kmcguffee

I think it is more of an issue with France and Germany's current leadership than their populations as a whole. They have opposed everything the US has backed since they came into office. It is not really an issue. We don't really need them (especially the French) to win this war. It would be better if they agreed but they are not needed. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Mike, That was absolutely hilarious. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Ummmm, the one you posted at the beginning of this thread. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Yeah, they are tired of getting their arse kicked. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

You are exagerating to attempt to make your point. You are also forgetting that the large majority of the information the US government puts out is correct. Pulling out some inconsistencies does not make your point. There is no direct link between past inconsistencies and present information. Now, about the Patriot hitting the Scuds. It did hit the Scuds. It just didn't destroy the war heads which allowed them to fall and explode on civilian targets anyway. It is a success when you think that they weren't designed to even hit a missile. The Air Force destroyed a large number of Scud launchers also. They also destroyed a lot of dummy launchers. Reporting during war is hard to do correctly. It is called the "fog of war". It is not due to willfull deceit but the chaos of the battlefield. I've had a 9 man enemy squad reported as a 39 man infantry platoon due to multiple reporting and confusion on the battlefield. It happens. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

That is oversimplified and stupid. Not even worth debating. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

I'm really wanting to see where you are getting this information from. There is a reason for this. It was not illegal to fund terrorist groups overseas in the US until the mid 90's. It didn't matter if they were Irish, Arab, or martian. It just wasn't illegal and the FBI, CIA, and anyone else you name couldn't do anything about it. (BTW, the CIA and the FBI work very closely with MI5 and do a lot of things together that you are unaware of.) The Congress had to enact a law to make it illegal. Now it is illegal to fund terrorism overseas and it is illegal no matter what the ethnic origin of the terrorists. There have been arrests concerning funding of the IRA. It just doesn't get the press that Arab terrorists get. The FBI has a squad investigating domestic (or bubba) terrorism that is just as large as the squad that investigates international terrorism. It is not "preachy hypocracy". It seems to be willfull ignorance. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

First off, I think you will be hard pressed to prove that the IRA got the "bulk of its funding" from the USA. The Kennedy's probably contributed some as a private group. At any rate, none of it came from the US government proper. Secondly, it does not excuse her remarks in the least bit, hypocrisy or not. Thirdly, the UK funded an insurgent group within the US a little while ago. They did it openly too. It was called the US Civil War. Should I start hoping that "something like this" will happen to the UK. Even if I disliked the UK (which I don't) I wouldn't wish something like that on them. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

That's about all it is. The UN is the exact form of government that failed in the US in the 18th century. The government was defined by the Articles of Confederation. There was just a congress from the states that had very little power, no taxation ability, no ability to field an army, and the majority of the power was kept at the state level. The government couldn't get anything done. The UN is the same type of government. It is not an exact comparison so don't start doing google searches and coming up with little BS differences. You said earlier that the US was the "self-proclaimed world leader" or something to that effect. I think it is more correct to say that we are the de-facto leader of the free world. No one else is willing to step up to the plate. The UK handed the torch to us in the early 20th century. We were isolationist at the beginning of the 20th century and were being begged to get involved in foreign matters. As soon as we got involved people got mad at how we were handling things. This isn't a new phenomenon like many on here are saying. It has been going on since WWII. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

It is a BTR-70. The BTR-50 is an open topped tracked version. The BTR-60 has an extreme slope on the back side, the BTR-70's slope is not as extreme (like the picture), and the BTR-80 has almost no slope. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Are you referring to the British woman who said "it's about time something like this happened to the US" when you refer to "others around the world". I'm not sure I want her respect. Are we not allowed to determine how to defend ourselves now? We have to let the UN decide that for us? Would your country do that? I doubt it. Your country is a haven for numerous businesses(legal and illegal) that allow terrorists to funnel money and illegal immigrants into our country. The attitude of a large portion of your population seems to be "as long as it doesn't hurt us then let it be". Maybe it is time we stopped worrying so much about how much our "friends" respect us. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

The only one I have heard is: Let's talk some more, do some more inspections, and get the world to pressure Iraq. What everyone seems to forget is we've been talking for 10 years. We've gotten no where with Iraq. As for insepctions, hell, we can't find all of the WMD's in our own country with the support of the government. What makes you think it can happen in a foreign country with a government that is trying to hide them? Why doesn't Iraq show us proof that they destroyed the WMD's that we know they had in 1998? This is like the biggest Easter Egg Hunt of the 21st century. As far as international support is concerned, the Europeans could give a crap less what threats there are against the US. They are only worried about their security and their financial well being. That is fine by me. I'm not saying we should go to war at the drop of a hat but when is enough going to be enough. When are some of you guys going to realize that Iraq is playing the US and the international community like a bunch of fools. You talk like we should go on with this crap indefinitely. The threat of violence is the only thing making Iraq comply as much as they have. You can't string a threat out forever. It will eventually lose its effect. We have to follow through with it eventually. What is the point where we follow though? Do we just finally say, "Awww, we were just kiddin. You know we would never really attack ya." I understand if you don't agree 100% with everything the current administration is doing. I know that I don't. But when you sit around complaining about everything that they do........that is plain old whining. Get over it. If you can do it better, the job will be coming open in a couple of years. Get on it. If you are not willing to do something about it then shut up. Sometimes it sounds like a litter of puppies in here with all of the whining. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

The only thing worse than winning a war is losing it. -Unknown "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

The guy is being ticketed for violating the noise ordnance not violating the customs and courtesies of the US Flag. Sounds to me like the neighbor has a flag pole stuck up his ass. He needs to get over it. A large flag is not loud except in gale force winds. There is some other personal feud between these guys that is not being reported. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

That's hilarious. I especially like this one: "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

I'm originally from Jena, Louisiana. I haven't lived there in 18 years. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Nice post Mike. Some people forget that sacrifice is sometimes necessary. A large part of America has forgotten how to sacrifice. It is a problem of too much of everything for too little effort. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

No AAA that I've ever heard of could reach that high. If this was a terrorist attack then they've got some very high tech weapons. Or they rigged it while the shuttle was on the ground. I seriously doubt it is terrorist related. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

January 5. Texas is nice. My next one will be tomorrow (February 2). "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Good point. At my old DZ "not stepping on lines" was a golden rule. My 4 and 6 year old boys even follow the rule at the house and at the DZ. While learning mountaineering in the Army the punishment for stepping on climbing ropes was severe. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

When mine got excited they tended to claw and bite. Yours may be a little more calm. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

I'm thinking space ship. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

LOL, you would come down a bloody mess. My ferrets did not like heights! "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

It was established that they could be used for either. BTW.....the correct southern pronunciation of nuclear is newkewler. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

I think that is a Nostradamus misquote. Something about the fall of the two brothers. Anyway, it is not in the bible. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin