"No triumph of peace is quite so great as the supreme triumph of war." - Theodore Roosevelt (Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1897)

Hey CW I'd be proud to hold that soap box so you don't fall.......My dad was Navy!

ya know I never really understood some things until I read the Book "Flags Of Our Fathers"

The Calif Ironman was held at Camp Pendelton, Calif, a few years ago. As I entered the base about 2 miles from the finish line two Marines were giving encouragement. I ran out of the way and thanked them They said No Problem Sir! I told them I was not thanking them for their help at the race but The Help they were offering their Country!

Then they said "Yes Sir Thank You"

God Bless You all and keep you safe! Ok Ill get off my little soap box also and go to bed, it's 3:21 am

Good post, CW.

Rick, Teddy was no Tom Daschle.

eleltea

Tom Daschle? i thought we had an understanding that no bad language should be posted.

Lmao Rick, for once we agree. You're too much!

lmao

^5 Rick

Teddy had charisma by the boatload. He also had little conscience when it came to fomenting revolution and war abroad when it benefitted national interests a.k.a. his industrialist pals; a recurring theme? His legacy is long abiding hatred of the U.S. by Central and South America.

Rick, I'm surprised that you admire Teddy when he did much of what you accuse Bush of doing.

THL, at least we didn't get attacked by whatever little podunk group that didn't like us, or what God we worship, at any time like we do now. Why is gunboat diplomacy so bad if it works?

For the same reason it's wrong for you to beat up kids and take their lunch money.

THL, in case you haven't noticed, the kids we beat up and take lunch money from, are not above beating up other kids and taking thiers. There's no teacher to settle disputes in this playground, and before you cite the UN, let me point out how effective they were in bringing Iraq into compliance with UN Resolutions. In international relations, the law of the jungle rules, and kindnes, decency, and restraint are often mistaken for weakness. "If you desire peace, prepare for war!"- unknown, original quote in latin

The subject is Teddy Roosevelt. Perhaps you need a new thread? I appreciate your passion for current events, though.

Just responding to your opinion, which we are all entitled to have. TR was intumental in "assisting" the revolt that established the nation of Panama, because we couldn't get anywhere with Columbia in our negotiations to lease the isthmus for a canal we wanted to build. He sent the Great White Fleet aruond the world as a show of force to end the Russo-Japanese War that was disrupting trade in the Pacific Rim, and He briefly seized control of the government of Morocco during the "Petticarat Incident" (not sure of spelling) Upon which the movie "The Wind and The Lion" wass based. I thought that was just a good movie until my father told me of studing that in school when he was a kid. "Petticarat alive or the Raizouli dead!" was the rallying cry of that day. What was the rallying cry when the Iraninan took 40 or so of our people and held them hostage for 444 days? The Pueblo Incident? The Mayaguez Incident? The missionary couple who were kidnapped in the Philippines in the past year or so? The Americans kidnapped by Islamic fundamentalists in Lebanon? In TR's day, no county would have held still for any terrorists kidnapping Americans on thier soil, because the Marines would turn the place upside down looking for them. My only point was that maybe a return to Teddy's tactics would make the world an overall safer place to live.

Point taken. Maybe that's true. My point is that this power easily corrupts and can be mis-used. Unintended consequences almost always result. As was the case there. We have the Panama Canal, Philipinos have a version of self government and then there is Cuba. Teddy, like most men shouldn't be judged too quickly for good or bad.

I wasn't judging, I merely stated that the bad guys didn't DARE attack our citizens so readily in those days because they KNEW our wrath would come swiftly, and relentlessly.

I have to agree with that. It was that way with the Russians until fairly recently.

that was my point, go with what has been proven to work