I dunno if this is a true story or not. Sounds pretty fishy to me...
Some workers at a warehouse in Fredrikstad had a mess on their hands last week, after a production mistake caused 1,650 cans of mackerel in tomato sauce to literally explode.
"Øøps."
Authorities are floundering for an explanation...
More than a thousand of these exploded in a warehouse in Fredrikstad, creating a mackerel mess. Canned mackerel filets in tomato sauce are a dietary staple for many Norwegians. While part of the national heritage, the product is also fondly ridiculed at times and nicknamed "plane crash" because of the silvery fish's appearance in the red sauce when opened.
Ürk.
Food producer Stabburet always uses a heating technique in the canning process to help preserve the fish, but somehow, the 1,650 cans that blew up missed out. That meant the fish started rotting in the cans, which in turn set off gases that caused the cans to swell until they eventually burst. "It was a highly unfortunate accident," Robert Rønning of Stabburet told VG.
Whatever happened to the highly-trouted Norwegian safety procedures they're always carping about?
Posted by: Seafarious ||
01/24/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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#1
I sent the story off to UrbanLegends@about.com for examination. I'll check their site later to see what they have to say.
#6
Ladies and gentlemen, we have here the world's first successful tesing of the terrifying new biological weapon known as the TMBBB (Tinned Mackerel-Born Botulinum Bomb). Hithertofore existing only as wild speculation in the fevered minds of non-conventional weapons specialists, the TMBBB was believed to be too unstable and unpredictable for practical use.. It now appears that the Norwegian military, in collaboration with the white coats and sou-westers of Stabburet's Gubbins, Pilchards 'n' Biowarfare of Fredrikstad, have overcome the formerly-considered insurmountable obstacles to harnessing the awesome power of oily fish, ketchup and anaerobic bacteria. Temptingly tasty yet capable of spreading biotoxins with deadly efficiency over a wide area, the TMBBB is indisputably the acme of culinary and bioweapons technology synthesis.
It's not yet known whether the Norwegians intend to use the new fiendish addition to their military arsenal to blackmail the world, or merely as a so-called Doomsday Device with whch to fend off EU neighbours greedily eyeing Norway's fish stocks having disastrously mismanaged their own.
#56
You've scrod to be kidding me. Is this thing still going?! I thought we'd shad enough. Seafarious has spawned a whopper of a thread... but you should have seen the one that got away!
Police have arrested the suspected killer of the imam of a mosque in Saudi Arabia, and are investigating a possible terrorist motive, reports said Monday. Saudi daily al-Watan said worshippers in the mosque of Afiriya in the western city of Ranya were stunned when a man barged in during Friday prayers last week, brandishing a pistol which he fired at the mosque's imam, killing him instantly. The killer was later captured by police and turned out to be the cousin of the victim.
Isn't everyone in the Magic Kingdom related to each other?
"The killer admitted his crime, but the motives were still not clear ... Police are investigating whether he had any links with terrorist groups or if his act was an act of vendetta," the paper said.
Or it could be over a girl cousin they both wanted
It also said the killer had a criminal record.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/24/2005 9:03:53 AM ||
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The Saudi interior minister has said the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, is an agent of an enemy of the oil-rich kingdom. Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz said, "Bin Laden is the agent of a certain party, no doubt."
So he's a Zionist agent?
Nayef did not identify the suspected party, the daily newspaper Okaz reported Monday.
"I can say no more!"
"The threat of terrorism in the kingdom persists, but the security forces are even stronger in their bid to combat it and eradicate it altogether," Nayef said. "The shadow of terrorism will continue to exist as long as the sick and deviating minds are not eradicated and uprooted," he said, commenting on bin Laden's call to his followers to attack oil installations in Iraq and Gulf countries. Nayef said that the Saudi government would hold an international anti-terrorism conference Feb. 5. More than 100 people have been killed and dozens wounded in terrorist attacks that have swept Saudi Arabia over the past two years.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/24/2005 8:47:13 AM ||
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It sucks when the chickens come home to roost. With car bombs.
His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, has donated medical and food supplies worth of Dh500,000 to the humanitarian programme of the UAE Red Thingy Crescent Society (RtCS) to support the Iraqi affected families from the recent events in Fallujah. Khamis Mohammed Al Suweidi, head of the RtCS in Sharjah, commended the Sharjah Ruler's continuous support for the society's humanitarian programme and its charitable projects which reflects the noble values he endeavoures to inculcate among the local society members. "This gesture is in line with Shaikh Sultan's deep understanding and initiatives to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi families in Fallujah and improve their living conditions," Al Suweidi said.
"Think of the rifles and grenades we will be able to buy for these suffering families!" he added.
He added that the society had taken necessary measures to deliver the assistance to its beneficiaries as soon as possible.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/24/2005 1:26:53 AM ||
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And there will be loud objections to their having to leave their vehicles at the entrance to Fallujah, being fingerprinted and retina-scanned and given an ID card to wear at all times in the city. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if when they came to the first inspection point, they didn't just turn their vehicles around and leave, later either claiming that "The Americans didn't let us in", or that they "Delivered everything to the grateful Fallujans."
#2
Anyone heard of a donation from Al Quasimi to Saddam's victims? to the victims of Soudanese genocide? to the victims of Tsunami? No? Just what I thought.
Now anyone has an objection to this guy being beheaded?
The Muslim Council of Britain are planning to boycott this week's commemoration of the Holocaust because they claim it is not racially inclusive. Iqbal Sacranie, the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, says it will not attend because the event did not include what it described as continuing human rights abuses and genocide in the occupied territories of Palestine. There isn't much more they could do to heighten the rising Islamophobia they complain about, is there?
Posted by: Bulldog ||
01/24/2005 5:33:09 AM ||
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instead, they will be hosting a celebration of genocides conducted in the name of Islam.
#6
Document this crap so when future anthropologists wonder why muslims became the Mayans and Olmecs of the 21st century, it's understood: they pissed the planet off
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/24/2005 20:19 Comments ||
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New video pictures have been released of the Beslan school siege showing the faces of the hostage takers for the first time. It also features a negotiator talking to the terrorists as he tried to make a deal for a peaceful ending. The video comes as the families of victims continue a protest over the inquiry into the massacre. Around 100 angry parents from Beslan have blocked the motorway which passes through the town. Many have pitched tents across the road and are refusing to budge. More than 300 people taken hostage by pro-Chechen gunmen died when the siege came to a violent end.
Officially, although unofficial numbers go as high as 1800.
Russian President Vladimir Putin promised a full inquiry into the atrocity, last September. But residents say the ongoing investigation has failed to pinpoint those at fault. They are convinced that city officials in the town, near the border with Chechnya, were bribed by the killers to let them through. A spokeswoman said: "This demonstration is a result of of the parliamentary commission coming here this week and telling the mothers of the victims nothing but lies. "Many of them were inside that school and they say with their own eyes a lot of what is being denied."
Edited for brevity. North Korea has cut food rations to just half the amount recommended by the World Food Programme, the UN food agency says. WFP monitors say government handouts have been cut from 300g (10.5oz) of cereals a day to 250g. Additionally, one may only eat TWO blades of grass and FOUR oz. of tree bark.
The UN says 16 million North Koreans rely on the rations. A WFP spokesman told BBC News that many people would be unable to supplement their allocation of maize, rice and potatoes with any meat or vegetables. "Prices of basic foods in private markets have increased substantially - they're beyond the means of many people. Supplementing the ration has been increasingly difficult," said Gerald Bourke, the WFP's public affairs officer for Asia. Most of the worst-affected people are in North Korea's cities, he told the BBC News website. A UN report last year said private farmers' markets, which were meant to alleviate chronic hunger, had instead sparked spiralling inflation. It said 1kg (2.2lb) of rice now costs 30% of the average monthly wage. That's okay--we're so busy developing nuclear weapons we don't have time to eat anyway!
Posted by: Dar ||
01/24/2005 3:17:10 PM ||
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"Prices of basic foods in private markets have increased substantially - they’re beyond the means of many people..."
Wait a minute... is he trying to suggest that in this worker's utopia that they are not beyond the means of SOME people? Whatever happened to "From each according to his ability to each according to his needs?"
Something tells me it met up with "All people are equal, some are just more equal than others."
We are not alone (yes, I know we knew that, but like being told we're beautiful, its always good to hear it again). From the Wall Street Journal, reprinted in full.
'The time has come to take a stance . . . the choice is between dictatorship and democracy." These words were spoken almost two years ago, shortly after George W. Bush had given Saddam Hussein an ultimatum to come clean or face war. But it was not the U.S. president who made this statement -- although it very much sounded like him. It was Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
And indeed, Mr. Rasmussen did take a stance. Denmark was one of only five countries that actually sent fighting troops to Iraq -- the others being of course the U.S., Britain, Poland and Australia. When, after last year's Madrid train bombings, the new Socialist government in Spain decided to hastily withdraw its troops from Iraq, Mr. Rasmussen dismissed speculation that his country might cut and run as well: "That would be a victory for the terrorists and be a fatal sign that terrorism pays," he said.
At the moment, 525 Danish troops are serving in Basra under British command. Just two months ago, the Danish parliament overwhelmingly voted to extend the contingent's stay in Iraq. Lawmakers also voted to increase the number of Danish soldiers serving in Afghanistan fivefold -- from 50 to up to 250. And last year, this country of only 5.5 million people decided to increase its defense budget and reorganize its military so it can double the number of soldiers it can dispatch on international missions to 2,000.
Being a staunch U.S. ally has not hurt Mr. Rasmussen's popularity -- to the contrary. Last week, the prime minister decided to hold early general elections on Feb. 8. Opinion polls suggest that his governing coalition will retain its majority in parliament. Opposition Social Democrats plan to make the war a campaign issue, but it is not likely to be decisive in the election.
Danes have been about evenly split on Iraq, making this probably the most pro-U.S. country in Europe. The general public is much more concerned about the economy, jobs, immigration and the welfare system. And here Mr. Rasmussen and his Liberal Party score high marks.
Like the other two war leaders who recently won re-elections, Mr. Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Mr. Rasmussen is also an economic reformer -- albeit a more cautious one. Introducing true free-market policies is much more difficult in this Scandinavian country with its strong welfare tradition than it is in the Anglo-Saxon world. So Mr. Rasmussen has toned down his policy proposals somewhat from his time in opposition -- although they still mark a dramatic change in Denmark.
The government introduced tax cuts last year worth 0.7% of GDP, not much compared to Mr. Bush's tax cuts, worth 2.5% of U.S. GDP, but quite a lot in a country where for decades tax rates have been rising along with the expansion of the welfare state. And it was enough to help boost the economy. After near stagnation in 2003, the economy recovered last year to grow 2.2% and is expected to improve further to 2.5% growth in 2005. Q.E.D.!
This year, Mr. Rasmussen is also planning public-sector spending cuts and a shake-up of the health-care and education systems. Mr. Rasmussen seems to have succeeded in convincing his countrymen that change is necessary if they want to keep their welfare state in some form. "Ironically, the Liberals, not the Social Democrats, are seen as the best guarantors of the welfare state," said Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard, who teaches political science at the University of Southern Denmark.
So economic reform and the participation in the Iraq war are the major policy decisions that define Mr. Rasmussen's first term. It can be no trivial matter that just nine days after Iraq's first free vote in decades, Danes are poised to re-elect the man who ensured that their country would play an important role in making the Iraqi elections possible. No doubt, were Mr. Rasmussen to lose the poll, the antiwar crowd would surely blame it on his support for President Bush's Iraq policy. On the other hand, if he wins it must be seen as confirmation that many ordinary Danes are proud that two years ago, Mr. Rasmussen took a stand. Thank you, Denmark, for once again standing firmly on the side of honour.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/24/2005 2:12:02 AM ||
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#1
According the the EU's Eurobarometer, the Danes are also the most anti-Constitution population in the Union. Smart economics, sensible leadership, high optimism and a disdain for the European suicide pact. Denmark's got a lot going for it at the moment.
#6
And, in my experience, it isn't only their military assistance that shines a positive light on the Danes. In the 90s, they were heavily involved in getting the Baltics up on their feet, through trade and volunteer/other humanitarian services...they walk the walk and talk the talk.
#8
Worked with the Danish Air Force in the 80's and found them to be some of the most energetic, innovative, resourceful people around. There aren't many of them, but the ones there are are true professionals and fun to work with. A friend, who at 55 was at that time the oldest fighter pilot on flight status in the Danish AF, almost got booted from the TRIAL MACE exercises for attacking a radar station in his F-35 Draaken at 50 feet. He flew right up to the station, went vertical and lit the afterburner. He left a 50 foot circle of scorched grass and a number of British radarmen in need of fresh underwear. Saw the video, it was awe inspiring.
#9
In the 1960s and even earlier, Denmark was one of the first countries to adopt pop-lefty think as its national philosophy: hostility to national and collective defense, repeal of pornography and drug laws, saturation media, social welfare taken to the limit.
It was therefore well ahead of the rest of Europe on the idiotarian learning curve, and has now progressed very far down the reverse slope. In most of Europe, 60s Think is still fresh, radical, cutting edge cool; in Denmark it is laughable, a relic of a national binge. The rest of the Euros has not even peaked and may not have time to catch up.
#11
I was in Denmark in the late 70s and worked with the Danish army. RWW's observations about the professionalism and enthusiasm of the RDAF would also apply to the ground forces. At the time, lefty peace-think was in full force and the army bore the brunt of it.
The appeasement lobby was willing to fund the RDAF and the navy, but even having an army implied that there might actually be fighting on Danish soil. Conventional wisdom at the time held that it was better to run up the white flag if things went that far. This reached its nader when a prominent candidate for PM promised to replace the nation's armed forces with a telephone recording that played "I surrender" in Russian.
The troops did the best they could under this regime, which was very well indeed. Among other things, they were still using the WW2 vintage Achilles tank-destroyer. This was the lend-lease M-10 with its American 76mm gun replaced by the British 17-pounder, a much higher velocity gun of the same caliber. The Danish anti-tank types were quick to point out that the APDS round for this could go right through a T-62.
They also used the M-41 light tank, which had basically the same 76mm gun as the original M-10. This used the same APDS projectile as the 17-pounder but with a smaller propelling charge. The Danes were completely fascinated by my observations of the M-41 in ARVN hands in Vietnam. It had made short work of the theoretically superior T-55s when these dared to show themselves.
The Danish troops largely shared my opinion that Soviet armored superiority was a giant mountain of bullshit, promoted by all sides for their own purposes---by the left to strengthen the appeasement lobby and by the right to get more funding. In all humility, I think events have vindicated that judgement.
#12
IIRC: the Danes also make (at least they used to) a point to commemorate the Fourth of July every year.
My mother is from Sweden (the southern tip which has been part of Denmark as much as it's been part of Sweden), and she always preferred the Danes to the stuffy, pompous, self-righteous Swedes.
From the Rantburg Diplomacy Desk:
United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has cancelled a planned visit to Munich. Rumsfeld has informed the German government via the US embassy he will not take part at the Munich Security Conference in February, conference head Horst Teltschik said. The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights filed a complaint in December with the Federal German Prosecutor's Office against Rumsfeld accusing him of war crimes and torture in connection with detainee abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. Rumsfeld had made it known immediately after the complaint was filed that he would not attend the Munich conference unless Germany quashed the legal action.
The organisation alleges violations of German legislation which outlaws war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide independent of the place of crime or origin of the accused. The prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe reportedly is examining the roughly 170-page complaint to see if an investigation is warranted. The Center for Constitutional Rights said it and four Iraqis tortured in US custody had filed a complaint with German authorities against Rumsfeld, former CIA director George Tenet and eight other senior military and civilian officials over abuses at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere in Iraq. The organization said it had turned to German prosecutors "as a court of last resort" because the US government "is unwilling to open an independent investigation" and had "refused to join the International Criminal Court". Several of those it wants investigated are stationed in Germany, it added.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
01/24/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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Several of those it wants investigated are stationed in Germany
As I understand it, American army bases, like Ami embassies, are considered to be American soil, and German courts do not have jurisdiction.
#8
Not welcome in Turkey, not welcome in Germany...
Fine, we will deal with world problems using missiles and very large bombs instead of troops and small weeapons. I would just as soon level the targets in Iran and Syria as occupy them anyway.
Posted by: Tom ||
01/24/2005 14:18 Comments ||
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Wasn't this the conference that TGA was going to attend? Darn.
Posted by: Matt ||
01/24/2005 18:08 Comments ||
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From the Rantburg Diplomacy Desk:
President George W. Bush tried to bully Canadian officials on missile defence during his visit last month by linking Canada's participation to future protection from the U.S., the Washington Post reported Sunday.
He made Canada give him their lunch money too.
The newspaper quoted an unidentified Canadian official who was in the room as saying Bush waved off their attempts to explain how contentious the issue is for Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government. "(Bush) leaned across the table and said: `I'm not taking this position, but some future president is going to say, Why are we paying to defend Canada?'" the official was quoted as saying.
Dubya, holding the high card, rasies the bet.
"Most of our side was trying to explain the politics, how it was difficult to do,'' he said.
"Mais non, monsieur President, ees non so simplisme!"
But Bush "waved his hands and remarked: `I don't understand this. Are you saying that if you got up and said this is necessary for the defence of Canada, it wouldn't be accepted?'"
Then he got up from the table, put on his hat, stopped to look at the testicles in the jar on the mantle, shook his head and left.
The White House refused comment on the surprisingly pointed remarks. "I'm not going to comment on an unnamed source in a newspaper,'' spokesman Ken Lisaius said Sunday. "The president has been quite clear about the strong relationship with Canada." Amy Butcher, a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister's Office, said she couldn't talk about the particulars of the missile defence discussion. "Our position is clear. We'll make a decision based on Euroweenie Canadian interests," said Butcher, adding that the House of Commons will participate in the debate. Martin has told reporters that Bush's position at the meeting was one of incredulity that anyone would oppose the system, aimed at knocking out supersonic missiles launched by terrorists or rogue states. But the Post report suggests the meeting was far more tense than that. U.S. diplomats had assured their Canadian counterparts that the prickly issue wouldn't be raised during Bush's visit. But it came up at the private meeting with Martin and the president unexpectedly raised it during a major foreign policy speech in Halifax the next day. Paul Cellucci, America's ambassador to Canada, said earlier this month that the U.S. is optimistic Canada will sign on to the missile defence plan before the end of March. The system will rely on interceptors based in underground silos at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Pentagon officials blamed an unsuccessful test launch last month on a "minor glitch'' in computer software. They say they may never publicly declare when the shield is fully ready.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
01/24/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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Seafarious, thy comments made me laugh out loud!
Posted by: N by NW ||
01/24/2005 1:16 Comments ||
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#2
41 billion loonies over 10 years to improve their national health care. No armed forces to speak of, and I don't mean to degrade the people who've chosen that line of work.
Used subs for what????
2+++ billion loonies on a gun registration that didn't work.
The Canuckistan senate finally got its head out of its rear and discussed upgrading their side of the border.
Wonder what kind of balls Alberta has since they're assuming more burdens since they have the oil.
#3
"President George W. Bush tried to bully Canadian officials on missile defence during his visit last month by linking Canada's participation to future protection from the U.S."
Somebody needs to look up "reciprocity" in a dictionary.
#4
All you have said is quite correct #2. The gun registry is a bust. It cost $2 Billion even though Canada had no need for it because its homicide rate from gun deaths is very low. It plans to pay out $41 Billion over 10 years for health care, but on the otherhand everyone has free health care in Canada and its per capita life expectancy rate is better than the USA's, a country which spends significantly more on health care per capita than Canada. Canada spends very little on military technology but it has one of the most respected group of soldiers in the world. A US soldier would gladly have a Canadian soldier by his side - ask Jarhead or other US military posters. Canadian soldiers are smart, well disciplined, and brave. Their snipers are the best in the world.
Canada's pension plan[like social security] is fully funded. Canada's deficit is being paid down steadily year after year. This past year the Government of Canada announced that it had recorded a surplus of $9 Billion, the seventh consecutive year that it had recorded a budget surplus. As of 2003 Canada has started to reduce personal and corporate taxes. Canada's dollar has steadily increased against the value of the US dollar, as the latter tumbles to new lows. As for Alberta, for Alberta to show some "balls" as you say, it would mean the dissolution of Canada. Therefore Alberta will not show some "balls" and it has nothing to do with masculinity or lack thereof. It has alot to do with Canadian patriotism. Canada has complied with border security requests from the USA, unlike a certain corrupt bunch of bums south of the border which RB'ers are loathe to criticize, because Mexico after all is such a super duper example of an ally.
So before you lambast Canada for being less than our perfect selves in the USA, try to be a bit more realistic about our situation and how we take Canada for granted as our friend. Our deficit is growing like Topsy 24/7. Our Social Security is bust. Our medical system is on a collision course. Our Yankee dollar is losing value consistently but this has not helped our trade imbalances. We have 20 Million illegal aliens living in our midst and that's only counting Mexicans, God only knows how many illegal Chinese and illegal Arabs have come across our porous southern border the past few years. We are in 2 wars and the one in Iraq is costing us $1 Billion a day.
So Canada's "foolish" expenses on a gun registry and on health care adds up to what we spend on the Iraq War in 43 days. Our other perfect ally, Israel, second only to Mexico for its perfection, is thinking of plunging us into a 3rd war with Iran on top of the 2 we are in.
So parden me if I say I think you should show a bit more humility about how Canada is running its country and be a little more circumspect about mocking Canada as being a persnickity ally for not saying I'm your man re: missile defense. Canada is a far better ally than some we go to the wall for and Canada is not running its country any worse than our politicians are running the USA. Moral of the story: Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.
#6
A couple of minor quibbles with your post, 2xstandard.
everyone has free health care in Canada True, but wait times for appointments are so long that those who can afford it go south of the border to American doctors, and entirely too many others die before their Canadian doctor has a chance to try to cure them.
Canada spends very little on military technology but it has one of the most respected group of soldiers in the world Again true, but they must use chartered airplanes to move the troops to the battlefield, or hitch a ride with their American admirers, and entirely too often borrow bullets, or so I've heard. And recent moves to increase spending so that the troops have proper gear and training show that the current government realizes military spending has been entirely too low, even at recently reduced troop levels.
Our deficit is growing like Topsy 24/7 No. As a result of Bush's tax cut, our deficit topped out in 2004, and is set to shrink in 2005 as tax revenues continue to significantly outpace expectations. This has been posted on recently here at Rantburg (by me among others, as it happens).
Our Social Security is bust No, our Social Security is threatened if it continues unchanged for the next generation. That is why Bush wants to change it, proposing introducing means testing, delayed retirement, tying COLAs to actual funds received rather than inflation, and allowing those not immediately approaching retirement to invest some of their SS funds in the stock market. And that's why Mr. Wife and I max out our IRAs and 401k investments every year, and set aside funds should our parents need supporting later. What are you doing to stay off the dole in your old age?
Our medical system is on a collision course Really? With what? Do you have references for this statement? Is that must be why all those rich foreigners come here for treatment?
Our other perfect ally, Israel, second only to Mexico for its perfection, is thinking of plunging us into a 3rd war with Iran on top of the 2 we are in. You have evidence for this, do you?
Honestly, 2xstandard, you really are bent on demonstrating exactly how little you actually know. Not at all wise in a forum such as Rantburg, where you can be caught out even by little housewives like me, while the truly clever members save their fire for those worthy of their attention.
You are not pardoned. You'll have to do much better for pardon to be considered.
As for Alberta, for Alberta to show some "balls" as you say, it would mean the dissolution of Canada.
And that would be bad because....??
Being by one foot in US already, this issue is not as hot for me as it were time ago, but I think the Western Canada should separate, the sucking sound of Eastern leech is very loud. WC would be a much more viable entity.
What about the Easterners? What about them, they can leech each other!
#9
Canada spends very little on military technology but it has one of the most respected group of soldiers in the world. A US soldier would gladly have a Canadian soldier by his side - ask Jarhead or other US military posters. Canadian soldiers are smart, well disciplined, and brave. Their snipers are the best in the world.
Our military are smart, well disciplined and brave too.
Can Canada defend itself as a nation with its military expenditures as low as they are? It doesn't really matter how respected soldiers are in the world if they are outgunned.
So before you lambast Canada for being less than our perfect selves in the USA, try to be a bit more realistic about our situation and how we take Canada for granted as our friend
Our situation is that we are at war with Muslims and Canada is turning itself into a haven for the class of people most likely to attack the USA. Real enough for you?
As for taking Canada for granted, didn't we just go through four years of hostile talk from Canadian leaders, one way talk; talk our own leaders would not engage in? That kind of friendship?
So Canada's "foolish" expenses on a gun registry and on health care adds up to what we spend on the Iraq War in 43 days
Canada would rather spend a billion dollars for a boondoggle rather than to spend money for national defense, even in the midst of evidence that Canada too is on Al Qaeda's target list. If Canada doesn't get hit, then you can parade around telling us how good Canada is and how foolish we are to take on terrorists our own selves.
Our other perfect ally, Israel, second only to Mexico for its perfection, is thinking of plunging us into a 3rd war with Iran on top of the 2 we are in.
Iran has been at war with the west since 1979. Israel, when it does strike will be in defense of itself from hostile Muslims, not because it is 'plunging us into a 3rd war' as you say.
So parden me if I say I think you should show a bit more humility about how Canada is running its country and be a little more circumspect about mocking Canada as being a persnickity ally for not saying I'm your man re: missile defense.
If Canada doesn't want to be protected from Nork missiles, I am down for that: Less money for us to spend
Canada is a far better ally than some we go to the wall for and Canada is not running its country any worse than our politicians are running the USA.
They are worse. It's just the bill hasn;'t arrived yet and when it does it will be a doozie.
Moral of the story: Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.
#10
Gromgorru, 2xstandard's either a moonbat or perhaps rather misinformed. There are still people in the second category, albeit getting more rare.
I had a discussion with my 1st X about Israel, a couple of years ago. She partook on the MSM el cubo version quite happily for years. I showed her the maps, going back more than a century, with some narrative. It dented her a bit. Then she watched on TV that splodeydope boy caught on the crossing. "Disgusting", she said.
Scales fell off completely.
#11
2X I call bullshit. I have friends in B.C. and Alberta. They are very liberal fellows. They have a major rant going on Health Care. First it's not free they pay out the ass for mandatory health insurance premiums that are very, very high. The average wait for a simple hip replacement is 18 months. As I understand it this wait is even if it is not elective surgery. It's called rationed health care. Sorry this wonderful national health system has lots of people pissed off and it is considered a joke by many Canadian citizens.
#12
2x would like us to believe that Canadian policy is based on principle and leads to utopia.
That's not what I hear from Canadians I know. They believe that their government has kept Quebec in the federation through massive bribes and that they can't actually get medical and dental care for their kids in ways that matter.
But the more insidious issue comes with the linkage between various current and previous Canadian leaders and a whole mess of international corruption.
It's true that Canada has been a good ally of the US in the past. It's also true that the US has been a good ally of Canada in the past -- NORAD was mostly paid for by us, but protected them, particularly against circumpolar nuclear strikes during the Cold War.
Bush may have pushed missile defense with Martin. But the bigger issue is that Canada seems happy to sink into the Euro morass. Okay for them, if that's what they want -- but when it spills over onto us, when there are 22,000 stolen blank passports in a year in Canada, when their immigration personnel protect people with direct ties to terrorism financing, then the issue goes way beyond the price of lumber. In this instance "missile defense" is a proxy for "get serious".
#13
SPoD, right you are. It is free for welfare recipients, but otherwise the premiums are quite steep. Although it is mandatory in general, you may stop paying under certain circumstances (I did), but then you have to shell a mighty bundle for medical services, or for reinstating the insurance. It is far cheaper for me to purchase medical services in US, in fact about 6-10 times cheaper. The equivalent insurance in US would be between 50%-63%.
Another aspect of the stellar canuckistan heatlh care is the lack nurses. The reason is that they are underpaid, and there has been a steady stream of them leaving for greener pastures south of the border. Thre is probably enough foreign-educated nurses that could step in, but the inane canuck policy regarding acknowledging foreign educational degrees is mindboggling--it is simply not considered/counted at all (only in rare instance of academic exchanges), one must have a canuck degree, whole nine yards, basta!
#14
Sorry about that, 2xstandard (which you donot appear to be, by the way). It looks like some of the more clever Rantburgers decided to answer you as well.
#16
and in addition to all things already pointed out - imagine how much better things would be in the US if we didn't have to pay for Canada's defense in addition to our own.
#17
And nobody has mentioned Rantburg's ranting on illegal immigration from Mex,you haven't been here long enough to know this 2x.Another thing on the health care issue,prescription drugs.How about Canada's threat not to allow American's to buy low cost Canadian meds.Why are they low cost?Because if U.S. drug company's do not sell to Canadian companies at below rock bottom prices then Canada will steall the formulas.Forcing American's to pay 4-5 times what they should(something I learned at Rantburg U).Given all that has been said,no I don't think I will pardon you.
#19
Wow, 2x got hammered and appears to have left, all before I woke up. Looks like Rantburg does more stomping before 8 am than most sites do all day. :)
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
01/24/2005 8:52 Comments ||
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#20
Or, I do not doubt his sincerity, Sobiesky.
Other things that we usually associate with genus Homo, yes. Sincerity, no.
#21
Victimhood is woven into the fabric of the LLL.
Posted by: Captain America ||
01/24/2005 9:45 Comments ||
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#22
da boss is a good boss, but sometimes da boss, he goes off a little half cocked, and says things that aint diplomatic, and dont help. Which is ok, in the big picture we're better off having prez who sees the big picture, and isnt a glorified deputy asst secretary of State (er did anybody say John Kerry). Which is not to say we wouldnt have been better off he HAD been more diplomatic in this particular instance. Reconciliation with Canada on Iraq, the Mideast etc is worth more than one snarky (even if true, which is one debate im NOT getting into) remark on missile defense.
Wow. Free? Really? How do you suppose they did that? I mean, health care in this country costs a lot of money. So, they really don't have to pay anything? That's simply amazing.
#24
LH: Reconciliation with Canada on Iraq, the Mideast etc is worth more than one snarky (even if true, which is one debate im NOT getting into) remark on missile defense.
Iraq is a nit. Missile defense is way more important than Iraq, which we have under control.
#25
even if so, ZF, did the snarky remark make getting Missile defense more likely? And is getting missile defense in CANADA essential to missile defense overall? If so, we might want to offer them something substantive, like agreement on softwood lumber, rather than idle threats.
#27
LH, the brouhaha over Bully Bush is meaningless. If missile defense is in Canada's national interest, then Canada will support it. And of course they will extract some kind of concession on a side issue. This virtually certain outcome will not be affected in the slightest by Bush's remarks, which were obviously the bluff of a master poker player. Tempest, teapot.
#30
For 2x about Canadian health care: as a doc and researcher, I've done the visiting professor thing in a few places in Canada. Basic health care is impressive; specialty care is severely stressed and getting worse.
Example: Manitoba had, on my visit a couple years back, exactly one sleep specialist for the entire province. As a result patients with sleep disorders (4% of a western population) could get a clinic appointment once every two years. Not good.
I have research colleagues in Winnipeg, Vancouver and Toronto, and their message is, things aren't good. Pouring more money into the system probably won't fix it, but it will bankrupt the country.
I'm not smart enough to know how much money Canada needs to spend on its defense -- I'm a doc, not a policymaker. But it strikes me that if you're going to depend on a partnership with your big neighbor to the south for a big part of that defense, you shouldn't be throwing stones.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/24/2005 10:51 Comments ||
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#31
so does any major Canadian political party want to drop their system, and go to the US system?
and 4% of the population has sleep disorders? I really doubt that 4% of the US population has been treated for sleep disorders, so I expect either theyve got more of em, or not many people take advantage of treatment even when its available, or we have our own forms of rationing.
#32
Canada has a tough decision to make. Does it want to be part of European world or part of the American world. Bush's comment should stimulate some explicit thinking by Canadian planners on this subject.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
01/24/2005 11:02 Comments ||
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#33
Canada's not going anywhere. The less time wasted on the excitable ones, the better. Let's start focusing on the truly significant ASIAN threats and opportunities and stop wasting so much time on euros and canadians who cannot or will not seriously help or harm us regarding the Asian threats.
#34
LH: and 4% of the population has sleep disorders?
It is more comon than you think.
Approximately 70 million people in the United States are affected by a sleep problem. About 40 million Americans suffer from a chronic sleep disorders, and an additional 20-30 million are affected by intermittent sleep-related problems. However, an overwhelming majority of sleep disorders remain undiagnosed and untreated (National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, 1992).
I trained w/the Canucks about 7 yrs back. Good lads, take their job serious and are about 10 times more hygenically aware then the Turks. However to quibble - the USMC has the best snipers in the world (I'm obviously biased).
I'm not an expert on health care, I've read/heard that their basic health care is very good but the waiting list for serious operations is quite long. I believe free health care isn't free, just as freedom isn't free. In the end, someone somewhere payed/invested into it. One of my buddies who lives in MT on the canuck border found it cheaper to get rk over there then in the states but would not advise doing anything more serious w/canadian doctors. Again, one man's opinion; I've never had the need to go over there for any length of time.
If what 2xs says is true about them being good on paying down their debt then I say kudos to them.
Other then their insane immigration policies I don't have much issue w/canada. Yes, I think their gun laws are stupid and their sometimes anti-American attitudes bug me but other then that I harbor no ill will toward them. I believe people ultimately get the type of government they're willing to put up with. Same goes w/Mexico whom I definitely not loathe to criticise wrt illegal immigrants. Time to build the wall on the so.border imho. I'm sick of paying for their inept and corrupt governmental policies.
#39
All this talk diverts from the obvious defensiveness of both DoubleStandard and the Canuckistan politicos: They KNOW the situation is essentially parasitic, exploitative, and very one-sided. Defense is a primary duty of the government, while "free" health care is secondary ("Too bad he didn't survive the Terrorist's bomb: It wouldn't have cost him a cent for us to patch him up!").
Now, I like the Canadians. However, sniping does seem to be a national skill of theirs that they practice assiduously, and not just with guns.
My dad was a doctor, and viewed Nationalized medicine as involuntary servitude under masters with half his intelligence, a tenth of his education, and possessing the skill of promising benefits to gullible voters paid for out of someone else's pocket. Better to be treated by a free man who feels he's respected, and paid accordingly, than by a resentful proto-serf who knows he's being exploited. (And worse than both is the doctor or nurse who is delighted with what they get, since it's more than what they are really worth or are capable of...)
#41
As commenters have already noted:
1. Article is evidently in the Bush-hating WaPo..
2. ...and quoting unnamed Canadian gov't source
3. Canada does deserve kudos for better budget discipline than us.
4. The U.S. would certainly be in better *deficit shape* if we had the same per-capita spending on defense as Canada. But could Canada exist safely with a tiny armed force if the U.S. wasn't the providing both a lightning rod and a proxy defense?
Actually I think it would be a canny political move for Canadian leaders to kick back and let the U.S. shoulder the cost of all North American defense. It just wouldn't be right.
Posted by: sf ||
01/24/2005 13:38 Comments ||
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#42
Sobiesky: I've been hearing gripes about overstressed nurses here in the US (specifically Madison, WI). It seems hospitals don't have quite enough nurses, so they stretch the shifts of those they do have. Whether this is due to nursing shortages or bean counters in the back office I couldn't tell you.
Posted by: James ||
01/24/2005 13:39 Comments ||
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#43
Its the bean counters, James. And money preferentially spent on lovely decorations for the birthing rooms. (One born here, one in Germany. Here the decor was tasteful and soothing in my private room; there they were repainting the concrete walls for the first time in 20 years, but we had lots of nurses coming through that double!)
"Free defense" is kinda like "free health care". It's ok for the routine stuff - but not life-threatening delays, inadequate staffing and overall just not so hot when your family's lives most depends on it.
#45
Canada is not a sovreign country. Even tiny Denmark can hoist a flag on Canadian Arctic territory whenever they please.
As I have said before, Canada is but a collection of badly run health care providers. The ultimate socialist disaster.
Posted by: john ||
01/24/2005 14:43 Comments ||
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#46
SW:I have research colleagues in Winnipeg, Vancouver and Toronto, and their message is, things aren't good. Pouring more money into the system probably won't fix it, but it will bankrupt the country.
If you have any doctor friends in Ontario ask them why they have rejected a deal with the government about more spending for health care, because it didn't include a pay raise in the first year of the increased spending. Ontario in particular needs more doctors, not doctors making more money. Keep in mind, the pay raise would not have been large enough to attract more doctors to Ontario, as they claim.
Posted by: Rafael ||
01/24/2005 14:48 Comments ||
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#47
Oh, you mean President Bush got them to go beyond ...eh...
Posted by: Captain America ||
01/24/2005 16:53 Comments ||
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#48
What do people here know about Canada's Education System?
I have a Canadian friend who decided to enroll her daughter in a private school rather than send her to public school. The reason being schools are not so good.
#49
My #4 post was a direct response to #2 post. I think it's inappropriate for any American to mock Canada especially since the USA is hardly a study in perfection.
Gun boondoogle of $2 Billion. Big deal. That's chump change as compared to the pork barreling done by US politicians like Trent Lott and John McCain and others.
A non-partisan group called Citizens Against Government Waste has identified $22.9 billion in pork barrel spending crammed into the $388 billion omnibus spending package recently passed by Congress.
http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=11456
As for the wise crack about the Canadians investing $41 Billion over 10 years, hey who are we to criticize Canadians about health care waste of money?
U.S. health expenditures rose by 7.7% in 2003 to nearly $1.7 trillion, and for the first time exceeds 15% of the gross domestic product. Health spending grew by 9.3% in 2002.It is disturbing that private health insurance premiums continue to grow at a faster rate than health insurance benefit outlays," said Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund. Premiums rose 9.3% in 2003, compared with benefit outlay increases of 8.2%."One consequence is that the net cost of private insurance and program administration is the fastest growing component of total health expenditures at 13.2%," she said. In 2003, health care costs averaged $5,670 per person in the United States, adding up to a total of nearly $1.7 trillion spent on health care.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/01/24/gvsc0124.htm
Here's some Canadian statistics:
Regardless of the political debate, Canada does boast one of the highest life expectancies (about 80 years) and lowest infant morality rates of industrialized countries, which many attribute to Canada's health care system.
Health care expenditures in Canada topped $100 billion in 2001.
Approximately 9.5% of Canada's gross domestic product is spent on health care. In comparison, the United States spends close to 14% of its GDP on health care.
Individually, Canadians spend about $3300 per capita on health care.
http://www.canadian-healthcare.org/index.html
Canadians consistently chose to have the single payer system, so who are we to say our system is better? When Canadians do not want to wait in lines they come to the US and pay out of pocket unlike Mexicans who come across the border so often for medical care that border states are shutting down hospitals due to illegals using emergency care and not paying for the services. As for prescription drug free-loading, blame our own politicians' protectionist policies to the pharmaceutical industry. Canadians are no more "free loading" than Mexico or Israel or the entire world, for that matter, is "free loading" as a result of our being willing victims of pharmaceutical lobbies in Congress.
Pouring more money into the system probably won't fix it, but it will bankrupt the country.
That's a ridiculous doomsday scenario. Canada will never go bankrupt over the funding of its medical system. Canadians will come around to voting in a dual system of health care before such a banqruptcy crises rears its head, much like what what some of the European nations have in place -like Sweden or Switzerland.
As for Canadians not pouring a lot of their tax money into the military, once again that's a pragmatic choice on their part so why do we blame them? Each country does what is their best interest. Mexico issues comic book instructions on how to make best use of US largesse. Israel is contemplating an attack on Iran even though it may put coalition troops in harm's way in Iraq. I've not heard much criticism of either Mexico or Israel on this board for choosing to follow a path that's best for them even if it means down sides for America. Canada does not have to fear terrorism as much as the USA. It rarely interferes in global politics. It is self-sufficient in energy so the need for ME positioning is not necessary.
The USA would need to pay for the missile defense system whether there was Canada next door or whether the USA were an island. I don't see GWB putting Mexico on the spot for paying its share of missile defense, even though Mexico benefits from the US's defense needs. I don't see GWB putting Israel on the spot for all the freebie foreign aid we give it which by and large picks up the tab for Israel's defense system. The USA has some other notable defense free-leading allies and yet only Canada is dumped on. Why is that? And here's a news flash to the usual suspects who peddle their well worn anti-semeticism baiting whenever a criticism of Israel is made - perhaps you should examine your own bigotry against Christians before smearing others.
The fact remains that Canada is our best ally and to consistently find fault with Canada, as appears to be the habit on RB, is unfair especially in light of the fact that allies like Israel and Mexico are given passes for identical or worse behavior.
#50
sf: Canada does deserve kudos for better budget discipline than us.
Canada doesn't have better budget discipline - it has tax-and-spend policies - the kind of thing that Reagan decisively stopped by pledging an end to tax hikes. A better budget discipline would involve cutting government spending and taxation in lockstep.
#52
DS: Regardless of the political debate, Canada does boast one of the highest life expectancies (about 80 years) and lowest infant morality rates of industrialized countries, which many attribute to Canada's health care system.
How much of this is attributable to Canada's lower homicide rate? And to the fact that Canadians have fewer road accidents because they drive less? As to infant mortality rates, how much is due to the fact that the US has inner city parents who can't even take care of themselves, let alone their babies - but Canada doesn't? How about the fact that the US takes in low-skilled immigrants from all over the world whereas Canada only takes in college grads?
#53
The only thing I know about education up north is that anti-Americanism is as much a part of the curriculum as anti-Zionism/semitism is part of the Palestinian curriculum. That is, not a separate course, but part and parcel of everything else. On the other hand, Canadian maps do note the existence of the U.S.
2xstandard, the point of Rantburg is to tease out critical reality from all the information hemorrhaging over the web. As such, criticism of friend and foe alike is a necessary tool. (Snarky comments are just a pleasant bonus.) Both Israel and Mexico have been criticized here, even lambasted, for actions/decisions/policies that they've taken. And Canada, much as you may like it, richly deserves the relatively mild criticism it has received in this particular thread. Oh, and given how rude Canadians are about their southern neighbor, they and you should be glad we as a group choose to address real issues rather than answering in kind as they, and you so richly deserve.
2xstandard, I very strongly recommend you spend some time in Rantburg's archives, say the past few months, and learn enough that you merely sound inquisitive, rather than a self-righteous boor not nearly as knowledgeable as you think you are.
Oh, and with regard to Israel? They get loans from the U.S. to purchase U.S. weaponry, which they have always repaid with interest, as well as being a primary weapons supplier to the U.S. Defense Dept. for the many systems they've developed that are better than the domestic product. The ignorant shit you are spouting walks, talks, and quacks like antisemitism, buddy, if only because you choose to believe hateful falsehoods rather than bothering to determine the truth from primary sources.
#54
Gun boondoogle of $2 Billion. Big deal. That's chump change as compared to the pork barreling done by US politicians like Trent Lott and John McCain and others.
---
You're comparing a country of 31.5 mil to a country of almost 300m w/different GDPs?
What's 2 b in Loonies?
And if their NHS is so wonderful, why forking out MORE money to get their surgery faster here?
Why have they contracted w/hospitals on our side of the border?
They've lost 20% of their neurosurgeons, IIRC.
Start perusing The Frasier (sp) Institute. I keep a file on Anglosphere socialized medicine. I have a separate file for Canada. You had a better chance of getting an MRI more quickly if you were a dog or cat in one province.
When Canada starts taking in in proportion the amount of immigrants we do, then we'll compare apples to apples.
Canada also has OIL it can tap into and we can't. Would that help our budget?
They free-ride on our military and prescription drugs.
If they start paying their fair share of either, then let's see budget numbers. And again, approx 85% of their trade is w/who?
IIRC, Alberta's starting to take more responsibility for its' citizens itself.
#55
The only thing I know about education up north is that anti-Americanism is as much a part of the curriculum as anti-Zionism/semitism is part of the Palestinian curriculum
I doubt you have ever spent any time in Canada much less researched its education system to have any support for your know-it-all declaration that the Canadian education system teaches anti-Americanism in the same vein as anti-Zionism is taught in Palesinian schools. What a pantload of narrow minded crap.
As such, criticism of friend and foe alike is a necessary tool. Both Israel and Mexico have been criticized here, even lambasted, for actions/decisions/policies that they've taken.
Pray tell when has that happened? When can anyone say anything in the way of criticism of Israel without the usual it's all about the Jews rants from people like you. And how often are articles posted about the ongoing terrorism threat posed by our porous southern border with Mexico, although this is supposedly a political discussion board about the the threat from terrorists? Open borders with Mexico is a major threat to the US yet I've not seen more than a couple of articles on that subject the past few weeks. The most coverage came from the unverified threat of Chinese nationals smuggled across the Mexican border and supposedly targeting Boston.
The ignorant shit you are spouting walks, talks, and quacks like antisemitism, buddy, if only because you choose to believe hateful falsehoods rather than bothering to determine the truth from primary sources.
You have self-centered paranoia complexes that I have zero interest in exploring on a political discussion board, tw. I am not going to back off from criticizing Israel as a nation because of your unreasonable religious chauvanism or sensitivity or whatever baggage you carry in your psyche. Your bigotry to Christians on a personal level on recent threads defines the phrase "ignorant shit" far better than my objective comments about Israel or Mexico as self-serving nations and imperfect allies.
#56
Canada or Mexico an ally? Their neighbors and as JFK's poet said, good fences make good neighbors.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
01/24/2005 20:34 Comments ||
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#57
2x,
I do not know if the Canadian Education system teaches anti-Americanism as intensely as Palestinian schools do but I do know that my friend's daughter's teacher spends about 20 minutes of the class period criticizing America. It is so bad that my friend is about to complain to the School Master. She feels that she should not be paying for an indoctrination in anti-Americanism. She can get that anyway in Canada for free.
Moreover, my observation when living in Saudi was that Canadians were just behind the Saudis when it came to anti-Americanism.
#58
2X - caught with your pants down. I, for one example, live in San Diego, but support Israel rabidly as the only democracy in the ME (and no, I'm Roman Catholic). I do want our military to close our border with Mexico to only legal immigrants and worker-visas. I also condemn Israel for working defense tech with China, against our interests. You've been called, culled, dissected, and exposed, pal
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/24/2005 20:55 Comments ||
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#59
sf: Canada does deserve kudos for better budget discipline than us.
It has just occurred to me that governments have budget discipline the way people have budget discipline when they're spending somebody else's cash. Canada doesn't have budget discipline - it has a gun pointed at taxpayers' heads and empties their pockets every chance it gets. Stateside, the government is at least trying to place strict limits on spending by avoiding tax hikes - meaning that any pork gets seriously scrutinized because the funding has to be borrowed.
#60
You have self-centered paranoia complexes that I have zero interest in exploring on a political discussion board, tw.
It appears to me the 'self-centered paranoia' is a good deal closer to you than you would like us to know.
I am not going to back off from criticizing Israel as a nation
Nor should you...
because of your unreasonable religious chauvanism or sensitivity or whatever baggage you carry in your psyche.
Let me get this straight. You think that YOUR views of tw will affect whether you continue to post? Really? That's about as dishonest a thing I have ever seen posted on a public board.
Your bigotry to Christians on a personal level on recent threads defines the phrase "ignorant shit" far better than my objective comments about Israel or Mexico as self-serving nations and imperfect allies.
At least you admit your posts are ignorant 'sh*t.' TW speak/writes from the heart.
#62
Thank you, badanov. As always you are kindness personified.
As for you, 2xstandard, perhaps someday I'll allow you to talk to my Catholic husband about my bigotry to[ward] Christians. Or my darling born-again mother-in-law. But I'd suggest you stand well back, and keep your hands in view. They're very protective of me.
Shit I might well be; but unless you are a professor of theology or a priest, it is highly unlikely you are qualified to call me ignorant on this particular subject.
#63
I do know that my friend's daughter's teacher spends about 20 minutes of the class period criticizing America
Go to any American public school classroom and you'll discover that there's more than 20 minutes devoted to dissing America.
Moreover, my observation when living in Saudi was that Canadians were just behind the Saudis when it came to anti-Americanism.
Did you ever live in Canada? If not, how do you come to the conclusion that Canada is behind S. Arabia for being anti-American?
2X - caught with your pants down. You've been called, culled, dissected, and exposed, pal
Say what? How have been caught with my pants down - in what regard? Defending Canada as a good ally? Suggesting that Canada not be continually dissed for things that other allies are given a free pass for doing?
Let me refresh your memory on the article and specific post that started this whole thread.
The article said that GWB put the Cdn. gov't on the spot for not paying its share of national defense. Post #2 then proceeded to mock Canada on some other issues, which the US itself is not a shining example of perfection - the pot calling the kettle dirty - political boon doogles, costly inefficient health system. Canada is no more free-loading on the USA's defense budget than Mexico is so why should GWB dump on Canada? Even if the USA were an island it would need to spend the identical amount on self defense regardless of Canada being its neighbor. Canada has always pulled its fair share in international affairs. Canadian troops are in Afghanistan and Kosovo unlike either Israeli or Mexican troops. Canada protected Americans in its embassy after the fall of the Shah at great peril to its embassy employees. Canadian airports welcomed US flights and took in American travellers on 9/11. Did Mexico do the same? I think not. As for Israel's foreign aid and military aid from the USA, Congressional records do not support tw's bravado about loans paid back "with interest":
http://www.usembassy.at/en/download/pdf/israel_asst.pdf Since 1985, theUnited States has provided $3 billion in grants annually to Israel. Since 1976, Israel has been the largest annual recipient of U.S. foreign assistance, and is the largest cumulative recipient since World War II.
In January 1998,Finance Minister Neeman proposed
eliminating the $1.2 billion economic aid and
increasing the $1.8 billion in military aid by
$60 million per year during a 10-year period
beginning in the year 2000. The FY1999,2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 appropriations bills included cuts of $120 million in economic
aid and an increases of $60 million in military aid for each year. U.S. aid to Israel has some unique aspects, such as loans with repayment waived, or a pledge to provide Israel with economic assistance equal to the amount Israel owes the United States for previous loans. Israel also receives special benefits that may not be
available to other countries, such as the use of
U.S. military assistance for research and
development in the United States, the use of
U.S. military assistance for military purchases
in Israel, or receiving all its assistance in the
first 30 days of the fiscal year rather than in 3
or 4 installments as other countries do.
In addition to the foreign assistance, the
United States has provided Israel with $625
million to develop and deploy the Arrow antimissile missile (an ongoing project), $1.3
billion to develop the Lavi aircraft (cancelled),
$200 million to develop the Merkava tank
(operative), $130 million to develop the high
energy laser anti-missile system (ongoing),
and other military projects. In FY2000 the
United States provided Israel an additional
$1.2 billion to fund the Wye agreement, and in
FY2002 the United States provided an
additional $200 million in anti-terror
assistance.For FY2004, the Administration
requested $480 million in economic, $2.16
billion in military, and $50 million in migration
resettlement assistance. The United
States would continue to allow Israel to spend about 26.3% of the military aid in Israel rather
than in the United States for U.S. produced military equipment Israel is an exception to the
general practice that all U.S. foreign military financing is spent in the United States.
At least Israel votes 92% of the time along with the USA. However, Mexico gets approx. $15 Million of US foreign aid each year and yet Mexico votes against the USA more than 60% of the time in the UN. This is based on statistics compiled by the Heritage Foundation.
Canada does not receive any foreign aid from the USA nor does it cause the US antagonism. The Israel-Palestinian conflict has brought a lot of heat to the US, which is perceived by Muslim countries as favoring Israel. Mexico has not helped the US's situation with S. American and Central American countries. In fact, Fox and Chavez and Castro have been known to be rather chummy.
I stand by my position that Canada is a good long standing ally and if it makes self-serving decisions for its country, it certainly is not any worse and in some ways is more circumspect about causing negative baggage for the USA than either Mexico or Israel. Canada gets dissed alot by RB'ers, and yet I believe we should consider ourselves very fortunate to have Canada as a neighbor and an ally.
fyi, frank, if you want to talk about pants in regards to me, please use the word panties because I am a woman.
I stand by my statements - Canadians can be our friends - it's a two-way street, and while they ignore the protective umbrella (which FAR overshadows otheefforts and expenditures) we provide, the relationship is in denial. Better to call them on it
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/24/2005 22:37 Comments ||
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#65
Canada does not receive any foreign aid from the USA nor does it cause the US antagonism.
That is a lie. Plenty of Canadian politicians have publically voiced their disdain for the USA since 911.
The Israel-Palestinian conflict has brought a lot of heat to the US, which is perceived by Muslim countries as favoring Israel
Call it what it is. Not a war but Islamic terrorism. And guess what? I favor Israel, no perceptions nor illusions.
I stand by my position that Canada is a good long standing ally and if it makes self-serving decisions for its country, it certainly is not any worse and in some ways is more circumspect about causing negative baggage for the USA than either Mexico or Israel.
#66
Ms 2xstandard, thank you for the information on US/Israel funding. I was wrong.
Frank, my mother always said that ladies always wear clean panties under their pants. Being the gentleman that you are, I'm sure that's what you meant by your original statement.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. ,20016
Dear Concerned Citizen:
Thank you for your recent letter roundly criticizing our treatment of the Taliban and Al Qaeda detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Our administration takes these matters seriously, and your opinion was heard loud and clear in Washington.You'll be pleased to learn that thanks to concerned citizens like you, we are creating a new division of the Terrorist Retraining Program, to be called the "Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers" program, or LARK for short. In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have decided to place one terrorist under your personal care.
Your personal detainee has been selected and scheduled for transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence next Monday. Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud (you can just call him Ahmed) is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personally demanded in your letter of admonishment. It will likely be necessary for you to hire some assistant caretakers. We will conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards of care for Ahmed are commensurate with those you so strongly recommended in your letter.
Although Ahmed is sociopathic and extremely violent, we hope that your sensitivity to what you described as his "attitudinal problem" will help him overcome these character flaws.
Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere cultural differences. He will bite you, given the chance. We understand that you plan to offer counseling and home schooling. Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or nail clippers. We do not suggest that you ask him to demonstrate these skills at your next yoga group He is also expert at making a wide variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, unless (in your opinion) this might offend him.
Ahmed will not wish to interact with your wife or daughters (except sexually) since he views females as a subhuman form of property. This is a particularly sensitive subject for him, and he has been known to show violent tendencies around women who fail to comply with the new dress code that Ahmed will recommend as more appropriate attire. I'm sure the women in your household will come to enjoy the anonymity offered by the bhurka - over time. Just remind them that it is all part of "respecting his culture and his religious beliefs" - wasn't that how you put it?
Thanks again for your letter. We truly appreciate it when folks like you, who know so much, keep us informed of the proper way to do our job.
You take good care of Ahmed - and remember...we'll be watching. Good luck!
McCain preens for MSM once again, goes after Rummy over WaPo Defense Humit story. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold hearings on a Washington Post report that the Defense Department is reinterpreting U.S. law to give the secretary broad authority over clandestine operations abroad. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has created a new espionage unit called the Strategic Support Branch, according to the news report, but McCain, speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation," said he doubts Rumsfeld has broken any laws. So why the committee hearing, Johnny? Add more tar with those feathers, Johnny, they'll stick to Rummy better heh.
"I'm always pleased sorry to read about things in The Washington Post when they affect a committee that I am a member of," McCain said. Pentagon spokesman Lawrence T. DiRita issued a carefully worded statement yesterday that appears to dispute parts of the Post article. "There is no unit that is directly reportable to the secretary of defense for clandestine operations as is described in the Washington Post," he said. In addition, DiRita said, "the Department is not attempting to 'bend' statutes to fit desired activities, as is suggested in this article." At the same time, DiRita said: "It is accurate and should not be surprising that the Department of Defense is attempting to improve its long-standing human intelligence capability."
DiRita said the war on terror necessitates "a framework by which military forces and traditional human intelligence work more closely together and in greater numbers than they have in the past. These actions are being taken within existing statutory authorities to support traditional military operations and any assertion to the contrary is wrong." The Strategic Support Branch, according to The Post, was designed to expand the Pentagon's use of "humint" or human intelligence operations, including the recruitment of spies and interrogation of prisoners. The recruited agents could include "notorious figures" whose ties to the United States would be embarrassing if revealed, according to a Pentagon memo. They make such a nice couple don't they: WaPo and Johnny.
Posted by: Captain America ||
01/24/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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I am so damned tired of McCain - from his belittling of POW/MIA activists years ago and his sucking up with Kerry prior to the election, to this kind of crap - time to show him the door and force him to do a Jeffords if he cannot walk the line.
#3
I really can't agree, OS.
Yes, he is a grandstander, and of course the MSM play right into it when it can hurt the GOP. Yes, he sometimes votes based on ego or something rather than what we elect him for. Still, his record is usually good, unlike Arlan S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
The majority party is going to have flakes on both sides (and in the middle). The Democrats, in their heyday, had communists (OK, they still have those) to liberals (lots of those) to conservatives (those are gone) to racist Dixiecrats (Byrd is about the only one of those left). Sometimes there were desertions and even breakaway movements. Yet, the coalition survived for decades and was able to get legislation through. The lost tribes were welcomed back every time without (much) penalty.
Let's say we get rid of McCain, and S.P.E.C.T.R.E., and Chafee, and perhaps Snowe. We are now down to 51 seats. Maybe Hagel should go, too, as he is an another Daschle (talks conservative at home, talks and votes liberal in DC). Now we're at 50. Perhaps, in several years, they will be replaced by real Republicans, but in the meantime our agenda are stalled.
While I would prefer it that we had 55 (heck, 100) people who agreed with Me on every issue, we have to take what we can get.
#4
id be happy to take McCain, even if most my fellow dems find him way to conservative. Thats why i part company often with so many of my fellow dems.
#5
McCain is unacceptable because of his hatred of free speech.
And, no, I'm not overstating it. His attitude and statements make it clear he cannot stand being criticized and will gleefully criminalize lese majeste.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
01/24/2005 10:36 Comments ||
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McCain sounds liberal, but votes conservative. I'll take him over Hillary or Lieberman - who sound conservative, but vote liberal - any day.
#8
I am so damned tired of McCain - from his belittling of POW/MIA activists years ago and his sucking up with Kerry prior to the election, to this kind of crap - time to show him the door and force him to do a Jeffords if he cannot walk the line.
#9
I am so damned tired of McCain - from his belittling of POW/MIA activists years ago and his sucking up with Kerry prior to the election, to this kind of crap - time to show him the door and force him to do a Jeffords if he cannot walk the line.
When U.S. troops pulled Saddam Hussein from a hole in the ground a year ago, the capture was described afterward as the work of a team of conventional and special operations troops. Nothing was said about an assist from an intelligence unit that the Pentagon created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to expand the military's ability to collect human intelligence — information from spies as opposed to listening devices or satellites.
The unit's existence was revealed by The Washington Post on Sunday. Pentagon officials said Monday that the unit, called the Strategic Support Branch, had a hidden hand in interrogations and other aspects of the clue-sifting work inside Iraq that narrowed the search for Saddam and led eventually to the cramped underground chamber where he was hiding. The Post said the unit also has been used in Afghanistan and other undisclosed locations. In addition to interrogation, it provides linguistic help and close-in surveillance of targets. On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers called for hearings on the matter, but Republicans took a quieter approach. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he did not know enough yet about the matter to judge whether Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld had exceeded his authority. "I'm not sure whether it's going to require hearings or not," he said. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he was confident the Pentagon was taking the right approach. "The notion by some that various steps taken by the Department of Defense to enhance such intelligence is somehow sinister and illegitimate is nonsense," Hunter said.
Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., wrote a letter to Hunter calling for hearings into the scope and capability of the unit. "While I fully support improving the ability of our men and women in the field to get accurate real time intelligence, the creation of this unit raises a number of questions that this committee has a duty to examine," Tauscher wrote. Larry Di Rita, spokesman for Rumsfeld, did not confirm the spy unit's role in Saddam's capture, but he acknowledged the existence of the Strategic Support Branch, which he said was managed by the Defense Intelligence Agency's Human Intelligence Service. "There is a desire to connect better intelligence to battlefield operations," Di Rita said, and the DIA unit is an example of ways that can be done in support of commanders in the field.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said, "Generally speaking, the president is aware of the Department of Defense's efforts to expand and enhance humanitarian intelligence capabilities. That was something that was emphasized in the 9/11 commission report. They said it needs to be improved across-the-board. So we support efforts by the Department of Defense to collect intelligence to enhance battlefield capabilities." Another official, who discussed the matter on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal details, said the unit's origins can be traced to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, when commanders of special operations forces found they lacked the interrogation experts they needed. This official, who has direct knowledge about the unit, said it is not a standing force but rather a "task-organized" group that is put together to meet a battlefield commander's special needs.
William Arkin, a former Army intelligence officer and author of a new book, "Code Names: Deciphering U.S. Military Plans, Programs and Operations in the 9-11 World," said in a telephone interview Monday that the DIA unit may be a permutation of a secret intelligence unit known informally as Gray Fox, which reportedly has played a role in the hunt for Osama bin Laden Arkin said he is concerned that the Pentagon's expanding use of such secret intelligence units is blurring the lines between combatants and noncombatants, since some in these units don't operate in military uniforms but appear on the battlefield. Di Rita, while acknowledging the existence of the Strategic Support Branch, denied the Post's report that it answers directly to Rumsfeld. "There is no unit that is directly reportable to the secretary of defense for clandestine operations as is described in the Washington Post article," Di Rita said in a written statement. "Further, the department is not attempting to 'bend' statutes to fit desired activities, as is suggested in this article." The Post said the Pentagon was reinterpreting U.S. law to give Rumsfeld broad authority over clandestine operations abroad.
From the Wall Street Journal. Behind the subscription wall, so given here uncut.
The United Nations Oil for Food scandal continues to effloresce, moving last week into the criminal realm. Iraqi-American Samir Vincent's guilty plea shows that Saddam Hussein was indeed exploiting the program to buy influence around the world--including in the U.S.--and suggests there is far more to be uncovered.
Mr. Vincent pleaded guilty Tuesday in Federal District Court in New York to acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Saddam's Iraq and to related conspiracy and tax-evasion charges. According to the charge sheet prepared by U.S. Attorney David Kelley, he "consulted with and repeatedly received direction from the Government of Iraq in the course of lobbying officials of the United States Government and the United Nations." For his efforts, Mr. Vincent confesses, he was personally awarded five separate oil allocations worth millions of dollars under Oil for Food. He faces potential penalties of up to 28 years in prison.
So, precisely what services did Saddam Hussein deem that valuable? A full answer likely will have to wait for what U.S. Attorney Kelley tells us is an "ongoing investigation"--in which Mr. Vincent has agreed to cooperate--to further its course. But the charge sheet refers tantalizingly to efforts by Mr. Vincent and unnamed others "including United Nations officials . . . to secure terms favorable to Iraq in connection with the adoption and implementation of [Security Council] Resolution 986," which created the Oil for Food program. That suggests Saddam understood from the start that Oil for Food was a chance to evade U.N. sanctions and prop up his regime.
The charge sheet also describes what appear to be extensive lobbying efforts over many years involving "former officials of the United States Government who maintained close contacts to high-ranking members of both the Clinton and Bush Administrations" in an effort to fully repeal sanctions. "Vincent reported the results of those consultations to the Iraqi Intelligence Service," the charges state.
Like any good prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Kelley refuses to speculate on the next steps in his investigation. But another American whose name has surfaced in connection with Oil for Food is Detroit-area businessman Shakir al-Khafaji. Like Mr. Vincent, Mr. Khafaji appeared on lists of individuals alleged to have received oil allocations from Saddam.
As our Robert Pollock reported last March based on information from an Iraqi intelligence source, those oil vouchers may have been similarly intended as part of an influence-buying campaign here in the U.S. Mr. Khafaji financed an anti-sanctions documentary by former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter, and he brought a Congressional delegation headed by former House Minority Whip David Bonior to Iraq, among other activities. A third American alleged to have received oil vouchers is Texas tycoon Oscar Wyatt, a longtime acquaintance of Saddam who opposed the first Gulf War.
Saddam's influence-buying was ineffective when it came to the U.S. But remember that prior to 9/11 and President Bush's decision to promote democracy in the Middle East, there was a growing consensus in the U.S. foreign policy establishment in favor of "smart" (i.e., relaxed) sanctions on Iraq. We'd be curious to know if the smart sanctions proponents were among Mr. Vincent's associates.
And of course Saddam's buy-them-off strategy was far more extensive--and arguably successful--as regards the rest of the world. Why did France, Russia and the U.N. Security Council refuse to approve force despite Saddam's flagrant violation of 17 different resolutions? Last week's news makes it still harder to claim with a straight face that this type of corruption, or at least fear of its exposure, had nothing to do with the refusal to oust Saddam.
The Oil for Food scandal is at its roots about whether the current U.N.-centric global security architecture is hopelessly vulnerable to corruption or can be trusted to perform. That's why every serious internationalist should be paying close attention to investigations like Mr. Kelley's and that of the U.N. panel led by Paul Volcker.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/24/2005 2:01:00 AM ||
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Diplomatic efforts gained steam in easing separatist conflicts Sunday in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, two countries battered by last month's tsunami that has focused international attention on their decades-long insurgencies. Finnish officials confirmed that the Indonesian government and rebels will meet this week in Helsinki to discuss a formal cease-fire in tsunami-ravaged Aceh province, where separatists have been fighting for an independent homeland for nearly 30 years. Finland's Crisis Management Initiative, headed by former President Martti Ahtisaari, confirmed that Indonesian government officials and Aceh rebel leaders would meet this week in Helsinki, but declined to provide more details "due to the delicate nature" of the negotiations.
They'll agree to a cease-fire, and then a holy man will issue a fatwa, and then all hell (i.e., life as usual in Aceh) will break loose. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
01/24/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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"...Aceh province, where separatists have been fighting for an independent homeland for nearly 30 years."
And receiving zilch international attention. I wonder why?
A Sri Lankan government plan to build entire new towns for homeless tsunami victims has infuriated Muslims unwilling to live in mixed neighborhoods.
Muslims don't mix well with others
The uproar began last week when President Chandrika Bandaranaike laid the first brick for a brand new town to be called Siribopura, two miles in virgin jungle from what used to be the southern coastal town of Hambamtota.The blueprints call for housing 6,000 people left homeless in the Dec. 26 tsunami, The Independent reported. Siribopura will be multi-ethnic, mixing Muslim, Tamil and Singhalese communities in three-story blocks of apartments, and will also contain a "multi-ethnic religious center," the first of its kind to be built in Sri Lanka. In the rubble of Hambamtota, the mosque was about the only structure not washed away. "This is where we've always worshipped," said one local Muslim man. "We don't want that to change." The government plans to build about 60 other "harmonized" towns inland from other devastated sites.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/24/2005 12:36:04 PM ||
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They aren't willing to walk two bloody miles down a lovely jungle path to the beach in order to pray at the old mosque?? Then let them rebuild their old homes on the beach, and pray five times a day that Allah approves their decision.
Whether used as a diversionary tactic or to gain an advantage in the ongoing jostling for majority representation in the upcoming May parliamentary elections, the sharp increase in sectarian innuendo is too dangerous to ignore. Many agree that Lebanon's confessional diversity sharply differentiates the country from its surrounding Arab neighbors, acknowledging that such a religious plurality is more of an asset than a handicap. However, in an environment in which politics is so closely entangled with religion sentiment, any cracks surfacing in this fragile bond could lead to catastrophe.
Following a 15-year bloody civil war, Lebanese are hoping they bid farewell to sectarianism and now shudder at the mere thought of going back to that dreadful part of Lebanon's history. In fact, the 1989 Taif Accord was introduced to end the cycle of sectarian violence and ensure proper confessional representation in government and guarantee coexistence among Lebanese of all religions and sects. Orthodox Archbishop Roland Abu Jaoude was visibly shaken and angry Sunday at sectarian remarks floating ever since talks of a new electoral law that would divide Beirut into three confessional electoral districts emerged. Beirut's division has been viewed as an attempt at "clipping" former Premier Rafik Hariri's wings, in essence limiting his dominance in Parliament. This has been further reinforced upon Prime Minister Omar Karami's cancellation last Monday of a Hariri-backed "Conference Palace" project "due to dire economic conditions."
Describing talk of the division as only demagogy, Abu Jaoude said that those speaking a sectarian language are themselves sectarian and can give lessons in it. On Monday, Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh will announce his proposal to the Cabinet, which is expected to endorse the electoral law on Thursday, with the qada to be recommended as the next electoral district. Nabatieh MP Qassem Hashem expressed on Sunday fears that this type of districting will encourage sectarian sentiments, while Tripoli MP Najib Mikati warned that the absence of "state logic" and escalating sectarian language are creating a political atmosphere that is regulated and driven by confessional impulses and not by national interests. Hizbullah officials had warned that reverting to the 1960 qada law would ultimately "polarize" the Parliament and bring into it fundamentalists who do not represent or reflect national sentiments. Nevertheless, Abu Jaoude's remarks were more in reference to remarks made by Beirut MP Nasser Qandil over a week ago when he said that one Christian vote would equal two Muslim votes in the event small electoral districts are adopted, as smaller districts tend to favor minorities.
These remarks were followed by Metn MP Pierre Gemayel's argument during a Phalange Party dinner that "if they have a majority, we have quality." Although Gemayel clarified last week that his statement was in response to political statements made by Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and not based on sectarian considerations, the damage was already done. Karami's political adviser, Khaldoun Sharif attacked Gemayel and his father, former President Amin Gemayel, accusing them of stirring sectarian sentiment. Now, the issue of voting age is threatening to take the sectarian tone to new levels. Last Friday, Baalbek-Hermel MP and former Speaker Hussein Husseini addressed a letter to Franjieh explaining the rules and measures required for the new electoral law. Among the suggestions is a proposed draft constitutional amendment to lower the voting age from 21 to 18.
Such a proposal is not new. It emerged in 1998 and was endorsed by 102 MPs including Husseini and Karami. However, the Parliamentary petition was consequently shelved by Parliament in 2002 because of fears mainly expressed by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir and Christian MPs that the law would radically alter voter ratios in favor of Muslim voters. Sfeir has long contended that Maronites make up the majority of Lebanese emigrants - totaling about eight million - and should be given Lebanese citizenship and be allowed to participate in the electoral ticket in tandem with the reduction of the voting age, in order to maintain the electoral demographic balance. Whatever the face of the new electoral law turns out to be, many are hoping it will not disfigure the current coexistence picture that Lebanese swear and live by.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/24/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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Former ambassador Khalil Kazem Khalil said on Sunday the anti-armor mines placed outside a building he owned in Maarakeh are only available to military organizations and called for getting rid of such organizations, in an indirect reference to Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal Movement.
The "militias" — bands of fascisti — are why Lebanon isn't stable. Thank God the "militia movement" in the U.S. seems to have faded away after the Oklahoma City bombings. They're a recipe for anarchy.
Early Saturday morning, an anti-armor landmine exploded at the building while explosive experts dismantled four other similar mines, all Russian made. Speaking during a news conference held at his home in the presence of some 150 supporters, Khalil said: "It is time to get rid of those militias." He urged the government to prevent the hegemony of a certain category over public administrations and institutions, such as the Regie and the Council of the South, which are known to be under Berri's influence. Khalil said the building was intended to host an agricultural project that would provide job opportunities in the area for the youth. He also said that his brother Nasser has been the target of an assassination attempt during the 1992 parliamentary elections campaign.
Khalil urged authorities to assume their responsibilities and expose those who tamper with internal security. "The president, the premier and the interior minister ... have a historic responsibility at this moment, especially toward the South, the responsibility to ensure security and put an end to intimidation," Khalil said. Commenting on the electoral law, Khalil said he preferred small- or medium sized-districts over the mohafaza (large electoral districts), saying that mohafaza - called for by Berri - were aimed at "manipulating the will of the people."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/24/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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I would suggest that the militia movement in the United States faded, as well, because the United States continues to be a multi-cultural society. With all our imperfections, we still have more tolerance for eachother than many other nations with diverse ethnic populations. Our cultures are here voluntarily. In most other similar situations, force was used to create a multi-cultural nation and that is a recipe for conflict.
I would also suggest that the parlimentary method of governing is also a source of such conflicts. By winning a narrow majority or creating a coalition, a given ethnic group can control both the legeslative and executive branches of government. Our constitutional checks and balances are unique in the world.
#3
I would also suggest that the parlimentary method of governing is also a source of such conflicts. By winning a narrow majority or creating a coalition, a given ethnic group can control both the legeslative and executive branches of government.
Iran's Information Minister Ali Younessi said in Tehran Sunday that threats issued by US officials were part of a psychological war waged on Iran.
No, we're not. You just think we are...
"The Americans issued those statements to influence ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the Europe," Younessi told reporters, according to the official IRNA news agency. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi also said in the capital Sunday that threats recently hurled by US officials against his country are part of a psychological war aimed at exerting pressure on Europe to tow the US line.
Interesting concept, though. How does one carry out psychological warfare against people who're psychoceramics? Do the rules change for the unhinged?
Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Asefi said that the United States actually wants Europe to fail in its talks with Iran. "American accusations (against Iran) are not new. Washington wages psychological wars against Iran every now and then. Militarism is the main reason behind those remarks. No country listens and even European states and President Bush`s comrades have rejected those remarks and consider them to be declarations of all-out war against the whole world," Asefi said, according to IRNA news agency.
Oh, I don't think anybody but the French go that far. Still, it's interesting to see the way Iran's lapsed further into its national psychosis in the past year. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king; in a country full of nutbags, the guy with all his marbles doesn't stand a chance.
He further said that remarks of this kind are clear examples of a desire to wage religious and cultural wars against supporters of other religions and cultures, adding that they will bear no fruit except hatred at US policies at the regional and international levels as well as isolation for the United States.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/24/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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No it isn't: can't wage a psych war on a mind that spend a lot of time studying Koran, without actually hitting --- words just don't register.
#2
People who repeatedly lose often have the bad habit of loudly complaining when their opponent nails them a good one. This is not a good idea, like a boxer who says to his opponent, "Ow, you really hurt my ribs with that punch! Stop hitting me there!"
#3
Personally, I would have used the Baghdad Bob picture. Iran's Information Minister is getting to be about as silly. "No country listens and even European states and President Bush`s comrades have rejected those remarks and consider them to be declarations of all-out war against the whole world," Asefi said, according to IRNA news agency." Honestly, the man's a comic!
Posted by: Tom ||
01/24/2005 11:22 Comments ||
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Iraqi insurgents appear to be holding back on their violence in order to make a "more spectacular" attack just before or on next Sunday's national elections, a U.S. general said on Monday. Air Force Brig. Gen. Erv Lessel, deputy director of operations in Iraq, said in an interview from Baghdad with CNN said that there had been a 50 percent drop in attacks by insurgents in recent days... "We've had nearly 2,000 suspects detained just in the last two weeks. We've been discovering nearly a 100 weapons caches each week and every day more and more Iraqis are coming forward with more intelligence information," he said. Of course, capturing the #1 car-bomb maker and rounding up 2,000 boyz and their toys has nothing to do with it...
In case you were wondering what the "Crossfire" gang looks like. Money quote: Human rights groups want to know why more than 180 suspects have died in its custody since last June.
(2005-01-23) -- In lofty language reminiscent of President George Bush's second inaugural address, Abu Musab Zarqawi tells the Iraqi people in a newly-released speech that Islamic rule is the antidote to democracy and the only hope for returning the country to its "pre-invasion glory days."
In a dramatic address reportedly crafted by a 'neoliberal' speechwriter within his administration, Mr. Zarqawi urged the Iraqi people to "throw off the oppressive mantle of self-determination."
"We are led," said Mr. Zarqawi, "by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of Islamic rule in our land increasingly depends on the success of Islamic rule in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the destruction of democracy in all the world. Freedom, after all, is just another word for 'nothing left to lose.'"
U.S. Senator John F. Kerry, D-MA, said the Zarqawi speech reinforced his own repeated calls to withdraw American troops from Iraq as quickly as possible, "to avoid imposing our culture-bound values on its people."
"Zarqawi offers a powerful alternative to Bush's provincial rhetorical hubris," Mr. Kerry said. "Even though Mr. Zarqawi is Jordanian, he has won the hearts, and often the heads, of the Iraqi people."
Posted by: Korora ||
01/24/2005 8:58:10 AM ||
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Brilliantly satirical, as always, but depressingly close to the truth: it really isn't that hard to imagine a dimwit like Kerry, or a Barbara Boxer, saying something that stupid.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
01/24/2005 10:17 Comments ||
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January 24, 2005: One of the long time beneficiaries of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns will be the infantry. In addition to all the invaluable combat experience, the infantry is getting attention to its equipment needs in a way rarely seen, even in wartime. For the past sixty years, defense spending went into big ticket items, even for the ground forces. More expensive tanks and artillery got most of the cash, and things like better packs or weapons for the grunts took second place. The current infantry-intense wars have changed all that, and the army is under pressure to cut back on big ticket items, and put lots more money into what the infantry needs. The new Crusader self-propelled artillery system, and the Comanche helicopters have already been cut, and other high priced systems are threatened as well. Now the pressure is on to cut the billions budgeted for developing the next generation of armored vehicles (FCS, or Future Combat System.) The navy and air force are also being forced to make cuts, so the army, mainly the infantry, can have whatever they need or, increasingly, whatever they want.
Putting more money into the infantry seems like a good investment. The current generation of infantry are the best trained and most effective in American history. They get the job done quickly, while taking historically low casualties. All of this is not an unmitigated disaster for the other services, for one of the things the infantry want is better communications and sensors. The other services must be re-equipped so everyone can talk to each other. The infantry are getting individual radios, micro-UAVs (so a company commander can have his own little air force), better night vision equipment and small, rugged computers to run all the stuff. A generation of kids who grew up on PCs, cell phones and video games are now in the infantry, and they expect all these gadgets, and know how to use them. But to make all this battlefield Internet work, the other services need communications upgrades as well. So to provide the infantry with the "network-centric" tools they want, you have to equip everyone else in the army with the new radios and satellite communications. Same for the air force and navy. Everyone benefits, but they only get new stuff that makes it easier for the infantry to do their jobs.
It's about time. The infantry has been left in the dust for several centuries, as most money went into mobile forces (cavalry then, tanks now), artillery and, in the last century, the biggest money pit of all, air power. Ironically, precision weapons have made much of this shift towards emphasis on infantry possible. With things like inexpensive guided missiles and smart bombs, the infantry can quickly call in enormous amounts of fire power to eliminate enemy forces a hundred or so meters in front of them. Speed and accuracy changes everything. So does technology. New lightweight and strong materials make it possible to provide very effective body armor. The U.S. Army is also testing a new assault rifle, a multi-billion dollar project that has been put off for years because of the expense. But now it's the infantry that are the only ones who can do the fighting in low-intensity wars, so you put your money where it will do the most good.
Some credit has to go to the elite infantry of SOCOM (Special Forces, Rangers and Delta Force commandoes). They showed what could be done with an expense account. SOCOM has long had a pot of money they could use on any weapons or equipment they thought might be useful. Out of this came a lot of new stuff that would have never made it through the torturous army procurement process. But if something new works in combat, it's "combat tested" and the bureaucrats can't keep it away from the troops. All combat units now have mad money for whatever the commander wants to try out, and no one wants to reverse the practice.
The army knows it has good infantry, it's paying larger and larger reenlistment bonuses to experienced NCOs in uniform. Often the bonuses are larger than fighter pilots got in the past when such pilots were scarce. Billions are going into combat simulators for the infantry, again more money than the fighter pilots ever got for their simulators. Two decades of being selective about who they let into the infantry, and spending more money on equipment and training, has paid off. Of course if you ask a marine, he'll allow as how the GIs have gotten better, and some might even make it as marines. The marines have always stressed excellence in training, but, like riflemen everywhere, did it on a short budget. For too many generations, the infantry were seen as unlucky saps who got a bad break when they were handed a rifle and orders to the front. But infantry fighting is a complex business. Studies done during World War I and II showed that. But this realization that putting your best people into the infantry never translated into spending more money on them. Except for the development of "elite" infantry like commandos, it wasn't until recently that it was discovered that all infantry could be "elite" if you spent enough time and money training and equipping them. It's about time.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/24/2005 9:18:50 AM ||
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The navy and air force are also being forced to make cuts, so the army, mainly the infantry, can have whatever they need or, increasingly, whatever they want
No military expert here but what does htis mean for our ability to stay far ahead of the ChiComs in naval and air power? Don't let China sneak up on us while we're killing the jihadists.
#3
Unless the Chicoms engage in a crash program of a modern blue water Navy complete with aircraft carriers, most of their naval operations will be littoral in nature, and we are working out the doctrine for this type of naval warfare.
#4
Would most of that doctrine involve staying over the horizon in various directions, and shooting hellishly accurate boom-things at them, thus wiping out lots of them while our guys kvetch about the occasional stubbed toe?
#5
I hear ya lex & that's a good point. We don't want to get so bogged down in using Iraq/Afghan as the model for future conflicts when it's very likely China will be the next main opponent.
The USMC actually has what's called a LWTC, Littoral Warfare Training Center. As 80% of all the countries in the world have their capital within 200 miles of a major body of water/ocean (or some such stat I've heard.)
#6
China is building a blue-water navy. But they have no realistic naval target for the next generation but Taiwan, and they don't need a carrier for that. Don't let that fool you. Many in Peking still recall the last Chinese blue-water Navy which circumnavigated the world.
Posted by: Mac Suirtain ||
01/24/2005 14:17 Comments ||
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#8
Hey Chuck, can you back up that statement? I have never heard that the Chinee Navy (even at its height sometime in the middle of the last MILLENIA) ever circumnavigated the earth. Can you back up this little bit of information?
Posted by: Jame Retief ||
01/24/2005 14:21 Comments ||
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#9
James, while Chinese circumnavigating the globe may well be myth (many records were destroyed), in the fifteenth century China had the largest blue water navy the world had ever seen and certainly explored the Indian ocean.
China's decline and Europe's rise is an interesting study in culture wars with parallels for today with the technocrats on the Right versus the Green/Left 'stability' and change will take us down the road to disaster crowd (ref global warming). Link
#10
PB: James, while Chinese circumnavigating the globe may well be myth (many records were destroyed), in the fifteenth century China had the largest blue water navy the world had ever seen and certainly explored the Indian ocean.
China's decline and Europe's rise is an interesting study in culture wars
China dismantled its navy because it cost huge sums of money to maintain. (Today's navies are also extremely expensive). What is interesting is how the European powers found a way to pay for their navies, and how a remote island power on the northwestern edge of Europe became the greatest naval power of all, overawing Portugal, Spain and Holland in turn. How did Europe make naval expansion monetarily viable, where the legendarily commerce-minded Chinese empire was unable to?
#11
Zhang, arguably Britain's navy never made economic sense. They paid for it becuase they could (after the industrial revolution) and becuase preventing invasion was their over-riding geopolitical concern - security at any cost.
#12
IIUC the British navy allowed them (an island country of limited manpower, compared to, say Russia or China) to project that power/empire more than a bazillion troops
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/24/2005 18:54 Comments ||
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#13
Spot on Frank G.
A million man army is impressive if your worried mainly about defending your homeland or menacing bordering countries. However, if you've no realistic logistical means to move them or *project* power via naval transpo your military becomes a fairly one dimensional force.
#14
How did Europe make naval expansion monetarily viable, where the legendarily commerce-minded Chinese empire was unable to?
I'd have to guess it was related to the vast increase in wealth stemming from the extraction of huge quantities of gold and silver in the New World in the 16c and the vast increase in trade and productive activity that such hard assets financed. Capitalism more than mercantilism.
#15
arguably Britain's navy never made economic sense
I disagree. Britain in the 17-18c experienced an extraordinary increase in trade in the caribbean, north america and africa and india. Such trade could never have been possible without secure sea lanes. In that era piracy, including state-directed piracy, very easily and efficiently knocked out of the global maritime commerce game any nation that could not protect its commercial fleets.
#16
yes money, equipment , man/woman power is needed.
What should be done when they come home....to a broken household, maybe disabled veteran, and a society who wants nothing to do with them.
Andrea
Posted by: Andrea ||
01/24/2005 20:55 Comments ||
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#17
What should be done when they come home....to a broken household, maybe disabled veteran, and a society who wants nothing to do with them. Andrea
any examples of that Andrea? Other than the Dem/Antiwar leftists?
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/24/2005 21:02 Comments ||
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#18
"The new Crusader self-propelled artillery system, and the Comanche helicopters have already been cut"
I remember the Dems and some conservatives ready to rip Rumsfeld apart for cancelling these items - and bascially ending the careeers of several generals who tried to backdoor restore them in the Congress.
#19
apologies are for Republicans. The girl couldn't swim... I did make sure that, if she'd lived, her medicare would've covered drowning injuries, so, no harm, no foul
#20
"The new Crusader self-propelled artillery system, and the Comanche helicopters have already been cut"
I remember the Dems and some conservatives ready to rip Rumsfeld apart for cancelling these items - and bascially ending the careeers of several generals who tried to backdoor restore them in the Congress.
#21
"The new Crusader self-propelled artillery system, and the Comanche helicopters have already been cut"
I remember the Dems and some conservatives ready to rip Rumsfeld apart for cancelling these items - and bascially ending the careeers of several generals who tried to backdoor restore them in the Congress.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The U.S. ambassador to Iraq acknowledged serious problems ahead of next weekend's election but gave assurance Sunday that ``great efforts'' were being made so every Iraqi can vote. In an audiotape posted on the Web, a speaker claiming to be Iraq's most feared terrorist declared ``fierce war'' on democracy, raising the stakes in the vote.
Z-man just blew it big time.
Rebels who have vowed to disrupt the balloting blew up a designated polling station near Hillah south of Baghdad and stormed a police station in Ramadi west of the capital, authorities said.
U.S. and Iraqi officials fear more such attacks in the run-up to the Jan. 30 election and have announced massive security measures to protect voters. Iraqis will choose a 275-seat National Assembly and provincial councils in Iraq's 18 provinces in the first nationwide balloting since the ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Large turnouts are expected among Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims in the south and minority Kurds in the northeast. But the big question in the minds of the MSM handicappers is whether Sunni Arabs, who form the core of the insurgency, will defy rebel threats and their clergy's calls for a boycott and participate in substantial numbers. Failure of significant numbers of Sunnis to participate would call into question the legitimacy of the new Iraqi leadership according to the MSM handicappers, widening the gulf among the country's ethnic and religious groups and setting the stage for leaving the truculant Sunnis behind even more turmoil.
``The Iraqis will be - will be just fine,'' Secretary of State nominee Condoleezza Rice told reporters Sunday at the White House. ``They're starting a process and this is an important step, a first step for them in this democratic process.''
In a series of interviews Sunday on American television talk shows, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte acknowledged an increase in rebel intimidation of Iraqi officials and security forces and said serious security problems remain in the Sunni Triangle north and west of Baghdad. ``But security measures are being taken, by both the multinational forces here in Iraq as well as the Iraqi armed forces and police,'' Negroponte told ``Fox News Sunday.'' ``There will be some problematic areas ... But even there, great efforts are being made to enable every Iraqi eligible to do so to be able to vote,'' he said.
Underscoring the threat, a speaker identifying himself as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - the leader of Iraq's al-Qaida affiliate - condemned the election, branding candidates as ``demi-idols'' and saying those who vote for them ``are infidels'' - a clear threat to the safety of all those who participate in the balloting. ``We have declared a fierce war on this evil principle of democracy and those who follow this wrong ideology,'' the speaker said in an audiotape posted Sunday on an Islamic Web site. ``Anyone who tries to help set up this system is part of it.''
80% of the people want to vote. Always a good idea to put yourself in league with the other 20%, eh?
The speaker warned Iraqis to be careful of ``the enemy's plan to implement so-called democracy in your country.'' He said the Americans have engineered the election to install Shiite Muslims in power. Al-Zarqawi has in the past branded Shiites as heretics.
Most of the terrorists insurgents are believed to be Sunni Arabs, who lost influence and privilege with the fall of their patron Saddam. Their ranks have been reinforced by non-Iraqi Arab terrorists extremists who have come to wage holy war against the Americans.
To encourage as big a turnout of Sunnis as possible, U.S. and Iraqi troops have stepped up security operations in Baghdad, Mosul and other tense areas, rounding up hundreds of suspected terrorists insurgents. The U.S. command announced Sunday it had arrested an undisclosed ``top terrorist insurgent suspect'' in Baghdad after hunting him for nearly a year.
Sunni elder statesman Adnan Pachachi, who is running for the National Assembly, predicted a bigger Sunni turnout than expected due to recent improvements in the security situation in some areas. ``There is evidence that participation in the elections will be broader than expected,'' Pachachi told Al-Arabiya television. ``I call on the parties that planned to boycott the elections to show some flippin' commen sense for a change urge their followers to vote.'' He also told CNN's ``Late Edition'' that it was important to maintain adequate Sunni representation in the new assembly.
Light dawns in the east.
The United States hopes that an elected Iraqi government might command broader public support in the campaign against the terrorists insurgents, hastening the day when the 150,000 American troops could go home.
However, interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said it was too early to talk about a withdrawal of U.S.-led forces. ``The terrorists and the evil forces are trying to break our will. They are trying to stop democracy from happening in Iraq,'' Allawi said in an interview Sunday on British Broadcasting Corp. television. Allawi said Iraqis ultimately want to see their own forces tackle the country's security problems. ``But it is too premature to talk about withdrawal,'' Allawi said.
``We wouldn't like to set a time at all. We would like to have the multinational forces helping us and training and developing both our army as well as our internal security forces.''
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/24/2005 12:41:12 AM ||
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Link ||
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#1
The U.S. command announced Sunday it had arrested an undisclosed ``top terrorist insurgent suspect'' in Baghdad after hunting him for nearly a year.
The poor accordian lady must be getting tired of warming for the fat lady.
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.
Some workers at a warehouse in Fredrikstad had a mess on their hands last week, after a production mistake caused 1,650 cans of mackerel in tomato sauce to literally explode.
Police have arrested the suspected killer of the imam of a mosque in Saudi Arabia, and are investigating a possible terrorist motive, reports said Monday. Saudi daily al-Watan said worshippers in the mosque of Afiriya in the western city of Ranya were stunned when a man barged in during Friday prayers last week, brandishing a pistol which he fired at the mosque's imam, killing him instantly. The killer was later captured by police and turned out to be the cousin of the victim. 
The Saudi interior minister has said the world's most wanted terrorist, 
The Muslim Council of Britain are planning to boycott this week's commemoration of the Holocaust because they claim it is not racially inclusive. 
New video pictures have been released of the 
North Korea has cut food rations to just half the amount recommended by the World Food Programme, the UN food agency says. WFP monitors say government handouts have been cut from 300g (10.5oz) of cereals a day to 250g. 
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold hearings on a Washington Post report that the Defense Department is reinterpreting U.S. law to give the secretary broad authority over clandestine operations abroad. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has created a new espionage unit called the Strategic Support Branch, according to the news report, but McCain, speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation," said he doubts Rumsfeld has broken any laws. 
Diplomatic efforts gained steam in easing separatist conflicts Sunday in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, two countries battered by last month's tsunami that has focused international attention on their decades-long insurgencies. Finnish officials confirmed that the Indonesian government and rebels will meet this week in Helsinki to discuss a formal cease-fire in tsunami-ravaged Aceh province, where separatists have been fighting for an independent homeland for nearly 30 years. Finland's Crisis Management Initiative, headed by former President Martti Ahtisaari, confirmed that Indonesian government officials and Aceh rebel leaders would meet this week in Helsinki, but declined to provide more details "due to the delicate nature" of the negotiations. 
Whether used as a diversionary tactic or to gain an advantage in the ongoing jostling for majority representation in the upcoming May parliamentary elections, the sharp increase in sectarian innuendo is too dangerous to ignore. Many agree that Lebanon's confessional diversity sharply differentiates the country from its surrounding Arab neighbors, acknowledging that such a religious plurality is more of an asset than a handicap. However, in an environment in which politics is so closely entangled with religion sentiment, any cracks surfacing in this fragile bond could lead to catastrophe. 
Former ambassador 
Iran's Information Minister 
Iraqi insurgents appear to be holding back on their violence in order to make a "more spectacular" attack just before or on next Sunday's national elections, a U.S. general said on Monday. Air Force Brig. Gen. Erv Lessel, deputy director of operations in Iraq, said in an interview from Baghdad with CNN said that there had been a 50 percent drop in attacks by insurgents in recent days... "We've had nearly 2,000 suspects detained just in the last two weeks. We've been discovering nearly a 100 weapons caches each week and every day more and more Iraqis are coming forward with more intelligence information," he said.
