You are endangering lives, just because they are not US lives does not make your hate acceptable. I am betting you would also deny OBL was motivated by "US bombs rainning down on Lebannon" and trainned in the art of "creative chaos" by the CIA.
In other words: You cannot fight hate with hate and then claim to be better than your enemy.
From 10,000 miles away Pelosi looks a whole lot less medieval than Bush, I happened to see a clip where Bush formally welcomed her as the new speaker. He looked like an underdog boxer talking about his upcoming fight, on that basis alone I have some respect for her. Personally I don't like Hillary, she makes my skin crawl in the same way Thatcher did and electing the partner of an ex-president seems a bit incesteous for my liking.
"I'd like to see how people react to a woman suddenly as "leader of the free world" and the commander in chief of the US military."
Those who don't like the idea of a powerfull woman are also likely to claim that Hillary is just a "front" so Bill can remain in power.
Not that I have any say in who the "free world" elects, but I would like to see a woman as CIC, it could help to spread the equaltity of women to some societies where it does not exist at present. I would prefer a stunning black women with a razor like tounge in multiple languages, just so I can watch the leaders of said societies heads explode when they think of jerking off to the president.
I call BS on the French bashing, people regardless of their nationality don't suddenly abandon their grandma because the taxpayer is footing the bill for the doctor. Also how do you explain the fact that plenty of frail conservatives die when a severe heatwave hits the US, or are you so perverted by your hatred for anything "non-conservative" that you think all those US deaths were also caused by liberals on holiday?
As someone who lives in a country with universal health care that for 30+yrs has been provided at less than 1/2 the cost of similar care in the US I am compelled to say that you don't have a fucking clue what you are talking about. I have not seen MM's film and judging by your myopic "football team" view of politics I am guessing you have no intention of watching it. So for your edification I will try and simplify MM's plot so that a redneck can understand it.....
In the vast majority of western nations health care is a bipartisan issue, it's about people and the efficient use of available funds neither of which seem to be a priority in the US system regardless of which "footy team" is in power. Wake up and look at the world around you - yes you live in a great nation that has a lot going for it but as far as health care is concerned the US is ideologically stuck in the 50's and it's citizens are paying the price with their lives.
I agree CowboyNeal's editorial input was (mostly) harmless and many of the comments are obvious jokes (some are even amusing). However I don't think cleverly crafted flamebait qualifies as an "offhand crack".
Exactly, it's his own arse he is protecting nothing at all to do with state secrets or technical ineptitude, or as Bill Cosby one put it: "It takes a genius to act that dumb".
Oh I agree the public service themselves can not be expected to know everything...BUT...I would expect them to know how to find a an answser. However when the "left-handed widget maker" can routinely bypass the public service, the politician is effectively "cut off" from reality (often willingly).
I agree, it sounds good in theory but I doubt that their own massive reservation systems are suddenly going to optimise for fuel as opposed to overall profit. Unfortuantely the only practical way to reduce emmissions from the global air transport system is to increase the cost of oil (ie: less people/freight flying).
I haven't RTFA but I'm guessing that it's a PR stunt to cloud the issue of fuel subsidies that are bestowed apon most airlines around the world enabling them to "run at a loss" on one or more routes.
"While lobbyists are often political mercenaries, they do fulfill a certain role that no one else can."
There used to be this quaint notion that the public service would answer a politicians questions "without fear or favour", and some public servants still adhere to that notion (eg: Jim Hansen).
The answers a politicaian gets from a lobbyist will by definition "favour" his employer and the lobbyist is (also by definition) working under the "fear" of losing his job.
"why don't we seen businesses demanding open standards used when they make the buying decisions ?"
Perhaps they see a sleeping dog that will do the same thing to them? I haven't RTFA, I was just wondering if it propoganda from Apple, or from one of their competitors?
At an international level all governments can be shown to be fucking evil bastards that enthusiastically destroy millions of lives.
I think it is illuminating to look at a government that is (almost) univerally hated by all other goverments and yet won 70% of the vote in a fair and hotly contended election - Hamas.
A brief history of recent international politics...
When Arrafat was president the "entire planet" said he must give up control of the security forces to parliment, he refused.
Arrafat's HQ was put under permanent seige until his death.
The new president (Abbas) met with the approval of the "entire planet" and thus retained control of the security forces until an election was held.
With the assistance of the "entire planet" Abbas organised an election that had a good turn out and was considered fair by the "entire planet".
Hamas won and the "entire planet" not only cut of aid but isolated the government from the international financial system (ie confiscated thier assets).
Hamas and Fatah (Abbas) start fighting each other over who should control the security forces.
Hamas kicks Fatah out of Gazza and Abbas "sacks" Hamas and forms an "emergency government".
The "entire planet" starts pouring money directly into the pockets of members of the "emergency government".
Disclaimer: The "entire world" is obviously not literal since the facts in the above (one-sided) rant are readily available due to the double edge sword of international politics.
"You shouldn't make any judgment calls based on a tiny clip that the media chose to present to you."
I wasn't, I was basing it on my 40+yrs of eating vegimite and my 7yrs working with Telstra exec's in the 90's. Anyway, I take your point that it was a "joe sixpack" type of question, my point was the question is meaningless.
"they can't download their torrentz fast enough"
Agreed, I have worked in the industry for 20yrs - persistent speed problems are almost exclusively the fault of internal coporate networks and I don't hear "bussiness" screaming for better broadband (other than the phone companies).
I saw "our brilliant Prime Minister" on TV last night, he was talking to a guy sitting at a PC and asking insightfull questions such as: "How long does it take to download a movie?".
Yes, fanboys remind me of the streotypical expert who is said to "know more and more about less and less until eventually they know everything about nothing".
I wasn't thinking about a literal translation of "gulag" to "gitmo" (the scale is obviously all wrong), it was more about the universal blindness to our own "us vs them" attitudes.
"but Captialism only exists and flourishes in a manifestly free society."
So why is China laughing all the way to the bank?
I agree ideology and moralising are all fine a dandy when you are sitting in a chair, but what you call "moral relativity" is what China calls "pragmatisim". And even though I wholeheartedly agree with Winston, you cannot sell democracy to people who don't want it (if that's a hard concept for you to swallow then think about why generals and CEO's are not elected by the people under their "command").
As for "freedom", what happens when the people of a "dysfunctional state" jump on the "democracy" bandwagon and pick a government the US doesn't like (eg:Hamas). Face facts - the majority of the western world's political, judicial and religous leaders are in the game for the same reason as Chairman Mao - power.
"Why do we have to have an actual object to define a weight?"
Kinda like asking: why do we need space to define distance? - The reason is that only physical objects posses mass (to be pedantic you also need the planet Earth to define weight).
Slashdot Mirror
"Am I missing anything?"
Yes
"Islamic fundamentalists made terrorists..."
...and did so with the blessing and finance of the US and other western governments in an effort to rid Afghanistan of the "commies".
"No, I'm afraid that these guys were hating us long before Bush was in office."
Get back to us when you work out how and why Saddam came to power....
You are endangering lives, just because they are not US lives does not make your hate acceptable. I am betting you would also deny OBL was motivated by "US bombs rainning down on Lebannon" and trainned in the art of "creative chaos" by the CIA.
In other words: You cannot fight hate with hate and then claim to be better than your enemy.
From 10,000 miles away Pelosi looks a whole lot less medieval than Bush, I happened to see a clip where Bush formally welcomed her as the new speaker. He looked like an underdog boxer talking about his upcoming fight, on that basis alone I have some respect for her. Personally I don't like Hillary, she makes my skin crawl in the same way Thatcher did and electing the partner of an ex-president seems a bit incesteous for my liking.
"I'd like to see how people react to a woman suddenly as "leader of the free world" and the commander in chief of the US military."
Those who don't like the idea of a powerfull woman are also likely to claim that Hillary is just a "front" so Bill can remain in power. Not that I have any say in who the "free world" elects, but I would like to see a woman as CIC, it could help to spread the equaltity of women to some societies where it does not exist at present. I would prefer a stunning black women with a razor like tounge in multiple languages, just so I can watch the leaders of said societies heads explode when they think of jerking off to the president.
I'm not from the US either but as I understand it the "third guy" happens to be a woman.
I call BS on the French bashing, people regardless of their nationality don't suddenly abandon their grandma because the taxpayer is footing the bill for the doctor. Also how do you explain the fact that plenty of frail conservatives die when a severe heatwave hits the US, or are you so perverted by your hatred for anything "non-conservative" that you think all those US deaths were also caused by liberals on holiday?
As someone who lives in a country with universal health care that for 30+yrs has been provided at less than 1/2 the cost of similar care in the US I am compelled to say that you don't have a fucking clue what you are talking about. I have not seen MM's film and judging by your myopic "football team" view of politics I am guessing you have no intention of watching it. So for your edification I will try and simplify MM's plot so that a redneck can understand it.....
In the vast majority of western nations health care is a bipartisan issue, it's about people and the efficient use of available funds neither of which seem to be a priority in the US system regardless of which "footy team" is in power. Wake up and look at the world around you - yes you live in a great nation that has a lot going for it but as far as health care is concerned the US is ideologically stuck in the 50's and it's citizens are paying the price with their lives.
I agree CowboyNeal's editorial input was (mostly) harmless and many of the comments are obvious jokes (some are even amusing). However I don't think cleverly crafted flamebait qualifies as an "offhand crack".
Exactly, it's his own arse he is protecting nothing at all to do with state secrets or technical ineptitude, or as Bill Cosby one put it: "It takes a genius to act that dumb".
Oh I agree the public service themselves can not be expected to know everything...BUT...I would expect them to know how to find a an answser. However when the "left-handed widget maker" can routinely bypass the public service, the politician is effectively "cut off" from reality (often willingly).
I agree, it sounds good in theory but I doubt that their own massive reservation systems are suddenly going to optimise for fuel as opposed to overall profit. Unfortuantely the only practical way to reduce emmissions from the global air transport system is to increase the cost of oil (ie: less people/freight flying).
I haven't RTFA but I'm guessing that it's a PR stunt to cloud the issue of fuel subsidies that are bestowed apon most airlines around the world enabling them to "run at a loss" on one or more routes.
"While lobbyists are often political mercenaries, they do fulfill a certain role that no one else can."
There used to be this quaint notion that the public service would answer a politicians questions "without fear or favour", and some public servants still adhere to that notion (eg: Jim Hansen).
The answers a politicaian gets from a lobbyist will by definition "favour" his employer and the lobbyist is (also by definition) working under the "fear" of losing his job.
"why don't we seen businesses demanding open standards used when they make the buying decisions ?"
Perhaps they see a sleeping dog that will do the same thing to them? I haven't RTFA, I was just wondering if it propoganda from Apple, or from one of their competitors?
At an international level all governments can be shown to be fucking evil bastards that enthusiastically destroy millions of lives.
I think it is illuminating to look at a government that is (almost) univerally hated by all other goverments and yet won 70% of the vote in a fair and hotly contended election - Hamas.
A brief history of recent international politics...
When Arrafat was president the "entire planet" said he must give up control of the security forces to parliment, he refused.
Arrafat's HQ was put under permanent seige until his death.
The new president (Abbas) met with the approval of the "entire planet" and thus retained control of the security forces until an election was held.
With the assistance of the "entire planet" Abbas organised an election that had a good turn out and was considered fair by the "entire planet".
Hamas won and the "entire planet" not only cut of aid but isolated the government from the international financial system (ie confiscated thier assets).
Hamas and Fatah (Abbas) start fighting each other over who should control the security forces.
Hamas kicks Fatah out of Gazza and Abbas "sacks" Hamas and forms an "emergency government".
The "entire planet" starts pouring money directly into the pockets of members of the "emergency government".
Disclaimer: The "entire world" is obviously not literal since the facts in the above (one-sided) rant are readily available due to the double edge sword of international politics.
BFL == Press release.
"You shouldn't make any judgment calls based on a tiny clip that the media chose to present to you."
I wasn't, I was basing it on my 40+yrs of eating vegimite and my 7yrs working with Telstra exec's in the 90's. Anyway, I take your point that it was a "joe sixpack" type of question, my point was the question is meaningless.
"they can't download their torrentz fast enough"
Agreed, I have worked in the industry for 20yrs - persistent speed problems are almost exclusively the fault of internal coporate networks and I don't hear "bussiness" screaming for better broadband (other than the phone companies).
I saw "our brilliant Prime Minister" on TV last night, he was talking to a guy sitting at a PC and asking insightfull questions such as: "How long does it take to download a movie?".
Yes, fanboys remind me of the streotypical expert who is said to "know more and more about less and less until eventually they know everything about nothing".
I wasn't thinking about a literal translation of "gulag" to "gitmo" (the scale is obviously all wrong), it was more about the universal blindness to our own "us vs them" attitudes.
"The term "Scat" has long been used for a form of jazz lyrics..."
And here I was thinking it was zoological term for turds.
"because they know that appears "friendly" to the West, and primarily to the United States"
Political foes stabbing the US in the back - I'm shocked!
"Anyone who cannot make out the qualitative difference between global domination by the US or China deserves to be sent to the gulags now."
You should be a script writer for GWB, that is hilarious!
"but Captialism only exists and flourishes in a manifestly free society."
So why is China laughing all the way to the bank?
I agree ideology and moralising are all fine a dandy when you are sitting in a chair, but what you call "moral relativity" is what China calls "pragmatisim". And even though I wholeheartedly agree with Winston, you cannot sell democracy to people who don't want it (if that's a hard concept for you to swallow then think about why generals and CEO's are not elected by the people under their "command").
As for "freedom", what happens when the people of a "dysfunctional state" jump on the "democracy" bandwagon and pick a government the US doesn't like (eg:Hamas). Face facts - the majority of the western world's political, judicial and religous leaders are in the game for the same reason as Chairman Mao - power.
Funniest comeback, eva!
"why not cube?"
Why not RTFA....oh wait..what am I saying...
"Why do we have to have an actual object to define a weight?"
Kinda like asking: why do we need space to define distance? - The reason is that only physical objects posses mass (to be pedantic you also need the planet Earth to define weight).