Rex Kickass

I heard a very interesting take by a journalist who was there who would disagree with you. I was driving so I can't really say what his name was or what he did. He did write a book on his experience. He says that the elections were great, but the terror that Saddam's government caused was also democratized. Before people used to fear what the government would do to them. Now they fear what anyone might do to them.

I'd love to see the reaction on this board if someone called Ozzie a "wetback."

Actually, not aimed at you. Aimed at anyone who thinks that finding broken down chemical munitions that we knew were there and weren't usable is the same thing as an active WMD program, which we now know didn't exist. There were plenty of reasons to support a war in Iraq on humanitarian grounds, but we didn't fight that war. If we did, our whole approach once we removed Saddam Hussein from power would have been much different.

QUOTE(samclemens @ Jun 21, 2006 -> 11:05 PM) we need to topple that bastard, if not just for the sake of the people living in that country. If we toppled governments for the sake of the people living in that country or this country, we'd have to topple half our allies. The problem is that we let North Korea go nuclear, and its now in our own self-interest to see any power transition happen in a stable environment.

I think using the word is lame and boring. And yeah, it still has a negative connotation, and yeah the same people that say things are "gay" still refer to gay people as gay - so yeah, I'd say there's still a negative connotation to it. I can't say I care. But people who constantly refer to things that are boring as "gay" I just generally find to be well, boring.

If I recall correctly the weapons inspection regime that pulled out in 1998, said that a limited amount of chemical weaponry was still unaccounted for but that the munitions had most likely degraded and were not really usable as a WMD. The CIA reported in 2002 that UNSCOM estimated that approximately 550 mustard gas shells from prior to 1991 remain unaccounted for. http://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd/Iraq_Oct_2002.htm So they estimated a new Iraqi CW program which didn't seem to exist, a nonexistant nuclear program, and a BW program which also didn't exist. After three years, we found 500 degraded (and not really usable) shells from prior to 1991. That's 5 American lives per shell. Vindication, indeed.

Hey, I appreciate the actual discussion that's going on behind the insults... so if you wanna keep debating without insulting each other - great. If not, stop so I don't have to lock the thread. Thanks.

Yes. Quite good.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Jun 21, 2006 -> 07:26 PM) why, because he said something that offended you? he already admitted it was a mistake. so what, he said a 'bad' word. he's not an investment banker or public relations manager, he's a baseball manager. The only thing that offends me is the thought of Jay Mariotti batting for my team. What I'm saying is Ozzie Guillen needs to learn to shut his mouth. And something tells me unless he gets a rap to the knuckles with a ruler, it ain't gonna happen.

Fine, I'll retract Major League Baseball and replace it with The Chicago White Sox organization. For his own good. Because he's putting himself on a track to let his mouth show his manager's ass the door.

You're telling me that Major League Baseball doesn't discipline players and/or managers for bad behavior during press conferences when they are acting as representatives of the team they belong to and Major League Baseball as a whole?

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 21, 2006 -> 04:41 PM) How about only heterosexual marriages being recognized by state laws? Where do you suppose that one comes from? Bigotry.

Jay Mariotti - Attention Whore. Ozzie Guillen - out of line. Should be fined by the team, and suspended by Major League Baseball. I don't think he meant to offend gay people in any way. But at the same time, if he isn't taught a lesson - he will John Rocker himself.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jun 21, 2006 -> 08:20 AM) So the gasoline (Mariotti) hit the flame (Ozzie) and there was an explosion. I'm shocked! Are you saying Jay Mariotti made Ozzie flaming?

Correct, that city was already dead to me before this.

In D.C. that'd get you 30 days in the cooler.

The Senate voted down a cloture motion for the increase in the Minimum Wage Bill 52-46. So there will be NO up or down vote on the Minimum Wage. The Democrat proposed bill would increase the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years. If the 1968 minimum wage had been annually adjusted for inflation, it would now be $9.09 an hour.

I find myself emptying the packs of PBR and High Life before the more expensive stuff in my fridge.

I can't tell if this is confusing, interesting or just boring. I'm going with C.

QUOTE(Cknolls @ Jun 21, 2006 -> 09:54 AM) Can anyone tell me why Amnesty Int'l does not have anything to say about the torture of our soldiers? f***ing hypocrites is why. http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do...GUSA20060621001

I think he wants assurances of no invasion from American forces. Partially to help him quell dissension in his own ranks (and for stability's sake this is something that a world superpower should be willing to eat some crow for) and also to give him a sense of security. I think a sense of security for North Korea would be good for the state, because it would then force the government to improve its treatment of its own people in order to secure the regime from within.

Not for a lack of trying

Maybe there's a quid pro quo. Maybe France will help with our lower case empire.

Not a provocation as much as a sign to the United States that it can strike back to the west coast if needed in the event of an invasion. I'm of the school that North Korea chose to go nuclear because it does so purely for defensive means. I don't think that the madman of North Korea is nearly as crazy as we think, and is really just constantly working to consolidate what he has and keep power, not expand it. The truth is, and I'm sure he's well aware of it, that his country is surrounded by so many others that are so much more wealthy than North Korea and used to its wealth, that any power grab would most likely be short lived even if it was left alone by outside powers.

France is actually in the vanguard of NATO troops in Afghanistan and does contribute to the world community in some ways. Also, the United States is bound by its own self-interest to help in Africa. A continent plagued by disease and a lack of statesmanship is crawling with the symptoms that tend to cause a militant movement that may sponsor trans-global terror. If our country's stated goal is to stop trans-global terror, we need to adjust our scope of the future properly. We've pretty much f***ed ourselves - at least for the time being - in the middle east, but sub-saharan Africa is a different story. We have the opportunity of gaining influence, not adding to French control. If the people calling to aid the French in Africa are worth their salt, they will see this opportunity and seize on it, eventually squeezing France out of the picture.