Criminal , new US ally

by Norm 125 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  JanH

  Dubya has done it again, and it's all over world media. Except, so far as I can see now, US media.

  What he did?

  He said that devaluation had been one of the topics discussed with the Japenese premier. Markets responded by sending the Yen plunging and the Japenese market into disarray.

  What Dubya had meant was "deflation", something very different, and his aides again had to run around explaining what the world's most powerful man had really meant.

  We'll see if this illiterate clown is again aided by the patriotic US media in hiding his latest gaffe as well.

  Link to news source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_1825000/1825593.stm

  Addendum: NY Times indeed made a very brief mention of Dubyas latest gaffe, burying it in one paragraph inside this article: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-bush-asia.html (reg. required) Interesting that newsmedia elsewhere considered it worthy of a headline.

  - Jan
  --
  - "How do you write women so well?" - "I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability." (Jack Nicholson in "As Good as it Gets")
• 

  Kent

  Hi Jan

  
  What Dubya had meant was "deflation", something very different, and his aides again had to run around explaining what the world's most powerful man had really meant.

  You can't expect Dubya to understand nothing. But, I expect we're again accused of "America-bashing" if we point out the fact this ignorant asshole behaves exactly like that.

  Seeker and Julie have pointed out why most Americans are so incridably ignorant to what is happening around the world - even what's happening inside the US. I still find it hard to understand, but I accept the fact. We're now living in the year 2002, and the Internet do give most people the oportunity to read news from many places in the world - included newspapers and other sources in Europe, Asia and Australia. So why don't they?

  Bigboi pointed out in chat they weren't interested, and that may be so. But then again, why accuse others of "bashing" if they don't know what they're talking about?

  Dubya has a good record of behaving like a moron. He called the Pakistani people "Pakis" - which is about the same as calling a "colored man" nigger in the US. Why? Because he has all the respect in the world for his so called allies? Obviously not.

  These days he's threatening every country in the world they will be bombed if they don't accept his interpretation of "American Way of Life" and activly support it. He doesn't do a shit to stop terrorists other places in the world, as long as these terrorists doesn't threaten US citizens - or rather - US Interests. He doesn't give a damn about the general citizen anyway - as all dictators.

  I do agree the US is powerful, and I do agree the US is needed to keep things balanced around the world. But keeping this balance the "American Way of Life" is rather fantastic. Female soldiers in the US AirForce in Saudi Arabia had to wear the same clothing as the Arabian women!!! When a flight-ace, a female, protested, she was threatened with court-marshall! Well, the US High-Court judged the friends og Dubya couldn't demand that - it was against the US law, but again - when did any dictator care about the law?

  I would hope the readers of this site would check out what the US has really done around the world the last 30 years - and maybe someone can understand why Americans simply isn't the most popular people some places in the world.

  This has nothing to do with individual citizens, so stop whining about "America-bashing". This has to do with American Foreign Lack of Decent Policy - nothing else.

  If they would be honest - why don't they nuke Israel? They're the biggest terrorists the last 50 years!

  Yachyd Da

  Kent

  I need the new KM's as they come! Please send me scans!

  Daily News On The Watchtower and the Jehovah's Witnesses:
  http://watchtower.observer.org
• 

  Norm

  Hi Pat,

  Here are some references to NIZAR AL-KHAZRAJI:

  http://www.en.monde-diplomatique.fr/1998/03/03iraqfj

  http://209.50.252.70/p_en/articles/archives/00000015.htm

  http://www.middleeastwire.com/kurdistan/stories/20011212_meno.shtml

  There are some more links to Danish, Norwegian, French papers but I guess you can't read those languages.

  Take care,

  Norm
• 

  Julie

  LOL Kent, Kent, Kent,

  You get so worked up over these things. Have no fear dear, he's a one termer. He can only milk this Septemeber 11/terrorism thing for so long and now domestic policy (which is suffering even than foreign policy these days, thus Americans know a *little* more about it) is failing miserably with no end in sight, going by the slick, glossy budget they produced recently.

  More than worthy opponents are gathering, you can see who the real players are by who the Republicans are circling now. Sort of like the Lee Atwater/Bill Clinton thing. He knew Clinton was a serious threat to the GOP and he started his propaganda war machine long before any primaries. I see this happening again, means the GOP senses serious threats.....read some of their latest mongering they are mailing out, you'll see.....

  We'll be working on it till then, don't you worry.

  Warm regards,
  Julie
• 

  bigboi

  Bigboi pointed out in chat they weren't interested, and that may be so. But then again, why accuse others of "bashing" if they don't know what they're talking about?

  For one our discussion about the American attitude towards the world in general was harldy an in-depth discussion, so I think you are taking what I said out of context.

  I believe that Americans in general do care about what goes on in the world. However I don't think it's the primary concern in our lives. Like ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD Americans are primarily concerned with their own own lives. I feel comfortable in saying that most Americans want to be happy, own a house, a car or two and see thier kids grow up to be better and have better than they did. As far as the rest of the world's problms are concerned, we have our own here to deal with everyday. As for foreign policy issues, military concerns, etc.. we have a government that we pay our hard earned money to everyday to handle that. With all it's checks and balances, we have a better chance of finding out about who's fuckin up better than anyone else in the world. More often than not the ones who fuck up are found out and thrown out.

  I really bei,ieve that the current attitude that the rest of the world is showing will cause a rather callous attiitude to start to develope in the hearts of the ppl who really matter in American society. It's not George W. or even Bill Clinton. It's the average American. It's the average tax-paying, hard-working American that basically supports and subsidizes just about every country in the free world when it counts. When the general percepton in this country starts to be that the rest of the world doesn't care about us so fuck em, then y'all will really have something to cry about.

  ONE.....

  bigboi
• 

  IslandWoman

  Kent,

  This has nothing to do with individual citizens, so stop whining about "America-bashing". This has to do with American Foreign Lack of Decent Policy - nothing else.

  
  The problem I guess is a semantic one. For many here in the U.S., the title "America" and the name "United States of America" signify something much greater than the Washington political machine. For many those terms mean the "people" of this country and the treasured foundation of government in this country: the Bill of Rights, Constitution, Declaration of Independence etc. Also its veterans slain in war, its dignity, its great land, its varied culture etc., come to mind when the title "America" is used. Rarely are these things, which are close to the hearts of many Americans, equated with politicians! Maybe that's an oxymoron but that's the way it is. Politicians come and go, but "America" survives, many times in spite of them!

  Many Americans feel the Bush Administration is acting improperly. We put down our politicians all the time and as you know half the country did not vote for this President. As a result, many Americans would understand and even agree with criticisms from others of "Washington", the "Bush Administration" or the "American Government". But to use the term "America" instead, hurts because now our COUNTRY is being vilified. Vilify the politicians all you want, but not our country. The politicians are really the ones pulling the strings, just as politicians all over the world do.

  I also hope you and others here are not assuming that what any American has posted on this thread is representative of the opinion, or the problems, of the majority or even a large minority of Americans (this post included of course). We are too varied and not that easily categorized! For every opinion stated here by an American there are millions of other Americans who would vehemently disagree!

  The right to publicly disagree, is our greatest right and the very foundation of our government! And it is one which Americans practice daily!!

  IW
• 

  larc

  Island Woman,

  I really liked what you said, and I agree. The heart of a people is not the same as its government. I think all governments are duplicitise (sp), double dealing, avarice money and land grabbing power freaks. Kent and JanH, Norway would do the same if they had the chance. It takes three things to commit a crime, means, motive, and opportunity. All governments have the motive, some don't have the means and the opportunity. Get real folks. We are all in the same boat, as members of the masses.
• 

  cellomould

  Hey JanH,

  I've not been around for a coupla days, but I have to LOL @ this:

  I find it astonishing that Americans here (and yes, that means USians) seems to think that any help should buy eternal, blind adoration.

  Some very good discussion is going on here. So what can be done by savvy US citizens to influence US policy?

  Influence is the key word here. Are persuasion and even propoganda ethical means to get the message out to the average self-absorbed 'American' that our country needs to be MORE ethical in its foreign policy?

  That's quite a loaded question....rephrased: If your motives are pure, is it right to manipulate others in order to achieve good?

  I am leaning towards a no to that.

  Any suggestions? Something needs to be done, as we know.

  cellomould

  

  "In other words, your God is the warden of a prison where the only prisoner is your God." Jose Saramago, The Gospel According to Jesus Christ
• 

  Seeker

  As for foreign policy issues, military concerns, etc.. we have a government that we pay our hard earned money to everyday to handle that. With all it's checks and balances, we have a better chance of finding out about who's fuckin up better than anyone else in the world. More often than not the ones who fuck up are found out and thrown out.

  Sadly not. Read about the public relations industry, and how they hide facts from the American public about how their government operates. How they tell lies about what is happening. And how almost every politician in Washington is beholden to this PR machine and the corporations that paid for them.

  The American system of checks and balances has been thrown out of whack by this machine. The president and the congress are both beholden to these special interests. Just to give a recent example, where are the checks and balances when it came to this administration's energy policy? Congress is screaming for details in order to appease the public into thinking they are doing their job. The president refuses to divulge anything. Meanwhile, who wrote this policy? Companies like Enron. The only checks and balances we will soon have are the ones at the cash register.

  The ideals of America no longer resemble the reality. We teach our children in school about America the way it was founded. It's no longer the case, more often than not.
• 

  bigboi

  The American system of checks and balances has been thrown out of whack by this machine. The president and the congress are both beholden to these special interests. Just to give a recent example, where are the checks and balances when it came to this administration's energy policy? Congress is screaming for details in order to appease the public into thinking they are doing their job. The president refuses to divulge anything. Meanwhile, who wrote this policy? Companies like Enron. The only checks and balances we will soon have are the ones at the cash register.

  Sadly what you say is true Seeker. I have to agree with what you say here. However, Island Woman mentioned things in her post that are essentially tools the American ppl have that can right the ship.

  There is no way in my opinion that politicians in this country can expect to get away with anything indefinitely. there have been many phases of corruption in our government in our country;'s short history. The rich in this and every other society has always sought to establish their position of power and authority. America, for all it's strengths is not immune to this. It is simply a part of the human condidtion.

  I do believe that America, possibly moreso than any large society in history, has the tools and principles to deal with and rebuff the evils in society for the greater good. In spite of all his wartime amachismo, George W's shenanigans won't go unnoticed by a gret many Americans, I'm sure. He carries no mandate for the future, imo.

  ONE....

  bigboi