miked10270

"Backwards"??? We all had OUR 10th of March ages ago! Mike. Edited to add: "Backwards"?... right now it's 12:05PM here. What time is it there, and how far are we Brits actually "Forwards" of Y'All? Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Now we just have to wait & see if it's "Life of Brian" funny or "Borat / Michael Moore" rubbish. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

And not before time!

I think I may have a simpler idea. Since ALL this money that's "lost" is actually only theoretical stuff that exists in computers.... Couldn't somebody just sort of "Put-It-Back"? You know, type in a number starting with $ and ending in lots of ,000s... And then say something like: "Well, that's what OUR records show! If you don't like, then take it up with the muzzle of our M1A2 Abrams!" In effect, it's the proven Enron Tactic, improved with the addition of military hardware.

I voted "YES". I believe it should be awarded for the severity of the injury rather than the type. (Anyone else remember the MASH episode when Frank Burns cut himself shaving in a combat zone...)? While mental illness/wound/damage isn't visible in the way a physical illness/wound/damage is, We're now thankfully aware of it's existence. Times have changed since the days of court-martial or execution for "Lack of Moral Fibre". Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

And in 2004 Dubbie stood with a banner that said "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!" But... Getting back to the whole Global-Warming thing... I feel very cheated with this latest news. When I first became aware of Global-Warming in the early 1980's I think, I was promised that by 2010 Scotland would be a major wine producer with a sub-tropical climate while France would be a barren desert (with no oil reserves)!!... AND... All I had to do was buy gas-guzzling cars, leave lights on, & get food flown from the other side of the world.

OK... Here comes the conspiracy-theory; We transplanted Gordon Brown-Trousers' brain into Sarkozy's body! This explains a lot about the behaviour of both leaders recently. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Brief guest appearance only guys... There is a major difference between Germany/Japan in 1945 & Iraq 2003. The invasion & occupation of Germany along with the attack & occupation of Japan were conducted with a defined intention -- the removal of those countries ability to fight, the subjurgation of their people and the removal of their entire governmental institutions. In effect the Allies set out to DEFEAT both Germany & Japan. Thus, any resistance would justify an overwhelming response. For example in Germany a sniper fired on advancing US troops whereupon they withdrew and shelled the village, including the church. It isn't known if the sniper was killed in the shelling, but the surviving population showed no more resistance! In contrast, the Coalition did NOT enter Iraq as an "invading army", but as a "liberating army". They trie3d to fight against a small part of Iraq while expecting the remainder to stand aside & take neithjer interest nor part in this liberation & occupation. This optimism is what has caused the present stalemate. I believe that there is now only one way to --WIN-- in Iraq; Withdraw all troops & equipment from Iraq back to neighbouring countries while reserving the right to return should the situation warrant it through either the behaviour of the resulting government or some breakdown of the country into civil war. At this time, the Coalition could enter as an INVADING army prepard to fight to ensure it's complete dominance in the country. Only after such dominance and control is achieved can the introduction of democratic secular govermnents be started. In short, if you want to repeat the successes of Germany & Japan, then you must repeat the whole attitude of the time and accept the resulting events. At present, the occupation of Iraq is repeating the US-Vietnam model. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

No Mate, that's part of the pi$$-take version. We were taught that Britain was spending quite a lot of money on our national pastime (kicking the $hit out of the French) and needed to milk a few Cash-Cows to finance this. Hence the "Stamp-Duty" levied on trade goods (Sugar & Tea). A sort of early sales tax but levied on the importers, which made the import & export of almost any goods to the colonies prohibitively expensive. There was also a belief among the "Finking-Klasses" that the Monarchy, Court & Government should have it's power curtailed. Both these things came together to forment the American Rebellion, their independence, and model of Government. Then again, there was also a fair bit of local history for me & my schoolmates in this, coming from the same area as the Washington family. We might have done it in more detail and slightly differently from the rest of Britain. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

SHHhhh... That's what we told the Yanks (Jonathans) when we ditched independence on them. It was either that or Britain taking the blame for Big-Macs, Starbucks-Coffee, Colonel Saunders, Colonel North, Gangsta-Rap, The Ford Edsel, Michael Jackson etc... Can you imagine the embarrassment to The Queen of having Dubbie as "Her Majesty's Governor.."!!! Hence King George III's brilliant strategic plan. He even acted mad so the colonials wouldn't catch on. Mike. Edited to add: Seriously; It's taught as "A war of independence" - self determination, with reference made to the ludicrousness of "An Island Ruling a Continent", and the whole "No Taxation without Representation" thing. Probably pretty much as Y'All teach it, but with the Brits of the time being foolish & unfair rather than being bad.... Before sliding nicely back into our national pastime of kicking the $hit out of the French.

You alos forgot about the GARLIC BREATH! The Fat Cheeses, the GARLIC BREATH, The Thin Prostitutes, The GARLIC BREATH, the Sweet Pastries, The GARLIC BREATH, and The Sour Wines (only one of which may be considered good!). Also, they eat horses! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Would that be the Neville Chamberlain who didn't want a repeat of WWI where Britain lost as much as 20,000 soldiers in a single hour!? The Neville Chamberlain who presided over Britain's re-armament and preparation for the coming war against Germany through 1936-39? The Neville Chamberlain who faced down Hitler at Munich, knowing that Britain was not ready nor able to go to war at that time? The Neville Chamberlain who drew the line, and when Hitler crossed it, committed his country to a war he knew would destroy it because it was the "right" thing to do? The Neville Chamberlain who resigned in favour of a national coalition led by a more suitable leader for war? The principled, dutiful Neville Chamberlain who did the right thing at every turn, but was faced with situation which could never have been won? Or were you thinking of the "cowardly Mr. Chamberlain" who only appears in history books with pictures? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

No. Pakistan has them. There's also the suggestion that the Saudis have them (bought from Pakistan). I do believe that Iran is actively pursuing nuclear weapons. I just swim against the tide by believing that Iran managing to build such weapons doesn't constitute a threat of destabilisation. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

A more thoughtful and insightful article that TSP's usual rants. Good analysis. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

What makes religious fanatics so special!!? Any fanaticism is equally dangerous. Nazi fanatics, Stalin's NKVD, Mao's Revolutionary Guards, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, Serbians involved in ethnic cleansing, Hutus & Tutsis in Rwanda... None of them were religious, some quite the opposite. What they all shared was the belief that the dangers they faced were such that it was permissible to view opponents as sub-humans, Vermin only worthy of extermination. It wasn't murder, it was making the world a cleaner, safer place. And here you are proposing that America & Britain make the world a safer, cleaner place. The Persians don't like us... They say nasty things... They look at us funny... They may hurt us one day... Eradicate them! Annihilate them! That way they'll never hurt us. We'll have destroyed ourselves. America, the country founded on Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness committing the greatest act of mass-murder the human race has ever seen. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

A very noisy minority want a "Holy-War". The vast majority just want to get on with their lives in uninterrrupted comfort. (do you remember that bizarre piece of journalism sent in by an American woman reporter in Tehran after she'd been in one of those Flag-Burning "Death-To-America" demonstrations?). That is horrifying. Something of a "Final-Solution"! Use our nuclear monopoly while we have one to exterminate them? In suggesting a "Total-War"... You have shown how we would lose the very thing we were trying to defend. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

... not a single chance in hell of Iran NOT using them.... to believe otherwise is naiviete of the highest order. To believe that Iran WILL use nuclear weapons when they acquire them is to completely ignore history and the actual actions of those people who HAVE gained control of such weapons. Is Ahmeninejad somehow more evil that Stalin? Beria? Malenkov? Mao? Botha & De-Klerk? Or were some of the most extremist political leaders & "Greatest Mass Murderers in History" really Liberal Humanitarian Softy's at heart? Isn't a belief that Ahmeninejad will react differently to the same issues faced by the above-mentioned, really Bigotry of the highest order? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

OR... Perhaps we should show them a standard of behaviour rather than sinking to theirs? Which has little to do with the thrust of this thread. Yes, The Holocaust MUST be taught (lest we forget), but not in history, as part of social studies and an examination of racism instead. That way, there will be space for discussion. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Some tinpot can use it as an insurance policy against western intervention if... support Hamas... {attack} Israel.... Eliminating the fear of a full fledged counter-invasion. The "Tinpot" has invariably ceased to be idiotic when he acquires nukes. Much of the "fear" talk about Iran acquiring a nuclear capability (or indeed any nuclear proliferation) centres on a country gaining a regional nuclear monopoly, when the actual case is that we're dealing with a LOSS of such a monopoly. In the case of Iran it is the US & Israel which loses it's nuclear monopoly, not Iran which gains a monopoly. The net result would be the "Tinpot-Aggressor" (whoever that may be) losing the balls to invade & conquer - and instead find a means of peaceful co-existence with "The Enemy". Kilotonnage & Megadeath have a way of focussing even the most extreme political leaders on a peaceful solution. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

you're joking, right?... ignoring something factual just because it might upset someone is a big win for holocaust deniers I wish. BUT... Unless a person teaching history is well prepared on the subject, then it's far more productive to teach the non-controversial areas. We are STILL feeling the afershocks of 1919, so it's better to avoid that period and it's immediate consequences in the interests of pupil learning. Bear in mind that almost all history teachers have a teaching degree rather than one in history. They are there to impart a syllabus to show pupil ability rather than preside over a probably unproductive debate. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

We would shadow them. That's what we did with the Soviets during the Cold War on a regular basis. Their bombers would fly along the "border", their frigates, or subs would be followed by our ships. Both countries took great strides not to inflame encounters. Iran seems to like to do the opposite. FRANCIS GARY POWERS! More? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

But it does a really nice TV Guide on Saturdays.

Yes. But their implementation followed The Holocaust. In dealing with ANY aspect of the "Jewish history in Europe" from 1914, you open up a whole can of worms which needs to be adequately researched before beginning. Because of this, 5-16 years teachers really prefer the history where everyone's well dead and the questions faced are no longer relevant. As such, it's best to stay clear of the 20th & 11th Centuries. Stick to Pestilence, The Corn Laws & Industrial Revolution, if you MUST have a war, make it BEFORE the Franco-Prussian one. It's safer that way. Leave the "Living / Relevant" history to higher education. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Perhaps they're protesting at the crap quality of our History Teachers! 1: We're far too well mannered. 2: It's raining. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

I suspect that the issue may not be The Holocaust itself, but the ramifications thereof in the implementation of The Balfour Document and partition of Palestine. This may tax the amount of time available to cover the subject... The trouble with "History" is that it doesn't stop and has a nasty habit of spilling out of artificial confines. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.