Alternative Thoughts

[Ocelot2010]

The CIA put the Ba'ath party in power, and I doubt that Islamic extremists would have been put in power without American interference. The Soviets were whooping ass until we sent the Mujaheddin weapons to use instead of old WW1 guns.

 

[metallicdistort]

The CIA put the Ba'ath party in power, and I doubt that Islamic extremists would have been put in power without American interference. The Soviets were whooping ass until we sent the Mujaheddin weapons to use instead of old WW1 guns.

I didn't think the US got involved with Iraq until they realised that Saudi Arabia was under threat in the Iraq-Iran war.

I also don't think American aid was that significant a factor. The main reason the Soviets couldn't tame Afghanistan was because of the pure determination of the Afghans in defending their land. Their most effective tactic was sabotages, using IEDs and the like. Quite a lot of their arms were funded by the heroin trade too. Afghanistan is an unconquerable country, with or without outside help.

 

[Ocelot2010]

Afghans had WW1 weaponry that couldn't penetrate heavily armored vehicles like the HIND and APCs

That is, until we decided to send them stinger missiles

 

[metallicdistort]

Afghans had WW1 weaponry that couldn't penetrate heavily armored vehicles like the HIND and APCs

That is, until we decided to send them stinger missiles

They were still effective at destroying soviet armour with IEDs, and they received RPGs from China anyway. And tbf the stinger missiles only contributed to a small increase in Soviet Aircraft losses

 

[Ocelot2010]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39276788/ns/business-eye_on_the_economy/

Alright, that's fucked up. Give free money to banks, while planning on buying up debt? That's just asking for a devaluation of the dollar. Not only that, but people are already starting to lose confidence in the dollar, what with the price of gold and silver both rising. Wouldn't be surprised if silver hit $100 an oz. next summer without taking inflation into account.

 

[metallicdistort]

I don't think they would risk that, they said they are only prepared to involve themselves if necessary

 

[Ocelot2010]

They actually recently started buying up publicly owned debt.

 

[Ocelot2010]

That and China isn't going to be loaning us money forever, especially since they're starting to dump their treasury bonds.