You break it, you fix it

[Femme Folle]

What Should the Americans Do?

Read the reader comments, but be forewarned: some of them will really piss you off.

NY Times, registration required.

[DCI Harry Batt]

You break it, you fix it

I find it amazing that people can actually think "well they should never have gone, but now they're there, they've got a job to do". It's astonishing, to me.

Of course the US (and the UK, and others, though not many) owe the Iraqi people, big time. They should pay up, and fuck off. Or vice-versa, whichever.

[Eggchaser]

You break it, you fix it

I find it amazing that people can actually think "well they should never have gone, but now they're there, they've got a job to do". It's astonishing, to me.

Why? I would have thought trying to rectify your mistakes and trying to improve a bad situation, whether of your own or someone's making, was something all supposedly civilised people do.

[Max Payne]

You break it, you fix it

"I’m sorry but I don’t think my fellow Americans give a damn about fixing what we destroyed as long as we get our daily dose of cheap oil. We are like drug addicts and we have the same ethics and morality. I wish we would enter rehab but we haven’t hit bottom yet. So the world especially Iraq must suffer our behavior and actions. "

The above is bang on. If we were game to throw money at West Germany after 1945 then this one is a no-brainer. Not gonna happen though.

[Eggchaser]

You break it, you fix it

On the plus side, there were a fair few electric cars on display at the British International Motor Show. Early days still, but signs we might be getting past the oil hump.

[DCI Harry Batt]

You break it, you fix it

Why? I would have thought trying to rectify your mistakes and trying to improve a bad situation, whether of your own or someone's making, was something all supposedly civilised people do.

I'm not really one for "civilised", meself.

But anyway - I supopose it's the idea that it was "a mistake" (whoops! there I go, invading Iraq again. I really didn't mean to this time, honest) that's a bit weird for me. They did what they wanted to do, which was bad and wrong. It turned out to be a lot worse for them than they expected, that's true. But that's not the problem. The problem is the invasion and occupation. And the way to fix that is to fuck off out of it, today.

[NHH]

You break it, you fix it

It's not made it cheaper; it made it possible to be cheaper. It wasn't about price control, it was about strategic control. If the resources was in the hands of johnny a-rab, then they could have closed the pumps and seen the recipe sky rocket. Now it'll be under US suzereignty, the decision about how much to pump or not will be down to the oil corps who have the rights.

They might choose to open the pumps to produce more, they may decide to not, since higher prices = more profit. But it'll be US CEOs making the decision, so that's alright.

[Eggchaser]

You break it, you fix it

I'm not really one for "civilised", meself.

I always knew you were a filthy savage! Back to your cave!

I suppose it's a point of view thing. I have no doubt many people supported the war at the start of it thinking it was the right thing to do but have since realised what a ghastly mess the whole thing has been since day one, but would like to see it put right rather than left like the delightful turd on the pavement of the dog with an inconsiderate owner. I can see that point of view.

I believe that the war was never the right thing but I want Iraq to become a proper, democratic and free state. I can't see that happening in my lifetime, though. Right now, my purely selfish concern about Iraq is that my cousin:-

a). doesn't crash any more Land Rovers;

b). comes back in one piece physically and mentally; and

c). that his mother doesn't go through with her threat to wash his sheep.

[DCI Harry Batt]

You break it, you fix it

I have no doubt many people supported the war at the start of it thinking it was the right thing to do but have since realised what a ghastly mess the whole thing has been since day one

I'm sure that's true. I wonder if those people have learned anything from the experience, or if they will fall for the same old bullshit next time round as well.

but would like to see it put right rather than left like the delightful turd on the pavement of the dog with an inconsiderate owner

The dog is the problem. Get the dog off the pavement.

[Eggchaser]

You break it, you fix it

No, the problem is that rather rubbish metaphor is the owner for not cleaning up the shit afterwards. People who do that make me really cross.

I wonder if those people have learned anything from the experience, or if they will fall for the same old bullshit next time round as well.

I think we can look at the whole of human history for that answer and sadly say not a chance.

[DCI Harry Batt]

You break it, you fix it

You want them to clean up the dogshit using a dog with the shits, though. That's a rubbish idea.

[Eggchaser]

You break it, you fix it

I'm not sure humans have improved. I just think the availabity of immediate censure is more effective. Back in the good old days, you could smash up an Indian Prince's army and nick his territory and it would be months before anyone else in Europe knew about it. By then you'd be dug in like a tick on an Alabama hound.