tennesseeboy
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Posts posted by tennesseeboy
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my 1982 Mazda RX-7...with the Wankel Rotary Engine. Loved that car.
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I wasn't going to do this...
AQ desires a Kerry presidency. Rightly or wrongly, they are planning on him reducing US presence in the middle east (more of a political move than strategic) with a defensive concentration centered into homeland defense. As their immediate goal is not "destroying our way of life", but removing western influence (especially US influence, as it's driving them bonkers having us in the hood) from the region. With the US, and preferably all western influence out - fully understanding that Russia is too weak to fill the vacuum, it creates a much more favorable situation for them to form the Caliphate. A primary strategic goal of the Caliphate is to remove the Saudi royal family from power and gain hold over the oil reserves. In this, they have the full support of Iran and to a lesser extent, Syria. The more moderate governments of the middle east and central Asia will either have to fall in line, or eventually risk very bad things as Iran is already in possession of some pretty decent missiles and a large WMD inventory. One has to remember that Iran also has aspirations of it's own, and might view AQ and other radical extremist groups as a willing tool. The government of Pakistan is likely to fall. Both Pakistan and India have nuclear weapons and the related delivery systems now. Pakistan and India don't like each other - Hindu vs. Muslim. It becomes a very, very volatile situation.
Harp on having hydrogen powered cars all you like, but the oil issue is not going anywhere. Check out the statistics on where mid-east oil actually goes. A fundamentalist Islamic Caliphate controlling such a huge portion of the world's oil supply will have a very destabilizing influence on the world economy (ironically putting France in the catbird seat, as they have so many deals going on you'd think they were used car salesman). Couple that with a usable nuclear capability and some pretty good sized conventional forces and one has created a situation where a muslim super-power is born. Do we all feel that to be a good thing? Keep in mind-the ultimate goal is to have the entire world reading out of the Quran. It won't happen fast-they even plan on it taking several generations-but that isthe ultimate goal. Knowing that-one can imagine their political strategy.
This is a lot bigger than just AQ. The current administrations strategy of taking the fight to THEIR backyard, while flawed in execution is the one thing standing in their way. France feels they can cut a deal-because they have always been friends with that sort. I'm not sure where Germany and Russia sit - but remember that Sadaams bunkers were built by German engineers and the nuclear complex containing several hundred tons of yellowcake housed not only French but a Russian reactor, a breeder by the way. France and Germany want to lead the way for the EU. They know damn well sitting this one out and letting the US go alone would put a big strain on us, and have a serious negative impact on our relations with the rest of the world. Forget the rhetoric-everyone here is working in their own self interest.
As for which way to go making America safer? In the long term, over the next 15-20 years. No, for reasons given above. These people are not negotiators. It's their way or the highway. Short term? Who knows. Flip a coin. We are not dealing with rational people, in our terms. They are just as likely to blow something up soon to give the impression that Bush is not doing his job as they are to blow something up AFTER Kerry gets elected to cause greater pressure to withdraw from the sandbox. They might not blow up anything at all. That is unlikely, because within this happy little family is the extreme of the extreme element who just want to blow things up. That's why planning for defense is such an interesting thing to do right now. Believe me, things were a lot easier when the Soviet Union was the bad guy. One knew pretty well exactly what to expect, and where. You know what 9/11 really was? A commercial. A calling card. "We've arrived". Based on our history over the previous 8 years, AQ never expected the reaction it got. Probably figured on a dozen or so cruise missiles, tops.
And though I hate to bring up the "word", probably the greatest danger over the next few years involves WMD. A consolidation of effort within the fundamentalist nations and the non-state terror groups will make that threat a reality sooner than later. staying in their face, and trying to de-stabilize/convert the radical regimes is the only viable strategy over the long haul.
As for allies, we have many. Allowing the bad guys to gain firmer foothold will make them go away, not create more. It is much more important to have Pakistan as a working ally than it is to have France.
Quit viewing things in one dimension. Even one tiny piece of the puzzle-India/Pakistan-Pakistan/Afghanistan is tremendously complicated and a tightrope walk. Don't disregard Asia in the equation. Who outside of the middle east not only has a muslim population but large oil reserves? Most rational people do not like war, but sometimes, often as a matter of fact-it is necessary.
This is not and never has been a question of Halliburton getting contracts, and shame on any of you who really think it is. It's a question of what kind of world your kids are going to live in 20 years from now. It's a question of what is in the best interests of the United States. In the simplest terms, WTF cares what anyone else thinks. They all have to deal with us one way or the other.
If this could have been done nicey-nice, with everyone sitting around toasting marshmallows and singing Kumbaya-it would have been. Take another look at Mickey's things that got blowed up list-then re-read this post. It's called escalation. It happens. This is A WAR. One we did not start. Sure, our history over there has given cause to a lot of resentments. Supporting the Shah didn't do us any favors. But do you seriously think that Kerry is just going to crap on Israel? When has a President-Republican or Democrat ever done that? "Solving" the Israeli-Palestine issue is not going to make this go away, and isn't going to happen anyway. It does not necessarily mean we are not doing the job. It is not a result of our policy-our policy is a result of it. Figure it out.
nonsense. Al Qaeda and the Bin Laden family have the person they want in the white house. AQ is now a bigger menace than ever because of Bush and his ilks inability or unwillingness to address the problem. Look at the Russians. They know who the enemy is and they know that they are going after a gang of thugs (not an "axis of evil".) You won't see Putin mincing around in a flight suit and saying "mission accomplished" until he actually accomplishes something.
Nuance is not GWB or DC's strong point and they have done nothing to deal with other foreign policy issues.
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Blew up Al Qaeda? Not lately. The leader of the free world is too afraid to say the guys name! What a loser. He runs off to Nebraska or somewhere when the country is under attack, and then after its over goes to the WTC and says he is going to Get the guys who did this.."smoke them out"..."dead or alive" and then doesn't do it. He wrote a big check that has been bouncing for three years while he fritters away 2 BILLION dollars and over 1000 American lives in his little episode in Iraq. I'll be interested in the November 2 poll, thank you very much.
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OHH YEAH... don't EVEN get me started with THAT can of worms... I could be here for days telling everyone why our country is overrun by 'It's someone else's fault' syndrome. I personally am sickened by the whole issue...
Personally, I think it's time we seriously looked at reducing the number of affirmative action programs if this trend continues. There has to be a point where we make the cutoff, and realize that inequality has righted itself, and families and communities should take better care of their own.
Before, I found value in affirmative action. Now, I believe the natural inequality of slavery and Jim Crow has been removed... come on people, police your own before blaming others for your problems!
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Yours maybe...not mine!
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Better than that.. I'll let you go couble or nothing on the grouper you're buying me after the election. If it is nominated in the Best Picture category it will WIN. One it is the best film of the year. Two the voters tend to be quite liberal. Three the voters will love a show, and MM will give it to them. I see it as a can't miss proposition ...the big if is which category it gets nominated in.
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The issue is whether there was a de worthy of a thirteenth pick on board. I don't think so. I agree that trading down and going for a de and ol pick would have been very understandable given the need for help in the line dept., but he did get a pretty good de out of the draft. Moulds Evans Reed will give us a chance to develop a Drew Bledsoe passing game to complement a Travis Henry WM running game. If Evans is a game-breaker...great pick TD. If the bills don't make the playoffs, I don't think we'll have TD to kick around anymore.
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If nominated for Best Picture, believe me, it will win best picture. This is a weak weak year for film and the Academy would love to give MM main stage. The trick is to get nominated. I don't see much in the way of competition.
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Bad guys winning? I thought you were talking about Bush and Cheney!
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Actually, it looks like I'm going to be there. Been invited to a box and party but may show up just to say hello to my buddy Boomer and the rest of the right wing whacko's there!
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If there are five questions like that...we aren't going to any playoffs. I think your questions 4 and 5 are probably no's and I do believe the answer to the first three will be yes. In my calculus the playoffs are a stretch, but doable with a bit of luck.
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catastrophic success
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I got a kick out of the right wing whacko thread a few days ago comparing bush's actions to service in the war in Vietnam. Other than being posited by someone who know stevestojan about combat, it shows how out of touch the righties are on this board. Bush didn't know whether to poop or go blind, and it wasn't til his handlers led him around like a chimp who lost his banana that he began to do anything. The one thing he did do was (long after the danger had passed) go to new york and make a promise to all of the families who had lost firemen, policemena dn workers in the WTC that he would get the folks who did it. That check certainly bounced. What a dip.
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I think a single event could do it. Like an unnecessary, incredibly expensive and poorly handled war in Iraq, for instance.
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If you get a chance log onto Imus' website and listen to this interview. It should be up on the site by late in the afternoon.
GHWB was very colorful. I had never seen/heard that much personality come from him. It is too bad....these guys can't relax and allow their true personalities to be seen all of the time.
When asked about his son questioning his roll and decisions during the Kuwait war, he said, (paraphrasing)...."well sure quite frankly I was hurt. (pause) But you havn't heard him say it again have ya?" (laughter)
They would all be much more likable if they are honest.
Did he talk about how he bailed out on his crewmates in his Avenger during wwII and left them to die?
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no wonder the war is such a catastrophic success.
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Don't know much about it, but I'll keep you in my prayers. Hope all goes well!
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That's the difference between us. I believe that people should register and vote. When we register them we talk about issues. One woman who registered had a son in Iraq. She has bigger stake in this than you or I. Others are worried about health care, the Quebecor plant layoffs, the 67000 jobs lost in Tennessee in the last four years, their inability to pay for health care. They have a stake in the process. The $130 billion war resonates, as does the $472 billion dollar deficit, the proposal to cut back the tax cuts for the rich. You'd be surprised how interested they are after a little discussion other than whether the shrapnel went in an inch, who is picking their nose, or what a flip flop is. Kind of invigorating actually.
I'm curious as to why you would want to encourage people to vote, who do not already see and understand the value of doing so. How are we served by inducing people to vote who pay no attention to their nation, or the world about them? Do you want such to guide the course of the Nation? -
Seems even the right wing are seeing through this ol' nose-pickin, flightsuit mincing, mission accomplished, halliburton lovin nominee....
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Actually Jim, I've spent the better part of the last two weeks participating in voter registration drives in politically democratic enclaves, working wit a democratic legislative candidate and helping a democratic candidate for congress on an education policy. Time to stop talking and start doing. But you righties really should stay here sitting at your computer and blowing smoke up each others asses!
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The catastrophe part sounds pretty accurate. Its the success part that I find hard to swallow!!!
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Congratulations, best wishes for a happiest of marriages. Condolences to soon to be Mrs. Gmac for having to listen to your political views, but other than that you seem to be a pretty good guy~
the most blame for this loss?
in The Stadium Wall Archives
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Bledsoe, Mularkey, The holding call, Nate Clements on the long pass...there is a LOT of blame to go around. McGahee wasn't all that impressive either. However, its the first game. The key is what they do about it next week. They should have won...