Michelle Bachman wants Iraq to pay the U.S. for invading them

I just heard this on NPR a few minutes ago, so I don't have a link, but unless they were grossly mischaracterizing what she said, this may very well be the stupidest/craziest thing to come out of her mouth yet. Apparently she said that, if elected President, she would insist that all the money America spent invading/reordering Iraq be paid back by the Iraqi government.

Most people here seem like a fairly smart, well-informed lot. I don't need to explain why this is a colossally bad idea, right?

That takes Insane Troll Logic to ridiculous levels. Although, it makes me wonder if she's trying to turn the American military into The A Team.

edited 11th Nov '11 4:18:24 AM by tropetown

So extorition is her thing now? Stay classy, Bachman.

Sounds like a good idea. Next we can put babies to tax for work, cut every workers left hand, ban all liquid stuff and declare reality a theory.

Seriosuly, that is so stupid that my IQ just dropped few points. Even if it turns out to be untrue.

Bachmann is not coming off as a very bright person.

Got a link.

Her exact words were: "I believe that Iraq should reimburse the United States fully for the amount of money that we have spent to liberate these people. (...) (T)hat’s the thanks that the United States is getting? After 4,400 lives were expended and over $800 billion? And so on the way out, we are being kicked out of the country? I think this is absolutely outrageous."

reality is already a theory

edited 11th Nov '11 4:49:15 AM by nnokwoodeye

Yeah, ain't you ever heard of Wikiality?

Someone get Captain Picard down here, we need a Double Face Palm, on the double.

We need a collective facepalm. What kind of insane breed of logic is this?

populism pure and simple. Her writers were going

"Money, we need to be angry about money spent...war is expensive, hey, what if we say Iraq should pay us back?"

"Ed, that's fucking stupid."

"We're appealing to emotions here Mikey, it doesn't have to make sense."

"Touche."

What. How is this... I don't even... WHAT?! Please tell me she'll be laughed out of of whatever office she holds.

And my grandma is still trying to tell me that I should "watch my mouth" about her...

The Iraqi people should say that they've already paid in full with the blood of tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians.

How is this crazy? France did it to Germany following World War I. The winners of wars often force the losers to pay them tribute. At least, they do in my Civilization IV games. This is nothing new, though she is trying to disguise it as something new.

I know it was purely because of low voter turnout, but the fact that people like this can even garner the votes to hold office in what is ostensibly a first world country fills me with a mixture of horror and disgust.

Bachmann literally could not be a more reprehensible person if she actively tried to be.

@15: I'm going to stay polite as possible and remind you that Iraq being invaded by the US is not analogous to Germany being forced to pay reparations after a war of aggression, and any attempt to equate the two is both disingenuous and morally bankrupt.

What Raven says, too. Well, if you want to insure a new haven for terrorism....

edited 11th Nov '11 5:53:18 AM by Karkadinn

Seeing as how Germany's treatment following World War One was in large part responsible for the rise of the Nazi party and the start of World War Two, that example's not really helping your case.

edited 11th Nov '11 6:06:29 AM by RavenWilder

I understand her point, but it'll never happen and should not happen. We went in there for our own reasons, and while we did help them, we help tons of countries, we don't ask them to pay. Theres no way they could afford it anyway.

Thank you, USAF.

You said what I was going to say (besides over all the anti-Republican vitrol I was about to spew here for those representing them being closed-minded and fascist as usual when it comes to something the proud, yet badly defeated and abused people of Iraq DO NOT HAVE right now), so as to avoid sounding like a doucebag!

Iraq owes us nothing. It's our (The US') fault we wasted all that money and all those innocent civilians/soldiers' time and lives. We only have ourselves to blame - that, and the stupidity of people/their actions like Bachmann - Greedy Whore!

edited 11th Nov '11 7:40:52 AM by LostAnarchist

That's insane. I hope she'll be the Republican canditate.

You know what? I agree with you!

If only everyone in her party was this worthless and expendable.

edited 11th Nov '11 8:17:42 AM by LostAnarchist

Eisenhower-style conservatives would be a welcome change from both of the current parties, honestly, but they seem to have died and/or been marginalized beyond all belief... :/

Those arent "true conservatives" duh.

True conservatives are insane deified versions of Reagan and Buckley who the real Reagan and Buckley would have hated.

Just to be clear, I do not personally endorse Bachman in any way, shape or form. I'm just saying that victors often penalize the losers in wars, including via economic means, and any student of history can recognize the fact that a politician calling for war reparations is nothing new nor crazy.

That being said, war reparations would have worked on Germany if France had had its way - namely, the German nation should have been broken up into four smaller nations. But Great Britain didn't like the idea of France gaining de-facto control over the continent, so they settled on keeping around an aggressive and powerful nation but forcing them to pay for the war in the misguided hope that the reparations would be enough to keep Germany contained. Huge mistake - they really should have read up on their Machiavelli. Never do you want to injure, instead of kill, a powerful enemy.