I’m now officially on holiday, the first one since 1986!
So expect email replies and posts to be intermittent at best until my return on Aug 8th!
arrivederci 🙂
woohooooo!!
An Arab man's attempt at bridging the cultural gap and trying to make a difference. Failing a lot. Succeeding once in a while.
I’m now officially on holiday, the first one since 1986!
So expect email replies and posts to be intermittent at best until my return on Aug 8th!
arrivederci 🙂
woohooooo!!
Comments
Holiday!!
SLACKER! 🙂
Holiday!!
enjoy your break!
Holiday!!
Have lots of fun!
Holiday!!
Since 1986?!
Enjoy!
Holiday!!
When in Rome…. Have a great holiday.
Holiday!!
time to find new blogs! j/k!
enjoy it 🙂
Holiday!!
Make sure you take lots of pics mahmoodie !
MISSING MODERATOR MAHMOOD!
Perhaps if we put a title over our comments while the skiver is lording it up on hilday, then it would help to keep us all in order by way of subjects? Just a thought since our babysitter is gone!
Holiday!!
Looking forwad to a rested return.
John nderson
RESPECT
Does anyone agree with me that perhaps we should use this topic board to discuss issues outside the death of Nick Berg? It’s getting pretty insulting in there and I feel it’s not showing much respect to the memory of Nick really.
GETTING CLOSER TO HOME
[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3862033.stm[/url]
I for one am sure that it is only a matter of time before Bahrain is hit. There is a huge “it only happens elsewhere’ attitude here and security outside the base is incredibly lax. Sometimes I find myself ‘thinking’ like a terrorist in identifying just how easy so many ‘targets’ are in Bahrain. We now see an increased public security presence near the causeway, which consists of 2 or 3 jeep loads of them standing under a tree chatting merrily away and drinking tea, when I say near the causeway, they are usually around 2 or 3 kilometres away (thats where the good trees are).
I don’t have ANY faith in this counties security AT ALL. After all, they were trained to intimidate and arrest opponents of this government and arrest drunk Saudi’s! Take the above BBC link for instance and compare it with the toned down GDN article today!
Are the powers that be stupid or are they hiding under a blanket!
They need to let people know how serious this is, enlist their help to be aware and report suspicous behaviour. Ignoring or playing down the threat only means that when the big one comes it will cause even more chaos, I am sure that with proper information less people will be hurt. Sadly I think that the only way the security forces and the Government will take this seriously IS WHEN PEOPLE DIE, until then, the problem does not exist. I just hope I am not in the wrong place at the wrong time! I hope the same for the rest of you.
Re: RESPECT
I’m for it. The discussion of Nick Berg is played out.
It appears that the Islamists intend to continue beheading Americans, though with different twists. They just claim to have beheaded the American Muslim soldier they were holding, so they have crossed a line there, placing the American identity above the Muslim identity. Now they want to abduct a female soldier and behead her as well. Who knows what else they would do to her.
Perhaps at some point in their continued descent into barbarity they will reach some point where the leaders of the Middle East will object. Maybe.
Steve
RESPECT
Steve, I once called you ‘as much use as a chocolate sunshade’ to debate. I wish to say that I agree with quite a lot of what you say but not HOW you say it! THIS latest post of yours I entirely agree with for instance!
I do think that you really need to hone your communication skills in general, you will find that Arabs are more similar to Europeans than they are to Americans.
As a European who has lived in Bahrain for 25 years, I feel more cultural affinity towards an Arabian person than I do Americans, this I do not mean in a demeaning way for I have many American friends, just as I do Bahrainis. I seem to be more comfortable with an Arab than I am with an American. This is due to me having a wide and open relationship with both, Americans are in the most, abrasive, loud and arrogant, they seem to have an all pervading attitude that the world wants to emulate them, this is NOT so Steve! Arabs AND Europeans are similar in thought on this matter, and why you might wonder…because we have ancient rules of conduct I suppose, manners ect.
In my (and many others eyes) America is a wonderful ideal gone bad, capitalism at it’s worst, democracy at it’s most abused. Your country is, or should be, the personification of triumph over entrapment, freedom over oppression.
Somehow, we have an impasse here, the more Americans like you that spout your ‘be like us or be dead’ attitude, the more we unite against your ATTITUDE.
It is a shame that more moderate American compatriots of yours dont shout out loud enough to drown you! And I mean that in the kindest most possible way! lol
Come on Steve, lighten up, your manner of writing may go down fine and dandy in U.S but read up on cultural diplomacy and then get back to us? I know you don’t mean to be as obnoxious as you sound, but ‘what goes in the U.S’ does not always work in the rest of the world, and we do not wish to BE American clones.
I love the ideals of your country, and I love the people, you are at the very least decent people who suffered and triumphed, your wish to export your ideals is fantastic BUT it has to be tempered by cultural differences Steve?
Re: RESPECT
Anonymous…what goes in the USA can work anywhere. But let’s not debate that point. Unless you want to discuss Australians maybe?
You find us loud and abrasive? Your post accentuates what we find abhorent in you: condescending and self-righteous. Capitalism has failed? Maybe you should look around you? Do you see a better economic structure? How fairs the socialist governments of Europe compared to their capitalist neighbors and allies? How many countries are desperately trying to mimic our success?
Before tossing labels around, maybe you should put yourself in check.
As an infrequent visitor here, it has been my observation that Steve has been able to communicate quite well what he intends and Mahmood and others have responded capably without your Eurpean filter.
As a world traveller, you should know that discourse full of flowery words often hide the speakers intent. Diplomacy is highly over-rated.
Or, as my native American ancestors would say: you speak with a forked tongue.
Hopefully, a European without your smarmy tones will post here and drown you!
Yours truly,
Kathleen/USA
Re: Holiday!!
Mahmood, it is not nice to leave the country when my family and I arrive! We might not be here when you return! …and I was hoping to catch a picture of you at the mall!
BTW, BeautEEful! I am having a ball!!!
Re(1): RESPECT
Hmmmm, a tad defensive, loud and abrasive I feel, wonder why? I was merely saying that there is a cultural difference of massive proportions between America and some countries, your post proved I was indeed right. Thanks
Re: RESPECT
[quote]I seem to be more comfortable with an Arab than I am with an American. This is due to me having a wide and open relationship with both, Americans are in the most, abrasive, loud and arrogant, they seem to have an all pervading attitude that the world wants to emulate them, this is NOT so Steve! Arabs AND Europeans are similar in thought on this matter, and why you might wonder…because we have ancient rules of conduct I suppose, manners ect.[/quote]
There is some truth to what you say. I have ofttimes been embarassed by rude behavior by my fellow Americans overseas. I suppose the Brits are embarassed by their soccer hooligans, the Germans by their skinheads. And of course, the Saudis have their head-cutting Wahhabis, though I’m not sure they are embarassed by them.
If you are looking for rudeness in a population, you can probably find it. The Americans with which I hang out with are rather well-mannered and tolerant, like most Americans. There certainly are some Americans who are not.
I have too much experience to accept your hokum about Europeans and Arabs being better mannered. I’ve had a Scottish boss who was quite a rude jackass. My friend who worked in Paris for Microsoft quit because her male French bosses were chauvinist pigs. I have met quite a number of Arab students in graduate school who acted like asses and called every American woman they met a sharmut. Americans have no monopoly on being abrasive, loud, and arrogant.
You do have a point that we assume that most people want to be like us, largely because most foreigners we meet do indeed want to be like us. Every day I do business with immigrants who have come to be a part of America, from Henry the Nicaraguan who picks up my trash to my Chinese boss, Du. They come from all parts of the globe. My everyday world is populated by people from Ethiopia, eastern Europe, Central and South Americans, Vietnamese, Thais, Koreans, Somalians, among others.
Some have made harrowing journeys to America, such as my Vietnamese friend who fled the Communists in a boat that set to sea hoping to be found by the US Navy. My great-grandparents were immigrants from Yugoslavia and Great Britain, hoping to make it good in America. America is based on immigrants who want to be Americans.
We accept them. Just like the plaque on the Statue of Liberty states: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free; the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send these, the homeless, the tempest-tost to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
Is that the way it works in your part of the Middle East? Are you now a citizen of Bahrain? Have the locals accepted you as one of them? Are there any statues celebrating freedom planted in Manama welcoming outsiders?
What you might consider is that our expectation that foreigners want to be Americans is a feature, not a bug.
However, if you don’t want to be an American, don’t. Who’s forcing you? It’s not like we’re holding a gun to your head to wear T-shirts and baseball caps, watch Hollywood blockbusters, and eat Happy Meals. If you reject Americanism, it’s not like we’re going to cut your head off and send a snuff video of it to Fox News.
While I remain unconvinced of the superiority of ancient European and Arab rules of conduct, I am very much struck by their ancient hatreds which still smolder and flare. I would think that the Holocaust would have convinced the Europeans to give up their hatred of the Jews, yet it still burns. I would think that a superior European civilization would not still be setting up death camps, as in Bosnia, and would not need Americans to lead them in squashing such evil in Europe’s own backyard. The experience of the last century is that Europeans will butcher each other by the millions in primitive tribal warfare fought with high tech weapons unless deterred by a massive American military presence. Consequently, I don’t see Europe as a model to emulate but a warning of what to avoid.
Europeans and Arabs alike would do well to emulate America and abandon their ethnic hatreds to cooperate and succeed.
[quote]In my (and many others eyes) America is a wonderful ideal gone bad, capitalism at it’s worst, democracy at it’s most abused. Your country is, or should be, the personification of triumph over entrapment, freedom over oppression.[/quote]
I trust that you will not be shocked that I disagree. I’m joined by millions who vote with their feet to enjoy American ideals, capitalism, freedom, and democracy. However, if you have found a better place, by all means stay put and enjoy your life. That way you don’t have to stand in that long, long line at the US embassy to get a visa.
[quote]I love the ideals of your country, and I love the people, you are at the very least decent people who suffered and triumphed, your wish to export your ideals is fantastic BUT it has to be tempered by cultural differences Steve?[/quote]
My friend, the words that have offended you deal with my insistence that the Saudi people be held directly responsible for the evil they have spawned and the religious war they have launched against America, resulting in the deaths of 2947 Americans going about their daily routine. The Saudis have no reasonable complaint against America. Their murderous acts are the result of the grossest intolerance for other cultures.
I remain unpersuaded that demonstrating sensitivity to Saudi culture will win them over and convince them to abandon their jihad against America. It seems much more likely that in the thug mindset of the Wahhabis, such sensitivity will be seen as a concession to their point of view, as weakness that will encourage further attacks.
The cultural insensitivity that launched these suicide jets is entirely a Saudi product. America has not established any state religion that preaches the destruction of Saudi Arabia. We have no rich senators funding terror groups to kill Saudis. Our media is not filled with hatred of Saudi Arabia. We do not sponsor terror camps that train criminals to poison Saudis en masse or blow them into bloody chunks. We do not prohibit Saudi tourists from visiting America. We do not cut the heads off Saudis walking around America. We do not crash jumbo jets into their cities.
The Saudis do all of this. I suggest you redirect your earnest pleas for cultural sensitivity to them, where they are most needed.
You will find me a reasonable and polite fellow on most topics and one who doesn’t mind disagreement. The mark of an educated mind is to be able to entertain two opposing ideas simultaneously. However, there is no compromise when it comes to killing Americans. The Sep 11 attack of the Saudis requires blunt talk, not polite indirection. They must be held accountable for their evil crimes against America.
I don’t see any progress in diplomacy with the Saudis. I don’t see any acknowledgement of their complicity in Sep 11. I don’t see any willingness to cease their religious war against America. Because of this Saudi intransigence, I don’t see any peaceful solution short of bringing the Saudi jihad home to Saudi Arabia. As long as killing Americans remains a riskless proposition, they will continue doing so. They will not relent until their war brings them negative consequences, such as American bombs delivered to their offices and homes.
However, if anyone has a practical plan for stopping the Saudi jihad peacefully, please present it.
I’m sorry we disagree. You sound like a nice enough guy. Anyone who pleads for more cultural sensitivity can’t be all bad.
Steve
Re(1): RESPECT
Steve, I am trying to say that we have the same ideas on a lot of issues regarding the current world situation. I do not mean to imply that Americans have no manners ect, perhaps I was not clear on that, if so then I am sorry. What I TRIED to say is that we should understand others differences and cultural manners so that we can then find a common ground to discuss without coming across the wrong way.This is a problem because, Americans ‘come over’ as arrogant and I know this is not so, it is due to cultural differences ie. Americans are brought up to speak their mind and are also more confident, this comes across as arrogance to people who do not know this!
I entirely agree that the Saudis are the main root of the evil that is being perpetrated on the world, however I cannot side with your gung ho attitude of punishing them all. To be quite honest with you I would like to see Saudi Arabia being occupied under the umbrella of the United Nations as it is THE biggest threat to world peace ever seen in my opinion, they are not fit or able to run a country, nor are most Moslem nations. As long as the ‘Glorious Islamic’ past is harped on about within the schools, mosques, and in the media, then no progress will ever be made. The ruling elite of these countries have propogated this distorted view of their past in order to divert their peoples attention from the fact that it is THEY who skim their countries wealth and opportunities, it is THEY who have squandered their own peoples chance to catch up with the rest of the world and have a decent lifestyle. The people have been brainwashed, so perhaps we should be thinking smaller here in soving the problem, treat the issue as if we would if our own child had been taken in by a cult. Of course we could sort it out quickly by blowing them off the face of the earth as you have implied. I don’t believe you mean this literally, I think you were wearing your emotions on your sleeve as you wrote.
I also believe you cannot negotiate with Arab rulers EVER, their countries are only a source of income and power to them, they will never give this up without a fight. They need ‘incentives’ (not wishing to use a threatening word here 🙂 to change. We can easily give them plenty incentives!
On a personal note, I have never been accepted as being Bahraini mainly because I am not, I have however many friends, Europeans and Americans that have assimilated into the culture and have been accepted. I do not wish to assimilate but am accorded respect and tolerance anyhow and find that we have more similarities than differences (if you take religion out of the equation). Most Bahrainis (not all) are NOT political animals in anyway, they have no concept in having a say in how things are run, it’s inherited via the ancient culture of despotism and Islamic regimes. I admire the Arab people, I love their art, architecture and I love the friendly and welcoming nature of the people. Their governments however are another matter.
I admire so much about America strangely enough, I am in awe of your confidence and ideals, I just can see how it is read wrong by many others who do not know Americans personally. I admire Europeans also, there is a huge cultural problem in that region for instance but our habits of long and protracted negotions usually sort out the differences 🙂 America is puzzled and confused by this, not for them is the long fix, nope, they would just shove a problem out in the open and sort it out in a quick fix.
I just feel that if we were to understand each others differences then it would be easier to get along.
Secularism is the ONLY way forward for this region, a good overhaul of the sycophantic families that suck their countries dry and a long hard look at how the US and Europe keep them in business for their own purposes is long overdue.
You also seem like a decent guy Steve, you just come across wrong at times I am sure.
PS. RESPECT
I should have also added that my United Nations plan is seriously flawed because the United nations is pretty useless. I was talking in a hypothetical manner … supposing that we had a REAL United Nations, instead of the wimpish, powerless talking shop that we have now! Perhaps NATO should diversify into what the U.N [i]should [/i]be.
Holiday!!
Hi there. I’ve been reading your blog today and enjoy it immensely. I’m from the US and its great to be able to read the thoughts and opinions of someone from your part of the world unfiltered by the various agendas (good and bad) of the media and their thirst for sensationalism. Too often they only show the rest of the world the terrorists and beheaders, just as the rest of the world only gets to see about the crime and drug problems in the US. That’s now the whole story… its not even the main story. Those of us who are the “ordinary folks” over here need to be able to hear from the “ordinary folks” over there, and vice versa. Keep blogging… I’ll keep reading.
Re: RESPECT
I’m always amused by a person of Group A complaining about Group B wanting Group A to be more like Group B. The remedy they usually offer is that Group B should stop being so arrogant and be more like Group A.
Often times, these feelings are mutual.
Look, I, as an American, don’t want to Americanize Europeans and Arabs. But they should also *not* expect to Europeanize or Arabize me.
I can accept the attitudes, opinions, and conduct of Europeans, Arabs, Asians… anybody, really… even when sometimes they are generally offensive to me. Why can’t we get a little bit of acceptance in return?
Holiday!!
Heh ..
Am not sure how many órdinary´folk there are on this blog on either side!! And I mean that in the nicest possible way ..
JJ
US Elections
What do people think? Bush or Kerry? And what do people think that voter turnout will be this November?
Jasra Jedi
Holiday!!
Jasra,
As it stands NOW the race is tight. Too close to call. Of course many things can and will happen between now and November. Voter turnout will be a factor though it might not be a major one. All depends on what happens between now and late October that could sway HUGE amounts of voters who tend to be rather independant of party loyalty. Currently California is in play and could be taken by either. A win there and it is a BIG step towards the Oval Office.
Re: Holiday!!
I’ll accept that in the nices possible way. 😉
Re: US Elections
As a pure partisan, I’m telling you it’s Bush in a landslide.
As a detached observer of events, it’s neck and neck right to the wire. They are in a dead heat coming around the far side of the race course.
The voter turnout will be larger than usual because the population is more politicized and polarized, the election is close, and the last election proves that the vote of five hundred people can decide the outcome. I have my voter card, know where my voting place is, and will be delivering my vote for Bush come hell or high water.
External events could affect the election. If there is a terrorist attack on the US, it will help Bush because nobody believes Kerry or the Democrats are competent on national security. I’m hoping that Bush pulls Osama out of the hat around the end of October. I’d like to see Osama, Mullah Omar, Zawahiri, and Zarqawi all chained together marching around the World Trade Center site right before the election.
I really don’t think Al Qaeda has the capability to mount a terror operation in the US anymore. We’ve trashed their leadership and organization too hard. But it’s possible a freelance group of radicals could pull off a train bombing or the like in the mistaken belief that the US would fold like the Spanish did.
Such a strike would have the opposite effect. It would make the Americans dig in and unleash their fury. Americans have never switched presidents in time of war. The sitting president always gets a clear majority in wartime. If a terror incident made our state of war more emphatic, it would favor the incumbent.
Steve
Re(2): RESPECT
Does this mean you’ll be bitching at Kathleen instead of me from now on?
Steve
Re: Holiday!!
One factor in our favor as conservatives is that the Democrats are none too fired up about voting for snooty billionaire Kerry. Their votes for Kerry are basically votes against Bush. I hear the sentiment over and over, “I’m holding my nose and voting for Kerry.” More of their voters would turn out if the Democrats had something to vote for instead of vote against.
We Republicans on the other hand are very much voting for Bush.
Steve
Re(1): US Elections
I’m voting for Bush because he actually did something in response to 9/11, but I think Kerry is going to win because of the war in Iraq. Don’t think the average American understands the danger the Saudi kooks really are. Nor do I think they see Iraq as part of the war on terror by changing things in the ME. The media will eventually do Bush in with their bias and inaccurate reporting of things in Iraq, the economy, and the color of the sky today.
Most people are tired of the Democrats rants and dirty tricks; Nader is screaming they are doing it to him too, but that’s the way it is. Should be a good turnout with lots of controversay I bet.
Marlene
Re(1): Holiday!!
[quote]One factor in our favor as conservatives is that the Democrats are none too fired up about voting for snooty billionaire Kerry[/quote]
Steve
Even here in liberal Taxachusettes… err Massachusetts, the feeling is what you describe BUT many will be voting for “W”. This is no way means JFK jr will loose this state but Kerry is such a flip flopper which translates to having no “balls” to take a stance on anything..I mean after all he DID VOTE FOR IT before he voted against it. This does not play well with the blue collar union crowd who do value family and honesty and where your word is your bond.
Edwards by a nose!
It’s Edwards! Whoot whoot! Prepare for mortal combat, Bushies!
Election
I don’t even know who to vote for but Bush needs to go we need new leadership in the country.Wish we could bring back Bill Clinton great guy.Any one seen the 9/11 movie it really puts things right out there on the table about Bush.
Some Dumb American
Re: Election
Yup. I saw “Fahrenheit 9/11”. It was a pack of lies. And Bill Clinton was quite a liar. Neither serve the country well nor your political cause. If we had Clinton back as president, then nobody would be chasing Osama. Does it occur to you that we are in the current crisis because Clinton was not a serious man, somebody who thought that the best use of the Oval Office was to pick up chicks?
Thank goodness we have Bush as president, somebody willing to make the tough calls, somebody who takes the national defense seriously, somebody who doesn’t make his decisions based on what the polls said yesterday.
Steve
Election
Bush isn’t even looking for Bin and how did that movie lie about him
looked like truth to me. Bush gave us some tax money to get us into
his groove like his Daddy then hammers us in the ass in the end. I love everything I have as an american but when BUsh came in all hell broke loose.
Some Dumb American
Re(1): Election
Yes Steve, F9/11 is a bunch of lies, and Clinton lied, but do you think that Bush doesn’t?
Bush has done some good things, no doubt about it — but he did them in such a way that most of the world now hates us. Let’s get someone in there who can bring our allies back AND kick ass. Kerry ain’t my first choice (McCain is) but he’s a step forward from our current situation…
— James
James .. I am putting money into the Bahrain kitty for u!
I like the fact that you would vote for McCain… if I were a US citizen, I would vote for Kerry-Edwards.
Although .. I do agree that it will be difficult to switch Presidents in war time. The quesiton will be whether most Americans will feel like they are still in a war by November.
For what its worth, I dont think that either Kerry or Busy will change the US foriegn policy towards this region. But, perhaps Kerry and co might be able to shave the edge of the arrogance that has characterized this administration so far. And to be perfectly honest, its not Bush that I have a real problem with .. its actually the real power behind the throne … ooops! I meant behind the oval office .. its good old grumbling Cheney ..
Anyways .. ramblings from a non US Citizen that has as much to gain-lose from the US elections as an American citizen with the right to vote.
Jasra Jedi.
Re(2): Election
That’s hardly a persuasive argument. Moore and Clinton’s lies are undeniable. The liberal case that Bush lied is weak.
The main reason that the Saudis launched their attack on us is due to their murderously intolerant religion. That is not due to Bush. No matter who we elected president, the Saudis would still hate us for being infidels.
The world hardly hates us enough to put a crimp in the line of people trying to immigrate here. Those governments and people who do hold the US in contempt do so for illegitimate reasons.
Being the world leader means leading, not following. And certainly not following the Europeans, who have a history of ignoring problems and appeasing tyrants until they come rolling into their towns in tanks.
Steve
Re(3): Election
Steve, Bush is a liar. On national TV, in the second presidential debate, he claimed the DNC was outspending the RNC 2-1, when the opposite was true. A bald-faced lie. And his campaign vs. John McCain was one of the filthiest in modern American history. I was a McCain supporter, in South Carolina, and I saw the visciousness of Bush in all its sickening dishonesty.
Most politicians lie as a matter of course, and Bush is no exception. McCain may be an exception, Guilliani may be an exception, but not Bush.
Re: Election
You have chosen a good name for yourself.
There is ongoing activity in the Afghan-Pakistan border to shake Bin Laden out. Why do you think Pat Tilman was on patrol as a special forces soldier in eastern Afghanistan when he was shot? Eastern Afghanistan is full of Rangers, Green Berets, Delta operators, and CIA agents. You have to read the newspapers to discover the stories touching on them.
A couple months ago, there was a major joint operation between Pakistan and the US where our special forces acted as the anvil while Pakistan played hammer in cornering a group of Al Qaeda, which led to a sharp fight. This was covered in all the media. The fact that you don’t keep up with these events doesn’t mean these events did not happen.
One of the many lies Moore told was that the Saudis left on charter flights while the US air fleet was grounded after Sep 11 and were not interrogated by the FBI. Both are lies. An FBI agent who participated in the interrogations debunked that myth and pointed out that the flights departed after the flight ban was lifted. This was made public well before Moore finished his movie. He went with the lie which supported his propaganda theme rather than the truth that undermined it. He figured correctly that most liberals wouldn’t know the difference and wouldn’t care. The movie is full of stuff like this.
Bush did not give us tax money. The money was ours to begin with. At least those of us with jobs.
I hate to break it to you, but the Sep 11 plotters began planning and preparing the attack in 1996, when Clinton was in office. They had already attacked the World Trade Center in 1993, while Clinton was in office. They didn’t care who was president. They would have attacked the WTC if Bobo The Dogfaced Boy was president.
And the money and resources for the plan might well have been cut off had your hero Clinton taken any of the several opportunities he had to take Bin Laden out.
Let me give you a clue: All hell has been breaking out ever since the 1980s when the Saudis invested their oil billions in spreading jihad around the world.
Steve
Re: James .. I am putting money into the Bahrain kitty for u!
Jasra, I don’t think Kerry will do much differently either, but he’ll go about it differently. For whatever reason the entire world pretty much loathes Bush. I’m convinced that if Al Gore had invaded Iraq, the world reaction would have been almost the opposite to what it was to Bush. Why is Bush loathed so much? I honestly don’t know. Makes little sense to me. But the hatred is out there, and it needs to go away, so booting Bush out is important.
Of course, Kerry is a ponderous bore, but at least he had the sense to pick Edwards! I have hope again.
— James
Re(1): James .. I am putting money into the Bahrain kitty for u!
James,
Picking Edwards is the smartest thing Kerry has EVER done, so he will be good for a few votes in the elections and will then fade in obsurity like most VP and have no effect on policy. BTW, Kerry will change how business is done on the war on terror; it will take him a year or so to justify sliding back to the Clinton do nothing routine, but he will be more than happy to live with the status quo. What’s his excuse going to be when the nutcases keep blowing up the USA?
If you buy into the Anti-American crap is Bush’s fault then you are nuts. Maybe they don’t like him because he did something about the threat we all face from Islamist nutcases or maybe they don’t like him because he exposed them for what they are. OK to whine about oppression, genocide and all the rest, but the UN and the rest of the world really doesn’t mean it do they as long as they are not “bothered” or have to do anything. Know what, there is just no reason for the crap that goes on in the world today-none. Come back in 4 years and tell me how much world cooperation has changed.
M
Bush Vs Kerry
As much as i would hate to say it bush might as well stay in office for another 4 years due to the fact he comes from a political back ground. Meaning his dad was in office and he was a good President when he was there. BUsh would be better due to he has over seen all the Iraqi conflict and his father before him saw it too.But the only down side is I don’t think Bush can rebuild the Fin part of the United States.He has tried but we are only slowly moving back up slowly.He’s leting job markets go and rewarding them for doing it.
Kerry no one knows just yet he might have problems over seeing the Iraqi conflict.But he might have a few new ideas on how to control it a little better.As for the Economic groth he keeps stating he has Ideas for the future but has not out lined how he will do it.
The long and short who ever is in office come Nov will have a lot of work on there hands.Bush is stronge he has been there.I’m just worried Kerry with Fold under all the Pressure.
What do you thing Steve.
Jim Lane
Re(2): James .. I am putting money into the Bahrain kitty for u!
[quote]If you buy into the Anti-American crap is Bush’s fault then you are nuts.[/quote]
I’m not nuts, I’m a Democrat, and I can see from the reaction of other Democrats what anti-Bush hatred does to people. It’s not pretty, it’s not rational, but it’s very real.
— James
Some One Put Steve In Office !!!!
I Would vote for Steve he is very political minded and might just make a great president.Hell look at this years chalengers I think just about any one can run.It should be intresting to see Presidential Debates this year.
John Q
Re(3): James .. I am putting money into the Bahrain kitty for u!
James,
Do the democrats hate Bush as much as the republicans hate Clinton?
P!
Re(4): James .. I am putting money into the Bahrain kitty for u!
Yup, it seems to be the same irrational foaming-at-the-mouth lunacy.
Re: Some One Put Steve In Office !!!!
Steve’s got my vote too. Imagine somebody who actually says what he thinks and would do something about protecting this country; gotta adjust that KSA policy alittle-just alittle-and you will be in office in no time at all.
M
Re(4): James .. I am putting money into the Bahrain kitty for u!
Boy James and I can’t agree on too much this week. Republicans do not hate Clinton; certainly, they do not hate him the way Democrats HATE Bush. James is right about that. Clinton was a pretty average President as far as I’m concerned except for the Monica thing. Most other Presidents didn’t use the Oval office for their “affairs”, so I guess they may have been a little smarter than Bill. Don’t like his slick routine then or now, but I don’t hate him for it; it is just a sign of weakness to me.
Democrats do seem to hate Bush to the point of being crazy about it; not sure why when the Congress went right along with the Iraq thing and are just as much to blame. There are days I could just smack Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi; now there is true hate.
M
Re(1): Some One Put Steve In Office !!!!
I’m not sure saying I’m fit for public office is a compliment, but I will pretend that it is. Who would want to be a politician when most of your life consists of begging people for money to reelect you? I regret that I must decline the honor.
Steve
Affairs in the Oval Office
Clinton wasnt the only one .. HFK was quite active .. and a few other presidents were also quite friendly with the bottle .. and parsomonious with the truth .. a politican by any other name is just as sweet … (why are americans so purtian when it comes to their leadership?)
Jasra Jedi
I would only vote for Steve if he picked James as his running mate .. but, my only worry is that he has some imperialistic tendencies .. he wanted to take over Mahmood’s kingdom in the past .. perhaps Mahmood.tv should buy cyber arms to protect itself .. maybe from the religious policeman’s site? An alliance with the devil … would incur the wrath of Steve’s government instantenously… doomed before we even start … 😉
Jasra Jedi
Re: Affairs in the Oval Office
Ooops. That was JFK …
And Steve, if you dont like James as VP , you can always pick Hillary Clinton ..
JJ
Re(1): Affairs in the Oval Office
Jasra,
I’m not sure that having two wildmen in charge is for the best. However, I can assure that the Kingdom of Steve would be a benevolent tyranny, beloved of the people, doing the best thing in the public interest. After we sent the teenagers to mandatory boot camp to shape them up and threw a few parents in jail for the weekend when their kids went truant or stopped doing their homework, we would press on to matters of urgent national interest. For example, seafood enchiladas for everyone! I just love those. Just to show you the open-mindedness of the regime, I’d be open to declaring Shawarma Day a national holiday. Kinda like to try one of those.
Regretfully, Hillary would not be my first pick for VP, or even my last pick. I’m leaning toward Juliet Hutty, the newsbabe on the Fox & Friends Show in the morning. I’m thinking I’ll need a lot of meetings with her at an undisclosed location.
However, to demonstrate inclusiveness, I’d be happy to invite Hillary to be part of my regime. She would be perfect for the post of Ambassador to Al Qaeda. We could drop her and her portfolio by parachute into Waziristan to make contact with Osama and let nature take its course. I’m sure it will end splendidly.
Steve
Re: Bush Vs Kerry
[quote]As much as i would hate to say it bush might as well stay in office for another 4 years …[/quote]
With time, you’ll learn to love him. You won’t need all of the next four years to get there.
[quote]But the only down side is I don’t think Bush can rebuild the Fin part of the United States.He has tried but we are only slowly moving back up slowly.He’s leting job markets go and rewarding them for doing it.[/quote]
The economy is doing fine. Unemployment is running about 6%, which is good. Inflation is running low at about 3%. About 5% of the workforce in a healthy economy is switching jobs at any moment so 6% unemployment is effectively 1% unemployment.
The only problem with the economy is one of perception. We are coming off a boom fueled by the computer revolution in the 1990s, which makes a good economy look sour by comparison.
It’s a mistake to think the President or the government controls the economy. There is not a bank of levers in the Oval Office the President pulls to make the economy go or stop. The government has little power to make the economy stronger, other than provide the legal and physical infrastructure to support it. The government has a lot of power to screw things up, as it did during the Great Depression. The best thing government can do to encourage business is to stay out of the way.
While outsourcing jobs strikes a nerve with IT workers like me, the fact is that business will seek low cost labor despite any barriers. You can not stop it. However, we gain more from outsourcing than we lose. We gain the value of cheaper labor in cheaper products. We also gain more from the labor other countries outsource to us than they gain from us outsourcing to them.
Steve
Re(4): James .. I am putting money into the Bahrain kitty for u!
[quote]Do the democrats hate Bush as much as the republicans hate Clinton? [/quote]
The Left hates Bush far more than we ever loathed Clinton. It’s not even a close call. The Left takes to the streets with thousands of signs calling Bush Hitler, a thief, a murderer, and on and on. There is no event where Republicans marched en masse carrying equivalent derogatory signs about Clinton.
There were some loony people on the conservative fringe who accused Clinton of impossible crimes. However, the wild accusations from the Left come from the center of the party. It’s not some wacky MoveOn.org dimwit accusing Bush of deserting the Guard, a false and impossible charge, but Terry McAuliffe, the leader of the Democratic Party.
We conservatives loathed Clinton because he was not a man. I knew when he was reported lying about his golf scores that we were headed for trouble. A guy who will lie about nothing will lie about anything. He was just not somebody who would look you in the eye and tell you the truth, no matter how pleasing or painful.
His treatment of women was disgraceful. He was a rapist. He cheated on his wife with scores of women and then sent thugs out to keep them quiet by killing their pets and threatening to “break their pretty little legs.” Only low scum treats women in such a vile manner.
I could go on and on but you get the picture. We expect the President to be a man we can respect. That means he has to stand for something and stick to it. The only thing Clinton believed in was Clinton.
Steve
Re: PS. RESPECT
I think the UN is weak because, in reality, these nations are no longer joined in a common goal. This is like a giant world parliament where everybody has to make a deal with the next guy to get his vote and they are all looking out for their own good. Screw the other guy.
The UN was supposedly created to insure genocide and world wars never occurred again and that countries could recognized evil and destroy it before it came to power again, like in Germany. Instead, the leaders of many of these countries are petty dictators and tyrants with the same MO.
The security council with all it’s powers, can be vetoed by one country. There is no consent of the majority. Imagine if that occurred? What would the world be like then?
NATO is going the same way. Just look at France’s obstruction to ANYTHING that resembles cooperation with the US. NATO is quickly becoming toothless on the back of politics and weak militaries.
Last but not least, I would like to point out a major issue here. The US is THE MAJOR player in both UN and NATO forces. We contribute the most. France is definitely not going to allow any force to be used for good as long as the US is involved. This undermines France’s stated goal to “tame” the US power base.
This is why I take some serious offense at comments about “abrasive and loud”. We, the US, carry the burden for the world. As soon as France, Germany or any other European country can contribute financially and militarily on par with the US (at least on a per capita rate), then I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Until then, I am quite comfortable in saying they live under the umbrella of protection provided by my tax dollars and should start trying to “tame” their own people and politicians.
Re(5): James .. I am putting money into the Bahrain kitty for u!
If I may, I’d like to use Steve’s own words to back up my assertion that the Right hated Clinton:
[quote]The Left hates Bush far more than we ever loathed Clinton. It’s not even a close call.[/quote]
[quote]There were some loony people on the conservative fringe who accused Clinton of impossible crimes.[/quote]
[quote]His treatment of women was disgraceful. [b]He was a rapist[/b].[/quote]
[quote]Only [b]low scum[/b] treats women in such a vile manner.[/quote]
Nope, no hatred coming out of you, Steve!
Thank you for illustrating my point. We now return you to your regularly scheduled al-Saud bashing 😉
Re(2): Affairs in the Oval Office
It’s “Huddy,” Steve, and you’re clearly a man with good taste in smoking hot babes. I never grew tired of the Jennifer Aniston hair either. But careful with that “undisclosed location” line of thinking — you’re treading on very Clintonite ice there!
— James
Holiday!!
(why are americans so purtian when it comes to their leadership?)
Not really sure but I would bet we are the porn capital of the world, so it has more to do with family values-a necessary evil to get elected in this country. Suppose it’s ok to sleep with every fool on the planet if you’re single, but marriage and family is suppose to mean something so just don’t stand up there and tell us about the little wife with a straight face.
… I miss Mahmood! 🙁
🙁
Re: … I miss Mahmood! 🙁
first chance I got to connect, Toronto doesn’t seem to have that many internet places, and wireless technology hasn’t arrived here yet, else I’m looking in the wrong places! I’ve been trying to locate a computer store to buy a firewire drive and couldn’t find any other than RadioShack which isn’t much help!
Lemme see what’s going on here…
Re(1): … I miss Mahmood! 🙁
As everyone knows, the Canadians are mostly lumberjacks and fur traders, quaint people whose Internet technology consists mainly of tin cans connected by strings. Wireless connections in Canada are accomplished by posting your messages on the backs of squirrels and urging them on to the appropriate destination.
If you want high tech communications, you need to hop the border to America, Land Of The Future. You can connect to a couple hundred hot spots just driving down the freeway.
Steve
Re: MISSING MODERATOR MAHMOOD!
sounds good! though as the comments system is not structured as a true forum or board, it is not possible to split comments or threads into seperate topics. Your idea is good in logically splitting threads whilst belonging to the original post.
:w00t: mr bean is cool,funny and awsome! 🙂