NASA has discovered a potentially disastrous mistake made more than 20 years ago on the space shuttle Discovery and plans to replace key parts on all three of its shuttles, the space agency said on Monday. Gears were installed backward on the speed brakes in Discovery's tail section and could have failed under the stress of an emergency landing, said William Parsons, the shuttle program manager. "The bottom line was, it was not good," said Parsons, who told reporters the Discovery had flown safely 30 times since 1984 without the gears causing a problem.
The most likely scenario for a disaster would have come if the shuttle had needed to make an emergency landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after an aborted launch, when the aerodynamic stress on the gears would have been greatest. The reversed gears were found in an actuator that works the speed brakes, which are essentially flaps that flare out from the tail section to create aerodynamic drag and slow the shuttle. Small cracks and some corrosion were also found, surprising NASA engineers. After the original actuators were replaced, NASA also tested extra replacement parts built 17 years ago, and found that one of the spare actuators also had the gears reversed.
Discovery is NASA's oldest remaining shuttle after the loss of the Challenger in 1986 and the Columbia in 2003. It has been chosen as the first craft to resume flying once the post-Columbia suspension of shuttle missions ends. That Discovery mission is scheduled for March 2005, and Parsons said the added work would not necessarily cause a delay. Parsons said the fault had been traced to the installation by a contractor, Hamilton Sunstrand of Rockford, Illinois, which had reviewed its procedures and found there was nothing to prevent the gears being installed backward. "Yes, I'm surprised. It's a process escape that shouldn't have happened," said Parsons, who became the shuttle chief after the Columbia disaster and has overseen the $250 million return-to-flight effort. The company's program manager for the parts, Rudy Valdez, said the actuators are configured in mirror-image pairs, but the gears themselves are identical and were inserted one of two ways depending on which side of the pair was being built. Hamilton Sunstrand has changed the fixtures used to assemble the actuators so that now each gear can only be inserted one way, Valdez said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/23/2004 11:20:50 PM ||
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Hell, returning to KSC after a main engine abort was pretty much a toss-of the coin anyway. I've always wondered what what supposed to happen to the fuel tank (still half full) once the guiotine came down on the fuel lines....
#2
So much of the program ended with the words "You're so screwed!" that they had to put in the abort scenarios. Everyone feels good, and that's about it.
#3
Ship: Most of the fuel is gone, used to reverse the Shuttle's direction and send it back towards the Cape, by the time it's released. The release itself is the trickiest bit of the abort -- attempting to make the tank move away from the orbiter, they essentially do a short "power dive", shut down the engines, release the tank, and thrust away from it using the reaction control systems.
You have three possible results from this: (1) it works, and the rest of the flight is like a normal entry; (2) you hit the tank anyway, and the orbiter breaks up; or (3) you get away from the tank, but the "power dive" maneuver itself is stressful enough that the orbiter breaks up.
There's a very good discussion of the RTLS abort available at this link, if you're interested.
#4
...My dad went to work at NASA Lewis not long after the Challenger accident, and he told me then that the engineers who put the system together had no idea that so much of what they did meant certain death for the crews - basically, each team was given their work, told notr to worry about any potential problems, and that other teams would handle the emergency checklists. It became obvious after Challenger, and even more so after Columbia, that NASA really was playing Russian Roulette with the system.
And for what it's worth, a lot of the NASA engineers also believe that the shuttle fleet will not survive until 2010 when Constellation comes on line. The opinion seems to be that the law of averages will catch up with the three surviving shuttles long before that.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
03/23/2004 10:26 Comments ||
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For what it's worth, everytime I see the SRB ignite I pray, and listen, and scream, and then pray a little more.
#1
.com, I disagree with Lula's policy but I appreciate that he hasn't started babbling anti-American conspiracy mumbo-jumbo so far. Even a reformist administration is not proof against corruption, but I expect reformists to take positive and effective action against the guilty. He seems to have done that part fine. The closing the Bingo halls is a pretty blatant political miscalculation. I picture the poor guy's secret service having to fend off irate septuagenarians with umbrellas at every public appearance. :-)
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/23/2004 11:53 Comments ||
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Lol! Colorful description! Yeah, trying to legislate morality is a definite bear. Lula has spouted anti-US stuff - back when he was courting the A-rabs, crawling on his hands and knees to the Arab League and sucking for Riyals - remember? But yeah, he's pretty tame compared to Chavez, et al.
via WaPo, the recently acclaimed paragon of neutrality.
EFL / Fair Use Candidate Seen as an Average Joe Retains Presidency for Pro-Business Party
By Mary Beth Sheridan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
SAN SALVADOR, March 22 -- Tony Saca, the winner of El Salvadorâs presidential elections, had everything going for him. He was backed by the countryâs business barons, by a party in power for 15 years and by a national media tilted strongly toward his conservative party. To the chagrin of Socialist Lefties everywhere, especially amongst WaPo staffers, right Mary Beth?
And yet, Sacaâs National Republican Alliance, or Arena, was running scared as it geared up for Sundayâs vote. Many Salvadorans have expressed concern about a lack of economic progress, and showed it in previous elections -- handing a victory in congressional elections last year to a party headed by former Marxist guerrillas. That raised the possibility of a dramatic change of leadership in El Salvador, one of the most pro-American governments in Latin America. Shit! The Anti-Americans Lost! OMG! The sky, she is falling! Hmmm, does this sound like standard Leftist bitterness to you? No, of course not! WaPo is fair and balanced and everything! Not exactly "All the truth, all the time, no spin." Right. Gotcha. They had a long long way to go. Still not there, sorry.
Arena fought off the challenge with its traditional advantages of money and media. But it also renovated its image, distancing the party from the 12-year civil war in which it had been linked to death squads. And the distance isnât real is the subtext, no? Nope, no spin here. Move along.
The new president is a 39-year-old businessman who had no role in the conflict and no experience in political office. Saca became famous as a TV commentator narrating soccer games, and went on to purchase a string of radio stations. He projected a cheerful, Average Joe style in a party dominated by well-heeled businessmen. "I represent that Salvadoran who wants to find... a pretext to vote for Arena," Saca said in an interview on the eve of the election. He stole our gig! We are the official "Average Joe" party! You can find us just to the Left of Trotsky! Wait! Where are you all going?
But his overwhelming victory, with about 57 percent of the vote, also reflected the difficulties that El Salvadorâs former rebels have faced in adjusting to democratic competition since they signed peace accords in 1992, political analysts said. Their party, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, or FMLN, ran a former guerrilla leader known for his hard-line views. The candidate, Schafik Handal, 73, failed to gain much support beyond his partyâs hard-core supporters. Not very good at democracy, huh? Sounds like the Jackass Party, come to think of it.
"When they launched Schafik, they terrified the country," said Saca. Some of us can sympathize, just look at Skeery.
Posted by: .com ||
03/23/2004 1:57:30 AM ||
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#1
Shit! Typo'ed the damned headline. Can you correct it, please? Damned embarrassing for an English major. Sheesh! Sue me, please!
#2
The USA should be proud of this one and I am!
And last week, El Salvador indicated its willingness to keep its troops in Iraq, despite the fact that fellow Spanish Brigade members Spain and Honduras wanted to pull out.
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 2:45 Comments ||
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Fred - Another link that worked fine while on the Google News main page, but now goes to registration since the link timed off / was superceded.
Regards future news stories found on Google, I will post full article.
Apologies, all. This is a new tactic, as far as I know. Not heard any complaints regards this particular scheme, before.
#4
The liberal media's position has always been that left-wing death squads are OK, but right-wing death squads in response to the left-wing version are verboten.
The former security chief for Haiti's ousted president once demanded a cut of the profits from drugs smuggled through his country, federal officials said Monday. Oriel Jean, chief of palace security for Jean-Bertrand Aristide from 2001 to 2003, appeared in court in Miami to face charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States. He was ordered held without bond. Four witnesses told investigators that Jean was "intimately involved" with smuggling cocaine, said Joe Kilmer, a spokesman for the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. Jean, who worked for Haiti's government for a dozen years, was arrested in Toronto earlier this month and sent Friday to Florida. Guidy Mamann, Jean's Toronto-based attorney, did not immediately return a phone call Monday. He has said prosecutors are using "trumped up" evidence to pressure Jean for information about Aristide, who fled Haiti late last month as rebels were closing in on the capital.
JB's out, no need for information. We can fry your sorry butt instead.
According to court documents, the witnesses, none of whom were named, told authorities that Jean demanded 10 percent of the proceeds from all drugs smuggled through the Port-au-Prince airport. At least two witnesses reported giving Jean $50,000 payments.
Wonder if we have room for him next to Noreiga?
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/23/2004 11:37:15 PM ||
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This has the feel of the old saying regards "Absolute power corrupting, absolutely."
It appears that Aristide, put back into power by the US, began to believe that he was covered, like a made guy, and could get away with anything. Anything at all. Seems he figured himself to be under the protection of the Clintonians, who would protect him in order to protect their record. Then Dollar Bill's 8 years were up and Emperor Aristide was suddenly naked. Must suck to be him. Er, Aristide, I mean, heh. ;->
Nigeria has agreed to a request by Caribbean leaders to grant former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide temporary asylum, the nation's presidency said Monday.
The request came from the 15-nation Caribbean Community, known as Caricom, Nigerian presidential spokeswoman Remi Oyo said in a statement late Monday. The statement did not say whether Aristide had requested - or even agreed to - asylum in Nigeria.
"Nigeria! I don't want to go there!"
"It's either that or return to the Central African Republic."
"Lagos is rather lovely this time of year!"
Caricom, "under the leadership" of Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, "requested Nigeria to consider giving former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti 'a staging post' for a few weeks until his movement to another destination," said the presidential statement, issued in the capital, Abuja. "After receiving the Caricom request, Nigeria undertook widespread consultations with African leaders, the leadership of the African Union, the U.S. government and other concerned parties," the statement said. "Nigeria has agreed to grant the request." A spokesman for Interim Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue welcomed Nigeria's offer. "We didn't want any destablization so its good news if he can find a place" outside the region, he said.
Kamchatka would have been better.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/23/2004 11:32:37 PM ||
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What, you mean Aristide couldn't catch a fishing boat to Port-au-Prince?
Federal Opposition Leader Mark Latham today outlined a timetable to bring Australiaâs 850 troops and advisers in Iraq back home by Christmas.Under a Labor government, the Australians working to rebuild Iraq would return home as soon as their responsibilities had been discharged. Mr Latham said with a planned handover of power in Iraq to a new Iraqi government in June, that could clear the way for the Australians to be home by the end of the year. "I am hoping that by the end of the year the Australian troops will be back here for the defence of Australia, having discharged their international responsibilities and (be) back on Australian soil for the good protection of our country," Mr Latham told Sydney radio 2UE. However, he said the transition of power in Iraq was not certain and a lot could go wrong, pushing the timetable back.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
03/23/2004 2:23:36 AM ||
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Wow! This is the New and Improved Socialist line! Skeery should give it a try and see if it floats over here, doncha think?
I love the disingenuous responses of the LLL crowd when they have to pretend to give a shit about the troops - fascinating diplo-speak. The subtext, "If we could get away with it, we'd pray for the 'insurgents' to kill enough of them to get us elected!" is never really far from the surface, however. It must just kill them to have to wave the flag and everything. Poor 'tards.
Kick some ass, Howard. Hand Latham his head on a political pike, please. ;-)
Aznar Says Successorâs Iraq Plan Is a Big Mistake
Spainâs outgoing Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar said Monday his successor was making a serious mistake by planning to withdraw troops from Iraq, portraying the move as a concession to terrorism. Neville Zapatero, call your office.
In his first interview since his partyâs stinging defeat in March 14 elections, held in the shadow of train bombings that killed 202 people, Aznar urged Spain not to give in to violence. Sorry, brave sir, the majority of them already did.
"What the terrorists want is for us to throw in the towel. What I ask for, hope and wish is that we never throw in the towel," he said on Telecinco television. I fear Zappy and his cronies will give them the towel, and probably pay them to take it. Bet ETAâs watching and learning.
Aznar, a close ally of President Bush, which makes him a traitor in the eyes of the Left
supported the Iraq war and sent 1,300 Spanish troops there afterwards to help keep the peace. Incoming Socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has raised controversy with his pledge to withdraw the Spanish troops if the United Nations does not "take charge" there by June 30. The UN canât "take charge" of finding their asses with both hands. They only thing theyâre good at taking charge of is other peopleâs money.
Aznar said withdrawing the troops "seems to me a very serious error." "A very serious error" - that describes Zappy to a T.
"When you have such a brutal attack as Spain has suffered ... you have to carry out your responsibilities. of sticking your head in the sand, apparently. âCourse, the leftists forget whatâs still exposed when they do that.
The first thing that Mr. Rodriguez Zapatero has to know is what he wants to do with the Spanish troops in Iraq and secondly think what he wants the United Nations to do," he said. "But to think that you can beat terrorism with concessions seems bad to me. I think that weakening the international coalition fighting terrorism is a very serious error," he said. Bush and other leading U.S. politicians have urged Zapatero to rethink the move, which some analysts think could have a "domino" effect on other nations which have sent troops to Iraq. The Left, particularly in Europe, is terrified of a "domino effect" all right. Theyâre scared the Middle East thugocracies may "domino" into democracies.
Aznar said he believed the rail attacks had "something to do" with the upset election result. Yaâ think?
Polls before the attacks had shown Aznarâs conservative Popular Party consistently ahead. He said the government had always told the truth after the March 11 attacks, despite widespread anger over its handling of information on the investigation. Truth apparently doesnât matter. So whatâs new?
The government initially insisted the armed Basque separatist group ETA was the most likely suspect even though later evidence pointed to Muslim militants. "I leave with my head held high and proud of the work I have done," Aznar said. As well you should, friend. I think history will show Aznar to be Spainâs modern-day Churchill (if you donât know why, you donât know much about pre-WWII European history). I just hope Spain survives to find out.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut bskolaut@hotmail.com ||
03/23/2004 4:57:00 PM ||
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"I think history will show Aznar to be Spainâs modern-day Churchill (if you donât know why, you donât know much about pre-WWII European history)."
No way. The Spanish are cowards at heart, the British aren't. When the sh-t hits the fan the British fight to the death, the Spanish and the vast majority of the rest of Europe have a history of folding in a week.
#2
Damn_Proud_American: Read about Churchill's unheeded warnings all through the 1930's. I agree that the British are great fighters, but they, like the Spanish today, turned a blind eye to the rising danger of Hitler and embraced appeasement. (Does Neville Chamberlain ring a bell?)
As Churchill said to Chamberlain: "You had a choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor. You shall have war." (May not be an exact quote, but close enough.)
That's what Aznar is saying to Yappy Zappy and the Spanish people. They've chosen appeasement (and therefore dishonor), but they'll still have war. And that's why I think history will consider him another (1930's, anyway) Churchill.
When the war comes, if the Spanish are smart, they'll call on Aznar to lead them again. But I'm not making any bets.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/23/2004 21:53 Comments ||
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"Bet ETAâs watching and learning."
I think this is dead right. It was the scale that they'd been screwing up. No matter what AlQ officially does, henceforth ETA can threaten by simply saying they are collaborating with them - and that will be good enough, I'll wager. Sans backbone, the Spanish are targets. When the asshats find a hardened target, they wise up and move on. Someday I hope they'll backtrack on the election swing, but they've dug a hole now - and they have to face the tough step of reversing the error. They will be tested by boomers again either way. One way leads out of the hole - and the other leads to dhimmitude.
#4
Barbara, that's exactly my point. When the war came to them the rest of Europe folded in WW2. The British never surrendered.
That's why I said when the sh-t hits the fan. They tried to avoid war (our good friend Neville) up until it was impossible to avoid. Then the rest of Europe virtually gave up without a fight but the British were going to fight until the death. Could you ever imagine the nazi's occupying England, like they did the rest of Europe? Every british citizen would be fighting them day and night. The rest of Europe are cowards.
Aznar may be a weak version of Churchill but the Spanish don't have 1/10th the heart the british do. Even if they had a Churchill the Spanish would cower and appease, he would be ignored.
#4
Yeah, if they had their way, Poland would get less votes than under the previous voting system (the Nice Treaty). No matter how you slice it, it will always end up being that the biggest countries will have their way, meaning France & Germany. And somehow, I don't believe that these two will ever consider what's best for the smaller parties. It will always be me first. Chiraq's statement about missing an opportunity to shut-up is a just a taste of what's to come.
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 8:32 Comments ||
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I should clarify, if France, Germany, et al. had their way...
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 8:33 Comments ||
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Your bigoted ignorances are strangely comforting.
JerseyMike>No, it's the exact opposite. Poland and Spain wanted each of its citizens to be counted twice when the French and German citizens would be counted only once.
Poland wants to have 27 votes (in comparison to Germany's 29) when Poland has a population of 40 million in comparison to German's 80 million.
Rafael and B> If this was an Old-vs-New Europe thing, then why do you think that Poland had only Spain as an ally rather than the other 7 new Eastern countries?
I would *love* to hear you twist fact to try and come up with an explanation for that little fact.
#7
How cute, Rafael. You said "Yeah" but you didn't actually offer the numbers that would prove that in reality you meant "No", and that the situation is the exact opposite than the one JerseyMike guessed at.
#8
I should also add, the latest proposal for the new voting system, is that decisions will be made when 55% of member states representing 55% of the EU population, agree to it.
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 8:37 Comments ||
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And Rafael, stop pretending that Poland is a little country. It's a frigging large country and it wasn't actually offering any concern for countries smaller than it, and that's why it has gotten no support from countries smaller than it.
This isn't a Big Countries-vs-Small Countries issue either.
This is Big Countries and Small Countries, both united against the two Medium-sized countries (Spain and Poland) that wanted to shit over us all.
#10
Yes, and now you will get your chance to shit all over Poland, don't worry. Things are already starting to change, one by one: so much for the free movement of labour, when but a few countries are introducing quotas for the number of workers from the new member states they will allow in. Finding work in the west was one incentive for joining. Well, there goes that.
Time will also show, that Poland will in effect become a net payer into the EU budget, when in all fairness as one of the poorer countries in the EU, it should at first receive more money than they pay in. The EU reason of course will be, that Poland is not yet up to the standard of western EU states in various matters, and that it should modernize first etc etc. By the time this happens, Poland will be rich enough that it won't be elligible to receive anything, and will still be a net payer into the EU budget.
Lastly, the little economic miracles like Portugal and Ireland, that every EUro dweeb is touting, were helped along mainly by the biggest economies in Europe: Germany, France etc. There is no guarantee, especially now since their economies have tanked, that Germany et al. will do the same thing for Poland, what it did for Portugal and Ireland. In other words, they will be more stringent with their budgets, and countries like Poland will actually realize little benefit from EU membership (nothing they couldn't have done by themselves anyway, with just a free trade agreement and without all that political Euro nonsense).
Shithead.
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 9:14 Comments ||
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#11
I see that you didn't actually even *try* to answer the question I asked did you? Or to actually defend your earlier statements, containing lots of propaganda and little in the way of facts.
That's because you can't defend them. Because you know them to be lies.
And as for the rest of your babble, another little fact you can't make go away (no matter how much you try) is that the Polish people voted to enter the EU and they can just as easily choose to leave it, if the bargain now seems unfair to them.
So, STOP WHINING, already! You've already been proven a spewer of false propaganda.
#12
I'll have to agree with Rafael, AK, you are a shithead.
I asked a simple question because I wasn't informed on the issue and made an guess based on both the French and German goverments for the most part being overbearing and bullying pricks.
Its a shame that having been screwed in the past by both, Poland looks like its going back for more.
As far as the EU constitution goes and the ability to have it ratified and implemented - hurry up about it, It will only hasten your decline into socialist oblivion.
I'll sit on the other side of the pond and chuckle, numbnut.
#15
What the hell are you talking about? What question did you ask me? Where did I mention false propaganda?
Will Poland get fewer votes under the new voting system? Yes. What was wrong with the old system that it needed to be changed all of a sudden? Oh I see, more countries coming in would mean Germany and France have less say.
Germany has a bigger population than Poland. Yes, very good Aris, the astute student of geography. My assertion is that the biggest countries will care nothing about the welfare of the less populous ones. I think Chiraq clearly demonstrated that.
Debating entry into the EU is a non-starter. THERE WAS NO OTHER CHOICE. Leaving the EU is also a moot point because in all practicality it would be impossible. Yes the people voted for it, but they weremisled.
So then, it is not with me you have a problem, is it Aris, but with the whining Polish people?
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 9:58 Comments ||
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Ya know, the whole proportional representation vs. equal representation issue was pretty much solved here in the US of A almost 250 years ago. I'd have thought the EU would have picked up on it, but I guess they just don't have much use for us stupid colonies.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
03/23/2004 10:12 Comments ||
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The Poles saved Europe before by their timely arrival at Vienna, just when a hole was blown in the wall by the surrounding Muslim army. OBL's still pissed about THAT intervention.
#19
Rafael> "What the hell are you talking about? What question did you ask me?"
I asked you the following question "If this was an Old-vs-New Europe thing, then why do you think that Poland had only Spain as an ally rather than the other 7 new Eastern countries? "
"What was wrong with the old system that it needed to be changed all of a sudden? "
That there are 25 countries now, soon to be 27, and you can't allow each country to have a veto if you want the union to be functional.
"My assertion is that the biggest countries will care nothing about the welfare of the less populous ones."
Which is why I don't like the idea of populous Poland having even more votes and even more power compared to the small states, when it doesn't even deserve them population-wise?
Poland is a *large* state. It's the fifth largest country in the union for god's sake, after Germany, UK, France and Italy.
"THERE WAS NO OTHER CHOICE."
Bull. Nobody forced you. Nobody coerced you. Your people thought it'd be good for your country, and so they voted YES.
Your people were "misled"? That by itself proves your lie that they were forced. You can't be both forced and misled at the same time, Rafael.
"then, it is not with me you have a problem, is it Aris, but with the whining Polish people?"
I have no proof that the Polish people as a whole are whiners. The only example of Polish whining I know of comes from you.
JerseyMike> "I'll have to agree with Rafael, AK, you are a shithead."
And your opinion of me matters *so* much to me.
"I asked a simple question because I wasn't informed on the issue and made an guess based on both the French and German goverments for the most part being overbearing and bullying pricks"
And yet now you've been informed that your guess needed to be turned 180 degrees around, and yet I don't see you attacking Poland. I see you *still* attacking Germany and France.
Which means you were already determined that these countries were on the wrong and Poland on the right.
Which indicates what? Bias? Bigotry? Racism? Fanaticism? Choose and pick, I won't play the definition game, so I'll just call you a "bloody idiot" which is one thing that's certain.
B> "maybe the EU should take a look at our system if they want to see representation of states done right.
I agree with you. Though I would combine an Upper House-system with the already existing European Council.
"But I'm sure you don't understand what I'm saying."
Except that not only I do understand it, in earlier discussions I have made detailed suggestions based not only the American system but on the already existing EU system as well, so that the EU wouldn't have had to start from scratch, just make minor alterations on the existing system.
Not to mention that I very much doubt you are aware that the bicameral system isn't exclusive to America but is used in many countries throughout the world, including Germany
#20
Ptah: The Poles also saved Europe when they defeated the Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw in 1920. This was Lenin and Trotsky's attempt to link up with the German Communists and spread the Revolution into the heart of Europe.
#21
Aris, you are putting words in my posts that I never said. I'm not going to start defending things I didn't say. Nice try though.
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 14:47 Comments ||
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#22
Aris, Your opening statement was Your bigoted ignorances are strangely comforting. Nice debate point. There is a reason many here avoid pissing matches with you. "Don't ever wrestle with a pig. You'll just get dirty and the pig will enjoy it."
#23
From what I've read, Poland seems to be backing away from their stance on the voting issue that was given to them by the Nice meeting in 2000. Though many EU politicians did not seem surprised that Poland wanted to keep the original treaty intact. I'm not sure if the Poles were surprised that they'd be asked to drop the Nice guarantees or not.
#24
"the Polish people voted to enter the EU and they can just as easily choose to leave it"
Not so sure its that easy Aris. This clause set in the EU constitution was never actually meant to be used, i.e.:
A new article outlines how a member states would leave the EU: "A member state which decides to withdraw shall notify the Council of its intention... The Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that state, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal."There was never a formal way of leaving the EU, though in practice a state would simply have to repeal its legislation and go. This article is designed to show that the EU is a voluntary association which does not enforce membership. However, there is an implied threat that life might not be too comfortable outside as the departing member would have to negotiate an agreement for its trade and other relations. The clause is presumably designed never to be used.
Unless I'm off - here's the link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2950276.stm#s13
#25
Among the many horrible things that Zapatero has yapped about in the last week or two is that he wants Spain to sign the "most excellent" EU Constitution.
Only a few months ago, Spain and Poland stood up to protest their inferior and unequal voting rights as proposed under this Constitution (the lion's share of power going to France and Germany, of course).
This was a wonderful thing, as it stopped the Weasel powers in their march to Socialist hegemony of Europe.
Now, it may be up to Poland alone to hold out for the other smaller and/or less populous EU countries to "have their votes count."
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 16:59 Comments ||
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#26
Jen, Poland has effectively given up and my guess is that without an ally they will quickly sign anything and everything. They joined the EU not to become isolated from the rest of Europe, so they're sure as hell not going to risk it now. Anyway, Germany already had some nasty things to say to Poland for holding up the constitution talks. Nice partners. Union my ass.
Going back to my "they had no choice" comment, the alternative to joining the EU was to become economically isolated, with little access to the lucrative western European market. Joining the EU was the quickest way to achieve economic par with the western states, but the price for this is that you are expected to "shut-up", as Chiraq once said.
Aris thinks that since people voted overwhelmingly to join the EU, they must love it so much. There's much more to it than that, but of course you can choose to ignore the facts that go against your views, right Aris? Condescending little prick.
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 17:53 Comments ||
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#27
Jarhead:
Germany will become one of the premier investors in Poland, especially on the territory that was once theirs. Just visit the border region to see what's going on there now. Should Poland decide to leave the EU, I can't imagine Germany, or anybody else who invested heavily in the area, to just pack everything up and pretend that nothing happened. I can just picture the lawsuits, sanctions, blockades.
Anyway, it's a moot point because I can't imagine any state actually leaving the EU. But who knows. It's worked thus far because there were fewer members. With this enlargemet, maybe the shit will hit the proverbial fan. And no, I'm not hoping for that to happen.
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 18:08 Comments ||
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#28
Jen> "Now, it may be up to Poland alone to hold out for the other smaller and/or less populous EU countries to "have their votes count."
LOL! Yeah, this frigging huge country, the fifth largest nation in the EU, will defend the "other smaller nations".
Jen, kiddo, how many times will you attempt to dishonestly ignore the annoying little fact I've mentioned several times already? Namely that NONE OF THOSE SMALLER COUNTRIES SIDED WITH POLAND IN THIS, *exactly* because it was never about Big-vs-Small nations, it was about Poland and Spain seeking superior and ludicrously unequal voting rights to the detriment of the other 23 nations?
I guess that the 19 smaller-than-Poland-or-Spain nations must be brainwashed or something, not recognizing that Poland is only looking out for the smaller nations' good.
Jarhead> Even the most eurosceptical politicians praised the article of secession as excellent: The article would be far more threatening if it allowed no negotiation room at all, if remaining in the EU was necessarily an all-or-nothing option.
Rafael> They chose the EU over the alternative.
All the rest of your "facts" are wild guesses and hypotheses, that still can't overcome this bit: that your people freely voted themselves in.
whitecollar redneck> Rafael pretending that Poland's stance represents the entirety of Eastern Europe, B talking about Old-vs-New Europe, JerseyMike already figuring out (not knowing anything about this) that it's the eeevil France and Germany to blame.
In these circumstances "Bigoted ignorances" was the polite term to use about these posts. "Retarded shit" was the term I had first felt like using.
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 18:23 Comments ||
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#30
Rafael> Regarding the first two links: So, some countries say that they'll use the transition time for admitting new workers, that as had been agreed in advance was fully within their rights to so use? Oh, the horror.
And regarding the third link: So Poland is behind on everything she agreed regarding the EU? Reminds me of Greece and the Olympics, but how the hell is that the EU's fault rather than Poland's?
#31
Aris:"you can't allow each country to have a veto if you want the union to be functional"
That's a pretty glaring admission on your part that all might not be well in paradise. Well done Aris. And which countries should have the veto? Let me take a wild stab at it, France & Germany?
"ludicrously unequal voting rights to the detriment of the other 23 nations"
A voting system where France & Germany (and possibly Spain) have the final say over everything (combined with the veto) is not to the detriment of the other 21 nations? It's good that Chiraq and Schroeder and the rest of the get-along-gang know what's best for everybody, otherwise, they'd be lost.
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 18:44 Comments ||
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#32
I'm sorry...who's a retarded shit?
I am sick to death of you, Katsaris, clogging up every thread on Europe with your incomprehensible, uninformed and hectoring crap!
Your name may be Greek, but I think you're obnoxious boor and Marxist policy wonk Dominque de VILEpain.
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 18:47 Comments ||
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#33
"That's a pretty glaring admission on your part that all might not be well in paradise. "
Noooo, yah think?
If I had ever spoken about paradise you might have had a point.
"Let me take a wild stab at it, France & Germany? "
How about no country at all?
Jen> If you are sick to death of me, Jen, then throw yourself out a window. If I had been as fanatical against Israel as many of you are fanatical against Germany and France you'd have been rightly calling me an antisemite.
"your incomprehensible, uninformed and hectoring crap! "
LOL. If my crap's incomprehensible to you, have you considered that it may be your comprehension, not my crap, that is the problem?
And uninformed? There's a laugh.
"Your name may be Greek, but I think you're obnoxious boor and Marxist policy wonk Dominque de VILEpain."
So, I'm French now? I thought you had recently accused me of posting from Russia, an accusation I didn't much comprehend, and in that case I really think it wasn't my comprehension that was the problem.
#34
EU governments have not done enough to inform citizens about enlargement and the new EU citizens are paying the price with restrictions on their movement around the Union
For Poles, struggling with an economic crisis and the threat of unemployment, the chance of finding a legal job in EU countries soon after enlargement was one of the arguments in favor of membership in the 2003 referendum.
The headings of dispatches from the last few days and weeks speak for themselves: "The Dutch parliament wants to limit arrivals of workers from new EU countries;" "Norway intends to limit the influx of workers from new EU states;" "Work in Spain will be possible no earlier than two years after enlargement;" "The German Bundestag is working on a new act to close the labor market." The 15 EU countries are sending clear signals of their fears.
The only two countries consistently stating that their job markets will open as of May 1 are Ireland and Great Britain.
the European Commission criticized Poland's preparations for accession to the European Union.
if the shortcomings are not remedied by May 1, 2004, they may lead to serious difficulties in EU direct payments to Polish farmers.
(links were provided above)
Re-read my comments today and tell me that what I said is unfounded, propaganda, or wild guesses.
Re. the veto: How about no country at all? You're the one who brought it up!!!! Man, this is pointless....
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 19:08 Comments ||
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#35
Once again, how does this violate any of the agreements that Poland already knew about? If they haven't updated their legislation to make it consistent with those agreements how is that the EU's fault?
And why is it wrong for member-states to use a transition time that was again agreed to be within their rights to do so?
And "wild guesses" remains "wild guesses" when you are predicting that Poland for some reason will delay so long in implementing those agreement that it will end up a net payer. What makes you say that?
I brought it up? Yes, I brought up the reason that the earlier system ought to be changed in order to reduce the possibility of individual countries vetoing a whole process. You seemed to take it as again me wanting the dreaded "France and Germany" in change. But that's your fixation, not mine.
#36
And why is it wrong for member-states to use a transition time...
They had time to prepare so why didn't they? It's not wrong, but it's not very neighbourly of them, validating the argument that it is an artificial union. Especially considering that a HUGE market has just opened up for them in the east, whereas the east will gain minimal benefit for some time yet.
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 20:04 Comments ||
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#37
I don't get angry very often on this forum bu t geez AK...you are a fucking moron
The reason why the samller countries didn't align themselves with Poland on this issue is that they are happy just to be able to join the EU, they don't want to piss off the big boys
Poland negotiated the entry into the EU under the old agreement where it would get the 27 votes, then the EU decided to change the rulse
Poland is getting screwed on agriciltural subsidies, they will get a fraction of what the old EU members get
Poland is getting screwed on imiigration, practically all the EU countries have changed their laws to restrict migration from the new EU members (except Ireland as I understand)
If I had the right to vote I would have told them to go and stick their EU up the khyber, Poland has been screwed far too many times and it's getting screwed once again
#38
You guys amaze me. I shudder to think what type of blood would have been spilled had I actually posted the article. :-)
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/23/2004 20:28 Comments ||
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#39
Transition periods are also given to the acceding EU members, for issues that concern them, according to each Treaty of Accession. That's what the whole idea of "negotiations" is all about.
Go here: http://www.epp-ed.org/enlargement/home/en/default.asp
and the click on the little flags to see the transition periods granted for each acceding member state.
#40
Igs> "The reason why the samller countries didn't align themselves with Poland on this issue is that they are happy just to be able to join the EU, they don't want to piss off the big boys "
IGS, what you are still pretending not to get is that Poland *is* one of the big boys, and the thing that it wanted (alongside Spain) would have screwed the smaller countries as much as it would have screwed the large ones.
It would have screwed everyone except Spain and Poland.
--
As for Poland, (http://www.epp-ed.org/Press/pdoc03/accession_treaty-pl.doc) the link I provide mentions how it got 43 transitional periods for itself, so it's really kinda rich seeing you people whining about the transitional period in allowing movement of labour that the old EU members requested for themselves.
#41
The above link was a summary, here seems to be the full report to all the transitional period requested and granted to acceding members: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/negotiations/pdf/negotiations_report_to_ep.pdf
#42
AK, there is a difference between defining a country based on population and economic power. While Poland may only be half of Germany in terms of population, when it comes to economic output, it's not one of the big boys.
The migration policy adopted by the EU countries it racist at best. Germany doesn't mind if workers from the UK, France or Belgium come along but they are scared shitless of the hordes from the east, this applies to all other EU countries.
#43
JerseyMike already figuring out (not knowing anything about this) that it's the eeevil France and Germany to blame.
AK, There is absolutely nothing that you have said in your insane screed throughout this entire thread that is giving me any inkling what your hard-on is with Poland.
Is it that they simply sided with the U.S. or perhaps they are attempting to show a little free thinking in that they haven't automatically fallen in lock step with Old Europe?
The darkest moments of Poland's tragic history features both Germany and France front and center. As far as my guess at what the problem is, France and Germany have gone to great pains to prove they are the two main power players in the EU, and have bullied other members and prospective members, ask Turkey for one I'm sure they can tell you all about it.
#45
JerseyMike> "Is it that they simply sided with the U.S. "
No, actually I liked that. For a country like Poland, it's a far better omen if it sides with the US (and other countries of Western Europe), than if it sides with Russia.
"or perhaps they are attempting to show a little free thinking in that they haven't automatically fallen in lock step with Old Europe?"
Oh, yeah, that's the ticket. Because they haven't automatically fallen in lock step with Old Europe countries like... Spain?
Pfft.
Why don't you actually *accept* what I said, and understand that the beef I had with Poland is that (alongside Spain) it was trying to screw both smaller and bigger countries that wanted a more fair and functional voting system? Demanding a number of votes that was irrationally out of proportion even by European Council standards?
Why does everything need to have deeper dark motivations for you people? I *said* why I was annoyed with Poland.
#46
Bottom line is, the EU can expand to beyond Pluto but France & Germany will always do everything to be the epicenter of power. Look for a 'union within a union' to develop, consisting of the original six (or whatever the number was).
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 21:26 Comments ||
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#47
"Even the most eurosceptical politicians praised the article of secession as excellent: The article would be far more threatening if it allowed no negotiation room at all, if remaining in the EU was necessarily an all-or-nothing option."
-I don't dispute that some politicians may have praised this article as you say. However, you asserted it was an easy endeavor to leave the union, I'd say it is a simple action but definitely not an easy one. As simple and easy are not the same thing. Also, I'm sure they had to put a negotiating aspect into the draft as no country in its right mind would sign off on a non-negotiable exit course of action - the framers of your constitution definitely knew this - so I think that's a moot point and a bit of a non-sequitor (sp?). Anyway, I've enjoyed this thread - very educational.
via Financial Times - EFL / Fair Use
By Robert Graham in Paris
Published: March 23 2004 4:00 | Last Updated: March 23 2004 4:00 The downward spiral steepens...
Franceâs mainstream parties of the left are poised to make significant gains in Sundayâs run-off regional elections after the centre-rightâs poor first-round performance. Chriac & Co have certainly given the term centre-right a bad name...
A snap survey yesterday conducted by the CSA polling institute showed 46 per cent ready to vote for lists of the left against 38 per cent for the centre right and 16 per cent for the far-right National Front. With the Front ruled out as a second-round ally, the ruling UMP and the government of premier Jean-Pierre Raffarin risk a sharp setback if the poll proves accurate. This would increase the likelihood of President Jacques Chirac appointing a new prime minister. The CSA poll further revealed that 42 per cent of those who voted on Sunday wanted to demonstrate their disaffection with government policy. Perhaps theyâre tired of the "Hate America" game and need a new set of rants to cheer themselves up... Nah, I donât think so either. "As long as you donât touch my benefits and the blame is placed upon an external bogeyman, weâre game!"
The leftwing opposition, headed by the Socialist party, was confident yesterday that it could secure the support of the Communists and Greens in regions where they stood in the first round. Socialist officials said this would help to reform the coalition that successfully governed France under Lionel Jospin from 1997-2002 but which was battered in the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2002. ...more...
This is what I love about European politics: To create a government out of 47 factional "parties", everyone must compromise their plans in an effort to build a coalition, often resulting in a confused watered-down ineffective and, quite often, pointless non-plan. So, when nothing is achieved, who can be surprised? But, of course, it is far superior to the US semi-unilateralist form. We have so much to learn from our betters. Can the Sixth Republic be far away? Calling Sabine... are you there?
Posted by: .com ||
03/23/2004 12:27:07 AM ||
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.com, if you get the chance, you should read Schirer's The Collapse of the Third Republic. Great insights into the French political mess.
#2
Cool! Will Do. I find the French political landscape to be riddled with unfathomable "givens" - socially accepted / customary things for which I have insufficient background to place in context. Reading the first review, this is eerily similar to the recent Spanish electoral collapse:
"the pro-republican leaders (especially the Socialists) allowed themselves to be meekly stampeded into voting the republican regime out of existence and granted unlimited dictatorial powers to Petain"...
#4
"compromise their plans in an effort to build a coalition, often resulting in a confused watered-down ineffective and, quite often, pointless non-plan"
Here we dont call it a coalition, we call it "triangulation".
#5
Um, I thought 'triangulation' was more like one group ascertaining the 'wants' of other groups and crafting something on its own that appeals to, and captures approval from, significant members of the other groups.
I have a mental vision of a bare-breasted Sabine wearing a floppy red hat, shouting "Citoyens! Aux barricades!" while a world-weary fellow in a beret and a black turtleneck, smoking a Gauloise and sipping a Pernod, sneers at her dismissively...
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 16:24 Comments ||
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#7
Apparently, there were a crowd of such Sabines who watched this: Jewish community center in France attacked and did nothing.
In fact, they probably lit their Gaulouises adn Gitanes on the flames! Plus la France change, plus c'est la meme chose!
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 16:32 Comments ||
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#8
There's nothing wrong with France that a few trips of the tumbrels wouldn't cure.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 16:37 Comments ||
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#9
Ah, oui...Delacroix's Liberty leading the people. Love it.
France should give it to us!
Seen it in the Louvre--magnificent.
But the French who say things never change have indeed changed a lot since 1789, except for good men like JFM, Merde in France and the Dissident Frogman!
(And Fred, that Reign of Terror really got out of hand...)
Sadly, the Islamists adore beheadings as much as the Jacobins did which is why it's only fitting that all that was left of Yassin was his head.
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 16:54 Comments ||
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#10
Sabine could do a Playboy spread like that. I'd buy that for a dollar.
#11
bare breasted babe charging the enemy while holding the colors in one hand and a service-rifle in the other, that's what I call leadership by example.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/23/2004 12:02:08 AM ||
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They want Saddam released unconditionally!? And I suppose they want Uday and Qusay resurrected too. Well, all I can say is "'Script Off And Link(SOAL)."
the URL link wonât work after today-- it will be an new archive link not available yet
Top Ten Ways Dennis Kucinich Can Still Be The Next President Of The United States presented by Dennis Kucinich
10. "Keep doing what Iâm doing -- Iâm winning, right?"
9. "Constitution is amended stating presidents must be 35 or older, a natural-born citizen and named âDennisâ."
8. "Act like a boob so people will perceive me as more Presidential."
7. "You want crazy campaign promises? Fine! If Iâm elected everybody gets a million bucks."
6. "Enter and win next âAmerican Idolâ."
5. "Announce your running mate will be a plate of fudge -- people love fudge."
4. "Just wait till I unleash my new campaign slogan: âKucizzle in the Hizzle!â"
3. "According to the order of presidential succession, if George W. Bush were to resign today, along with Dick Cheney and about 300 other people, the presidency passes to a congressman from Ohio."
2. "Get the governors of every state to rig the election."
EFL
Clinton administration diplomatic troubleshooter Mansoor Ijaz charged Monday that one-time White House terrorism czar Richard Clarke blocked efforts to gather intelligence on al Qaeda and torpedoed a deal to have Osama bin Laden extradited from Afghanistan in the years before the 9/11 attacks. ...He said he also personally negotiated an deal "to get bin Laden out of Afghanistan in the spring and summer of 2000, using at Abu Dhabi Royal Family as a proxy to get him out on an extradition offer." But Ijaz told Fox: "In each case of things that were involved in the Clinton administration, Richard Clarke himself stepped in and blocked the efforts that were being made over and over and over again." The unofficial diplomat said that if Clarke hadnât put up roadblocks to obtaining Sudanese intelligence, the bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998 might have been prevented. He called Clarkeâs account denying offers of Sudanese cooperation "absolutely disingenuous; it comes very close to flat-out lying."
Posted by: Yosemite Sam ||
03/23/2004 2:04:06 PM ||
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I work at a "large Government organization" and yesterday I saw a snippet of the Clarke interview on CNN. The guy next to me goes "What an Asshole!". I said, "Yeah, I think so too.". He replied "No, He really is an Asshole, I used to work for the SonovaBitch!".
#2
well, that sounds like Ijaz is telling the truth or Clarke will sue him for slander (even if he is a public figure). I don't think Clarke will be suing anytim soon, hmmmm?
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/23/2004 14:14 Comments ||
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#3
Sounds like Clarke would be a perfect fit in a SKerry cabinet - back-to-back stereo waffling. I have the perfect venue - let's ask the French to make Kerry president of Crozet Island. He'd feel right at home.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/23/2004 17:28 Comments ||
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#4
Waiting for the big networks and newspapers to lead with this story, and harp on it for a week at least. "60 Minutes" is sure to do a piece on it, right?
Right?
*crickets chirping*
I'd better pull up a chair - it's going to be a long wait.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/23/2004 17:48 Comments ||
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#5
Ijaz was even more fired up on Laura Ingraham's show today. He kept talking about how outraged he is by Clarke's "flat out lies."
Posted by: Tibor ||
03/23/2004 21:23 Comments ||
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(2004-03-20) -- The presumptive Democrat presidential nominee, Sen. John Forbes Kerry, today called for a ban on snowboarding. The demand comes less than a week after a Secret Service agent caused the Senator to tumble on a slope in Idaho.
"Snowboarding is an inherently dangerous activity," said Mr. Kerry. "Although Iâm one of the best snowboarders alive, and I donât fall down, there is no way to protect the average 19-year-old from being taken out by a [expletive deleted] Secret Service agent. The board manufacturers claim the sport is safe. But how do you ask a man to be the last man to break his leg for a lie?"
In a symbolic gesture, Mr. Kerry plans to throw his snowboard, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, over the White House fence later this week. TV news crews will be permitted to videotape his second snowboard toss attempt.
Posted by: Korora ||
03/23/2004 11:10:55 AM ||
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"Jean Pierre Kerry"? I prefer "Jean Claude" after JC Killy, the great frog downhiller from the seventies.
Posted by: Man Bites Dog ||
03/23/2004 15:33 Comments ||
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#2
Back in the 70's and early 80's there was a restaurant in town that named it's menu items after celebrities. They called the French Dip sandwich, "The Jean-Claude Killy". It seems the menu needs updating to a name befitting the French looking, presumptuous Democrat presidential nominee.
"The Prowler" in The American Spectator.
Hat tip: Relapsed Catholic.
So much for Kerry Catholicism. On Sunday, John Kerry showed up for the 10:30 Mass at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church at 10:41 a.m. (The church had roped off two pews for the VIP.) Adding further insult, Kerry arrived noisily, fully outfitted for skiing, not dressed for a religious service. Compounding the insult -- this time to all Catholics in good standings -- Kerry received the sacrament of Holy Eucharist, even though heâs not considered to be a Catholic in good standing. But theyâre not through insulting the Catholics just yet . . .
"It was just a media-op," says a Kerry advance staffer. "We set it up with some reporters that we knew were going to be there." Two reactions:
1. "Hey, youâre mixing religion and politics! What about separation of church and state?"
"Itâs okay, weâre privileged white liberals, so weâre allowed. That separation biz only applies to our opponents."
2. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Mass is something a bit more significant than a "media-op." If kerry wants me to take his claim of faith seriously, he needs to take his faith a little more seriously.
Posted by: Mike ||
03/23/2004 7:10:22 AM ||
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Actually the priest can refuse to give the Holy Sacrament if he knows the recipient is not in good standing. i.e. divorced......etc.HE's proably a DIm too.
Posted by: Bill Nelson ||
03/23/2004 8:28 Comments ||
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#2
If kerry wants me to take his claim of faith seriously, he needs to take his faith a little more seriously
The only thing Kerry takes seriously is himself.
I've always been amazed at how you can usually find the nastiest, most hypocritical people in the first 2 rows of pews.
#4
More from the article: Under church law, Kerry's very public support of abortion disqualifies him from the sacraments. He is not known to be a regular Mass attendee. In fact, some Roman Catholics in Boston have in the past pressed for the bishops there to excommunicate Kerry for his refusal to accept Catholic doctrine and canon law.
#5
Using the church as a media op is weak. I know a lot of politicians do it on both sides of the aisle - still weak. Go to church because it's what you do, not because it's popular to do. This reminds me of the dems during the NH primary all going to baptist churches arriving late, taking off early and not having the decency to pay proper respect to the clergy or the congregation.
#8
It'll be interesting to see what the red hats' reaction is to this. But they don't have many divisions, so it shouldn't be aproblem.
When the first JFK ran, the great fear among evangelical protestants was that a "good" Catholic would be taking orders from the Pope. Now with JFK II running the fear amongst them is that he will do nothing in accordance with church teachings.
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
03/23/2004 10:40 Comments ||
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#9
How many potential votes in the Islamic bloc,.com?
Imagine! The world's first Muslim-Jew.
#10
GK - Lol! Since the Qu'uran actually tells them not to participate (makes them unclean to play infidel reindeer games, I guess) there shouldn't BE any Islamic voting block!
"The world's first Muslim-Jew."
And Black, too! Reminds me of the SatireWire's bit on the HinJews! Hmm, would it be MusJews or JewLims? Top billing would be pretty touchy, ya think?
#12
So Kerry is Jewish and Black? Is he Sammy Davis Jr? FYI Priest don't normally check to see if you are in good standing and I have to bet that they cleared this 'event' with he priest before he showed up. As for what he was wearing.... It's not a fashion show and I am glad because I would lose every Sunday. I do dress up (shirt/tie) on holy days of obligation, but it's ususally casual dress for my clan on Sunday.
#13
Cyber Sarge, I'm not one for getting all dressed up for church (I'm a catholic in the south BTW), but he showed up dressed to go snowboarding. I can just imagine him going svwisssh-svwiisshh down the aisle to his seat. Egads. What an ass.
#14
Cyber Sarge: it's not so much about what he was wearing--it's about what he was doing, and thinking, and being. In his case, what he was wearing simply revealed his flip attitude--heck, he had to go skiing right afterwards (another media-op)--no time to change! "Besides, who cares? This religious stuff is just to get me some votes, heh, heh. "
I'm not Catholic, but I think what Kerry did was sick. It would different if he went to church there all the time--if it was his home church, if he was committed to what he was "professing," if he wasn't desecrating their holy things through his own self-worship.
So he got his media-op. Goody gumdrops. Why is it I don't think the Almightly was impressed . . .
#15
Ok now. I must confess that one Sunday my family was clad in snow pants because we were heading to the snow after mass. Yes we 'swished' when we walked but we did take time to go. No I don't think Kerry is a perfect Catholic but neither am I. My blood boils when the left dissects every litle detail about Bush (hair, Dress, manners, etc.) and I am not about to get caught up in that. Senator Kerry went to mass, end of story. Did he do it for political gain? Probably, but lets not get caught up in the minor details (heck he might even have an epiphany one of these Sundays)!
#16
John-Pierre's gonna be our first plaid president?
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 14:16 Comments ||
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Cyber Sarge: Yeah, but you're an average American. It isn't the first time you've set foot inside a church during the last decade. And plenty of people go to church in regular clothes. Why not? Jesus wouldn't condemn them. But Kerry is running for leader of the free world. That should be the "epiphany" right there! Besides, people aren't complaining about him going to church, per se. They just don't like it when politicians all of sudden become "spiritual" during an election year and try to use church as a political plank in their platform. Bill used to do it all the time. Same reason he got a dog--to try to appeal to American voters. If Kerry ventures into a church now and again, sure, maye he'll get something out of it. One would hope so. I really mean that. My hope is that he would have a true change of heart. But it's just so obvious what he's doing and that his motives are questionable, that one should expect people to complain. Jarhead's comment #5 sums up the sentiment.
#18
I am a Catholic, a pre-Vatican II Jesuit-educated one. Kerry better carefully pick where he goes to Mass, because in some places he might get stiffed as he stands there with his hand or tongue out. Recent directives from the Bishops make clear the responsibilities of Catholic politicians who wish to parade themselves as such. There are so many reasons for this man to be horse-whipped that I don't know where to start!
#19
Not only has Lurch taken a public position for abortion many times, which is anathema to Catholics, but when he divorced his current wife to marry Theresa Heinz, Theresa made him get an annulment, thus making his children by Wife#1 "illegitimate" in the eyes of the Church.
Word on the street was that Tom Daschle's bishop was going to excommunicate him for being pro-abortion in the Senate also.
It's one thing to be a faithful Catholic, but if you're going to Mass because you're after the Catholic vote...well, I just hope that Satan is putting some more briquets on the barbie!
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 15:16 Comments ||
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Sarge:
I agree with Brother Ex above--the insult is not that Kerry went to Mass, it's that he went to Mass for a photo op, insisted on special treatment ("DYKWIA!"), and then had the added discourtesy to show up late--at about 11 minutes in, that would mean he's interrupting the First Reading or the Responsorial Psalm, distracting everyone's attention away from the Word with his hey-look-at-me! entrance.
No class.
Posted by: Mike ||
03/23/2004 15:21 Comments ||
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#21
Mike, maybe Lurch can try that "DYKWIA" thing with the Almighty...
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 15:27 Comments ||
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#22
Ok I surrender! He was disrespectful to show up late. And to bring the press along was an added insult. Like Ex-Lib I really TRUELy hope Senator Kerry listened to the reading last Sunday. It was about the Prodigal Sons return to his Father. Prophetic aint it!
#23
You write:
"John Kerry stages a "media op" at Mass
"The Prowler" in The American Spectator.
Hat tip: Relapsed Catholic.
So much for Kerry Catholicism."
Whom you are fooling, you imbecile!
He is not Kerry, he is Kohn, Jew originating from Czechoslovakia and dual citizen.
You, people of JSA are abnormally superficial.
That is why your masters fool you any way they want!
Now tell me that "Old Style" is beer and
"Morgen Dabid" is wine!
Posted by: David Diamond ||
03/23/2004 16:29 Comments ||
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#24
No matter who he is, Lurch is a bad Catholic and would make an even worse Jew.
Good to see that David's tin foil keffiyah is screwed on tight!
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 16:34 Comments ||
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#25
JSA? Who-dat?
Posted by: Mike ||
03/23/2004 16:52 Comments ||
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#28
His annulment means that he's okay receiving the Eucharist vis a vis the divorce issue. While the Bishop or the priest serving the Mass can deny him the Eucharist if they wish because of his political views, I don't know of too many who would.
Steve (Catholic but not very good at being one)
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/23/2004 18:57 Comments ||
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#31
I speculate that he has not made time to see the Passion quite yet. Maybe he is actually pretty reverent but the results of the focus group came back and his handlers told him that America wants a slouching Christian as a counterpoint to GWB's piousness.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/23/2004 23:56 Comments ||
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John Podhoretz on Clarkeâs greatness! RICHARD Clarke is the greatest man who has ever strode this planetâs surface. I know this because I have just read his book, "Against All Enemies." Some might suggest that the book is a distorted, false, sour-grapes account from a demoted government official who wants to settle scores and destroy the Bush administration in which he served as a holdover staffer from the Clinton years. But thatâs because they simply donât comprehend the power and the glory that is Dick Clarke. He is the man who took charge of America on 9/11 by "putting together a secure teleconference to manage the crisis," he writes on page 2.
A secure teleconference! Wow! If you knew anything about Washington, you would surely think that a staffer on the National Security Council - traditionally a role without a great deal of authority - wouldnât be a major decision-maker during the day of and the days following the attack on this country. Thatâs because You Donât Know Dick Clarke.
Clarke says he all but ordered the president of the United States not to return to Washington on that day. ("Figure out where to move the president. He canât come back here until we know what the s--t is happening.") By his own account, it was Clarke who gave the order to "authorize the Air Force to shoot down any aircraft . . . that looks like it is threatening to attack." You thought it was Dick Cheney who gave that order? You were wrong - at least if you believe Dick Clarke.
Oh, and Clarke took command of the Air Force, too. ("Roger, find out where the fighter planes are. I want Combat Air Patrol over every major city in this country. Now.") Remember when Alexander Haig created a firestorm right after the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan by claiming he was "in charge"? Well, when it comes to being "in charge," Haig had nothing on Dick Clarke, who was - so he tells us with excruciating generosity - a just and righteous ruler of America on that day.
Some might suggest that since Clarke was the National Security Council staffer responsible for dealing with terrorism during the Clinton years, he might be a little shy about claiming that the Bush administration didnât do enough to take out Osama bin Laden. After all, it was the Clinton administration that failed to react effectively to the four major terrorist acts planned or supported by al Qaeda during the 1990s. Neither Clarke nor the administration discerned al Qaedaâs hand in the 1993 World Trade Center attack, though the evidence of financial support is plain now. Clarke believed Iran was behind the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, though we now know it to have been the work of al Qaeda. And he told Bill Clinton that the pharmaceutical plant in the Sudan blown up after the embassy bombings in 1998 was an al Qaeda workshop, which it wasnât.
And the Clinton administration didnât respond at all to the bombing of USS Cole in October 2000. This would seem to be the most glaring failure of all, since 17 American sailors died and more than 100 were wounded. Clarke explains this colossal failure by reporting that "time was running out on the Clinton administration. There was going to be one last major national-security initative and it was going to be a final try to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian agreement. I would like to have tried both, Camp David and blowing up the al Qaeda camps. Nonetheless, I understood." And if he understood, why shouldnât we all?
What Clarke reveals in "Against All Enemies" is that - not to put too fine a point on it - he is a self-regarding buffoon. But his solipsistic silliness wonât give pause to the Democrat-media desperation to rewrite recent history in an effort to delude voters that the 9/11 attacks were the fault of George W. Bushâs inattention. They were not Bushâs fault, and they were not caused by his inattention. Nor were they Clintonâs fault. They were the fault of Osama bin Laden, who attacked and killed 3,000 Americans and would happily have seen that number read 30,000 or 50,000. We need to remember this, and we are in danger of forgetting it in the raging partisan kerfuffle.
In the months after 9/11, the Bush administration refused - absolutely refused - to try to blame the attacks on the Clinton administrationâs failure of vision. The nation needed to be united in its determination and could not afford to surrender to finger-pointing. Well, guess what? The Clinton administrationâs senior foreign-policy officials will be appearing this week before the 9/11 commission - to do to the Bush administration exactly what the Bush administration refused to do to them. "It is essential that we prevent further attacks, and that we protect the Constitution," Clarke writes, "against all enemies." It is clear from the context of this sentence that he includes George W. Bush among the enemies along with Osama bin Laden. You see! You people donât understand the greatness of Clarke! Another Clintonite that had his 15 minutes of fame and then flamed out!
The story begins: "The Clinton and Bush administrations secretly considered but ultimately rejected a range of military actions against Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network prior to September 11, 2001."
What follows are SIX examples from the Clinton Administration and NONE from the Bush Administration. No liberal media bias here.
The military under Bush may have rejected plans to attack al Qaeda pre-9/11, but CNN provides no such examples.
Posted by: Tibor ||
03/23/2004 21:18 Comments ||
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#5
Pod has my unlicensed usage rights (LOL) as does anyone on the right side of the argument. You DU bastards, better watch for a letter from my lawyer ;-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/23/2004 21:23 Comments ||
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#6
Clarke sounds a lot like Thurber's Walter Mitty.
#8
Opinionjournal.com's James Taranto uses kerfuffle all the time (so much so that some people have complained). Of course, since the word is Yiddish, it's just an implant into the English language by the Jooos.
Posted by: Tibor ||
03/23/2004 23:02 Comments ||
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Commentary by James Hackett, edited for missile defense info:
Twenty-one years ago today, Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) to protect this country from the very real threat of nuclear destruction. Determined political opposition and severe constraints of the ABM treaty delayed the effort until a president with the political courage to make it happen was in office. That president was George W. Bush, and now the first units of a national missile defense are about to be fielded.This year, 2004, is the year of missile defense.
John "Flip Flop" Kerry is, as usual, on both sides of the fence. He voted against National Missile Defense (NMD) in 96 & 98, voted Yes in 1999, and is officially against it now. (subject to change, your mileage may vary)
In about 90 days, the first interceptor will be lowered into its silo at Fort Greely, Alaska, and shortly thereafter will be put on alert to begin defending the country. By the end of the year, six interceptors will be on duty in Alaska and four at Vandenberg AFB in California. President Bush ordered an initial defense to be ready by Oct. 1, but the Missile Defense Agency plans to put the system on alert as soon as the capability exists to defend against a single missile, probably sometime this summer.
Excellent, I didn't know they were this far along.
Ten more interceptors will be added in Alaska next year, plus 10 ship-based interceptors. Another 10, perhaps at a third site yet to be determined, are in the 2005 budget to be operational in 2006. In less than one term, President Bush has gone from zero missile defenses to a system that will grow to more than 40 interceptors over the next three years. If he wins a second term, the system will be improved steadily in block upgrades to become a layered complex of land- and sea-based defenses, supported by space-based sensors and communications, to stop missiles in any phase of flight.
Nothing is leak-proof, but one hell of a lot better than nothing.
With oceans on both sides of the country, sea-based defenses are important but could not even be considered under the ABM treaty. President Bush's withdrawal from that treaty made sea-based defenses possible. Next year, the big ABM radar now being installed on a seagoing platform on the Texas Gulf coast will sail around Cape Horn to the North Pacific, where it will operate near Adak Island, Alaska. Such a floating radar can go where the threat is greatest and avoids the need for another country to approve a radar base. A second sea-based radar is to be added later, probably in the North Atlantic.
More smart thinking.
In addition, the SPY-1 radars on up to 20 Aegis cruisers and destroyers are being upgraded for missile defense duty. The Navy plans to have five SM-3 interceptors on three Aegis cruisers "on alert" by early next year.
Looks like the first one will be on station in the Sea of Japan in Sept.
Ten more interceptors will be added by the end of 2005, and 40 more over the next two years. The SM-3 is a 3-stage interceptor that can stop the kind of missiles North Korea has tested. Aegis ships will play an important role in a worldwide network of missile defenses on land and sea. And allies that often dragged their feet, ranging from Japan and Taiwan to Canada, Australia and India, are now lining up to join the effort.
But why is all this necessary, considering the Soviet collapse and Russia's change to a friendly nation? In the 1990s, a new threat emerged as China, India, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea tested ballistic missiles of increasingly greater range. India and Pakistan also tested nuclear weapons, and North Korea, Iran and Libya were secretly developing them.
Thank you, Dr. Khan.
Finally, North Korea's launch of a three-stage missile that could be modified to reach the U.S. mainland brought home the danger even to many opponents of missile defense.
They see a danger, they just don't admit to it.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/23/2004 12:03:16 PM ||
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NK's got no assurance now that their NoDong (I'm convinced they're named in Kimmy's honor) missiles will ever reach boost phase much less their targets....and the incoming they get in return will be accurate to, what was it? Oh, 10 cm
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/23/2004 14:29 Comments ||
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#2
I'm glad they got Alaska protected first because that's what Kim is most likely to hit if he aims for LA. :-) Mexico better be careful because if they don't account for windage....
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/23/2004 23:58 Comments ||
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#2
I would like to see the commission DO something to PREVENT the next attack instead of this political game they are playing. IHO there is NO reason for any panel member to meet with any member of the Democrat or Republican parties. I heard that they meet with respective leaders on a weekly basis. That makes this a WASTE of money. There is plenty of blame to go around but lets keep the country safe and put the politics aside.
In the end, anti-Americanism boils down to the timeless disgust with America's daring to export its idea of liberty to the four corners of the globe. Whether via gunboat diplomacy, realpolitik, humanitarian intervention, or the current blend of preemptive strikes and trade liberalization -- despite intermittent rollbacks at the behest of groaning industrial-age unions and its John Edwards demagogues -- it is anathema to the Old World mind (and its Rousseauean influence in the New World) that a nation would choose to pursue other than parochial mercantilist interests. This is why French companies violated the sanctions against post-Gulf War Iraq while the chattering class decried the Yankee drive to trade blood for oil. It is why Vladimir Putin is a supposedly faithful partner in the war against Islamic terrorism while selling nuclear reactors to Iran. And it is the reason that, unfortunately, Europeans consider the United States to be the second-most dangerous country in the world -- second only to the sole democracy in the Middle East.
To oversimplify the point, Europeans (like New Yorkers) are cynical, and cannot comprehend the "shining city upon a hill." They can't help it; their Enlightenment was essentially French and positivistic, rather than Scottish and natural law-oriented. Still, it is amusing to observe the simultaneous attacks on America from what roughly corresponds to the political left and right, for being an insufficient promoter of "social justice" while reveling too much in proletarian culture. Such is the paradox of this irrational anti-Americanism.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/23/2004 21:33 ||
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'Course, there's dark elements everywhere -- I saw a thread that declared "Americanism" and religious pluralism incompatible with Catholicism, decrying even patriotic traditionalists ...
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
03/24/2004 0:01 Comments ||
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#3
One more post like that, "Boris," and I swear I will fly over to Israel and offer my services to the IDF!
I may be middle-aged and Protestant, but I'm pretty sure I can shoot good. IslamoFascism delenda est.
Posted by: Jen ||
03/24/2004 0:29 Comments ||
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#4
watch out Boris. She looks a lot like Rosie the Riveter, and could push your head even further up your ass
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/27/2004 15:51 Comments ||
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MESSAGE ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE 21 March 2004
Ten years is not long in the history of a problem whose scale is measured in centuries. But I thought you clowns said itâs all our fault in the last 30 years! Before that, it was global cooling. Make up your minds.
What ever happened to Nuclear Winter?
Nevertheless, significant progress has been achieved in the decade since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change entered into force. But not as much as youâd like - you still havenât been able to sucker us into signing it. Bwhahahaha
The issue of climate change has been placed firmly on local, national and international agendas, in the forefront of public and media scrutiny, and in the strategies of a growing number of businesses. Institutions and processes have been put in place to enable the worldâs governments to take action, to coordinate those steps, and to measure the results. Annual meetings of the states that are party to the convention -- now numbering 188 -- draw thousands of participants from governments, business, civil society and international organizations. Who do not one g-d thing but talk. (Which, considering the people involved, isnât necessarily a bad thing.)
The Convention has also served as an important market signal, helping new technologies to emerge. For example, the use of wind energy is increasing, industrial processes are being made more efficient, hybrid vehicles are finding their way into the marketplace, and investments in breakthrough technologies involving hydrogen use and carbon capture are on the rise. You want to really contribute, Kofi? Find a way to harness all the hot air coming out of the UN.
Wind energy's a dead end. Industrial processes are made more efficient in response to the combined stimuli of markets and available technology. Hybrid vehicles are neat, pricey, and probably a technological dead end. Investments in breakthrough technologies involving hydrogen and carbon capture respond to OPEC, rather than to Kofi. A neat lumping of multiple effects with attribution to a single, unrelated cause.
The Conventionâs financial mechanism has also channeled almost $10 billion to climate change projects in poor countries, which are the most vulnerable to the impacts of the phenomenon. Care to explain exactly how, Koffin? Or are we just supposed to take your word for it?
The Conventionâs goal of returning the greenhouse gas emissions of industrialized countries to their 1990 levels by the year 2000 was achieved for those countries as a whole. However, for most individual countries, emissions of greenhouse gases are now increasing. Maybe because there are more people in the world? Maybe we should cut down on that. Letâs start with you and the other useless wankers in the UN.
Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, a key measure of long-term success, have increased about 5 per cent in the past decade. No doubt from your hot air again.
Told ya we shouldn't have saved the rain forests. It's all those trees...
All countries must carry out more intensive efforts to limit future emissions, with developed countries taking a clear lead. There is also a need for more concerted action to adapt to climate change, since some of its effects are by now inevitable and, indeed, we may already be seeing â in the increased incidence of drought, floods and extreme weather events that many regions are experiencing â some of the devastation that lies ahead. Or maybe weâre just keeping better records, and know more about these things happening around the world because of the 24-hour news maw that needs to be fed with something. Whereâs your statistical proof that the incidence has increased? Increased where? And compared to when? Last year? 1000 B.C.? 1932?
I think it's signs and portents, myself. Unless holy men quit dabbling in politix, God will continue occasionally dropping a warning, until He loses patience and it starts raining real hard. Then Kofi can form a committee on Global Precipitation. 40 days and 40 nights later, they'll be discovered by the survivors, two dozen pillars of salt, sitting around a soggy conference table...
This anniversary is also a moment to reiterate strong support for the Conventionâs Kyoto Protocol. The Protocolâs lack of entry into force remains a major hurdle to effective global
action. of hobbling the U.S. economy so you jealous slack-offs wonât feel so bad that weâre more productive than you are.
I call again on those countries that have not yet ratified the Protocol to do so, and show that they are truly committed to shouldering their global responsibilities. of sending their economies into the toilet.
The global fight against climate change is a vast undertaking that will require sustained global citizenship There it is - the Tranzis again. Surprise, surprise. Paging Mr. Kerry....
and vision for decades to come. The international community should take pride in what it has done thus far to respond to this challenge. But only if these efforts are truly re-energized will we place our societies on more secure footing, and avert the calamities that the worldâs best science Kofi, youâve mispelled "worst-case scenario wild-assed guess" again
tells us lie ahead if we continue on our present course. straight to hell Aw, jeez, Kofi, stuff a sock in it. Wotta maroon.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut bskolaut@hotmail.com ||
03/23/2004 5:37:20 PM ||
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Kyoto: Putting the mental in environmentalism since 1997
#6
Hybrids are now economical because Chavez wants them to be. There are some good after-market chips available that will probably become standard equipment if this keeps up. TCS has Baptist, Bootleggers and Wind Power that seems to imply that Kofi owns stock in wind power companies and hopes to encourage mandated use in sucker countries that want business to flee to locations where the cost of business is not inflated by stupid ideas.
A worse idea is the highly controversial United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty, which will make the Oil-For-Food irregularities look like a employee shrinkage at a burger joint.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/24/2004 2:45 Comments ||
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Some members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries on Monday suggested the oil cartel postpone implementing the production cut it agreed last month. However, others stuck by the April 1 start date to reduce the group's production quota by 1m barrels a day to 23.5m b/d. That sent mixed signals to an already nervous oil market where some large institutional investors are beginning to cash in on their record long positions. Opec, which controls almost 40 per cent of the world's supply, will meet on March 31 to decide whether to stick to its decision last month to reduce its quota in expectation of lower demand this spring. Chakib Khelil, Algeria's energy minister, said: "Algeria feels that the decision that was made in Algiers on February 10 is a prudent and precautionary measure to avoid a tremendous fall in oil prices." He said the reduction was prudent "because in the second quarter we are going to have a lower demand of 2.5m b/d and if the hedging funds pull out of the market, we are going to have at least a $7 drop in prices".
This guy's lucky to have a country.
Others in the group have suggested the organisation should delay its decision while oil prices are still so high, but it is not yet clear who backs which proposal and, most importantly, what Saudia Arabia - Opec's biggest member - thinks. Obaid bin Saifal-Nasseri, United Arab Emirates oil minister, said: "The idea [of the delay] will be submitted along with other ideas for discussion at Opec's ordinary ministerial meeting on March 31 in Vienna." Nymex oil futures in New York were down 97 cents at $37.11 per barrel. Brent was 46 cents lower at $32.80. A report by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday showed funds held a net long position in crude oil futures and options contracts of 125,313 contracts last week, 4,422 less than the week before and 10,000 contracts below the record.
Some economists and analysts said Opec's worry about a price collapse as demand for winter fuels subsided in the western hemisphere was misplaced. Opec's obsession with the need to cut output to prevent an oil price collapse in the fourth quarter four looked increasingly out of step with the behaviour of the oil market, the Centre for Global Energy Studies in London said in its monthly report on Monday. Opec ought to have little difficulty in keeping oil prices at or above $28 a barrel in 2004, a level that appears to have become the organisation's first line of price defence in what is a tight market. Demand from China and the US has been especially strong in the past year, surprising many analysts. Even if Opec decides at its meeting in Vienna next week not to postpone the implementation of its quota cut, it is by no means assured that the group will be able to enforce its decision, especially if prices remain strong, analysts say.
We ought to be encouraging dissenters at OPEC, and elsewhere. Perhaps persaude our new friends the Iraqis to pump a little more?
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/23/2004 1:17:38 AM ||
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Don't you love it when this band of thieves falls out?!
Can't wait until a U.S.-led Iraq (and perhaps our new pal Libya) starts to break the back of this Saudi monopoly!
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 0:11 Comments ||
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#2
Yes, and one of those gang of thieves is our Southern neighbor.
I don't recall any of them opening up the spitgots. Vincente wants his people here, time for quid pro quo.
#3
Chakib Khelil, Algeria's energy minister, said: "Algeria feels that the decision that was made in Algiers on February 10 is a prudent and precautionary measure to avoid a tremendous fall in oil prices."
What's this guy talking about? The upcoming summer season is when people do a lot of their driving. Demand goes UP at this time, not down.
#4
And inventories, world-wide, are very low. That is why we are seeing immediate price rises with every twitch.
Gutting OPEC, as a priority, strikes me as on a par with killing AlQ. The two are perversely linked and AlQ funding is definitely a function of oil prices. The most effective means of destroying OPEC should be elevated to this level.
So, there's this stolen 40km wide strip along the Eastern coast of Saudi Arabia...
#5
The upcoming summer season is when people do a lot of their driving. Demand goes UP at this time, not down.
It's also election time and it's all about the economy, stupid. Oh wait....it's all about oiiilll. ok..wait..if the ecomomy is affected by the price of oil, that would mean the left's is vote is all about oil. But they shouldn't feel bad, afterall, they don't shop at Wallmart....you know, because of the goods from China's sweatshops and all that. And they give their restaraunt doggie bags to the homeless as they walk by. So they are still cool.
#6
The upcoming summer season is when people do a lot of their driving. Demand goes UP at this time, not down
Gasoline demand goes up during the summer, but heating oil demand drops significantly.
EU industry is weak and crude oil futures are priced in US $$. Both these factors mean less wealth to the oil producers unless they keep prices very high.
The problem for them is twofold. First, very high prices encourage some to cheat in order to take more sales when demand slacks. And second, sustained high prices encourages a switch to alternatives.
So, the Saudis, Venezuela and probably Mexico would like to see Bush defeated and therefore want to keep prices high (impacts US economy). OTOH, they also don't want to see a significant shift on America's part to other suppliers.
Cartels are powerful, but they have some very real vulnerabilities too.
Rumors are that the Saudis have been cashing out of US Treasuries and stocks in a probably effort to punish Bush for his Mid East Initiative. However, as the markets showed right after the Madrid bombings, when things are uncertain capital flocks to the safest investments - and despite our level of public debt, US treasuries and our equities are the best bets around.
by Eddie Toh, Business Times
Hat tip: Instapundit; EFL
MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday secured a stunning personal triumph, reversed a so-called green tide of Islamic fundamentalism, and energised his anti-corruption and corporate transparency drive. . . . Yesterdayâs results suggested that [theocratic opposition party Parti Islam SeMalaysia]âs strength in the 1999 poll was built more on a Maly revolt against the handling of the Anwar saga than any fundamental shift in the Maly polity towards Islamic fundamentalism. Mr Abdullah said the landslide win signalled votersâ desire for development, economic progress, efficiency in the civil service and a clean and transparent government, key planks of his electoral strategy.
Posted by: Mike ||
03/23/2004 8:57:47 AM ||
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El Salvador, and now Malaysia, voting distance between themselves and the islamist fucks. How different would it feel if Spain could have been the first on that list, but no.
Spain will have to stand back and watch other peoples do what they should have done for themselves.
They have this sort of thing instead of news in Syria...
President Bashar al-Assad received yesterday morning at al-Shaab (people) Palace His Royal Highness Prince Carlo of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, the Grand Master and the Grand Prefect and Heir Apparent of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies; Her Royal Highness Princess Camilla of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duchess of Calabria; and His Excellency Mr. Anthony Baily, St. George's Order's Delegate for Relations with Foreign States. Following the meeting, the President was bestowed the orders of highest honour, the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Francisco I, and the Benemerenti Gold Medal of the Constantinian Order, in recognition of the important and vital work which His Excellency and the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic have undertaken in relation to the promotion of greater understanding, dialogue and peaceful co-existence between the followers of all faiths in Syria.
That's so he can look spiffy when he puts on his uniform and his tin hat...
The Grand Magistry of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George indicated that President Bashar al-Assad has become the first Muslim Head of State to be recognized by the Order for his contribution to interreligious dialogue and understanding by a Catholic Institution. Then, the President bestowed on His Royal Highness Prince Carlo of Bourbon and Mr. Anthony Baily the Syrian Order of Merit, First Class.
"Golly! A medal! Pretty neat! Here, prince. You try one of ours!"
On the occasion, the President delivered a speech in which he expressed his happiness for being between the highest Catholic order, and bestowing on His Royal Highness Prince Carlo and Mr. Baily the Syrian national orders, in appreciation of their efforts in the area of dialogue and understanding between faiths. The President also expressed his happiness that the order he was bestowed came with the blessing of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, whose positions are appreciated especially towards major world issues. The President pointed out that the importance of this occasion lies in the fact that it expresses a common vision of many great human values which have embodied in the teachings of Islam and Christianity. This common vision confirms that these values didn't disappear, but rather they are strengthening day by day in the world. It also gives evidence of the falsity of the notion of the clash of civilizations. It tells that there is dialogue between civilizations.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 1:33:34 PM ||
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I'm trying to picture their name tags:
Hi! My name is Royal Highness Prince Carlo of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, the Grand Master and the Grand Prefect and Heir Apparent of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies
Posted by: ed ||
03/23/2004 14:05 Comments ||
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#2
Does anybody know what Kerry's full title is? Jean, le Comte de Kerrie? Or is it more elaborate than that?
Posted by: Matt ||
03/23/2004 14:12 Comments ||
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#3
Fred - you're right. The first 15 minutes of "news" in Saudi, Bahrain, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi was always a ceremonial thingy of some sort. Either shots of the Sheikh / Emir / King Al Amode greeting some foreign dignitary or a procession of Tribal Dingdongs kissing his robe. Very Royal. The Old Bahrani Emir was a little different. He was about 5 ft tall, and they would kiss his nose. Perfect height, but hey it was Weird. Imagine how many viruses and bacterial infections he was exposed to. But he lived to a ripe old age.
#5
Hi! My name is Royal Highness Prince Carlo of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, the Grand Master and the Grand Prefect and Heir Apparent of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies
"Hi, Royal--may I call you Royal?--I'm Sid, I'm the regional zone manager for the sales division of the Whitley-Banford Aluminum Siding Company. Can I get you a beer? We got Bud, Bud Light, Michelob, . . . ."
Posted by: Mike ||
03/23/2004 15:16 Comments ||
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#6
Keerist, with monikers like that, no wonder so many euros are lefty revolutionaries...
Posted by: Carl in N.H ||
03/23/2004 15:19 Comments ||
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#7
Short-legged Royalty, minus one Kingdom. Something about the Austrians, or maybe it was the Neopolitans...
#8
aasad to the royal two sicilies: ya gotta appointment bub--i'll check yer eyes, if you blow smoke up my ass--we don't have no clash of civilizations in syria--we have a clash within our civilization--i'm an alawhite ya know--so take yer scruffy chaldean paws offa me--security--security
Posted by: SON OF TOLUI ||
03/23/2004 16:37 Comments ||
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#9
Fred, you dropped the punch line...
"The President went on to say: Syria today is probably the only country in the world that has some of its population still speaking Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ. And neither history nor the state alone can preserve a language... All the other factors such as fraternity and living as one society and one body are the ones that consolidate the simple examples that I have mentioned."
I'll bet that's a great place to live.
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
03/23/2004 16:53 Comments ||
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#10
I *think* Aramaic is also still spoken in parts of Lebanon and Iraq. But double-check, YMMV...
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
03/23/2004 18:06 Comments ||
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#11
I thought Lebanon was part of Syria. Perhaps boy Assad made the same error.
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
03/23/2004 18:51 Comments ||
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From Baltic News Service, not available on Web
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that the NATO plan to bring its military hardware into the Baltic states for Baltic airspace policing affects Russiaâs security interests. "It is a question of deploying the potential for new military (structures), including air force and air defense elements, in the immediate vicinity of our borders, which affects the security of Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko was quoted by Interfax as saying at a briefing in Moscow on Tuesday. "Russia can draw its own conclusions and duly react. We are now studying this step of the alliance," he added.
Yakovenko said the NATO decision "poorly conforms to the spirit of the current partnership between Russia and NATO." He said the arguments put forward by NATO do not sound very convincing. "It is a pity that NATO overestimated the situation in the region where security threats are absent, thanks to Russiaâs unprecedented efforts, among other things," he said. The NATO air policing unit to ensure the protection of the skies over the Baltic states will be stationed in Lithuania, while one of the reserve airfields will be situated in Estonia. "The reserve airports will also be in Estonia and Latvia, but [the planes] are planned to be deployed in Lithuania," Lithuanian Defense Minister Linas Linkevicius said in remarks to Radio Free Europe. Media have reported that four to six F-16 fighter jets, their crews, and a portable radar could be based at the Zokniai air base near Siauliai, Lithunia. Welcome to the Baltics, gentlemen, where the beer is cheap and the women are beautiful.
Diplomatic sources have said that the fighter jets will be provided by rotation, and that Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands will probably take part in the project, with Norway to help with flight control. Different sources have said that also German and Polish air forces could take part in ensuring the protection of the Baltic air space. The Amari airfield, situated some 40 kilometers to the southwest of the Estonian capital Tallinn, will most likely serve as the reserve airfield for the jets in Estonia. Last week, the North Atlantic Council announced it would apply the same air defense protections to new members as it does to current members. These latest developments follow an increase of tension between the Baltic States and Russia ahead of their entry into NATO and the EU. Russian planes passed into Estonian airspace, one last week, and once in October, when a couple of their fighter planes passed within sight of the Estonian presidential "White House." Russia screamed bloody murder when an AWACS passed through Lithuania and Latvia a few weeks ago. Estonia expelled two Russian diplomats this weekend for "activities not in keeping with their diplomatic status."
Posted by: Scott ||
03/23/2004 2:46:45 PM ||
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FEDERAL Government has disclosed that investment in Nigeria's deep offshore oil sector will hit $5billion (about N715billion) by 2005, rising from $2 billion (about N286billion) in 2001. It is also expected that crude oil production from Offshore West Africa (OWA) will increase to 6.2million barrels per day by 2006. OWA countries include, Nigeria Angola, Cameroun and Equatorial Guinea. President Olusegun Obasanjo made the disclosure in a keynote address presented at the opening ceremony of the offshore West Africa (OWA) conference and exhibition, which commenced in Abuja yesterday. The president who was represented by the presidential adviser on petroleum, Dr. Edmund Daukoru disclosed that government was totally committed to providing an enabling environment for investment to flourish in Nigeria's deep offshore. "In the Nigerian sector of the deep water, fields such as Bonga, Erha, Agbami, Akpo and Abo are already on initial production or will shortly be so, and are expected to boost our national production capacity to around 4.1million barrels per day by 2010," he said. He disclosed that ambitious projects are in the offing with the full backing of the administration to capitalize on existing gas opportunities as well as the new deepwater discoveries. They are the Nwa-Doro Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Brass LNG and the Nigeria LNG trains 5 and 6, the Escravos gas to liquid (GTL) project and the West Africa Gas Pipeline," he pointed out. On the shift in date for first gas from WAGP, he disclosed that because it involves other countries, not all of them are in the same financial situation.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 2:32:20 PM ||
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#1
Good, and the oil is all located in the Christian South. There is a large "South-South" movement in Nigeria, directed at booting out the parasitic Muslim infested North. Northerners no longer dominate the federal armed forces.
This time, Biafra will not be alone. Go Ojukwu!
Posted by: Man Bites Dog ||
03/23/2004 15:29 Comments ||
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#2
current production is about 2 million barrels/day (see - http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/nigeria.html)
frankly, it is hard to believe they can increase production so quickly - on the other hand Nigeria does produce a huge percentage of the world's spam
#3
LOL, mhw!
The only bad thing about commenting here at RB is that my shares of Nigerian (and Sierra Leonian yesterday!) spam seem to go way up accordingly.
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 16:21 Comments ||
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#4
Are they in OPEC? If so, the cut in production is cracking before it ever really got started. If not, the Nigerians can clean up. Pump, guys, pump!
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/23/2004 17:44 Comments ||
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Violence erupted Saturday afternoon in Liberia's second city, Buchanan, about 120 kilometers southeast of the capital, Monrovia. According to reports from Buchanan, fighters from the rebel Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) ran amok, looting properties and harassing civilians. One civilian was later confirmed dead.
"Yaaaaa-hoo! We're big tough guys! We got guns and you don't!"
Witnesses who fled the area and later contacted IRIN talked of MODEL fighters letting off weapons at random intervals, causing civilian casualties. A civilian who talked with IRIN via phone from Buchanan said he had seen wounded civilians being taken to the nearest health centres. There was no clear account of why or how the violence started. One witness said simply: "we just decided to pack up and leave because they were hoorawing the town the area was tense and the fighting was too heavy".
"I think they musta found a really big stash of bad weed, y'know?"
Reacting to the situation, the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Lieutenant-General Daniel Opande, confirmed the violence in Buchanan in a radio address on Sunday. Opande said the problems had started when a MODEL combatant had tried to wrest food away from a civilian and had then beaten the civilian after he resisted.
"Gimme that wiener!"
"Hey! That's my wiener!"
[Thump!]
"The civilian population gathered around and of course they decided to retaliate", Opande said.
"Hey! Knock it off, ya big bully!"
"In between the civilian who was first attacked was beaten badly and within a very short time our troops were on the scene. They rescued the civilian who was badly beaten and they took him to the hospital." Opande said the situation had subsequently developed into a free-for-all, "with various MODEL fighters attacking civilians".
"HEY, RUBE!"
Opande said three civilians had been injured and shops had been looted. But he stressed UNMIL troops had regained control of the situation, with UNMIL sending in more soldiers and deploying gun-ships from Monrovia.
"Gunships! Am-scray!"
"Although the city is calm, it is still tense", Opande acknowledged. "But our forces are in full control, so I don't foresee any major escalation of violence".
"All of yez! Move along! Don't lemme see yez around here again!... Mmmmm! That's a tasty-lookin' wiener!"
Model spokesman Boi Blajue Boi regretted the incidents and promised his movement was with UNMIL to calm the situation. Recent reports from Buchanan have highlighted civilian concerns about the number of ex-combatants, particularly MODEL fighters, still holding arms and their use of bullying tactics against civilians.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 2:24:10 PM ||
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EFL Rachel Corrie Award For Courage In The Teaching Of Writing
Call For Nominations ...In making this award,...to encourage writing teachers early in their careers to take on research, pedagogy, and service projects that promote commitment to peace, justice, and human dignity--even when hazarding the ire of deans, chairs, editors, bulldozers and hiring and review committee [this should, but doesnât, include people willing to write about Islamofascism at, oh say, Columbia or to write about dhimmitude or honor killings or female genital mutilation or the influence of CAIR in any university with a Moslem student association].
There will be one $500 cash award to an individual and up to two smaller awards to individuals or groups. The prizes will be presented at the PSCC Annual Event at CCCC in San Antonio in March, 2004--...
Nomination deadline: January 5, 2004.
Ira Shor
Professor of English
City University of New York Graduate School
TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq - The 1100th Construction & Engineering Support Group, Republic of Korea, will host an opening ceremony of the new Information Technology Center for Dhi Qar University in An Nasiriyah Thursday, March 25. The construction group, operating out of Tallil AB, provided construction support and assisted in the renovation of the schoolâs sewer system and overall infrastructure. Additionally, the unit has provided humanitarian support by donating necessities such as clothes, medicine, electric fans, first aid materials and more than 200 wheelchairs.
The links to latest comments are up, upper sidebar. I'm showing the latest dozen, after experimenting with a couple other figures. Wish I'd done that long ago. It helps no end in cleaning up Boris' droppings.
Editors, the editor page shows the latest 24. The Magick Button is on the lower right. Careful with it, though. It doesn't ask if you really, truly intend to blow the comment away. His posts remain trapped in the poster preview page and can be casually, even contemptuously deleted from there. Most regular posters' articles now go directly to the main page, except when they change machines.
I'll probably cut the index page down to just headlines and the latest half dozen posts today, with the full listings on pages 1 and 2. There are a couple bugs I've got to smooth out — nothing serious that I see, you just sometimes don't end up on the page you expected.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 8:41:39 AM ||
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#2
Son, didn't anyone ever tell you that pulling your pud in public is bound to be both a dud for you and a letdown for them? Time for you to lean into the strike zone and take one for the team.
#7
Fred, there may be a clean-up needed on aisle three. Check the 2nd comment in this post. You can delete my counter-comment if it no longer makes sense after JOHN is dealt with.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/23/2004 11:10 Comments ||
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#9
Fred, would it be helpful if you kept this type of post open daily for us narks to squeal on the trolls. I've always enjoyed troll-spanking like .com comment above, but I never realized how many people visit this site until you added the number on-line feature. Keeping a Troll Watch post open may allow concerned citizens to help you remove the doggy presents from the carpet. This particular "troll watch post" has demonstrated an ability to attract the kooks to it like a bug zapper so that their mischief and stupidity, overall, is less pervasive.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/23/2004 11:17 Comments ||
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#10
I guess I should comfort myself that he's making the site better -- with more features, better security. But I do resent having to deal with his stupidity. I just turned off comments on articles more than a day old because he was fulminating on one from November, 2001.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 11:44 Comments ||
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#11
But I do occasionally post something that's designed to make him comment, to test a routine I've just written. He usually bites, too...
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 11:45 Comments ||
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#12
Methinks he's a classic manic obsessive / compulsive. Mebbe if you can capture him alive, you can sell him to some twisted shrink for "medical" experimentation. Dr Steve could prolly broker the deal, heh. He'd definitely be a challenge for pharmaceutical science!
#14
oooooh a Jew-list, kinda like an anti-schindler's?
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/23/2004 11:56 Comments ||
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#15
Boris, my real name was posted early as well. I changed it because the number of Steve's made things very confusing. You are welcome to look back and see what you find. Good hunting.
Fred, I think that is it possible that the feature that you added that displays how many people are currently online may be what is attracting the more tenacious brain damaged chicken-molesters. For some trolls the attraction may be the size of your audience. For others the size of your audience may demand that Rantburg be destroyed. For me knowing how many surfers slide through Ranburg for news encourages me to continue to fight to protect the forum. The work that you and the editors are doing must be of enough value to attract that many surfers and to accumulate such determined enemies.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/23/2004 12:03 Comments ||
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#16
Well, I must be weird. I think it's interesting to be able to see what the trolls are up to. I don't care about the dumb things they say, except that their incoherent redundancy does get boring sometimes. But then, I haven't been visiting Rantburg for very long (not enough time to get totally sick of it?)
I also like the idea of a Troll Watch, but don't have any idea about how much work it would be to snag the troll posts and funnel them into one window labeled as such. If you can I think you should--just for those of us that need to "bash a troll a day" to feel like we're doing our part!
Posted by: john ||
03/23/2004 12:25 Comments ||
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#18
He's flushed.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 13:18 Comments ||
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#19
Ex-lib, I think we are experiencing miscommunication. Fred has been leaving a post open at the above the Short Attention Span topic for the last several days as a forum for ideas. Leaving a "Site Management" post open each day might also serve the purpose of providing a forum for people to identify troll scats throughout the overall site. Rantburg is quite big and the Boris ilk have commenced to use non-zombie names in order to make detection more difficult. Although there are only a limited number of Fred's crack crew of content janitorial staff, there are plenty of us who are wiling to fink on a troll at the drop of a scat hat. I get so much spam in my e-mail box that I hesitate to spam Fred's box with routine Boris sightings. Maybe that clarifies.
This proposal only makes sense if this site has become so threatening to loonies that they can't bear to have continue to exist as it was before. I am, in fact, intrigued that this forum would been seen as so threatening to those that disgust me that they would be overwhelmed with the need to firebomb a forum for ideas with their ravings.
I guess my suggestion is to develop the best way to gattling gun down the zombies as they stagger in looking for lattes and jollies to the annoyance of semi-serious people.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/23/2004 14:12 Comments ||
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#20
By the way, ex-lib, there's no way yo get "totally sick" of Rantburg. Most of us have been here at least two years; I know I've been reading since soon after 9/11/01. The news and commentary are too good. Now if Fred can just write a routine to add a few more hours in my day...but I'm afraid he's still too busy curing jock itch.
#22
Fred---my wife is a psychologist and she could figure out the trolls, but they are just strong noise in the signal. I think that she thinks all of us Rantburgers are crazy! LOL!
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/23/2004 19:14 Comments ||
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#23
I like being able to bitch slap a troll(upon ocasion),but do as you think best Fred.
#24
I'll leave the run of the mill trools, but I'll boot them when they're too nasty for polite company or too unimaginative.
I thought Mucky was a troll at first, and where would we be without him?
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2004 20:03 Comments ||
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#25
Does anyone here miss Murat?
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/23/2004 20:16 Comments ||
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#26
Seafarious and everybody: I meant totally sick of the neo-nazi/communist liberal loonies , not of Rantburg! Sorry for the mix-up. Actually, I'm already sick of Boris, and Aris, and Kunte Kinte et al. But I would be sad if antiwar were to drop out. And the muskster is fun.
#27
Seafarious and everybody: I meant totally sick of the neo-nazi/communist liberal loonies , not of Rantburg! Sorry for the mix-up. Actually, I'm already sick of Boris, and Aris, and Kunte Kinte et al. But I would be sad if antiwar were to drop out. And the muskster is fun.
#8
...IIRC, Petr Veliky has a combined nuclear/gas turbine plant because the Sovs couldn't build a reactor big enough and reliable enough for something like her. (Note also that their one attempt at building a fleet carrier - an nuclear application if there ever was one - was conventionally powered.) Maintenance on Soviet warships was iffy to begin with, and it's gotten worse since the Collapse.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
03/23/2004 10:42 Comments ||
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#9
Aren't the only nuclear-powered ships in the USN carriers and submarines?
They also had nuclear-powered ice breakers.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
03/23/2004 10:56 Comments ||
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#10
I was part of a small exercise with a Ukranian vessel in the Black Sea. If the Russian ships are in the same state of repair as the Ukraninans, I could believe things are really bad. The ship was infested with cockroaches, they were buring oil so bad that it looked like they were on fire (you could see the smoke OTH). We met up in Constanta, Romania and went out from there - only after the US Navy bought more fuel for them. They showed up with only enough fuel for a 1 way trip. They were gap jawed at our ship because it was so clean.
Posted by: Yosemite Sam ||
03/23/2004 11:02 Comments ||
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#11
Aren't the only nuclear-powered ships in the USN carriers and submarines?
Currently, yes. For a number of years, the USN had 9 nuclear powered cruisers, the Long Beach being the first. The USS Bainbridge was a nuclear powered frigate, later redesignated as a cruiser. They've all been scrapped, now there is only the Ticonderoga class of 27 ships.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/23/2004 11:04 Comments ||
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Top Iraq cleric says heâll skip sit-downs with U.N. envoys
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
BY ANTHONY SHADID
WASHINGTON POST
BAGHDAD -- Iraqâs most powerful Shiâa Muslim cleric intensified his opposition to the countryâs interim constitution in a letter released yesterday, threatening to boycott meetings with U.N. envoys who are expected to help chart the transition from American occupation if the constitution is endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. Many fear that if he holds his breath too long, heâll turn pink.
The threat by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani marked another dramatic assertion of the reclusive, 73-year-old clericâs authority in the attempts to fashion a political arrangement after the U.S. administration of Iraq ends June 30. While Sistani already has made clear his objections to the interim constitution, the letter was forceful in questioning its legitimacy, demanding that it be amended and warning of the consequences of not revising a document praised by its supporters as the most liberal in the Arab world. Iâm in charge! I am the powerbroker in Iraq! Kiss my ring!
The letter, which was dated Friday and bore the stamp of Sistaniâs office in the sacred Shiâa city of Najaf, said flaws in the constitution "will lead to a dead end and bring the country into an unstable situation and perhaps lead to its partition and division." ...more...
Love those Holy guys. Theyâre so reasonable and rational. Thereâs even a rumor that one or two have traveled outside ancient times, but one can never be sure of such wild-eyed assertions.
Posted by: .com ||
03/23/2004 3:20:27 AM ||
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#1
You MUST check out the little icon-sized pic of Sistani available now on Google World News. Hurry before they change it. 'Tis the Look of 100% Self-Absorbtion. There's nobody home, folks - this guy is gone. Bigger version if you click it...
#2
He looks like a nut--just like the Ayatollah Khomeini did.
And I think this Sistani dude is "All turban and no jihad."
The interim constitution is already signed and Sistani ain't on the council.
As for the UN, I think that Koffi and his gang are about as popular with Iraqis as they are with Americans.
Posted by: Jen ||
03/23/2004 6:24 Comments ||
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#4
At this point with the Trans admin law already signed, i think it may be time to be a tad firmer with Sistani. I dont share dot coms view, but I think he does live too isolated from the day to day political realities that even his own allies face, and that our previous concessions to him, though justified on the face of it, may have given him an overinflated idea of his own influence. Its time to take him down a notch - in particular by ignoring him on this issue with regard to the Constitution and the UNSC res.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
