2014-06-02, 15:45 | Link #33901 | ||
Not Enough Sleep
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: R'lyeh
Age: 48
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2014-06-03, 02:04 | Link #33902 | |
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal, QC, Canada
Age: 41
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If you ask me, he's putting his potential successor in the Democratic Party into the hot seat should the mid-term election this year and then 2014 both end up being losing elections. Last edited by KiraYamatoFan; 2014-06-04 at 04:43. |
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2014-06-03, 03:46 | Link #33903 |
✘˵╹◡╹˶✘
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Australia
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To be honest, desertion does happen. I means of course the scale and war was totally different, but for example during Vietnam war, the recorded of desertion was actually 14.9 per thousand soldiers in 1966, then rise to 73.5 per thousands in 1971.
That is actual desertion. AWOL (Absence Without Leave) like in the article, in 1971 was almost 2.5 times as much: 176.9 cases per thousands Does not make their life worth less through. Even with, let say only 10% of Vietnam low figure (1.5 per thousands), but with 831.576 US military personnel has served in Afghanistan, you will expect a record of ~1245 desertions has happened during the war there. This is just one of them
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2014-06-03, 10:36 | Link #33904 | |
books-eater youkai
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity
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Damn if you do, damn if you don't .
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2014-06-03, 11:15 | Link #33908 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Age: 37
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I was surprised as well, but then weren't these 5 Taliban leaders captured like over seven to eight years ago? I think they may have lost influence due to the years, and that's why the US deemed it was OK to release them. And who knows, maybe sending them back might lead to destablisation amongst the terrorists, with old leaders versus new leaders.
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2014-06-03, 11:23 | Link #33909 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
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2014-06-03, 11:34 | Link #33910 | |
books-eater youkai
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity
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Plus, even Republican Idol Reagan did it in his time
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2014-06-03, 11:43 | Link #33911 |
(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2006
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There's probably a covert op of some kind happening behind the scenes that was worth the political risk. The US government runs a lot of them, but very few leak to the public for scrutiny. For example, the US runs many prisons outside of the country (so called "black sites"), but the only one most people know about is Gitmo.
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2014-06-03, 12:54 | Link #33913 | |
Meh
Join Date: Feb 2008
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First off, desertion, especially during wartime in a combat zone, is a rather serious crime – one that is punishable by death. The fact that 6 other soldiers were killed as a direct result of his desertion (and who knows how many others indirectly as assets were diverted and operations disrupted to look for him) only makes it worse. Prisoner swaps are also typically done on an equal basis, you don’t trade 1 enlisted soldier for 5 senior leaders, this also sets a terrible precedent – what’s to stop them from kidnapping tourists and demand the release of every prisoners we’re holding? Those of us in the military knows how seriously we take the phrase “leave no one behind”, it’s a commitment that many have given their life to honor. For the rank and file soldiers who served with him to come out so strongly against him speak volumes, especially since POWs are typically held in high regard. To see someone who betrayed and abandoned his fellow soldiers being treated like a hero is a slap to the face of everyone who’s ever served. |
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2014-06-03, 13:55 | Link #33914 | |
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal, QC, Canada
Age: 41
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For the record, I think Obama made a huge mistake there. |
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2014-06-03, 14:40 | Link #33915 | |
books-eater youkai
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity
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1 The equal basic of prisoner swapping. That did work much in the past, with two states (or more)at war with large number of prisoners on each side, but this situation it's a state with a large number of prisoners and a group of insurgent/terrorist with only one prisoner. It's kind of sick to say but in that case, rarity increase value and it don't work only with the US, Israel do have the same issue. 2 About they trying to do the same trick again: Weren't they already trying to kill or capture American before? As the tourists, who are dumb enough to go in Afghanistan or the tribal region of Pakistan in vacation?
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2014-06-03, 15:41 | Link #33916 | |
Not Enough Sleep
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: R'lyeh
Age: 48
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2014-06-03, 20:09 | Link #33917 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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2014-06-03, 21:20 | Link #33918 |
廉頗
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 35
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You don't need to treat him like a hero, but give him a break with the criticism. 5 years in captivity by the Taliban is probably enough punishment for 1000 desertions. He lost five years, but he's probably also lost a good chunk of his emotional health permanently.
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2014-06-03, 21:38 | Link #33919 | |||
Meh
Join Date: Feb 2008
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I don't think any has been executed in a long time, but the point was that it's a capital crime. Quote:
There are some things you just cannot do to your fellow soldiers, and causing their deaths directly through your action, a traitorous one at that, is pretty much on the top of that list. |
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2014-06-03, 21:39 | Link #33920 |
Ava courtesy of patchy
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Exactly. That's my problem actually with the criticism. It's true that he's definitely no hero, and maybe he does deserve death penalty for deserting(although I personally against death penalty. People can get cold feet/breakdown when faced with harshness of war, so desertion doesn't deserve death penalty. I'm sure the people who served in the frontline can understand this better than me), but you can punish him after he come back to his homeland, not let him(probably) tortured and rotting in foreign land under enemy's hand.
When you start to judge the worth of people life by his past deed, you're heading toward slippery slope already. What's next? Bill Gate will be worth 10 prisoners while your average citizen/Donald Sterling will only worth 1 prisoner because Bill Gate does more good to the world by donating a lot of his money?
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