OT - the US is a lousy world citizen

They can keep records and pay on that basis.

 

You are thinking of Kenny Boy Lay no doubt ....

 

This NG is usually dead on weekends.

 

There are lots of people in the US who may agree with some, most, or all
your statements in principle... But by lumping everyone in the US into one
big group in your discussion, throwing everyone into one big pot and
labeling them, you're really inviting or encouraging everyone to disagree
with you! But it obviously doesn't bother you... So no worries.

It's fun to watch everyone get defensive or offensive! It says something
about the person I think. I worry about people who only see things in
crisp, high contrast black and white...

-Kevin

 

Found those "WMDs" yet?

 

So where are you, Neil? Some Third World despotic cesspool? A
tattered remnant of the once-great British Empire? One of the European
socialist workers' paradises?

You also haven't been very forthcoming in telling what you have one to
make the world a better place (complaining doesn't count).

And, yes, Neil, if you live in a country you owe that government fealty
(by definition).

 

Neil posts from New Zealand, a place that celebrates Christmas at the
beginning of summer. Plus the blood probably pools in their heads from
hanging upside down all the time, so cut the poor bloke a little slack.

At least he clearly marked the post as OT. We could have skipped it, but I
guess quite a few of us feel too much sense of community to ignore our
brethren, even if we think they are spouting nonsense at the moment.

Try to lighten up my friends. I would hate to lose some of you.

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems
"take the garbage out, dear"

 

I usually don't bother too much with this tripe. This weekend I am
putting in long hours getting changes done to parts with long
regeneration times. Lots of time to surf and type between regens.
Mind is already bent from visualizing surfaces into the wee hours on a
thin thread of caffeinated consciousness, might as well talk about
enviro-politics.

 

What're we going to 'do' about it? We're going to vote in a greater
conservative majority in '06, help Israel bomb the crap out of Iran,
pave Canada and annex New Zealand for use as our national toilet.

Why in the world would we want to hamper our economy and get in bed
with a bunch of back biting nations and sign on to the Kyoyto treaty?
It's not like any of the member nations can actually be trusted. Bush
was right to reject it...

 

Neil, ulcers over that which is outside our control is
self-destructive.

I just contribute what I can to making more with less in every product
I make in as many ways as I can.

Overall, U.S. productivity is going up and that is what allows us as
persons and a populace to be as generous as we are, in addition to
leading the world to more efficient energy sources, production
processes and the cleanup machines and processes which make us a better
world citizen.

He who looks down, sees far more darkness than light.

Bo

 

he probably believes that BBC broadcasts reflect reality.

bill

 

Don't count the bombs & nukes.

 

More welfare for big oil to spur demand & raise prices?

 

The light at the end of the tunnel is the oncoming train.

 

Found those "WMDs" yet?

I worry about EVERYONE who sees the world as completely black and white...
that includes heads-of-state.

 

neil, you're an idiot. you're from australia, right? why don't you go back
to lovin' your sheep you bastard child of convicts.

 

Neil, I'm not sure why, but I feel like you. Maybe it's because I live
in the same hemisphere, or because I live in an English speaking
country, that is slowly being assimilated by an American speaking
consumer driven and selfish society that has no long term vission or
regard for the worlds future.

In anticipation of being criticised for this comment, I don't think
that any one individual or group or country is to blame for the growth
of this global "Americanistic" society, but this is the name it takes.
But there are definetly some things that we should all try and do to
turn the world around. The first is to always question the status-quo.
This is something that Australians and New-Zealanders are extremely
good at, because of our cultural background as convict nations.

People watch too much television, and believe what they're told. That
is how the Australian, British and American governments, (among others)
get away with decieving the people that voted them in, and recieving
support for policies which kill poor people, and make wealthy people
more powerful.

Prior to Sept 11 '01 there was no Al Q. This was an invention by the
government. It seems to have grown since then, but initially it was a
myth used to galvanise public support for governments around the world.

No single nation has a preconcieved "uniquely blessed" destiny. If
there is a God, he doesn't care what flag you were born under. Every
nation has a responsibility to "Love thy neighbor". How many countries
can be said to meet this expectation? Take the tsunami in Asia. It
got lots of attention because westerners were killed there. Earthquake
in India? Who cares, cousin David wasn't stranded on vacation there,
or the local football team didn't have its star forward killed in the
disaster. So we pay it no attention.

Governments should focus on policies that support the wellbeing and
security of families -whatever thier makeup. Because a family is the
basic unit that any society is made up of. A society is not made of
individuals. Look after families, and people will not be focussed on
selfish consumerism which is destroying our planet.

PS. if you don't like my comments, can you still reply to my other
posts, because I need the groups help on lots of stuff? ;-)

 

The US gives more in foreign aid than all other countries combined. It also
forgives more foreign debt than all others combined. US citizens are the
most generous of all world citizens when it comes to personal charitable
donations. For our generosity we get criticized by do-nothing people like
you and neil. You would rather turn a blind eye to all the turmoil around
you rather than help someone else in need.

Maybe we should refer to the consumer driven selfish society you talk about
as the "Euro-Australian-New Zealand global society." Any old joe in a
mid-western US town would give the shirt off his back to help someone else
in need, including total strangers. Charity like that doesn't exist in
Europe, and probably not in your neck of the woods either.

As for there being no "Al Q" before 9/11, maybe it didn't exist in your
limited scope of knowledge, but it is a known fact that it did exist. Do a
little research.

 

Looks like we found another winger ....

 

If you don't count bombs & invasions .... and look at % of
GDP or even per capita you are probably very wrong.
We will not count air drops of bibles on Iraq either.