You should have seen some of the summer Dachuas of the former Soviet leaders. Greed is not only a element in Capitalism. But also in Socialist countries. And yes in Dictatorships as well.
We recently had a National Prayer Day in the US. In the past, most Presidents have attended this day with time in a Church service. Prayer being a personal conversation between one and God...it is hard to say about the quality or topics of their past prayers.
This year, President Obama decided to pass on such attendance. Rather wrote a letter to the nation.
I have been thinking about why this troubled me.
Here is why.
We are a country with one very hot war and one cooling war. It troubles me to see a Commander in Chief.....not take such an opportunity to consider his future decisions in these conflicts in that human life is being decided in.
We are a country with many a crisis. This according many sources and many economic analysis. As Chief Executive Officer of this crisis bound country, seeking a guiding word or direction seems all appropriate to me.
We are a country with many faiths and beliefs. Though they can be dividing. They also can be uniting. By not attending a service, President Obama's message to the faith based people of the country was.......?
President Obama is soon to make a major speech in Egypt to the Muslem world. The Muslem Brotherhood has already said that the speech is a tactic to 'divide the Muslem world' and has dismissed it. Would President Obama's message to the Muslim world be taken better from a faith based positioned?
Maybe it is time for this Presidential attendance to be curtailed or ended......that one of the changes President Obama is bringing us. And one can easily argue the separation of Church and State as a reason.
Yet......here is there is this bit of historical opinion to the importance of faith in this country. George Washington on winning the Revolution war, made a speech in Congress...his words were to giving thanks to a Holy God for the victory and to commit this country to that Holy God.
I can listen for a long time. Does that mean I have to cooperate with opinion that I consider false, harmful or irrational?
Only if you dictate your opinion am I forced to cooperate.
The US is not the only country with National Interest. When Pres A....say Isreal is worthless and should be eliminated.....that is a Iranian policy and of a Iranian national interest.
When Premier Kim launches a missile over Japan, that is showing a national weapons program with certain abilities. A national interest.
When Pres. Chavez supports the FARCs in Columbia with weapons and allowing drug buys to pass thru Venezula.....he is making policy and stating a National Interest of his country.
How many times did GWB go to Europe for assistance on Afghanistan? and Iraq? and Iran? and North Korea? To Southern Americna leaders on Castro and Chavez? After you get so many no's.....eventually you go it alone.
When Europe and South America gave those nos....did the US force and dictate that they had to? No........we simply did it alone.
LOL.......well they will offer them IBM punch out cards like in the Florida election with hanging chads. Then the jailed ACORN staffers will revolt. Obama will reopen GITMO. He will send them there.
There will be wide world negative opinion to their treatment. REP realizing that they have a issue.....will ask for their release...on humanitarian grounds.
Obama caught between mainland Florida and the Island of Cuba (eg. a rock and hard place). Will be forced to go public with all of his private documents with ACORN regarding the voter fraud.
In the end, three DEM attroneys will be disbarred.
Know how many felt the Palin hurt McCain's chances for a election win?
Guess what?
The McCain/Palin ticket was 7 point higher in the women's vote than was the Bush/Cheney ticket was four year earlier. Where they got killed.....was in the black vote and men's vote.
The men's vote for 4 points lower than Bush/Cheney vote.
Meaning?
Sarah Palin looks to being getting another shot. Her job was to increase the woman's vote for McCain and she did. Her message resonated with them.
Word on the street....the REP ticket to watch right now.....is....Grinrich/Palin...in 2012.
Grinrich is a human fact machine. A excellent debator. And understands Washington from the inside out. He has been a strong supporter of the tea parties and the American solutions. That little 'drill now, drill here' theme.....came from his American Solutions.
If Obama throws a mis fact at him in a debate or tries some revisionist history .....:-)...Grinrich is a historian.
Obama might have to drop Biden for Hillary C.......to get the woman's vote in 2012. What do you say now, Joe? How do you like that Sect. of State job now?
How do you like criminal charges? They just filed criminal charges against ACORN staffers for fruadlent voter registerations. Looks like some ACORN staffers could see the next 2010 election from inside a jail cell.
I had problems with GWB as well, Desmond. Specifically Katrina, the way it was prepared for and handled. And I thought that the Iraq war reasoning was wrong.
But these are more recent events. Not attached to the economy, where many would say....President Obama inherited a mess. And the target here is not always Obama...... only 3 of the 6 are
That altitude is to high for good ground contact pattern. The high altitude winds would drift the chemical/agent over a very large area. You will not place it on the ground where it was targeted for.
Maybe being in Florida, I am closer to Cuba than you.
Cuba is more than a Socialist state, I know. It is both a dictatorship and communist. So using it as a example of socialism is not quiet fair.
But socialism is part of the Cuban experiment.
What Saberi is going thru in Iran, was done 1000s of times in Cuba. And worse. The Iranian know she is an American....so will treat her fairly well....they will even force feed her.
But in Cuba....those that fell out of regeime liking....had no America to support them. They were truely at the mercy of Castro's gov't. Mariel boat lift is an excellent example.
At first it was a very noble thing. Those wishing to leave Cuba, were free to go. I think the number was 47,000 choose to leave. Castro sees an opportunity to rid his mental institutions and prisons. Some 40,000 criminal and mentally ill made the journey as well.
We sat here in the US. Really we did not have any choice in the matter. They simply began to show up. They made this unilatrol decision in Cuba to do it.
Janey Reno, the Attroney General that forced E. Gonzales back under gun point to Cuba....is from Florida. She is very disliked here by the Cuban community. That Cuban community saw the Mariel Boat lift bring 1000s here. And that one boy could not stay? Because the DEM leadership could not face off with Castro?
When 47,000 people decide freely to leave thier homeland and all thier belongings....it says a lot.
My guess is bit and pieces of it will be bought by other auto makers. There will be first a bankruptcy hearing for investors to to get the 1 cent on $1 invested. After they take anything of value, then the rest is open to the market for purchase.
There are different kinds of bankruptcy...Chapt 9 and Chapt 11 so depends on that as well.
I hate to see them fold all of GM. You got to admit the Hummer line.....even though it drinks gas like water.....is a neat and unique vehicle.
Beside where will we get movie Hummers for action flicks?
No problem there, Rocket. Many different nationalities at GITMO and in detention in Iraq as well. But the US cannot trade a foreign national of different country for Saberi. Well maybe under Obama rules, it can....LOL
Besides....assuming Saberi is innocent. I just got one of those gut feelings.....the lady is going or trying to make one of those political statements in this. Or could. Her call of course.
She has her hunger strike going. She will be getting human rights support or should. She has President Obama saying she is not a spy. She just had the EU walk out on President A. She has an Iranian election coming. She has a growing reform party in Iran. She has some clout as a reporter. She has some cards of her own to play.
If she wants to make a "statement" for Muslim women, for democracy, against a harsh Iranian regieme....she calls their bluf....refuses any trade or release. Other have done it on principle. Force them to take her to court....lay their entire case out....
You don't understand the process. The CIA told the leaders of Congress.....what was going to done to some the AlQeada GITMO detainees.
Both DEM and REP attended. Both encouraged the CIA to proceed to protect American lives post 9/11.
Polosi knows that this is the far left hot button to prosecute REP parties involved in the waterboarding. Hence her answer. But if she and other DEMs had knowledge of waterboarding and the techniques......then if that prosecution does occur. She gets a snopia to attend as a defendant....charged right along with the REP.
We got to wait for her frigin book? The debate is now.
I saw her press Q and A on this, Dude. She was on the defense the entire time. And yes, when the CIA give you as 1 of 8 leading leaders in the country a briefing of what is going to be done with and to foreign captured terrorist.....one would expect the woman not to have a memory lapse 30 times.
This is or was a simple question that any honest person can answer. She tried to answer for all that attended. "They never told us that waterboarding or these other techniques were going to be used."
She stuck her foot into it. There are 30 official briefing minutes that were made. That will tell honestly everything that was said and who was there. If the Obama administration fails to provide them. Then he to is obstructing the process.
Rocket....it is their country. But they have been saying to us....we are a country that if you are to negotiate with....you need to respect us and our rights....eg. the right to have nuclear programs.
But if the country has a legal system (a mature one protects human rights).....that can convict a person on a 15 minute trial for spying the US....AND convict the US in absentia in doing so....because that is what exactly what happened here.
This is not a country that has fair and open legal processes. Has a mature legal system.
Little things like transperancy, open and unrestricted monitoring of the nuc sites, and nuclear material use....all need to be part of the nuc agreement here. If they cheat on a simple trial to gain a political pawn.....you wish to trust them on nuclear programs? on a nuc agreement?
Iran is failing the test of being a mature nation state with Saberi's conviction. Today's Iran is only 37 years old....from when Cleric rule came back to the country.
Iran will never take credit for GITMO detainees. Would be a sure link to their support of AlQeada. And the Saudi detainees cannot be used in a situation involving Iran, a different country.
Hey maybe we should retire Polosi because of ADT. Missing the discussions of 30 CIA briefings...on the various interogation techn being used.....has to be either ADT or the first stage of Alhemsier.
Dude here is our resident mental health expert.....what do you say to someone that attends 30 briefings.....but cannot remember any of the details?
Morris said it was a falling 51% the other night. Those polls differences again.
But hey......we got to live with him for another 3 years, 8 months, 18 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds.....but who is counting?
But the telling of the tape...my fellow consprirators to regain America ....to a sane country.....is the mid terms of 2010. There, a massive REP win in the congress and/or a few REP in the Senate puts gov't check and balances back into place.
I say bring down the Nancy Polisi and Harry Reid.... rid ourselves of Murtha, Kerry....give them their Congressional retirement packages in a early out.
Is only fair.
They are doing it to millions of Americans. Ask Detriot.
The only difference is DEM are giving contracts to DEM companies and the REP gave to REP companies.
You think that the President of GE....is not a very wealthy man? I think that getting a salary of $16m per year plus benefits plus stock options....I bet he uses a Corp JET...in fact I know he does. GE is a maker of jet aircraft engines for Corp aircraft.
And the President of MSNCB is not making more than the $250K for that is cap to the Obama's higher tax rates.
When we find that these DEM failouts parties, and DEM bigwigs are going overseas and hiding their money in foreign bank and offshore accounts to avoid Obama's taxes......we is not going to happy.
Ever wonder why Obama's push to see what is in those Swiss bank accounts came to a screeching halt? A lot of them are DEM accounts is why.
And if you can please tell me how the entire United States and all of America is benefitting with the $3m for the CA Marsh Mouse, this is one reply....I would like to read.
I have to admit it. It seems like Obama stimulus package is making it to main street American some. Living out in the country, we had a dirt road that has never....ever been hard topped. I have been for some 50 years. It has never been hard topped.
There are so few people driving this dirt road.....that wildlife consider it their own private highway to the local lake. Yep you got it....now they have a hard topped highway to the lake.
The money likely came from DC. Because if the County Commissioners would have put it in their budget.....we would have one of those peasants encircling the castle Frankenstien events.
Come on Indy...a first date opportunity here. You have to pack the concrete earrings in your bags and you would be over weight. Think positive old boy, think positive.....
Desmond....you note some of the most interesting of CS connections.
Indy, Rocket.....I figure Hawii is about halfway between for the two of you. Maybe a 50/50 date on Diamond Head? There is a great restraunt on Hawii called the Chart House for a public meeting? Great steaks....some surf and turf....then on down to Diamond Head for some surfing.
Indy can show Rocket...how he handles the big waves....
Indy don't do a nose plank.....Diamond Head has some nasty rocks on the seabed.....
Rocket.....be sure to take the boots.....a tip....use cold water when you polish them....you get can a great shine
I agree here with much you said. Younger, we fought and suffered for ideals and causes. Older, we like to place legality and write history books of them.
I also agree that this woman knew some of the risks she was taking in going to Iran.
Her hunger strike began several days ago.....is now in its fifth day.
It is not just Saberi that is in issue. There is a missing American, former FBI agent. He had gone to Iran to conduct an investigation. Actually he was requested to come to Iran to meet with a man that had information on the investigation.
They met in southern Iran and he disappeared that night. His family and the US gov't have been trying to get information to his condition and location from the Iranian Gov't for a quiet awhile.
Some information has been shared by Iran. The Iranians did a search for him, but did not locate him.
As we detained more AlQeada in Afghanistan after 9/11. We had a choice.
We could leave them in Afghanistan to be in the same prison compounds with the Taliban that were being detained. Or we could separate them.
In a way the decision was made for us. Early in conflict there was a major prison riot at a old fortress/prison in Northern Afganistan...al-Marreshev?? During the week long riot and retaking of the facility.....some 500 were killed.
If we left the hardline firebrands Islamic in the general prison populations of Afghanistan....we were sure to have more riots in these low tech and old Afghan facilities.
It was soon after the riot, GITMO was decided on.
By the way, separation of leaders from the fighters is a Geneva Convention approved tech. Germans separated Allied officers from enlisted and NCOs prisoners during WWII.
I am not saying GITMO was all about prisoner safety or to reduce rioting. It was also designed to be a intelligence gathering facility.
I read the book...."Behind the Wire" it is a book written by a Army Translator Sergeant that was at GITMO for a year. If people want to know what went on at GITMO, it is a good reference.
There is a notrious prison inside Turkey. Name missing now. And Americans and Westerns have ended up inside Islamic prisons such as this. A 1980s movie was made of a American sentenced there.
Time inside a prison....be it the facility north of Tehran holding Saberi, or GITMO, or some Federal prison that the Somali pirate is likely to end up in .....is not a pic nic.
ttom500 Forum Posts (10,523)
RE: CAPITALISM VS. SOCIALISM
You should have seen some of the summer Dachuas of the former Soviet leaders. Greed is not only a element in Capitalism. But also in Socialist countries. And yes in Dictatorships as well.