The X-37 vehicle development was started in 1999 as a classified DARPA project that the US Air Force then took control of once the basic design was laid out. It does use the Atlas V rocket to launch but the key point is that it can accomplish it's mission and return to earth to be used again. The turn around time is much faster than the old Space Shuttle. Unlike the shuttle it can actually fly in the atmosphere and conduct orbital maneuvers much better than the old space shuttle could ever hope to do. It's main purpose is military applications and they have been running ops for the past 3 years while everyone else is busy lamenting the shut down of the Space Shuttle project. Let the Russians supply the space station (when their missiles don't blowup on the launch pads) so the US can concentrate on things that actually matter. The current design is also unmanned which means the risk of killing people is not a factor. So which country can deploy this technology? As far as "warmongering" goes it's always better to be feared than liked when it comes to international relations. With the coming US election cycle all of the candidates from every party are supporting a reduction or elimination of foreign aid along with outright military disengagement in any international conflicts. Of course the US arms industry will continue to sell to those looking for equipment. When that is done the real wars will start and those bleating about US interference will be lining up for US help and the US will and should just ignore them. As long as those who are fighting stay within their own borders why should the US give a shit? Do you see China or Russia rushing in to provide aid to these countries? If the fighting does exceed their boarders and threaten US interests they can always be convinced to return home with a few well placed missiles.
The US government should not give a damn about the middle east, Mexico, or frankly any other country when it involves anything except trade. And even trade should be reduced to bilateral agreements instead of multi-country blocks. Pragmatism and amoral behavior should dictate the US government actions.
Like I mentioned in my previous post the US has been able to destroy satellites since 1985 so the technologies involved are not hard to deploy if a country is willing to incur the financial cost. And do you really think the US would just sit around and watch someone destroy their satellite network? Do you think that the US military has not run war games based on scenarios where they lose satellite capabilities? There were no satellites used in WW2 but the countries involved were more than capable of reeking total destruction but it just took longer to carpet bomb entire cities because of the lack of bombing accuracy. Do you think the US has not positioned certain types of satellites in places where surface based weapons would be ineffective? The US also has the ability to quickly redeploy any satellite destroyed using existing rocket technology and it's X-37B re-usable orbital vehicle. In then end non of this really matters. China, Russia, and the US would not attempt this type of attack because it would escalate the conflict and make nuclear weapons part of the equation once again. If an enemy is destroying your ability to launch and control missiles then you best use them before you lose the capability to do so.
A couple of days ago I saw a defense technology program where they tested a standard M16 with modifications that provided the capability to use.50 caliber rounds. I have a Desert Eagle.50 cal handgun and I have seen the damage it can do so putting this caliber in an automatic assault rifle produces a hell of a lot of damage.
The US Military R&D establishment doesn't get pissed off about this kind of stuff. Most, if not all, US Military R&D comes from the private sector. When any new threat (real or imagined) presents itself they use it as a means to continue the R&D and make more money. The capability to capture a satellite and modify it's operations is a far better tactic than just destroying them outright and only the US has the technology to accomplish this type of operation.
The US destroyed a P78-1 satellite using an ASM-135 ASAT anti-satellite missile in 1985. China is about 23 years late to the party. The US or Russia would not publicize their space based weapon systems because of treaty obligations and for making future opponents unsure as to what capabilities they actually have.
I have had no problems with either the M16 or M4. Of course I have more experience with the M4. The M16 during the Vietnam era was a piece of shit. I am not old enough to have had any experience with the Vietnam era M16 but the M16 used today is nothing like the earlier models. In my opinion the AK is the best infantry assault weapon being used today. The accuracy is iffy because they do not have optical sights but the.308 caliber compensates for this lack of optical sights and provides plenty of stopping power. The simplicity of the AK also makes maintenance easier than the M16 of M4.
Russia and the various allied countries after WW2 all used captured German rocket technology and China has basically purchased all their space related systems from Russia. The best US space based technology today is the X-37 orbital vehicle that can destroy or deploy satellites if necessary. Most of the newest US tech is targeted towards unmanned vehicles because we have reached the level that a human pilots cannot handle. For example the F-22 does not use it's full capabilities because a human pilot can not withstand the experience. Exploring the solar system is a perfect job for unmanned vehicles. If they discovery any thing really interesting a manned mission could be justified. Also the satellite China took out was in very low earth orbit. The really critical satellites are deployed in high orbits.
Please cease the cheer leading for China. They deal with any country in the world that can provide them with cheap resources. They are extreme pragmatists (which is not totally bad) and don't give a shit about anything as long as they get what they want. Environmental protection, rouge regimes of all kinds, and worker safety do not enter into the way they conduct business. If the US operated in the same manner they would be criticized even more than they are already. And it has been predicted that China is going to surpass the US economy and that China is taking US manufacturing jobs but the US still has the highest GDP and is still the number one manufacturer in world with 1/3 of the population China. China has started posting trade deficits after years of surpluses. Some of their rising trade deficits are due to their increased food imports from the US by a factor of 6 over the past 5 years. Currency manipulation is their economic weapon of choice to make sure thier exports are cheap. However, they have pushed the currency manipulation as far as possible and the cost of their exports are rising which is creating opportunities for others to compete. This has also led to a high level of inflation in the country which will also contribute raise the costs of their exports because the workers will require higher salaries to compensate for the inflation. If the Chinese government can not control this trend they would be in danger of destabilizing the country. The only thing they offer to the international market is low prices. Quality and innovation are absent in their economic system. And if push ever came to shove the US could increase import tariffs and impose import quotas because China does not supply anything the US can not produce domestically or obtain from someone else. Contrary to popular belief China is also not loaning the US money. They are making investments that they consider low risk. They only account for approximately 6% of the outstanding US bonds and securities so they hardly own the country.
"That's just flat out incorrect"
Pick up a history book and you will find plenty of examples of people using religion to coerce and control a subject population. Better yet they have even created a system that even governments hesitate to act against. The Spanish Inquisition is one of the more prominent examples of the church saying obey us or face a slow and agonizing death. The actions of the Catholic church during WW2 is another example of egregious behavior. Just recently they have discovered a hoard of valuables that was confiscated from the Jews during the war. They also refuse to address the frequent molestation incidents seriously. Hell the Roman Catholic church based in Rome has an observer seat in the UN. Why? It is just another example of the power they have. The problem today is that a small minority of Islamic practitioners are destroying their religion. Surely the majority of the law abiding and true Islamic believers can whip up the same amount of public opposition they use to attack Isreal,the US, and even their own native populations. Why do they not do this against those distorting and using their religion to justify violence? They make vague statements and then claim they have did every thing they can do and then get back to loudly denouncing others for both real and imagined slights they feel are targeted against them. This inaction is destroying the respect people have for the Islamic religion. The behavior and actions of the Islamic extremists are daily front page news and that negatively effects the entire Islamic religion in other peoples eyes. The word terrorist and Muslim have become synonymous and this will continue creating conflicts in the world. The leadership of all religious orders can be just as corrupt and controlling as the leadership of any government in a secular system. The leaders in the middle east using their religion to manage their populations is a perfect example. I am not against any religion but when a religion starts trying to control or manipulate those who believe differently or those who do not believe at all they should be exposed and the charge of blasphemy should not be an acceptable excuse for their behavior.
Yes, my reply exceeded the posted topic but my response was how the discovery of exterrestrial life would impact religion and the original post was about people searching for signs of exterrestrial life.
Most main stream religions seem to pontificate about how God created man in is own image. The main religions of the world which are Christianity and Islam were created are to serve as a control mechanism that allowed the people at the top to gain power and wealth. Organized religion is responsible for unspeakable acts of cruelty that have more more to do with maintaining power and wealth for it's leaders than it does for providing comfort for the regular worshipper. Islam is especially good example of how to keep people on their knees far better than any monarchy or similar political system could. The religious leaders through the ages have used their power to extract subservience to the church or mosques using "God" as the control. I have always believed that the religions think in small terms. In order for man or any other lifeforms to exists first requires the creation of the entire universe before it can be populated with lifeforms but the major religions on Earth define it as the center of all creation. Politicians of all types mouth religious proclamations to gain power. The US leaders who mention God do so knowing they really have nothing to lose and pandering to religions to obtain votes from the religious blocks of voters. To me religious faith is a personal and internal state of mind that does not depend on practicing man made made rituals and relying on books written by man. In my opinion discovering that humanity is not alone in the universe can lessen the religious power that know is used to control people.
"That fact alone tells that U.S. has never been about, or seek to know, science"
So how has the US ended up leading the world in technological advancements over the past 70 years? Granted a lot of scientists have immigrated to the US and contributed to the success but they had to come to the US because their country of origin for one reason or another did not provide them with the resources they needed to advance their scientific goals. And by they way making generalizing the US when it comes to religion is foolish and paints an inaccurate picture of US society.
If clear evidence of extraterrestrials is ever found can you imagine the gigantic shit storm it would create? Just watching all the various religions running around in circles trying to fit the fact into their sacred canons would be hilarious. Back in the day anyone claiming the Earth was round and not flat were labeled heretics and killed. Galileo's observations of the basic structure of the solar system almost got him killed.
Violence in the Arab and Muslim countries flourishes regardless of any US involvement. The only thing that ever unites the Arab and Muslim countries is their hatred of the US and Isreal. With the US leaving they can get back to killing one another in peace. The US military leaves Iraq and the very next day they start killing their own people that will most likely escalate into a civil war. When the US leaves Afghanistan the same thing will happen except Pakistan and India will also get into the game.
I never claimed they were "clueless buffoons" you did. At the very least they know how to access the Internet. They are just minor nuisance's that can be easily countered by properly configuring your servers and remain current on security patches. So far all of their actions have only created harm to the regular users. Just getting new credit cards issued can be a pain in the ass. Also are you willing to take their (his,her,it's) word that they have not sold the credit card information to others that are capable putting them to good use?
What's wrong with that? The government is limited on how much they can spend on individuals. However, the expense of using highly expensive 3rd part non-governmental companies does not violate the government pay scale. The military is a prime example. Their reliance on advanced technology forces them to use non-governmental and non-military resources to develop. implement, and operate their systems.
These losers are script kiddies. They use tools developed by others, use attack vectors discovered and published by others, and basically rely on the negligence of the IT departments involved. Those capable of creating things like Stuxnet are the real experts in the field. None of the Anon actions have made any difference to society other than giving the government ammunition to impose harsher penalties for those involved. If they piss off the wrong people and the NSA or other security agencies start taking an interest in them they are as good as caught. People severely underestimate the US security Agencies, especially the NSA, cyber capabilities. Capabilities they tend to prefer to keep secret. As it is Anon are not worth the time or money to go after.
I have not noticed the RIAA or any similar organization using suicide attacks against civilians and then proudly bragging about it, refusing to even consider educating anyone of the female gender or use females for anything other than cooking and breeding stock, executing 9 year olds as spies, or enforcing their rules with swords and AK's. And this behavior was their SOP long before the US ever set foot in that hell hole. My solemn wish is for the US to leave that entire region and let the inhabitants kill each other in peace. They certainly do not contribute anything positive in the world and with the world population pushing 7 Billion I doubt anyone would miss them. And before you make the claim that the US created the Taliban pick up a fucking history book and educate yourself, I know that may be a new concept for you but give it a try anyway. It is and has always been the Pakistanis who have supported the Taliban so they can use them as pawns in their foreign policy. The US was just one country involved during the Russian invasion with the majority of military support provided by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the British while the majority of US support was humanitarian aid for the 1000's of refugees fleeing the violence. How many muslims are running around with M-4's or M-16's? In the future I will forgo mentioning IQ since I seriously doubt you morons would even qualify for the tests used to measure IQ.
Cell phones started out costing around $800 not counting the service plan when first released. There is no reason the cost of battery technology can not decrease as demand grows.
I remember my first time in the remote desert of Arizona and looking up at what I thought was some kind fuzzy haze but then realized it was just the stars. It was very impressive.
My writing could be better but I struggle when using my phone to post messages. The small keyboard and limited amount of text that can be reviewed without scrolling is a pain in the ass.
And don't confuse isolationist with non-intervention. The US leaves Iraq and the very next day the chances of civil war take center stage. The US should ignore it and let it play out without bothering to get involved at any level. The same thing will happen in Afghanistan when NATO leaves except it will end up impacting Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The Israel/Palestinian conflict should also be ignored since if any agreement is ever reached it will be the Israelis and Palestinians making the decisions. One potential drawback of staying neutral in this particular conflict is that the US will not have any influence on Israeli military actions. Isreal is perfectly capable of handling 3 Billion dollars in aid. They could recoup any shortfall by selling advanced weaponry to countries like China which the US now prevents. There is certainly no other country willing to stand up to Israeli military actions outside of using heated rhetoric and meaningless UN agreements. So once again the US should let the situation play itself out. Any foreign conflict that does not have a direct impact on US interests should be ignored. If the winners of these foreign wars form a formidable block aimed at harming US interests at least they will be a well defined target when push comes to shove. Commercial ties should be maintained where possible but any other problems should be ignored. Any international agreement's should be handled bi-laterally. It is what the world is asking for so the US should oblige. The US is not in military danger except for ICBM based weapons and only a few countries possess that ability. Russia and China have proven themselves very sensible when it comes to nuclear weapons but the hot heads and non-government militant groups in the middle-east are entirely another matter.
Using absurd generalizations when describing people that live in the US is an example of your ignorance. The US takes a heap load of shit when making generalizations about Arab countries but generalizing about the US population is always justified and proper according to your warped reasoning. I am glad you didn't get your permanent US citizenship but why did you apply in the first place? Do you consider yourself so smart that all your generalizations about the US would never apply to someone as exceptional as yourself? The US is the most diverse society on the planet in religion, race, and ethnicity. I don't know when the US was ever a "great nation" because it has always had it's problems and incompetent leaders just like every other country. US equality, justice, and democracy is just a goal that should be worked towards. This process has been ongoing since the birth of the nation and it has had mistakes and triumphs in trying to reach the goal. Thankfully the US public is slowly but surely reaching the point where they don't give a shit about foreign countries problems and desires. You think the US has been making unilateral decisions but you have not seen anything yet. And the US did over react to 9/11, especially with the Iraqi war and extended Afghanistan operations but at least the US did react while other countries just set around with their thumbs of their ass criticizing US decisions.
Slashdot Mirror
The X-37 vehicle development was started in 1999 as a classified DARPA project that the US Air Force then took control of once the basic design was laid out. It does use the Atlas V rocket to launch but the key point is that it can accomplish it's mission and return to earth to be used again. The turn around time is much faster than the old Space Shuttle. Unlike the shuttle it can actually fly in the atmosphere and conduct orbital maneuvers much better than the old space shuttle could ever hope to do. It's main purpose is military applications and they have been running ops for the past 3 years while everyone else is busy lamenting the shut down of the Space Shuttle project. Let the Russians supply the space station (when their missiles don't blowup on the launch pads) so the US can concentrate on things that actually matter. The current design is also unmanned which means the risk of killing people is not a factor. So which country can deploy this technology? As far as "warmongering" goes it's always better to be feared than liked when it comes to international relations. With the coming US election cycle all of the candidates from every party are supporting a reduction or elimination of foreign aid along with outright military disengagement in any international conflicts. Of course the US arms industry will continue to sell to those looking for equipment. When that is done the real wars will start and those bleating about US interference will be lining up for US help and the US will and should just ignore them. As long as those who are fighting stay within their own borders why should the US give a shit? Do you see China or Russia rushing in to provide aid to these countries? If the fighting does exceed their boarders and threaten US interests they can always be convinced to return home with a few well placed missiles.
The US government should not give a damn about the middle east, Mexico, or frankly any other country when it involves anything except trade. And even trade should be reduced to bilateral agreements instead of multi-country blocks. Pragmatism and amoral behavior should dictate the US government actions.
Like I mentioned in my previous post the US has been able to destroy satellites since 1985 so the technologies involved are not hard to deploy if a country is willing to incur the financial cost. And do you really think the US would just sit around and watch someone destroy their satellite network? Do you think that the US military has not run war games based on scenarios where they lose satellite capabilities? There were no satellites used in WW2 but the countries involved were more than capable of reeking total destruction but it just took longer to carpet bomb entire cities because of the lack of bombing accuracy. Do you think the US has not positioned certain types of satellites in places where surface based weapons would be ineffective? The US also has the ability to quickly redeploy any satellite destroyed using existing rocket technology and it's X-37B re-usable orbital vehicle. In then end non of this really matters. China, Russia, and the US would not attempt this type of attack because it would escalate the conflict and make nuclear weapons part of the equation once again. If an enemy is destroying your ability to launch and control missiles then you best use them before you lose the capability to do so.
A couple of days ago I saw a defense technology program where they tested a standard M16 with modifications that provided the capability to use .50 caliber rounds. I have a Desert Eagle .50 cal handgun and I have seen the damage it can do so putting this caliber in an automatic assault rifle produces a hell of a lot of damage.
The US Military R&D establishment doesn't get pissed off about this kind of stuff. Most, if not all, US Military R&D comes from the private sector. When any new threat (real or imagined) presents itself they use it as a means to continue the R&D and make more money. The capability to capture a satellite and modify it's operations is a far better tactic than just destroying them outright and only the US has the technology to accomplish this type of operation.
The US destroyed a P78-1 satellite using an ASM-135 ASAT anti-satellite missile in 1985. China is about 23 years late to the party. The US or Russia would not publicize their space based weapon systems because of treaty obligations and for making future opponents unsure as to what capabilities they actually have.
I have had no problems with either the M16 or M4. Of course I have more experience with the M4. The M16 during the Vietnam era was a piece of shit. I am not old enough to have had any experience with the Vietnam era M16 but the M16 used today is nothing like the earlier models. In my opinion the AK is the best infantry assault weapon being used today. The accuracy is iffy because they do not have optical sights but the .308 caliber compensates for this lack of optical sights and provides plenty of stopping power. The simplicity of the AK also makes maintenance easier than the M16 of M4.
Russia and the various allied countries after WW2 all used captured German rocket technology and China has basically purchased all their space related systems from Russia. The best US space based technology today is the X-37 orbital vehicle that can destroy or deploy satellites if necessary. Most of the newest US tech is targeted towards unmanned vehicles because we have reached the level that a human pilots cannot handle. For example the F-22 does not use it's full capabilities because a human pilot can not withstand the experience. Exploring the solar system is a perfect job for unmanned vehicles. If they discovery any thing really interesting a manned mission could be justified. Also the satellite China took out was in very low earth orbit. The really critical satellites are deployed in high orbits.
Please cease the cheer leading for China. They deal with any country in the world that can provide them with cheap resources. They are extreme pragmatists (which is not totally bad) and don't give a shit about anything as long as they get what they want. Environmental protection, rouge regimes of all kinds, and worker safety do not enter into the way they conduct business. If the US operated in the same manner they would be criticized even more than they are already. And it has been predicted that China is going to surpass the US economy and that China is taking US manufacturing jobs but the US still has the highest GDP and is still the number one manufacturer in world with 1/3 of the population China. China has started posting trade deficits after years of surpluses. Some of their rising trade deficits are due to their increased food imports from the US by a factor of 6 over the past 5 years. Currency manipulation is their economic weapon of choice to make sure thier exports are cheap. However, they have pushed the currency manipulation as far as possible and the cost of their exports are rising which is creating opportunities for others to compete. This has also led to a high level of inflation in the country which will also contribute raise the costs of their exports because the workers will require higher salaries to compensate for the inflation. If the Chinese government can not control this trend they would be in danger of destabilizing the country. The only thing they offer to the international market is low prices. Quality and innovation are absent in their economic system. And if push ever came to shove the US could increase import tariffs and impose import quotas because China does not supply anything the US can not produce domestically or obtain from someone else. Contrary to popular belief China is also not loaning the US money. They are making investments that they consider low risk. They only account for approximately 6% of the outstanding US bonds and securities so they hardly own the country.
"That's just flat out incorrect" Pick up a history book and you will find plenty of examples of people using religion to coerce and control a subject population. Better yet they have even created a system that even governments hesitate to act against. The Spanish Inquisition is one of the more prominent examples of the church saying obey us or face a slow and agonizing death. The actions of the Catholic church during WW2 is another example of egregious behavior. Just recently they have discovered a hoard of valuables that was confiscated from the Jews during the war. They also refuse to address the frequent molestation incidents seriously. Hell the Roman Catholic church based in Rome has an observer seat in the UN. Why? It is just another example of the power they have. The problem today is that a small minority of Islamic practitioners are destroying their religion. Surely the majority of the law abiding and true Islamic believers can whip up the same amount of public opposition they use to attack Isreal,the US, and even their own native populations. Why do they not do this against those distorting and using their religion to justify violence? They make vague statements and then claim they have did every thing they can do and then get back to loudly denouncing others for both real and imagined slights they feel are targeted against them. This inaction is destroying the respect people have for the Islamic religion. The behavior and actions of the Islamic extremists are daily front page news and that negatively effects the entire Islamic religion in other peoples eyes. The word terrorist and Muslim have become synonymous and this will continue creating conflicts in the world. The leadership of all religious orders can be just as corrupt and controlling as the leadership of any government in a secular system. The leaders in the middle east using their religion to manage their populations is a perfect example. I am not against any religion but when a religion starts trying to control or manipulate those who believe differently or those who do not believe at all they should be exposed and the charge of blasphemy should not be an acceptable excuse for their behavior.
Yes, my reply exceeded the posted topic but my response was how the discovery of exterrestrial life would impact religion and the original post was about people searching for signs of exterrestrial life.
Most main stream religions seem to pontificate about how God created man in is own image. The main religions of the world which are Christianity and Islam were created are to serve as a control mechanism that allowed the people at the top to gain power and wealth. Organized religion is responsible for unspeakable acts of cruelty that have more more to do with maintaining power and wealth for it's leaders than it does for providing comfort for the regular worshipper. Islam is especially good example of how to keep people on their knees far better than any monarchy or similar political system could. The religious leaders through the ages have used their power to extract subservience to the church or mosques using "God" as the control. I have always believed that the religions think in small terms. In order for man or any other lifeforms to exists first requires the creation of the entire universe before it can be populated with lifeforms but the major religions on Earth define it as the center of all creation. Politicians of all types mouth religious proclamations to gain power. The US leaders who mention God do so knowing they really have nothing to lose and pandering to religions to obtain votes from the religious blocks of voters. To me religious faith is a personal and internal state of mind that does not depend on practicing man made made rituals and relying on books written by man. In my opinion discovering that humanity is not alone in the universe can lessen the religious power that know is used to control people.
"That fact alone tells that U.S. has never been about, or seek to know, science" So how has the US ended up leading the world in technological advancements over the past 70 years? Granted a lot of scientists have immigrated to the US and contributed to the success but they had to come to the US because their country of origin for one reason or another did not provide them with the resources they needed to advance their scientific goals. And by they way making generalizing the US when it comes to religion is foolish and paints an inaccurate picture of US society.
If clear evidence of extraterrestrials is ever found can you imagine the gigantic shit storm it would create? Just watching all the various religions running around in circles trying to fit the fact into their sacred canons would be hilarious. Back in the day anyone claiming the Earth was round and not flat were labeled heretics and killed. Galileo's observations of the basic structure of the solar system almost got him killed.
Violence in the Arab and Muslim countries flourishes regardless of any US involvement. The only thing that ever unites the Arab and Muslim countries is their hatred of the US and Isreal. With the US leaving they can get back to killing one another in peace. The US military leaves Iraq and the very next day they start killing their own people that will most likely escalate into a civil war. When the US leaves Afghanistan the same thing will happen except Pakistan and India will also get into the game.
I never claimed they were "clueless buffoons" you did. At the very least they know how to access the Internet. They are just minor nuisance's that can be easily countered by properly configuring your servers and remain current on security patches. So far all of their actions have only created harm to the regular users. Just getting new credit cards issued can be a pain in the ass. Also are you willing to take their (his,her,it's) word that they have not sold the credit card information to others that are capable putting them to good use?
What's wrong with that? The government is limited on how much they can spend on individuals. However, the expense of using highly expensive 3rd part non-governmental companies does not violate the government pay scale. The military is a prime example. Their reliance on advanced technology forces them to use non-governmental and non-military resources to develop. implement, and operate their systems.
These losers are script kiddies. They use tools developed by others, use attack vectors discovered and published by others, and basically rely on the negligence of the IT departments involved. Those capable of creating things like Stuxnet are the real experts in the field. None of the Anon actions have made any difference to society other than giving the government ammunition to impose harsher penalties for those involved. If they piss off the wrong people and the NSA or other security agencies start taking an interest in them they are as good as caught. People severely underestimate the US security Agencies, especially the NSA, cyber capabilities. Capabilities they tend to prefer to keep secret. As it is Anon are not worth the time or money to go after.
I have not noticed the RIAA or any similar organization using suicide attacks against civilians and then proudly bragging about it, refusing to even consider educating anyone of the female gender or use females for anything other than cooking and breeding stock, executing 9 year olds as spies, or enforcing their rules with swords and AK's. And this behavior was their SOP long before the US ever set foot in that hell hole. My solemn wish is for the US to leave that entire region and let the inhabitants kill each other in peace. They certainly do not contribute anything positive in the world and with the world population pushing 7 Billion I doubt anyone would miss them. And before you make the claim that the US created the Taliban pick up a fucking history book and educate yourself, I know that may be a new concept for you but give it a try anyway. It is and has always been the Pakistanis who have supported the Taliban so they can use them as pawns in their foreign policy. The US was just one country involved during the Russian invasion with the majority of military support provided by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the British while the majority of US support was humanitarian aid for the 1000's of refugees fleeing the violence. How many muslims are running around with M-4's or M-16's? In the future I will forgo mentioning IQ since I seriously doubt you morons would even qualify for the tests used to measure IQ.
"spreading ideas and knowledge?" More like spreading BS and propaganda combined with a liberal dose of advertising and marketing to pay for it all.
Comparing the RIAA and MPAA with the Taliban only proves you have an IQ in the low 30's.
Cell phones started out costing around $800 not counting the service plan when first released. There is no reason the cost of battery technology can not decrease as demand grows.
I remember my first time in the remote desert of Arizona and looking up at what I thought was some kind fuzzy haze but then realized it was just the stars. It was very impressive.
My writing could be better but I struggle when using my phone to post messages. The small keyboard and limited amount of text that can be reviewed without scrolling is a pain in the ass. And don't confuse isolationist with non-intervention. The US leaves Iraq and the very next day the chances of civil war take center stage. The US should ignore it and let it play out without bothering to get involved at any level. The same thing will happen in Afghanistan when NATO leaves except it will end up impacting Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The Israel/Palestinian conflict should also be ignored since if any agreement is ever reached it will be the Israelis and Palestinians making the decisions. One potential drawback of staying neutral in this particular conflict is that the US will not have any influence on Israeli military actions. Isreal is perfectly capable of handling 3 Billion dollars in aid. They could recoup any shortfall by selling advanced weaponry to countries like China which the US now prevents. There is certainly no other country willing to stand up to Israeli military actions outside of using heated rhetoric and meaningless UN agreements. So once again the US should let the situation play itself out. Any foreign conflict that does not have a direct impact on US interests should be ignored. If the winners of these foreign wars form a formidable block aimed at harming US interests at least they will be a well defined target when push comes to shove. Commercial ties should be maintained where possible but any other problems should be ignored. Any international agreement's should be handled bi-laterally. It is what the world is asking for so the US should oblige. The US is not in military danger except for ICBM based weapons and only a few countries possess that ability. Russia and China have proven themselves very sensible when it comes to nuclear weapons but the hot heads and non-government militant groups in the middle-east are entirely another matter.
Using absurd generalizations when describing people that live in the US is an example of your ignorance. The US takes a heap load of shit when making generalizations about Arab countries but generalizing about the US population is always justified and proper according to your warped reasoning. I am glad you didn't get your permanent US citizenship but why did you apply in the first place? Do you consider yourself so smart that all your generalizations about the US would never apply to someone as exceptional as yourself? The US is the most diverse society on the planet in religion, race, and ethnicity. I don't know when the US was ever a "great nation" because it has always had it's problems and incompetent leaders just like every other country. US equality, justice, and democracy is just a goal that should be worked towards. This process has been ongoing since the birth of the nation and it has had mistakes and triumphs in trying to reach the goal. Thankfully the US public is slowly but surely reaching the point where they don't give a shit about foreign countries problems and desires. You think the US has been making unilateral decisions but you have not seen anything yet. And the US did over react to 9/11, especially with the Iraqi war and extended Afghanistan operations but at least the US did react while other countries just set around with their thumbs of their ass criticizing US decisions.