I told you so.

[offguard96]

Message to the war-hawks who claimed Iran wouldn't be the next target of those who manufacture facts: I told you so!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3905509.stm


The more we approach the [US] presidential elections, we will witness more of such news fabrications

-Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi

[Insane Power Pilot]

Hmmm...where did you tell us so? Can't remember...

I don't think Iran has "state-sponsored terrorism" but everyone knows that they were pursuing a nuclear weapons program. Maybe that's what they mean... :confused:

[offguard96]

Back when Darth was still on, and Iraq was a future prospect for oil, er, I mean, liberation.

[wb256]

I wasn't sure if it'd be Iran or not, but I knew it wouldn't stop with Iraq.

They're a nation that constantly needs a scapegoat. Communism, Libya, the war on drugs, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, etc.

Granted, they do speak some truth about the evils of dictators and what not, however...they neglect to mention that the state they leave these places in is hardly any better off.

[hubert]

haha, darth. he would've harped on that article like vampire on a blood bank

[The Blue Tory]

This is starting to sound a lot like Hitler and the Nazis...

Bush is going around invading country similar to Hitler... And he has the Muslims instead of the Jews but to a much much much much lesser extent...

There is a comparison between the two in how they are invading...

[offguard96]

Bush is going around invading country similar to Hitler... And he has the Muslims instead of the Jews but to a much much much much lesser extent...

Even the extent is in question...Gestapo-style raids on civilian homes are carried out by American soldiers all over Baghdad, every night...the population lives in fear, in what can be called a city-wide ghetto. The similarities are shocking when you look at Abu Ghraib and pre-WW2 Nazi police treatment of Jewish civilians.

The big question now is whether the world will keep sitting on its butt like it did in 1933-1939, or whether it will do something about the problem before war is necessary.

[The Blue Tory]

thats what is happening right now...

If he is going after Iran next, then North Korea will be after Iran, since it was part of Bush's axis of evil

[wb256]

I duno if North Korea will actually come after Iran...but is holding off on them because of China.

China's army's huge...a war against them wouldn't be a quick win like Iraq (not that they've even won yet, but it'd be hardcore combat forever, if the USA even won!)

they'd probably have an easier case going against North Korea right now (they say they will make nukes, use them against the USA, they violate no fly zones just to **** around...plus they're just as brutal as Iran).

[piper-from-camp]

Clap clap clap clap. Good job everyone. Lets compare our most important ally, trading partner...neighbour to the Nazis. Abuse happens in wartime, it is a given. However, what the Nazis did was state sanctioned, what the Americans did was not. I would rather be allied to the States then to Iran, or North Korea, or China. It is a sad state of affairs when everyone condemms a nation trying to get rid of at least some of the evil in the world. Yes, I called the governments of the former Iraq, North Korea, and to an extent Iran evil. Shocking isnt it? Does this make me a neo-nazi too?

[offguard96]

Lets compare our most important ally, trading partner...neighbour to the Nazis.

We're comparing Bush's strategies with those of Hitler. Not America with Nazi Germany. I know Bush isn't an overt racist, and I know he's not setting up Death Camps in America (Cuba and Iraq maybe, but not America). Perhaps the fact that they are our neighbour, ally, trading partner, etc. should make us that much more critical of their strategies for a few reasons...

First of all, we get lumped in with them when people think about us. North America means America to most of the world, whether you like it or not. If they're doing something to **** someone off, I sure as hell don't want to have to die in some crazy terrorist attack as a result.

Second, if we don't think critically and visibly distance our foreign policy from theirs, we deserve to get lumped in with them, and we might as well be just another state. We are not American, and therefore we bear no allegiance to them beyond what is stated in a treaty and what our own goodwill leads us to grant. Our criticism is not disloyalty, it is patriotism and affirms belief in Canada as a distinct nation (which it is and God willing will always be).

Third, I don't care what you say about China, Iran, North Korea, Iraq, Libya, wherever, because it is just as right to bash tyrannical regimes abroad as it is to bash them just across the border. "Relatively good" isn't good enough, regardless of what you think. Compared to Stalin, Hitler was a kitten. It still makes him a tyrant and a monster of a sort the world will hopefully never again witness.

Fourth, as you've no doubt heard said before, those who do not learn from the past are bound to repeat it. It's that way with this. If you don't remember how Napoleon and Hitler and Hirohito went about forging empires in the past, you won't be able to see that Bush is in fact forging an empire in much the same way. Try to look beyond the Nazi party when we bring up Hitler, and see that instead of comparing that side of Hitler's legacy, we are comparing his annexation of the Sudetenland, support for Franco in Spain, and opening strokes in France and Poland with what has happened in Afghanistan, Iraq, and soon Iran or North Korea, if the pattern doesn't falter.

[offguard96]

http://www.oregonlive.com/special/oregonian/iraq/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Ffront_page%2F1091880082213032. xml

Go freedom!

[hubert]

Clap clap clap clap. Good job everyone. Lets compare our most important ally, trading partner...neighbour to the Nazis.

they deserve no less


Abuse happens in wartime, it is a given. However, what the Nazis did was state sanctioned, what the Americans did was not.

that's real funny, because the military police detachments in iraq were ordered, with the knowledge of the Pentagon, to give "treatment" to the prisoners. the guys in guantanamo bay are still doing it


I would rather be allied to the States then to Iran, or North Korea, or China. It is a sad state of affairs when everyone condemms a nation trying to get rid of at least some of the evil in the world. Yes, I called the governments of the former Iraq, North Korea, and to an extent Iran evil. Shocking isnt it? Does this make me a neo-nazi too?

if you believe in bush's "axis of evil" "war on terrorism" load of bull then all the power to you. go ahead and preach that trash to the rest of the world

[Insane Power Pilot]

Well, for all you ultra patriotic critics of the Bush administration, I'd like to present for your viewing pleasure my top 10 reasons why I can't wait for John Kerry to become president:

1. Suddenly, ever country in the world will send their troops to Iraq and the U.S. will leave.

2. Terrorism will disappear from the face of the earth thanks to the aggressive Kerry administration striking fear in the hearts of these people around the globe.

3. Thanks to raising taxes on wealthy people, unemployment will immediately drop to 0%.

4. Their trade deficits with other countries will disappear with the protectionist policies he'll put in place.

5. Outsourcing of jobs will never happen. Companies will flock to pay more to produce their products at the behest of John Kerry.

6. Oil will drop the next day to $10 per barrel and our gas will be about .70/gallon as a result.

7. Countries will agree to any and all proposals that John Kerry makes, because they all love him so much. This will also apply to congress, where the Republican-controlled houses will beat a path to the door of the oval office to make sure that all policies are passed without question!

8. Since Kerry is going to eliminate terrorism as soon as he takes office, they won't need that pesky Patriot Act to help them nab these baddies. They'll be able to get rid of that immediately after he takes office.

9. Can't decide on a doctor? No Problem! They won't have that worry on their minds anymore. When Kerry becomes President, they can look forward to the government telling them what doctor to see, what procedures they can have, and when they can have them. As an added bonus, they can look forward to about a 30% increase in their taxes across the board to pay for it! That'll be a glorious day, indeed!

10. They'll have the incredible credentials of such public servants as Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Tom Daschle and Jimmy Carter dictating policy in the White House. With a great group of people like that looking out for them, how can they go wrong??

Yes, it's going to be a utopian paradise the day John Kerry takes the oath of office...

I never thought it would come to this, but citing reasons 4, 5, and 6, if Bush goes down, Canada goes down with him. :(

[offguard96]

1. Suddenly, ever country in the world will send their troops to Iraq and the U.S. will leave.

No, probably not. The world dislikes Bush because of his wars. Why would they participate in them just because the presidency changes? Chances are good that if Kerry keeps doing what Bush has been doing, the world will feel the same way towards him.


2. Terrorism will disappear from the face of the earth thanks to the aggressive Kerry administration striking fear in the hearts of these people around the globe.

Rewrite: 2. Rather than doing what terrorists want him to do, Kerry refuses to send his military into harms way.

Look at it this way: Bush is giving terrorists an at-home buffet lunch by sending Americans to die overseas. Can't you see this is exactly what they want? They don't care if they die, provided they can take some Americans with them, and Bush gives them every opportunity.


3. Thanks to raising taxes on wealthy people, unemployment will immediately drop to 0%.

I guess your point, made sarcastically and in a roundabout manner, is that by taxing the wealthy you put people out of work. I don't see how this is true. In fact, by taxing the wealthy, you can help more people get by in an otherwise unforgiving society. Millions would be thankful.


4. Their trade deficits with other countries will disappear with the protectionist policies he'll put in place.

Again, what are you talking about?


5. Outsourcing of jobs will never happen. Companies will flock to pay more to produce their products at the behest of John Kerry.

Wouldn't protectionist policies help American businesses produce goods and services inside the United States, with American workers earning the wages?


6. Oil will drop the next day to $10 per barrel and our gas will be about .70/gallon as a result.

No, probably not, but at least Kerry wouldn't make a half-hearted attempt to convince people he was working on alternative energy, and instead he'd just go and do it. It has to be done someday...the world is running out of oil. It won't happen very soon, but soon enough oil will be prohibitively expensive. Without a forward-thinking administration (ie: one that isn't swimming in oil money) the United States' reign as leader of the free world is over. It all hinges on energy and its cost.


7. Countries will agree to any and all proposals that John Kerry makes, because they all love him so much. This will also apply to congress, where the Republican-controlled houses will beat a path to the door of the oval office to make sure that all policies are passed without question!

No, they wont agree with them all. Of course, any agreement will be nothing close to what Bush enjoyed right after September 11...the same international goodwill he chose to absolutely sink almost before it even existed. Maybe it's GOOD that different parts of government think differently about things. It encourages dialogue and criticism, or in other words, DEMOCRACY.


8. Since Kerry is going to eliminate terrorism as soon as he takes office, they won't need that pesky Patriot Act to help them nab these baddies. They'll be able to get rid of that immediately after he takes office.

The Patriot act is bogus. It's an attack on civil liberties, a federal power grab, and nothing more. Without the Patriot Act, Bush still had information on September 11. It's not about how you get the info or how much of it you have, it's all about how you interpret it and use it (or how you dont use it, as it is in Bush's case).


9. Can't decide on a doctor? No Problem! They won't have that worry on their minds anymore. When Kerry becomes President, they can look forward to the government telling them what doctor to see, what procedures they can have, and when they can have them. As an added bonus, they can look forward to about a 30% increase in their taxes across the board to pay for it! That'll be a glorious day, indeed!

Maybe if the Americans cut some money from their insane military budgets and instead put it into stuff that could MAYBE prove useful (science, education, the arts, MEDICINE), they wouldn't need a "30% increase" (in other words, a figure pulled out of an orifice). I don't see whats wrong with the poorest members of a society having equal access to medicare...it just seems to be such a basic human right.


10. They'll have the incredible credentials of such public servants as Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Tom Daschle and Jimmy Carter dictating policy in the White House. With a great group of people like that looking out for them, how can they go wrong??

As opposed to Nixon or Reagan. Watergate and Iran-Contra. Nuff said.

[Insane Power Pilot]

No, probably not. The world dislikes Bush because of his wars. Why would they participate in them just because the presidency changes? Chances are good that if Kerry keeps doing what Bush has been doing, the world will feel the same way towards him.

Then it seems we're in agreement.


Rewrite: 2. Rather than doing what terrorists want him to do, Kerry refuses to send his military into harms way.

Look at it this way: Bush is giving terrorists an at-home buffet lunch by sending Americans to die overseas. Can't you see this is exactly what they want? They don't care if they die, provided they can take some Americans with them, and Bush gives them every opportunity.

I don't see how ousting the taliban was in any way beneficial to the terrorists...


I guess your point, made sarcastically and in a roundabout manner, is that by taxing the wealthy you put people out of work. I don't see how this is true. In fact, by taxing the wealthy, you can help more people get by in an otherwise unforgiving society. Millions would be thankful.

Yes, millions of people would be thankful as they sit at home and live off government handouts. Tax cuts to businesses help them to expand and thus hire more workers. Kerry's campaign tells you that job growth is sluggish, but it is still growing! That's better than having it go the other way.


Again, what are you talking about?

I'm talking about Kerry's position on NAFTA. Kerry hopes to eliminate trade deficits by restructuring free trade agreements that are in place i.e. he will stop importing as much from Canada. That's not a good thing for us.


Wouldn't protectionist policies help American businesses produce goods and services inside the United States, with American workers earning the wages?

No. Protectionist trade policies do nothing but take jobs away. If companies are forced to close their operations in foreign countries and move them to the U.S., chances are it will be quite costly for them since labour is more expensive down there and they'll be forced to downsize as a result.


No, probably not, but at least Kerry wouldn't make a half-hearted attempt to convince people he was working on alternative energy, and instead he'd just go and do it. It has to be done someday...the world is running out of oil. It won't happen very soon, but soon enough oil will be prohibitively expensive. Without a forward-thinking administration (ie: one that isn't swimming in oil money) the United States' reign as leader of the free world is over. It all hinges on energy and its cost.

I guess the clear skies plan and the tax subsidy on hybrid vehicles don't count for anything.


The Patriot act is bogus. It's an attack on civil liberties, a federal power grab, and nothing more. Without the Patriot Act, Bush still had information on September 11. It's not about how you get the info or how much of it you have, it's all about how you interpret it and use it (or how you dont use it, as it is in Bush's case).

Well, for one, the democrats all voted for it, or they had absolutely no objections to it. How else could it have blown through both houses with virtually no debate? Second, if it is such an attack on civil liberties, why hasn't the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional? And third, is it worth it if it makes a majority of Americans feel safer?


Maybe if the Americans cut some money from their insane military budgets and instead put it into stuff that could MAYBE prove useful (science, education, the arts, MEDICINE), they wouldn't need a "30% increase" (in other words, a figure pulled out of an orifice). I don't see whats wrong with the poorest members of a society having equal access to medicare...it just seems to be such a basic human right.

Arts and science? That's not useful! :p And just so you're aware, if they cut their military, that means we'd have to start funding ours, and our healthcare and education would no doubt suffer. Is this what you want? Or should Kerry just nicely ask North Korea and China to scale back their military production so they can scale theirs back too? And society does have equal access to medicare, you just need to be smart enough to buy insurance. And their government does spend more on healthcare per capita. I've heard $8000 per person.




As opposed to Nixon or Reagan. Watergate and Iran-Contra. Nuff said.

Those two are both dead! You can't dictate policy from beyond the grave! ;)

[jgoguen]

You can't dictate policy from beyond the grave!
I don't know about that one...John Ashcroft lost to a dead guy ;)

[jhunter]

The former Rt. Hon. William Lyon Mackenzie King took personal advice from dead spirits while he was Prime Minister.

[Squanto]

Those two are both dead! You can't dictate policy from beyond the grave! ;)

We would all do well to learn from Nixon and Regan. They made the mistakes, we should learn from them. Doesn't matter if they're alive or dead.

[hubert]

Well, for all you ultra patriotic supporters of the Bush administration, I'd like to present for your viewing pleasure my top 10 reasons why I can't wait for George W. Bush to stay as president:

1. Suddenly, every country in the world will join hands in praise of the US' legal invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan

2. Terrorism will disappear from the face of the earth thanks to the aggressive Bush administration striking fear in the hearts of these people around the globe

3. Thanks to cutting 5 tax brackets down to 4, unemployment will immediately drop to 0%

4. Their trade deficits with other countries will disappear with the outstanding foreign trade efforts of the Bush administration that created the trade deficit in the first place

5. Outsourcing of jobs will never happen because labour costs in the US will drastically drop to below third world standards with the Bush administration in office

6. Oil will rise to $100 per barrel, $2 per litre thanks to the second gulf war and nobody will be able to afford to drive anymore, thus saving the environment

7. Countries will agree to any and all proposals that George W. Bush makes, because they all love him so much. This will also apply to congress, where the Republican-controlled houses will beat a path to the door of the oval office to make sure that all policies are passed without question, because all Republican senators just adore George W. Bush

8. Since Bush is going to eliminate terrorism in a million years, they will need the handy Patriot Act to help them speed up the process. That will certainly boost Americans' confidence in the administration as their personal privacy are exploited further

9. Can't decide on a healthcare system? No Problem! It's been decided for you by your friendly neighbourhood Republicans, who said "let there be private healthcare" and there was private healthcare and medical insurance that nobody can afford. When Bush stays on as President, they can look forward to the government making "government takeover of health care as anachronistic as surgery without anesthesia" As an added bonus, they can look forward to about no tax increases to pay for nothing. That'll be a glorious day, indeed!

10. They'll have the incredible credentials of such public servant as George W. Bush dictating policy in the White House. With an intelligent person like that looking out for them, how can they go wrong??

Yes, it's going to be an utopian paradise the day George W. Bush takes the oath of office again

I never thought it would come to this, but citing all of the reasons, if Bush goes down, the world would be a better place

[Insane Power Pilot]

I think you'd only feel your personal privacy was being exploited if you have something to hide. My Pilot Training Record was investigated by the RCMP shortly after 9/11, I didn't care, even though it's a document that only myself and my flight instructors normally have access to. All they needed to know was that I spent time learning how to taxi and take-off. ;) It also fits within my interpretation of the Fifth Amendment.

Hubert, I don't care how high the price of oil gets. People need their oil and it spells mazoola in the bank for Alberta! It will also greatly help the reconstruction of Iraq. Also, Bush did not create the trading gap...in 2000 when Clinton left office, it stood at $4.361 billion. Of course, I have no problem with that...Canada makes up 17.8% of their imports. #5 would never happen even if all labour laws were repealed, because the unions have the power to shut the country down. It's in their best interests to keep the unions happy without bending over to their every demand. Clearly, this is easier said than done.