POLL: Condi Rice is ...

[limerickman]

Just out of curiosity: What would Bush have had to have done to have succeeded for you?

From where I sit, I see a man who is using his positon of power to extend American hegemony over people who were/and still are antagonistic to us. We have troops in Afganistan, Iraq and now we are threatening Iran and North Korea. If part of his agenda is to extend American power and grab oil rights for his cronies... he ain't doin' so bad. We've only just managed to slow him from grabbing some very pristine Alaskan lands for his oil buddies, but that won't last for long.

Well there are two areas where I think Bush has failed in his Presidency.

1.The war on terrorism
2 The USA economy.

Instead of concentrating on capturing Al Qaeda, Bush instead launched an illegal war in Iraq.
Frankly, I think Bush realised quite early on that he could never beat Al Qaeda and to divert attention from this, he decided to launch a war in Iraq.

Let me be clear, I supported the war in Afghanistan - the Taliban were harbouring Al Qaeda and thus they had to be removed.
He also managed to disenfranchise everyone of his traditional allies in Europe and this disenfranchisement is being reaped as we speak.
Time is running out in Iraq and if the US doesn't play it right, what has gone since March 19th 2003, will seem to be a cakewalk.

As regards the US economy, i think that Bush has created structural problems
in the US economy.
The growing US beudget deficit, the growing trade deficit, the loss of confidence in the US dollar, are all symptomatic of a President who has been
at best incompetent.
The US has actually lost jobs since Bush took office.
The US economy imports far more than it exports.
US manufacturing is slowly being whittled away by foreign competition.
The growing budget deficit - and remember the US still has to fund the Iraq war and make reparations to Iraq - will result in a massive tax liability for US taxpayers.

 

[davidmc]

Actually, I didn't vote for him either and I don't endorse what he's doing. I am merely looking at his actions from a particular angle, that of an American Exptionalist. What I see, is a continuous historical agenda first established by the Puritans who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Their "ethic", what they stood for, and how they treated other peoples and religions has permiated American history to the present time. Bush is merely the latest in a long line of men in power who seems to be following this ethic to its natural conclusion, a conclusion which in the long run will spell the distruction of what we now know as "the American way of life", an event which I can forsee happening in the next quarter of a century.

American Exceptionalism is currently not in vogue with acedemia. There was a revisionist movement back in 1975 that moved American Studies away from exceptionalizm and into the study of culture and subculture in America. To me and a few others that's like studying the tree and forgetting that it makes up a forest.

As I said in a previous post, if you are looking at oil, he's got you looking away from the trick. This man is the front man for an agenda that is much more insidious and ingenious than that.

First things first. This country "runs" on oil. Iraq has a considerable amt. of the stuff. Our economy has been, how shall i say, "in the doldrums" for a legitamite reason. Now, what have former presidents(r) done in the past to stimulate the economy or remove suspision from one of their other act's? Start a war. Only this time, this war has turned out to be more than Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz bargained for. Over 1400 dead & no guarantee that those people are not going to elect a theocracy. I wish the best for them but, this was/is a war of choice. Iraq was not an imminent threat. This has been proven beyond a doubt. Now that the WMD assertions have been shown to be utterly false, they are touting the aim of nation-building. Give me a break . Since when has a Republican been known to have a big heart except when it comes to Jesus & beleive you me, these people aren't going to be erecting any baptist churches any time soon.

 

[davidmc]

Actually, I didn't vote for him either and I don't endorse what he's doing.

My apologies for insinuating that maybe you had. In the long term, stability in the mid-east is desirable but Iraq hasn't played out yet & Don't forget that the WMD assertion, by the bush admin., has turned out to be nothing more than a chimera

 

[Trekker2017]

Well there are two areas where I think Bush has failed in his Presidency.

1.The war on terrorism
2 The USA economy.

Instead of concentrating on capturing Al Qaeda, Bush instead launched an illegal war in Iraq.
Frankly, I think Bush realised quite early on that he could never beat Al Qaeda and to divert attention from this, he decided to launch a war in Iraq.

Let me be clear, I supported the war in Afghanistan - the Taliban were harbouring Al Qaeda and thus they had to be removed.
He also managed to disenfranchise everyone of his traditional allies in Europe and this disenfranchisement is being reaped as we speak.
Time is running out in Iraq and if the US doesn't play it right, what has gone since March 19th 2003, will seem to be a cakewalk.

As regards the US economy, i think that Bush has created structural problems
in the US economy.
The growing US beudget deficit, the growing trade deficit, the loss of confidence in the US dollar, are all symptomatic of a President who has been
at best incompetent.
The US has actually lost jobs since Bush took office.
The US economy imports far more than it exports.
US manufacturing is slowly being whittled away by foreign competition.
The growing budget deficit - and remember the US still has to fund the Iraq war and make reparations to Iraq - will result in a massive tax liability for US taxpayers.

The war on terrorism is one of those smoke and mirrors I was talking about. There is no war on terrorism. Terrorists are not interested in taking over America. They are interested in establishing a power base in their own countries to become players there. Their attack on America was merely an attention getting device which was used by the current administration to further its own agenda. They played into Bush's hands. A Clinton would have thrown some tomahawks in their direction (like he did before) and that would have been the end of it and the "terrorists" would have strengthened their power base. Bush, on the other hand, used the threat of WMD to invade and further his agenda's aims.

As for the American economy, remember the industrial revolution. Well, this is the industrial de-evolution. American is turning into a service economy. As such, it's immaterial who manufactures the vaccums that our cleaning ladies use. And since we are entering a new economic service paradigm, its impossible to draw conclusions about the American economy based on the old manufacturing one. (My personal feelings.) As Deep Throat said in ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN... "follow the money". Who has the money in America today? What do they do for a living? I think if you concentrate on just those two topics you'll see that manufacturing plays almost no part in the equation.

 

[Trekker2017]

If he wants to grab oil right's under false pretenses that's fine just don't commit the, abovementioned, crime under the guise of good-heartedness & w/ American taxpayer dollars. If they're weren't an ensuing bloodbath it might not be so odious. No, upon further reflection, it would still be odious. Illegal is illegal. The illegal act is referred to as "conflict of interest" & using "public" funds (taxpayer money) to pay for "private" endeavors.

You've got to remember... to him it's not a crime. The crime is trying to stop him. From his point of view, the individual is expendable in order to achieve the greater good. You'll never make sense of it from your mind set. And the only way to stop him is from his.

 

[Trekker2017]

Well, I have no problem if Americans support this notion of "imposing democracy" within their own sovereign territory.
The difficulty I have is that the imperialist Bush goverment is seeking to impose democracy outside it's sovereign territory.
And it seeks to impose democracy in areas and locations where democracy,
has no support.

Unlike a lot of Americans here, you appear to be able to discuss these issues.

You've given me an idea for a book about "Imposded Democracy". If I ever get around to writing/publishing it. I'll give you credit.

 

[Brian Cotgrove]

Brian - who is Les ?

G'day Lim, Les, is just me stirring, if you know what I mean, Fred knows what I'm up to an it's just that me, being me.......................?

Don't give it another thought, it's not worth the mental process of trying to work it out.

Apart from that keep up your training, don't hurt yourself with the running, good shoes essential, soft surface, shorten the steps when it get's hard, walk in between running sets, riding the bike is best though?

KTWIM,ADLB,UITSWYDOTLC?TBC

 

[FredC]

G'day Lim, Les, is just me stirring, if you know what I mean, Fred knows what I'm up to an it's just that me, being me.......................?

Don't give it another thought, it's not worth the mental process of trying to work it out.

Quite right, I was having tri-party with Charlie and Les this evening on MSM, nobodys ever heard of you, and we raced against each other for years. I think the word crank was mentioned. Associated with success without achieving anything was another. Then we got on with normal chit-chat.

 

[limerickman]

G'day Lim, Les, is just me stirring, if you know what I mean, Fred knows what I'm up to an it's just that me, being me.......................?

Don't give it another thought, it's not worth the mental process of trying to work it out.

Apart from that keep up your training, don't hurt yourself with the running, good shoes essential, soft surface, shorten the steps when it get's hard, walk in between running sets, riding the bike is best though?

KTWIM,ADLB,UITSWYDOTLC?TBC

They had a great movie on the local channel here tonight called - I can't remember the name of it - "pushing the limits" (?) about the US runner Steve
Prefontaine.
I've seen it before - showing footage of him running in Munich in 1972 against
Lasse Viren.
SP was the great Americn hope and Viren beat him.
SP died in a car crash in 1975.

 

[davidmc]

You've got to remember... to him it's not a crime. The crime is trying to stop him. From his point of view, the individual is expendable in order to achieve the greater good. You'll never make sense of it from your mind set. And the only way to stop him is from his.

Au contraire. The way to stop his criminal misconduct &/or negligence is written right into The Constitution. Oh yes, the remedy I refer to is Impeachment w/ extreme prejudice & expeditiousness, mind you Forgot that, did you

 

[Brian Cotgrove]

Quite right, I was having tri-party with Charlie and Les this evening on MSM, nobodys ever heard of you, and we raced against each other for years. I think the word crank was mentioned. Associated with success without achieving anything was another. Then we got on with normal chit-chat.

G'day Fred, normal chit chat you couldn't indulge in that if your life depended on it, tri-party you, yourself and you again, smoke and mirrors Fred, boring, boring, no wonder you attempt character assasination, worried Fred, worried, you should be, the net is closing in.

You can run but you can't hide for ever Fred, my spies are everywhere, Dave and George are on the job too, should they fail to turn up what is required, then we have a couple of other back stop's to call in to play, as well.

Eventually all will be revealed, you can bet on it, and I know you are fond of a wager too?

Me, I save my money, I spend it travelling around the world, it broadens the mind Fred something you should try now and again, mate.

it's very enlightening, you get to see how the other half live, fly's in the kitchen as well, bike's in the shed, car's in the garage.

Next Friday will be a good trip, taking out some of the older folks of our area, Morning tea at Somerset Dam, lunch at the Hystoric Homestead at ESK, afternoon tea at RAAF base at Amberley, then deliver them all home, they love to get out of the retirement home. We would take more but our twelve seater bus will only carry twelve legally.

Keep having the meeting Fred, MSM, Cyberspace, whatever you like, as I said before, nothing to hide, I know who I am, and I'll soon know who you are too?

Have a good day, I will, I live in this fantastic place, we had a great days of rain today, it's absolutley persistent, at present we've had about 10 mm and so refreshing too, much like swapping joust's with you Fred.

Keep up the good work Fred, we'll meet up soon, I'm looking foreward to that day, only eleven weeks to go to the off, shame I can't bring me bike with me this time maybe next time, EH....Then we'll see who can't ride out of sight on a dark night EH?

I'm off to bed, got an early start in the morning, we'll be out on the road at sparrows, 120 kilometres, just the old codgers?

KTWIM,ADLB,UITSWYDOTLC?TBC

 

[Brian Cotgrove]

They had a great movie on the local channel here tonight called - I can't remember the name of it - "pushing the limits" (?) about the US runner Steve
Prefontaine.
I've seen it before - showing footage of him running in Munich in 1972 against
Lasse Viren.
SP was the great Americn hope and Viren beat him.
SP died in a car crash in 1975.

G'day agian Lim, I'm not familiar with that film, however they had a documentary on SBS a couple of weeks ago, showing the Etheopian Runners, they just go for a run, one village to another, twenty kilometres, have a chat, a cup of tea, then run back home again, this is a daily event too, all in bare feet, and one of them works as a farm labourer.

They don't exactly have smooth surfaces to run on either, dust, stones, rocks, sand, it's truly amazing how resilient they are.

Skinny like bean poles, the pace was something else, the camera team were traveling in a van, the camera man complained of the rough surfaces the heat and the lack of shade, the runner's seemed oblivious to everything, it's as though they went in to a trance to run, talk about tough?

Don't ask me to spell the names, I've heard them mentioned at the Worlds Championships and Olympic's, one of them is supposed to be running in Oz soon at the........? AAA's meeting, Sydney?

OK, I'm off to me bed, catch yer soon? TBC

 

[Trekker2017]

Au contraire. The way to stop his criminal misconduct &/or negligence is written right into The Constitution. Oh yes, the remedy I refer to is Impeachment w/ extreme prejudice & expeditiousness, mind you Forgot that, did you

Now you sound like my mother. I didn't forget it; I just figured it was so improbable as to not be worth considering. With a Republican Congress and a gaggle of Democrats who voted to allow him his little war, it's going to be hard to impeach him without impeaching themselves. Their own self interests will keep impeachment off the table.

 

[FredC]

G'day Fred, normal chit chat you couldn't indulge in that if your life depended on it, tri-party you, yourself and you again, smoke and mirrors Fred, boring, boring, no wonder you attempt character assasination, worried Fred, worried, you should be, the net is closing in.
Me, I save my money, I spend it travelling around the world, it broadens the mind Fred something you should try now and again, mate.
I'm off to bed, got an early start in the morning, we'll be out on the road at sparrows, 120 kilometres, just the old codgers?

Listen Cotters old bean,
I had you down as Captain Mainwaring, but I'm not so sure now. Could be that Mr Mackay from Porridge might be nearer.
Joking apart Brian, I was astounded the reaction you got about Mexican P*****s, in fact flabbergasted. Jesus, I thought the Ozzies were a lively lot, seems not. Use cockney rhyming slang like 'wooly woofters' or 'ginger' or 'pigs ear' in future. Are there any 'luco's' about?
As for travelling, I'm sick of it, been doing it all my life, and been everywhere I ever wanted to go. As for America, I wouldn't set foot in the place, unless I went to stay with Huskey for a bit of shooting.
BTW the 'Lent' board was very lively today, pity I was out.

 

[limerickman]

BTW the 'Lent' board was very lively today, pity I was out.

Give you a quick recap.

Yep, Zapper was acting up today.
He told us he was grossly offended.
Grossly offended - so he was.

Then he said that he thought that the banning of Squirm was too harsh.
Then he said that he thought that the banning of Squirm was orchestrated !

When it was pointed out to Zapper that Squirm insulted everyone and sundry during his two day tenure (15-01-05 to 17-01-05) as the entity Squirmy Irish,
Zapper then said that he wasn't condoning Squirm but.........
Blah, blah, blah.
Usual conditional waffle.

I thought Zapper overdid the melodrama today, to be honest.
Feigned insult and injury.

His sensibilities are offended when his crony is attacked, but joins in the baiting of others.
As he'd say himself - double standards.
Sure he should know - he wrote the book.

It's funny but I remember Zap, coming in here shouting the odds, telling people where to go, questioing peoples credentials, calling people *****'s, insulting others about sex change operations, calling other commies
and other such offensive stuff.
From day one he shouted the odds.
I put him in his place then.

I had to do so again today.

 

[Brian Cotgrove]

Listen Cotters old bean,
I had you down as Captain Mainwaring, but I'm not so sure now. Could be that Mr Mackay from Porridge might be nearer.
Joking apart Brian, I was astounded the reaction you got about Mexican P*****s, in fact flabbergasted. Jesus, I thought the Ozzies were a lively lot, seems not. Use cockney rhyming slang like 'wooly woofters' or 'ginger' or 'pigs ear' in future. Are there any 'luco's' about?
As for travelling, I'm sick of it, been doing it all my life, and been everywhere I ever wanted to go. As for America, I wouldn't set foot in the place, unless I went to stay with Huskey for a bit of shooting.
BTW the 'Lent' board was very lively today, pity I was out.

G'day Fred your right old mate, the precious types tried to get me fried for that comment, as you say pigs ears, etc., it was a perfectly harmless remaks about magpies swooping cyclist during the September to late October time of year, their breeding time. According to the wildlife people the male birds "Gonads", "Plum's", "Victor Silvetser's", swell to twice the size which makes them pretty/extremely cranky?

Luco's as in Dutch? put your finger in one, like the little boy to save the town?

The little devils (Magpies, Butcher Birds) react with venom when they feel a person or another animal is encroaching on their territory, as a result kids have fallen off bikes so have adult riders too, after being attacked. The kids off bikes, causes most reaction by parent groups who want the birds destroyed, but it only lasts a couple of months anyway.

People even walk about with umberella's and sticks held aloft to prevent the attacks, some even wear hats with eye's on the back's "NO KIDDING". You need to be here to experience an almost frenzy of activity, and it goes on year after year too, myself, I just ride a bit quicker in the area they are known to be operating.

However having said that, they get smarter each year, one little bugger a "Butcher Bird" fly's low to the ground in a Typical Battle of Brittian, attack and comes up from behind to get you, but only on the left ear, never the right ear? He actually draws blood, but it's not serious, a couple of days and it all healed up, it does serve one good purpose and it's the same as the local dog who chases, you get in a bit of sprint practise.

As for the travelling, I agree with the bit about America, I have some very good friends there who keep asking me to go, but I can't, why I dont feel the need to go is beyond me. Canada is another thing entirely, I have two cousins there, when we were considering our move out of the UK, Canada was on the list of destinations but don't think I could stand the cold for six months of the year. The only other drawback is, I'd have to learn French, not that that is a problem, but I'm not doing as well as I should with Italiano, need more practise and of course strap in to learn better. I've got till 2007 before I have to get around by myself there, without a guide that is, hopefully by then I'll be reasonably proficient?

The ride got cut short this morning, two of the guys weren't feeling too bright, me also, so we only did the seventy two loop, and slowly as well?

That's it, I'm off to do some shopping, she who must be obeyed?

Have fun now, TBC

 

[FredC]

Give you a quick recap.
Yep, Zapper was acting up today.
He told us he was grossly offended.
Grossly offended - so he was.
I thought Zapper overdid the melodrama today, to be honest.
Feigned insult and injury.
It's funny but I remember Zap, coming in here shouting the odds, telling people where to go, questioing peoples credentials, calling people *****'s, insulting others about sex change operations, calling other commies
and other such offensive stuff.
From day one he shouted the odds.
I put him in his place then.
I had to do so again today.

I noticed that all day he huffed and he puffed an blew down his poxy house of straw with the help of the Irish Atlantic west wind. He'll be digging around now to find out who SR really is. He should be warm though buried in all that straw.

 

[Brian Cotgrove]

Give you a quick recap.

Yep, Zapper was acting up today.
He told us he was grossly offended.
Grossly offended - so he was.

Then he said that he thought that the banning of Squirm was too harsh.
Then he said that he thought that the banning of Squirm was orchestrated !

When it was pointed out to Zapper that Squirm insulted everyone and sundry during his two day tenure (15-01-05 to 17-01-05) as the entity Squirmy Irish,
Zapper then said that he wasn't condoning Squirm but.........
Blah, blah, blah.
Usual conditional waffle.

I thought Zapper overdid the melodrama today, to be honest.
Feigned insult and injury.

His sensibilities are offended when his crony is attacked, but joins in the baiting of others.
As he'd say himself - double standards.
Sure he should know - he wrote the book.

It's funny but I remember Zap, coming in here shouting the odds, telling people where to go, questioing peoples credentials, calling people *****'s, insulting others about sex change operations, calling other commies
and other such offensive stuff.
From day one he shouted the odds.
I put him in his place then.

I had to do so again today.

G'day Lim, your a champion lad and that's for sure, Squirmy shot himself in the foot not once but every time he opened his eye on cyberspace. Had he engaged us in good repatee, I'm sure he would have been welcomed into the fold, but that was beyond him, very infantile to say the least, maybe a lesson learned, we can only hope so?

As for Zap...............?

Some others never learn either and soon he'll be saying I'm being pressed into service, as a part of the support group, he 'aint heard nothin' yet?

I might just have to get me dictionary head on, then it'll blow his sock's off.

Keep up the good work mate, catch yer soon?TBC

 

[FredC]

G'day Lim, your a champion lad and that's for sure, Squirmy shot himself in the foot not once but every time he opened his eye on cyberspace. Had he engaged us in good repatee, I'm sure he would have been welcomed into the fold, but that was beyond him, very infantile to say the least, maybe a lesson learned, we can only hope so?

For Luco try Lucozade what rhymes with that?

 

[limerickman]

G'day Lim, your a champion lad and that's for sure, Squirmy shot himself in the foot not once but every time he opened his eye on cyberspace. Had he engaged us in good repatee, I'm sure he would have been welcomed into the fold, but that was beyond him, very infantile to say the least, maybe a lesson learned, we can only hope so?

As for Zap...............?

Some others never learn either and soon he'll be saying I'm being pressed into service, as a part of the support group, he 'aint heard nothin' yet?

I might just have to get me dictionary head on, then it'll blow his sock's off.

Keep up the good work mate, catch yer soon?TBC

Brian - how did the miles go today.
120kms, you said you were going for ?

I missed my spin today because I got caught on this bloody soapbox today.
What a waste of time.
Pointless.
But when false allegation are thrown about - you've got to stand yer ground.
Kinda ironic that Squirmy didn't come in to help the main accuser, ain't it ?

I don't mind people shoutin', roarin' and givin' out : it's all part of the game.