Comparison: Berlin 1989 vs Baghdad 2003

[Boroda]

Originally posted by AKIron
How about the hundreds of thousands of US troops that lived much of their lives away from their families in defense of Europe. Ready to give even their lives if necessary.

Maybe you don't consider this sacrifice. Do you even have a clue what that word means?

Did US of A remove it's troops from Europe after Evil Russians removed theirs?

Can you tell me who's the enemy they oppose now? Russia maybe? Just tell it plain and straight.

[Martlet]

Modern Russia is like a great-grandfather.

Sitting in diapers, talking about "the good old days".
Everything he remembers, though, is oddly different than everyone else remembers it.
He yells at you when you smack your little brother, and threatens to "spank you", but you know he's too weak to get out of his chair.
You listen to him politely, because you know he was once a great man.
Eventually, he becomes annoying so you stick him in an old folks home.

[Frogm4n]

i believe that it would have right after world war 2 and possibly into the late 50's, but after that once germany and nato were established and strong i seriously doubt they would have tried anything. The soviets knew their only way of staying in power was to proceed with a nuclear arms race. They would never have been able to afford a conventional war that lasted longer then 2 months. I mean look at the problems they had in afghanistan, the reports on how under supplied their troops were.

[AKIron]

Hehe, great analogy Martlett.

I agree Boroda, time to bring our troops home.

[Boroda]

Originally posted by Martlet
modern history is rewritten every time pravda "goes to press"

I asked some questions, to understand if ManyD knows the answers to them.

I now adress them to you.

Pravda is no longer an official newspaper since 1991. Now what's called "Pravda" is a stupid commie leaflet.

[Mini D]

Originally posted by Dowding
Aaagh, so the Russians, an occupying force for all intents and purposes, did the looting before withdrawing.

Compare that with Iraq, where a people recently liberated from a dictator looted their own hospitals, private houses and shops.

How many East German hospitals were stripped of equipment and supplies? How many East German doctors had to walk the corridors with stethoscope and AK-47 in hand?

Enlighten me, please.

Ah.. you posted this as I was typing my reply.  I didn't see it.

Russians didn't do the looting before withdrawing, they did it when occupying several years before.  The country was too broke to stay occupied.  Iraq was never broke.  There were those that had, and those that didn't.

Also, East Germany was not a contrast in lifestiles with lavishness sitting beside extreme poverty.

nor was Russia's withdrawl/release of East Germany unforseen.  There was a large amount of preperation before hand... as well as a sense of reunion with a West Germany more than willing to help out (and realize new buisness potential).

The looting you like to point to right now is very common when a dictator is ousted.  Russia, for all of its misgivings, was never presented the same situation.  Of course, the looting is usually done by the people occupying the country... but I guess that's easy for you to dismiss.

The comparison to the Berlin wall being taken down is a bad one... that is all there is to it.  German's shouldn't take offense to it becuase it was a stupid comparison to make.

Just as "looting then and now" comparisons are also pretty stupid.

The coalition forces were somewhat unprepared for the looting that occured in Baghdad.  At some points, they actually encouraged it (even a thread here giving kudos to the brits).  So be it.... it is being resolved.

MiniD

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Martlet
Modern Russia is like a great-grandfather.

Sitting in diapers, talking about "the good old days".
Everything he remembers, though, is oddly different than everyone else remembers it.
He yells at you when you smack your little brother, and threatens to "spank you", but you know he's too weak to get out of his chair.
You listen to him politely, because you know he was once a great man.
Eventually, he becomes annoying so you stick him in an old folks home.

Oh man! Thats quotable material! LOLOLOLOL!

[Martlet]

Originally posted by Boroda
I asked some questions, to understand if ManyD knows the answers to them.

I now adress them to you.

Pravda is no longer an official newspaper since 1991. Now what's called "Pravda" is a stupid commie leaflet.

ahhh, how convenient.

[Boroda]

Originally posted by Martlet
Modern Russia is like a great-grandfather.

Sitting in diapers, talking about "the good old days".
Everything he remembers, though, is oddly different than everyone else remembers it.
He yells at you when you smack your little brother, and threatens to "spank you", but you know he's too weak to get out of his chair.
You listen to him politely, because you know he was once a great man.
Eventually, he becomes annoying so you stick him in an old folks home.

At least we have some means to stop "the land of free" from invading us, despite of the great effort to "disarm" us. Very nice when international gangster tries to persuade us to scrap our weapons, at the same time "storing" their own.

Noone threatens you, it's just your paranoic hysteria fed by your "independant media".

[Martlet]

Originally posted by Boroda
At least we have some means to stop "the land of free" from invading us, despite of the great effort to "disarm" us. Very nice when international gangster tries to persuade us to scrap our weapons, at the same time "storing" their own.

Noone threatens you, it's just your paranoic hysteria fed by your "independant media".

HA!

You are safe because of the very protection we provide.  We could have our armies eating borcht in Moscow any day we chose to, and there isn't crap Russia could do about it.

Fortunately for you, that isn't our style.

[Mini D]

Originally posted by Boroda
At least we have some means to stop "the land of free" from invading us, despite of the great effort to "disarm" us. Very nice when international gangster tries to persuade us to scrap our weapons, at the same time "storing" their own.

Noone threatens you, it's just your paranoic hysteria fed by your "independant media".

Disarm you?  Nah.... disarm those you're selling the weapons to.  It must be our biased media that airbrushes AK-47s and T-72 tanks and soviet missile systems into everything.  What a completely eronious picture they paint.

BTW... The irony of a Russian speaking of "occupation" is duly noted.

MiniD

[AWMac]

Why would US invade Russia? Caviar? Ohhh Pahleez...

[Frogm4n]

damn derailers.

[AKIron]

Martlet, don't tease poor ole grandpa.

[X2Lee]

Originally posted by Dowding
I agree there. But any other comparisons are stretching it.

well another comparison would be the dancing in the streets.
Jubilation, joy.

I think that was rummys point...
Hes just a hick too ya know ;->