Maybe I'm just a cruel bastard

[Swift Terror 0]

We had a nut here in Southern Ohio running for Congress who claimed the airliners were flown into the buildings by remote control by Jews in our own government, no lie. He even ran radio ads saying as much. No surprise--he lost.

 

I think what he meant by that statement was that the terrorists resent our association with Israel, they hate both nations, etc. I don't think it was anything more than that.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Well I'M OFFENDED by his witless conspiracy theories.

 

If only America would have taken a page out of my Xenophobic book and turn its back toward Israel, we might have been spared 9/11...

It seems to be a common theme:

 

<Isolationist Conservative> Let's protect America first! Pull out of other countries! Let them pay for their own problems!

<Other Conservatives> YEAH!

<Liberal> Ok. Let's start with Israel.

<All Conservatives> Uhm.... Never mind.

[Firestarter 0]

It seems to be a common theme:

 

<Isolationist Conservative> Let's protect America first! Pull out of other countries! Let them pay for their own problems!

<Other Conservatives> YEAH!

<Liberal> Ok. Let's start with Israel.

<All Conservatives> Uhm.... Never mind.

BS. No intelligent policymaker, Democrat or Republican, is an isolationist. It is not a realistic stance to take in the 21st century. Our economy, our interests, and our defense are global and they will remain global; there is no going back. Vanishingly few conservatives I know (and certainly none in the administration) advocate "pulling out of other countries" wholesale; in fact, I can't name a single one off the top of my head. A lot of conservatives do insist that we keep the administration and use of our money under our control, or at least give it only to efficient, transparent, and accountable organisations and states - and rightly so. Conservatives object to keeping the worthless UN and its terrorist-funding trappings (such as UNRWA) around, to giving "foreign aid" that gets sucked into the Swiss bank accounts (or WMD arsenals) of petty dictators, and to implementing stupid economic policies based on emotional shrieks from the Pope and Bono. We have serious objections to giving away our taxpayers' money to subsidise people and projects which are at best irrelevant or useless and at worst directly inimical to our interests. That doesn't make us "isolationists" and it doesn't make us sympathise in any way with those who advocate such nonsense.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Of course, these days a reduction in the increase of a budget is considered a "cut" and anything even mentioning your political opponent is a VICIOUS PARTISAN ATTACK.

 

Only makes sense that "Isolationist" would get an alteration in its definition.

 

Oh, Chris, err, Mr. Terror, that guy didn't happen to be that wacko we worked with who was with the Green Party...

[Anorak 0]

We had a nut here in Southern Ohio running for Congress who claimed the airliners were flown into the buildings by remote control by Jews in our own government, no lie. He even ran radio ads saying as much. No surprise--he lost.

That's pretty funny

[Anorak 0]

Well I'M OFFENDED by his witless conspiracy theories.

 

If only America would have taken a page out of my Xenophobic book and turn its back toward Israel, we might have been spared 9/11...

That wasn't funny

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Well my feelings are hurt.

 

Anyone out there want to give me a hug? (Or for the ladies, a lay -- it doesn't really matter...)

[Anorak 0]

It hurt my feelings you're obviously still uptight about that witless xenophobia thing and felt the need to make reference to it when you saw me post. Let it go mate.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Hurt feelings?

 

My bro, I found that "witless" statement funny as hell. That's why I pimp it...

[Anorak 0]

Not because you knew I was right then? The funniest thing about that whole thing was when Marney (I think) tried to claim your post was posing as an 'ironic satire' on xenophobia. She had to look up the definition of irony to 'prove' she understood it. Brilliant. She's funnier than you.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Uhhh, yeah.

 

And she showed that you were wrong.

 

Brilliant...

[Anorak 0]

Of course I was wrong, I had a different opinion to her. Only you really know if I was 'wrong' or not don't you? Common sense innit? You being one unfunny cunt isn't up for debate though, I just hope you aren't a RACIST as well.

 

*I am not being ironic*. Maybe.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

As much as I would like to respond to your last post, I'm afraid I can't due to what is considered bannable around here.

 

And like just about all the other stuff I have read from you at this place, you are wrong.

 

Like I said before, I hate everybody. I just despise a few people more than others.

 

Congrats, you're in exclusive company...

[Swift Terror 0]

Oh, Chris, err, Mr. Terror, that guy didn't happen to be that wacko we worked with who was with the Green Party...

 

yeah, maybe he was related, they would seem to have plenty in common, what a piece of work that guy was.

[Guest MikeSC]

I'm nuts because I don't give a damn about feeding another country and want all of the tax money to go to American services whilst bringing troops home from countries we don't need them in? Like I said, maybe I'm a cruel bastard but I don't give a fuck if people in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc are eating...fuck'em. Not my problem.

No. You're nuts because you don't recognize that it IS your problem, and mine too, because if they don't eat, and they see us living the high life, we're gonna make a real damn convenient scapegoat for their problems when the Dictator De Jour fills the power vaccuum.

 

Right or wrong, it'll be seen as "our fault" they're starving, in their eyes, and it'll be relatively easy for the Bin Ladens and Mullahs of tommorow to get them to give their lives to take some of ours.

 

It's in our best interests to feed these people. They can either be our Rottweiler, or the Rottweiler that belongs to the redneck idiot down the street that breeds it for attack.

 

Think of it as an INVESTMENT in our own future well-being.

 

We don't pay shit in terms of foreign aid. We're too busy bailing out inefficient corporations who don't know how to manage their money but their CEOs are old college buddies with a key senator. if we kick those deadbeat freeloaders off welfare, we'll have plenty enough money for OUR schools, roads, etc, and to feed other people. And we wouldn't have to even cut our big Linus Security Blanket of a Defense Budget, either (and imagine all the improvments we could finance if we scaled that back just a tad)

You know where the money is REALLY going?

 

See those old people visiting the doctor?

 

It goes there. In droves. In numbers that boggle the freakin' mind.

 

And it'll get WORSE with the prescription drug "benefit".

-=Mike

[Michrome 0]

Foreign aid for welfare purposes generally doesn't work, even after world war II Japan recovered faster with less economic aid than Europe. It's far better to give aid to build a structural government that can facilitate growth than to just give out money.

 

I always laugh when people say that foreign aid money could be going into medicare or social security. As if we can solve the structural problems within these systems by just pumping more money into them and delaying the inevitable collapse.

 

Most foreign aid has a purpose however, and as long as we disguise foreign aid with a purpose as foreign aid for welfare reasons, it will be impossible to stop it.

[tommytomlin 0]

Poverty = Increases terrorism

 

Foreign Aid = Decreases Poverty

 

 

 

The end.

[Justice 0]

Poverty = Increases terrorism

 

Foreign Aid = Decreases Poverty

 

 

 

The end.

I think that's a wee bit over-simplistic...

[tommytomlin 0]

Yeah, but so was the idiot who wants to cancel foreign aid.

[Guest Cerebus]

Yeah Saudi Arabia is known for its rampant poverty.

[BX 0]

Zing! Pow!

[Guest FrigidSoul]

Yeah, but so was the idiot who wants to cancel foreign aid.

You pay it then. I don't think we should all be forced into it. It should be like giving to charity where its a write off on taxes

[tommytomlin 0]

Yeah Saudi Arabia is known for its rampant poverty.

Afghanistan is. Pakistan is. Zimbabwe is. Indonesia is. The Philippines is.

 

 

I didn't say poverty = terrorism. I said poverty = increases terrorism. Giving foreign aid, although sometimes grossly inefficient, helps to decrease poverty. It also reduces the power of dictators, provided the aid doesn't fall into their hands first. It's not a miracle cure, but stopping foreign aid completely would be the single dumbest decision America has ever made.

[Guest MikeSC]

Yeah Saudi Arabia is known for its rampant poverty.

Afghanistan is. Pakistan is. Zimbabwe is. Indonesia is. The Philippines is.

 

 

I didn't say poverty = terrorism. I said poverty = increases terrorism. Giving foreign aid, although sometimes grossly inefficient, helps to decrease poverty. It also reduces the power of dictators, provided the aid doesn't fall into their hands first. It's not a miracle cure, but stopping foreign aid completely would be the single dumbest decision America has ever made.

Unfortunately, foreign aid usually has to pass thrpugh a gov't first, so that is a definite problem.

-=Mike

[Guest Ray]

Foreign countries should learn to be self reliant. Build themselves up, instead of sucking on the US tit.

[Guest Brian]

Except for Israel. Israel is the only government in the world that you can donate to tax-free.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Foreign countries should learn to be self reliant. Build themselves up, instead of sucking on the US tit.

That involves getting rid of these dictatorial governments by force, like in Iraq, and then people bitch about that.

[Vern Gagne 0]

One problem is the terrorist in Al Qaeda often come from well to do families. Those responsible for attacks on Isreal, are a different story.

[AndrewTS 0]

So now the Man on the Street's gut reaction constitutes a valid basis for national policy? I don't even want to get into the problems that would cause. Average Joe's opinion doesn't matter because he's uninformed and rarely has any interest other than his own in mind. If we acted in the interest of that man on the street, we'd be in a lot more trouble than we are now.

 

Last I checked Democracy was all about listening to those average Joes and what they want.

Last I checked the U.S. was a republic, which means that we elect officials to act in the best interests of the country and the citizens. There are no countries that are "democracies" in the strictest sense. You and I have zero direct political power.

 

It's like if you might have a kid that WANTS to eat candy all day instead of from the various food groups, but you would likely act in his best interests and prevent that.

 

As it's been said before, Joe Six-Pack is an idiot who knows nothing about foreign policy or what is best for our country.

[Firestarter 0]

One problem is the terrorist in Al Qaeda often come from well to do families. Those responsible for attacks on Isreal, are a different story.

No they're not. The terrorists responsible for the attacks on Israel are in no way economically deprived. The human tools they use to carry out the attacks are, and they're only deprived because their "leaders" keep them that way.