FallingOsh

Not always. In Japanese culture, for example, bows of equal "height" between people are deemed a greeting between equals, essentially akin to handshakes or salutes. Very true, but last I checked, the Saudi King isn't Japanese. Even if he were, they did not bow to equal "heights." Bowing at the waist in Muslim culture is an act of obedience and subservience. The dancing around by some on here and flat out lying by the White House is amusing. It's like it physically hurts libs to say Obama might have screwed up. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Holding hands is symbol of equality and respect. A kiss on the cheek is a proper respectful greeting. Bowing is the cultural symbol of subserviance. By your own argument it was wrong for him to bow. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

If it really wasn't that big a deal then why is the White House feeding us a bunch of bullshit? The bow is an act of subservience, not mutual respect and understanding. Do unto others as we would have them do unto us means mutual respect. I highly doubt the Saudi King would come to the White House and kiss Obama's feet (although I'm sure there would be a long line of reports willing to fill in). I don't think this whole thing deserves as much attention as it's getting especially with the current state of the nation. I do, however, think it (coupled with the other remarks about this country on his trip) speaks volumes as to how he views America and it's roll in the world. He's subservient and appologetic. You may think that's a good thing, but showing weakness on the world stage is inviting trouble. That may be why the White House is denying the whole thing. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

I'm guessing this is more along the lines of what you're talking about. http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/2324727/Chavez-New-world-order-emerging -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

You've gotten pretty good at the condescending tone lately. I know what he said which is why I said rape and murder are not even remotely ok. You started the poo flinging by jumping to torture and rape. The rape you're referring to is wrong. No question. Demonizing every interrogation technique we use is wrong, as well. The article's topic had nothing to do with rape or execution. You went straight to that example in order to inflame the conversation with Bolas, knowing damn well that's not even close to standard procedure. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Gay people can't have medicare, welfare, social security, restraining orders, or credit protection? -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

The Red Cross article didn't talk about raping or beating people to death. Cry me a river if you have to stand up until you're allowed to sit down. Torture, rape, and murder... absolutely not. Uncomfortable standing positions while the Red Cross monitors... boohoo. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

A combination of the two is required. Brains (ie. diplomacy, as you mean it) should be first and foremost. If that fails then the CinC needs to be able to pull the trigger rather than whine, appease, or run to the UN. The question is what will happen should that situation arise. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Nobody questions the stones of the military to kick ass. The question is 'will they be sent.' The stones in question belong to the civilians in charge. I don't think the current administration or Congress has it. They'd rather talk, hold hands, reduce our military, disassemble our defenses, and blame America for all the world's problems. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Oh, please tell me about the Boston Tea Party and what the actual central issue was. I'm dying to learn all about it! That wooshing sound is the point I was making. They didn't sit down and offer up a logical resolution to the tea act. They threw a boatload (or 3 boatloads) into the water in protest. The details of the Boston Tea Party are not my point. The symbol of unrest and resistance is the key part there. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

There's suggestions throughout the entire video. What exactly did they say or offer up as a solution at the original Boston tea party? It was obviously still effective since we're discussing it a couple hundred years later. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

It sort of is … hypocrisy being the inverse state in international affairs to dependability, stability, and trust. Japan’s confidence in the US protection has been among the, if not the, single largest reasons it has not exercised its latent capabilities (i.e., they have plenty of fissile material and are technologically and industrially capable of weaponization). Taiwan, and South Korea rolled-back nascent offensive nuclear weapons programs because of US security guarantees. (ROK originally initiated theirs after the Nixon Doctrine, which weakened security guarantees ... their confidence/trust in us declined). Article 5 of NATO is a security guarantee and is credited (along with the NPT) for having a significant role in avoiding the expected 10 new nuclear weapons states by 1972 that SecDef McNamara predicted in his now-famous declassified 1963 memo to President Kennedy. They have to trust us. /Marg Of course they have to trust us. That's not the same as having a level playing field, which is what I was talking about in regards to national defense. The hypocricy I'm referring to is the fact we have weapons and technology that we don't want others to develop. The protection for Japan is a perfect example. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Says the person who thinks we should all live like you. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

A deep concern for avoiding hypocrisy regarding weapons proliferation is not generally considered a valid technique for national defense. If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn't plan your mission properly. - David Hackworth -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

[sarcasm]I'm pretty sure you are right, it would have been such a small community in those buildings that everyone would have known exactly what each other were up to, and new york is such a caring place, where everbody cares about the people around them[/sarcasm] no one has explained the speed in which the buildings fell. until that happens demolition will always be a possible hypothesis. So you have no explanation for how the buildings were wired with explosives while thousands worked inside? -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92422 -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

I think you missed the point. Honda left without being told to by the federal government. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

I'm on the record as to being not thrilled with GMs management. However, publicly traded companies are owned by shareholders. This was a loan, not a stock-purchase, and therefore, the stockholders have just been sidestepped completely. Just wait, the next CEO will not be voted in by the Board of Directors or shareholders in a clean fashion. Now that the government has their finger in this, they will not remove it. When a business goes to a bank for a loan, the bank can make conditions. In this case the banks have so screwed themselves (and the rest of us) that the only available lender is the govt. So the govt. gets to make conditions instead. Conditions are set prior to the loan. The bank can't show up at your house a year later and tell you who's allowed to live there. The money shouldn't have been given in the first place. I can't believe people are actually defending this much government intervention in a public company, "requests" or otherwise. It might be a good time to invest in Ford since they'll soon be The Big One. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Meaning what? They'll jump all over someone making a little noise? Very comforting. Maybe it'll show just how many people are upset. It's better than sitting back and continuing to drink whatever kool aid is served up. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Your first point was the he's bullshit for hiding behind a costume and "if he had some balls" he'd keep saying what he thinks. I just showed you he has. The rumor is that he's been invited to the White House. I don't know if it's true or not, but that's sure as shit more than other "mad as hell" people have accomplished. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

True enough. Now then - 72 hot, slutty chicks who know what they're doing? That'd be a whole 'nuther story. The promise is virgins. Not female virgins. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Maybe you should be less cocerned about his clothes and more concerned with his words. But in the spirit of appeasment... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvrCOmPjLyY No Pretty much sums up this site. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

I figured these fit nicely under the orinigal thread title. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYscnFpEyA&feature=related -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

So it's ok for Obama to do whatever he wants because Pesidents before him have done the same. The logic, or lack thereof, is astounding. Not only is there no change, but his actions are now being defended as a lack of change. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Poor plan on their part. Rather than show some financial responsibility, they should continue with the purchase. If the union law passes then their costs will significantly increase and could push them into pre-bankruptcy. At that point, the government will step in and pick up the tab. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.