Contemporary Wars

well the GUUAM altogether with romania might gather as much as 10, perhaps 15 ships. we have two, moldova has exactly zero, georgia....forget about it, Uzbekistan ) those guys barely got out of a revolution, azerbaijan has no need for a military ship, it needs only oil tankers...

oh damn, i forgot about Ukraine

it seems we might get more ships after all

Indrid, do you have any proof to back up the statement that the soldier involved in the traffic incident won't be investigated and put on trial in the US? How much "justice" do you think you can get in the Romanian courts, well known for their corruption and devotion to a certain party?

it is exactly that "justice" i am afraid off. answer me this: could these judges not be bribed by the US side to declare the soldier innocent?

Okay, just to please you personally, no more quotes from me in this folder - good riddance. You guess to who or what I am answering. Can't wait for the next request for clarity

The fact that Galloway didn't really make a ripple in the US is of limited importance. As you said it's not going to change the presidency. He made ripples in the world however. Ripples of laughs. For as far as I can see Galloway may have done some wrongs. We will never know. But first he demonstrated that his accusators were worse in every aspect. And he used the very English way of making politics. The British have the more corrosive parliamentary debates that I know. It's a very healthy and living democratic culture. Poor Coleman. He was like a one-legged chicken facing a velociraptor

Steve, dont say that. I think the war was a good thing, the post-war period was totally unprepared and is a mess.

Steve, dont say that. I think the war was a good thing, the post-war period was totally unprepared and is a mess.

i am apalled and amazed......

Unfortunately, the U that stands for Ukraine in GUUAM is actually a broadside cannon and is centered on us. I wouldnt espect ships from them.

that i agree upon. but for the sake of making stupid foreign politics as our sailor is, what the heck...

let's bring the Hungarian navy as well..

You made my point, only more forcefully: if it's the best deal you can get, you take it. This doesn't mean that it's "fair", or that there are no losers in deals like this... I don't need to be the guy injured or killed to see that. I'm just saying Romania's leaders made a deal, and they were free not to make one. That's the first time I've heard anyone say that "imperialists" forced their country into NATO. I haven't seen Austria or Sweden suffer too much from not being NATO members.

Look at Karimov in Uzbekistan for an example of the opposite situation: a dictator who shoots hundreds of his own people, and gets away with a "dear me! don't do that please" from the US. Why? Because the US really really wants a base in his country, in a region where countries are not exactly tripping over themselves to host the US military.

Actually, I'm not naive about this -- I have been personally involved in traffic violations committed by US soldiers. Even if he is sent home, even if he is never criminally charged, he can get an administrative letter of reprimand that will end the career of an officer or NCO. I've seen soldiers have their right to drive on a military base taken away for smaller offenses than this, such as speeding on base too many times, or drunk driving with no accident or injury. If you think that vast, hidden power structures use their power to protect one irresponsbile NCO, you've been seeing too many conspiracy theory films -- most troops will tell you "the system" is stacked against them! As I said, I can understand why you would prefer that he face a Romanian court. But even if he never does, that does not mean that "all was forgiven".

No offense taken.

A few ripples in London...

Britain's Galloway Turns Into Media Hero

..after the maverick lawmaker's blistering performance before a U.S. Senate committee this week in which he excoriated the Bush administration over Iraq, not even his biggest critics could contain their grudging admiration..

.. standing ovation..

"I think I won the battle of public opinion and I am going to continue my work,'' Galloway told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "`My battle continues to try and force the British government to withdraw our soldiers from Iraq, where they should never have been, where too many have been killed and where they are in grave danger.''

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/stor...5017516,00.html

This post has been edited by Chandernagore on May 19, 2005 09:39 pm

Yes, but the Romanian people should not be held hostage by the deals the leaders make without public debate and relying on an establishment (analysts, anchors, talk show hosts) that marketed for years the very same deal and labelled any differing opinion as extremist or plain dumb.
Or at least they shouldnt try to justify their behind the curtain deals as if they were in the public's plain sight, or the public could have done anything about it!
They are responsible for the decisions they take as they please.

well Jeff, any law that directly affects my well-being or protects those that affect my well-being i consider it void.

and you have the rudeness to assume that we should just bend over and take anything that your corrupt government forces our corrupt government to sign , you are way off there man....

this is exactly what i mean by imperialist power. the will to crush under the boot the desires of any coutry that stands in their way or bribe their corrupt leaders with empty promises.

the fact that we entered NATO does not mean the US can do whatever they want in our country. we had enough of you corporate laws that get passed in our government while people are starving in the streets...

do you want an example?

well how about those murderers at Bechtel?

Indrid, read an article in the New York Times about the US increasing preoccupation with space weapons. Apparently they want to place mirrors to reflect powerful lasers, satellites with tungsten rods free falling from space and capable of immense destruction, capability to bomb anywhere on earth in 45 min.
Hell, add to this the now famous chip/real id act (famous in conspiracy frenzy sites) and you have kind of a biblical doomsday image.
Seriously now, if that happens, America will be the greatest empire there ever was. Spooky.

America is slowly turning into an immoral political actor. but one thing is good about it. the higher it will rise, the harder the fall. i am just sorry for those poor citizens that have nothing to do with their country's monstrous foreign policy.

personally i have had it up to here of lies, lies and even more lies told , supposedly, in the name of democracy:

Uzbekistan nowadays - hundreds killed on the street, the US is quiet about it cause it needs bass in there.
Azerbaijan - the corrupt leadership of Ilham Aliev is one of the notorious in the world, yet, bush congratulated him on winning the "democratic" elections.

Irak - don't get me started
remember Nicaragua, Grenada, Chile, South Vietnam,

something must put an end to it.

and you wonder why everybody hates americans. they do becasue they assimilate the american population to the american government and that is a shame. guys like Steve and Jeff are ok, too bad they feel the need to defend each homicidal action of their government

Indrid I think you are too harsh.
I dont hate America. Cause I understand how it plays the game, and agree with the way it plays it. I hate those Quislings that are on all TV screens giving praise to all that America is, does or thinks. They are petty creatures. I can disagree with what America does but I dont hate her, I want to play against her by the same rules she plays, nothing more or less. And I admire the powers that try to outsmart her.
Like I said, the only hate I feel is against those servile analysts that are the darlings of the system cause they serve it sooo good. And I hate them because I hate stupidity and those that spread it.

This post has been edited by Imperialist on May 20, 2005 05:14 am