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    marye
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    When our previous topic hit the 1,000-response mark, sleazy behavior by politicians was eliciting a certain amount of non-astonishment.

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  • cosmicbadger
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    Earthquake in Burma Laos Thailand
    The earthquake the world forgot? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific- Not surprising really. I don't recall any nations rushing with their armies to protect civilians when the army rulers were shooting monks in the streets in Burma a while back or preventing aid reaching tens of thousands dying in the floods there.
  • c_c
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    your otherwise
    llama, your otherwise interesting post is diminished, unfortunately, by what I consider to be a less than sensitive invective reference to a group of people: "and take out the camel turds." love&peace.
  • cosmicbadger
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    War medals
    I think that all these leaders want their own war on their resumes. Not a scabby second hand war they inherited from their predecessors, but their very own war. No, you ain’t a real leader unless you have sent your people to die and kill other people. The trick is finding a nice neat war that can have spectacular fireworks at the beginning and a quick resolution (images of Bush celebrating ‘Victory’ on some ship). I guess a shoot - ‘em - up of the Libyans looked like just the ticket.
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    Khadaffy and Obama, Sarkozy & The Arab League
    What a freaking mess. I've seen news reports of American soldiers in open revolt to their Commander & Chief's (Obama's) policy in Libya to the tune "What the hell is the objective here?" The left and the right (among anybody paying attention) are going nuts that Obama did not inform Congress and the American people with a clearly laid out plan of going to war as The War Powers Act demands. This is a mess! Some of these "rebels" in Benghazi are indeed Al Quieda. We stopped the slaughter of innocents in Benghazi and now it's time to turn it over to the British, the French and The Arab League and let the blood be on their hands. Obama's actions in this fiasco are worrying to a large degree. Maybe he doesn't get it and maybe if the Repubs come up with non-loony ticket in 2012 he is going to get his ass kicked by a Romney/Paul ticket. MacArthur said to March on Beijing in the 50s. Looks good in retrospect. Common sense says it's time for the allies to put boots on the ground to Tripoli and take out the camel turds. It may force another issue on the matter of the Libyans having retained weapons of mass destruction. Better to find out now than when an all-out conflagration happens in the Middle East as it is clearly heading in that direction. Save American might for Yemen, the most radical terrorist state in the process of falling to the terrorists in the next six months as well as Bharain, where the 5th American naval fleet is based. Democratic change is good bot nobody said it wouldn't be scary or hazardous.
  • Gr8fulTed
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    Oliphant editorial cartoon
    Pat Oliphant takes a swing at European leaders for not acting aggressively toward the Libyan situation, expecting Uncle Sam to "take care of it". (Yesterday's cartoon)Today, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has stepped forward to provide air support for the rebels in their effort to maintain control over the city of Benghazi and to stop Gadhafi from killing his own people. Meanwhile, conditions in Japan reveal the Japanese resilience and determination in the ugly face of natural and nuclear catastrophe, winter weather, and the disruption of food and medical supplies. Please consider financial assistance through the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Heart to Heart International, to name just a few charitable relief organizations.
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    Radio-active cloud to hit Calif. tomorrow
    Don't worry, it all good. You don't need the thyroid pills,
  • gratefaldean
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    Not for nothing
    But perhaps apropos of not that much, I've been reminded in recent days not of Chernobyl, but of that very sick feeling I had driving home from seeing "The China Syndrome" and hearing the breaking news about Three Mile Island on the car radio (we thought at first it was some kind of "War of the Worlds"-style promo for the movie that we'd just seen). The movie scared the bejeezus out of me, and combined with the TMI news I thought we were facing the end of the world as we knew it, and I most decidedly did NOT feel fine. That feeling is back....
  • c_c
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    free English news from Japan
    free live stream of NHK news in English: http://wwitv.com/tv_channels/6810.htm peace.
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    The Pacific Ring of Plates...
    ...Would lead one to a reasonable conclusion that more seismic activity off the Oregon coast now has a higher probability. Lets hope LA & SF aren't included. The Jappanese are now using last ditch efforts to cool the reactor cores in six power plants with two in dire danger. There have been two partial meltdowns. They are using sea water in a last ditch effort to cool the remaining reactors. Hopefully, this will kill the effort to revive the nuclear power option, though Obama is quoted as saying that we need to learn lessons from these accidents so we can move forward with this type of power production. His unflagging support of nuclear power is puzzling, to say the least.
  • trailbird
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    tsunami
    Crescent City and Brookings,OR. both had their harbors badly damaged. Many boats destroyed or damaged and the docks washed out. Our little port came through unscathed but one wave was funneled up by the jetty and pushed logs a couple hundred feet inland. There is subduction zone about 50 miles off the coast here that hasn't ruptured in over 300 years and is expected to produce a 9.0 or greater earthquake when it does. Thoughts and prayers to the people of Japan.
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When our previous topic hit the 1,000-response mark, sleazy behavior by politicians was eliciting a certain amount of non-astonishment.
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Thanks for the interesting back and forth everybody. Guess we have to set aside a separate plate of CC cookies for Mr. Dean. No problem!
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gratefuldean, that was quite the team. I attended a meeting where Amory Lovins met with members of the Iowa Legislature (back when I lived there) about energy issues. This must have been about 20 years ago. If only his dreams and plans were undertaken. I remember he was also acting as a consultant to some branch of U.S. government or maybe even military to look at energy issues to decrease our dependence on mideastern oil and our involvement in the mideast issues as a national security issue and to save money and lives. But we had an oil president for 4 years and then an oil vice president (Gore) for the next eight. Brower was a great inspiration to me. The man did much to build the environmental movement and protect wild places. Young at heart even when he was old. Glad I was able to meet him on occasion, his spirit rubbed off on me. Keep it wild and free! If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. William Blake
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...in the Swat Valley of Pakistan. More than a million are now homeless with thousands killed. The flooding from the monsoon is unprecedented and due to global warming. Those poor, poor people.To it's credit, Israel is helping Pakistan in this emergency. Perhaps there is hope for the world after all. The greatest security risk on the planet now is global warming. More moisture as the greenhouse effect takes over means vastly more precipitation in the form of rain or snow in increasingly ferocious storms. Massive dislocation of populations across national borders is now imminent. Will the snow be six to ten feet deep this winter where it was usually 3"-6"? I certainly hope not but we are far into the soup now that anything is possible, including that scenario from the movie about ecological catastrophe called The Day After Tomorrow. How could our country, the leader of the free world, obfuscated on this issue for so long? The corporate propaganda machine took over and still churns out a mass of bullshit and their bought and paid for lackeys in Congress won't pass a bill to cut CO2 emissions. This is total insanity. (Sorry, can't find any good news except the Jews helping the Muslims in Pakistan)
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is this: the outcry for humanitarian aid for Haiti was immediate and intense (and deservedly so) while about Pakistan I see more plain reporting, and less collection drives. Maybe I mentioned this before, but it's still puzzling me. If we don't help the Taliban will! ********************************** By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity -- another man's I mean. Mark Twain
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Hal R, my everlasting memory of Amory Lovins: chatting him up at a Luau in Maui, John Denver was the evening entertainmnent, and we were standing away from the crowd. We'd had just enough to drink to get a warm buzz. During the course of our conversation, no recollection of why, he pulls out his wallet and extracts a picture...of his dog. The dog was wearing a bandana. My instant thought: "old hippie. He's one of us!" If only, indeed. The world would be a different place if we'd been really working to implement his ideas over the past couple of decades.
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I'm confused as well, but I mark it up, in some ways, to disaster fatigue. Maybe that isn't it, but we seem to act/react more quickly to a single, out-of-the-blue catastrophe than we do when they seem to start piling up on each other. I know my own reaction to "trouble ahead, trouble behind" is to start hiding my head under my pillow. And you know, THAT notion just crossed my mind...
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...is still different than that of Haiti, but not by that much. A radical Muslim state like Pakistan is a different priority than a country close at hand -- at least to American charities.
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hmmmmmm I am no economist, but I will give some of my guestimates as why this could be. 1.) Creation of 400 euro jobs This was a program set up in 2008 (I believe) to put part of the long-term unemployed into menial jobs where they earned 400 euros/month; in addition to their unemployment benefits. That possibly led to some of the population feeling more productive again overall, plus having an extra 400 euros that they can spend. 2.) 2,500 older car rebate The government was offering a 2,500 euro check for turning older model cars in for newer, more environmentally efficient one. As far as I know many people took this offer up, which was good for the overall environment, PLUS stimulated car production (at least temporarily) 3.) Export to the growing Asian market Germany has done a pretty good job with this. Cars, appliances etc. 4.) taxes Can't forget that we pay higher VAT taxes on every step of goods and services-which in the end keeps the money flowing more than American lower taxes. Some Americans bitch about taxes, but in reality know squat about paying over 20% of their income in tax (oops another topic in itself) 5 reunification costs balancing out (this is just a guess) Reunification of East and West Germany was a very costly process, more than the people were ever told. It has been 10 years now, so perhaps these expences are balancing out and the East is pulling more of their financial weight again. I think I will do some more research Gonzo-to your most interesting question, and will come back with more information. Whether what I have theorized above is anywhere close to an answer, or just uninformed guessing. ********************************** By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity -- another man's I mean. Mark Twain
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my guesses about aid for Pakistan were-if the government has the means to build nuclear weapons they also have the means to aid their population -the far-off Muslim factor (though dangerous to ignore due to Taliban in proximity ready and willing to provide aid, while they recruit) -that because the government was slow to respond to the catastrophy does not mean that they cannot-which was the case in Haiti. Again am just speculating! ********************************** By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity -- another man's I mean. Mark Twain
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2,000 dead this year from floods and landslides. Another 3.5 inches of rain expected today? Yeesh! "The dire wolf collects his due while the boys sing round the fire"
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Consensus GDP numbers for the remainder of the year have been cut in half by economists. • The June Trade Deficit widened beyond everyone's expectations (see chart, below). • The Fed just gave the market a nod this week that it was fully cognizant of the possibility of a 'double-dip' recession – the likelihood of which we say is still remote. Ahhh, more good news, the likelihood of a double-dip recession is still remote -- Just don't tell the 13,000 in Atlanta who lined up for the Sec. 8 housing waiting list, 62 of which were hospitalized due to heat exhaustion.
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Yeah, I just noticed some of the maple trees starting to change color this morning. I watched the Perseids Wednesday night from the top of 3,760 ft. Wildhorse Prairie 15 miles from the ocean, pretty cool, then lost my car keys in the morning for an hour, finally down to my last hope I unrolled my sleeping bag and they came tumbling out, whew. Shall we go You and I while we can Through the Transitive nightfall of diamonds
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Did you make that up? and it leaves the engineer with a worried mind
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...at Ground Zero. The latest faux controversy has to do with Obama supporting the law in the US, which says that religious groups have a right to build anywhere they can get local approval (permits, zoning). The Islamic cultural center (not mosque) will be built a couple blocks from Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. Apparently it is believed that when Muslims win a battle in a holy war they build a mosque near that site. This has our zany right-wing on an Obama-bashing tear. Personally, I wish there was a yoga studio in that old Burlington Coat Factory building, where people could stop in and meditate on their lunch hour or pilgrimmage to Ground Zero. If we could just visualize a tolerant world it would be a great start.
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Alan Simpson, US Senator from Wyoming (home of Dick Cheney), and apparently font for all evil in the world, is about to return results from his fact-finding commission on SS. In order to "cut the budget" SS will have to be amended, meaning that people will receive less in the way of a monthly check. If there is any issue that baby-boomers should be concerned about, it is SS. And not just baby-boomers. Any amendment to SS should be stomped and the authors railroaded out of office as a lesson to any other politician that would dare try this again. Cut the war budget, get corporations off welfare but for God's sake, allow people who worked hard all their life the peace and dignity of a semi-comfortable retirement where they can afford decent food and medicine. Really, Simpson and his ilk have no shame.
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Alan Simpson, US Senator from Wyoming (home of Dick Cheney), and apparently font for all evil in the world, is about to return results from his fact-finding commission on SS. In order to "cut the budget" SS will have to be amended, meaning that people will receive less in the way of a monthly check. If there is any issue that baby-boomers should be concerned about, it is SS. And not just baby-boomers. Any amendment to SS should be stomped and the authors railroaded out of office as a lesson to any other politician that would dare try this again. Cut the war budget, get corporations off welfare but for God's sake, allow people who worked hard all their life the peace and dignity of a semi-comfortable retirement where they can afford decent food and medicine. Really, Simpson and his ilk have no shame.
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which is the mantra of the right seems to only be applied to those who have to struggle to get by. If you're filthy rich theses guys just want to give you more, more, more! We live in an immoral society.
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as example, look at that obscene display of wealth and power that was the wedding of Chelsea Clinton, besides which, i wonder how many taxpayer dollars went for Secret Service for the event. On the first lady's recent SHOPPING trip in Spain, there was an entourage of s.u.v.'s that would rival any funeral procession, and with 70 agents drawing $237 a day in per diem, in addition to their regular pay, i have to question it all. as i always say, you can't trust ANY of the bastards.
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it seems like every people want their royalty. if there is no king and queen then the leader of the country fills that status. it comes with the trappings of power. america has many past and present first families -- and some would add the kennedys to this list. heaven knows it's all obscene but if i had to pick my battles they'd be things like nationalizing goldman-sachs and reigning in such masters of war as haliburton & blackwater. but still have to agree w/j'man, it really is wretched excess.
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The US is now the largest donor among governments of the world to the victims of the Swat Valley floods. However, the NY Times reports that officials are trying to gain major torque with the Pakistani people in the fight against aq. America just happens to be pre-positioned with mass airlift of all kinds of stuff from Iraq they were planning to put on Craig's List. Disease such as cholera and malaria are becoming epidemic with 2 million dislocated and about 2000 dead around the Indus in Pakistan. This ranks with Haiti and the big Tsunami as three disasters in this decade of truly biblical proportions.
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The stated purpose of the organizers of this center is to promote tolerance and understanding. While I support their right to do so, there is no doubt that it is highly insensitive and insulting to millions of Americans and will not promote their goals. So why do it? Our basic rights, freedoms and liberty is under wholesale attack due to 9/11. This insistence on this group asserting it's right is just plain stupid from every angle.
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To build the Islamic cultural center close to ground zero, I do have to question the wisdom (and motivation) of such an action. "Stupid" does pretty well sum it up, Gonzo. As an acquaintance of mine is fond of pointing out: why kick that skunk?
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except for the part that millions of Americans will object to an Islam Cultural center near Ground 0. "why kick that skunk?" well the skunk of Islam is being kicked everyday with the "War on Terrorism" campaign, making people afraid of everyone who professes to be Muslim. That is not right, so I am for promoting cultural awareness. Not to mention the constitutional right to build such a center.********************************** By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity -- another man's I mean. Mark Twain
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Pres. Obama will be landing at Boeing field this morning to discuss small business matters w various constituents in a Pioneer Square bakery. I'm working in Kalama, WA later this morning, so the drive down I-5 may be a bit slow....
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...nobody is saying they don't have the right and freedom to build their cultural center, except, perhaps Palin and some of the crazies from Fox. The insensitivity of doing it in this particular place is what is objectionable. If the mayor of NYC was not in favor, this thing would have been quietly quashed. I personally believe that their freedom to do this is what makes America great. But, it's not even ten years since a radical extremist fringe of their religion, in the name of their religion being attacked by the US, attacked the US in that spot! What do you think would happen if a group of Christians who worked for western embassies tried to build a Christian church in Jedda, Saudi Arabia? They would never be able to do it and the mere announcing of the intention to do so would either land them in jail or have them expelled in a hurry. There is a great deal made of how much Islam is a tolerant religion and, in some cities of the Middle East it is true that mosques and other places of worship co-exist. But the fact is that in most of Islam intolerance is coded into law. There is such a thing as taking advantage. The timing is bad, the location is bad and they are not helping their cause.
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That I question. It is just kicking the skunk. Do they have the right? Absolutely, and if all the local permits are granted and the decision is made to go forward, then yes, they definitely have the right. Just doesn't make it a good idea. If there's an overarching point to be made that I'm missing (for example, building here and showing everyone that Muslims are peace-loving people who get along with and respect their neighbors...I guess that would be an overarching motivation that I'm missing), then maybe it's worth it to kick the skunk. If not, how does this action do anything but exacerbate an already bad situation?
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It's just plain dirty, and you might end up getting hammered. Conversation is always more interesting than recitation, so speak your mind and not someone else's.
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We have the "right" to make poor decisions. "The dire wolf collects his due while the boys sing round the fire"
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There are valid points on both sides of this discussion. Here's my thoughts on this. First: Do they have the right to build it? Absolutely! If we take away their freedom to do it the terrorists have won! Osama would love it! Second: Should they build it? That's a more complex question. I confess to knowing nothing about this particular Islamic group. If they are a moderate group of Muslims who have nothing to do with the extremists groups perhaps they want to show everyone that all Muslims should not be painted with one brush. I call myself a Christian but there are extremist Christian groups who have gotten it all wrong in my opinion and I want to show everyone that all Christians are not like them. If this is their intention, then it MAY be a good decision. However, I confess that I might urge a group I was part of not to build a church at the Dome of the Rock because it might be offensive to many Muslims. The wisdom of the choice is a call the group in question will have to make. Obviously, if the group building the center is affiliated with radical terrorist groups, while I defend their right to build it I might also be inclined to exercise my right to protest in front of it! Bottom line this is America and they have a right to build the center. If it fosters understanding then God bless it! If its an "in your face" from Islamic extremists let's not give them the propaganda benefit of stopping it!
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that insist that the only reason the center is being built is that Muslims are "claiming their territory" after winning it by conquest. So called "Christians" did the same in the middle east during the crusades. I truly believe that people that would kill in the name of their respective "religions" are really not very religious.......just deluded fools that neither know or understand the true teachings of Jesus OR Mohammad.
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These are the types who try to create God in their own image!
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Bottom line this is America and they have a right to build the center. If it fosters understanding then God bless it! If its an "in your face" from Islamic extremists let's not give them the propaganda benefit of stopping it!
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None of us have rights. But that being said, let them build their mosque, but why on ground zero (or even next to)? Why even stir that pot? To me It's like a murderer who breaks into a house, kills the family and then gets to live in their house. It just doesn't seem right to me. "The dire wolf collects his due while the boys sing round the fire"
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Less than one million have been helped with any kind of aid. The aid is there, there is just no way to get it to people other than air-drop. New villages are flooded every day as the floodwater continues to crest downstream.
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After deliberating for about two weeks the jury came back with one guilty verdict out of 24 counts.The judge declared a mistrial and the government said it was ready to retry the case. I have no idea what to think. This will make the "Democracy's worst moments" reel without a doubt. How do you explain Blago to a ninth grade civic class?
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How do you explain Blago to a ninth grade civic class?..... 'Listen kids...in America nice teeth and nice hair can tilt the scales of justice in your favour. So whatever else you do, keep flossing and use a good conditioner'
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"A typical case of blind justice" and perhaps the jury never got to see the 27 8X10 color glossy phots, with circles and arrows, and a paragraph on the back of each one.********************************** By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity -- another man's I mean. Mark Twain
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...where appearance trumps substance. I have to wonder if, after Blago tried to trade the vacant senate seat for an ambassadorship, Rahm Emmanuel had a word with Eric Holder who then leaned on the FBI to pull the trigger on the less than subtle Rod-O. I'm sure they thought he would resign quietly. Alas, NOT! The funny thing is Blago is letting his lawyer portray him as "not the sharpest knife in the drawer" in order to save his ass -- the "What, me worry?" Alfred E. Neuman defense. ~ Don't lend your hand to raise no flag... ~
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24 counts, who can even keep that many charges straight? I've only got 10 fingers and 10 toes, so you've exceeded my counting capicity, let alone my making- a -separate -judgment- on- each- charge capacity. Especially when dealing with racketeering charges against a politician (racketeering, that has something to do with mob guys, right?), and most especially when you don't have video tape of money changing hands. Give me an armed robbery or murder trial any day over this kind of crime.
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A crooked politician in Chicago? You're kidding, right? The biggest thing Blag-o (and you Brits should really be getting a huge chuckle out of that moniker - isn't it funny just how appropriately named some people are?) had going for him was that there WAS a jury, albeit not exactly one of his peers. If it had been his peers (conniving, manipulating, slimeball, dirtbag self-dealing politicos) rather than convicting him of anything they would be more likely to pin a medal to his chest, send him down the hall and say "You're our boy!" Well, that's just about what happened anyway now, isn't it? Welcome to the machine. Conversation is always more interesting than recitation, so speak your mind and not someone else's.
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Former British PM Tony 'Bliar' Blair has jsut announced that he wll donate the £4.6 million pounds advance and all the royalties from his forthcoming book to a centre for rehabilitaiton of injured service personnel. (thats as much as 8 million dollars) Blair is reviled by many in the UK for ignoring or manipulating evidence to join GWB in his mad Iraqi adventure. The current enquiry into the entry of the UK into the conflict is revealing a lot of embarassing and humilating accounts of what really went on. Many think that Blair should be put on trial for his actions. It is a hugely generous gesture, but many are saying that this is Blair's cynical attempt to salve his conscience. He has earned at least 15 million dollars in tha last 2 years from consultancies and speaking engagements. He appears to be highly regarded in the US. Families of the dead and injured are calling it blood money. Is it possible to buy forgiveness in this way?? Tony Blair has a pretty good haircut but his teeth are not so great!
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...to write our place in history. Forgiveness cannot be bought. Even at church.
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the Nobel Prize...
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Legacy-buying has been with us for a while now. I have no doubt that ol' Tony is feeling pretty guilty about now. Also wondering how he got so hornswoggled.
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Bliar also converted to Catholicism shortly after resigning as Prime Minister....looks like he is covering all his bases!