james t kirk

I totally agree with this.

As a "damned foreigner" I can atest to the overall general dis-like of George W Bush by 85% of my countrymen (Recent McLean's magazine article). And that is putting it mildly. Everyone hopes he looses. (It's funny cause everyone i know pretty much thought Clinton was a pretty good guy. So, it's not an American thing, it's a Bush thing.)

Never has a US president faired so poorly in any Canadian popular opinion poll. Never. Now i know some of you are saying, "Well who gives a fuck what Canada or any other country thinks of Bush" Well, it does matter believe it or not, and since the USA is so important in the world, it has an impact on other countries.

You have to ask yourself why an American president would be so completely dispised all over the world? There must be something there.

JumpinJesus

Sadly, there are many Americans who honestly do not give a damn what any other country thinks. In their minds, a map of the world is dominated by the United States while the remainder of the globe is plugged into a small geographical area the size of the Azores.

This places the U.S. in a sort of Catch 22. We are in this position because we don't give a damn what any other nation thinks. Yet we can't figure out why so many nations are afraid of or despise us. The common - and erroneous - reaction is that these nations are jealous of us, thus perpetuating the opinion that Americans are arrogant, ego-centric bastards. We do not respect our allies, we tolerate them.

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"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

Hanabal

well im not sure what to think, as far as ive read all the facts, bush was somewhat responsible for 9/11.

clinton arranged a deal with the saudis worth billions, for something. cant remember. anyway. bush doesnt like the saudis, and some time during sep 01 the deal worth billions was cancelled. then 15 or so saudis along with a few others, crash planes into buildings.

But even if im wrong, you can never say 9/11 would have happened.

and another thing, the clinton admin gave the bush admin a massive report on terrorist, namely bin laden. the report basically stated that they were planning massive attacks, action needed immediately. but bush ignored it completely.

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I am Hanabal, Phear my elephants

Mojo_PeiPei

It's easy. Bush is doing what he feels is best for America and it's interests. Thats all he is responsible to do, the world be damned. Just because Bush's actions don't fit in with the rest of the world's agenda doesn't make him wrong, especially since all everyone else is trying to do is check our power.

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To win a war you must serve no master but your ambition.

gibingus

^dude, with an attitude like that, are you surprised that some other citizens of the world might feel threatened? that's not exactly how we teach our children to play to nice and share with others, is it?

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if everyone is thinking alike, chances are no one is thinking.

Mojo_PeiPei

The world is an ugly ugly place.

__________________
To win a war you must serve no master but your ambition.

Ustwo

Like I really care. The US isn't a great big piggy bank for everyone to take money out of. Suddenly we worry about our own interests just like the rest of the world does and we are the bad guys? France has been a bitch since we liberated them in '44, Germany has been whining since the 80's, China would do anything to make us weaker, and Russia still wants to pretend its a major player. Canada can't even afford its armed forces anymore and do they thank us since they don't NEED them because of the US? No they whine like every other quasi-socialist nation without the guts or the strength to do anything themselves.

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

losthellhound

Wait.. you're own interests??.. I thought Iraq was a human rights issue... And before you call yourself the "big piggy bank' check how much money goes back AND FORTH across the Canadian American border in trade


Hate hate hate.. If you're going to use comments like that, at least say why.. Why do you feel France has been a bitch since (and catch my carefull wording, you got into the war late, and you werent the only ones there) the ALLIES liberated them. How is China weakening you? And Im sorry to be the one to tell you, but Russia has a population of approx 144,978,573 and a GDP of $1,270,000,000,000 - That may not be as much as "Mother US", but its in the top ten

No, we dont have to thank you.. You didnt do anything! We don't need a war machine because we don't go off and invade people.. We don't need a war machine because our last great enemy (the USSR) has evolved into Russia and no longer points death at our faces.. And we don't do anything about you because the current United States government is like a horrible flat-mate in University.. You're so shocked at what they are capable of, you just can't think of something proper to say
[/QUOTE]

__________________
"Life is possible only with illusions. And so, the question for the science of mental health must become an absolutely new and revolutionary one, yet one that reflects the essence of the human condition: On what level of illusion does one live?"
-- Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death

losthellhound

Another note.. Why do some ill informed Americans call Canada socialist? It is a "confederation with parliamentary democracy".. Just because we have a viable health care system and a social net??

I thought those were good things for a nation to work towards..

__________________
"Life is possible only with illusions. And so, the question for the science of mental health must become an absolutely new and revolutionary one, yet one that reflects the essence of the human condition: On what level of illusion does one live?"
-- Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death

gibingus

this type of attitude is why we are a target of terrorism. plain and simple. i find it threatening, and i enjoy the protection and freedom afforded me by my status as a citizen of the united states. it is not hard to see how any other culture - particularly a non western one - would believe the only way to reason with a brute is by brute force.

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if everyone is thinking alike, chances are no one is thinking.

hannukah harry

last time i checked, pissing off the world is not in our best interests. do it enough, and other countries could easily back out of trade agreements, hurting us financially, or attack us. btw, has anyone else noticed how whenever a mad cow was found in briton, or with the bird flu now, that we cut off getting those from that country, but when we found a cow with it here in america, and that asian country (vietnam? thailand? don't remember) stopped buying it from us, we bitched and moaned? hehe... that was funny.

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shabbat shalom, mother fucker! - the hebrew hammer

123dsa

Amen.

Ustwo

No, we are the target of terrorism because we represent freedom and prosperity which is threatening to people who's attitudes haven't changed since 550 A.D. If you will recall the first world trade center attack was under Clinton, and Clinton was the worlds as kisser. If you want to show weakness to our enemies, you do that, and we can have more embassy bombings, and Somalia’s, and WTC like attacks.

I just pray to god (which is hard as an atheist) that people like you NEVER EVER EVER get to make important decisions again about national security. I still remember watching people jump 80+ stories to their deaths on Sept 11, it will stay with me until the day I die, and that was not caused by a policy of strength but one of weakness and not wanting to offend anyone.

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

Mojo_PeiPei

The World needs us more then we need them. How bad do you think those other countries would be hurting if they broke off trade agreements with us? I'd say easily x10 fold what we were experiecing. Notice how much other countries economies were struggling under our recession.

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To win a war you must serve no master but your ambition.

losthellhound

So the US can "stand alone" and doesnt need anyone else??

Wait... If you don't need anyone else, how can you make up a shortfall of 136 BILLION US$??

source - Bureau of Economic Analysis http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/newsrel/transnewsrelease.htm

__________________
"Life is possible only with illusions. And so, the question for the science of mental health must become an absolutely new and revolutionary one, yet one that reflects the essence of the human condition: On what level of illusion does one live?"
-- Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death

pan6467

Canada is a great country and neighbor for the US. Canada PROVED that they were there in 1979 when their embassy and people put thier lives on the line to help some of ours escape in Iran. AND CANADA HAS NEVER NEVER ASKED US FOR ANYTHING!!!

Canada has proven time after time that they are quite possibly the best ally we have (maybe the UK is more vocal but Canada has always been there). And yet, there are those here in the US that want to treat Canada like our bald headed stepson.

Canada can't help that it runs more efficiently than the U.S., has better healthcare and is cleaner and better educated. Canada can't help that they elect officials that prefer peace and care more about the people than big business.

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I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

SLM3

Make no mistake, the US takes more from the world than it gives. To think that you somehow hold an impenetrable higher ground than everyone else is quite foolish.

Blaming terrorism on hating freedom, etc is such a cop-out because many Americans don't want to deal with the real reasons. That being the US foreign policy that has helped continue the sorry state that millions upon millions of people around the world live in. Prosperity at the explicit expense of someone else is just begging for retaliation. You can't have your cake and eat it too.


SLM3

gibingus

this view is more than arrogant, it is pejorative and, surprisingly, racist. you don't represent any form of freedom if your stance is this. really, it seems like you would rather revoke the liberty of anyone who does not agree with you. tolerance and freedom go hand in hand, you cannot divorce them. tolerance is a quality of true strength, as are discipline, patience and understanding. pushing other people around is a sign of weakness. again, these are playground rules. kid stuff.

its natural to be angry about the attacks on the world trade center. i think everyone was, and is, and no one will ever forget. that's not the point, and we don't need to continually evoke the event to perpetuate this mistaken belief that if someone doesn't unquestioningly march the line that they are a liberal commie pinko who doesn't support the troops and is soft on the national defense, blah blah blah. it is not rational, and no matter how many times it is said and how loudly it said, it doesn't become any more true.

you seem consumed with hatred, both of liberals and of cultures outside your own. i find this a curiously common trait in others who espouse this slate of views. basic psychology links abject hatred to fear and insecurity. these qualities tend to make one highly susceptible to peer pressure, group think, and other forms of manipulation. that concerns me when i think about the current conservative movement. bleeding heart liberals have their own slew of problems, of course, but they are too disperate in their views to fall to pack mentality.

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if everyone is thinking alike, chances are no one is thinking.

pan6467

Now then, that is out of my system. As for USTWO's remarks......


How can you sit there and talk about how all these other countries want to bring us down, and then turn around and support them by giving them our jobs and having trade deficits with them? It makes no sense. If China as you say will do anything to weaken us, then why are we buying ANYTHING from them?

Ah..... cheaper labor and prices. So then you would rather allow China to have sweatshops and pay thier workers pennies while ours starve, so that you may save a buck or two? Then you can sit and spew hatred and how that country wants to weaken us. Makes sense to me.

As for some of these other self righteous US posters........ HOW DARE YOU SAY THEY NEED US MORE THEN WE NEED THEM. Have you no shame? WE fucking exploit thier kids for our tennis shoes and clothing, we take whatever we fucking want from them and then if they so much as say 1 bad thing towards us you are over here telling them how well we treat them?

YOU ARE WHY AMERICANS HAVE A BAD NAME AND SO MANY OTHERS HATE US. YOU DISGRACE THE COUNTRY I LOVE.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Ustwo

Oh get real. You want those millions and millions to do better, then export more capitalism and freedom. They should be more like the US. Everyone craves freedom which is why so many come here to live. Trying to blame the US for the worlds poverty is assinine.

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

floydthebarber

Exactly right.

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wish you were here

gibingus

i believe it was bill mahr who said that if hating our freedom is the reason why the "terrorists" hate america, that must be why the rest of america hates california... because they are jealous of the freedom.

the funny thing is that the conservatives who use that argument ignore the irony that the self same reasoning is the justification for their hatred of liberals.

__________________
if everyone is thinking alike, chances are no one is thinking.

gibingus

it would be great if that is what we actually did, but we don't.

really what our businesses do is take advantage of totalitarian states who oppress their populace, which in turn results in cheap labor who live in repressed markets that keep costs of living low. when the economy of the nation matures to a degree that those markets begin to rise, businesses have been moving again to more repressed markets. an example of this happening right now with wal-mart relocating their signature production line manufacturing to indonesia, because china is offering a less attractive margin. sadly, the environmental impact of the transportation in that distribution channel is not lessened.

(slightly off topic, but i must put this out whenever i can. wal-mart is destroying america, one low price at a time. not only do they drive small businesses under and destroy small towns, as one company they represent a full 10% of the ENTIRE national trade deficit. shocking.)

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if everyone is thinking alike, chances are no one is thinking.

Mojo_PeiPei

The point of the trade between two major nations is to make each others dependency on each so necessary that war is out of the picture. Look at Europe's dynamic with the EU.

__________________
To win a war you must serve no master but your ambition.

pan6467

Your point is? Fair, balanced trade does promote healthy relations between countries and yes, it it a necessity to have.

But by paying these countries workers pennies on the dollar so that companies like NIKE, Wal-Mart, and so on, can make millions is not fair and balanced trade. It IS EXPLOITATION AND PROMOTES HATRED. Don't tell me how that is a "free Market" because it doesn't even relate to a free market.

The only way this is a fair and balanced trade and free market is if workers would be paid the same and had the same rights and laws in Malayasia to make shoes as they would be in the U.S., otherwise pure and simple it is exploitation. Also the nations import taxes would be equal to the other. Which we don't have either as China and Japan tax our steel out of competition with thiers, yet we have little taxes on thier.

You know how to get out of taxing the US citizen so much? Tax corporations and countries imports more....... maybe the same rate they tax out goods going into thier countries would be a good starting point. Of course that's too "liberal and leftist and isolationistic thinking". The reason why that doesn't come into play is corporations would then start losing thier profit margins and the GOP (along with alot of DEMS) would lose thier campaign funding.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Ustwo

This is so wrong on so many fundamental levels I don't know where to start.

So I'll start with the first part about the
If the cost of labor would be the same, then there would be no point in having other countries make the goods. As such these countries, who mostly have people making pennies PERIOD, would have less jobs and less income. They would suffer. Likewise the cost of the goods would go up, the consumer would suffer and have a lower standard of living.

And since its very late and I'm very tired and need to sleep, lets jump to the end.

Corporations are not job creating machines of the world. They exsist to make a profit and only will succeed if they make a profit. Who the hell wants to invest in a company that doesn't make a profit? Why build a new industry if it can't make a profit since its taxed away? Why bother when you can sit at home on the dole? Who the hell do you think makes the global economy work? Sure tax away the profit, and you might as well make them state owned since before long they won't function on their own. Mmmmmm state owned corporations, where have I smelt that stench before...

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

losthellhound

Well this was an interesting discussion, but unfortunatly I think we're not getting anywhere. One dogma versus another dogma...

I fear that there will never be a time when liberals and conservatives, democrats and republicans, here can ever have a balanced "active listening conversation".. perhaps Im wrong though

but it is fun to muck in the debate..

Ustwo, I may disagree with you on almost all issues, I may hate what you stand for, but I certainly do respect the strength of your convictions, thank you for the debate

__________________
"Life is possible only with illusions. And so, the question for the science of mental health must become an absolutely new and revolutionary one, yet one that reflects the essence of the human condition: On what level of illusion does one live?"
-- Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death

pan6467

My turn at rebuttal here.

Exactly my point. If the cost of doing business is the same our industry will stay here.

How is paying the workers of those countries pennies on the dollar "helping them"? They still live in poverty. They still have nothing. Then of course there are the child sweatshops that don't even pay that much and the work camps that pay less than that. How is that "helping them." They can't even afford the product they are making. Hell they can't afford what you take for granted, decent housing and can barely afford food.

Sure thier politicians are well off because our companies bribe them. And by your statement alone you show that price is all you care about. You don't give a damn about those workers. And yet you expect, no demand, that they bow down and kiss your feet? And you wonder why they hate the US.

But this is liberal bias.

Excuese me, corporations are not in the business to make jobs? WHERE THE FUCK THEN ARE THE JOBS SUPPOSE TO COME FROM?

I see so fuck the people who make our goods, yet, who can't afford to buy our goods. Profit profit profit.

You missed my point on that but that's ok the point you made reaffirms my belief that the right only care about themselves and fuck everyone else.

My point was not to tax our own but to tax those that tax our products entering thier countries. Example: China and Japan tax our steel to prices that there is no way to compete. YET, those same countries ship thier inferior steel over here at cut throat prices, and we tax them pennies compared to what they tax us.

Now is that healthy for us? NO

Is thier steel industry losing money? YES, BUT Japan and China subsidize that industry.

WHY EVER WOULD THEY DO THAT? Because once they destroy what's left of our steel industry they can then name thier prices and we will have to pay it. AND of course USTWO you, yourself, have posted how China wants to weaken us. Yet you never did answer me when I asked why if a country wants to weaken you would you have a TRADE DEFICIT with that country.

That sounds like fair and balanced trading doesn't it? That sounds like we are putting our people first over corporate greed.
Hmmmm and we need steel for our planes and ships and tanks and so on for our military.

Now if we have no steel industry, (and trust me living in Northeast Ohio, I know what's left and how fast it is dying, I see the effects everyday), how do we get the steel for new military needs? I'm sure you have a feasible answer to that.

I just don't understand this thinking. When a country has no industry, that country becomes DEPENDANT on the whims and demands of those that do have the industry. That was one reason we were so powerful.

Aw well, USTWO, you continue to live in your world where all other countries should be thanking us for giving them our industry and defending the rich who will leave this country for another the second they have dried up our resources here.

I'll be here in the real world trying to figure out how my children and thier children are going to survive the depression and financial ruin our country is headed for.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Pacifier

the US doesn't want allies or freinds, they want lapdogs like the UK who say "yes" to everything.

__________________
"It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I also cannot imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere. Science has been charged with undermining morality, but the charge is unjust. A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death
— Albert Einstein

Ustwo

So if they agree with us, they are a lapdog.

Wonderful logic.

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

filtherton

Well, we know that if they disagree with us they hate our freedom. Or is that an oversimplification too?

Ustwo

No, I'm sure France and Germany love freedom, but they love money more.

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

tecoyah

And of course, you think we base our policy on something other than the bottom line. Guess we should have our cake, and eat it too. We are after all bigger than everyone else, why not use power to our advantage and blow everyone else off, wait we already do that.......great results too.

*hangs head in shame*

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Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

Ustwo

Your point besides another head hanger was?

There are many examples where the bottom line had nothing to do with our policy. Lybia, Cuba, and Kosovo come to mind right away.

If it was all about the money we would have normalized relations with Iraq a decade ago and sold them US military hardware so they wouldn't have had to use that French, Russian, and Chinese crap

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

filtherton

In that case we should make them honorary american businessmen.

gibingus

but those examples were ALL about money. it is always about money, or more accurately assets.

war is a means to deprive a state of its physical and human assets by destroying them or it is waged to conquer those assets for the use and benefit of the aggressor state.

without resorting to armed conflict, states use embargoes, sanctions and other economic and trade policies to try to influence other states that are not in line with their own principles. it is a form of aggressive political tactics. we ransom nations, outspend them, or bribe them in some form or another to get them to bend to our will.

our oil embargo to japan is cited as the main reason for the attack on pearl harbor. many have suggested that the oil ties in the bush family (munitions too) are seen as threatening to the middle east, and therefore motivated pre-emptive terrorist action. this is a perfectly rational hypothesis that merits further testing. states have defended their physical resources with force throughout history. it makes much more sense than "they hate us because we are free." there are always economic bases for even religious wars.

the cold war is famously referred to as a spending war or poker game where the US simply out spent the USSR. nations like north korea deprive their citizens of basic lifestuffs in order to channel their resources into arms building. these are examples of economic policy war that are always quickly drawn from the conservative bandolier.

your arguments are conflicting more frequently as this thread continues. your position is weakening, you must realize that such hypocracy cannot stand up to the scrutiny of even your own standards.

__________________
if everyone is thinking alike, chances are no one is thinking.

stevie667

wow, dude, calm!
the reason that america is such a large terrorist threat is not because it's the 'home of the free' or other cliche'd crap like that, but because quite simply, it's a fat bumbling git with a gun who thinks that because it's new and has nukes, it doesn't need tact, respect or concern for everything else outside it's own airspace.
yes, thats a little harsh perhaps, but the reasoning is sound. america is targeted because it makes itself a target.

for instance the current situation in iraq:
more americans have been killed than any other nationals, not because they're from the land of the free and prosperous, but because you average american solider is a gung-ho 19 year old with no combat experience shooting everything that gets in his way, british troops or otherwise.
two comparisons are the americans and british, both dragged in by completly stupid leaders. the british are on the streets making friends with the locals, showing they're to be trusted, and generally don't get shot at too much, proving they stay out of the way of the USAF.
the americans on the other hand shoot first, shoot a bit more later, then wonder why everyone hates them.
for those yanks who can't see why the rest of the world seems to hate them it's because of exactly that.
a-terrorism: try living in london 20 years ago, saying goodbye to your kids before you left for work not knowing if the IRA would detonate a bomb in your office. same with spain now, under threat of a large and very organised terrorist group.
b-attitude: prancing around the globe like your the king of the world doesn't give you a very good image. yes, my views are somewhat skewed by the americans bombing the hell out of our boys in iraq, but still, try a little tact and politeness, goes a lot further than saying god has given you a vision.
c-freedom fries: need i say more?

sorry to the yanks who this doesn't apply to, but the rest, jeez, wake up for frick's sake!

Hanabal

so how does cuba have to do with anything. what has the US done to cuba, it hasnt freed the repressed people, it hasnt done jack except make stupid embargos where the rest of the world trades freely with it.

kososvo wasnt the US's idea either, it was NATO's, so the US cant go off and say we helped these people out of the goodness of our hearts. cause it wasnt your idea to do it.

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I am Hanabal, Phear my elephants

Sparhawk

"average american solider is a gung-ho 19 year old with no combat experience shooting everything that gets in his way, british troops or otherwise."

What in God's name has brought you to that conclusion? These boys are not extras from 'Apocalypse Now,' they are highly trained warriors, both in combat and in the Laws of Armed Conflict. They do not intentionally kill civilians or friendlies*, and saying otherwise is an insult, pure and simple.

I'll let others address the rest of your post...


*must make allowance for the occasional, statistically inevitable whackjob

__________________
"In Iraq, no doubt about it, it's tough. It's hard work. It's incredibly hard. It's - and it's hard work. I understand how hard it is. I get the casualty reports every day. I see on the TV screens how hard it is. But it's necessary work. We're making progress. It is hard work."

gibingus

taking a pass on stevie667's inflamatory post. you're not making any case with that kind of talk, man. breathe.

but, sparhawk, the men and women who are stationed presently in iraq are not all highly trained warriors in either combat or the laws of armed conflict (whatever those might be), a great deal of the occupying force are national guard units who are completely unprepared for what is going on and whose tours of duty have been extended way too long. last word i got from baghdad (this week) was that new weekend warriors rotating in from stateside not only didn't know that they should load their weapons when they went on patrol, they had a hard time actually doing it.

they are not boys, they are men and women. the average age of the soldier in baghdad is late 20s. most noncoms are in their 30s. these are fathers and mothers who have jobs back in the states and signed up for the extra money guard duty offered.

the state governors were in dc this past week, as commanders in chief of their respective guards, they are starting to get a bit miffed about how their resources are being abused.

also, during the fight to take iraq, friendly fire killed more troops than did enemy fire. u.s. troops began racking up casualties from enemy action after the shipboard declaration of "mission accomplished."

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if everyone is thinking alike, chances are no one is thinking.