The Soapbox

Joined: 09/29/2013 Posts: 6446
Likes: 3410

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"Skin in the Game", an argument against military interventionism.

A fairly entertaining short polemic.

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"So we tried that thing called regime change in Iraq, and failed miserably. We tried it in Libya, and now there are now active slave markets in the place. But we satisfied the objective of 'removing a dictator'. By the exact same reasoning, a doctor would inject a patient with 'moderate' cancer cells 'to improve his cholesterol numbers', and claim victory after the patient is dead, particularly if the post-mortem shows remarkable cholesterol readings. But we know that doctors don’t do that, or, don’t do it in such a crude format, and that there is a clear reason for it. Doctors usually have some skin in the game."

Link: On Interventionistas and Their Mental Defects, by Nassim N. Taleb

Posted: 04/21/2017 at 11:20PM

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Current Thread:

"Skin in the Game", an argument against military interventionism. -- hoodeyo 04/21/2017 11:20PM

We HAVE to make going to war a legislative decision, not an executive one. -- Chuck Taylor 04/22/2017 10:05AM

I don't think that that is possible or reasonable, tbh. -- WahooRQ 04/22/2017 10:21AM

Yes, but while a worthless, hyperpartisan, steaming pile of crap... seeking -- Hoo05Dave 04/23/2017 12:21AM

I gotta disagree here RQ. There is a huge difference between a President -- Seattle .Hoo 04/22/2017 11:22AM

Not sure we're very far apart here, Seattle. -- WahooRQ 04/22/2017 11:57AM

And therein lies the problem. Reasonable checks and balances are what -- Seattle .Hoo 04/22/2017 12:13PM

The problem we have, is that Congress has been all too eager to renounce -- Hoo05Dave 04/23/2017 12:27AM

All good points. Thanks to you, Seattle, hool, etc for making this a rare -- WahooRQ 04/23/2017 1:50PM

We need to fix the legislative branch. Is there a realistic way to change -- hoodeyo 04/22/2017 10:28AM

Outside an unprecedented act of judicial activism, I don't see how. -- WahooRQ 04/22/2017 10:36AM

We get the government we settle for, and not necessarily the one deserved. -- Chuck Taylor 04/22/2017 10:49AM

RQ - the legislative branch is just a reflection of us. -- hoolstoptheheels 04/22/2017 10:43AM

Respectfully, Hool, I think that a bunch of hollow platitude that -- WahooRQ 04/22/2017 10:55AM

Good points ** -- hoolstoptheheels 04/22/2017 11:18AM

In these situations, at what point do we say enough is enough? -- dajoka004 04/22/2017 06:57AM

Saying enough is enough is not enough. -- Chuck Taylor 04/22/2017 11:17AM

What is a reasonable amount of time for post-war stability to be obtained? -- dajoka004 04/22/2017 11:30AM

Root cause: never had any business invading Iraq. No invasion, no -- WaxHoo 04/22/2017 1:31PM

We shouldn't be in the business of fixing countries. -- Chuck Taylor 04/22/2017 11:44AM

The argument for intervening in Iraq and Afghanistan was for US security -- dajoka004 04/22/2017 12:09PM

But not the reason. And there is no way Saddam would have -- KCHoo 04/22/2017 2:26PM

Whole thing was BS. -- hoothat 04/22/2017 7:21PM

Pretty basic and obvious stuff to anyone who was past middle school at the -- WahooRQ 04/22/2017 4:10PM

Love it RQ! -- dajoka004 04/22/2017 4:12PM

However old you are, feel like I have the right level of maturity and -- WahooRQ 04/22/2017 4:25PM

Thank you for your clarification! ** -- dajoka004 04/22/2017 4:31PM

Troll hard, dajoka. Hope those Rubles get you far in life. ** -- WahooRQ 04/22/2017 4:36PM

The argument for invading Iraq was bull manure. -- WaxHoo 04/22/2017 1:33PM

It was a bullshit argument in Iraq on multiple fronts. Leaving out the -- hoodeyo 04/22/2017 12:55PM

Primum non nocere, doc. -- hoodeyo 04/22/2017 10:25AM

And NK - the potential cost of an intervention is beyond -- hoolstoptheheels 04/22/2017 10:36AM

Every situation is different so there's no single answer -- hoolstoptheheels 04/22/2017 10:11AM

Have you noticed we're great at winning wars, terrible at winning peace. -- WaxHoo 04/22/2017 09:21AM

The trouble is, we suck at this nowadays, and have since Vietnam. ** -- VAGentleman05 04/22/2017 08:12AM

'Nma should have been the cautionary model for Iraq & Lybia. Americans -- WaxHoo 04/22/2017 09:19AM

Much of the world has to pay that bill, not just Americans. ** -- hoolstoptheheels 04/22/2017 10:12AM

True dat ** -- WaxHoo 04/22/2017 1:57PM

Ignored the Powell Doctrine ** -- 06 Hoo 04/22/2017 10:11AM

Well thought out. ** -- hoothat 04/21/2017 11:49PM