I think its important to realize that many, many of the riches created by individuals and corporations (no corp. bashing, here I swear) were manufactured through illicit means.
The Astor family of the Waldorf-Astor Hotels, etc. started off as tenement owners, including more than one building that collapsed or burned killing, in at least one instance, hundreds. But now they're ligit.
The Kennedy's we all know sold liquor during prohibition. Went ligit.
Bush's (No Bush bashing here) grandfather (no the other) sold Nazi war bonds in the US and were busted for it. Went ligit (some disagree).
The list can be much longer, those are just the big ones. Cisco is no exception nor are nearly all industries in Germany that existed in World War II (no German industrialist, no matter how bad they treated slaves were tried at Nuremberg).
The point being? If you can make enough money, and prove that you are more valuable to society (so that means A LOT of money) and you turn over a new leaf (or just quit cheating, stealing, cultivating) you win, as do you children. Sure maybe some guy will write a book or post a message on Slashdot but who cares, you won't have to ever work again.
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, being immoral and unethical does OFTEN pay off. Don't be stupid, be Good and wait till the benefit is great enough, then make you move. Risk big, win big.
Ian says "Reward good behavior, Punish poor behavior"
It is possible that all who were involved perished in the crashes.
Anything is possible, but I'd say that is not bloody likely.
Our government and the major media want us to believe that Osama ibn Laden was responsible, despite the fact that he actually claims responsibility for his attacks.
I'm assuming you meant "...He actually does NOT claim responsibility..." What you claim and whether you have done something are two different issues. He has never claimed responsibility for other terrorist attacks he has been linked to. More on that later.
He is a guest of the Taleban, who has told us (since 9/xx) that they will turn him over upon receipt of conclusive evidence. The Taleban has offered to negotiate several times; meanwhile, Bush's claim that "we will use Diplomacy" remains untrue (he has rejected every offer).
I'm not sure that it matters diplomatically if you are guest of anyone if you commit a crime as defined in the UN charter. You are correct that the Taleban has said they would like to see evidence of the crime committed. We have done that in the past. In 1993(?) with the first bombing of the WTC. We sent evidence firmly linking him to the bombing and the Taleban would not hand him over. After the embassy bombing in Kenya in which one of the individuals who carried out the attack survived and directly implicated Bin Laden we gave the evidence to the Taleban to no effect. Hence Clinton's cruse missile attack. And now this. I hate using sports analogies but three strikes, you know. They could have handed him over for at least two good reasons (not including the Cole and another failed attack on a US warship).
Bush refuses to turn over any evidence, citing "National Security"--does that mean that Americans would riot in the streets if they knew what was really happening?
No I think it means valuable assets, be they human or otherwise could be destroyed but leaking the source of the information. An asset that may prevent attacks from occurring in the future.
Now we are bombing the shit out of the poorest nation in the world because they are bound under their Holy Law to protect their guest.
They are no where near the poorest nation in the world, which is truly a sad statement considering how screwed up they are. Kiribati, Mali, Madagascar, Yemen, Tuvalu, Comoros, Eritrea, Burundi, Congo (Democratic Republic of the), Cambodia, Tanzania, Somalia, Mayotte, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone are all poorer. I believe if you asked almost any Muslim cleric anywhere in the world if the authorities had the right to apprehend a wanted criminal in spite of the fact he was a guest, they would have no problem with that. The Taliban believe in a perverted tribal version of Islam that makes most of the Islamic world cringe. Do them no dishonor by honoring the arbitrary dictates of what the Taliban call "Holy Law".
We slander them on TV with false stories about opium (which can't grow in a four-year drought...), while we are using neighboring Uzbehkistan--#2 worldwide in opium production--as an air base for our troop transports, just like we did with Laos/Cambodia during VietNam (search on google.com for Bo Gritz if this doesn't ring a bell).
Dought does not effect all plants nor all areas equally. It does not mean that there is no water, it means there is less. If you had only enough water for one acre would you plant Barley or Opium? Remember how much money opium goes for per kilo. Besides have you ever heard of stockpiles? Processed opium lasts. Personally I think the whole area is screwed, so I won't get started there and I certainly won't defend the governments choice of allies and enemies.
Back to the topic, our politicians and lobbyists are shredding the Constitution with the full support of the misled American majority. This wasn't in the EULA. I wish to move to a country with more civil liberties, such as Germany.
According to Hobbes there was no EULA, except way back when, when people decide to live together. The Constitution isn't being shredded. The Constitution doesn't bar corporations from screwing you, or from politicians screwing you, or from friends and neighbors screwing you. It just sets up a set of rules which allow us to make and change rules (that generally screw you).
I'm not trolling, I just want my god-damn free country back.
Slashdot Mirror
I think its important to realize that many, many of the riches created by individuals and corporations (no corp. bashing, here I swear) were manufactured through illicit means.
The Astor family of the Waldorf-Astor Hotels, etc. started off as tenement owners, including more than one building that collapsed or burned killing, in at least one instance, hundreds. But now they're ligit.
The Kennedy's we all know sold liquor during prohibition. Went ligit.
Bush's (No Bush bashing here) grandfather (no the other) sold Nazi war bonds in the US and were busted for it. Went ligit (some disagree).
The list can be much longer, those are just the big ones. Cisco is no exception nor are nearly all industries in Germany that existed in World War II (no German industrialist, no matter how bad they treated slaves were tried at Nuremberg).
The point being? If you can make enough money, and prove that you are more valuable to society (so that means A LOT of money) and you turn over a new leaf (or just quit cheating, stealing, cultivating) you win, as do you children. Sure maybe some guy will write a book or post a message on Slashdot but who cares, you won't have to ever work again.
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, being immoral and unethical does OFTEN pay off. Don't be stupid, be Good and wait till the benefit is great enough, then make you move. Risk big, win big.
Ian says "Reward good behavior, Punish poor behavior"
How does one come to realize that one is allergic to the small pox vaccine?
-E
It is possible that all who were involved perished in the crashes.
Anything is possible, but I'd say that is not bloody likely.
Our government and the major media want us to believe that Osama ibn Laden was responsible, despite the fact that he actually claims responsibility for his attacks.
I'm assuming you meant "...He actually does NOT claim responsibility..." What you claim and whether you have done something are two different issues. He has never claimed responsibility for other terrorist attacks he has been linked to. More on that later.
He is a guest of the Taleban, who has told us (since 9/xx) that they will turn him over upon receipt of conclusive evidence. The Taleban has offered to negotiate several times; meanwhile, Bush's claim that "we will use Diplomacy" remains untrue (he has rejected every offer).
I'm not sure that it matters diplomatically if you are guest of anyone if you commit a crime as defined in the UN charter. You are correct that the Taleban has said they would like to see evidence of the crime committed. We have done that in the past. In 1993(?) with the first bombing of the WTC. We sent evidence firmly linking him to the bombing and the Taleban would not hand him over. After the embassy bombing in Kenya in which one of the individuals who carried out the attack survived and directly implicated Bin Laden we gave the evidence to the Taleban to no effect. Hence Clinton's cruse missile attack. And now this. I hate using sports analogies but three strikes, you know. They could have handed him over for at least two good reasons (not including the Cole and another failed attack on a US warship).
Bush refuses to turn over any evidence, citing "National Security"--does that mean that Americans would riot in the streets if they knew what was really happening?
No I think it means valuable assets, be they human or otherwise could be destroyed but leaking the source of the information. An asset that may prevent attacks from occurring in the future.
Now we are bombing the shit out of the poorest nation in the world because they are bound under their Holy Law to protect their guest.
They are no where near the poorest nation in the world, which is truly a sad statement considering how screwed up they are. Kiribati, Mali, Madagascar, Yemen, Tuvalu, Comoros, Eritrea, Burundi, Congo (Democratic Republic of the), Cambodia, Tanzania, Somalia, Mayotte, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone are all poorer. I believe if you asked almost any Muslim cleric anywhere in the world if the authorities had the right to apprehend a wanted criminal in spite of the fact he was a guest, they would have no problem with that. The Taliban believe in a perverted tribal version of Islam that makes most of the Islamic world cringe. Do them no dishonor by honoring the arbitrary dictates of what the Taliban call "Holy Law".
We slander them on TV with false stories about opium (which can't grow in a four-year drought...), while we are using neighboring Uzbehkistan--#2 worldwide in opium production--as an air base for our troop transports, just like we did with Laos/Cambodia during VietNam (search on google.com for Bo Gritz if this doesn't ring a bell).
Dought does not effect all plants nor all areas equally. It does not mean that there is no water, it means there is less. If you had only enough water for one acre would you plant Barley or Opium? Remember how much money opium goes for per kilo. Besides have you ever heard of stockpiles? Processed opium lasts. Personally I think the whole area is screwed, so I won't get started there and I certainly won't defend the governments choice of allies and enemies.
Back to the topic, our politicians and lobbyists are shredding the Constitution with the full support of the misled American majority. This wasn't in the EULA. I wish to move to a country with more civil liberties, such as Germany.
According to Hobbes there was no EULA, except way back when, when people decide to live together. The Constitution isn't being shredded. The Constitution doesn't bar corporations from screwing you, or from politicians screwing you, or from friends and neighbors screwing you. It just sets up a set of rules which allow us to make and change rules (that generally screw you).
I'm not trolling, I just want my god-damn free country back.
It was never yours. It's ours.
It wasn't a tragedy, it was an atrocity.