BS: Code of a Good Republican

Subject: RE: BS: Code of a Good Republican
From: kendall
Date: 09 Nov 03 - 03:22 PM

Well said Don and Little Hawk.

Subject: RE: BS: Code of a Good Republican
From: Rapparee
Date: 09 Nov 03 - 04:42 PM

Has he mentioned that Charlie used to send in sappers to turn the mines around to that they pointed towards the users? Or that anyone within 10 or so meters of the back of the mine when it was triggered was just as dead as those in front of it (from the backblast)? Or that it was not infrequent for the det caps to fall out of the cap wells and then the mine wouldn't work?

Subject: RE: BS: Code of a Good Republican
From: Peace
Date: 09 Nov 03 - 06:54 PM

Amazing what a little C4 and some ball bearings will do, isn't it? Put that in the hands of someone who enjoys his work--and voila!

Subject: RE: BS: Code of a Good Republican
From: Amos
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 01:18 PM

Here's a list, compiled by historian William Blum, of countries which the US bombed between the end of World War 2 and the current war in Iraq -


Korea 1950-53
China 1950-53
Guatemala 1954
Indonesia 1958
Cuba 1959-60
Guatemala 1960
Congo 1964
Peru 1965
Vietnam 1961-73
Laos 1964-73
Guatemala 1967-69
Cambodia 1969-70
Grenada 1983
Libya 1986
El Salvador throughout the 1980s
Nicaragua throughout the 1980s
Panama 1989
Iraq 1991 and throughout the 1990s
Sudan 1998
Afghanistan 1998
Yugoslavia 1999
Afghanistan 2001


In how many of these instances did a stable democratic society, respectful of human rights, occur as a direct result?
Choose one of the following:


(a) 0
(b) zero
(c) none
(d) not one

(From Dick Gaughan's website)

A

Subject: RE: BS: Code of a Good Republican
From: Ebbie
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 02:03 PM

Using Amos's: "a stable democratic society, respectful of human rights"

Imposing such a government upon a country, any country, isn't possible, it seems to me. It isn't a democracy if it is forced. It will revert to what the people themselves want when the force is removed.

It seems to me that a great deal of the problem we're having is that we don't have a clue that a great many people/nations have a different idea of what is an ideal society. Having a choice between 43 brands of toothpaste may not strike some people as necessary. And some people are comfortable with a strong regime that will guarantee a livelihood while keeping crime down in the ordinary subject/citizen's neighborhood.

I believe that historically many, many people have ignored what goes on in the 'upper echelons', knowing they have no control over it anyway.

Kind of like Watership Downs, perhaps.

Subject: RE: BS: Code of a Good Republican
From: Peace
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 02:29 PM

I think we shouldn't forget the first nuclear war: Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945.

Subject: RE: BS: Code of a Good Republican
From: Don Firth
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 04:36 PM

One of the problems with "imposing" democracy has to do with the definition of democracy. The word "democracy" is not interchangeable with the word "capitalism." In fact, the two are often inimical to each other (as I think we are beginning to learn). And no political science text I have ever read says that democracy means, "an economic and political climate friendly to American Corporations."

Allowing free elections if and only if the populace will vote the way we want them to is not "democracy."

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Code of a Good Republican
From: Peace
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 06:05 PM

A quote that may have come from this site, somewhere--my memory ain't what it used to be, and never was--: "Communism is the exploitation of people by people. Capitalism is the reverse."