Psh, If I had the skills or a doctorate in something, I'd be on the next plane to the first European country that would have me.. I'd have to give up certain rights and possessions, but it would be worth not being here and being able to watch our politicians destroy this country from afar.
We need a multiple party system. We need to quit electing career politicians. We need to stop letting people accept campaign donations that are little more than bribes. We need to stop the lobbyists. We need term limits. We need to get out of Iraq. We need to hold our government accountable for where the money goes. We need separation of church and state. We need a lot. A lot more than we'll get any time soon, and thats sad because America is a truly amazing place.
I know a lot of you Americans at least are Christian/religious, but the fact is, I'm not, and thats the problem with religion in government; not that we don't need morals in our society, just they can't be your morals. What if we elected a Jewish president, or better yet, Muslim and he decided to make you take classes on religion in school and only the Torah or Koran were taught and not the bible as you know it? That's when the people who are for religion in government think it's bad, because it's not what they believe, and thats the problem. Fark Huckabee. The world is 6000 years old my ass.
$ ~ €
Hi ,
Mark, I’m not sure the Torah would surprise any Bible reader since that’s Genesis+Exodus+Leviticus+Numbers+Deuteronomy, maybe the Talmud would…
Concerning the campaign donations, they were forbidden in France and the bribes were then cleverly disguised as Consultant fees, members of the party being engaged in a friendly company for ten times the normal salary, etc.
Our former president is currently charged with corruption because of all the people supposed the work for Paris city services when he was Paris mayor and president of the RPR (Gathering for the Republic party). At least when an abortion clinic, a gay association, a cigarette or oil company, the NRA or a Church gives some money to a party you know what or who you’re voting for and it sounds quite honest (to me at least).
Concerning the wars, of course it’s a very delicate problem because it’s always the same who have to play the prefect’s role when there’s a fight in the European schoolyard.
BUT, if I regret the arrogant style of the French politicians when they virtually replied “F.O.!” to the USA who were asking for help for the invasion of Iraq ( I regret more specifically the resentment it caused in our friends minds), seeing that there was not the ghost of a “massive destruction weapon” in this country, seeing that the area is even more unstable that it was before, that now Iraq is not a sanctuary for one terrorist but for thousands or self generated terrorists, that even the US +British armies are unable to deal with the situation, when I see all the boys who lost their lives as well as the collateral losses…I really don’t regret that we didn’t send our army there (I mean our 1000 efficient soldiers and our 20 tanks and planes in working condition!
).
Oh I forgot, in a more personnal point of view: the gas in my car that used to cost 45€ a fill now reaches 65€!
In fact I’m not a fan of Chirac at all but he’s not only a notorious crook: he was also personally involved as a platoon leader in Algeria during the Algerian revolution war, he had to deal with an Arab guerrilla, with terrorism, Islamic fanatics, so I guess he knew perfectly what he was talking about when he said “don’t go the into that shit or you won’t be able to get out of it intact!” Anyway, he should have said it in a more diplomatic way. I think it was more important to keep our friends than to gain the favour of the 10% of the traditional French primary-anti-American lobbies (former communists, anarchists, neo-nazis, islamic maniacs…).
Oh, BTW we still have some troops in Afghanistan (Special Forces mainly ) running after Bin Laden, from time to time the TV news announces that some of them got killed in action.
Mark, I’m not sure the Torah would surprise any Bible reader since that’s Genesis+Exodus+Leviticus+Numbers+Deuteronomy, maybe the Talmud would…
Concerning the campaign donations, they were forbidden in France and the bribes were then cleverly disguised as Consultant fees, members of the party being engaged in a friendly company for ten times the normal salary, etc.
Our former president is currently charged with corruption because of all the people supposed the work for Paris city services when he was Paris mayor and president of the RPR (Gathering for the Republic party). At least when an abortion clinic, a gay association, a cigarette or oil company, the NRA or a Church gives some money to a party you know what or who you’re voting for and it sounds quite honest (to me at least).
Concerning the wars, of course it’s a very delicate problem because it’s always the same who have to play the prefect’s role when there’s a fight in the European schoolyard.
BUT, if I regret the arrogant style of the French politicians when they virtually replied “F.O.!” to the USA who were asking for help for the invasion of Iraq ( I regret more specifically the resentment it caused in our friends minds), seeing that there was not the ghost of a “massive destruction weapon” in this country, seeing that the area is even more unstable that it was before, that now Iraq is not a sanctuary for one terrorist but for thousands or self generated terrorists, that even the US +British armies are unable to deal with the situation, when I see all the boys who lost their lives as well as the collateral losses…I really don’t regret that we didn’t send our army there (I mean our 1000 efficient soldiers and our 20 tanks and planes in working condition!
).Oh I forgot, in a more personnal point of view: the gas in my car that used to cost 45€ a fill now reaches 65€!
In fact I’m not a fan of Chirac at all but he’s not only a notorious crook: he was also personally involved as a platoon leader in Algeria during the Algerian revolution war, he had to deal with an Arab guerrilla, with terrorism, Islamic fanatics, so I guess he knew perfectly what he was talking about when he said “don’t go the into that shit or you won’t be able to get out of it intact!” Anyway, he should have said it in a more diplomatic way. I think it was more important to keep our friends than to gain the favour of the 10% of the traditional French primary-anti-American lobbies (former communists, anarchists, neo-nazis, islamic maniacs…).
Oh, BTW we still have some troops in Afghanistan (Special Forces mainly ) running after Bin Laden, from time to time the TV news announces that some of them got killed in action.
In principio erat spamum
Thanks, I meant the Talmud, I just couldn't think of it when I was writing that, but even still the god in the old testament isn't the god of the new testament, thats for sure.
Well, I'd like to comment a lot, but I know everyone else here has their opinions and I've made mine clear, but gas is only expensive because it's like diamonds, it's not really worth all that much because theres so much of it, it's a manufactured supply/demand. They just guess how much there is, they have no idea. We could still have enough oil left to produce gas for the next 500 years without a hiccup, they just don't know, but because they think it might be getting low, or they convince us that they think it's getting low, they raise the prices... and we go along with it because China would buy it up in a heartbeat... too bad we can't not buy it for a while and let them squirm.. but wtf are the oil companies doing posting record profits in a quarter that is as much as they made the entire year before?!?!
And we as Americans do nothing about it because we're so content to do nothing because someone else will get to it. *sigh*
At least in Europe you're predominantly progressive about public transport, although it's as much out of necessity as it is a good idea. Here in America public transportation is crap, frequently it's not terribly safe depending on where you are, and it rarely goes where you live, unless you live downtown, or on the poorer side of town. (Actually in Austin public transportation is pretty good, but I'm from Houston, where it's scary.)
Oh, and this has nothing to do with this, but Jesus H. Christ you people drive like insane monkeys on crack in Paris! I'm generalizing where you're from, but there are no freaking lines on the roads there! (Americans, imagine being downtown in the largest city around you, and all the four lane roads that go through downtown have no lane lines, and everyone just drives to get as close to the light as possible, with motorcycles weaving in and out constantly.) My cousin just came back and brought a video of traffic there, and it's nuts. On top of driving like IMoC, you double park people, and they don't hit your car. I'd push your car into traffic with my car if someone did that to me.
Well, I'd like to comment a lot, but I know everyone else here has their opinions and I've made mine clear, but gas is only expensive because it's like diamonds, it's not really worth all that much because theres so much of it, it's a manufactured supply/demand. They just guess how much there is, they have no idea. We could still have enough oil left to produce gas for the next 500 years without a hiccup, they just don't know, but because they think it might be getting low, or they convince us that they think it's getting low, they raise the prices... and we go along with it because China would buy it up in a heartbeat... too bad we can't not buy it for a while and let them squirm.. but wtf are the oil companies doing posting record profits in a quarter that is as much as they made the entire year before?!?!
And we as Americans do nothing about it because we're so content to do nothing because someone else will get to it. *sigh* At least in Europe you're predominantly progressive about public transport, although it's as much out of necessity as it is a good idea. Here in America public transportation is crap, frequently it's not terribly safe depending on where you are, and it rarely goes where you live, unless you live downtown, or on the poorer side of town. (Actually in Austin public transportation is pretty good, but I'm from Houston, where it's scary.)
Oh, and this has nothing to do with this, but Jesus H. Christ you people drive like insane monkeys on crack in Paris! I'm generalizing where you're from, but there are no freaking lines on the roads there! (Americans, imagine being downtown in the largest city around you, and all the four lane roads that go through downtown have no lane lines, and everyone just drives to get as close to the light as possible, with motorcycles weaving in and out constantly.) My cousin just came back and brought a video of traffic there, and it's nuts. On top of driving like IMoC, you double park people, and they don't hit your car. I'd push your car into traffic with my car if someone did that to me.
HAHAHA, that's one of the reasons that caused me to leave Paris area and to emigrate to Brittany
You're right: at the end I couldn't stand anymore the agressive way those crazy Parisians drive and I was thinking every morning "one day your nerves will break and you're going to get really mad and kick one of those crazy bastards to death"
So I left Paris and I feel much better here, even when I'm on a narrow road, behind a 70 year old guy who drives his tractor at 15 mph
You're right: at the end I couldn't stand anymore the agressive way those crazy Parisians drive and I was thinking every morning "one day your nerves will break and you're going to get really mad and kick one of those crazy bastards to death"
So I left Paris and I feel much better here, even when I'm on a narrow road, behind a 70 year old guy who drives his tractor at 15 mph
In principio erat spamum
How true...bl00k wrote:dirtbag wrote:Well, I guess it's time for the Europeans to take over... Providing wellfare to the world.
Or, perhaps, you could start paying back all the 'Loans' given to you over the last 100 years...
Oh, yes, and you all can now take over policing the world also, send your kids to exotic places to be killed.
And the next War ? Defend yourself ! we'll stay home...
Sheese !
And its total bullshit to start talking about WOII. The US didnt even account for 100% of the removal of the nazis. It was the russians who did most of the fighting and who basically crippled the Wehrmacht. And the US only took part in the war after it had been attacked. A lot has changed since then. The current US is not the US which liberated Europe..
We tend to forget other country's contribution to eradicating the Nazi's...
The Nederlands contribution to WW 2... Makes me ashamed to have dutch ancestors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4th_SS_Vol ... etherlands
Then the statement...
'If WE had stayed home, there would be no war'. Hmmm...
This from a member whose country's contribution to ww 2 is already forgotten by younger generations.
'In what later became known as The Holocaust, the Third Reich regime enacted governmental policies directly subjugating many parts of society: Jews, Slavs, Communists, Roma, homosexuals, freemasons, political dissidents, priests, preachers, religious opponents, and the disabled, amongst others. During the Nazi era, about eleven million people were murdered in the Holocaust, including six million Jews and three million Poles. World War II and the Nazi genocide were responsible for about 35 million deaths, plus 10 million of its own population'
No-one has had very many terrorists attacks in the last 3 years, ya?
I'd rather fight them in iraq than here, i'd assume you feel the same ?
the 'war' on terrorism is a world wide problem, and hiding your head in the sand or trying to pacify them won't work.
By the way, the U.S gets less than 8 % of its oil imports from Iraq, and none from Afganistan.
You europeans, however, get about 45 % from there, so again we are helping you out and all you do is whine !
There, I think I've spun up everybody, Y'all have a nice cry
OOPS, forgot the norwegians...
SS-Volunteer-Legion Norwegen
Avid practitioner of the martial art: KLIK-PAO
Please don't forget the French ss division Charlemagne, the Belgian Wallonia and Flandern... and even some Arab suppletive troops in North Africa. Almost every occupied country had some volunteers in the SS! 
Thanks God they didn't invade the UK or the USA or we would see some SS-Grossbritanien or SS-America division all over the world...
Thanks God they didn't invade the UK or the USA or we would see some SS-Grossbritanien or SS-America division all over the world...
ok, considering the fact that we have no Texas and no Alaska in the area (well, a few offshore oil platforms in the North sea, that's right) we are a little bit obliged to get the oil were it is, generally in some countries where the guys have a beard, a napkin on the head and a long white dressBy the way, the U.S gets less than 8 % of its oil imports from Iraq, and none from Afganistan.
You europeans, however, get about 45 % from there
In principio erat spamum
?dirtbag wrote: How true...
We tend to forget other country's contribution to eradicating the Nazi's...
The Nederlands contribution to WW 2... Makes me ashamed to have dutch ancestors
The overwhelming majority of the dutch population did not support the Nazi's. In every country you'll have a group of wacko's that think Hitler was awesome. You'll see them today in Holland, Germany, the US, Canada, France, GB, Australia, everywhere.
And yes it was pretty stupid of Holland to cut funding to the military in the years before WOII. The same thing is happening again now. Many people see the army as 'obsolete' and want to cut funding by 40%!!!! Holland already has a small army so it's madness to cut any funding at all. It sure wont be because of me, my vote always goes to the party taking care of the army. But still, Holland is a small country, with about 53.000 troops on active duty. We won't be able to do shit on our own. That's why we started a thing called the NATO.
Nato...
wonder why we're going broke ?
http://www.nato.int/docu/handbook/2001/hb090803.htm
We pay for Nato ! Over 300 Billion dollars a year.
We get nothing out of this, it's military welfare...
wonder why we're going broke ?
http://www.nato.int/docu/handbook/2001/hb090803.htm
We pay for Nato ! Over 300 Billion dollars a year.
We get nothing out of this, it's military welfare...
Avid practitioner of the martial art: KLIK-PAO
Yes but the US has by far the most soldiers.
US: 1,4 million active troops
France: 361.000
Germany: 284.000
UK: 188.000
Italy: 169.000
Australia: 53.000
Netherlands: 53.000
Belgium: 40.000
Thats not weird because the US inhabits 300 million citizens.
Okay, the EU has 495 million citizens, but all member-states don't work together as good as the 50 US states.
True you aren't getting much out of this now. Except for that NATO members are helping in Afghanistan. Of 41.300 troops in Afghanistan, 17.000 are American, thats about 41%, which would probably correlate to the amount of citizens the US has compared to other NATO members.
But still, if one of the NATO members would get attacked, all members would join in to help. This probably helps smaller members more than the big ones, like the US.
What would another option be? Just drop the whole NATO thing and go along by yourself? There already is talk in the Netherlands why we arent working more together with Russia and why we work so much together with the US. I dont think it's smart to turn your back to other NATO-members, but thats just me.
US: 1,4 million active troops
France: 361.000
Germany: 284.000
UK: 188.000
Italy: 169.000
Australia: 53.000
Netherlands: 53.000
Belgium: 40.000
Thats not weird because the US inhabits 300 million citizens.
Okay, the EU has 495 million citizens, but all member-states don't work together as good as the 50 US states.
True you aren't getting much out of this now. Except for that NATO members are helping in Afghanistan. Of 41.300 troops in Afghanistan, 17.000 are American, thats about 41%, which would probably correlate to the amount of citizens the US has compared to other NATO members.
But still, if one of the NATO members would get attacked, all members would join in to help. This probably helps smaller members more than the big ones, like the US.
What would another option be? Just drop the whole NATO thing and go along by yourself? There already is talk in the Netherlands why we arent working more together with Russia and why we work so much together with the US. I dont think it's smart to turn your back to other NATO-members, but thats just me.
The document refers to the individual budgets of member countries, not any kind of "central fund" to which they contribute. The 300 Billion mentioned (in 2001, I bet it's waaaay more by now) is just US expenditure on its own military.
From a financial point of view, membership is of benefit to all in terms of standardised equipment, base rentals, that sort of thing. Also, the USA makes a lot of high spec military gear, which means lots and lots of sales for US contractors. When Euro defense ministers go out shopping to spend their budget, a good chunk of that goes to US companies employing US workers, and although each individual country in the EU is small financially compared to the USA, their combined buying power also lists in the hundreds of Billions. That's a lot of full time work for a lot of American working men and women.
From a financial point of view, membership is of benefit to all in terms of standardised equipment, base rentals, that sort of thing. Also, the USA makes a lot of high spec military gear, which means lots and lots of sales for US contractors. When Euro defense ministers go out shopping to spend their budget, a good chunk of that goes to US companies employing US workers, and although each individual country in the EU is small financially compared to the USA, their combined buying power also lists in the hundreds of Billions. That's a lot of full time work for a lot of American working men and women.