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Ken, I did not imply that it was a military helicopter flying heroin for cash. And I didn't say it was one helicopter. You must have had a position of great authority- I would say at least the rank of general if not field marshal in the American, South Vietnamese, North Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Chinese, and several other countries' militaries, as well as head of the CIA, and head of at least one golden triangle drug cartel, to have such absolute knowledge of all helicopters that flew over North and South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, (etc.) during the Vietnam war, as well as absolute knowledge of all military engagements in the war, and absolute knowledge of what the North and South troops were and were not ordered to do.
There: that was me implying that you are pretending to have both authority and knowledge that you do not have. And it is also me implying that maybe you didn't even see one minute of combat.
And as far as your comment about our military serving our country goes, how exactly it is a service to our country when our military wrongly invades an innocent country and kills hundreds of thousands of people? How does that make them more patriotic than those who refuse to kill innocent people? I would really like to hear your answer to this question.
I would also like to hear your response to this question: what if a foreign country told its military, "Go to America and kill Ken Ware, and you will be patriots." Because according to what you have said about service and obeying orders, those soldiers killing you would be an act of service, courage, obedience, and high patriotism, and therefore worthy of the greatest respect.
I mean come on, you want them to be patriots, don't you? And you want them to obey their commander in chief, don't you? I mean, they're not some kind of wimpy, gutless, honor-less civilians! They are military; they live only to obey orders, and as such, they deserve your utmost respect!
If you feel it's only ok when it's our military killing innocent people in other countries but not ok when they come over here and kill you, that almost sounds like, "God loves Americans, but God hates foreigners and wants them to die." Which admittedly is a time-honored argument, but unfortunately, it's the same thing that Muslim extremists tell their soldiers: "God loves us, but He wants you to kill Americans."
And to be perfectly honest, I think the Muslim extremists have the better deal, because when they die killing Americans, they get 72 virgins. Count them: 72! And what do we Christians get? We get bupkiss! We spend eternity sitting up there on a cloud somewhere, playing inna godda na vida on a harp.
Dude, maybe you should rethink which side you want to be on...
Well, Alice, I will quote Groucho Marx, who is one of my spirit guides: "Those are my beliefs. But if you don't like them, I have others."
Wow I agree with KenW again what the hell is going on.
No problemo Ken. Actually, I thought your referal to my cat was a sarcastic review of my guitar playing. That was what I really wanted to share with you, I forgot about the cats on the blog. LOL The voice in the cat clips was my wife. The first entry was me. Maybe you didn't get it? Or maybe your just being nice? Either way, Thank YOU!!
I am not sure how anyone could think Obama is any different than Romney. They both have been bought and paid for by the Corporations. Where do you think he got $400,000,000 to run his campaign against Romney? It wasn't from donations from the middle class and poor! Everything Obama said he would do, he hasn't. Everything he said he would not do, he has done. How does a guy win the Nobel Peace Prize while he has increased the number of troops in Afghanistan by 30,000 and has a kill list for his drones? He gets on prime time and gives a speech on what he is doing by executive order to stop shootings and it does nothing to actually stop the killings. Taking 30 round clips off the market resolves nothing. All you have to do is tape two 15 round magazines together and whammo you have a 30 round clip. You hit magazine release and simply turn the clip upside down, shove it in and you have a 30 round clip in 4 seconds. Enough of my babble for one day. Vote Independent and get rid of these clowns for good.
DAnneMarc - I called you and Annabelle girls because I thought you were a female. After watching the video of you cat I thought it was you in the footage. And when I said girls it was not out of disrespect, I often refer to my daughters friends as girls and they 35!
Palindromedary - you are starting to sound a little crazy again.
Abbot - when I questioned what Alice had said about military suicides, I was referring to Vietnam, not Afghanistan and our troops there.
Greetings Kend! Let me anwer for Global.
He's probably grinding his teeth right now, and since I'm supposed to be a "Radical Liberal", I'm probably a far better source for the answer you seek.
In truth, however, before I answer, no I don't consider myself a "Liberal". I can't answer for those who consider themselves liberals.
For myself, no, I will not be happy if I get the same in the next four years. I want The Patriot act repealed. I don't want President Obama to ever again mention the idea of Indefinite Detention. I want Single Payer Health Care Instituted officially. I want Tariffs on foreign imports reinstated, I want our troops removed from all foreign nations, and I want a full investigation of President Bush's nefarious activities in office, and full disclosure of every federal secret since Dallas Texas, November 22, 1963.
Personally I feel President Obama failed us during the first few days of his first administration when he failed to declare a national emergency, repeal the Patriot Act, and investigate the Bush Administration for war crimes. He said he would which I suppose would make him a liar. Personally, I expect far more out of him as a Constitutional Scholar than I got in his first administration. Also, personally, I hope he does raise taxes on the rich, but it is not an important concern of mine. Not reducing aid to the poor, elderly, and infirmed is far more important to me.
I also would like to see public funding of Mental Institutions reinstated.
I hope that answers you inquiry.
Come on Palindromedary. I respect your fears, but seriously...
I will submit one word, ethnocentrism. I think you mistake a foreign custom for more than meets the eye. LOL It does look cute, however.
PS I'm glad to see the return of Fluffy!
Wow, what a great inaugural speech!
I agree, President Obama is facing a loyal opposition, in other words a partisan, biased and emotional allegiance of the opposing Party.
What are the Republicans plotting now? I don't know....maybe how to rid themselves of the Tea Party? If they don't, in my opinion 2014, "could be their Waterloo." More likely they're trying to plot how to increase spending on contracts for Lockeed Martin, Northrup Grumman, Boeing, and the like, while at the same time whine about out of control entitlement spending. But none the less, blame Obama for all of the spending.
This is definitely off topic but I was wondering how many people get lots of unwanted phone calls. I was getting a lot of unwanted phone calls some time back and had my phone # changed (now I get way more unwanted phone calls) but also got caller id blocking and some devices to hook up to my phone that tells me the phone number and, sometimes, the name of the caller.
Since I got these devices, I check the number and name and if it is no one I recognize..I don't answer. But, I also look them up on the internet and found that the daily calls I get pestered with are collection agencies. I have never had a problem with paying my bills and believe that whoever owned that number before must have.
But I have refused to even pick up...there's no law that says I have to...and I certainly will not give these people even the information that I am not who they are trying to contact. From what I've learned from others...these callers do try to fish for information from you...they even play tricks to get you to give them information...like winning a prize. The best thing is to just not answer the phone. If you answer just once...and even tell them not to call again...they will anyway.
The phone company, even though I have phone blocking, won't block anything but local calls. I found this is typical of phone companies. These calls are all long distance. I know who they are because I found that many other people are pestered by the same callers. I have put my number on a do not call list...but that doesn't do any good. So, I have to endure these robocalls hoping they give up..yeah right! The way it works is their computers automatically dial all the numbers they want called and when you answer, it switches you to a real person.
Anyway, I found out that there is a scam using the telephones..something called TDOS (Telephone Denial of Service)...kind of like the DDOS (with computer sites) but instead of tying up a web site..they tie up your phone and empty out your bank accounts at the same time and you can't even notify your bank because you're being blocked. This is mostly done to people who bank on-line.
If you want to read more about this in more detail go to the FBI website where there is a podcast and transcript of an interview about this scam:
http://www.fbi.gov/news/podcasts/inside/tdos-telecommunication-denial-of...
DAnneMarc: My lips are sealed...I want to live a little longer...besides that's what the internet is for....
Global, just wondering. Do you think all these Liberals will be happy if they get the same this four years As they did the last four. A tax on the rich again and ah, ah, ah ok I guess that's it.
"Radical Liberal"???
Global! My dear, dear friend. Your passionate attack on my condemnation of Labels by Labeling me only proves what I am saying. Thank You!!
DanneMarc, only a radical liberal thinks of racism in this context. All conservatives are racist? I guess with your logic all liberals are baby killing abortionist. You are watching way too much MSLSD. Back away from the propaganda machines.
Now Kend, I agree with that notion 150%. Weekend elections. Or why not an entire week. We could make a National Holiday out of it with Parades, Fanfare, free concerts, public picnics. We could close the streets and have a National Party. Makes great sense to me. What a great way to generate participation. Kudos to you Kend!!
Oh no you don't Palindromedary... "I've heard stories!". Pray tell!
Good evening David! Just got off of work. Sorry for the late arrival.
I guess I must be a racist. I sure feel like one, working on this special of days. I imagine if Martin Luther King Jr. was white, his birthday would carry more weight. Perhaps I'm just impatient and unhappy because I had to work today; and, judging from the traffic, I was in the minority! I'm sure in time MLK Jr. will receive his due of the respect he's earned from us all.
That being said, I think you raised an interesting point the other day. Hate is something we must all rebuke. I've argued that Labels such as "Conservatives" is offensive. I've been told that it accurately describes a philosophical world view. I submit that notion is erroneous.
The Southern Strategy infamously plays on the Racial Hatred of the south in order to obtain support for the Republican Agenda that is conveniently labeled "Conservatism." I submit to you, that the irrational thought associated with Racism makes a great many Southern Voters susceptible to any philosophy associated with a group that is sympathetic to their hatred. The average "Conservative" doesn't actually believe the "Conservative" philosophy they readily accept; due to the fact that their racial hatred interferes with their rational thought.
In this way, any rational assault on the "Conservative" philosophy is met with aggression and irrationality. The only way I see to reach such individuals is through calm redress of their racial hatred. In my opinion--and the opinion of Alexis de Tocqueville's great work, "Democracy in America"--the emissary for such a task should be a racially mixed person. Therefore despite any inadequacies President Obama stands a tremendous opportunity to heal a deep wound that this country was founded upon. I extent to him my best wishes on his second term. May God bless his Presidency and our country.
Senate 1st, Impeachment 2nd
The republicans will try to capture the senate in 2014, by any means imaginable.
A move to impeach Obama will follow afterwards. The repugnuts have nothing else to do but to try to seize power.
Why not just have the election on a Weekend? Friday night through to Sunday night. That why no production is lost and it gives everyone a chance to vote.
Get the money out of politics.
In order to reclaim our Democracy, we have to get the money out of politics. No other single issue is as important as this one. Without free and fair elections unfettered by vested interest cash, we will never get government policies aimed at the benefit of the nation as a whole. Rather we will get what is in the interests of the political donors. So far, that has worked out swimmingly for the donors, but disastrously for the rest of the country and the wider world in general.
Regardless of Obama's rhetoric, he is still a captive of wealthy interests and he will only go so far in his reforms. Still, we will be far better off if he manages only a fraction of what he's proposing, than if the Republicans had been returned to power. The Republicans in the House can make NO claim to a mandate, given that their majority is a result of gerrymandered districts, NOT votes. There was no 'vote of confidence' for the Republicans as there was for Obama. The number of votes tells the real story, not the fiddled electoral college numbers.
I'd bet that's not all he did....I've heard stories!
Yes, it's true- based on what he has done as president- that Obama is a corporatist. But he is not as bad a corporatist as Bush/Cheney were, or as bad as Romney/Ryan would have been.
It is a shame that we have to choose between not-particularly-good politicians, and foaming-at-the-mouth traitors.
But there is still a chance that Obama will be more proactive in doing the job he said he would do.
Green TZM, that's a wonderful set of very reasonable, highly patriotic goals.
I especially like the idea of having the elections run for a full seven-day week, so everyone has a chance to vote, and it should be law that everyone who works gets a paid day off for voting.
Election Day should be the most important holiday in America.
We have a constitutional republic? Oh, so that would explain why Bush violated our constitution so many times, such as starting a war on the basis of lies and southern-fried personal revenge ("that man tried to kill my daddy- now you go and prove that he was behind 9-11"), imprisoning people without trials, "legalizing" torture, tapping your phone, reading your emails, finding out what books you took out of the library, groping you at the airport, and recess appointments of fascists to various positions and lacing our federal courts with right wing legislate-from-the-bench traitors. And I suppose it would explain why, instead of going after Saudi Arabia because it was almost all Saudis who did the 9-11 attacks, Bush had himself photographed kissing Saudi royals on the mouth and going for strolls holding hands with them, like schoolgirls in love. Because that's what a real man does when his country is attacked.
I can certainly see why republicans would feel that Obama doing one recess appointment is much, much, much worse than Bush doing lots of them. And I suppose it would also explain why Bush took about 270 vacation days while Obama took 28.
And Obama signing some executive actions? Oh, I just hate when he does that. I don't hate it when a republican does it, but I sure do hate it when a black democrat does it.
I'll tell you what I want. I want the people who have outsourced millions of American jobs to foreign countries to run America. Elections? Ha! Who needs elections when we have plenty of rich old white traitors to run our country? Now THAT is a totalitarianism I am willing to call a constitutional republic. I just really hate it when the American people elect who they want for president. They shouldn't be allowed to do that. They should have to vote for a rich white draft-dodger who hides his money in foreign countries. I mean, it's just impossible to have a constitutional republic when the people elect a black man.
And health care? I don't need any health care. If I get sick and can't afford to pay $500,000 in hospital bills, I want to my house go into foreclosure and I want to die in the streets, just like every patriotic American wants to do. I just hope one of those rich white men walks past me while I'm dying in the streets, so I can lick his patriotic boots. Boo-yah!
Public education for our children? Don't make me laugh. Children get all the education they need by watching people get killed on tv, playing video games where you shoot people in half, and going to strange church-run charter schools that are owned by billionaires, where the kids are plunked down in front of computers that spew hateful, judgmental, sanctimonious religious crap at them. Praise God!
Social Security? I don't care that I paid into it, it's still socialism, and I don't want it! Why is it socialism? Well, if you have to ask a question like that, you're not from around here; in fact, I can tell from here that you are some kind of socialist or communist or even worse. But I'll tell you why Social Security is socialism. It is socialism because the rich old white men on Wall Street want the money that is in the Social Security fund. And we should give it to them! When I get old I don't want no Social Security, I want to live on dog food! Yes sir!
And that Obama has some nerve, wanting to end the war in Afghanistan just when it was starting to get real fun. Ok, so several of my relatives came back from there without an arm or a leg or whatever, but they're glad it happened, and so am I. Shoot, my cousin said he wasn't using that arm anyway, and besides he's got another one just like it on the other hand. Can I get another boo-yah?
I love this President and his agenda, his speech today was the most inclusive speech ever given by a president. BUT unfortunately, so long as the Tea Party Republicans have a strangle hold on congress not much will get done. Those guys seem to be living in a past that never was and refuse to be brought into the future even kicking and screaming. We love to think our president can actually change things but presidents don't make laws, the congress does, and they are not going to change their views. They believe in their class system that support the rich and entitled and seem to have interpreted their version of Christ as a man who did not spend his life and lose it in support of the poor, the ill and the downtrodden.
So as much as I loved President Obama's speech I am a bit cynical about there being any real change in the next four years. I hope I am wrong.
Old Blue: Absolutely, 100% true...everything you said!
Global: Thank you, Global! Yes, that Building 7, among so many other things, was a dead giveaway that 9/11 was an inside job.
Jeffthinx: The way I read that was: the opposition that is loyal to the Republican Party.
Gregory Wonderwheel: Yes, I believe you are correct...and well said....Obama is the front man for the plutocrats. He's making statements on such a "wondrous occasion" that sound like he is going to start working for the majority of Americans....but he did that before he was elected the first and second time. We'll see how much of a front man he will prove himself to be in the next four years. Unfortunately, many of us may not have four more years....just because of Obama's giveaway to Insurance companies and big pharma.