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« Seth | Main | Mosquito Bites » June 15, 2002McCarthy would be so proudMetafilter was the first to share this story from the democratic underground. It seems that Bush was speaking at Ohio State University's graduation. The students were told that they were expected to provide a "thunderous" ovation and if they disrupted the ceremonies in any way, they'd be arrested. That's right. At a public college, the students would be arrested and expelled if they expressed their unhappiness with George W. Bush. One student, who exercised his constitutionally-protected 1st amendment right of free speech, and turned his back on Bush tells his story here. Let's get something straight, because I'm really tired of being told to "move to Afghanistan" because I'm "anti-American": If we allow the Bush Administration to goose-step all over our civil rights, and we sit back quietly while Ashcroft dances all over the constitution, we no longer have a country worth fighting for. Things like this transcend political ideology, IMHO. It doesn't matter if it's the Democrats or the Republicans who are currently in charge. The thing that is so amazing about the USA is that I can (as of June 15, 2002) stand here, and loudly proclaim, "I DO NOT SUPPORT GEORGE W. BUSH, OR HIS POLICIES!!," without fear of reprisal. When graduating students are subject to ARREST for an action like turning their backs on a person who they don't respect, we have a very serious problem. I hope that everyone can take off their various political mantles for a moment, and see this for what it is: the unconstitutional silencing of dissidents. McCarthy would be so proud. Comments
Wil, Brian Posted by: Brian at June 15, 2002 09:48 PM: gives Wil thunderous applause : Sometimes, living in the Land of the Stupid as it seems I do, I feel like I am the only one who doesn't think Shrub is Mr. Wonderful Fearless Leader. I am not alone! Posted by: Astra at June 15, 2002 09:55 PMMorons.org did a piece on this as well. There is another article on there where the writer quoted John Ashcroft and responded with this little gem: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" -Benjamin Franklin. Of course, reading all the responses on Morons, the right-wingers are already debunking all of this has being non-existant liberal properganda. You know, for a bunch of guys who constantly complain about losing their Constitutional rights they sure are quick to roll over and show their belly when their own are the ones doing it. Posted by: Jared at June 15, 2002 09:57 PMHoly crap. Well, I for one wish to hold this up in the face of those in another blog comment threat who said that our rights to free speech were not imperiled. Where do think this will end folks? How far is too far when it comes to threats and intimidation against American citizens for expressing their opinions. My ancestors left England partly because they thought King George was oppressive of their rights. I have no intention of leaving my country because of this King George. I know I will get lashed for saying this, but I'm just about ready to join Michael Moore and demand that Bush resign. (Not that it will do much good with his approval ratings!) But he has not upheld his Oath of Office to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Posted by: BBOCK at June 15, 2002 10:03 PMHoly crap. Well, I for one wish to hold this up in the face of those in another blog comment threat who said that our rights to free speech were not imperiled. Where do think this will end folks? How far is too far when it comes to threats and intimidation against American citizens for expressing their opinions. My ancestors left England partly because they thought King George was oppressive of their rights. I have no intention of leaving my country because of this King George. I know I will get lashed for saying this, but I'm just about ready to join Michael Moore and demand that Bush resign. (Not that it will do much good with his approval ratings!) But he has not upheld his Oath of Office to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Posted by: BBOCK at June 15, 2002 10:07 PMHey Wil, I agree completely. Just before Memorial Day, I wrote a piece on what makes someone a patriot. To me, one of the key tenets of patriotism is acknowledging your duty to question the practices of those in power. The idea that we should "keep quiet" to show our support and patriotism ... rubbish. Posted by: Kelly at June 15, 2002 10:10 PMMy husband and I have been looking for every piece of info we could get on this incident since reading Wil's post, and I would like to point out that we've come across a discussion of it on an obviously Republican message board, and even most of the people there are appalled and frightened by this event. The issue here is not whether any of us support George W. Bush, but the fact that those participating in what I have to say is probably the most peaceful and unobtrusive methods of protest I've ever heard of were subject to arrest and expulsion. This terrifies me to no end, and does nothing to placate any of my fears about where our society is headed. It would seem that the threat of terrorism has given our government the license to do... well pretty much anything. Thank you, Wil, for posting those links. When our civil rights are at stake, it is important that our eyes be opened again and again. M Posted by: Melinda Beasi at June 15, 2002 10:21 PMWe are definately not as hardline in enforcing a state of reverence for our leaders down here in Australia. Our media seem to revel in showing up our politicians when they deserve it (and sometimes when they don't...)and our cartoonists make sure we never take our pollies seriously. I love it. Noone has all the right answers, regardless of whether you've been voted into the top office or not - no amount of squelching other people's rights will change that. An interesting article. Thanx! Posted by: mish at June 15, 2002 10:26 PMWe are definately not as hardline in enforcing a state of reverence for our leaders down here in Australia. Our media seem to revel in showing up our politicians when they deserve it (and sometimes when they don't...)and our cartoonists make sure we never take our pollies seriously. I love it. Noone has all the right answers, regardless of whether you've been voted into the top office or not - no amount of squelching other people's rights will change that. An interesting article. Thanx! Posted by: mish at June 15, 2002 10:27 PM*Roaring applause!!* Wil you Rock! I am almost wanting to name my first born after you. :D Posted by: Artisticspirit at June 15, 2002 10:32 PMYou know, I find it interesting that so many people who are so eager to question "the establishment" are also so willing to take at face value what they read on the Net. C'mon people, wake up! Just because it says what you want to read doesn't mean you can put your critical thinking skills away! If I'm not buying what the Administration is selling, and if I'm not buying what the networks are selling, it's going to take a hell of a lot more than a couple of website links to sources with ZERO credibility to convince me that this story is real. I'm not saying it isn't real, I'm just saying I haven't seen enough to convince me it is. The first-person student account rang VERY false for me and I stopped reading when I got to the part about the state trooper watching him closely after the comment about Bush. Give me a fucking break. Do you REALLY believe this?? It's still America, folks, and if you think Bush sucks, yell it from the rooftops without fear of being dragged away in irons. Most other conspiracy theories are at least more entertaining than this drivel... Posted by: Zeno at June 15, 2002 10:39 PM Zeno has something to what he says....about maybe not buying too quickly into something we read. So implore Wil's fellow readers to help find some more supporting evidance before the FBI or CIA (aka shrub's thugs) hide it. Posted by: Artisticspirit at June 15, 2002 10:46 PMI agree with you Wil. I for one don't even follow polotic's but I've seen this kind of stuff before and it's wrong I tell ya! Posted by: SpiderWebb at June 15, 2002 10:47 PM....and post it here. Posted by: Artisticspirit at June 15, 2002 10:48 PMActually, if you read the metafiler further down, there are excerpts from coverage run in the Associated Press and the Washington Post. I will say, my gut first reaction was a bit stronger than if I had waited an hour before posting. (Always wait an hour after eating before you swim.) While there is no evidence that anyone related to Bush had anything to do with this blatant curtailment of the first amendment. Still it is alarming when our institutions of higher learning are participating in supressing dissent by threat of expulsion and arrest. Posted by: BBOCK at June 15, 2002 10:51 PMYeah that was on our news. .Oh and way to mention Ohio man. Way to be Posted by: Chelsey at June 15, 2002 10:56 PMOh and Bush is gay Posted by: Chelsey at June 15, 2002 10:57 PMIt's a little thing called "respect". You may disagree with him but he deserves respect as much as everyone here thinks they deserve respect. The "turn your back" group didn't have to show up and disrespect him outright. Posted by: Lea at June 15, 2002 11:10 PMMick Jagger, rock and roll star, was knighted yesterday for services to music. Bush not to be outdone awarded the National Medal of Honor to the Announcer at the Ohio State Commencement for calling for a "thunderous" ovation. Later in the program several people were removed from the stadium for turning their backs on the president. Bush when asked if that wasn't a violation of their free speech rights said, "Hell No" I guarantee not one of them heard "Simon Says" Posted by: Norm Jenson at June 15, 2002 11:13 PMWil, I'm glad I'm not the only one who is not afraid to openly criticize the government, and encourage others to do so as well. That is what makes our country so great; we have the right to question our public officials. Keep it up, it will be worth it someday. Dee Posted by: Dee at June 15, 2002 11:36 PMTwo good points are raised: 1) While I believe it to be very likely that this event actually happened, it would probably be a good idea to maintain a certain amount of skepticism until at least one other person from this graduating class can confirm this story. 2) OSU is VERY culpable in the violation of several student's constitutional rights, and if one points a finger at the Bush administration, one should also point a finger at OSU. Having said 1&2, my outrage at the steady and un-marked erosion of my constitutional rights stands. Posted by: wil at June 15, 2002 11:37 PM>>wil said: When graduating students are subject to ARREST for an action like turning their backs on a person who they don't respect >>lea said: It's a little thing called "respect". You may disagree with him but he deserves respect as much as everyone here thinks they deserve respect. The "turn your back" group didn't have to show up and disrespect him outright. i usually stay out of this stuff, but i want to say this: respect is NOT a right. it must be earned, and once it is earned it must be maintained. i'm not talking about respecting every person as an individual with equal rights. that's a given. obviously. (redundantly.) i'm talking about respect for a person's morals, character, actions, and so on. we should NOT have to automatically grant our respect or esteem to any person. it must be earned. part of "freedom," etc etc etc, in a democracy, means being "free" to express disrespect as well as respect. again, obviously. i'm not even american. i have never personally seen direct evidence for any of the accusations against either president bush and his admininistration, or the "left-wing liberals" (quit with the labels, can't we, please? rednecks. ;) ) who make the accusations... i can't judge any of that with any real backup. but respect is not a right, and if you disagree with someone's principles or actions, you are free to express that- whether he's the janitor or the president. political correctness, fairness, and acceptance of differing beliefs are all well and good. but that shouldn't equate with diluting or reserving your own opinion of what is right and wrong. (sorry for the long post.) Posted by: isabel at June 15, 2002 11:38 PMI read through this but I find that lately a lot of people are trying to dig up conspiracy theories but this nation isn't turning against us. I know it is something to be concerned about but some of the theories just are wild. I think in this instance something was taken way out of context and wasn't fully researched and someone wrote something for hits and ratings. But that's my humble opinion. Posted by: Titus83 at June 15, 2002 11:55 PMLet me start with a blanket statement: I do NOT like Bush. I didn't vote for him, I think he's running this country into the ground, and I am not one of those that stopped criticizing him after 9/11. That having been said, I have to agree with Zeno above about finding credibility with the first person account of the OSU commencement. Similarly, I'm not saying it didn't or couldn't happen, but what disturbs me is the way that people are willing to take such things at face value, without question. Whatever happened to critical thinking? After digging around this story for a bit, I found this quote posted from a AP filing: "Bush was invited to speak at the Ohio State commencement by representatives of the graduating class. But immediately before class members filed into the giant football stadium, an announcer instructed the crowd that all the university's speakers deserve to be treated with respect and that anyone demonstrating or heckling could be subject to expulsion and arrest. The announcer urged a "thunderous" ovation for outgoing university President William Kirwan. Bush, too, was heavily applauded." Yes, this sounds like the kind of bullshit thing too many colleges and universities are pulling these days. (Didn't Dennis Miller say something like, "In my day, colleges WERE the free speech zones" recently?) And sure, I can buy into the fact that they wouldn't want any openly critical or embarrassing displays against Bush. But that anonymous first person account was just too soupy. For what's is worth, Wil, I don't think you're anti-American; I think you're about as American as they come (hey, you like video games, criticizing your government, and the word-fragment "hella"). My main point is: be careful of getting sucked into stuff you find on the Net, and NEVER take off your Skeptic Hat. Posted by: Chuggnutt at June 15, 2002 11:59 PMHey ISABEL, Preach on. thats all i got to say about that Posted by: hurley420_182 at June 16, 2002 12:02 AMHey ISABEL, Preach on. thats all i got to say about that Posted by: hurley420_182 at June 16, 2002 12:02 AMWil, I am a Bush supporter. However I believe every person has a right to express their opinion. The only anti-Americans are the ones calling you an anti-American for expressing your 1st ammendment rights. I live in Texas (yes the land where you can get a lethal injection on just about every street corner) and I believe there are many good qualities about Mr. Bush however with the good come the bad. I am completely with you on the privacy and freedom issues. I believe to many Men, women, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters have given up their lives to make our lives better. What the Bush Administration is trying to do is wrong. In a day like the day we live in everyone is afraid but giving in to terrorists is giving them exactly what they want. I believe to many americans have lost their lives to make this country what it is today. Preach on Wil we support you. Dear Wil -- I live in the Philippines -- a country that was once colonized, and is currently dominated by US foreign/political policy (for which state of affairs our government shares a good deal of responsibility). A country that, during World War II, saw Filipinos enlisting in the US Armed Forces because they were promised American citizenship if they fought for America (the Philippines was a colony of the US back then, and due for independence) -- men who gave up the best years of their lives during WWII, and as old and weary veterans, spent even more years in the United States working at any kind of job, just to get that precious "resident alien" or "blue passport" status -- so that they could send for their children and watch a new generation make a better life for themselves in "the land of the free". (Imagine a retired Colonel, 65 years old, a Bataan Death March survivor, working as a *security guard*!! But that's another story.) Despite all the bad water under the bridge, many Filipinos continue to believe that America is the best place in the world to live in. When you report incidents like this one, it is scary to think that a "bastion of democracy" as the United States, can resort to repressive measures equal to anything employed in the Marcos martial law era. I hope saner minds soon prevail over such actions. The peaceful expression of dissent is a healthy thing, whether in politics or in the family. Posted by: Starshadow Rivaulx at June 16, 2002 12:40 AMThan you, Mr. Wheaton, for coming out in support of the Constitution. As far as I am concerned, you have done more to fight terrorism than the entire Bush Administration and its stupid war in Afghanistan. By preserving our freedom and democracy, we can defeat the goals of the terrorists. Posted by: billyblazer at June 16, 2002 12:46 AMThanks for the link. Knowing is half the battle. I can tell you now as a distant observer in Australia; I and most of my friends think its all pure insanity. And what is worse is that the media doesnt have the guts to just call it plain old WAR. This is a question of RESPECT. You may hate Bush (Wil), you make like him (me), but it is the position of President of the United States that should be respected. Those protesters are just ignorant, emotional fools, they hate Bush for no good reason. Yeah Bush beat the hell out of Gore, so F-ing what? Just because there weren't enough dead people and illegals to get Gore elected is no reason to hate Bush! They should respect the office of the President. NEVER AGAIN! "Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's Liberty Teeth and keystone under independence. To ensure peace, security, ans happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference. They deserve a place of honour with all that is good." - George Washington "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of firearms." - Thomas Jefferson Posted by: NYC at June 16, 2002 01:53 AMRespect or not, you should NOT be arrested for turning your back on someone! Assaulting him verbally or physically.. yes. But peacefully turning your back? Sieg Heil! WTF is this country coming to? Posted by: MatrixRaven at June 16, 2002 01:58 AMI challenge you to confirm this UNNAMED guy's account from a legitimate news source. They may have stated that if people DISRUPTED the event, then they would be expelled from it. This nonsense about being arrested for turning your back is, well, have you ever heard the term "urban legend?" No one is going to be arrested for turning their backs. However, if they make an actual disruption that prevents the event from proceeding, that would be grounds to be kicked out or even arrested depending on the seriousness. If I came to one of your comedy shows and stood up and yelled through the whole thing would you say nothing and respect my "constitutional right?" If so, I challenge you to let anyone come to every one of your shows and disrupt the event and you promise not to have security throw them out!!!! Again, look to verify these silly urban myths before you publish them as fact!!! Posted by: Reality Check at June 16, 2002 02:01 AMAh, MatrixRaven, I see you are practising for the next Liberal president. I prefer to close with "Never Again", but you may end your thought how you wish, intersting it should be that! Auf Wiedersien LONG LIVE NYC! Posted by: NYC at June 16, 2002 02:03 AMKind of reminds me of the left trying to be the thought police in a public institution as well. A "professor" at Berkeley, wrote the following course description for a class called "The Politics and Poetics of Palestinian Resistance." This is was the original description of the course. Please note the last sentence. Course Description: Since the inception of the Intifada in September of 2000, Palestinians have been fighting for their right to exist. The brutal Israeli military occupation of Palestine, an occupation that has been ongoing since 1948, has systematically displaced, killed and maimed millions of Palestinian people. And yet, from under the brutal weight of the occupation, Palestinians have produced their own culture and poetry of resistance. This class will examine the history of the Palestinian resistance and the way that it is narrated by Palestinians in order to produce an understanding of the Intifada and to develop a coherent political analysis of the situation. This class takes as its starting point the right of Palestinians to fight for their own self-determination. Conservative thinkers are encouraged to seek other sections. The left is at it as well with their agenda, Wil. They changed the course description of this class because of the public outcry. Sheesh, if you think a certain way, seek other sections. What a crock. The Simon Wiesenthal Center had an article about it: http://www.wiesenthal.com/social/press/pr_item.cfm?ItemID=5711 Also, at the University of South Carolina, (snipped from an article) "On Jan. 16, 2002, Professor Lynn Weber of the University of South Carolina’s (USC) Women Studies Program distributed a syllabus to the students in her seminar. Among other things, the syllabus included a list of “Guidelines for Classroom Discussion.” In order to participate in class discussion (20 percent of each student’s final grade), the guidelines ruled, students in Professor Weber’s class must first “acknowledge that racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, and other institutionalized forms of oppression exist.” The guidelines go on to require that prospective students further agree that “we are all systematically taught misinformation about our own group and about members of other groups,” that “this is true for members of privileged and oppressed groups,” and that students must “agree to combat actively the myths and stereotypes about our groups and other groups.” Quite a mouthful for the first day of class. The problem with all this is not so much that Professor Weber believes that institutionalized “racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, and other institutionalized forms of oppression” exist (maybe, maybe not) nor even that “we are all systematically taught misinformation about our own group and about members of other groups” (a judgment from which one must suppose Weber generously exempts herself). The problem is that Weber proposes turning these exquisitely debatable propositions into articles of faith on penalty of a reduced grade. Believe otherwise — or so her syllabus would seem to suggest — and you will suffer the consequences." Yep, McCarthy would be proud of both sides. To combat this from either side, I personally read news from both points of view, listen to conservative and liberal news sources so I get a a well rounded version of the news. Then I feel I'm getting a good representation and can make up my own opinion from there. Sorry for the long post... While looking through Metafiler (cool site, by the way!) I found another apparent example. This one is to someone who is here on a visa and attended the same Mosque as Padilla when he was in Florida. They're holding him now on immigration charges, whatever that means. They haven't said that he's actually done anything, or really that he's THOUGHT of doing something. Here's what they have said:
Echoing a poster on Metafiler... Pardon me.... I was under the impression that holding extremist views was legal in America. I'll hold my judgement on this until I hear more or until time has passed and we've heard nothing. Oh, preemptive comment: Yes, non-citizens do enjoy Constitutional protections, although not all the rights of citizens, such as the right to vote. You're on the way to end up like Nazi-Germany. All the signs are there. Do they not teach you history in school anymore? On another note, just how was the US democratically elected to be protector of the 'free' world? When was the job of policing the whole planet officially handed over? And by whom? Who decides which countries are evil? Do the people get a say? Because that's what democracy is all about, right? Just wondering... No, I'm not anti-American, just asking questions..... Posted by: Annie at June 16, 2002 02:16 AMNYC: It's because he's an underqualified former crack addict who has about as much intelligence as my ancient neurotic terrier. I am NOT exaggerating. The Bush administration has taken great pains to hide the president's lack of higher intelligence, going so far as to script him making jokes about it in his heavily scripted speeches. He dodges important, controversial questions. He rarely speaks without a prewritten speech in front of him. Please don't tell me he's the most qualified man in the country. I respect the office, if only because it's a powerful one, but there is no way in hell I can respect a man, a 'leader of the free world', who knows less about the world than most cheerleaders I know. Posted by: KJB at June 16, 2002 02:22 AMAh yes Annie, History is the key here. Got it? Probably not based on your question. But, good luck! NEVER AGAIN! After reading this, i'm suddenly flashed back to some "suspected" "dirty-bomb" "terrorist" (lets see how many alarms i set off in the CIA's monitoring system with this one!) who has been held for 4 months now, WITHOUT being charged, and is an AMERICAN CITIZEN. ... Now, let me say at the moment that i'm as certin as anyone else that the mentioned person probably should NOT be on the streets and we are definatley safer with him in custody, but, my point is the same as Uncle Willies... When our basic freedoms are trampled on for the sake of the "greater whole", or as Bush and company call it, "Homeland security" (isnt that what the national guard, CIA and FBI DO???!!!) its not so far a cry between some muslum looking character to act as a scape goat for Bush's ego and poll's, and our dearly beloved Uncle Willy or even yours truely being snatched up in the middle of the night for "turning our back" on our dear and wonderful leader. Anyone got some spare barf bags from the airplane?? I feel a projectile coming up quick. I would suggest that everyone reading this send a copy of that letter to their local news stations and even the national ones, hell, anyone who may listen-- (did someone mention Dinnis Miller??) Lets see what we can cook up eh? Mike Posted by: Mike at June 16, 2002 02:31 AMHi KJG, interesting initials. Much like the KGB, an evil arm of a communist state. Hmm, are you a communist? Do you like those who beat, tortured and killed American servicemen and allies of the cause of freedom? Probably not, it is likely just your initials. Anyway, Bush has a Masters degree in History? Do you have a masters degree in... anything? Probably not, but you and your terrier so much smarter than W. Every smart politician uses a prepared speech, even Lincoln he kept them in his hat! Do you think he was dumb too? NEVER AGAIN! Posted by: NYC at June 16, 2002 02:36 AMSo this war on terrorism is NATO's then?? I don't see many NATO countries fighting in Afghanistan. When was the vote held in the NATO assembly to declare war? I grew under the shadow of Soviet Comunism in a little country called Denmark. We are NATO too. But what is going on in the US now is not so very different to what the Russian people suffered under Soviet rule. No freedom of speech, arrest for dissent, secret police etc. Hi Annie, while I greatly respect Denmark, the US was attacked and we do not need their help. No vote needs to be taken, the US was attacked we have the right and duty to defend our citizens from barbarians. I assume then the US should allow millions of her citizens to be slaughtered, until NATO says, "thats enough!" well bullocks to that, as my English friends would say. God Bless Britannia. One of our true friends. They understand who is Hitler, and it isn't Bush. NEVER AGAIN! DEFEND FREEDOM! Posted by: Strabolgi at June 16, 2002 02:46 AMNYC: You're so smart, being able to see the similarities to the former Soviet Union's intelligence agency's acronym and my name. Bravo. You've now hit the same level of intelligence as a 2nd grader. I'm well aware most politicians use prepared speeches. My point is, the man doesn't speak without one. EVER. The difference here between Bush and say, Clinton or Lincoln, is that those men didn't RELY on the prewritten speech. They were both able to speak extemporaneously, and often quite well. As for the "Communist hordes", I think you (Strabolgi) are overreacting. Indeed, the hordes of Muslims you so worry about aren't really hordes at all. Posted by: KJB at June 16, 2002 02:53 AMI refer the honorable Gentleman to the questions And if you cannot see the direction in which you are headed, I pity you. Posted by: Annie at June 16, 2002 02:56 AMGive the man a cigar! Though we (the UK population) could've told you what was going to happen 18 months ago. It's truly dispicable what Bush and his co-horts are up to over there at the minute. Though admittedly we have our own problems over here at the minute with a *President* who thinks that if he ignores people for long enough, the problems will go away. I think this whole "new world order" shit is gonna spiral outta control just now, and we will really see change in the way we live our lives. Remember when we used to talk of "the revolution"? It's [really] just around the corner... Posted by: tunde at June 16, 2002 02:56 AMAnd Strabolgi: Do you understand what you are saying when you say "Defend Freedom", and then implicitly agree with the trampling of Constitutional rights the next moment? The dichotomy astounds me. Posted by: KJB at June 16, 2002 02:57 AMKJB, if you don't think that there are hordes of A-rabs waiting to kill us, then go to Iran and live a year with them and see how quickly they slit your throat like a hog. NYC Posted by: Strabolgi at June 16, 2002 03:03 AMAs for the whole Masters in History deal - Did he have any idea where Afghanistan was? Does he know now? A degree is something you can buy nowadays. I still have little respect for him. Posted by: KJB at June 16, 2002 03:04 AMActually, NYC, President Bush Jr. has a Bachelors in History (Yale) and a Masters in Business Administration (Harvard). Although I'm not sure either fact is terribly meaningful to this conversation. Posted by: BBOCK at June 16, 2002 03:09 AMNYC: The "A-rab" phrase merely shows your own ignorance and bigotry. I hope you learn inner peace sometime, as well as history. Historically, the Muslim expansion of its early years was carried out by military conquest, yes. But if you were a Jew back then, where was it safer to live? In Muslim areas. So don't you DARE tell me that all "A-rabs" are killers and propagators of an evil, parasitic, cannibalistic culture. Posted by: KJB at June 16, 2002 03:09 AMHey, Wil... long time reader, first time caller. I am glad to see that people are not afraid of stating their true feelings about our "president". I myself voted for Nader. I am on a Rocky Horror cast here in wisconsin, and even we have a callback expressing our displeasure at the president... not too sure how many people here are familiar with this cult movie... but in any case, during the creation scene, Columbia says 'he's ok' Frank angrily responds 'OK?' (audience shouts "What do you think of George W Bush?") Frank then says 'I Think we can do better than that!' This usually elicits a lot of cheers from people. Sorry if this is offtopic, but I seem to think for some reason that it is related. Posted by: Scott at June 16, 2002 03:09 AMThanks, BBROCK, for clearing that up :) Posted by: KJB at June 16, 2002 03:11 AMKJB, there is no f-ing dichotomy, these are incredible times, which require non-standard responses. That is why it is a WAR. Annie, we are headed in the direction of defending ourselves, if that offends you, don't come here, don't buy stuff from here. 'Nuf said. NEVER AGAIN Posted by: NYC at June 16, 2002 03:12 AMTerrorist does not equal Nazi. NYC, there IS a dichotomy. You say, Yes, fight for freedom. But you don't mind destroying freedom in order to do this. Don't you see? There is no war. It is a war in name only; there has been no congressional declaration. Please, for your sake, think about what you are proposing. If nothing else, contemplate calling someone an A-rab, and how that is a bigoted remark, especially when referring to a whole group as a murdering bunch of Nazis. I wish I had more time to talk, but I've got to get some sleep. Posted by: KJB at June 16, 2002 03:15 AMHave the terrorists frightened you so much, NYC, that you would be willing to give up your right to free speech, to free thought, to many of the freedoms you and I take for granted, so that a percieved threat can be hopefully squashed? Have you let them win? Peace out, folks. Posted by: KJB at June 16, 2002 03:17 AMBeing a Brit, I don't feel I have enough information to comment properly on Bush. So I won't. No KJB, I don't believe that all muslims want to kill americans, just the 99.9% of them I call A-rabs, live I would say Nazi to describe someone evil. In case you haven't noticed A-rabs are funding homicide bombers to kill Jews, and training other A-rabs to kill me, that offends me okay? I don't want them to kill me, sorry. NEVER AGAIN! NEVER! Posted by: NYC at June 16, 2002 03:21 AMKJB, good point about Denmark and Hitler. Hey Wil, heres a little confirmation of that letter you came across... http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020614/ap_to_po/bush_7 Posted by: Mike at June 16, 2002 03:29 AMWhat freedom is being destroyed, the 'right' to swarm into the US undocumented. The right to plot to kill innocent civilians with a all types of devices, including radioactive ones. Sorry, someone plotting with terrorists=nazis, then I'm glad the Government is stopping them. CAN THE bin laden! Posted by: NYC at June 16, 2002 03:34 AMAnnie, My Uncle fought the Nazis in the air force in France. He was brave but I consider your Great Uncle to be a hero! I'm truly sorry and sickened by what happened to your Great Uncle, his soul will surely forever reside in heaven. The evil nazis would have called him a traitor, but he IS a hero, and those like him too. I can not see a way anyone could be more brave. CNN is also reporting that the crowd at Ohio State was told to behave or be arrested. It's in the last paragraph of this story. http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/06/14/bush.ohiostate.ap/index.html The problem I have with the coverage is that it is all the same and almost the same wording. Journalists tend to use other news reports as sources for their stories, which isn't good. So, I still haven't seen quite enough to be definitive about what actually happened. You would think that someone would have had their camcorder going at the time and has captured it. So, I'm sure if it did happen the way the reports sound, we will know about it in the next day or so. Posted by: BBOCK at June 16, 2002 03:50 AMOff topic. Sorry. But since the war is the issue behind this issue, I thought people might be interested in this story from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/16/opinion/16DOWD.html QUOTE: Classified investigations of the Qaeda threat now under way at the F.B.I. and C.I.A. have concluded that the war in Afghanistan failed to diminish the threat to the United States, the officials said. Instead, the war might have complicated counterterrorism efforts by dispersing potential attackers across a wider geographic area. ----- I'd also like to point you to an interesting OP-N-ED piece, also in the NYT. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/16/opinion/16TRIB.html Posted by: BBOCK at June 16, 2002 04:18 AMUnbelievable, the nazis are coming back to power. Why do i even bother to vote? Posted by: taso at June 16, 2002 05:09 AMI have a few points I would like to make" 1. College students, while intelligent, do not have the life experiences that many of us already have. I should know cause I was one of them. I can tell you that I had some stupid opinions at the time, mainly because I was young and just had not experienced the real world yet. I usually don't put too much stock in the opinion of someone who just moved out of mom and dad's basement and spend Friday nights getting wasted. 2. I agree that respect should be shown to any speaker at a college, be they the president or anyone else. If you have a problem with that person, don't go to the speech. Stay home, write you congressperson, create a website against their policies, or better yet, VOTE! To boo, hiss, or turn your back on someone speaking, especially one of your elders is not only rude, it's immature. Wow, immature behavior at a college. Imagine that. (Can someone say hazing?) 3. Finally, hecklers get booted from many events and no one ever cries that their Constitutional rights are being violated. If you go to a concert, a comedy club, any kind of speech and start causing trouble, security is going to kick your ass out. Now I am not a big fan of Dubya, but I think this incident is being blown WAY out of proportion here. There are ways to behavior in a society and what some of these students did is just not it. Posted by: Sinkerhawk at June 16, 2002 05:36 AMIt is scarey to think that Bush claims to run the greatest democracy in the world and yet does this kind of thing. What worries me more is that here in the UK Tony Blair is going down the same road with his obsession for 'media friendly Tony' (now available with football for a quick kick-about and stylish Sven glasses for 'Ulrika appeal'). With this sort of thing going on how can we go out into the world claiming they must follow our act. We're all with Wil on this one I think. Posted by: Wannabe American at June 16, 2002 05:57 AMhttp://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=nonviolent&itemid=94232 I first heard of this from a person on Livejournal posting about their experiences at the event. According to the above account, there was no protesting, no heckling, no being loud or disruptive. They simply stood, and turned their backs when he began talking. Hey Wil, I saw the same story at http://www.mediawhoresonline.com/ Check out this post. http://www.safesearching.com/boards/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=221&t=000340 At Bill Maher's new forum board. Well, this is interesting. It's the article from the Ohio State student newspaper. It's about the protest. But there is no mention of the announcement. I'm wondering if we've been had. I guess time will tell. Someone had to have a camcorder going. http://thelantern.com/news/255720.html Posted by: BBOCK at June 16, 2002 06:21 AMSinkerhawk, you wrote: "College students, while intelligent, do not have the life experiences that many of us already have." College students are not all starry-eyed 22 year olds who've never held a job more taxing than part time work at the mall. It's 2002 and they come from all ages and all life experiences.
Be that as it may, unless you personally know all the people involved and feel qualified to judge the validity of their opinions...
Sounds like the people who said "if you have a problem with a prayer being read at graduation, then don't attend graduation." Graduation is about the graduates, first and foremost. For them and often (for the most part) paid for by them, even. It's not about the speaker.
Elders and ergo betters? Then maybe everyone here should report their age and whoever's the oldest should then be allowed to take the floor and lead the discussion without "immature" dispute? Being an older person, I'd love to rest on that laurel, but I'm old enough to know age doesn't mean ca-ca. It's what you've done with it. It's not "immature" to dissent. Sometimes the rationale is weak, sometimes the method is unnecessarily disruptive, but protesting in itself is not immature. In fact, choosing to silently turn away from a person is one of the most "mature" forms of protest I can imagine.
Sometimes they do, as it happens, but is turning away from a person the same as heckling? Forget that, is it appropriate to be told that the years, money, and effort spent working to earn a degree will be made null and void and that you'll be subject to criminal prosecution if you turn your back on a government employee?
These "ways" are enumerated in legal documents, not an individual citizen's ideology. Please cite your source for the behaviour at Ohio State being unlawful, or better yet, unconstitutional. Wil, Our country has slowly been sliding toward our present Police State since the Reagan era. It began subtly with the stripping of teen-agers rights - in the name of what was best for them, of course - and we stood by, casually, apathetically, and we said, "Maybe the government is right. Maybe sixteen is too young to smoke, or eighteen is too young to drink, or maybe curfews are, indeed, the answer, or the right to peaceful assemblage IS actually trespassing and loitering after all. Perhaps the police NEED more authority to pull people over, randomly, and harass them, since, after all, a young person out after ten is criminal, or a motorist at 2 a.m. must be drunk, or a nonwhite in a white neighborhood HAS to be grounds for suspicion... but, just in case, there's always that "crossed the double-yellow line" excuse... (Hey, the cops got away with the Rodney King thing, right?) Grr. (As a man who is half Puerto Rican, I can say this. I have been pulled over 17 times in the last three years. I have yet to get a ticket. 50% of the time I've been asked, "Sir, whose car is this?" True story.) We thought, just maybe... we need the government to show us the way. After all, parents don't know how to parent anymore. (That person spanks her child!) We're ignorant to interpersonal relationships. (All men cheat on their wives! I saw it on Young & the Restless! He's gay! That's it! They're what's wrong with the world! Why didn't we see this before? Because, you idiot! There was no Oprah before! Duh! Or Geraldo, or Ricki, or Montel...) We have become what we have allowed ourselves to become, as we've been conditioned to be, to look on other people, other ways of life, or other lifestyles, "abnormal activities", our neighbors, with 1950s' paranoid suspicion. We're the ones who allowed the government to take us by the hand and say, "Come this way. You're not living right. Neither is your neighbor. We will show you how it's done. The right way. And, hey, if your neighbor isn't with the program, let us know, okay? We'll... help him see the light. We have a whole army of social service workers to teach them..." And we all went, like SHEEP, because the government became the keeper of our conscience, and because the media were the teachers of our morals, and television showed us how we were supposed to be living, and as long as we stayed in line and kept our blinders on, the world was just as rosy and peachy as they told us it would be. And we traded our personal liberties for the sake of our children and our nation. (Tell me, does neighborhood watch translate to spy on your neighbor?) And the sensationalist media demonized everything about people's lives, using crack, AIDS, and even "out of wedlock" pregnancy as broadswords - amongst many others - to keep us off guard and to justify vulgar invasions of privacy until slowly, methodically, we were a twisted paragon of what political correctness called "normal", with a whole library filled with new laws designed to keep everyone and everything in check. And WE wielded those broadswords proudly as we all chanted "Just say no!" or "Just do it!" and helped the government "fix" what was wrong with this country... by eliminating things that were different, or that we didn't understand, or that we believed were wrong, under the guise of what was BEST for America. And little by little, either violence or apathy replaced weekend beer parties, and guns and gangs became the norm for our kids. And music became the psychopathic representation of the times. And we became the inheritors of a stone-fisted, black and white society without the gray area where the oxygen used to be. We tolerated the loss of individuality with the same ease we allowed a man to deface the office of the Presidency, as we are now allowing this massive, Big Brother Government of OUR OWN creation strip us of what little liberty we have left. This is NOT the beginning, Wil. We are at the top of the mountain looking down on all we trampled when we allowed the government to lead us here. (I liked it better when everyone minded their own damned business, personally.) Yet remember... all we had to do to get here was turn away from others as THEIR rights were slowly whittled away, while we basked in the good life the economy was providing. But, as we were told, it was for the good of the many to repress a mere few... ... and to our eternal shame, we believed them. George W. Bush is not the beginning of this, he's the apex. We are, as I said, at the top now. If we were moral, we would have held Bill Clinton to a higher standard. (Like it, or not, we allowed a President to commit perjury, and we even justified it for him in the name of "privacy", as if the man was more important than what the Office of the President stands for. Was the battle with Nixon not partly over our right to know that what's being done behind closed doors is TRULY in the best interest of the nation, that our voices are being heard, and that the PRESIDENT is NOT above the LAW? I'm not debating this. The man MUST live up to the responsibility... and GWB has to, too.) Wil, if we were a society that cherished liberty, we would have fought hard for the rights of others long before the "Goose-steppers" made it to our door. Do you not yet see where we are at this moment in time in our country? "... and when they came for me, there was nobody left to say anything." Here is some food for thought, my friend: You said: "If we allow the Bush Administration to goose-step all over our civil rights, and we sit back quietly while Ashcroft dances all over the constitution, we no longer have a country worth fighting for." Consider this instead, because we've already been doing all THAT since 1980: Perhaps... this is exactly the time to START fighting... before there really is no one left to say anything. Yours with Regards, JJ Christopher Posted by: JJ Christopher at June 16, 2002 07:23 AMWHOA! Hi people. I read the article you gave us the link to the other day, Wil. Thanks. I have to tell you guys something. My opinion. I still remember when I saw the twin towers that day, and I still remember the pain when I saw such a tragedy. I couldn't really understand it. I can't understand why people have to be so mean to each other. Why we have to kill each other. I've never understood the wars. I WANT peace. I want to say that I'm not happy about Bush and his politics. I do understand that some of the Americans wants revenge, but I can't understand why we have to bomb a country because of this. Innocent people are also living in Afghanistan. Young people, children. Is this right? To kill people? We say that it's wrong to kill people, but still we kill back? I don't think that justice is done with murder. We're all a part of this, and even though many people died September 11, many other people died other places too. If we could only find another way out of this. If we could stop the war. We have to stop the war, before it's too late. Through the years we have managed to make it almost impossible to find another solution than war, and it really hurts me. We gotta stand together, before we can do something about it. I'm not telling negative things about the Americans. I'm telling all that if we have to stop war and cruelty we have to stand together. We have to think of another solution than war. It won't help to bomb Afghanistan. They will only get mad. They are already angry I'm pretty sure. Osama Bin Laden and the others should have thought about what would happen. When they planned the attack on WTC. It would only make the Americans angry. It's clear that the Americans are angry and hurt, but if we keep on bombing each other we could go on forever. If we keep on killing each other the peace will never come. We gotta stop this. "Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow" River Phoenix Take care. Peace, Helene Posted by: Helene at June 16, 2002 07:35 AMI know we are not supposed to use this comment area as a BBS, and I promise this will be the last time I do so, but I just can't stand by and let some of these things be said without responding. To those who are crying out that it is a matter of respect, and that the President deserves respect, I would say this: As President, a great part of his duty to us, the people of this country who elected him and pay him to do his job, is to uphold the constitution. The right to disagree with our leaders and to peacefully demonstrate that is constitutionally protected, and as far as I am concerned once he has disrespected the constitution he forfeits any right he ever had to respect from me or anyone else who treasures their constitutional rights. Those rights are, after all, what makes this country great. The office of President is an elected one, and his duty is to us, not the other way around. M Posted by: Melinda Beasi at June 16, 2002 07:47 AMI'm glad Wil takes the time to post about stuff like this, to post what is true and right. That's why I think it's an opportune time for him to make up on a promise that he's broken. Last year he posted a story about Bush sending money to the Taliban that I informed him was not true. He kindly thanked me and said he'd look into it. No correction was posted. Further emails were not responded to. But now would be a great time to post the truth. Posted by: RC at June 16, 2002 07:49 AMWow - lotta confusion in this thread - and even one guy posting under two names - must have trouble getting his point across I guess. Let's see now; War on Terrorism, War on Drugs, War on Poverty, War on Inflation - hmmmmm how many wars can we maintain at any one time? I find it odd that we can fight in conflicts and lose thousands of lives a month and calmly refer to it as a "police action", then invade a dusty defeated, disorganised and mostly destroyed country and call it a "war" in which the highest number of allied casualties was the result of our own "friendly" fire. What happened on 9/11 was an evil act, but once that act had occurred there was a need for greater consideration prior to action. WHAT? you say, and let those bastards get away? Well sorry, but we rushed it and they DID get away, the small fish we have behind razor wire in Cuba were ours for the taking anyway. And a little thought as to WHY people hate us so much would not go astray - it is not just because they are "A-rabs" and we are amaericans (and who by the way are you defining as an "A-rab"? Iranians? - Persian, Afghans? - afghan, turks? - turkic, Somalis? - African, Pakistanis? - various tribes from indian subcontinent.) I could go on, but I truly believe that if people were able to use the brains that god givt'em then we would not be in such a fine pickle of a discussion. THINK, the thoughts you are afraid to think I will stand when Mr Bush enters a room because he holds the office of President of the United States of America, but if he wants respect then he will have to earn it, because I too share the planet with him and my life and rights are equal to his. Posted by: Grendel at June 16, 2002 07:53 AMShari, I disagree with just about everything you said. Big surprise. I know that if I was giving a speech, I would be very offended if people came to it just to turn around and ignore me. It's an insult in the most childish form. I did not like Clinton at all, but when he came near my hometown to give a speech, I would never in a million years gone out to insult him or belittle him in any way. That's just how I was raised. I would disagree with what he said or did, but I would never insult him in person. I also consider age to be a big factor in life experiences. I've been out of college for about ten years now and my whole attitude has changed. I have begun to realize that a lot of the things I believed in were because of my own ignorance and youth. I still say that college students are the last group of people I would look to for guidance in life AND politics. You are right, it is not against the law for a person to heckle or ignore someone giving a speech, but it is well within the rights of the school to remove and expel disrespectful students, especially if the school feels that their actions go against the moral structure that the university is founded on. Legally, I have the right to call you names and make fun of you on this forum. The police will not arrest me, the FBI is not going to haul me in, but Wil can censor me, he can remove my post, he can ban me for life. That is his prerogative because this is HIS forum just like Bush's speech was on the SCHOOL'S grounds. If I invited someone over to a party and you came to make fun of them or insult them, you better believe you would be out sitting on the street in no time. Just because I can legally do something does not make it right. Posted by: Sinkerhawk at June 16, 2002 08:01 AMOk, who was arrested? Anyone? Did Bush or his officers escort people out, or was it the school? I can't defend Bush here, because according to all the links, HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO ANYONE. On the other hand, when Clinton spoke, and anyone protested, he DID have them arrested. The secret service arrested numerous people, and he even had the irs audit them. Wil. I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were a little more fair minded. But it seems you, and many people here, are eager to see the worst, even when it isn't there. Posted by: borg389 at June 16, 2002 08:04 AMOk, who was arrested? Anyone? Did Bush or his officers escort people out, or was it the school? I can't defend Bush here, because according to all the links, HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO ANYONE. On the other hand, when Clinton spoke, and anyone protested, he DID have them arrested. The secret service arrested numerous people, and he even had the irs audit them. Wil. I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were a little more fair minded. But it seems you, and many people here, are eager to see the worst, even when it isn't there. Posted by: borg389 at June 16, 2002 08:04 AMWell, this topic is all over the place now and some of the points being raised are completely ridiculous. Nazi Germany? Police State? Please. Things are far from perfect in this country, but it's still the best damned place to be if you want to think and act FREELY. I don't know, people here (and everywhere) seem to eat up this hyperbolic BS with a spoon, but when you mention Nazis and police states, you lose me and your point (if you have one) is immediately sent to the Null & Void Department. Anyway, back to what I hope is still the issue... In reading the links I saw in subsequent posts, all I can see is reference to the announcer suggesting that Bush receive a "thunderous ovation." I can now see that the conspiracy theorists MOST LIKELY took this admittedly poorly considered phrase and ran with it. I doubt that the rest happened, but at least I can see where it started. We'll see. I still admit the possibility it MIGHT be true, but I'm now more skeptical than I was before. I don't know which is more ridiculous, that people take the time to try to make these things up, that other people buy them so readily, or that still others take the time to look into it and post on it trying to convince others that The X-Files is fiction and the sky is not falling. Posted by: Zeno at June 16, 2002 08:05 AMActually would it have mattered if it was GWB or the President of the Local Knitting Guild? If people have a right to protest, then that should be respected no matter who the speaker - from the sounds of the planned protest it was unobtrusive - no heckling etc. I object to loud heckling or interjections simply because freedom of speech also needs to be extended to the person you are protesting against - and it also marks you as a rude individual who does not want to hear an opposing viewpoint. If students and others were removed for simply turning their backs, then that is truly crass. If Clinton had people removed for protesting, then he is equally guilty. Posted by: Grendel at June 16, 2002 08:13 AMI want to comment on M's post: "As President, a great part of his duty to us, the people of this country who elected him and pay him to do his job, is to uphold the constitution. The right to disagree with our leaders and to peacefully demonstrate that is constitutionally protected, and as far as I am concerned once he has disrespected the constitution he forfeits any right he ever had to respect from me or anyone else who treasures their constitutional rights. Those rights are, after all, what makes this country great. Bush never stopped people from using their 1st amendment rights. You want to protest bush's speech, go right ahead, but do it OUTSIDE. You have the right to protest, but not in someone else's property while they are holding an event. Do it outside. Then no one gets upset. But be careful. If you protest while Clinton is speaking, you WILL get arrested, even if you do it outside. I wish you folks would actually see some of the things that Clinton did. You folks never said one word during Clinton's incredible abuses. But one school ejects students when they protest inside the auditorium during the presidential speech, and the world is ending. Btw, the school didn't order anyone to applaud. They requested it. I saw the other articles. But the one on the democraticunderground.com MUST be true, right. They would NEVER have a bias on things. Oddly enough, even that article couldn't put too bad a spin on things. The worst they managed to say is that the speech stopped until a standing ovation occurred. Big deal. Posted by: borg389 at June 16, 2002 08:14 AMIs this some phenomenon of the Internet? If you expect me to BELIEVE something, then prove it! Show me the proof about Bush. Show me the proof about Clinton. The fact that you expect what you type onto a messageboard to be taken as fact, shows me that you believe what others type into a text box. George Bush is a Yeti! Why isn't anyone talking about that? There, I typed it. Do you now believe it? It's ridiculous! Look into things, do your research, think critically, and question EVERYTHING! And if you expect me (and God help us if not EVERYONE else) to believe that what you say has validity, back it up! While I'm sure you are a nice person who is completely trustworthy, give me some corroboration for your statement. Posted by: Zeno at June 16, 2002 08:21 AMMy school had CIA director Tenet. If you wish to hear about the long and dubious history my school has with the CIA, email me. If I was graduating this year I would have had my diploma mailed to me. And, my mommy would have supported me 100%. Posted by: RolleisRule at June 16, 2002 08:22 AMWell, I cannot support or deny the validity of the event in this article. But I will tell you this: The security additions added post Sept 11th where I work does include "Speaking out against any policies of the current administration" as a direct violation of security policy. Any person violating this (and other far more sensible precautions) will be reprimanded up to termination, arrest and indictment. Figure someday I'll be arrested for coming here, but maybe, just maybe they have bigger fish to fry than I.... Posted by: Just me at June 16, 2002 08:36 AMThank You for posting this, it is truly unbelievable that this sort of thing is still possible in our country. This really makes me sick! *still in shock* Posted by: NephraTari at June 16, 2002 08:36 AM*sigh* Posted by: Zeno at June 16, 2002 08:42 AMI think if is quite sad that people are flaming each other in the GUESTBOOK, of all places. This is where you put your thought on what the webmaster put up on HIS site, which he opperates with his own funds. If you really want to get into a flame war, please do it elsewhere. Posted by: Rollei-my weapon of choice at June 16, 2002 08:43 AMAs African American writer, James Baldwin, wrote in Notes of a Native Son: "I Love America more than any other country in the world, and exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually." I live by that sentence. It would be nice if everyone did. But this is America, one should be able to choose to live their life however they want as long as it doesn't cause "actual injury" to others (as opposed to emotional injury, which is what happens when people want to end recognized rights--i.e. free speech hurts their feelings, gays offend them, or they don't like action movies therefore nobody should be able to make or watch them). The U.S. is based on the people, not a king, emperor, god, or president. James Madison believed that it was necessary to have many factions in a large republic to prevent tyranny. It is intrinsic that the U.S. have people who oppose, criticize, and monitor the government and interest groups. The course description, mentioned in an above comment, for UC Berkeley was not written by a real professor (from my understanding) and it was recently changed. Yes, there are liberals who can be as stupid as conservatives. But the fact that there are some liberals who wish to stifle expression does not make conservatives--or *anybody*--right in restricting forms of expression. I'll leave you with two quotes from an unknown (not famous) UC Berkeley political science professor (Prof. Sperlich): "Freedom means nothing unless you have the freedom to be different" and "free speech can be unpleasant but we should endure it for the freedom." Posted by: KennyJ at June 16, 2002 08:44 AMMy thanks go to you as well Wil....thanks for posting this stuff.... hell, I'm Canadian, and i agree with you... I must say to those who asked for more evidence, you people need to pay more attention to media. I'm not talking internet media but CBS news, CNN, Washington post, local news etc. becuase hey folks this was on my local news in a small town in Illinois for Gods sake. Its not even a liberal news paper. I hear so many people whine about people who question the administration or government, and most of the time those people only have a glimpse at what the real issues are. I notice America doesn't seem to pay to much hard time in expanding there knowledge of events and just go at face value. Ps heres a little quote about free speech: If you've got as far as the bottom of this comment list then well done! I've read them all. I'm not American, I'm British so you may disregard my views. You US lot have something Brits dream of (a written consitution), and for goodness sake use it. We've got our own problems in the UK with Bush's lapdog (Tony Blair) but arresting people for excercising their constitutional rights is illegal. As for 'Strabolgi's comments on A-rabs, my father has worked in Iran and Iraq for a UK company and he's still alive. I have many Arab friends and they are kind and would go out of their way to help you. Michael J Martin (composer) Posted by: MikeJM at June 16, 2002 09:34 AMFolks, Lots of interesting comments here -- but also a lot of mudflinging and charges/countercharges. Didn't anybody ever hear of the old Usenet dictum: write it down, save it to a file, then go take a pee. If, after you're done, you still think the words truly represent you and your thoughts, then go ahead and post 'em. It's my take that Wil puts this stuff up for us to read and think about. It's not his responsibility to PROVE anything to you -- if you use one tenth of the brains Gawd gave a hole in the ground, you'd figure out how to go out and look things up for yourself to your own satisfaction. That's the nature of thought-provoking commentary -- it's stuff that you THINK about and then go out and learn more on your own. Don't like what you read about Monkey Boy in the White House? Then go find out some more -- that's what libraries and news sites are for. Read as much as you can and take into account that EVERYBODY has a point of view and that what they say is filtered through that POV. Sometimes we forget that and just make generalizations based on silly-ass stuff like the fact that they come from a certain country or social class or political party or have a certain gender. While those might be predictors of how someone thinks, they aren't iron-clad proofs. To find out how a Muslim thinks, talk to one. Hell, talk to a bunch of 'em. Read the writings of a bunch of 'em. I can just about guarantee that no two Muslims think alike. Just as no two Republicrats see the issues the same. Not everybody who works in a corporation is a droid waiting to screw over your Aunt Hattie. Not everyone who identifies themselves as Christian is good and pure and not every Muslim is out to kill folks. Well, enough of this. As far as I can tell, everybody's thoughts are provoked. When's the learning gonna start? Posted by: SpaceWriter at June 16, 2002 10:02 AM**CHEERS**APPLAUSE** Thankyou for posting those links, Wil. I always figured Bush must be a reincarnate of Hitler, now I'm sure of it! I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who feels the same way I do. Posted by: Robin at June 16, 2002 10:10 AMShrill political rhetoric is not what I come to this site for. Posted by: Leo Fishbat at June 16, 2002 10:15 AMAlthough I agree you have the right to say and feel anything you want, Wil, I disagree with you turning your web site into a political discussion board. this sounds suspiciously like what happened back at kutztown university in january 1995. i was a sophomore and we found out one day that bill clinton would be speaking in our field house. the administration bulletin about the event mentioned something to the effect of "protestors will be dealt with accordingly". i don't remember the exact wording but i remember being outraged. students were told that they were being given priority to see him speak. so my roommmate and i got in line at 5:30am two days before the speech to get tickets. had to skip my first class because we didn't actually receive our tickets until 9:30. so at 6:00 am on the morning of the 10:30 speech, we got in line. at 9:30, when the doors opened, students were held at bay while we watched busload after busload of special interest groups being led in first. when they were all inside and seated, approximately 100 students were let inside. needless to say, students were outraged after standing outside in the freezing cold in january in pennsylvania only to be cast aside in favor of less volatile voters. so if you think for a second that this is soley a republican tactic, you're wrong. Posted by: Leroy at June 16, 2002 12:23 PMWil... I will give you there are some bad things going on. But why would you bring your CHILD to someplace where you are going to PROTEST. The only reason to bring your CHILD to a PLACE like that is because you need to use her as a DEFENSE. How weak is that person. What a LOSER if you ask me. It would havent have mattered if it was GW or BC as president. They would have recieved the SAME warning. I dont think you have been anti american, you are just speaking your mind. But, look at ALL THE FACTS before jumping on this guys bandwagon. Posted by: MackBolan at June 16, 2002 12:28 PMThanks, Wil. It's pretty ironic that you'd be the one to stumble across this stuff, busy as you are! But I'm glad you do, because who else is gonna tell me? The TV news? Funny, everybody seems to cheer for Bush on the TV. Funny how that works. ...and hang on a second. If Clinton does this too, that means that no matter which mainstream political party you side with, they are doing this stuff. Part of the reason the warning to comply or be arrested strikes concern is historical context. Did colleges make similar statements when Clinton was pres? I don't know. Probably. Maybe. Was it wrong? Yep. Would I have been pissed off about that. You bet. Did I hear about it? No. But we currently have a political environment that makes such action by the administration of the college an outrage. We have an administration that has joked about how it was too bad this isn't a dictatorship. The have also warned (not a joke) that Americans should watch what they say and that people who disagree with the Whitehouse and raise questions about free speech and due process give ammunition to terrorists. It's a group of people who have been shrouding the everday workings of the government in secrecy and hiding parts of it in secret bunkers in the form of what THEY call a Shadow Government--a Shadow Government that does NOT include legislative or judicial branches. It's no wonder some of us are getting a bit nervous, if not outraged. Wow. There's an awful lot up there to follow! I saw this link the other day on Fark. I think that the President of OSU must be an idiot for making remarks like that. Graduation is for the graduates, regardless of whether we believe in their personal politics or not. Threatening them with arrest, expulsion and the loss of their diploma was probably the best lesson in life that they ever received at that school. Those in power dictate what goes, and freedom of speech belongs only to those we say it does. If the grads decide this needs to change, well see. I wonder if any Alumni organizations have questioned the judgement of making a statement like this as well. I think it is despicable that some people are pushing hatred in the name of NY. I'm from NY, and I had people there at the WTC when it went down, so don't push your bs on me. What happened that day was terrible and despicable, but the terrorists aren't the only ones responsible. The FBI and CIA seem more interestesd in finding ways to blow their own horn rather than cooperate with each other and actually protect the people of this country. In my opinion this makes them guilty of treason and makes them an accomplice to all the murders that day. If they did their jobs properly then 9-11 may not have happened, or at least on that scale. Besides we wouldn't have to defend against them if we weren't meddling there for as long as we have. If people want help, let them ask for it. We really need to reevaluate our allegiances over there. Israel is just as brutal as the Palestinians. There are no "good guys" there, just a lot of people convinced they are right no matter what. Funny how the "dirty bomber" popped up right as Congressional hearings concerning the lack of disclosure of important materials and documents by the FBI and CIA and Justice Department are going on isn't it? Just something to think about. Posted by: tskll at June 16, 2002 01:57 PMI am also a Canuck, But I can and do agree with the problem with Bush. I can't believe that America has a leader who is worse in more ways than the Canadian Prime Minister. Don't let the guy trample on freedom of speech America, if that goes, what's next? Posted by: angry penguin at June 16, 2002 01:59 PMIt seems you are all instantly jumping to the conclusion that these students were told this as a new policy. If this was a new university policy and affected every speech given there, I would be concerned. But have you considered the other possibilities of why someone told the students this? If I was part of the faculty at the school, I would be terribly embarrassed if my students turned their back on Bush. Now I would not tell them they could not do it or threaten to arrest them. However, people easily get swept away with emotion and anger when a huge event for them will be interrupted. It would be very easy to understand someone exaggerating the threat of what would happen if they were embarrassed. People often make grandiose statements or threats when they are angry or threatened themselves. You must take this into consideration when considering this story. This could also be a precaution. It would be very easy to hide something underneath a graduate robe and even easier to conceal what you are doing when not facing someone. I think the former is ahelluva more likely than the latter though. Please think about the situation and the human factor when statements like this are made. Look at the timing, intent, and strength of the statement. Are they making this a new rule at every graduation or is this just for this once? Of course everyone has their rights. Hell, you have the right to bear arms and shout threats at the president too. That doesn't mean you can show the president your new loaded shotgun as you tell him how much you hate him. Cmon. This should only be an issue IF students were actually arrested or expelled. Bitching about rights being taken away should be saved when and if a pattern develops. There is a huge cry of wolf coming from the leftists in this country and god save us all if a wolf ever does show up since no one would be listening by then. Posted by: Dale S. at June 16, 2002 02:19 PMAnd to think my Step daughter actually considered attending that school! I am ashamed of my birth state today. Thank you Wil for posting this on your site. This is an outrage. Posted by: RoxyElliot at June 16, 2002 02:25 PMProcess for posting on WWDN: 1. Read liberal post on front page Repeat steps 7 through 10 until you realize you have wasted, er spent 4 hours on WWDN. Rock On! Dale, you said: I disagree. It actually doesn't matter if anyone was arrested or expelled. The purpose of the statement was to put fear into people who would otherwise feel free to express themselves (even if they do make asses of themselves in the process). Quashing dissent really only takes a credible threat. And given the environment of having the President and Secret Service, police, etc. it's not that unreasonable to believe that they did intend to carry out the threat. And since I referred to the John Ashcroft quote, I ask you under what context that comment was ever acceptable? I've seen LET'S ROLL!™ and NEVER AGAIN! used out of context too many times to count. I think the reason we never heard about this kinda thing when Clinton was president was because he had more important controversies to worry about. Talk about having your hand in the cookie jar, no wonder he blimped out for awhile. I also see that none of the more liberal posts are mentioning that this school has the right to control conduct at a speech conducted on it's campus. If Bush goes down to Main Street and starts giving an impromptu speech, by all means be rude and vulgar. While at a private or state-run school, for which all taxpayers contribute, you better watch your manners. I say if anyone got kicked out, arrested, or expelled, they deserved it. It was not the proper place to protest. Posted by: Sinkerhawk at June 16, 2002 02:54 PMWell some are crying wolf. But as I said I know whats going on and am informed, I know the FBI now has the authority to read my emails listen to my phone calls without a warrant. I know that a Arabic friend of mind was incarcerated by the FBI and held for over 25 days before he was told why. My friend had just become an American citizen. It was later found he was held because he was ticketed two years ago for engaging in protest at my state capitol during a quiet gay rally. Their explanations for his being detained were vague and they were without a warrant but still he was taken to a jail. When word broke in the local media the owner of the news paper denied the story in press. THere was a small protest later but the protesters were gentley hushed out by police. This happened in CHampaign Illinois. Im not complaining for the fair treatment of terrorists im complaining for the fair treatment of American citizens. This isnt crying wolf this the truth this stuff is happening. I neglected to mention my friend was detained and asked if he knew any one who hated America, he was also asked and was investigated by the FBi if he had any links to Al-quieda. Their report ended with "unconfirmed". And although free from jail my friend is still under watch. Posted by: youngartisan at June 16, 2002 03:21 PMDale, your last post was about the only one to make me laugh on this subject. I'm glad someone has the neurons engaged. However, almost everyone else is merely interested in hashing the same old tired inflammatory rhetoric and facts be damned. Here, I'll take it up a notch. I heard Bush had 5 students jailed, beaten, and tortured! Who needs a source. I HEARD it or READ it. Let's say it was a local source. Yeah, that's the ticket... The next time I ask "how could someone be so stupid?" someone direct me back to this topic please... Posted by: Zeno at June 16, 2002 03:21 PMI'm a UK resident. It's so refreshing to hear something so...well, refreshing from a friend across the pond. All we get here is the constant tirade of imperialist nonsense about defending America's rights, when, as Wil rightly points out, those rights will soon be unidentifiable. Even here our own beloved Tony Blair, ever determined to make us the 51st state, criticises those of us within his Labour Party who dare to speak out against the war and against George W Bush. As you probably know, he's a huge national joke here. We have a cartoon satire TV show in which a Bush military aide has to use a glove puppet called Professor Liebstraum in order to explain the basic facts about the Arab-Israeli conflict to the cloth-eared git. Bush will only understand the puppet, which is ironic, as Blair the puppet will only ever listen to Bush. Good luck, ye Americans who dare to speak out. Posted by: Ed at June 16, 2002 03:21 PM Yeah, controversies like the White House being to politicized, using White House equipment for a reelection campaign, and getting umm... oral satisfaction from interns and nasty habits with cigars. Instead we have a politicized White House (why is anyone shocked about politics in DC?), using White House computers to develop campaign material, and well... so Bush got Kennyboy Lay'ed in the White House instead of Monica laid, it's still the same. We're still getting screwed. Posted by: Brian at June 16, 2002 03:26 PM"Here, I'll take it up a notch. I heard Bush had 5 students jailed, beaten, and tortured! Who needs a source. I HEARD it or READ it. Let's say it was a local source. Yeah, that's the ticket..." LOL! Thanks for the laugh. This board is very repetitious in it's arguments and I just find myself typing the same retort to their same old arguments over and over. It's like trying to hold back a sea of mediocre thinking and one-sided perspective with nothing more than a mop. Alwys good for a laugh and a reminder of how self-serving most people are though... Posted by: Dale S. at June 16, 2002 04:18 PMA college administration announces that students may be "subject to arrest" if they "disrupt" a speech -- a very vague description which leaves everyone here without enough facts to make an informed arguement one way or the other. Disrupting by throwing molotov cocktails? Disrupting by blowing air horns in the president's ear? We're not told what the actual intentions were, but Wil manages to assume the worst. Furthermore, I must say that it's quite interesting that Wil and many (most?) others here managed to blame this on George Bush and John Ashcroft. This was the action of a college administration, not the Bush administration. Your willingness to jump on the blame wagon says much about your critical thinking skills. You probably didn't notice the discrepency, did you? Posted by: scratch at June 16, 2002 04:42 PMWith all the talk about people getting arrested and held without warranty, I find it rather funny that the Bush administration is also getting hammered for NOT investigating, arresting, and holding some of the suspected terrorists directly and indirectly responsible for 9/11. Whether he does or he doesn't, he's damned in the eyes of some people. I have a feeling that if Bush did something really great, like cure brain cancer, they would probably say it's a conspiracy against neurologists by putting them out of work. Posted by: Sinkerhawk at June 16, 2002 05:04 PMSpaceWriter: Dale S: youngartisan: Gee... The President of the United States and his lackey's couldn't POSSIBLY have put any pressure on the college administrators to make everything run smoothly.... even if only indirect pressure. Bush is pathetic. Why is he pathetic? Not because he is a Republican, and not because he won the election through shady vote counting. He is pathetic because he constantly contradicts his own statements and policies. He used 9/11 as a means to coerce and sway public opinion in his favor, and detract attention from his recent win of Presidency. He likes to think of himself as a spokesperson for democracy while his actions show otherwise. And, he thinks that picking on Iraq is "just the ticket" and uses the whole terrorist issue as a very flimsy reason to pick a fight with them. If he had a backbone and stuck to his "principles" whether I agreed with them or not, I would at least have respect for him. LG, adultery is not a crime, but lying in court is. I have always stated that I had no problem with Clinton having the affair, but when he lied about it, in court while under oath, he broke any respect he had for the Constitution he swore to uphold. Then he lied to me, directly, on television. How in the hell am I suppose to trust anything this guy has to say? And no, not everybody lies about sex. But, I guess if the economy is good, then he can do any damn thing he wants. That is just sad. He also had the affair in the Oval Office. I don't buy the "that was his personal office" story. Anyone in a corporation in this country caught fooling around in his or her office at work would soon be looking for a new job. I guess you would also not have a problem of him having affairs on the Lincoln Memorial. It's too bad they've closed down the Statue of Liberty. He probably always wanted to try that one out too. Nixon did things that were illegal, yes. I have no defense because I know that he was wrong. The problem I have is that you HAVE a defense for someone like Clinton. It's not something I would be proud of. Posted by: Sinkerhawk at June 16, 2002 05:34 PMI went to a taping of Saturday Night Live once and they had this big sign that hung above the audience telling me WHEN to APPLAUD!! Can you believe that? Those facists! If they don't like when I choose, or not to, applaud, they should go back to whatever country they're from! I think Ed Asner was hosting that night too. Buntz Posted by: Buntz at June 16, 2002 05:42 PMwil: it seems sad to say this...but it takes courage for you post your opinions concerning the president on the blog...'cause you know the blacklist could be one of the coming 'security' measures...and that would leave you a permanently unemployed actor...and after they get you...sooner or later they would be coming for the rest of us! d. burr Posted by: d..burr at June 16, 2002 05:54 PMWell, how mind bogglinly interesting. I've learned one very important fact from reading these posts. Rock on, Fluffy. Buntz: For a TV show, you're either paying to sit there, or you are a guest of the producers, in that they are allowing you to sit there and watch a live show. For a commencement address, you've worked several long years to get a piece of paper. You've paid a great deal of money to sit there. It's not entertainment - it's commencement, a final act in the higher learning game. Posted by: KJB at June 16, 2002 06:19 PM"'cause you know the blacklist could be one of the coming 'security' measures...and that would leave you a permanently unemployed actor...and after they get you...sooner or later they would be coming for the rest of us! d. burr" I'm sorry but paranoia like that is nothing more than laughable. hehee ho ho ho. ::writes down D. burr and sends anonymously to FBI::
Done it more than enough times to count. From tip to tip too. NYC is still safe as hell.
I've been through florida and texas with goth and punkrock buddies of mine. A couple of laughs but we got that in NYC too. Noone cares. A heavy metal Tshirt...haha cmon this isn't 1985. "Try being black in America, or since 9/11, being from the middle east or muslim." I know black, muslim, pakistani, etc people in NYC. They have never had a problem. In fact, todays NY Times had an article on how reace relations in NY actually grew stronger because of this. And as for muslims having a hard time, there has never been more education out there about islam than there is now after 9/11. Mosque open houses, bush quoting the Quaran (?), etc. Don't forget for every hate crime unfortunatley committed was met with a trememndous outpouring of sympathy and helo from teh community it took place in. The day that sympathy wanes, then its time to worry. Posted by: Dale S. at June 16, 2002 06:20 PMFluffy, first - get a haircut. Being a hippie is out babe. NEVER AGAIN! NEVER! Posted by: NYC at June 16, 2002 06:35 PMHey Grendel, my cousin owns a whore house in Australia, why don't you go there and visit your mum. Posted by: NYC at June 16, 2002 06:39 PMI just realized I have better things to do with my time than argue with some close-minded bigot. Seeya, NYC. I hope you someday realize a lot of what you've said has no place in the world of today. Posted by: KJB at June 16, 2002 06:39 PMKJG, yeah it especially has no place in the world you want where everyone ives in the forest eating nuts and twigs, smokin' dope and and poles. We used to call it communism. Hope you have fun there. Posted by: NYC at June 16, 2002 06:46 PMThe reason i am so overly critical of my nation is simple. You know if we had the patience as a nation we could catch bin laden without a military force. If Our intelligence agencies would rely more on personnel infiltration instead of technology we might have caught Bin Laden. It would been a painstaking task and dangerous job but we could infiltrated the Alquieda instead of bonbing afghanistan and forcing Bin Laden into permanent hiding. Now whether dead or not a dangerous man will not be caught nor will we know if he is truly dead. If Bush had thought a minute instead of using brute all out military force we could catch this guy. Now he has created a backlash more groups hate us and more groups agree with Al quieda and will join them. Now that we have thrown our bombs we just stabbed ourselves in the back. Al queida has patience and no fear of dying, that is ingredients of a powerful enemy. They killed 3,000 people with no more than a utility knife and a death wish. We have raced to call up to arms and without thinking we've become subject to even more threats than before. Granted infiltration would have been longer and more tedious, but it is more effective countering them, not to mention we would be less subjected to diplomatic prolems with other countries. Many countries counter terrorism this way and it can be effective. Terrorism is not like a country we cant easily cut its head off if we conquer its central government. We need to think of terrorism like a disease, infest the area with anitbodies to destroy it from spreading. Out right military action will only strengthen their disgusting cause. I think Bush's administration and the American rhetoric "Bomb them Now" is going to become our own "dirty bomb". "American rhetoric "Bomb them Now"" Please tell me where you draw this assumption from. No one here said we should bomb them into the stoneage. In fact, all most people want that support the war on terror is for terrorist leaders and cells to be eliminated. That means a hell of a lot more intelligence and strategic operations than it does blind bombing of afghanistan. You are only patronizing the working people of america when you immidiatley assume they want ruthless vengance. Something has to be done, and some of it ain't gonna be pretty. People will always criticize no matter what the government does, so why should they listen to you? Posted by: Dale S. at June 16, 2002 07:05 PMKing George and the US of Enron.. Did you ever see how many fat-cat Enron employees he's implanted in his administration? I can't afford to buy any special favors at the moment, but it's nice to know that if I really need to, I can.. mooooo.. Posted by: mooman at June 16, 2002 07:12 PMWe ain't seen nothin yet. McCarthy was dealing with a nation of actual "citizens" (not "consumers"), who had personally taken part in winning World War II. People whose individual life experiences had taught them that they could survive the worst and achieve the best, and that they didn't have to take shit from bullies. Bush, on the other hand, is dealing with an amorphous blob of convenience-addicted couch potatoes who simply switch channels when they don't like what they see. I think, sadly, that we are witnessing the closing chapters of American history. I believe the people who rule this country are in the process of proving to themselves how much crap they can get away with and how little pretense they really need to do it. I fear that through their collosal arrogance they will destroy our country, by provoking either a war in which we're the bad guys or an equally disastrous internal revolution. I really hope I'm wrong. oh my lord, i am so glad i live in the land of the free... canada. Posted by: deanna at June 16, 2002 09:21 PMYeah, all this talk about free speech and due process is a lot of liberal clap trap, eh? Yeah, from liberals like Arlen Spectre and John McCain. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,262065,00.html QUOTE: Padilla's lawyer, Donna Newman, questions the government's commitment to that latter requirement — and there are others who share her doubts, including lawmakers like Senators John McCain and Arlen Specter, who urged Congress to convene congressional hearings. Posted by: BBOCK at June 16, 2002 10:02 PMI'm a Canadian, but unlike a few others that post here (See Lily's frightening comments) I do pay attention to what is happening in the US. Firstly, a few people commented that Bush himself may have had no part in the decision of the Ohio State board to arrest people who refused to support Bush. Bush has always held himself above reproach. During his campaign, he refused to allow either his own character or that of his father to be called into question. This attitude has reasserted itself since 9/11 in this absurd "with us or against us" notion. Secondly, visit this story of the Houston Chronicle http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/nation/1455502. And all this from a Chief Justice!! "War" time creates the type of environment where it is more important than ever to maintain a just and equal legal system. I think most people are lulled into the notion that these measures are only temporary. I certainly hope so, but a quick scan of CNN.com's headlines makes me think otherwise. Posted by: Devon at June 16, 2002 10:11 PMHmm. My guess is that during Bush's speech, the audience was seated, and those students who wished to protest by turning their backs needed to stand to do so. There is no doubt that arrests are unwarranted in this case. But removal of the protesters from the hall certainly is. Imagine how pleased the audience would be, and well-received an equivalent protest would be, if the "Wesley SUCKS!" contingent managed to get a signigicant number of members into the premiere of the latest Star Trek film, and upon the first appearance of Wesley, they stood and turned their backs for the duration of the film. Sometimes we need to exercise restraint in the application of our rights. Not every venue is the most appropriate for all speech. And it's hard to have a rational discussion when an opponent's only interest is to drown other voices out. Posted by: gerrymander at June 16, 2002 10:39 PMhey way to go Wil. Lately I have been completely agreeing with you. Go figure. I am still confused exactly how that fuck Bush got into office. We need to get his ass outta there and get someone who can speak english. May as well have Scooby Doo be president. Bush I turn my BACK on you biatch! Posted by: hops at June 16, 2002 10:56 PM1. The "thunderous ovation" comment was made by the OSU representative, not by GWB, the Secret Service, FBI, MIB or whatever other agencies you care to name. If you don't like what he said, as I don't --- then vote for a new OSU president. 2. Bush is President and Gore is not because BUSH WON THE ELECTION. I voted for Gore, but I have enough respect for the United States to not try to change the rules after the fact. This nation elects Presidents on the basis of the Electoral College. If you don't think that is fair, write your congressman. But don't cry for rule changes after you lost the game. The decision went to the Supreme Court because the Constitution is very specific about when electors must cast their votes. The system worked. You may not like it, but that's your problem. This business of Bush's illegitimacy is the response of spoiled crybabies. You know who you are. Try and have small shard of the self-respect and decency that Al Gore has shown and STFU until 2004. 3. To those of you cowards who agree with this "Not in my Name" petition --- and you sent it to FARK, didn't you Wil---? Well, that's your right. And I'm not talking about physical cowardice, although there are plenty of non-famous, non-actors out there right now in the cold defending your right to be self-righteous. These people love their kids and swell new wives and dogs as much as the next celebrity, but they seem willing to forgo that, perhaps foever, to defend this nation and your right to disagree. No, I am instead referring to the moral cowardice of people like YOUNGSRTISAN who accuses the US of wildly bombing everything in sight. He seems to think that this might make those poor misunderstood terrorists ANGRY and then what will we do? Well, there's a lot to say about this, but I'll try to keep it brief. First, we didn't bomb everything in sight, but we did wash the terrorists out of Afganistan pretty well, for which the majority of their people seem very grateful. I guess you were sleeping late on the morning of Sept. 11, YOUNG, but the fact is they launched that attack, not us. They did it because they thought it would get them what they wanted. They did it because they were counting on people like you and Wil and Noam and the rest. Listen to Bin Laden's own training videos, and they'll tell you that America is a nation of cowards and spoiled crybabies and all we'll do is lob a Clintonian cruise missile or two and then we'll back down. Bad call, Bin. I know this must hurt the brains of most of you out there, but try to imagine for a moment what living in the world they want to make would be like for YOU. Now undoubtedly Wil is getting red in the face and is about to say how much he's against those darn terrorists and who am I to put words in his mouth? But by backing drivel like the "Not in our Name" manifesto, you logically end up in the No Military Action camp, and this is what they are depending on. Don't believe me? Study THEIR recruitment tapes. Listen to what THEY say about us. I know you wacky young idealists are not big on history, or education for that matter, but just once, read something, will you? I recommend you take a look at the period before WW2 when Hitler and the Nazis used the legitimate grievances of the Treaty of Versailles to cow England, France, the US and others into thinking that we were being unfair to the poor, misunderstood, badly-treated Germans. The moral of this story is that there are bad people out there who want us dead, and they aren't just typing on Blog sites either. They are serious. They mean business. And they know that well-meaning cowards like you will do ANYTHING to avoid a fight. So don't worry about them having an A-bomb, YOUNG and the rest of you, because if they had one they would have used it on Sept 11th. These people are murderers, and fascists, and women-hating religious lunatics and they laugh at the idea of reasoning with them as did Hitler between pious treaty signings. These people must be killed. And it is moral cowardice to say anything else, because you are ignoring their own very clear words and flying in the face of history because you think that appeasing them will make them go away and you won't get hurt. The people on that "Not in my Name" list (no Wil Wheaton? Man, you're FAMOUS!) are not traitors. They are merely idiots and cowards. A final word about this "assault on our liberties:" The only thing under assault these days is the willingness to listen to your Constitutionally-protected right to bash the country that has given you these freedoms. Your freedom of speech is in no danger, but your freedom to say this drivel without a response is in mortal peril, and thank God for that. Your rights are not being violated, but your opinions ARE being ridiculed by your fellow citizens who have a little more common sense and who seemed to have been paying attention during that September morning of last year. Feeling a little intimidated, are you? Good. Try writing a conservative newspaper at Berkeley and see what happens. There have been three really exceptional Republican presidents in our history. The first and best of them faced a crisis that makes this one look as dangerous as a Partridge Family reunion concert. Abraham Lincoln was called an idiot, a bumkin, a tyrant, a despot, and a monkey. He suspended the Writ of Habeus Corpus and assumed dictatorial power over the press to curtail defeatism and sedition. His Secretary of War, Stanton --- one of the most unpleasant men ever to hold office --- bragged that by ringing a small silver bell on his desk he could send a person to prison without charges, forever. And so he could. And so he did. Lincoln had the moral courage to take these actions because Lincoln wanted one thing and one thing only: to preserve the Unites States of America. He believed that this Great Experiment in self rule happened perhaps only once in all human history. He said repeatedly that he perceived that he must bend the Constitution in order to save it, and he did. And when Lincoln was gone, and nothing but the bitter, snarling, hateful Jacobins were left, do you know what happened to these dictatorial powers? They disappeared. So relax. We've been through much worse than this, and Lincoln knew it. He talked openly about how his trials and errors would hopefully throw light on similar problems to be faced by other Americans generations hence. And here we are. And there he stands, or perhaps sits, in that memorial, while liberal moralist University presidents like Woodrow Wilson gave us the gift of Adolf Hitler and World War 2
PS We didn't catch Bin laden in Afganistan? He's been awwwwwwfulllly quiet during the last few months. He was on TV pretty much every week prior to 9/11, but he sat out the whole Israeli invasion without so much as a PEEP. You probably think THAT'S CAUSE HE'S HIDING and he can't anonomously drop a VHS tape in the mail for five months. Maybe. Or maybe he's Jello on the wall in a cave someplace. I sure hope so. Finally, to all you British and Canadian whiners out there, let me simply close by saying that Britain nearly lost its ass in WW2 with this appeasement mentality, and they were only saved at the last minute by...Winston Churchill. Ho-ho! You thought I was going to say America, didn't you? WC didn't mince words. He knew the kind of people he was up against. Tony Blair seems to get it too, and for that he's labeled a US puppet. Yeah, ED, I'm talking to you. Read a little of your own history and cower in shame, you and the rest of the spineless wonders who have nearly killed the spirit of a once-great nation. And Deanna and the rest of you charming, decent, well-educated, Canadians... How on earth have you managed over the years to remain so completely, totally irrelevant as a Nation? We love you, we do, honestly. You have been great friends and neighbors. But hearing you lecture us on how to behave as a world power is like listening to Wil give acting advice to Robert De Niro. Bob has done some truly awful work as an actor, some embarrassing, dreadful stuff. (I know we are all waiting for Rocky and Bullwinkle 2.) But, like the US, where he fails he fails greatly, because he has the courage to take great chances and is not afraid to try. It's easy for Canadians to criticize from their position in their quiet, safe, utterly inconsequential corner of the political world. But your entire national identity is completely encapsuled in the ways you claim to be 'not us.' How very sad. The day Canada shows a particle of leadership is the day that the criticism will begin to flow in the other direction. Having said that, rest assured that your well-hidden sniping spot is secure for the forseeable future. (This only applies to you liberal whiners and not your excellent troops currently at risk defending your freedom. Those people, and their supporters, either Canadian, British, German, or whetever, have my deep respect and gratitude.) Well, I'd like to go on, but I do have to go to work tomorrow so that my tax dollars can pay for more aircraft carriers, fighter-bombers, and special forces units. They are defending this country IN MY NAME and I am damn proud of them. Enjoy the free ride. Your freedom is paid for, so blog away, by all means. Posted by: Proteus at June 17, 2002 02:50 AM So NYC are you saying that Americans are no longer permitted to live and work in other countries - even those of our allies? And you would be from a family of pimps by your own admission. . . Posted by: Grendel at June 17, 2002 06:31 AMProteus...what was the name of that New Radicals CD? Maybe you've been brainwashed too? Anyway, I find it mildly disgusting that nearly all conservatives can't put up a counter-argument without stooping to name-calling. It's fine to disagree with someone, but just because they say something you don't like doesn't mean you call them an idiot or in KJB's case state their their mother is an Australian prostitute. Also, the freedoms our government threatens are very important. Why fight for freedom in other countries when they're being slowly tightened here? It is pathetic that we can't disagree with the government without being likened to communists (which I believe would strengthen the cry of McCarthyism, by the way) or even beind likened to terrorist-lovers. The problem isn't that we're coddling the terrorists, but that we're upsetting some already unstable relationships with other countries we would be at least at an uneasy truce with. Aside from that, the security laws which were rushed through congress and directly by-pass a citizen's right to privacy frankly alarms and maybe even frightens me. I don't know who could be watching me now, and the thought that any number of people could be monitoring my slacking off at work, downloading or pornography or illegal pirated mp3's, or reading my spam makes me shudder. (note: this is meant to be with a sense of humor. If you are caught using the previous statement in a counterpoint you will be severely ignored). So stop being a bunch of hypocritcal insulting sphincters! (once again, irony, not intended to be taken seriously, etc...) Posted by: Andy at June 17, 2002 06:57 AM"So an anonymous posting on a discussion board of a radical left web site is now considered journalism? Good grief, man." -ljromanoff Will, you are such a sucker. I can't believe you fell for this obvious hoax. But it goes to show how eager we are to believe what we want to to be true. I might've taken the bait had this been about Clinton... Jeez, it's almost like a war in here now. We have different opinions and that give us the right to call each other the words that have been mentioned in here? Come on!!! re: dale s...and his fbi comment...who's paranoid now? d.burr. Posted by: d..burr at June 17, 2002 09:54 AMI'll say it again and again: PEACE OUT. And NO, hippies never die or give up. GIVE PEACE A FUCKIN CHANCE! Posted by: bluecat-redblanket at June 17, 2002 10:11 AMWil - Double check your sources. Another Urban Myth in the making. Please don't give in to every rumor about Bush that hits your box. You can do better than that. The administration and the faculty (most of them liberal) debunk this. Besdies...do you think students would actually put up with this? You'd have Kent State on your hands Posted by: John K. at June 17, 2002 10:30 AMProteous you just proved my point from an earlier statement you have no knowledge of what is really going on your seemingly taking things at face value. You obviously didnt read thouroughly to what i said. And I do know study history in fact if I recall about a decade earlier the former Reagan/Bush senior administration allowed the CIA to arm and train the Taliban in the first place only in an effort to outst Aghanistan's occupation by the Russians. After the Russians fled Afghanistan so did the CIA leaving an unstable and questionable group of vigilanties to radically control Afghanistan. The Taliban was left with American weapons. I'm not stating this to support them I'm saying this to point out a FACT we armed our own eventual enemies and left them out to dry. Its common knowledge that these events happen. You dont believe me do some research. You are so right, Wil. What country are we living in if we cannot speak out and feel safe in doing so? That is not the kind of country I remember growing up in, or the kind of administration I remember respecting. I cannot respect an administration that puts fear into the hearts of its citizens. Posted by: Ivy at June 17, 2002 10:32 AMUm...what's wrong with asking people to not be rude? Got a problem with the man's politics? Fine. But, there's a time and a place for everything, and in my opinion, a graduation ceremony isn't the time or place to make your stand. You're just grandstanding and generally being rude. Also, I'm sure the vocal "warning" was made in reference to the last time there was a high profile political figure in town...when Madeline Albright and others were at OSU for a "town hall meeting" and 40+ wil wheaton types shouted them down. Creating a distrubance so as to disrupt a public event is not "free speech." Posted by: b at June 17, 2002 10:33 AMIt never ceases to amaze me when people are talking politics things get out of control. Agree, Disagree, dosen't matter, that's the beauty Goodnes me, NYC really has got his redneck nappies in a twist... Proteus...you at a prat. numtie. etc etc. NIce of you to mention WWII. Is this the war where we Brits slogged away against the NAzis for years until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour and Hitler declared war on America because he saw that you could be hurt, and THEN you got off your lazy asses and got involved. Don't give me that "if it wasn't for us you Brits would be speaking German" shite, and quit trying to rewrite history. When then President Bill Clinton came to Norfolk Naval Base in the 1990s, we (sailors and Marines) were advised that "any display" of disrespect would be met with similarly harsh results. I don't recall any free speech folks coming to our defense the way they are coming to the defense of that schmuck Air Force Colonel in San Francisco who publicly insulted GWB in a letter to the editor. If you don't want to hear the man speak - skip the ceremony! It's long, it's hot and they'll mispronounce your name and take a lousy picture of you getting an empty diploma cover from some guy you never met! (My class had to suffer through Katie Couric - not an alum, not very interesting) 1. My apologies to Andy, who makes a very strong point. The argument is strong enough to avoid name calling (with a singular exception: Hi Fluffy!) You are absolutely right, and I will try to refrain from this in the future as it weakens the argument. In my defense I claim 3am overload but that's a poor excuse and I apologize for calling anyone an idiot. The coward tag however, I will stand by. 2. YOUNGARTISAN, I believe I may have underestimated you as well. Perhaps it was the surrounding posts. Infiltration is a grand thing, but expect that it will take years and has a pretty thin chance of succeeding. With that said, I was responding to your criticism of military action in Afghanistan. Had we done nothing in the meantime then Al Qaeda would have continued to use Afganistan Airlines to fly their commanders all over the globe, and continued to run that country into the ground. If they had worn uniforms and stayed confined to 'army' bases then we could have dealt with them without any civilian casualties. Which comes back to the whole Geneva Convention /POW status for these bastards. They do not wear uniforms, they intentionally target civilians, they are not under any national command structure and they want to blend in with civilians both here and abroad in order to infiltrate and attack their targets. The nearest status they inhabit is that of "spies," and spies, by giving up their identity as legal combatants, give up the protections granted to them. The point is that these people had hijacked a nation and hid among the population. My main criticism of your post was that you stated we started bombing everything in sight right after 9/11, when it seems to me we showed restraint after the attacks, formulated a pretty sound plan, implemented that plan and routed the Taliban / Al Qaeda elements from Afganistan. YES FLUFFY, I know they went elsewhere...those of them that are still alive, and I'm not very sure that OBL is among them, but even if he is...They no longer have unfettered use of a nation's resources: no free training camps, no governmental protection, no passports, etc. If Afghanistan was the first battle in this conflict then it's hard to see it as anything other than a rousing success. Midway was such a battle in WW2. It did not mean the end of the conflict. Far more bloody battles lay ahead. But to say that more casualties followed does nothing to diminish the effects of that victory, only that what followed would have been worse without it. And the recent campaign in Afghanistan seems to me to fit that same catagory. 3. FLUFFY, really, I expected better from a Scotsman. First of all, your posts about being black in America are, as I suspected, about as far from your personal experience as Alabama is from Glasgow. Your comments have the same relevence as mine would describing how oppressive it is being a Muslim in Bangalore. Second, do recall that I credited Britain's stand in WW2 to Winston Churchill, and at no point did I say that "if it weren't for the US you would be speaking German." That is a stupid statement when applied to the UK: it only makes sense when addressed to the French. The British stopped the German invasion of the UK in the Battle of Britain --- alone. But you never had the strength to pull off a D-Day, you must know that. The Liberation of Western Europe was a burden borne primarily by the United States, which would have been far longer and costlier without the Soviets, who more than anyone bore the brunt of wearing down the Nazi war machine that Liberal British and French politicians so spectacularly ignored for so many years. Early military intervention at any time during the Nazi adventures in the demilitarized Ruhr basin, the Austrian Anschluss, the Czech Sudentland --- any of them --- would have driven Hitler from power. Read the OKW archives of the German High Command. But no. People like you made the same sad arguments against military action, and you paid the price for it. And, of course, you made us pay, too. As far as us "getting off our lazy asses," let me refresh your memory: FDR and lend-lease gave you the weapons to fight that War (especially the War in the Atlantic, which you were loosing badly.) He did this against great domestic opposition. Why the domestic opposition? Well, you enlightened Europeans had been pretty much in a state of perpetual war for your entire history, and frankly, most of us are descended from people who'd had enough of that crap and sailed west. Now your penchant for misunderstanding arguments seems limitless, so let me say that I agree we should have been in that War earlier. But here again, behold the overwhelming hypocrisy of your position. After relentlessly flaming the US for intervening and bombing the hell out of everything, you have the audacity to criticise us for not bombing the hell out of everything when it was to your advantage. Pick a position. Finally, I'll respectfully decline your kind offer to come over there and see how you fight. If I had a desire to visit a third-rate, miserable, socialist hell-hole I believe I'd go to Cuba, where the women are better looking and the men generally tend to leave other men's tits alone. Of course, you're welcome to come to California. I would certainly be gentleman enough to let you get over your jetlag, hangover, withdrawl symptoms, etc. and adjust to the sunlight, multi-culturalism and prosperity so that you wouldn't be so disoriented that you'd wear your Heavy Metal T-Shirt, thinking you were a black Muslim in the South again. I am avidly looking forward to hearing your perspective on what life is like as a blind Australian Aborigine dealing with the racism found in western Switzerland. Posted by: Proteus at June 17, 2002 12:53 PMFirst, I haven't read every post in this thread, I've read as many as I could before posting, its getting late where I am. So please forgive me if I restate a point someone else has made. 3000 people died and every single one deserves to have their name remembered. Right, on to what I have to say. Bush scares me. I'm not american so I can't say I voted against him, but I was not happy the day he was put in to power. I strongly disagree with his enviromental and weapons policies. That said after the towers something had to be done and sending people in to afghanistan was something I agreed with at the time. I was glad to see the back of the Taliban, even if it did mean interfering with the political set-up of a soverign nation. I too like to think that the people of Afghanistan were happy to see a restrictive and bigoted government removed, the media reports would seem to indicate this was the case (I choose to trust the media in this case). However as a number of people have pointed out a new tack is now required. Acording to the artical, and thats what this thread is meant to discuss, one of the methods is to clamp down on discent. It doesn't even matter if this really happened or not. What matters is that a large number of people read this and are willing to believe that their government and respected authorities (such as the university staff etc.) are capable of this. This kind of distrust is, to me, indicative of a government that is not acting in the way the public desires (and thats all the government is, a small bunch of people running the country as the majority wants it). Whats worse is, since sept 11, a large number of privacy invading laws have been passed in various countries around the world. Now I am willing to accept that in extraordinary times it may be necessary to give up certain liberties. However governments have been all too willing to grab these new powers, without really asking if the public were willing to give them up in the first place. Now, please don't say that I'd rather sept 11 go unpunished just so I can keep a few petty freedoms. I'm talking about not wanting my goverment (In my case Great Brittain) to monitor everything I do on line, who I call, my financial details etc. Its beginning to look like the post office (mail) will have the right to get access to my confidential data. The post office? I'm wandering off topic here. The point I'm trying to make, in a round about mannor, is that the culture of distrust that is coming in to being will not help to stop further attacks against any of our nations. This thread seems to have contained a number of posts indicating some people think all (or 99.9%) of Arabs are against us. this is a short sighted and bigoted view point. Its also worth noting that most of the groups that we relly need to stop such as Al Queda (spelling?) have exactlly the same view point, they are tarnishing us with the same brush as the small percentage of westerners that have hurt them. They acted on this view point and we are now (rightlly) hunting them down. Do we really want to be falling in to the same traps they have. I'm going to stop here. I've probablly pissed off a fair few people, but we are all entitelled to our opinions, even those of us who disagree with each other. "Never again", a better statement is "Never". Ophois Posted by: Ophois at June 17, 2002 03:07 PMBefore I start I realise that this is a voice from a non-American country (Scotland to be exact) and as such I cannot comment exactly on not only what has been before on this post or on the effects of directly what happened on that tragic day on the 11th of September. Though what I have read, if it is true, terrifies me on a level not felt since rise of the Third Reich. I know that what may or may not have actually happened was probably nothing like it was described but think on this, from the view point of an outsider it seems from what I have seen of Mr George "I want a War" W Bush I could very well believe it. I have seen through these posts varying arguments and discussions on the events of 9-11 and this OSU event. I have always been a bit of a free thinker, gasp, does that mean I'm wrong, is it somehow now wrong to think for ourselves to peacefully demonstrate against policies and people. Not unless the Fourth Reich has risen and we've been all too blind to notice! We are (as stated in the US constitution - by my understanding of it) all free people. Does this not mean that we should be able to publicly (and privately) protest and discuss the political, military and social issues effecting us directly and un-directly? I think so and to say otherwise is a denial of not one human rights but in my opinion something much deeper. Now I have never been that great at getting my point across but in essence what I am trying to say is in general America portrays it self as some great self-important giver and protector free-speech and liberty for all. It these laws, this act and what happened at OSU is true, then you need to take a look (as do we in the UK) at our government and ask, "do they speak for us?" Before I leave you I just want to state one thing for the record. NYC... Who urinated in your gene pool? I have never met someone on-line who is so, so, backward. You jump to conclusions and through peoples arguments back at them like a school-kid in a playground. You do not seem to be able to grasp the simple truth that "all men were created equal" or do you like some here, believe more that, "all men are created equal, it just some are more equal than others." Oh, buy the way NYC, read Animal Farm if you don't get where that came from. That is of course unless your mind is so closed your free thinking has packed up and went a way on holiday. Sorry about that, needed to get that off my chest. I hope what I have said made sense and that I have not offended anyone unduly. Posted by: Lurch Kimded at June 17, 2002 04:28 PMRight, here goes...my discertaion on the life and hardships of a blind Australian Aborigine dealing with the racism found in western Switzerland. You have just accused me of having a terminal ability to misunderstand. LEt me restate my position yet again. One last thing. I never drink when I fly, and I dont drink much. I dont take drugs either, and I know what sunlight is. We over here have other types of weather. As Bill Hicks said "only a lizard likes it hot and sunny every day". Is there are Redbuddha in the building? Posted by: Grendel at June 17, 2002 05:34 PMI hate to say this but the terrorist are winning. They are getting what they wanted. They wanted to terrorize us -- they got it. They wanted to disrupt our way of life -- they got it and are getting more. WHEN ARE WE GONNA WAKE UP! Have we forgotten this? How can I face my students as a good American role model when my fellow country men and women aren't standing up and defending what I and many feel is one of the most well written documents in history: The US Constitution? My friends told me that when I returned I would find a very different country and after reading this thread, I'm starting to see exactly what they were talking about. When I graduated College last Fall, our commencement speaker actually got booed off stage for her speech. She was telling the new graduates not to give up civil rights so easily just because the Georgenator says too. Hi Wil! Here's the problem. Let's say that they allowed a protest at the OSU Graduation ceremony. Do you think some of the people seeing the President publicly disrespected might have been upset? Have you ever heard of the concept of "fighting words"? The graduation ceremony was held in a stadium packed with people. What result do you think could be reasonably expected if thousands of people ended up engaged in a brawl in the stadium? Do you suppose that some people might in fact be injured, or might actually DIE from being stampeded or pushed off of the balcony in a melee? If the protesters wanted to stage a protest, they could have, at another venue (or they could have joined the protesters outside the stadium, for that matter). Instead, they decided to stage their protest in the most disruptive manner possible, where it was likely to cause both damage to property and damage to people. As the old saying goes..."You can't yell 'FIRE!' in a crowded theater" and expect it to be considered free speech, unless the theater is actually ON FIRE. The University stepped in to PREVENT violence and harm to people and property. The protesters should have chosen another place to have their protest. Posted by: Amused1 at June 17, 2002 06:47 PMFluffy, this debate is doing some good after all. You're making more sense. Still, consider this: 1 On your telling us what it's like to be Black in America: Think about how annoying this must seem to us. We have heard this again and again from France, England, Sweden, and any number of other lily-white nations with populations who's genetic homogeneity goes back thousands, if not tens of thousands of years. America's racial problems are undeniable. What is also undeniable is the progress we have made, but ignoring that progress is not what torqued me about your comments. I just find it incredibly fatuous for people to talk about racial issues in societies that have no diversity to speak of. Now before you open fire about how integrated Europe has become, let me remind you that once the racial mix in Europe started becoming anything other than monolithically white, presto, race riots in England, Frange, Germany...hey, even the Swedes got their blood pressure high enough to open a window and look around. I live in what must be the most ethnically diverse city in the world. Los Angeles has at least 72 distinct ethnic communities, and I work with most of them every day without so much as a thought. The people who died in the World Trade Center were white, black, Asian, British, Middle eastern, African and from everywhere else on this planet. These people were sitting around the water cooler getting a donut and working togther like a family. That's the way things are over here. Your information is largely 40-120 years out of date, as we forced ourselves to start to tear racism out of this culture. And the work continues. But we are doing it. And Europeans, I'm afraid, have yet to really begin. So forgive me for having a little contempt for white Scotsmen telling other white Scotsmen how terribly racist we Americans are. These gears have a lot of friction, but the machine works and has produced incredible prosperity for all Americans. The poorest US citizens earn more than 93% of the world's population. How many billions wish they could get here and experience some of this horrible racism first-hand? Colin Powell would have been president had he decided to run; his poll numbers blew GWB away. I wish he had run. I would not only vote for him, I would CAMPAIGN for him. The vast majority of Americans feel the same way. When can we expect to see a black British Prime Minister? A Black German Chancellor? A Latino or Asian French President? As a matter of fact, I can not recall seeing ANY black European politicians in any capacity whatsoever. And while you may not like the fact that Europeans were unable to stop the horrible hemmoraging in the Balkans, the fact is that Serbians and Croats and Albanians and Azerbijanis all have restaurants next to each other down at the corner mall over here. Because when these people come to the United States, they are expected to leave that nonsense behind them. Yes, that Northern Ireland nonsense. That Middle East nonsense. That Greek / Cypriot nonsense. In the days after September 11th we saw Jewish women wearing Muslim headgear outside of mosques to reassure the Islamic Americans that this wasn't about them. Where else in the world does this happen? I see French Palestinians throwing molotov cocktails at French jews, and Europeans have the audacity to call US racist and unsophisticated? When 12% of Scotland is black, and 35% is Latino, and 5% is Asian, THEN we can talk about how our countries deal with racism. On Sept 11th the only color people we saw staggering out of that wreckage were GRAY. Don't lecture us on how we treat each other when your backyard is blood-soaked from racial and national conflicts without purpose or end. 2. Loss of rights. The US constitution is, I believe, the only document of its kind in the world that specifically states that powers not granted to it by name are reserved to the people. All this hysteria about GWB at OSU is ridiculous. The University has a right to prevent 10 malcontents from spoiling an address to the student body, whether the speaker is the President of the United States or Mr. Rogers. No one ever said that people could not protest the President during his stay. They did say, rather stupidly, that they will not allow people with a political axe to grind to ruin the commencement ceremony of many thousands of students. I know asking a liberal to behave himself is like giving a cat a bath, but their father issues are their problem and does not give them the right to disrupt the commencement without facing the consequences. They have not been asked not to protest if they want to. They HAVE been asked not to do it in polite company, and this of course sets them off like wild geese. Protest over there, Junior Justice Avenger...I for one would like to hear what the President has to say. 3. You are annoyed that America waited for terror to hit home before we took action. Again, what a no-win situation you always seem to put us in. If anti-French terrorism were met with a swift, strong FRENCH military response, no one would be more surprised, delighted or supportive than the US. Ditto England, Germany, etc. But, since you chose not to support a viable military, there is no one left to do it but us. So, we're bomb-crazy cowboys if we, on the other side of the globe, can no longer wait for Europeans to stop the bloodshed in Kosovo and we take action, or else we're self-centered arrogant elitists who turn a blind eye to the world's problems. We're condemned if we act, we're condemed if we don't act, and flip the historical response with the hypothetical one and we are merely condemned by different groups at different times. The sad fact is that the entire world is so completely fixated with the United States that you hold us responsible for everything. If a bus is 4 minutes late in Karachi, it's the American's fault. Fujimora loots Peru for two terms? God Damn Americans let him get away with it. Currpot Saudi regime got you down? Stinking Filthy American's support them. Actually, yes we do. Would you like us to come over and give you a new government? The nerve of you arrogant Americans! Okay then, keep the one you have. You heartless American bastards. Churchill said that people get the governments they deserve. Right again. But wait, we're not done! McDonald's in France? America's World domination hegemony continues. (As a specific example, I have just checked the Washington Yellow Pages, and the Department of Global Hegemony either doesn't exist or has an unlisted number. So I take that to mean that the US government does not pay huge subsidies to McDonalds to offset their horrible financial losses. Therefor, I can only assume that McDonalds is in France because ENOUGH FRENCH PEOPLE EAT THERE to keep them in business. It's appalling food; everybody knows that. But I've had the occasional Big Mac Attack and the fact that Frenchmen and Englishmen and Chinese might want one too is the reason those businesses are there. But no, it's all part of a crass American plan to dominate the world. ) (By the way, can you possibly tell me why the rest of the planet seems to be so consistently enamored with the very WORST stuff we produce? Just curious. ) So, if I understand you correctly, we are guilty for not getting militarily involved when terrorism strikes someone elses country, and we are ALSO guilty when we DO respond when terrorism strikes at home. And this from our Allies? How many dead Scotsmen are buried on the banks of the Potomac, fallen in defense of America? ZERO. Walk through Normandy, or the Argonne, or Anzio and count the crosses. Hey thanks for the help and support, Allies. When the war ended, the US had undisputed Naval, Land and Sea power, a monopoly on nuclear weapons, and a Bomber fleet that could deliver them anywhere in the rest of a world ruined by European and Japanese Imperialism. We could have planted our flag in every capitol of the world, so what did the evil, stupid, arrogant Americans do? We kept Gaum as a territory for trans-pacific refueling flights, we scrapped out tanks and ships and planes, and we came home. Oh, and uh pumped billions of dollars into rebuilding the nations that had just tried their mightiest to wipe us out. Where in history has such a thing happened. You know Fluffy, I don't much mind it when Muslim Fanatics say bad things about the US. I know what kind of life they lead, But to hear it from Brits and Canadians and the French, THE FRENCH, who surrendered in two weeks and who we allowed to march first into a Paris liberated by American blood...well, you should be ashamed of yourselves. We are often accused of not caring or knowing much about what goes on in the rest of the world. Absolutely true. We see here, every day, people from around the world working together to produce more absorbent paper towels or ultrasonic toothbrushes or whetever. Everyone here came from somewhere else. Yes, even the Noble Indian. The most ambitious, bold determined people from around the world come here as they have for 2 centuries to get a new start and to leave all these useless, endless blood feuds behind them. So maybe now you get a glimpse of why we don't like being called racists by all-white societies, bullies by self-inflicted eunuchs or idiot savages by people whose greatest cultural achievement is getting a pig to dig up fungus with its nose. Oh, one last thing. Bush is pointing at certain countries and saying "You're next" because they ARE next. Americans have learned from European history what the Europeans steadfastly refuse to see, and that is that we will not just sit around and wait for Sept 11 to happen again. We may not be able to prevent it from happening again, but we will damn sure be certain that it will carry unpleasant circumstances for those involved. Faced with enemies who throw grenades into Bat Mitzvahs, I'll take a West Texas Sheriff over a pasty coffee-table truffle-eating wanker any day. Posted by: Proteus at June 17, 2002 07:24 PMSo, what exactly do trolls eat? And, why do you keep feeding them? They're already the size of Jabba the Hutt, how much bigger do you want them to get? Posted by: Gigi at June 17, 2002 07:44 PMThe "student" Will mentions is actually a female, and she was not a student at the time. She was attending the ceremony as a "friend." This is an important story, but a lot of inaccurate buzz has been swarming around it. Posted by: Joshua Tinnin at June 17, 2002 08:39 PMI didn't vote for George. I did read Wil's comments, the Democratic Underground comments & most of the comments here. I don't think George is anything like Adolf Hitler in any regard. I do think that a few people are not fond of the current administration, believe that "the man" is out to get them, and are choosing to embellish a series of events to fit their particular world view. I do think that a lot of probably well-meaning people are willing to jump on a bandwagon with very limited amounts of information. To me, that is the true danger. It is exactly what allows the Hitlers, McCarthys, and Saties* to flourish. *Several of you may be familiar with the TNG episode "The Drumhead". It might be worth another viewing at this point in time. Posted by: Midgekey at June 17, 2002 09:16 PMI am the person being discussed regarding Ohio state's commencement. For starters, I am a man....the stories I have read referring to me as a "she" are incorrect in that point only. First of all, to those wondering....the announcement of arrest and expulsion was not made in the stadium.....it was made, just not in front of 55,000 people. It was made in front of the graduating students, twice. Second, we were NOT yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater....we weren't yelling at all! To associate us with a dangerous act is insulting! To claim that we should be denied our right to silent protest because we "might" start a brawl? How about keeping out all the pro-Bushies who would have punched us? We had made our intentions perfectly clear...silent protest, period. Funny how those who disagree with us alweays seem to think of violent acts ensuing. Third, I am not embellishing ANYTHING to fit my world view. I was there, it happened to me, and any deviation from the facts are your own embellishing to keep your head in the sand as to what rights are being stripped away. John K....it happened. You have to learn to deal with that. It's not an urban myth. It's reality. I was there. many others were. Just because you weren't there doesn't make it false. Have you ever been to New Zealand? If not, then how do you know it exists? Finally, NYC....someday your penis will be normal size. Then it will be all right and you can live a normal life and won't have to belittle everybody else. We're all praying for you! Posted by: AngryWhiteDemocrat at June 17, 2002 09:49 PMAngryWhiteDemocrat, thanks for confirming that this really happened as you say. And that you really are a reliable source. I believe it now completely since no one has ever lied on the internet before ;) Sheesh... Posted by: RingLeader at June 17, 2002 10:16 PMHi AngryWhiteDemocrat, By the way, KJB and Lerch, let us not forget the term redneck was first given to the British (by the Zulus) killing all the Zulus in South Africa, because of the sunburns they got in the hot sun. NEVER AGAIN! Posted by: NYC at June 17, 2002 10:45 PMI agree RingLeader, AngryWhiteDemocrat is not that person and should not be believed. After all I'm not really Wil! NYC NEVER AGAIN! Posted by: wil at June 17, 2002 10:54 PMDear AngryWhiteDemocrat: You state: "To associate us with a dangerous act is insulting! To claim that we should be denied our right to silent protest because we "might" start a brawl?" Please see the link to Buzzflash about an event where carrying signs caused an outbreak of violence. http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/2002/06/17_Dictatorship.html "St. Petersburg Times; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Jun 6, 2001; CHRISTOPHER GOFFARD; Abstract: The crowd at Legends Field jostled them, hurled invective, grabbed their signs from their hands and even threw punches, the protesters say. Security officers saw the disturbance and gave the protesters a choice: Give up the signs or leave." The University's policy was meant to PREVENT violence, as the above post shows can happen when hecklers mingle with normal people. You can't have it both ways. True, the actions by the students were supposed to be nonviolent. However, (and it's a BIG HOWEVER) if you tweak a bull's nose, and wave a red cape in front of its face, odds are good that it will charge, and YOU are responsible for it. The actions planned by the TurnYourBackOnBush crowd was planned to be peaceful, but it WAS intended (or they should have known) to cause an immediate breach of the peace, and therefore give Bush more bad press. Your actions (and your comments made before the police escorted you out) show that your purpose was to be disruptive. Tell me...When you went into the stadium, you WERE planning on being disrespectful to Bush, weren't you? You knew about the protest beforehand, didn't you? You WERE trying to stir up a ruckus, weren't you? If you go into a bar looking for trouble, and start insulting a man's girlfriend, the expected outcome is that there will be a fight. True, all you did was utter some inflammatory words, and then publicly be disrespectful of the President of the United States, but you got off LIGHT. You're lucky some of the other attendees didn't throw you the beating you so richly deserved. I guess that means that Conservatives can control themselves better than you can. Posted by: Amused1 at June 17, 2002 11:01 PMWil, NYC: I have a theory about why AngryWhiteDemocrat wasn't beaten. If you read his post on DU, you'll see that he took an infant with him, and had the infant in his arms when he was escorted out. Did you ever see the Steven King movie "The Dead Zone" with Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen? When Walken's character started shooting at Sheen's character, Sheen's character held up a baby and hid behind it while running for cover. I suspect the same forces were at work with AWD. ;) Seriously, what kind of person takes an infant with them when they KNOW they're going out to try to get into trouble? He's lucky the kid's not in foster care now, and he's not in jail on child-endangerment charges. Posted by: Amused1 at June 18, 2002 12:20 AMI'd like to point out I never called anyone a redneck. Bigot, yes. Redneck, no. We now return you to your regularly scheduled bickering. Posted by: KJB at June 18, 2002 03:10 AMNYC, carry on being a little good oblivious worker droid surpressing your own thoughts out of irrational fear and lash out at others who don't supress their own thoughts in a similiar way. It's amazing, you're a complete tool for the people you're defending and you'll never realize it. Where do you get all your information to argue? Do you copy it from your role models on CNN and their right-wing shows? Oh that's right, those bloody liberals control the media. 200 years from now people are going to look back at you and other's like you as examples of what it is to be socialized and ultimately controlled by a state. Yes, come back with some silly arguement and continue attacking people. It's the only logic you know how to operate on. You're a tool to fear, irrationality and your American socailzation. God Bless NEVER AGAIN Posted by: Rico at June 18, 2002 06:37 AMborg389 ... http://clinton6.nara.gov/1996/10/1996-10-29-president-remarks-to-the-people-of-columbus-oh.html MEMBERS OF AUDIENCE: Dole-Kemp. Dole-Kemp. AUDIENCE: Booo! THE PRESIDENT: Wait, wait. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Just listen to them. Wait a minute. Why are they screaming like that? We heard you. Now, how about the First Amendment. We heard your message, now you listen to ours. (Applause.) This is a university. This is a university and we have respected their free speech. They won't respect ours because they hate the truth. We're better off, and we had to run over them to do it. (Applause.) Posted by: Tim at June 18, 2002 06:39 AMFirstly, NYC the handle is LURCH... If your going to try and insult me get my name right. Now I know this post is getting TOO long and TOO heated but if you will indulge an obviously person from an inferior country too speak... Ahem... Proteus, if I may respond (even though I know that Fluffy will). "Lily-white nations", "no diversity", the UK, and please I may be a proud Scotsman but even I admit that I come from the United Kingdom (on occasion, and this is such as occasion) and it is a very diverse population, I admit no were NEAR the diversity of America and I adit that it is good to see that racial coexistence (etc etc) can exist and work, I believe some areas of the UK could do well to learn some of the lessons the US have learned. But the comment that got me was lily-white, now I am presuming you are referring to our mainly white skin and not insulting the colour of our backbone? I digress, you continue, "produced incredible prosperity for all Americans. The poorest US citizens earn more than 93% of the world's population." Now, those on this board who know me (about 2 I guess) now I hate western culture and its greed and I believe, nay, know now from your WONDERFUL statistic that America is again consuming and absorbing resources which really those poor starving people in developing countries really should have, countries like, those of central Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq... Oh, sorry, I forgot everyone who does not stand in lien is obviously evil aren't they... Sorry about getting carried away that is a touchy subject for me, my apologies. FYI - "ANY black European politicians in any capacity whatsoever." The latest cabinet reshuffle in the UK has appointed a black cabinet minister. "Jewish women wearing Muslim headgear outside of mosques to reassure the Islamic Americans that this wasn't about them. Where else in the world does this happen?" Britain, I know for a fact, Christian women walked with Islamic to the shops, churches surrounded mosques to prevent any racial tension boiling over. We have a very large population of Muslim and Indian descended people in this country and that is our racism, this is our boiling hot pot. As regards you talk about when we can or cannot talk about racism, let me tell you racism is not just based on colour of skin (as I am sure you know) but we have our own tensions, Ireland, Scotland-England, Asian/Indian-BNP (British National Party - i.e. Bigots and racists). We know racism, we just don't have it exactly like you. "Churchill said that people get the governments they deserve. Right again." Yeah, you guys have a psychopath. As regards you r comments on Scottish solider and American military power I will not respond for I have been told to kept my anger in check I do not believe that this is the time or place to be opening old wounds like the thousands of Scottish soldiers who have died in the defence of ours and other people countries. No, lets take one, the Gulf War. American forces destroy a British tank with Scottish soldiers in it, killing them. My Father had to council one of the familles, allies! Get your facts rights... People from both our nations have died alongside each other in every war and yet the wars keep on happening. War is death, that the truth!!!! "I'll take a West Texas Sheriff over a pasty coffee-table truffle-eating wanker any day." Me, I'll take Peace. Next, NYC again, I know I shouldn't but he such an easy target. "I will accept prayers from anyone, and appreciate them", except this prayer from a true believer. I pray that you will open your eyes and see the word in the bible. Peace reigns where Christ stands. You now NYC, there are times when I despair at humanity no matter where they are from. My heart broke in pain and agony on September 11th. I was left broken when I saw the AIDS children in Africa whose only sin was being born. My heart quivers overtime someone accuses another of being wrong because they think different, because they are not like them even it is just because we may not like the same man who happens to be in charge of a nation. Grow Up, get a life, learn from the world mistakes, war solves little. Be a real rebel, extend a hand in peace and love. There are more powerful things in this world that American might, man can bring a nation to its knees, even a world. Think, pray then act. I'm off, again no offence is really intended any hurt I apologise for. I make mistakes as do all and I am sorry for them all. NEVER is always better than NEVER AGAIN. Posted by: Lurch Kimded at June 18, 2002 07:16 AMAngry White Democrat (are there any other kind?) I've also heard from two others that were there. And their recollection was different than yours. One democrat, one what I would call a conservative Democrat. Yes there was a ruckus. But NO freedoms were taken away. The way Wil described it was not how they described what happened. I can understand you being angry because your worldview is not embraced by all. But the representation that Wil provided was all together truthful. Sorry. Posted by: John K. at June 18, 2002 07:58 AMMy last post should read "But the representation that Wil provided was NOT altogether truthful." Posted by: John K. at June 18, 2002 08:03 AMFor all the name calling and back biting, here is a quote that I found on the American Library Association. Just a thought to pass along. “If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.”— Noam Chomsky The ALA is fighting against any kind of censorship. Whether it be books, internet, and I assume our right to agree or disagree with our leaders decisions. http://www.ala.org Posted by: Cassiejo at June 18, 2002 09:42 AMWhat could have been an interesting thread has turned into a melee. I haven't heard so much name calling and reference to genitalia since I was a teenager witnessing a street fight after school. Makes me wonder what our congressmen and senators REALLY say behind closed doors. Posted by: AvidReader at June 18, 2002 10:00 AMLurch. This is the fundamental difference between socialists and capitalists. We will not be satisfied until that other 93% is making a decent living. You will not be satisfied until the few people with reliable electricity are living in mud huts. I'm sure you and your philosophical cohorts have a plan to get the world to zero power consumption, and I'm sure you will continue to discuss it on the internet, jet off to Green conventions, and blather on about it over satellite TV and radio, you mind-boggling hypocrites. Try to get this into your heads, although frankly, I'm not encouraged given the length of time you have had to learn this simple lesson: We do not go to Afghanistan or Africa and steal prosperity from starving people. WE MAKE OUR OWN. And they could MAKE THEIR OWN TOO if they didn't have socialist ninnies like you telling them it's someone elses fault. Look at Hong Kong: zero resources, fabulous standard of living, an amazing place where people work their asses of in order to live well. Then look at Russia, a land so rich in national resources that you could boil the earth and make a terrific soup --- a basket case of poverty and unmet need. They are not poor because rich people are taking things from them, they are poor because their political systems will not allow them to be rich. Those poor countries that you mentioned are run by insane dictators, kleptocracies, and religious fundamentalist loonies. Now, these poor people you keep wailing about: "Iraq, Afghanistan, and 'Africa,'" are either poor because their people are defective or because their political systems are. Not being a racist myself, and seeing how well people from these regions do when they come to free countries, I conclude that they owe it to their politics, which is not as a simple a thing to fix as, say, blaming everything on America. Don't you people ever READ? How many socialist failures will it take for you to understand that 5 year plans and state controlled economies DO NOT WORK. How many more people are you going to kill? 30 million starved and executed in the USSR, a like number in China, I could go on... This idea that me working hard to better my life makes you poorer is the natural result of people who would rather curse the darkness than light a candle. Poverty, disease, and starvation have been the norm for all of human existence. There is nothing romantic or pleasant about poverty or starvation, and I'd much rather pull these people up then keep them poor as an interesting Anti-American statistic. But then again, I'm a conservative, and we have a great deal more compassion for actual people than the liberals who treat them like zoo exhibits. Regarding your friendly fire incident. That is a horrible tragedy. That we lost more American and Allied lives to friendly fire than to enemy combat is a testament to the effectiveness of Coalition military forces but cold comfort to the Scots, Englishmen, Canadians and many more Americans who have died in this fashion. Nevertheless, the causalties are far less than what they would have been without that overwhelming firepower, but again, cold comfort. That wasn't my point. No doubt Scots have fought and died disproportionately for the Empire --- sorry, commonwealth. My point was, if you care to re-read it, how many foreign soldiers have been shipped over here to fight and die for no other reason than to keep US free. Again, I stand by zero. Largely because we have always been committed to defending ourselves, which to me is the very first moral obligation a person or state has, and the source of this thread of weak-minded braying about peace. Peace is swell. Peace at all costs is a sure recipe for war. That's from your history, not ours. The Americans certainly did not win WW1 on the battlefield, but it is undeniable that the constant arrivals of endless streams of American reinforcements DID cause Ludendorff and the Germans to risk it all in the disasterous 1918 offenses that finally brought down Germany. Many Americans - thousands - died in the trenches of a war that posed no threat to us whatsoever. World War II cost a lot more American lives to rectify yet another European bloodbath. We spent a large sum rebuilding our enemies countries, and a far, far larger sum being the bulwark against 50 years of Soviet agression. We're not asking for thanks -- we know you too well for that. But we wouldn't mind hearing a little less crybaby bullshit from you Europeans when we have another 3,000 dead Americans to bury, understand? Scots are legendarily tough fighters. The Scots Greys at Waterloo may have turned that battle and the course of Europe single-handedly. Scottish engineers essentially invented the industrial revolution, and Scottish scientists and doctors may have saved more lives than those taken in all of humanities wars, combined, though innoculation and antibiotic research. All of these magificent achievements are, sadly, part of the Western culture that you dispise, as is this internet that you are using to sing your self-pity around the world. You used to be such a proud, confident, tough people. Have they all become like you or they busy working while the rest of you blog away the day? Posted by: Proteus at June 18, 2002 10:25 AMWell hell...let just burn flags in protest at the next bush speech. who knows who wanted to protest and who did not? was the commencement the proper place to show distain for the president? i know its the first amendment.. but anybody got common sense? does the first amendment give u the right to show total disregard for courtesy? bus people in.. well u think being the leader of the free world.. people might actually wanna hear him speak? i dunno.. most of his speeches are the same..... i think people too often follow the pack. seeeeeeee i think a minority believe the bush should be hated and they honestly rub off on the group that does not know what they believe. so now u got the disgusted leading the mindless........ everyone has opinions.. and well i guess i would say overall i am happy with the job bush is doing. i don't think he is a deliberate man... just someone trying to do a really difficult job.... are all of the administrations decisions correct.. prolly not, but i honestly don't believe george w has transformed our country into nazi germany. the framers of our country insured our freedoms.. but there are common sense to each and every freedom we have. some social responsibility to everything we do... freedom of speech.. just does not mean shout out... in any venue when we dislike something........ last time i was in mcdonalds..... i don't remember standing on a table.. and screaming "this big mac tastes like shit"---- but freedom of speech insures my right. stop being a ULTRA liberal.. and remember that there is a balance for everything including our freedoms. Posted by: notjustanothertrekkie at June 18, 2002 10:34 AMProteus Finally, I have a few questions. Why is Bush going ahead with the National Missile Defence System, when in 14 of the 17 tests so far, it has failed to work, and was dropped by Clinton for precisely that reason, and when a Nato report published recently states that the primary missile system used by Iraq, Iran etc could barely hit Europe, let alone America? Sooner or later we will all have to realise that we cannot finish a war on terror by using guns, and look for a way to ensure we never need to be afraid again. And that will not happen will be think of every muslim as an A-rab. Remember, Hitler had a similar attitude on the Jews, and look at hte horrors he visited on them... Posted by: Fluffy at June 18, 2002 10:35 AMproteus, This is a little of target but it needs said. Hong kong has the one of the highest accomidation costs in the world. It also has problems with homlessness and over use of accomidation, due to limited land. It is hardlly the fabulous living you imply, unless your a rich westerner. In addition go down to one of hong kongs parks on a holiday and look at the hordes of femal domestic workers (Philipeno I think) who are there. they cover every square yard of the parks. Many are married, but their husbands are not in Hong Kong and there pay is not exactly the best. As for the number of friendly fire incidents being a testiment to western military capability, I think you need to seriouslly think about that again. Its not a testiment its a testimonial. (please forgive my poor spelling in this post I was in a rush to post this). Ophois Posted by: Ophois at June 18, 2002 11:06 AMProteus: Now that I have stopped beating my head against the wall in desperation, I must retort. I am not some green liberal socialist I am Adam Howie (yes, my real name), a person, a human, a male who thinks for himself and has chosen to walk a path of his own. I am not "Borg" I am an individual. I do not want to see everyone poor, I am a tech-freak who happens to think it would be better if we shared our resources so that everyone has the standard of living we have. I think we should share, do you know this word, look it up. I think science would advance humanity but not by itself but also through THINKING, strange concept for you obviously and that's the last I have to say on that matter on this forum. I wonder if you actually listen (or read) what I have said or is it just the way I put things. As for your comment on lighting a candle I have lit a candle and I see the creature that is this darkness, humanities greed and inconsiderate nature to their fellow man. True about the effectiveness of allied force, especially since most lost of life is caused by the American forces. (My apologies, my feelings are racing again). My apologies for misinterpreting your words on people being shipped over to defend the US. I had no intention to deliberately misinterpret your words. "The Americans certainly did not win WW1 on the battlefield," true the ALLIED forces won the wars America was apart of them not the whole. I too acknowledge America involvement in the wars. PS you did only get involved in WW1 after the then USSR pulled out 6 months before the end and as for WW2, I will not mention anything else except you only got involved after a tragic attack on Pearl Harbour. "We have another 3,000 dead Americans to bury, understand?" - Yes fully, now you know we feel with the Northern Ireland situation as a constant reminder of terrorism in our land. "Western culture that you dispise," oh get a grip, I am not the enemy, now person is. I do not despise western culture I think we have made some major mistakes and that we need to change to let humanity (not just the US or UK or whatever) have a chance of surviving. " busy working while the rest of you blog away the day?" Actually I work in a social centre helping homeless people have a chance in live, which I might add means I can work about 12 hour days. Or am I being a bleeding-heart-liberal and should I just leave them to fend for themselves I mean it must ALWAYS be there fault, isn't it? Proteus, I respect you and I have to admit your points are valid and you have a right to them, but please respect my right be believe that there is a better way where all can stand as equals. I do believe in that we may find a common thread and that is all that is important, isn't it? Or do we all live a clones in a factory. I leave you with a few choice quotes. "This world is comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel." - Horace Walpole "Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on." - Winston Churchill, British statesman and writer (1874-1965) "Our Scientific power has outrun over spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." - Martin Luther King Jnr. "To tyrants, indeed, and bad rulers, the progress of knowledge among the mass of mankind is a just an object of terror; it is fatal to them and their designs." - Henry Peter Brougham, Scottish statesman and historian (1778-1868) Posted by: Lurch Kimded at June 18, 2002 11:27 AMProteus: Now that I have stopped beating my head against the wall in desperation, I must retort. I am not some green liberal socialist I am Adam Howie (yes, my real name), a person, a human, a male who thinks for himself and has chosen to walk a path of his own. I am not "Borg" I am an individual. I do not want to see everyone poor, I am a tech-freak who happens to think it would be better if we shared our resources so that everyone has the standard of living we have. I think we should share, do you know this word, look it up. I think science would advance humanity but not by itself but also through THINKING, strange concept for you obviously and that's the last I have to say on that matter on this forum. I wonder if you actually listen (or read) what I have said or is it just the way I put things. As for your comment on lighting a candle I have lit a candle and I see the creature that is this darkness, humanities greed and inconsiderate nature to their fellow man. True about the effectiveness of allied force, especially since most lost of life is caused by the American forces. (My apologies, my feelings are racing again). My apologies for misinterpreting your words on people being shipped over to defend the US. I had no intention to deliberately misinterpret your words. "The Americans certainly did not win WW1 on the battlefield," true the ALLIED forces won the wars America was apart of them not the whole. I too acknowledge America involvement in the wars. PS you did only get involved in WW1 after the then USSR pulled out 6 months before the end and as for WW2, I will not mention anything else except you only got involved after a tragic attack on Pearl Harbour. "We have another 3,000 dead Americans to bury, understand?" - Yes fully, now you know we feel with the Northern Ireland situation as a constant reminder of terrorism in our land. "Western culture that you dispise," oh get a grip, I am not the enemy, now person is. I do not despise western culture I think we have made some major mistakes and that we need to change to let humanity (not just the US or UK or whatever) have a chance of surviving. " busy working while the rest of you blog away the day?" Actually I work in a social centre helping homeless people have a chance in live, which I might add means I can work about 12 hour days. Or am I being a bleeding-heart-liberal and should I just leave them to fend for themselves I mean it must ALWAYS be there fault, isn't it? Proteus, I respect you and I have to admit your points are valid and you have a right to them, but please respect my right be believe that there is a better way where all can stand as equals. I do believe in that we may find a common thread and that is all that is important, isn't it? Or do we all live a clones in a factory. I leave you with a few choice quotes. "This world is comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel." - Horace Walpole "Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on." - Winston Churchill, British statesman and writer (1874-1965) "Our Scientific power has outrun over spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." - Martin Luther King Jnr. "To tyrants, indeed, and bad rulers, the progress of knowledge among the mass of mankind is a just an object of terror; it is fatal to them and their designs." - Henry Peter Brougham, Scottish statesman and historian (1778-1868) Posted by: Lurch Kimded at June 18, 2002 11:27 AMSorry about the double posting my browser acted up and sent it twice. Sorry. Posted by: Lurch Kimded at June 18, 2002 11:29 AMWil, I'm a proud Bush voter who does not in any way support doing the kind of thing described in the article you linked to. I didn't support that kind of thing when Clinton's people were doing it either, and politics doesn't trump ethics in my book. Mybe when more of your readers reach my age they'll understand that kind of philosophy. Posted by: Kevin McGehee at June 18, 2002 12:00 PMThis comment is not specifically about the Bush debacle, but about your comment regarding the 1st Amendment. I've been reading your blog for a while now, and it seems to me that you don't seem to appreciate much about this country except for the 1st Amendment, which you use almost exclusively to denounce everything else about this country. Correct me, please, if I'm wrong, but you DO give the impression of being anti-American. I hate to reopen an old wound, but during the time of the WTC attacks, you expressed serious reservations about WAVING THE AMERICAN FLAG. I'm not getting the impression that you care about this country or support it at all. More than once, you give the impression that you pretty much hate it. Please note that none of this means I advocate shutting you up by force. But I am calling you on this, and I would like to hear a response. Posted by: John Tchoe at June 18, 2002 12:27 PMThis comment is not specifically about the Bush debacle, but about your comment regarding the 1st Amendment. I've been reading your blog for a while now, and it seems to me that you don't seem to appreciate much about this country except for the 1st Amendment, which you use almost exclusively to denounce everything else about this country. Correct me, please, if I'm wrong, but you DO give the impression of being anti-American. I hate to reopen an old wound, but during the time of the WTC attacks, you expressed serious reservations about WAVING THE AMERICAN FLAG. I'm not getting the impression that you care about this country or support it at all. More than once, you give the impression that you pretty much hate it. Please note that none of this means I advocate shutting you up by force. But I am calling you on this, and I would like to hear a response. Posted by: John Tchoe at June 18, 2002 12:29 PMI'll step out on a limb here and admit that I, too, became dismayed at all the flag-waving after 9/11. Not because I hate this country, but because it seemed so canned to me. I fear it has become something that has lost meaning -- everyone else is waving their flag, shouldn't I be doing it? It seemed like such a herd response! I was sad that so many people didn't bother to do that BEFORE 9/11 (and before you label me a flag-burning hippie, I was a flag waver long before 9/11, have been since I was a small child and my WWII veteran grandfather and Vietnam veteran father instilled in me the respect for my nation and the flag that it represents). I was sad that it took a tragedy of such horrific scope to make people feel like it was necessary to show support for their nation. Of course, I can't speak to Wil's reason, but I just wanted to point out that a patriot could still be upset by the flag waving. I hope that makes sense. Posted by: AvidReader at June 18, 2002 12:46 PMI'll step out on a limb here and admit that I, too, became dismayed at all the flag-waving after 9/11. Not because I hate this country, but because it seemed so canned to me. I fear it has become something that has lost meaning -- everyone else is waving their flag, shouldn't I be doing it? It seemed like such a herd response! I was sad that so many people didn't bother to do that BEFORE 9/11 (and before you label me a flag-burning hippie, I was a flag waver long before 9/11, have been since I was a small child and my WWII veteran grandfather and Vietnam veteran father instilled in me the respect for my nation and the flag that it represents). I was sad that it took a tragedy of such horrific scope to make people feel like it was necessary to show support for their nation. Of course, I can't speak to Wil's reason, but I just wanted to point out that a patriot could still be upset by the flag waving. I hope that makes sense. Posted by: AvidReader at June 18, 2002 12:49 PMDear Fluffy and Adam: This debate grows ever more specific, sensible and sane, so I will try to briefly respond to a few of your more well-reasoned points. Sorry to mash you together, but you are both Scots, which, as we know, is located somewhere in Africa of perhaps on that big round island down at the bottom of the world somewhere. Fluffy, 1. This whole point of local diversity was generated by my response to your comment telling me what Black Muslims experience in America, which you liked to wearing a heavy metal T-shirt in the south. Have we established that you are neither Black nor in the south, T-shirt or no? With this endless European muttering about American arrogance, can you not see what an arrogant statement that is coming from a Scotsman who is in no position to make such an evaluation? If the majority of Black Americans held your views vis a vis the War on Terror, then I'd bite my lip and keep my mouth shut. They don't. Every black American I have talked to --- and street conversations among total strangers was very common on Sept 12th --- expressed the same sense of patriotism and desire to get these bastards. So I don't know where you are getting your information, and I'm not about to deny whatever specific reports you might have read. But with regard to it being representative of America today I took and continue to take exception to it, and consider you as well qualified to make judgements on that subject as I am to discourse about Pakistani grievances on the streets of Aberdeen. 2. Regarding Colin Powell being an unstable element...I'd like to see the attribution for that comment, but even assuming it is true, the man has undeniable virtues and my experience with politicians worldwide is that any tangible virtue puts them in a catagory rarified to garner some interest on my part. For the record, I actively supported John McCain for President. who as a POW of the North Vietnamese was offered early exchange due to his father being an admiral. McCain, as ranking officer among the POWs, said he would be the last man out of there, not the first. This after having every one of his teeth broken off at the root from beatings by his ill-mannered hosts. I consider that character and I'll be back with him in 2004. On Sept 12th McCain said to the perpetrators of the attack to "tell your people that we are coming. And may God have Mercy on their souls, because we certainly wont." Now there's a red-meat, American cowboy, unsophisticated, simplistic, naive and barbaric statement, God Bless him for it. Which leads me to point 4 of your last: Your complaint that we did not get earlier involved before the terrorists struck here. Did we not have George Mitchell finally lead to some kind of breakthrough in Northern Ireland? Much more to the point, prior to 9/11 Americans and American interests had been much more damaged, in terms of lives lost, than the rest of Europe combined --- unless I am unaware of some large-scale pre 9/11 terrorist attacks on Europe that equal the bombing of the marine barracks in Lebanon (240 American's killed) the bombings of the US embassies in 1998 (hundreds of local employees killed), The USS Cole (17), the bombing of the American Barracks in Saudi Arabia (not sure, but scores dead), etc. There are two points to be made here. First, you express resentment that the US didn't do more to protect you by responding to terrorist threats. That attitude essentially transfers your national safety to that of an overseas ally. Because the fact remains that Al Qaeda had operatives aboard British jetliners ready to crash them into Parliament and Big Ben, but all flights were grounded after the reports from New York came in. Here's where I'm going with this: What if we had foiled the attacks in the US but those in the UK had succeeded, and it had been Big Ben and Trafalgar square on fire, as they also intended? What would the UK have been able to do alone? I say this not in a "you owe us" way, but merely as a realistic question, given that the UK was targeted that same day. It seems to me --- correct me if I am wrong --- that you would have liked some help cleaning these people up prior to getting our noses bloody. Me personally, I think that would have been wonderful. Did you ask for military assistance? I don't recall hearing about it. And what does that ultimately say about a country, that is unwilling to pay for an adequate military to deal with such attacks, looks to a powerful ally who IS willing to bear the blood and money burden, and then criticizes them for taking the military action needed in self-defence that you condemn us for not taking for a foreign ally. Remember that I joined this fray in response to your criticism of American military power. Now it seems to me that you are lamenting that we haven't used this power to help our friends earlier. So which is it? And furthermore, if you want help, ask for it. If you can show me where the UK was denied military assistance by the US after direct request, then I WILL have to have some words with my elected representatives. This is all rendered moot, of course, by the scale of the 9/11 attacks. We ARE going to take whatever action we deem necessary to prevent this in the future. If you want to argue about this over the web, that's fine, but it is the perception of many Americans that this becoming all that Europeans are capable of: endless discussion and gnashing of teeth while the house is on fire. I, for one, am not the kind of man who will hold a man's coat while he molests my child. Even if he had a bad childhood. I will stop that bastard anyway I know how. And I have always admired the Scots as being tough-minded enough to understand this. So imagine my disappointment. 3. You point out that Scotland and the UK have shown great compassion to Muslims during these times. I am heartily glad to hear it. Recall that YOU did not stumble on to one of MY postings telling the world how horrible life is for Pakistanis in Glasgow. You slandered my family, man. What self-respecting person can sit still for that? McDonald's corporate arrogance. Yes, the mindless Corporate American Arrogance that says that perhaps someone might want an affordable hamburger. Please forward your photographic evidence of US Marines on the streets of the Third World, forcing starving children into McDonalds at gunpoint and stripping them of their meager sheckels. Until such time I will assume that people eat there because they choose to. You may want to take away that choice. Okay. Who's the fascist now? (Would you hate them as much of they were, say, O'Donald's? Donaldson's? Donaldovitch's? I doubt it, Scottie) Sweatshops and capitalist exploitation: okay, people work for a dollar a day making Nikes. I wouldn't be stupid enoigh to argue that. And a dollar a day is pretty slim pickin's if you're living in Southern California. But what is a dollar a day there? And why are there so many people scrambling for those jobs? And if they take those jobs and give them to $20 dollar an hour Scottish workers, then those people will be making 0 dollars a day. Yes this is cold-blooded. But the reason I am a conservative is because I came to realize that wishing something was a certain way DID NOT MAKE IT SO, no matter how hard or often I tried. Nike makes sport shoes. That's what they do. So they can make them in Guatemale for 3 dollars a day or Germany for $30 dollars an hour. Okay, I'm thinking they'll go with Guatemala. Now tell me how this could be different. Could Nike willingly pay $30 an hour to the Guatemalans? I suppose they could. Was Nike incorporated as a third world aid project? No. Nike was incorporated TO SELL SHOES. Okay? That's what Nike does. Poverty is not a result of national borders, genetic types, earthly resources or luck. It is a result of policies and laws that allow people to harness their desire for a better life for themselves and their families. Yes, the rich are richer. But the poor are richer, too. You may scream and gag, but look at the lives of the poor today compared with fifty or a hundred years ago, and on balance you will see huge increases in life expectancy, reductions in infant mortality and improvement in the quality of life. This is not for a moment to say that there is not appalling poverty and misery out there. But there are many examples of societies that function well in the world. Those that do best for their people have firm property laws and individual freedoms. Theory and wishful economic models are not a substitute for these core conservative values. We can plainly see what works and what does not. Finally, Fluffy, did you read the article by Margaret Thatcher recently? She fully supports the National Missile Defense plan. Know why? because 1. If it works we Brits get a free umbrella: ditto Russia, Germany, japan, etc. Vote is still out on France. 2. given the consequences of a rougue nuclear missile strike, any chance to shoot down such a thing is better than no chance at all. 4 out of 17 hits is better than 0 out of 17, for starters, and we are, I think, 3 for 3 for the most recent tests. This is not a deployyable technology, but it will be. Spare us please the withdrawing from the ABM nonsense. There was a legal provion for withdrawing, which we have followed. More importantly, that treaty was signed with the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union no longer exists. I no longer consider Britain obligated to the Treaty of Versailles, so that makes us even. Which leads to your great dismay at the US hypocrisy in wanting to keep weapons of mass destruction from the hands of fundamentalist lunatics and tin-pot psychopathic narcisstic Presidents-for-life. I can sum up my repose simply: We've had nuclear weapons for half a century and used them once, to end a war that would have cost another 1 million US and 7-12 million Japanese lives to end conventionally (and yes, I'd LOVE to get into that if you like) We also have had modern jetliners for forty years and never crashed them intentionally into the Kaaba, either. Judge for yourself relative levels of responsibility and restraint. Hi Adam. I'd love to get a grip. What part of your earlier "those that know me know I hate western culture" did I misconstrue as you hating western culture? You seem a decent fellow. Even Fluffys' offer for me to come over there so he could kick my ass brought him up a peg in my eyes. So let me ask you both something. If you were cruising the web, listening to Americans tell you how horrible your race relations are and condeming you for wanting to weed out the murderers of your countrymen as "stupid, arrogant, Scottish unilaterism," what would you do? How many close friends did you have under the rubble? I had two. Fact is, we are not out there flaming Scotland because Scotland has been a great friend to the United States. So what's your excuse, lads? Hi Avidreader. You seem like a good man too. Let me assure you that as far as I could see, nothing about the flag waving was canned at all. As a matter of fact, I judge it to be the most spontaneous thing I have ever seen. The second I saw one on someones car on Sept 12th I had to have one. I wanted to world to know that the driver of my car loved and was willing to defend this country. Now while I certainly can't fault you for not feeling the same, I do have to wonder why it 'troubles you." Hey, I hate the goddam Lakers, but when I see the Laker flags out I just smile at someone who obviously is very proud of something that I just don't get. I don't go critize them for it, and I certainly don't accuse them of trying to make me feel less Lakriotic. I don't react with concern at how this might be stifling the freedom of New Jersey Nets fans to have a say. I just admire their enthusiasm and loyalty. And when I see an American flying a US flag I throw in love and pride and respect and a sense of standing shoulder to shoulder with that man or woman, upon whatever rampart we may be called to. Of course, that's just me. Posted by: Proteus at June 18, 2002 02:10 PMProteus: Though to try and regain some civility to this, thanks for the compliment on being decent fellow, I do try and be one. I'll tell you this though, I think you need to have an honest word with your heart (out with the 9-11 issue) can you really justify the example you give above when taking with Fluffy about Nike. Those people don't have a choice, yes because of the governments but also because our governments have put these countries into inescapable debt which the foreign governments CANNOT right off so have to employ their people at crappy wages. Oh yes and the US national debt, the only reason you guys aren't a third world country is because of this debt with which your government (and mine as well) strangle these countries. I have to say that I cannot possibly say what I would feel if 9-11 had happened in the UK but my beliefs do spur me on to a different response, yes judgement and punishment for those who organised and committed these crimes (lest we forget Lockerbie). But also we should look at peace (any references to tree-hugging hippy stuff and I'll belt you - metaphoricaly - with that tree) instead of always killing. Anyway I can see my reasoning cannot make any sense to a man who is bent on detroying and killing anything which stands in there way (if thsi si not the case then I must be getting the wrong end of your posts). See you on the flip side. I look forward to seeing Fluffy's reply to your little essay. Posted by: Lurch Kimded at June 18, 2002 03:26 PMProteus. Finally, onto your points. Lastly, heres a list of incidents (that I remenber of the top if my head) of terrorism against Britian. Lockerbie (270 dead) After reading the comments from this board (from both sides) I'm now even more convinced that we're screwed no matter what. I for one have set aside a nice lawn chair next to a cooler with some Coronas in it so I'll have a good seat when the world ends. I just hope my eyeballs don't melt before I get to see that annoying dog of one of my neighbors explode. That would almost be worth it. I dunno about the rest of you, but that tree we came down from 6 million years ago is starting to look pretty good right about now. Well, if you belive there was a tree 6 million years ago. Damn, can't even get that one straight, can we? Oh well, light 'em if you got 'em. Posted by: Jared at June 18, 2002 06:05 PMOkay Lurch. I've reread your posts. I don't see endless pages of how swell western society is. I see a lot of discontent and scorn. You accuse me again of taking your "I hate Western Culture and its greed" direct quote out of context. You did not say "I hate Greed." You made that statement, it got my attention, I called you on it. Now show me where it's out of context with the rest of that post. Moving on... Oh dear. America would be a third world country if it weren't for the money owed to us by Angola. Now lads, get out your pencils, and lets write out some numbers. The US GDP is about 7-8 trillion dollars annually. That's $7,000,000,000,000. Find out what the third world debt to the US is. A few hundred million? Ten billion? I really don't know, and I KNOW you don't know because when you subrtract that number, total, from what we produce in one year I will be astonished if it equals 1/2 of 1% of our ANNUAL GDP. To me that makes your statement about us being a third world country without what the 3rd World owes us about 99.5% incorrect. Hey, let's be generous and round it up to 100% Defend that ridiculous statement with some numbers and we can objectively triangulate on how silly that statement really is. Should we forgive the debt? I think we should. As I say, it's a fairly trivial amount. Will this solve the problem? Show me how it will. We (the West) lent them money for growth and construction. Their corrupt governments squandered the money. Okay. So it's gone. Should we lend them more money? Are you out of your mind? This isn't cause I don't want to spend the money. It's because I don't want to waste the money, again, on buying these Presidents-for-life more Mercedes Benzs and 8 lane wide highways that go for 2.6 miles and dead end in the middle of nowhere. I would be VERY interested in loaning individuals money to open small businesses, but their filthy governments, NOT OURS, would take that and besides, why own anything when even the police are a pack of theives. What odd sort of self-hatred possesses you to constantly blame your own culture, regardless of overwhelming evidence that these problems in the third world are self-generated and self perpetuating. Do you really have such a low opinion of these poor suffering people that you think they are somehow incapable of doing anything right? They are being crippled not by the fact that people lent them money, but by the fact that their own 'leaders' have stolen that money, are stealing more money, and will continue to steal whatever money we continue to send them. So make a suggestion, Lurch. Like Ross Perot said, I'm all ears. "Judgement and Punishment" for those that committed the 9/11 crimes. Noble sentiment. How do you plan to accomplish that? Perhaps we could post flyers in Kabul urging them to turn themselves in. This is where that little CLICK in your brain seems go off. Yes, by all means punishment and justice. But no violence! Perhaps a strong public reprimand, or a series of quite firmly worded letters will make them realize the errors of their ways and they will report to the nearest US embassy for hanging. Just out of sheer curiousity, Lurch...how many people will they have to kill --- wait, since Americans aren't worth anything more than a little moral indignation to you --- how many of your family have to be killed before you decide to do something about it? So I'm a man bent on killing anything that gets in his way? Okay. I see it more as someone bent on killing anyone who sneaks into the house at night and starts murdering my family, but have it your way. I'd rather be known as that person than the one who made a nice cup of tea for the bastard while he slits your kids throats. Okay Fluffy, your turn. 1. Uncle Sam came late to the war on terror. If we really cared we should have done something earlier. Like what? Invade Northern Ireland when a pipe bomb goes off outside Harrod's? What would you have liked us to do, Fluff. You keep moving the target. Be specific. What would you have liked us to do? And if Al Qaeda flies a jet into Parliament, what would you like us to do then? Push for a UN Resolution? And tell me again why we should have acted BEFORE 9/11 but now that we're acting afterwards we're bullies. That reasoning seems...well...a little backward. Although I must admit that after hearing you and Lurch I am getting used to it. You state that in place of military action we should be "solving the problems and causes of terrorism, not blow them up." Splendid. What did you have in mind? Perhaps a series of instructional videos. Fluffy, I fall back on sarcasm because in the face of such an arguement reason simply fails me. This is like watching your house on fire and discussing what types of non-flammable materials we should use for the drapes. You might want to take a read about the difference between cooperative versus power-based societies. Negotiation and reason and not highly regarded among those people. They are considered a sign of weakness. You do not have to take my word for it. Simply listen to what Osama says from his own mouth. He recruited many people because he said he could attack the West and that we are too weak and cowardly to do anything about it. Okay. So. 9/11. The US moves into Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of Pakistani's cross the border for the Jihad to kill Americans. But those fierce, implacable muhajedin don't come charging with flashing scimitars. Met with professional soldiers they ran like rabbits. Many of the Pakistani and other Taliban supporters are blown to bits. They not only didn't get a chance to kill an American, they didn't even get a chance to SEE an American. Just some contrails and a very loud sound indeed. So. Does the Arab world rise as one in righteous fury? No. They go home, grumbling that OBL wasn't really Saladin after all. The Pakistani's say that those Mullahs in the Madrasses lied to them about glorious victory in the Army of God. They were met by overwhelmingly superior power, and they shut up. Here, let me type it for you Fluff, I can see the veins in your head starting to throb: THEY REGROUPED TO FIGHT AGAIN, ONLY NOW THERE ARE MORE OF THEM AND THEY ARE EVEN ANGRIER! I doubt it. I think Bin Laden is paste in some unmarked grave. Whether he is or not, we know that many of his lieutenants are. What used to look like easy pickings for your average Al Qaeda now looks like a pretty sure death sentence. Sure there's a lot of them left. Sure they're going to do more damage. Do you honestly think that Bin Laden's master plan was to attack the US so that he and his minions could be routed from the country they stole, then be blown up huddling in caves and shot by their own Afghan flunkies? I rather doubt it. He thought we'd hurl a few cruise missiles, and then, flush with success, he could extend the taliban regime into all of Central Asia and re-ignite a worldwide Muslim Califate with him as the leader, the Great Slayer of Americans. So again, stop hiding behind generalities and speculations and you tell me SPECIFICALLY what you would have done so we can argue in at least a remotely level playing field. Of course, we'll be dealing with your personal opinions, if not fantasies, but at least that's something that can be responded to. You say that you don't want to take away choice, that McDonalds is doing it for you. Interesting argument. The only flaw that I can see is that no one took away your choice but you. If people had preferred Mom and Pop burgers then they'd be there on the patio cheering as McDonalds packed up and went home, out of business. You concede the fact that people vote with their feet. You just don't think they should be allowed to, apparently. So let me make sure I understand your argument correctly. McDonalds should be banned because if they are not, people will chose McDonalds and put local hamburger stands out of business. Did I miss something? It seems to me that by following that path to it's logical conclusion, well-made clothes should be banned because they take away from Frau Niedelkoph's haberdashery sales. Solid steel tools can not be allowed...it will be bad for the neighborhood smithy. And certainly no professional theatres, for that will be the certain death of Hector Grabanzo and his all-gypsy musical adaptation of "To Kill A Mockingbird." That's quite a success strategy you have Fluff. I'm sure it will bring all of the prosperity and happiness we have come to expect from such a North Korean economic model. They don't have McDonalds either, those lucky, lucky bastards. Hey, speaking of Dear Leader, let's not forget who exports more ballistic missiles than anyone on Earth --- even us! That's why a National MISSILE defense is a rather fine idea. Because, hey...pull the trigger on one of those and all the Customs inspectors in Miami are going to you you a speck of good. I'm sure that when Italians become terrorists we will need a National Suitcase Defense. And besides, a strike with a suitcase bomb is neither here nor there. The missile threat is real, and it is expanding. Now you may ask, intelligent liberal European that you are, 'Why would Dear Leader or Saddam do something like launch a nuclear missile attack on the US?" I don't know, but I DO know that we must defend against enemey CAPABILITIES rather than wishful hoping about INTENTIONS. Why do they starve their people to death? Why did Hitler order tens of thousands of Berliners to be drowned in the final hours of WWII by flooding the underground stations to slow the Soviets? (Thankfully countermanded by brave German Genrals) Why don't they give a damn about anything than their own personal survival? I'm guessing here...could it be that they are FUCKING PSYCHOPATHS? Could be. But you think they should have nuclear weapons. Okay, let's talk about the use of nuclear weapons. I DEFY you to show credible corraborating evidence of a formal Japanese surrender prior to the dropping of the second atomic bomb. Yes, it's a very pleasant thought seeing as how it makes the American's even more murderous. I DARE you to prove it. Hey, and what about all of that Scottish Volunteer regiment of SS guards who refused orders from the Germans to let the last of the Jews go and instead napalmed 200,000 of them in that pit somewhere? It's all over the web. And what about the photos of the Scottish World Cup team sacrificing babies and eating raw human hearts? (It didn't help) Hey, I hear that Churchill secretly gave Rudolh Hess a blowjob in exchange for his help in bombing Dresden and killing a few hundred thousand for fun. I saw that in an article somewhere. We dropped two atomic bombs to prove a point to the Russians, who we'd just hugged and kissed after the fall of Berlin? I want some evidence of that slander, too. Do you build a worldview out of this crap? Seriously? Posted by: Proteus at June 18, 2002 07:36 PMSorry Fluffy, but I believe you have your history wrong. The Japanese were in the process of surrendering before the second bomb, but not the first. The USA never intended to not drop the second bomb, it was not a statement to Russia or really anyone else, it was as it was, a 1-2 punch, proof that we had more than one lucky punch. The surrender, Japanese version was dated before the second bomb, the translation, after. No more, no less. That, I fear, is only politics, we would never have accepted a surrender in Japanese.... No surrender is ever done in a single day, even had the emperor managed to get the word to us in time, there might have been doubt in others in the world that that was the one and only bomb, thus the presidential order was to drop both from the start. There have been all kinds of theories behind the dates of the surrender, including the idea that the translator deliberately delayed the translation because he/she was "in on it". I doubt it. The dates are common knowledge, but I don't think there is anything there other than normal delays involving a large political power surrendering. A battle is easy to surrender from, one guy waves his flag and everything stops (at least in the movies -- in real life it'll take an hour or more to settle everyone down from the bloodlust). In a war, even if the leader surrenders, it takes time to get the word out to both sides. That is just the way it is, sad, but true. Posted by: Just me at June 18, 2002 09:06 PMpublic forum. content neutral restriction. time, place, and manner restriction. move along. no 1st Amendment violation here. Posted by: quantumtunnels.com at June 18, 2002 11:50 PMnot that i like bush, or don't like clinton. but clinton was the speaker at my college graduation. the protesters were herded to a roped off "designated area" about 3 blocks away from clinton and the graduation ceremony. there was no 1st amendment violation there, there is none here. Posted by: quantumtunnels.com at June 19, 2002 12:34 AMProteus: As for your statement about my hatred of western culture, I suppose what you say is right I do have PROBLEMS with it, hate was perhaps the wrong word, have a major problem with it and its effects would have been better, perhaps. Next, US = Third World, by official rules Third world countries CANNOT support themselves without import and aid etc etc. The Us cannot support its food and living supplies without major imports from other countries, hence without your immense (and frankly unearned) power you are a third world country with a second rate education system which seems to fail that largest population centres of the poor that fill your inner cities (as they do in ours as well). As for the debt the following is taken from the Comic relief - Drop the Debt web site: So a SMALL amount then, boy would I like meals at your house if this is SMALL, can I have a LARGE T-bone please? ;-) It is not self hatred it is a deep longing to see us improve beyond where we are now. You want a suggestion, my first thought is "what would be the use you are so set into your ways it won't change you," but then my better nature (thankfully) kicks in, you want a suggestion on solving such problems how about this one. There is one nation, it is earth, there is one people they are humanity. There is no segregation, no difference we re all one people, one family how bout we stop acting like spoilt brats and help people not because it makes us look better, but rather that it would be the same and is the same as helping our brother or sister. Or would you let them pick up a gun a shot themselves in the head because your government seems to think that access to guns for everyone is a good idea, its the same things as what you are talking about. Every government is on some level corrupt or got things wrong. As for how many of my family would have to killed before I did something, none. Trying to stop the causes of terrorism is better than wiping them up after they have destroyed something, but if they did kill my family. I would presume (for we can never say) I would react thusly. Sorrow, Hatred, Anger, Revenge, Sorrow, then what I believe would kick in and I would forgive and still love them, yes I would want to see them locked up for the rest of their lives but punishment and vengeance are two sides of a very thin grey line. Oh yeah, keep my family out of this I have great love for my parents and they have had to deal terrible situation, it comes fro being ministers. If you want to know what I believe look into my fathers eyes and ask him about me. That love I see is what I wish we could all see for each other. If that makes me a freak or someone stupid then that's fine by me, I would rather be a freak for the Lord than a normal person. By the way, have you ever heard of REASONABLE force? Oh, no sorry, your a conservative, Nuke 'em and ask questions later. As for the Japanese surrender, I have friend who were born at that time in Japan. I know something of their culture and opinions, surrender does not come easy to that race of people. Yes the war would have raged for longer but the development of the A-Bomb and its type have left a legacy which has threatened on many occasion since to wipe humanity of the face of this earth. But hey, then there would be no one to argue with. I mean nuclear war starts and three minutes later were all picking up our harps etc and joining the choir invisible! Great use of a weapon isn't it! I have made a decision that unless you again directly attack me and my views on this forum I see no point in this debate. It is obvious that you are so stuck in your way to remove the pole from your rear-end would take three years so medical procedures and some ingenious use of red duck-tape. I believe differently from you and I have no problem defending my beliefs but when it gets to the level you have stooped to in directly going for question relating to my family and beliefs then I must step back and say "hold on, this is not good for either of us." And bow with a thank you for the debate and mental stimulation, it has been greatly appreciated. I wish you well and (unless I have to respond again) I see you soon I guess on other of these forums. All the blessings possible. Posted by: Lurch Kimded at June 19, 2002 03:14 AMAs an Ohio State alumnus, I'm afraid I've got to speak up here and debunk this article and 'AngryWhiteDemocrat' -- because he/she/it is lying. First of all, a full year's tuition for this coming school year is about $5500 for the Columbus campus. Admittedly, that's for an in-state Ohio resident; however, nonresident tuition is $15,000. How does this add up to $80,000, particularly when something like ninety percent of OSU students have in-state waivers -- and four years ago, when I was a senior and this person was a freshman, OSU yearly tuition in-state was $3300? This should be your first clue that whomever this is is pretty much making things up by the seat of his/her/its pants. Admittedly, that's the only thing I can prove with actual numbers as being a little off, but I went to infinite numbers of events in my time there and YES, the organizers in charge -- IE, the university personnel -- said that anyone disrupting the event would be asked to leave. They said this every time for EVERY speaker from Newt Gingrich to Dave Thomas to Mick Jagger to Bill Clinton to Jesse Jackson, and this is their right as organizers of a public event. Protesters OUTSIDE the venues were never so much as looked at funny as long as they weren't dangerously blocking traffic; I know this, because I was frequently one of them. OSU is an enormous school. Enormous. The main campus alone (ie, the oldest buildings around the oval, the original part of the school) is a three mile diagonal, and the population expands accordingly: enrollment is nearing 50,000 full-time students and nearly 7,000 graduated this past spring -- that class number alone is larger than the total enrollment of many private schools. If you consider an average of at least two visitors for those seven thousand graduates, you're up to twenty-one thousand people in the Horseshoe: a football stadium. And here we come to my last bit of total disbelief: the Jesse Owens Memorial Park in front of the Shoe that AngryWhiteDemocrat insists that the graduates were gathered in to hear the 'do something nasty, we'll expell you and arrest you' speech? It's got two park benches and a statue. It's about eight feet square. And seven thousand people were fit in there how? Someone is trying to cause trouble and/or get attention, and it's a load of crock. Please don't jump on everything you read just because of paranoia. Posted by: Amelia at June 19, 2002 07:29 AMLurch, I was about to suggest the same thing. You state that $355 billion is owed to western nations, US, UK Japan, etc. I again say that by your own number the total debt owed to the US is something like 1% of our GDP. For you to claim that the US is a third world country without the money owed by them is clearly, demonstrably false --- by your own figures. To say that the US, the world's largest food exporter, needs to import food to survive is also clearly, demonstrably FACTUALLY false. You claim we know nothing about reasonable force, we just nuke 'em and ask questions afterwards. I don't recall any nuke-em response to 911...it seems that would have caught my attention. So again, your basis for argument and world view are based on demonstrably, verifiably, PATENTLY false information. As with our 'unearned' wealth and power... Where did it come from Lurch? Can you provide a receipt? No, I thought not. The transparency of your inferiority comlex is the only thing about you and Fluffy that makes factual sense. I almost asked "Where do you GET this stuff?" but again, what's the point? You don't get it from anywhere. You just make it up because it feels right to you. That's actually a common way of looking at life. For two year olds. So clearly, your worldview is composed of a mishmash of wishful thinking, rumor, and vague dismay. You may as well blame evil fairies as the US for the things you mention, because frankly, the evidence for your opinions is about equally strong. I agree completely about discontinuing the debate. As is often said, there's no use getting a pig to dance: it merely wastes your time and annoys the pig. You certainly are annoyed and I clearly have wasted enough time. Best of luck to you and Fluffy. If at any time reality, respect for the facts and a little less self-loathing enters your consciousness, then so much the better. I have wasted enough time on this 3rd-rate ex-celebrity site and will not be back to read whatever hateful, fact-free thing Fluffy has to say or hear any more of your upside-down perspectives. Consider them hanging in the air. Oh, and uh, as for the pole remark, followed by 'blessings' -- you really are quite the hypocrite, aren't you? Posted by: Proteus at June 19, 2002 09:54 AMUh, this sounds like bullcrap. If it truly did happen, a LOT more would have happened. I wouldn't even believe this about a democrat. Posted by: Eric Hartman at June 19, 2002 10:52 AMWil, I don't understand your hatred of President Bush, but I do recognize your need to speak out. I disagree with the actions taken at OSU, and believe people do have the right to speak out and protest actions with which they disagree. However, I can recall reading of similar injustices under the Clinton administration. Where was the outcry over those? He kept a tight reign on crowds. At any rate, while I don't necessarily agree with every policy from the Bush Administration, I happily agree with most of it and support our president 100%. You may choose not to support his policies, but he is still our president, whether or not you voted for him. I disliked Clinton, but he was still my president much to my chagrin. What I really don't understand are those that continue to support former president Clinton, who is a proven liar, deceiver, adulterer, and possibly a thief or even a murderer. Despite all this, people are still apologists for him and his shameful behavior. Why don't you write some political protests against him? Thank goodness a few sane people such as Rosie O'Donnell are finally beginning to see the light and are thoroughly disgusted with him. In short, how about some consistency here? Posted by: FrodoFan at June 19, 2002 11:17 AMOh, diddums....Proty woty no want to talk. Proty woty want to smash... Fair enough. If Proteus wants to run and hide instead of debating, thats his business. Its just interesting to look back at all those posts and see which if us was hurling insults (European Dole-sponging, Gutless turds for one), and who was continualy trying to defend their viewpoints and conceeding when proven wrong. All I wish is that he somehow finds himself a dictionary and learns what hypocrite and slander actually mean. And what the ? means. (i did not state that the Japanese were surrendering before the bombs were dropped...I was asking if it was true, trying to get him to go look and think about what he was saying)If my origional thoughs on the Japanese surrender were incorrect, then I stand corrected. And, when someone says the get their info from a website, and name the site...when the hell does that translate as "you don't get it from anywhere, you just make it up"????? For the record (I know no-one else really cares, before you all post a bunch of flames at me for this as well as everything else) my worldview comes from my Religious beliefs (NOT the same as Lurches, lets just say we are very differant), my desire to read and learn about the world around me, and my ability to observe and make decisions based upon what I have seen. So, Im sorry if we've bored you all to tears over the last few days, but we one of the most important things in this world is how other people see it...we can learn a lot from one another, its just that some people don't want to try. Posted by: fluffy at June 19, 2002 01:03 PMi see that my previous comment was either skipped or selectively ignored due to its content, so i'll post it again: this sounds suspiciously like what happened back at kutztown university in january 1995. i was a sophomore and we found out one day that bill clinton would be speaking in our field house. the administration bulletin about the event mentioned something to the effect of "protestors will be dealt with accordingly". i don't remember the exact wording but i remember being outraged. students were told that they were being given priority to see him speak. so my roommmate and i got in line at 5:30am two days before the speech to get tickets. had to skip my first class because we didn't actually receive our tickets until 9:30. so at 6:00 am on the morning of the 10:30 speech, we got in line. at 9:30, when the doors opened, students were held at bay while we watched busload after busload of special interest groups being led in first. when they were all inside and seated, approximately 100 students were let inside. needless to say, students were outraged after standing outside in the freezing cold in january in pennsylvania only to be cast aside in favor of less volatile voters. so if you think for a second that this is soley a republican tactic, you're wrong. Posted by: Leroy Brown at June 19, 2002 08:14 PMI am a student at Ohio State, and I had many friends graduating this quarter. In my opinion, I'm glad I wasn't graduating, so I dont have to deal with such bullshit. I hate George Dubya. He is a moron and so was his dad and brother Jeb. I dont even know why OSU wasted their time having such an idiot speak. Just my $.02 Jen Posted by: Jen at June 20, 2002 06:42 PMHey Wil, Wil, which of your rights exactly have the Bush admin. trappled on? C'mon... list 'em for me. In your daily life, have activity have you been kept from performing? Sleeping late? Managing your web site? Are you seeing Govt. Boogy Men in the shadows at twilight? Afraid of getting caught masterbating in your Ben & Jerry's ice cream? I love the left when they start foaming about men in black suits coming for the liberal paranoid - it's so left coast and trippy cute! It's also very passe since 9/11. Grow up boy. DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE that GWB would actually try to arrest those who disagree with his policies. DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE the press would let that happen? DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE that fair minded American people would allow it? On top of that, you believe some jag-offs on the internet. The same knuckle heads who cut and paste boobies on Consular Troi. You can't begin to understand the mindset of the "McCarthy" era because you have a comic book way of looking at life. You ignore the documented history of communism's evil and it's millions of victims world wide. Your pie eyed world view equates the Nazis with those good people who simply disagree with you. You throw names at those who engage in the arena of new ideas while typing out outdated morals and ideas on this silly site. Worst, you tread on a dimming celebrity and still refuse to simply grow up. I heard about this site from friends in Dallas - and we're laughing at you. Your comedy career is at hand! Comedy uber goofy. Posted by: cj at June 24, 2002 01:08 PMCJ, was there any actually reason to your post other than to gibber about sad, perverse lonely activities that you seem to be too knowledgable about not to engage in yourself? "do you really believe that GWB would actually arrest those that disgree with his policies" Its been done before. It happens all over the world, even now. Why so hard to believe? "Do you really believe that fair minded American Yup. Theve done so before. The Japanese-American Internment camps during the war. (for trek fans, I think George Takai was in one of them...) The Mcarthy Communist Trials. These were people who held views that were considered Anti-American, many of them had been living happily in America all their lives. But if they were commies, they got arrested, usually shopped in by their friendly neighbors. Looks like your the uber goofy one. Go get a life, or preferably a history book, and read it. Looks like Amelia is right. http://spinsanity.org/post.html?2002_06_16_archive.html#85179250 I know you all hate Bush, but this shit just makes you look downright pathetic. You people come across just as petty and stupid as those people obsessed with Clinton's cock. Posted by: Rich at June 24, 2002 10:51 PMThis will probably get missed in the flood of comments, but... 1. If our civil rights have been so badly eroded, how can we complain on the Internet. I noticed that DU is hardly hidden in any way. The Secret Service could shut them down anytime they wanted. There are overzealous idiots on "both" sides and everywhere you look. Keep calling them on their idiocy, of course, but we are hardly living in a police state. 2. Of course Bush is not the best qualified candidate for President. Really well qualified people get other jobs that pay better and have less heartache associated with them. Personally, I think Bush seems relatively competent FOR A POLITICIAN. The disclaimer is important since I don't think politicians, in general, are all that competent. Bolie IV I have been irate many times as I sat here reading this web page. I can see it's useless to point fingers or insult or call names. I support the war on terror. I support the constitution. I support good, honest, hardworking, America-supporting people. And I am glad to live in a country that supports people that support ALL of the opinions put forth on this page. Posted by: Kristi at September 5, 2002 05:34 AMI am a British TV producer researching news stories for the BBC and it may be helpful for you to follow up the College Student's Intimidation story in a new book called "The Greatest Sedition Is Silence - Four Years In America" by William Rivers Pitt - (writer and teacher). Mr. Pitt's book is a very well researched personal view of what is happening to America now under the neo-conservative Bush administration, and he seems very certain that the students were threatened with arrest and explusion for a peaceful protest in which they merely wanted to turn their backs on George W. Bush. William Rivers Pitt edits the excellent news and comment website at: www.truthout.org There may be more back up for the college story in the site's archives. Posted by: Russ at August 11, 2003 01:56 PMI'm tired of Americans - including one or two on your website Will - referring to 9/11 as killing 3,000 Americans. This is nonsense. Please let me explain why. (a)just over 3,000 people were killed on 9/11. (b) people who were killed on 9/11 came from over 60 countries. I find any claim made by Americans that 9/11 was only an attack on Americans offensive and arrogant. Please ask visitors to your website to get their facts straight. Secondly, Iraq has nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11. All the best and have a good Christmas, Brian Gregory Posted by: Brian Gregory at December 17, 2003 04:07 AMWill, The reason I am so annoyed when many - but not all -Americans claim 9/11 killed over 3,000 Americans is because this is untrue and implies Americans do not care about the non-Americans who lost their lives for CNN tells us in '9/11 victims' names posted at Ground Zero' http://www.cnn.com/2002/us/09/10/ar911.wtc.names.numbers/index.html tells us the total number of those who died at the World Trade Center (including those who died on the hijacked planes but excluding the hijackers) were 2,797 people; the number of people who died in the attack on the Pentagon (including those who died in the hijacked plane but excluding the hijackers) were 184 people and the 40 people who died on the hijacked Pennsylvania plane (excluding the hijackers) and 403 police and emergency service workers. This brings the total to 3,424 people. The people who died on 9/11 came from 85 nations not only the United States. For the full list of nations please go to: 'The International Toll of September 11th 2001' http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/terrormap.htm Best wishes, Brian Gregory Posted by: Brian Gregory at December 17, 2003 05:15 AMWORK RIGHTS are the CONTEMPORARY BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS///SAGA-formated OPEN LETTER DfEE Work-Life Balance and Before above responsible adiministrations this letter was been sent to the close A Saga on the Svekish Model Work Rights; "Stable-boys forever!...(Int. English
- The only cow in a small town in Goetheburg's "AMS-project-farm courses" - We had a panorama in the beginning of 90s... ** - The secret of getting rich is not to work hard, but to get a lot of other - What are you thinking on these incredible scenes? - We must know that Short story creations like Comrade Bodil's extra diary pages: - I wonder what is the reason this story-teller uses a strange grammar.. Bad ** - This broadcasting clip remind me of "the Invisible Writers". - Who rules such insane systems of the satellites? - Bilderberg crowds, ** Generaldirektör, fil dr Susanne Ackum Tel: 018-471 70 80 E-post: Personalansvarig Cecilia Andersson Tel:018-471 70 73 E-post: Fil kand Helge Bennmarker Tel: 018-471 70 88 E-post: Fil mag Anders Bergeskog (tj ledig) Tel: 018-471 70 73 E-post: Ekonomiansvarig Lena Blom Tel: 018-471 70 99 E-post: Lena.Blom@ifau.uu.se Professor Kenneth Carling Tel: 018-471 70 93 E-post: Docent Matz Dahlberg Tel: 018-471 70 84 E-post: Matz.Dahlberg@nek.uu.se IT-ansvarig Reza Dehghanian Tel: 018-471 70 77 E-post: Professor Per-Anders Edin Tel: 018-471 70 84 E-post: Ek lic Erika Ekström Tel: 018-471 70 75 E-post: Erika.Ekstrom@ifau.uu.se Biträdande chef, docent Anders Forslund Tel: 018-471 70 76 E-post: Docent Peter Fredriksson Tel: 018-471 70 74 E-post: Pol mag Daniela Fröberg Tel: 018-471 70 92 E-post: Daniela.Froberg@ifau.uu.se Fil dr Maria Hemström Tel: 018-471 70 85 E-post: Maria.Hemstrom@ifau.uu.se Fil lic Kerstin Johansson Tel: 018-471 70 94 E-post: Professor Per Johansson Tel: 018-471 70 86 E-post: Per.Johansson@ifau.uu.se Fil dr Ann-Sofie Kolm Tel: 018-471 70 81 E-post: Ann-Sofie.Kolm@nek.uu.se Fil dr Laura Larsson Tel: 018-471 70 82 E-post: Laura.Larsson@nek.uu.se Fil mag Linus Lindqvist Tel: 018-471 70 97 E-post: Linus.Lindqvist@ifau.uu.se Pol mag Martin Lundin Tel: 018-471 70 84 E-post: Martin.Lundin@ifau.uu.se Pol mag Sara Martinson Tel: 018-471 70 91 E-post: Sara.Martinson@ifau.uu.se Ställföreträdande chef, fil dr Erik Mellander Tel: 018-471 70 87 E-post: Docent Eva Mörk Tel: 018-471 70 72 E-post: Eva.Mork@ifau.uu.se Pol kand Anna Nilsson Tel: 018-471 70 84 E-post: Anna.Nilsson@ifau.uu.se Fil dr Oskar Nordström Skans Tel: 018-471 70 79 E-post: Ledningsassistent/Intendent Anette Olsson Tel: 018-471 70 78 E-post: Fil kand Kristian Persson Tel: 018-471 70 90 E-post: Fil dr Katarina Richardson Tel: 018-471 70 74 E-post: Docent Torsten Svensson Tel: 018-471 70 74 E-post: Fil dr Roope Uusitalo Tel: 018-471 70 81 E-post: Roope.Uusitalo@nek.uu.se Professor Gerard van den Berg E-post: gjvdberg@xs4all.nl Informatör Margareta Wicklander Tel: 018-471 70 98 E-post: Registrator/arkivarie Anahid Zakinian Tel: 018-471 70 83 E-post: Fil dr Olof Åslund Tel: +46 18 471 70 89 E-mail: Olof.Aslund@ifau.uu.se Fil dr Björn Öckert Tel: 018-471 70 95 E-mail: Bjorn.Ockert@ifau.uu.se ** - I know many of these organisatons, reporesentatives and adiministrators who - All above bulldogs and lapdogs got all the jobs and tax-payers betrayed wealth ** ** - One week later... They replied me., too... *** - Have you any more detailed evidence sources on above documentary clips? - Namn: Gunilla Elfving; titel of two-legged dog of system; : Utredare; Namn: Lena Emanuelsson; titel: Gruppledare; Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Barbro Emriksdotter; titel: Projektledare ; Enhet/avd.: Namn: Lars Ericson , Titel: Förhandlare Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Christina Ericsson , Titel: Projektledare Enhet/avd.: Namn: Ulla Franzén , Titel: Administratör Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Christin Granberg N , Titel: Sekreterare Enhet/avd.: Namn: Hans Granqvist , Titel: Förhandlare Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Jeanette Grenfors , Titel: Arbetsrättsjurist Enhet/avd.: Namn: Markus Gustafsson , Titel: Bitr. Direktör Enhet/avd.: Namn: Martina Gustavsson , Titel: Förhandlare Enhet/avd.: Namn: Peter Hattendorff , Titel: Förhandlare Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Rikard Hultman , Titel: Förbundsjurist , Enhet/avd.: Namn: Marianne Hörding , Titel: Gruppledare , Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Claes-Håkan Jacobson , Titel: Förhandlare Enhet/avd.: Namn: Ken Johnsson , Titel: Förhandlare , Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Mira Jonsson , Titel: Enhetssekreterare , Enhet/avd.: Namn: Christina Juter , Titel: Assistent , Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Lotta Kärger , Titel: Förhandlare , Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Leif Lindberg , Titel: Utredare , Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Lena Lindgren , Titel: Projektledare Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Siv-Marie Lindquist , Titel: Statistiker Enhet/avd.: Namn: Fredrik Lundkvist , Titel: Sekreterare , Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Örjan Lutz ; system's whore has a titel: Utredare/ Analytiker Namn: Annelie Löfqvist ; Titel: Direktör Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska Namn: Staffan Löwenborg Titel: Förhandlingschef Enhet/avd.: Namn: Christina Madfors Titel: Arbetsrättsjurist Enhet/avd.: Namn: Hedda Mann , Titel: Arbetsrättsjurist , Enhet/avd.: Arbetsgivarpolitiska JOB / ARBETE/WORK RIGHTS: English dom: aibef@vsnl.net, JOB&Arbeit-Questions&answers: English dominated-German dom: JOB&Arbeit-BETRAYERS in the E.U.: ESF-project falsification///Postadress: Medarbetare: Karl-Evert Andersson Tel: 0500-49 55 32 Ing-Marie Modigh Tel: 0500-49 55 33 Ing-Marie.Modigh@esf.se Bo Manderstedt Tel: 0500-49 55 36 Bo.Manderstedt@esf.se Ann Widing Tel: 0500-49 55 35 Ann.Widing@esf.se Kooperativt Idecentrum, KIC, Box 9037 126 09 Hägersten 08-447 4800 epost: others by ESF falsery: esf-sodermanland@esf.se ** JOB&Arbeit-BETRAYERS in the E.U.: Paraplyproject against discrimination at work Owe Ivarsson, ansvarig utgivare, tel. 08-663 75 73, mobil: 070-663 75 25 Jacob Schulze, journalist, tel. 08-440 87 97, mobil: 070-313 47 10 Jenny Svensson, journalist (praktikant från JMK), tel.08-440 87 98, mobil: Olga Vaculik, webbredaktör, tel. 08-788 11 92, mobil: 070-689 11 92 JOB&Arbeit-BETRAYERS in the E.U.&zion controlled falsification instruments, SYNDICAL orgs:
*** AAARGH: http://aaargh.vho.org/ Adelaide Institute: ADL (American Defence League) Solidarity with Yugoslavian People: ADDAMEER, Human Rights against Torture: AIC: http://www.alternativenews.org/ Al Aqsa INTIFADA: Al Awda Britannia, the Palestinian Right to Return: Alexinac; Yugoslavians massacred by the Zionist military mafia's toy NATO: Al Fatah Liberation Organization Victoria Siempre! Al Haq/Law org. affiliate I.C.J., International Commission of Jurists, Geneva: Al Qudüs University.: Alternative Info org.: AlternativeMedia: Amateur plot on 9/11 and plenty of evidences that may hang George WCmouth Bush: American occupational army executes without reason; it's enough to be killed if Amin org.: http://www.amin.org/ Amirah/Ethnic Amnesty International: http://www.amnesty.org/news/1996/51504996.htm Anti-Fascist Duisburg gegen den zionistischen Imperialismus: Anti-imperialist: Anti-Imperialist Musicians (downloading easy and free) against judaized Antiracist Network: Anti-Zionist Laponian revolution supported by Mugu Liberation Movement of Associazione Revisionismo Storico: Assyrian Freedom online&Assyrians against Jewish Fascism:: Assyrian&Syrian Working Class struggle against Zionist Imperialism: Australian Anti-Zionist News by Cassopaea: Birger studies on traditionally pedophilia&robbery&fraud connection of Zionist Bob HANSSON&BURMAN&Musicians against the judaized "Big Brother" Imperialism: Bolletino di informazione antimperialista: http://www.bollettino.it/ Books and useful information against Jewish Brain Washing process: Brain-Washing/Kinderbücher; die die Gehirnen von Kinder wäschen: Brasilian CLAJADEP against the Zionist Imperialism: Brasilian PCML, Partido MarxistLeninista revolutionaries Inverta: Britannian Council against the Jewish Fascism: Bulldogs and lapdogs: http://zog.to/3/dogs/dg-ind.htm Bureaucracy dominated always the "doubble-faced Jewish virus": American Free Press: http://www.americanfreepress.net/ BusssSH'T flash: http://www.ericblumrich.com/ Daily Catholic: Fair: http://www.fair.org/international/iraq.html Global search: http://globalresearch.ca/ Henry Jewish snake caricaturized: London against Jewish snake: God's prayer or the profiters beyond believers: Polonian intellectuals showed the true face of Zionist Imperialists: Protocols of Zion; wonderful caricaturized cover of Arab version published in Russian-Gudok Cartoon describes Jewish hypocrisy type: TROTSKY and all the such dolly Anarchist instruments always served to the Ukrainian intellectuals expose "The protocols" of judaized Imperialism: Pluvim Magazine-Leningrad exposes the true Terrorist type: Russian Cartoon Magazine Agitator shows the biggest agitator who rids US horse: Magazine Russkije Wedomostii shows the collaborated cloakrats who undermines the Russkoje Woskresenje Zhirinovskogo Magazine exposes the "Human faced cloakrats": Moldavia-Sovietkaia caricaturizes the Jewish network: Minsk-Russian intellectuals wrote the truth against the Jewish Racist industry: Moscovskii Tractir Magazine teach us to cleanse the Jewish cloakrats: Russkaja Pravda cartoonists showing the "living evidence" so-called "Protocols Reincarnation of system realized in Russia by the Jewish Capitalist power: Soviet-Krokodil magazine describes the snake of Zion: Soviet Proletaria hunted the "human-masked cloakrats": Executers of Zion built on the Lie industry around the manipulative National Za Russkoje Djelo Magazine shows Russian role against Jewish snoke: Bush-it-BLiar couple liberated (!) masses by massacre: BUSH-it Jr. Watch; super bloody idiotic marionette of all the ages of Campaign against Arm Trade: Cartoons for think twice: http://abbc.com/islam/roligt/roligt.htm Censor driven by the Zionist Imperialist Power: Communist Party of Australia, CPA: Communist Party of Sweden, SKP: Communist Workers' Party Finlandia, KTP: Comrade Sundiata ACOLI: Comrade Tom MANNING: Comrade TCHOLAKOV, Stefan Dimiter: Cuba, si!: Culture plunderers leagues as a project of invasion coalition of the Zionist David IRVING tells: Defence the Child Rights: http://www.dci-pal.org/ Democracy tv&radio; watch entire, now: Dubliners against Zionist Imperialism: Einheit gegen Kinderschender/Paedophilen: Electronic Intifada org.: Electronic Iraq org.: http://electroniciraq.net/news/ EMHRN, Euro-Mediterranean Network: Euscal Herria Batasuna, Baskian Guerilla Organisation: EU institutons are under fraud&foundation masked assassination: European Jews aim such Family Model, what Sweden already succeed: Evangelian&Jewish brothels selling children&most liberalized markets exposed in E.Z.L.N., Mexican Guerilla Zapatista Liberation Army: http://www.ezln.org/ FAIR - Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting F.A.R.C.-E.P.; Colombian Guerilla Organisation: http://www.farc-ep.org/ Fence building around the families as USraeli security model: Foolish Figures of Muppet Show of Human Butcher Sharony Boss: Francia movimento d'Internationale fight Jewish Fascism: Freedom and Justice: Free Speech; Love to Informative World:: Free Speech Rights and its enemy number one; ADL gang: Genocide on Iraq: Genosse HÖJEBERG singt so schön noch immer: Germanian Kommunisten kämpfen gegen die zionistischen Faschisten: Germanians advice the selfdefence against the Zionist Imperialism: GreenLeft: http://www.greenleft.org.au/ Greenpeace knows that there is NATUR in the OCCUPIED TERRITORIES, too: Halmstad city Initiative supports Palestine&Laponia against Zionist Imperialism: Hank ROTH's news center: Hiroshima&Nagasaki; Fascist face of Zionist American massdestruction: Holand Initiative against Jewish Fascism: Holocaust on Arabs&relatives: Human appeal of Holand scientists: Human Rights in the occupied Middle East: Human Rights Center of Filistinia: Human Rights&The True Human-Rights-Activists were been pursued and prevented by Ukrainian folk talks on the Plunderer Flocks of Jewish&Evangelian virus who Scientical Analysis on the Jew controlled Paradigm of "Human-faced-parasites": Ethiopian Jew flock washing itself by urine of animal: IAP: http://www.iap.org/links.htm ILPS, Int. League of People's Struggle: Incest cases unvailed by the College Students: Independent Institute against the Jewish Fabrication Industry: Indian Liberation: Industrial Lie Mechanism&Traditional Fabrication and Holocaust Bluff of Jude Indymedia - Belgium Incest victims&witness Solidarity testimonies on Criminal Abit DUNDAR league: Indymedia guests talking on commercialized abuse cases of Zionist Satellite Intifada Online: Intifada Online forum: International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) International Action Center International Communists: http://www.vcp.nu/vcpnieuws/links.htm IRSM, Ir(a)landia's Socialist Workers: http://irsm.org/irsm.html Italia forza struggle against the Jewish Fascism: Jeff RENSE's ZionismData archive: Jesus Christus killed by the Fascist Jews: Jihad until Victory: http://www.jihadunspun.com/home.php Jim KOPP and other true Christians demasked the Zionist Barbarity: John PILGER comments: http://www.johnpilger.com/ Kampf gegen zionistisches Königreich: Kinder, die keine Rechte haben: Korean news-Democratic People's Republic of Korea: KurdInfo, Antisemite revolutionary community in Scandinava: Kurdistan Recognizes the Armenian Genocide: Labor versus Capital in the heart of Jew World Order Laponian Anti-Zionist Marxists in solidarity like Comrade Lars TÖRNMAN: Laponian Anti-Zionist movements&Partisans&symphatizers of party: Laponian people struggle against the EU-masked judaized Swedish Imperialism: Legitimate George WCmouth BuSHIT: Leonard PELTIER Defence Committee: http://www.freepeltier.org/ Law society: Leninist Current&Japonia: http://www.ngy1.1st.ne.jp/~ieg/index-e.html Linköping city Initiative supports Palestine&Laponia against Zionist Liberated people by the massacres of Zionist Occupational Imperialism Libertad: Lysekyl Initiative supports Palestine&Laponia against Zionist Imperialism: London Initiative struggle against Jewish Dominance: Lubnania exposes the Jewish Barbarity: Luxemburg Gauche Party: Madrid Solidarity against Jewish Fascism: Mafia BERLUSCONI-MUSSOLINI Bastard serves for second Godfafther Butcher SHARON: Malta-Vanetta's grafitti activists struggle against the Jewish dominance&Zionist Manipulation around terrorism is the contemporary face of Big Brother: Massacre Responsible Nucleo-armed Mafia Z.O.Gang: Massacres of the Zionist Occupational Gang, (Z.O.G.): Massacres&The regisseurs of these massacres are not so different each other: Montreal-Canada Federation Info against Imperialism: http://www.fiiq.qc.ca/ Media Watch org.: http://www.pmwatch.org/ MERIP org.: http://www.MERIP..org/ Middle East Facts: http://www.mideastfacts.com/ MultiCruelity of Jewish Barbarity: http://www.alkhilafah.info/massacres/ Music Activists (Sniper Records&Tor's Vrede) against the Zionist dominance on My Lai Massacre 1968 Illuminati of Jew-dominated Imperialist systems: Mind-control caps produced first in Sweden; used by evangelian-jewish dominated Mind-control caps produced first in Sweden; but implanted mostly by South Mind control detected first time in 1974 (actually tested potantially in 11/9): Many Monarchies served to the Masonry+Jewry plundring system: NATO; a military toy of the zionized Imperialism: Neglected Stories of the dismissed writers&discriminated artists: Net Activist: http://www.dkp-ml.dk/netactivist/index2.htm News from reality: http://www.hereinreality.com/carlyle.html NileMedia: NoMoreBuSHIT: Norrbotten&Laponian Party struggle against the EU-masked judaized Swedish Norrköping city Initiative supports Palestine&Laponia against Zionist Norway Solidarity Committees: Occupation Cartoons: http://www.baha-cartoon.net/occu/occup.htm Oli-fever costs your future: Opinions&Expressions banned by Zions? Send it us, we Free Speech Group expose it Organized crime-a bloody exposition: Östersund city Initiative supports Palestine&Laponia against Zionist Paedophile-league exposed by the victims&oppressed relatives: Pedophilia victims&witness Solidarity testimonies on Criminal Abit DUNDAR league Palestine campaign: Palestine Center: http://www.PalestineCenter.org/ Palestine chronicle: http://www.palestinechronicle.com/ Palestinian Solidarity org. in Finlandia: Pancyprian for Human Rights-Int. Current News&Info Center: Passia Bulletin: http://www.passia.org/index_bulletin.html Passion to own marks: PetitionOnline Philippines Militants struggle against the Zionist Imperialism: Planet, Palestinian Academicians org.: http://www.planet.edu/he.shtml Plata Girón's Che composition: PNA, Palestinian Government: http://www.pna.net/ Palestinian Restitution and Reparation (CPRR). Council&Petition for refugee Palestine Times monthly: Peace Movement Aotearo PetitionOnline against War Crimes: Petroleum giants suck the blood of Nigerian people: Police Brutality: http://www.october22.org/ Polonia; Niet Okupacja!.. Polonia&Palestyna: Prag Activists against Zionist Imperialism: http://www.mujweb.cz/www/irak/ PTB - International: http://www.ptb.be/international/indexen.html Puerto Rican independentista movement: http://www.redbetances.com/ Puerto Rican political prisoners: http://www.wco.com/~boricua/POWS/ Push Bush-push BLiar-push Bush-push BLiar! Racist Nature of Zionism: Qana Massacre: http://members.terra.net.lb/buddy/qana/massacre.html Radio FS-Internetional; listen to the Free Speech Internet Radio: Recorded testimonies on the halfofficially abuse cases: Red Stars struggle against Incest Crime: Reindeer eliminates by judaized Swedish Imperialism: Remains Ethnical Cleansing: http://www.allthatremains.com/index.html Revolutionary Solidarity against Zionist Racism: RSP, Irish Republican Socialist Movement: Russian Granata against the Zionist Imperialism: Santa Talmudian Pedophile Bastards exposed by Germanian Comrades: Scandinavian CivilCourage Network Initiative supports Palestine&Laponia against Scandinavian Forum: http://www.palestinagrupperna.a.se/forum.htm Scotland&Deir Yassin solidarity: Scotland-Glasgow Activists still fu'king judaized Bastard Tory BLiar: See on the Sea&around the Sea how they suck people's red blood what USrael aims: Selected Sites of Vietnam Veterans: Set free the Five Cubanos: Set free Hussam KADER and all Palestinian prisoners: Set free Marwan BARGHOUTI: Set free Nuclear Weapon Whistler Comrade Mordechai VANUNU: Set free Mumia ABU-JAMAL: Set free "Black Panther" Revolutionary HUEY: Set free Osmo VALLO's brothers and all other innocent Gypsies in Sweden=stop Set free the Freedom Fighter Ulla Roder! Set Free Slobodan MILOSEVIC: SHARON, Human Masked Satan continues to massacre Human Being: Socialist Worker: Socialist Workers League: http://www.po.org.ar/english/824art1.htm Solidarity movement: http://www.palsolidarity.org/ Spania-Barcelona Activists against the judaized Imperialism: Spania Antorcha Marxist Leninista against the Zionist Imperialism: Speak Truth, so you can be stronger against Barbarity: Steve SEYMOUR talks on the ABUSE cases&Jewish Pedo Abit Dundar&NEFEL Clan Stop-Fascism: http://www.stop-fascism.org/zionist_fascism.htm Stop the "Registration process of opinion"=democratical masked cleansing on the Sudan&African immigrants cry for ABUSED CHILDREN in the capitalist system: Suryoyo (Assyrians&Chaldeans etc.) demasked the Neo-Zionist Criminal Kurds: Sydney Initiative against Zionist Imperialism: Tahrir daily news: Terror Alerts were the simple traditionally lies of the judaized Imperialism: Testimonies of the survivors of Zionist Ritual Abuse; evidences on a Tommy BLIGHT singing against Britannian Zion Imperilaist Tory BLIAR: Toronto-Canada Activists against Jewish Fascism: http://www.tcaswi.org/ Tv-Internetional; Anti-Imperialist news on the Free Speech tv Rami: Tv RAMI: Ukrainian People against the Jewish Disinformation: U.N.-Embassies of Palestine: http://www.palestine-un.org/ U.N./Palestine Observators: U.N./Relief to Palestine: http://www.un.org/unrwa/ Vancouver-Canada&Rafah-Palestine solidarity: Vietnam deserter Robert MALECKI from Laponia Robertsfors town appeals: WAGNER, Richard; free music online: War crimes: http://www.deoxy.org/wc/wc-index.htm Wilhelm TELL against the Zionist Imperialism: Women's centre: http://www.wclac.org/stories/jenin/Buried%20Alive.html World Organization against Torture: Zionist Barbarity: Site&Brand New Infos about the Massacres and Collaboration acts& Z.O.Gang's 11 September 2001 caused by armed Mafia USrael: That's all Folks!.. This is an alphabetical/selected portals list for all Good ...and remember what Comrade Ernesto CHE GUEVARA says: Information Clearing House: Italiana-Al Jaziree: Il "mazzo di carte" del regime di Bush: Israel Shamir criticizes military Mafia USrael: Israel is losing, because the Lie-Imperium of the Jews has no future: Lega contro gli espianti di organi vitali a cuor battente: Liberty instead of Jewish Neo-Liberal Fascism: Le jeu de cartes du régime Bush: Mass Destruction of Iraq: Neglected Stories of the dismissed writers&discriminated artists: NO WAR for military Mafia USrael!..: Opium Lords: Propaganda Matrix: Public action exposes WACO-Massacre: http://www.public-action.com Piss off the militarized Fascist Mafia USrael! Real Terrorism-Massacre portal: Perpetual War Portfolio: Racist Jewish High Priests of Globalisation: Reclaim the media: Romanian Communist Party: Sinn Fein: Stop us military aid to israel: Terror Alerts were the simply traditionally lies of the judaized Imperialism: Third World research: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/index.html Tv GlobalFire: Tv RAMI: Tradizione e Comunità: TransnaZionale: Ukrainian Archive exposes the judaized Imperialist Barbarity: U.S Financial Aid To Israel: USrael=Fascist State Terrorism: Una Storia Segreta : USS Liberty: Workers' Independent News Service&Labor Radio: World Socialist Organization exposes US is simply pet of Zionism: World Messenger: Yassir ARAFAT Comandante Comrade's peace talks to United Nations: Don't forget this foto, imperialist barbarity///CHILDREN SHALL OVERCOME!.. If the tv documentary guests&editorial authorities want to contact with more and Solidarity regards fr Gunnarn town in the northern EU's occupied Palestine; http://www.radioseven.se/default.asp?page=forum http://www.radioseven.se/ http://www.utvarpsaga.is/ http://www.radioseven.se/default.asp?page=forum ...location; reel truth; colonized Laponia; some kind occupied Palestine of EU Posted by: Gunilla GUNNARN at February 8, 2004 06:16 AMWORK RIGHTS are the CONTEMPORARY BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS///SAGA-formated OPEN LETTER DfEE Work-Life Balance and Before above responsible adiministrations this letter was been sent to the close A Saga on the Svekish Model Work Rights; "Stable-boys forever!...(Int. English
- The only cow in a small town in Goetheburg's "AMS-project-farm courses" - We had a panorama in the beginning of 90s... | |||