explosion. ha ha. yeesh.

I knew that :P But as a double entendre I think it works rather well don't you?

'Is that what they call it these days?' is a way of indicating a lewd connection.

[BigV]

I got your joke, DanaC. It was quick and witty.

I was surprised by our military-inclined TheMercenary's comment that he'd never heard of that one.

[DanaC]

Why thankyou BigV :P

Incidentally, it's probably worth noting that the cold war had, of course, two sides. Whilst the Urbane Guerillas of this world are busy spotting socialist agendas everywhere, there are other, equally blind individuals who perceive every aspect of the market as a capitalist plot :P

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by BigV

I got your joke, DanaC. It was quick and witty.

I was surprised by our military-inclined TheMercenary's comment that he'd never heard of that one.

Field Arty is not my dig. I have a differnt list of specialty terms I can hang with. Each branch has it's own lingo as Sarge or Joe can probably tell you about. It may even be from old naval military terms, which would be even more removed from my brain housing group.

[lookout123]

equally blind individuals who perceive every aspect of the market as a capitalist plot

we like it that way. that paranoia is all a part of our, er, their, yes their plan.

[BigV]

Sure, mercy, it's all good. I don't have any particular military background, and I knew the term. I was just surprised a little that's all. No harm, no foul. It's not the first time one of UG's jokes/insults/references needed explanation. It's part of his charm.

As to its origins, I do believe "old naval military" would be in the ballpark.

[xoxoxoBruce]

When I was a kid, touchole and asshole were used interchangeably,depending on who might overhear you.