If you were/are a Ron Paul supporter, how do you feel about his comments that he wouldn't have ordered the Bin Laden raid?

[AsburySkinsFan]

still think that Pakistan is faking outrage?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-17/pakistan-troops-clash-with-nato-helicopters-in-afghanistan-border-region.html

If they're so ticked then why are they giving us back the tail rotor of the helicopter that was left from the raid?

What's more is that NONE of this gives any more credibility to Ron Paul's statement which this whole thing is about since there was still an agreement made 10 years ago between the US and Pakistan to allow the very type of mission that now Pakistan is supposedly upset about. So, either Pakistan has some long term memory loss, or they're faking the outrage, either way Ron Paul is still a dip.

[Mad Mike]

MadMike, I'm very open to discussing the merits or lack thereof about the various alternative approaches to the WOT. I think its a great discussion to have.

I was going to get snarky when I first read your post, but I'm not feeling well today so I'll just say that you are entitled to your opinion, as thats all it is.

personally, I think that the constitutionally sound and historically useful approach to using letters or Marque and reprisal to help fight the terrorists would work just fine. I also think that we have seen the potential in the simple fact that it utimately ended up being a small, well trained team of professionals that took Bin laden out.

I understand that you dont agree and thats OK. As Hubbs mentioned, this isnt exactly the overriding issue that I or anyone else would base their vote on in exclusivity.

It's always entertaining to hear ignorant people talk about subjects they know nothing about.

The fact is that that "small, well trained team of professionals" represents the tip of the spear of billions of dollars in training and special equipment which has been under development since the 1940s and cannot be matched by the best available mercenaries in the world. The helicopters they flew in on are owned and operated by the US alone. Every member of that team was literally the best of the best of the best. And unlike mercenaries who are motivated by money and profit, SEAL team six, other special forces, and our general military are motivated by love of the USA. Also unlike mercenaries, US forces can be better controlled and exercise better control of themselves, and better represent the USA in politically complex situations.

And FYI. Adding the standard, moronic, Ron Paul approved, "constitutionally sound and historically useful" tag to a simple minded idea does not make the idea a good one.

[SnyderShrugged]

It's always entertaining to hear ignorant people talk about subjects they know nothing about.

The fact is that that "small, well trained team of professionals" represents the tip of the spear of billions of dollars in training and special equipment which has been under development since the 1940s and cannot be matched by the best available mercenaries in the world. The helicopters they flew in on are owned and operated by the US alone. Every member of that team was literally the best of the best of the best. And unlike mercenaries who are motivated by money and profit, SEAL team six, other special forces, and our general military are motivated by love of the USA. Also unlike mercenaries, US forces can be better controlled and exercise better control of themselves, and better represent the USA in politically complex situations.

And FYI. Adding the standard, moronic, Ron Paul approved, "constitutionally sound and historically useful" tag to a simple minded idea does not make the idea a good one.

Thanks for the new round of ad hominems Mike.

I fully understand that you dont like the idea of a historically successful and specifically an enumerated power in art 1 sec 8, practice that was seen as a viable option to things like this and I even understand where you are coming from on your perspective.

I wasnt sure if you fully understood that professional military is often used for a letter of marque approach too, even units within our own forces. Its simply a tool to help avoid full scale war.

I appreciate your views and respectfully disagree

---------- Post added May-17th-2011 at 12:46 PM ----------

If they're so ticked then why are they giving us back the tail rotor of the helicopter that was left from the raid?

What's more is that NONE of this gives any more credibility to Ron Paul's statement which this whole thing is about since there was still an agreement made 10 years ago between the US and Pakistan to allow the very type of mission that now Pakistan is supposedly upset about. So, either Pakistan has some long term memory loss, or they're faking the outrage, either way Ron Paul is still a dip.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I highly doubt a nuclear power would play games with another, bigger nuclear power like this

[GibbsFactor]

It's always entertaining to hear ignorant people talk about subjects they know nothing about.

The fact is that that "small, well trained team of professionals" represents the tip of the spear of billions of dollars in training and special equipment which has been under development since the 1940s and cannot be matched by the best available mercenaries in the world. The helicopters they flew in on are owned and operated by the US alone. Every member of that team was literally the best of the best of the best. And unlike mercenaries who are motivated by money and profit, SEAL team six, other special forces, and our general military are motivated by love of the USA. Also unlike mercenaries, US forces can be better controlled and exercise better control of themselves, and better represent the USA in politically complex situations.

And FYI. Adding the standard, moronic, Ron Paul approved, "constitutionally sound and historically useful" tag to a simple minded idea does not make the idea a good one.

Of course DevGru is the best, however, some mercs were once part of team 6 and other elite units of the US Armed Forces. It's as if you can't wrap your mind around it so you result in throwing mud. It's always been quite comical. Marque and Reprisal was used before we were this big bad world power that could just walk into any country and use our spear tip to do as we wish.

[SnyderShrugged]

Of course DevGru is the best, however, some mercs were once part of team 6 and other elite units of the US Armed Forces. It's as if you can't wrap your mind around it so you result in throwing mud. It's always been quite comical. Marque and Reprisal was used before we were this big bad world power that could just walk into any country and use our spear tip to do as we wish.

In many, many ways, I can see the point that Mike is making if the letter or marque approach were used to say, hire the somali pirates to do a raid at our behest. I think the misconception is around the point that the forces used would be very highly trained and usually special forces kinds of folks.

heck, i'd fight almost as hard as Mike if it meant using untrained mercs from undeveloped nations too!

[AsburySkinsFan]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I highly doubt a nuclear power would play games with another, bigger nuclear power like this

I think more than anything this shows how splintered Pakistan really is, it looks to me like it's military has split allegiances as compared to those of its leadership.

[Mad Mike]

Thanks for the new round of ad hominems Mike.

I fully understand that you dont like the idea of a historically successful and specifically an enumerated power in art 1 sec 8, practice that was seen as a viable option to things like this and I even understand where you are coming from on your perspective.

I wasnt sure if you fully understood that professional military is often used for a letter of marque approach too, even units within our own forces. Its simply a tool to help avoid full scale war.

A) Letters of Marque and Reprisal were NEVER issued to units within our national armed forces. Now you are just making *** up.

They were given to give specific commercial ships to act as an agent of the US because we did not have a sufficient navy at the time. They were never used to contract private ground forces.

C) Letters of Marque and Reprisal are widely outlawed on the world stage with The Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law.

I suggest you educate yourself before commenting further.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque#cite_note-27

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/privateer.htm

---------- Post added May-17th-2011 at 08:38 PM ----------

Of course DevGru is the best, however, some mercs were once part of team 6 and other elite units of the US Armed Forces. It's as if you can't wrap your mind around it so you result in throwing mud. It's always been quite comical. Marque and Reprisal was used before we were this big bad world power that could just walk into any country and use our spear tip to do as we wish.

Yes, SOME mercs were once special forces. But the reality is that individuals are not the strength of special forces units. Their strength comes form CONSTANT, INTENSE training as a cohesive unit backed by the full might of the US military, technology, and intelligence services. The reality is that there is no mercenary unit that can even come close to matching DevGru. PERIOD.