FallingOsh

Just because they didn't, doesn't mean they couldn't. Too many negatives but whatever. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

We're not laughing at 9/11. We're laughing at you. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Actually, I'm a LOT better at making money and paying taxes than I would be at building a house. Great for staying in touch, but not an efficient use of my value. Paying taxes doesn't take a whole lot of effort, which stems from my original point. There's no skill needed in volunteering at a soup kitchen or helping with a Habitat for Humanity type project. I've done it many times and I don't have the building skills to create a sand castle. If your only value is paying taxes efficiently then I feel sorry for you, but I'm willing to bet that's not the case. You'd be surprised how much you could effect someone else's life even if you can't build a house. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

All true. Nothing to do with landmines. Except in Korea and Gitmo. Gitmo is not warfare, I know, but they're still there. Are you even reading what people write or just replying out of boredom? The same reason we got rid of napalm use and flamethrowers. It's a different weapon. Chemical weapons are not landmines. Just because we got rid of one weapon does not mean we need to get rid of another. Do you have anything else to say about landmines or are we going to keep discussing off topic subjects? -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Or perhaps Switzerland could try to be better than Iran and Saudi Arabia, and welcome people of all faiths. The "us" vs. "them" mentality that is being promoted by one political party there is contraindicative of a democracy. And by the way - my grandfather was a Baptist minister. He believed that Jews, homosexuals, women, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists and agnostics were all going to Hell. Islam does not hold a corner on religious discrimination. Did they outlaw Islam or minarets? -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

According to this logic, we should also reserve the right to use chemical weapons, correct? Who knows when we might need them? That's not logic at all. That's your inability to stay on the topic of mines. If you'd like to start a conversation on chemical weapons then we can. If you'd like to have a discussion on the topic you started then we should stick to it. Different weapon, different treaty, different discussion. If you think a chemical weapon sounds like a landmine then an entirely new thread on weapons should be started. Try to stay on point if you'd like to have a serious discussion. If you're only interested in twisting words around in a (poor) attempt to make a trap, the conversation is over. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

From a (military, not political) tactical standpoint, there is some (although not total) sense to this argument. But it comes at a cost: the US sets itself up as hypocrite when it reserves to itself the right to deny a form of disarmament called-for by other nations, while out of the other side of its mouth insisting that other nations engage in, for example, nuclear disarmament (while still keeping its own nuclear weapons). No, I'm not advocating unilateral US disarmement (far from it); but the double standard is what it is. Nuclear disarmament is an entirely different discussion. Our landmine technology is moving towards 'safer', detectable, non-persistent weapons. Nuclear weapon technology is going the other direction. I understand that wasn't really the point of what you were saying. The possibility for a hypocricy call is what you were getting at. I think not signing the treaty is what prevents that. The destruction of our own persistent mines, refusal to sell, and development of new technology for mines used in the future back up our foreign policy. We want to eliminate persistent, non-detectable mines and outlaw the sale of mines worldwide. It's in line with our own domestic policy. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say you're not really that close minded. Could it possibly be, and stay with me here, that mines might need to be used outside of neighborhoods? Say, in a battlefield or as a perimeter. Right now, no. That's why we don't use landmines (outside of Korea or Gitmo). In fact, Korea is specifically mentioned in the 2004 change of landmine policy. The Korea situation is unique and mines need (whether some agree or not) to be there. The 2004 policy was specifically designed to eliminate persistent mines and develop non-persistent ones for the future. Who knows what future conflicts will arise? Korea is a current need. We don't use them other places. "Safer" mines could be used in the future. If we generally follow the treaty, don't use them outside of Korea or Gitmo, are destroying undetectable and persistent mines, and developing new non-persistent ones then why do you have an issue with us not signing the treaty? -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

You wanting other people to pay higher taxes does not mean you care about poor people. If you go out and volunteer to build houses or take in an orphan then I'll listen about how you care for the poor. Copy, no data. Most of these programs are fed or state funded, so you just dumped on yourself. That's what I meant by take one in. Into your home. Not put them in a fed or state funded home. The fact you can't differentiate between the two is my point. Find a chart that shows tax increases per President and from whom those taxes are taken. Post a relevent chart if you'd like to make a point. Obama is now fiscally conservative. Nice. Unless everyone is tax exempt, this will be the case, so are you advocating zero taxes? How about taxed equally? The corporate nipple providing jobs? That one? Are you talking about Obama's stimulus? So you should just quit and live off the government? How about paying your way through night classes to improve your situation. You're damn right they're ungrateful. More, more, more, more.... oh shit, you're shipping jobs overseas. Damn greedy corporations! Minimum wage; hard to understand? We've got one. What's your point? Maybe, just maybe, there's an economic reason for that. Keep increasing minimum wage, union strikes, and gimme atitudes. Then bitch about jobs going overseas. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

If you don't understand what people are saying, you make yourself an ass by stating you do. 'Nobody' thinks GWB himself felled the towers, he was simply a part of the plan, and far to stupid to pull off such a scam. These people (thuthers) are not just pointing the finger, they are providing evidence, intellectual and complete scientific peer reviewed journals and are gaining some serious ground (especially in the last couple of weeks if you have been watching, which I doubt), the auhorities have come to a point where they have to address the issue, and fucktard republican followers will be eating their ten gallon hats when the truth comes out in the short future. Republican followers are unmistakably selfish and repugnant people with the desire to support the welfare of no other than themselves. The republican party and its follwers (voters) are responsable for the deaths of hundreds of thousands if not millions of innocent people, they show no remorse for such behavior and deserve nothing less than a slow painful death. IMHO Rant over. Bring on your PA's, I couldn't give a shit, the right wing neo con followers are the Bane of society. Are you allergic to reality? -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Wanting other people to pay more in taxes does not equal caring about the poor. Jumping up and down about redistributing someone else's wealth does not equal assisting anyone. Take an orphan in and give them a home. Volunteer at the local soup kitchen. Go on mission trips or habitat for humanity trips. That is caring. That is assisting. Bitching about the evil corporations and voting for tax increases does not make you a caring person. The democrats are the ones with their hands in other people's pockets. Wrong. The democrats want to take a lot from a small percentage and give it to a massive percentage. Don't sugar coat it if you're going to say it's ok. What right do you have to take someone else's money? What gives you the right to decide who should pay and who should receive? I agree the better off should give and help those less fortunate. I don't agree that paying higher taxes makes you a more caring person. I certainly don't believe demanding that other people pay higher taxes makes you a caring person. Quite the opposite. Yes, by all means turn down a job because it isn't fucking good enough for you. Please turn down a paying job so you can sit at home and collect a check. This kind of entitlement is what's bringing the country down. My great-grandfather worked on a farm in his backyard. My grandfather joined the military and was a successul business man after that. My dad ran his own small business for years. Now I'm doing pretty well with a good paycheck and my kids will do even better. That's how it works. You work to provide for yourself and better future for your kids. You don't pass up jobs because they just are good enough for you and demand government help. You don't pass on a paying job and demand a higher paying one. Define "the rest of us." Apartment, house, house on the beach, house in beverly hills, a one bedroom shack? Please explain how everyone can be living the same way and what baseline you would like to bring everyone up to so they can "live like the rest of us." In your grand scheme, who's going to sweep the floors, cook the food, or drive the dump truck? Those jobs aren't good enough for anyone so I guess they just won't get done. Attitudes like yours promote unemployment and welfare. "That job isn't good enough" promotes unemployment and welfare. The person who's willing to flip burgers to pay the bills is the one who will eventually better his situation. The person that sits at home bitching about the rich man keeping him down is going to continue sitting there collecting his government check. And why do you think that is??? Could it possibly be that people in this country just won't do those jobs? And if they do decide to do those jobs then they bitch about not being paid enough or having enough time off or having enough benefits... Of course companies are moving jobs overseas. The jobs you think aren't good enough need to be filled and if people here aren't willing to do it then what else do you want those companies to do? The key word there is jobs. Get a job, work your ass off, earn a paycheck, pay your bills, and create a better future for your kids. How hard is that to understand? Let me know where Jefferson and Franklin said some jobs are beneath you and shouldn't be worked. Let me know where they outlined welfare. It's obvious you have a hate for Christians, but the churches are doing more to actually help people than anyone in politics. Next time you want to spew about evil Republicans and the wonderful, caring Democrats, count up how many community service hours you've done in the past month first. Voting to increase someone elses taxes does not mean you care about poor people. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Maybe he doesn't like having his picture taken. I carried my dog around in my jacket kinda like that when she was a puppy. She did fine. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Some cluster bombs can be filled with landmines but the general cluster bomb you're probably thinking of is not a form of landmine. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

I don't understand what your issue is here. Are you discussing why landmines should be banned by every country or are you specifically tageting the US? You said in the OP that the US generally abides by the treaty. The "dangerously insane" President mentioned in the ill-informed last post reformulated our landmine policy during his first term. Many of the arguments already mentioned in this thread were adressed in the official policy statement. Eliminating all persistent landmines, seeking a worldwine ban on sales, get rid of non-detectable mines, research non-persistent mines, etc. It even increased the funding for the U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program. Just because we won't sign the treaty doesn't mean we're out scattering mines in neighborhoods. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

I don't think any. However, as I recall a number of workers for both the Capitol and White House were. Here we go; http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/02/slaves.white.house/index.html Close enough, that was my point; slaves were used to build these monikers of freedom and liberty. Now (and always) the nutty right wants to tie the foundation of these principles to freedom and liberty. They either have a short memory or they're just nuts. So only righties see those national monuments as monikers of freedom? A comment based entirely on fact and sensibility. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

What exactly did you want me to read from that website? I still haven't seen anything to back up your claim that the Republican state next door has received more money. What a very neutral and unbiased article. Very informative and full of facts. I didn't say racism doesn't exist. I said I hate it when people cry racism when talking about slow response times. Jesse Jackson bitching about the federal government not caring about black people is crap. It took FEMA just as long to get to south Mississippi as it did to reach N.O. and nobody gave a shit. The Mayor of the damn city was black, but it wasn't his fault was it? He's not the racist one. It was the evil white man with his guns and his monies. If the Sheriff of that city really shot at people for no reason then he should be fired at the least. If people in N.O. weren't shooting at rescue helicopters (which they were. i had a friend flying them) then maybe they would've gotten help a little quicker. Maybe if the news didn't show gun fire and reports of gangs and looting then the Sheriff wouldn't need to worry about people coming into his town. People only care about racism when it fits their argument. The Mayor could've done more than anyone to evacuate that city and he didn't. He ran out on them. I have very little tolerance for Jesse Jackson or any other person crying about the evil white man when even the (black) mayor didn't do anything to help. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

The ones who cried racism when help took longer than expected? What town prevented anyone from evacuating? Was that the only way out of N.O.? Money was sent. Money disappeared. Should've done better. 70 year old technology needed to be updated, I guess. Good thing the project started in the 60's and still wasn't done in time for Katrina. I agree. I can't stand it when people try screaming racism or flat out lies like "the republican state next door" got more money. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

holy shit -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

So the dems only voted that way to save their political careers. Very admirable... So your opposition to war is based on the hindsite death toll. Just trying to figure this out. Your justification for Clinton's use of troops is based on a statue? If an Iraqi town put up a statue of Bush would you suddenly be ok with the Iraq war? I would guess no. You've tried to attack the Republicans as cowards when the majority of the volunteer military is conservative/republican. Not only that, but democratic politicians have sent just as many, if not more, troops into war than Republicans. Then you defend the dems by saying they approved troops for their political futures and statues being erected makes it ok. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

He put something in to get something back. If you want his healthcare then go earn it instead of throwing a temper tantrum about "what's good enough for you." Go buy a plan that all of those stinking rich CEO's pay for and you can have it. Well... those who pay their bills and their taxes pay for it. A. Not everyone pays. Not even close to everyone B. Not everyone will get the government run healthcare. Not even close to everyone. One more time... Not everyone pays. Not even close. The way this system will work is tax or "fine" the shit out of some to subsidize the rest. Everyone doesn't pay and everyone doesn't benefit. It will be free for some. It will be free for them because others will be taxed and fined to pay for it. It's not demonizing. It's how the bill was written. Dude, the tax base isn't paid for by everyone. Not even close to everyone. The new taxes and fines will not be paid for by everyone. Not even close to everyone. What do you not understand about the tax system that makes you think everyone pays? -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Because one is the law and the other isn't. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Anyone in a rage over a mass killing is a redneck? Rage over a mass killing is funny? What planet are you from? Name one mass killing where it was a normal day and no one gave a shit. Again, what planet are you from where any mass killing would be a typical day? Did you know the guy? Do you have any proof that the claims about warning signs are false? Yeah. I also remember the mourning after Virginia Tech. So mass killings aren't just another typical thing that no one cares about? Make up your mind about these things before going on rants. Who said anything about hunting Muslims? -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

He wasn't explaining the theory. He was explaining that just because he said it's a possible excuse for the statement doesn't mean he agrees. You guys are so eager to snap at JR that you don't pay attention to what's really being said. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

That's exactly what he wanted to do, stir up a big shit storm. I could see it in the words he used. Ah yes, but at least he had minty fresh breath right...all that Crest and Listerine he was using...and possibly ingesting... So.... I wonder how long he's banned this time? Not long enough. -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.

Taxes? Who said anything about taxes? There's not a single dime worth of new taxes for anyone under $250k, right? This must just be a required government fine.... -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life.