America - The Official Thread

[Keef]

Illegal everything.



I watched a bit of it but by the time I got to the police section I got too angry and turned it off.

 

[Liquid]

I love the presenter's attitude.

Highly interesting video too. Great post Keef.

 

[TouringDevotee]

A lot of jumping to conclusions and some either misinformation or under information.

#1, the two soldiers who burnt the (what I understand was two copies) books were on detail, burning more than just the two books, but a bunch of stuff. Once they realized that there were Korans in the pile of stuff they were burning, they pulled them out. This you can tell by the pics of the partially burnt books.

#2, supposedly its a sin in the muslim culture to deface the Koran. Hmmm. Then why were there extremist messages written in those two books that were removed from the detention center library. In my opinion, the individuals who wrote in those books are just as guilty, if not moreso, of intentionally defacing the Koran as are the soldiers who realized what was happening and decided to attempt to correct it.

Apparently there is a double standard in place, which is not surprising.

#3, the books were removed from the detention center library for security reasons, for the messages written in them by the detainees.

#4, 'burning books', as in rounding up every single copy and/or a 'ritual burning' of a Koran (think about that guy in Florida a couple of years ago), is, at least, extremely insensitive and at most censorship and suppression of the freedom of the written word. Despicable for sure in that manner. To dispose of two specific copies for a specific security purpose in a prison is different. If I have to explain the difference to you, you are incapable of critical thought. But no, we shouldn't be burning Korans indiscriminately.

#5, the President apologized, what more can he do?

#6, my opinion follows, what can the President do? Get us out of there. We have nothing to gain by being there. Only so much we can do about AQ, and we've pretty much done that. There isn't much you can do for a group of people who haven't evolved much from the time of Hammurabi, evidenced by the way they react to situations like this.

#7, since we are there anyway, security and safety of our folks is a primary consideration. In my opinion, no apology necessary for meeting that mission consideration. That may be insensitive, but at times, you have to do what is right for the mission, within the laws of armed conflict, without respect for overly sensitive folks.

Flame suit on.

You mention Pastor Jones, who did actually have his burning on March 20, 2011. That burning was conducted in America, and yet we found Afghans rioting. Do you think that the revulsion to the burning might just be related to the actuality of occupation? I see it as the straw that broke the camel's back.

You mention security, well obviously the burning of the books didn't have the desired effect. They burned books for purpose of security, only to create an even greater security situation by the very act. Critical thought would've been good, yes.

As to the matter of defacing a Qur'an by writing in it, there is more than one Islamic opinion on the subject, not a single belief, however writing can be removed. Now if you can't see the difference between writing in a book and burning it, then perhaps you should once again review your thought at the end of #4.

What more can the American President do? I half agree with you. Yes, he can leave Afghanistan and keep a campaign promise, however that is where we part ways, as your loathing reference to Afghan evolution is pretty disgusting itself.

Since you opened the Hammurabi "evolution" door, the code of Hammurabi provided for the presumption of innocence, and America attacked Afghanistan after they refused to hand over Bin Laden without evidence of his guilt. Does that then make the US pre-Hammurabi? It you your analogy, I'm just working with it based on evidence.

Your reference of Hammurabi is also interesting, because in his home, Iraqi Sunni & Shiite Islamic organizations have condemned the act and Iran is just eating it up.

The entire incident may or may not have been a mistake, but it is really a moot point when viewed through the lens of occupation; its very occurrence is simply a symptom.

 

[Danoff]

I love the presenter's attitude.

Highly interesting video too. Great post Keef.

Typical Stossel. You should check out his book if you like it.

Basically, that video is what's wrong with America. Police arresting people on their own property for doing something they have to later admit is legal - no repercussions, no reparations. Raids on houses where dogs get shot (if not people), no repercussions, no reparations (that's not the first I've heard of it - and I heard worse). So many laws that you and I are most likely law breakers in some bizarre way that we'd never have guessed - to the point where I was extremely nervous when hiring a guy to trim the tree in my front yard because I knew someone who had been fined $500,000 for having his tree trimmed (he eventually got it overturned in court, but not before a huge battle with lots of money lost). We're rapidly becoming a police state with no recourse.

Who are you going to vote for to stop this? There is no one.

 

[Keef]

I'd vote for the down-home hillbilly with a rifle rack in his living room. He wouldn't stand for that crap, and I bet he'd know how to fix it too.

 

[FoolKiller]

I quoted that part of your post to accompany the fact that the detainees had desecrated the books as well, but no outrage over that.

Probably misrepresented on my part as attributing that to you.

Do keep in mind who encouraged the riots. Extremist Mullahs and supposedly the Taliban. Those who are going to listen to them aren't interested in all the details. They are already angry and just looking for a reason to show it.

So many laws that you and I are most likely law breakers in some bizarre way that we'd never have guessed

Don't know about in California but Kentucky allows you to take a drivers course to avoid a speeding ticket on your record. These classes are taught by state troopers. The last time I took one the trooper stated a stat that the average driver breaks the law once a mile. The only issue he saw with that was that he believed it was a sign of how little attention all drivers have.

He also didn't hide the fact that he enjoyed that it meant he always had probable cause to pull anyone over at anytime.

 

[Keef]

The government's CPI says inflation is at 3.1%.

The American Institute for Economic Research says it's over 8% since last year.

I seem to recall a while ago posting various sources claiming the government's CPI index is fraudulent, and claiming that actual inflation using old CPI methodology also registers at nearly 10%. Was that this thread or the President thread? I don't remember, but either way, now there's a big fancy economic research organization that agrees with what every consumer and organization says, except the government.



In other news, our old friends Russia has not been very supportive of US actions lately, and has even accused the US of meddling in Russia's own elections. Hmm, it seems our friends are leaving us as quickly as we can make them leave us. That's not the definition of isolationism, turning all your friends against you. No, that's silly. We're doing them all a favor and they just don't appreciate it.

 

[masterrawad]

I wish I lived in Great Britain, but I just can't stand monarchies, so my arse is glued down to the US.

 

[FoolKiller]

So, here are a couple of things that are bothering me in America right now.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204520204577251303726662194.html

Employers and business groups are trying to stop an Obama administration effort that calls for federal contractors to hire a minimum number of disabled workers and could penalize those who don't by revoking their contracts.

The proposal could reshape hiring at roughly 200,000 companies that generate $700 billion a year in contracts with the federal government. They include defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp., aircraft maker Boeing Co. and firms across the health-care, construction and information-technology industries.

Under the Labor Department plan, most firms that contract or subcontract with the federal government would be asked to have disabled people make up 7% of their work force. While the department says it wouldn't be an explicit requirement, companies that don't hit the target could have their contracts canceled or could be barred from winning future contracts until they show they are trying to meet the target.

Companies have flooded the department with complaints that the rule amounts to a first-ever government quota for hiring disabled workers that would expose them to a thicket of legal pitfalls. Some employers say there might not be enough qualified disabled workers in their fields to meet that target and that they may have to fire nondisabled workers to achieve the ratio. Others say that existing federal law actually prohibits them from asking whether a job applicant is disabled, potentially forcing firms to violate one law in order to comply with another.

Obama's new jobs plan: Fire the best candidate for a job so a disabled person can have the job. Oh, and violate the Equal Employment Opportunity Act while you are doing. I wonder if they will keep guys hiding behind ficus trees in HR offices waiting for them to do anything just so they can jump out and say, "GOTCHA!" and then hand them a fine. Hey, maybe this is how he plans to fix the deficit, charging a legal fine every time a company hires anyone.


http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2012/02/29/the-tsa-is-coming-to-a-highway-near-you/

And this is for those of us who really love the TSA.

By Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

One of the great honors of my service to Tennessee is having the opportunity to represent Ft. Campbell which is home to the storied 101st Airborne, the 5th Special Forces Group and the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment which piloted Navy SEAL Team Six during the raid on Osama Bin Laden.

Each soldier who calls Ft. Campbell home has gone through some of the most intensive training on the planet which pushed their minds and bodies to their physical limits. In the end, those who make the cut have earned the right to be part of our United States military, are honored to wear its uniform, and are serving on the frontlines in the fight against global terrorism.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for our nation’s Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) who Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano contends are our nation’s last line of defense in fighting domestic terrorism. Unlike “hell week” which faces potential Navy SEALs, becoming a TSO requires a basic level of classroom and on the job training. In many cases this rigorous training is less severe than the requirements of becoming a security guard in most states.

Believe it or not, only 7 years ago, TSOs went by a more deserving title, “airport security screeners.” At the time, their title and on the job appearance consisted of a white shirt and black pants. This was fitting because airport security screening is exactly what’s required of the position. However, this is no longer the case.

In the dead of night, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) administratively reclassified airport security screeners as Transportation Security Officers. The TSA then moved to administratively upgrade TSOs uniforms to resemble those of a federal law enforcement officer. They further completed the makeover with metal law enforcement badges. Not surprisingly, government bureaucrats at the TSA left out one crucial component during the artificial makeover – actual federal law enforcement training as is required of Federal Air Marshalls.

While TSOs may have the appearance of a federal law enforcement officer they have neither the authority nor the power. If a passenger brings a loaded gun or an explosive device into an airport screening area there is nothing a TSO can do until the local police step in to save the day.

If TSOs are truly our nation’s last line of defense in stopping an act of terrorism, then the TSA should immediately end the practice of placing hiring notices for available TSO positions on pizza boxes and at discount gas stations as theyhave done in our nation’s capital. Surely, this is not where our federal government is going to find our brightest and sharpest Americans committed to keeping our traveling public safe. I would contend that we can surely strive for a higher standard and may want to look first to our veterans returning home from the battlefield.

Interestingly enough, as TSA officials like to routinely point out, their agency’s acronym stands for Transportation Security Administration, not the Airport Security Administration. This fact has extended the TSA’s reach has far beyond the confines of our nation’s airports. Many of my constituents discovered this first hand this past fall as those familiar blue uniforms and badges appeared on Tennessee highways. In October Tennessee became the first state to conduct a statewide Department of Homeland Security Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) team operation which randomly inspected Tennessee truck drivers and cars.

VIPR teams which count TSOs among their ranks, conduct searches and screenings at train stations, subways, ferry terminals and every other mass transit location around the country. In fact, as the Los Angeles Times has detailed, VIPR teams conducted 9,300 unannounced checkpoints and other search operations in the last year alone. The very thought of federal employees with zero law enforcement training roaming across our nation’s transportation infrastructure with the hope of randomly thwarting a domestic terrorist attack makes about as much sense as EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s Environmental Justice tour.

In order to help rein in the TSA I introduced H.R. 3608, the Stop TSA’s Reach in Policy Act aka the STRIP Act. This bill will simply overturn the TSA’s administrative decision by prohibiting any TSA employee who has not received federal law enforcement training from using the title “officer,” wearing a police like uniform or a metal police badge. At its most basic level the STRIP Act is about truth in advertising.

As TSOs continue to expand their presence beyond our nation’s airports and onto our highways, every American citizen has the right to know that they are not dealing with actual federal law enforcement officers. Had one Virginia woman known this days before Thanksgiving she may have been able to escape being forcibly raped by a TSO who approached her in a parking lot in full uniform while flashing his badge.

Will the STRIP Act solve every problem facing the TSA? Absolutely not. The STRIP Act seeks to expand upon the work of my colleagues by chipping away at an unnoticed yet powerful overreach of our federal government. If Congress cannot swiftly overturn something as simple as this administrative decision there will be little hope that we can take steps to truly rein in the TSA on larger issues of concern.

Furthermore, if Congress fails to act do not be surprised if the TSA gives TSOs another administrative makeover in the future. Only this time it won’t be a new uniform. It will be the power to make arrests as some TSOs are already publicly calling for.

Congressman Blackburn is a Republican serving Tennessee’s 7th district.

So, this guy might be stopping me on the highway for a random search and inspection?

I hate being right. I said the TSA would just be the beginning. I said doing things in the name of safety and security would lead to our rights eroding away. But no, we were all afraid of the terrorist bogeyman lurking just around the corner. If you want something to be afraid of, here it is. Your protectors stopping you in the streets to check you out because they want to. If that doesn't scare you then keep in mind that these guys can't quote Miranda rights, and wouldn't be able to tell you what the Bill of Rights says. I just wish all of the people who were scared of the terrorists would have just hidden under their beds and left freedom to those brave enough to defend it.


And I know someone will give me the, "So what? If you're not doing anything wrong what is the big deal?" You go through airport security and just make a comment on how big of a pain in the ass it is, or ask about your rights and see if you pass through line without a problem. Now, imagine the absolute worst attitude cop you can. The cop still has limits and he knows what they are. The TSA agent doesn't know his limits, won't practice his limits, and no one does anything to them when they go overboard.





But, in this pit of despair is a small light of hope for freedom.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46577000/ns/health-addictions/#.T1A1rvEgeSo

WASHINGTON — A U.S. judge sided with tobacco companies on Wednesday, ruling that regulations requiring large graphic health warnings on cigarette packaging and advertising violate free-speech rights under the U.S. Constitution.

Cigarette makers challenged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's rule requiring companies to label tobacco products with images of rotting teeth, diseased lungs and other images intended to illustrate the dangers of smoking.

"The government has failed to carry both its burden of demonstrating a compelling interest and its burden of demonstrating that the rule is narrowly tailored to achieve a constitutionally permissible form of compelled commercial speech," U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said.

While educating the public about the dangers of smoking "might be compelling, an interest in simply advocating that the public not purchase a legal product is not," Leon wrote in a 19-page ruling.

Further, Leon noted that the warning labels were too big to pass constitutional muster and that the government has numerous tools at its disposal to deter smoking such as hiking cigarette taxes or including simple factual information on the labels rather than gruesome images.

Congress in 2009 passed a law ordering the FDA to adopt the label regulation, which requires color warning labels big enough to cover the top 50 percent of a cigarette pack's front and back panels, and the top 20 percent of print advertisements.

Tobacco companies, including Reynolds American Inc's R.J. Reynolds unit, Lorillard Inc, Liggett Group LLC, Commonwealth Brands Inc, which is owned by Britain's Imperial Tobacco Group Plc, and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co Inc challenged the rule, arguing that it would force them to engage in anti-smoking advocacy against their own legal products.

"Unfortunately, because Congress did not consider the First Amendment implications of this legislation, it did not concern itself with how the regulations could be narrowly tailored to avoid unintentionally compelling commercial speech," Leon wrote.

The judge last year granted a preliminary injunction blocking the new label requirement from taking effect, a decision that the Obama administration has appealed.

A spokesman for the Justice Department, which represented the FDA in the case, had no comment.

The case is R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co et al v. FDA, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 11-1482.

Thankfully, someone out there does recognize that it might be a violation of some sort of rights to force a company to advertise against its own product on the product packaging.

If this passed it would only have been a matter of time before this same thing was done on fattening and high-sugar foods.

 

[Liquid]

I wish I lived in Great Britain, but I just can't stand monarchies, so my arse is glued down to the US.

The British monarchy has little to no influence on the day-to-day running of our country. Constitutinal Monarchy vs. Republicanism is for another thread, but any complaints one has against the way Britain is run, it's down to the Houses of Parliament, not the Monarch. The Queen simply rubber stamps what the Prime Minister wants.

 

[Encyclopedia]

Same here in Sweden. The royal family is just representatives of our country.

 

[Bram Turismo]

So, this guy might be stopping me on the highway for a random search and inspection?

I hate being right. I said the TSA would just be the beginning. I said doing things in the name of safety and security would lead to our rights eroding away. But no, we were all afraid of the terrorist bogeyman lurking just around the corner. If you want something to be afraid of, here it is. Your protectors stopping you in the streets to check you out because they want to. If that doesn't scare you then keep in mind that these guys can't quote Miranda rights, and wouldn't be able to tell you what the Bill of Rights says. I just wish all of the people who were scared of the terrorists would have just hidden under their beds and left freedom to those brave enough to defend it.


And I know someone will give me the, "So what? If you're not doing anything wrong what is the big deal?" You go through airport security and just make a comment on how big of a pain in the ass it is, or ask about your rights and see if you pass through line without a problem. Now, imagine the absolute worst attitude cop you can. The cop still has limits and he knows what they are. The TSA agent doesn't know his limits, won't practice his limits, and no one does anything to them when they go overboard.

One thing I noticed when I took the plane from Brussels to Oslo yesterday was the difference in security and how fast security people are going to search you. In Oslo I failed the detector and security simply asked me whether I may have forgot to remove any metal objects, like perhaps my belt? When we were going through security my 13 year old sister failed the detector and security instantly began to search her. A 13 year old girl with her mother right next to her.

I see your point, though. There was a similar discussion in the Infield a while back, but I may have to come back on what I was saying back then. I'm completely fine with having to stop at a random police stop next to the road to give a breathing test and show them what a good driver I'm being. But the police starting to search both me and my car, and possibly any passengers, makes me feel uncomfortable and being in the wrong for no apparent reason. I don't quite like the idea of being searched as if I were a criminal.

 

[Keef]

The FAA is currently pushing rule changes that virtually all of the aviation community is against, everybody from back country Cub pilots to Delta captains and even senior management at the big airlines. These changes would force me to keep pursuing an airline career for another 10 years from now if I'm lucky. It would cause an immense dry spell in the hiring of new co-pilots because there won't be anybody to meet the requirements for the span of a few years.

 

[Sach]

These changes would force me to keep pursuing an airline career for another 10 years from now if I'm lucky. It would cause an immense dry spell in the hiring of new co-pilots because there won't be anybody to meet the requirements for the span of a few years.

How long have you been at it?

 

[FoolKiller]

Dear Government, and their cheerleaders,

Stop trying to protect me from my own decisions. I am a big boy who has been wearing pull up pants for like 30 years now. I do not need you to prevent me from myself. If I want to swim in sugary syrup while eating sugar coated, fruity sugar puffs it is my call.

The last thing we need is some blow hard on NPR comparing sugar to terrorism, and taking himself seriously.

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/commentary/sugar-public-health-enemy-no-1

Mark Bittman: Florida state Sen. Rhonda Storms could never be thought of as progressive. But her bill puts her in the same camp as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who suggested something along similar lines, only to have it batted down by federal ag officials, who described it as "too complex."

Well, what's not complex is our relationship with sugar. We eat too much of it: half a pound a day per person -- and it makes us fat. The processed food industry says sugar is not to blame. A calorie is a calorie, they say. Limit your total calories -- regardless of where they come from -- and your health will be fine. That's total nonsense. A calorie of refined sugar is far more likely to cause damage to your body than a calorie of, let's say, fiber.

With sugar, we're in a situation where a dangerous substance is perfectly legal and available everywhere. It's sold without restriction to everyone, and it's marketed, with billions of dollars, to children before they can even speak, let alone reason… What choice do we have but to regulate it, just as we would -- and do -- regulate tobacco and alcohol and, for that matter, firearms?

This is so obvious that Florida state senators not known as forward-thinkers can see it, though the Department of Agriculture evidently can't. But this is precisely what government is for: to protect us from the things from which we cannot protect ourselves. Sugar is not exactly an invading army, but it can be thought of as a hostile force, and the processed food industry has succeeded in getting us to eat way more of it than is good for us. Will power alone isn't enough to stop that: we need national defense.

Mark Bittman can bite me.




And what have we done to our society? I mean, I feel like we have taken on such a coddling attitude that we forget how to handle our own problems. Like this chick:

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03...ol-over-roommates-disturbingly-open-sex-life/

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A college student from New York is suing Stonehill College in Massachusetts, a Catholic Liberal Arts College, saying her roommate’s sex life drove her into a suicidal depression and that the school did nothing to address her concerns.

The student, Lindsay Blankmeyer, alleges that her roommate, “Laura,” was “having online and actual sex right in front of her,” according to the court complaint.

“More disturbingly, Laura would have sex with her boyfriend while Lindsay was trying to sleep just a few feet away. Laura would also engage in sexually inappropriate video chatting when Lindsay was in the room,” the complaint read.

Blankmeyer suffered from depression and Attention Deficit Disorder when she enrolled at Stonehill in September of 2007. She said she wanted to see how she would perform in school “without any sort of additional help in the form of a reasonable accommodation.”

However, the complaint states that Blankmeyer began to incur issues because her roommate “often had overnight guests without asking [Blankmeyer's] permission or even informing [her] that she would be having guests.”

The complaint also went on to say that Blankmeyer’s roommate would “stay up late with lights on,” keeping her awake. The complainant even claims that her roommate “began shaking her and yelling at her” while she was sleeping.

Blankmeyer eventually went to her resident assistant, detailing her “toxic environment” and “emotionally taxing…struggles.”

After the resident assistant apparently told Blankmeyer’s roommate, Laura, to provide advance notice of guests visiting the room and to “video chat in the common area,” according to the complaint.

Blankmeyer was given additional housing options, which did not meet her satisfaction. She and her parents asked if she could have her old dorm room back minus her roommate.

When that request was denied, they asked for a single room, but were told Blankmeyer “was not entitled to a reasonable accommodation of a single room.” In the weeks and months afterward, she fell into a “dark and suicidal depression requiring her to take a leave of absence from school.”

Blankmeyer eventually moved to a hotel, but left the “increasingly isolated environment.” She was eventually able to complete her final semester of school while home in New York.

The lawsuit against the school alleges Stonehill refused to grant Blankmeyer “reasonable accommodation of a single room.”

It alleges that the school violated the Rehabilitation Act, the federal Fair Housing Act Amendments and Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws.

Stonehill said it is taking the accusations seriously.

“We are reviewing the complaint, which focuses on a previous roommate issue. There are two sides, and sometimes more, to every story. We will be responding to the complaint,” said Martin McGovern, director of Communications and Media Relations at Stonehill College, in a statement.

I'm guessing Stonehill doesn't have an ombudsman?

We need to start teaching kids how to deal with their problems. Confrontation is not a bad thing. School kids bullying is now a Congressional issue because the kids being picked on can't handle it any more. They either kill themselves or someone else. Now people are suing because they have college roommates acting like college kids? What, was she rooming with Jeremy Piven?



To be honest, someone dealing with depression and ADD should not be living in a dorm with a roommate, and should probably have some sort of regular counseling. It is understandable to want to attempt succeeding without a special accommodation, even respectable, but it is ridiculous to purposely avoid treatment and then blame others. But hey, this chick will take this before a judge where a lawyer will exploit her conditions, make a case that her real issue is herself, and essentially make her feel even worse about herself.

I had a number of crappy roommates in college. You know what I did, I dealt with them like a responsible adult. I was a nerd in elementary and high school (I know, hard to believe, but its true) and I was picked on. I dealt with it all without resorting to violence or legal action.

 

[Keef]

How long have you been at it?

Only about 6 months, and that's the problem. I'm one of the people that will have just started but won't be employable for nearly 10 years.

 

[Keef]

 

[Northstar]

Why is it that you always post graphs and crap but never elaborate?

For instance, what exactly counts as a "Patriot and Militia Group"?

 

[Keef]

Groups of people who band together with their own self defense in mind because they don't trust their government. Kind of like how this country was founded, actually.

Most of those types of people are a bit out of line. They went crazy when Obama got elected because their fears about government power and rights infringement suddenly came to fruition now that a black man was elected President. It was all over the news that militia groups exploded after he was elected, and some of them were investigated for anti-government reasons (the exact reasons they formed in the first place )

Notice the low numbers during Bush's administration. That's because these people are generally misguided, reactionary, uninformed, etc. They didn't mind that their country was being stomped on by a Republican as long as Muslims were being killed, but when a Democrat took a seat they all went crazy.

 

[Zenith]

Where do I get concrete and reputable information regarding that chart?

 

[Keef]

I got it from Ben Swann's Facebook page. Not sure where he got it from.

 

[Liquid]

BBC Article on Cameron's visit to the US

No comment on withdrawal from Afghanistan on the British side. We're less likely to invade Iran though.

The pin up of the global left and the leader of the British right will add the latest image to the photo album of the Special Relationship.

Something I find interesting because Obama hasn't really come across as being particularily left in my eyes. He is the same as those on the right; prop up your own friends and interests without much thought. The Left's faith must be seriously misguided if Obama is their frontman.

 

[Dotini]

BBC Article on Cameron's visit to the US

No comment on withdrawal from Afghanistan on the British side. We're less likely to invade Iran though.

I see a sped-up, large scale withdrawal. But! Afterwards Kabul will be under US/Afghan control, Bagram and a chain of forts and airbases will still effectively suppress the countryside much as Crusader castles did in the Holy Land and Edward's castles did in Wales. An Edwardian castle like Conwy could operate with as few a garrison as a dozen or so men-at-arms and archers.

Something I find interesting because Obama hasn't really come across as being particularily left in my eyes. He is the same as those on the right; prop up your own friends and interests without much thought. The Left's faith must be seriously misguided if Obama is their frontman.

The left are trapped to Obama without an option. They are being played for fools in supporting quasi-fascist and illiberal policies. They are now down to, "But he's a nice guy". But perhaps I'm "misunderestimating" him?

Respectfully,
Steve

 

[Keef]

This was posted in the Funny Pics thread. I don't think it's funny, I think it's sad.

 

[Dennisch]

It's sad because it's true. But then again, there are other channels on the tv.

 

[Keef]

It's sad because it's true. But then again, there are other channels on the tv.

Flipping the channel and ignoring everything is just as sad. Lack of interest and motivation to educate oneself is sad.

 

[Dennisch]

Flipping the channel and ignoring everything is just as sad. Lack of interest and motivation to educate oneself is sad.

More in the line of : I've seen enough.

 

[Dapper]

Romney wears magic underwear. Go GOP!

 

[88FoxBodyFan]

Looks like Arizona's tryin' to censor what their citizens can see and do on the internet.

http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/arizona-law-would-censor-internet-631407#

 

[Dapper]

Supreme Court Agrees to Reconsider Citizens United