Semi-OT: A General Tech Question Thread for me :)

[El_Phil]

OK the US has lost under 2000 soldiers since the campaign started for starters
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4132058.stm

Given that in both the north and the south the coalition was welcomed, why has everyone in Baghdad start shooting while Basra stays quiet? Could be the difference between troops in berets patroling and men in tanks threatening anybody who looks shifty? I think it might you know.

Right I never said slag the place. I said 'selectively target' Clearly you've never heard of precision bombing. You know when the US can amazingly accurately hit Chinese embassys because they mis-read street maps. Now I'd say it's reasonable that sensors will get better, they aren't going to get any worse that's for sure. So you can just take out the target in the middle of the city, without risking any of your men.

Ah silly me. You can't ever hide from ground troops, no ground troops have ever been ambushed or surpised! Hush my mouth I keep forgeting the amazing stealth defeating abilities of human eyeballs. If your hiding stuff, it's harder to hide from radar and decent sensors than an eyeball.

For evey Iraqi who said that you can't find dozens who said 'Most of our unit was killed by B-52s we never even saw.' because they all died or ran away to avoid capture.

Finally name a time when anyone has taken down a rebellion when the majority of the population supports it? Ever.
That's why you have to talk. It's a simple fact. Sending in ground troops just gets them killed and the population still don't like you, in fact probably like you less.

Unless the majority is on your side you will spend the rest of time fighting a losing guerilla war until it's not worth your time or blood. Bear in mind this is just 'I don't want to be ruled by country x' not 'Species x'. If you can offer a decent deal 'We leave you alone just give us the same amount of ore (maybe less to sweeten the deal) you gave the old goverment and we'll just stay in orbit and leave you alone.'

You try an opposed landing against a population that doesn't want you there... **cough** Vietnam in space **cough**

[Starhawk]

Hey El-Phil congratulations for crossing from civilized discussion into snide *** rather foolish and obvious political crap that you started the last time I brought up a discussion that had nothing to do with the overall war in Iraq and this time I will not rise to your attitude that US soldiers are some how inferior to your "gods almighty" royal army buddies and btw this is my last reply to you on that subject at all as you are obviously sure yours is the only possible solution to anything in the world I'll let you keep on wrongly thinking that. The British have made plenty of stupid mistakes and I won't start debating something like that since you are either too immature or too arrogant to look at anything other then the way you want to see it.

And what I was referring to is that your "precious all seeing sensors" will probobly never exist as there is always something to counter it you'll need troops on the ground for that sort of thing because yeah they might be ambushed but they'll be a lot more capable of fighting back then simply blasting to bits a whole forest to get one squad that might be hiding from your sensors.

Oh and "Hush my mouth" Radar doesn't detect organics very well......(rolleyes)

You want a "clean bloodless" war for whoever is attacking that ain't gonna happen no matter what you do.

BTW Vietnam was a political FUBAR on many levels the US had it's hands tied and if it hadn't things probobly would have turned out much differently as they would ahve been able to pursue into Louse and Cambodia and kick the hell out of the viet kong there it had nothing to do with "Landing against opposition" we were opposed in WWII and won and many other invasions have won look at the formation of Rome, France, Spain, your beloved little Brits all of whom forged empires on the Blood of people they invaded and conquered who didn't exactly want them there, it was thanks to internal fighting and or streign of wars only that those Empires broke up.

Hmmm Taera that's a great idea that would definately be more detailed and look impressive plus it would help me get some better ideas on it for the books so I don't do the typical Trek technobabble where one thing can work this week and suddenly be totally different the next (Transporter ranges anyone? phaser abilities eh lol)