Dumb Article of the Week

Opinion • Views: 2,535

Juan Cole writes a piece for Salon comparing Sarah Palin to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (yes, really), and gets our coveted Dumb Article of the Week prize: Sarah Palin, meet Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

It’s striking what Cole leaves out of his comparisons; since he’s going for the over-the-top smear anyway, I would have expected him to compare Palin’s fundamentalist Pentecostal religion with Ahmadinejad’s fundamentalist Shiite beliefs. But this comparison doesn’t show up in Cole’s piece, of course, because his main concern is whitewashing radical Islam, not exposing it.

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254 comments
1 [deleted]  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:19:13am
2 [deleted]  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:19:45am
3 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:20:07am

guess i'd rather talk to myself anyway

4 MikeAlv77  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:20:16am

well... they are both carbon based life forms... on the planet earth but other than that...

5 Kragar  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:20:41am

Ah yes, because remember when Palin had her miltia round up all those people who were protesting against her.

/

6 MikeAlv77  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:20:47am

Hey apachegunner... guess its quiet in here... listen to the silence...

7 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:21:22am

for awhile yes, the other room was maddening

8 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:21:48am

The last time I checked, Sarah didn't murder the Democrat protestors who followed her around.

9 Killgore Trout  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:21:50am

Are there no gays in Alaska?

10 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:22:10am

re: #5 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Ah yes, because remember when Palin had her miltia round up all those people who were protesting against her.

/

speaking of where and what is she doing anyway?

11 cronus  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:22:33am

Does Sarah Palin want to wipe Israel of the map? Does she host international conferences of holocaust deniers?

Some peoples' PDS knows no limits.

12 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:22:39am

re: #9 Killgore Trout

Are there no gays in Alaska?

to cold for gays

13 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:22:48am

re: #9 Killgore Trout

Are there no gays in Alaska?

I guess she rounded them up and executed them.

///

14 DaddyG  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:22:52am

If only he would leave office and allow someone else to finish his term...

15 Killgore Trout  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:22:53am

re: #8 Captain Amercia

Does Alaska have a secret nuclear program to take out Canada?

16 MJ  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:23:00am

Nothing Juan Cole writes should be taken seriously. It's all based an blind hatred of Israel and, as Charles noted, whitewashing radical Islam.

17 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:23:22am

re: #14 DaddyG

If only he would leave office and allow someone else to finish his term...

As long as it is not anyone in his administration.

18 Killgore Trout  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:23:26am

Palin's just await the return if the 12th polar bear.

19 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:23:43am

re: #17 Captain Amercia

As long as it is not anyone in his administration.


yeah, like joey

20 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:23:49am

re: #15 Killgore Trout

Does Alaska have a secret nuclear program to take out Canada?

Well, it'll serve them right for their national health care fiasco.

//

21 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:23:50am

joey the mouth

22 CIA Reject  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:23:55am

At least Cole didn't compare her to Hitler.

/Idiot!

23 JustABill  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:24:09am

re: #18 Killgore Trout

Palin's just await the return if the 12th polar bear.

Let me guess, its going to crawl out of an oil well.

24 [deleted]  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:24:34am
25 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:24:48am

re: #22 CIA Reject

At least Cole didn't compare her to Hitler.

/Idiot!

No, that "honor" is only reserved for President Bush.

26 transient  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:25:30am

Difficult to read so much trivia/nonsense paraded as significant parallels.

Gee, yes. They both have two arms, two legs, ten fingers and one head. They also both have mitochondria.

27 Macker  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:25:56am

re: #26 transient

Difficult to read so much trivia/nonsense paraded as significant parallels.

Gee, yes. They both have two arms, two legs, ten fingers and one head. They also both have mitochondria.

The Force is with them?

28 wrenchwench  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:26:03am
Both are former governors of a northwest frontier state with great natural beauty

Oh, come on. Sarah is clearly better looking.

/

29 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:26:32am

If Sarah Palin had lived in Iran, she would have been throwing rocks at Basiji.

30 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:26:35am

re: #26 transient

Difficult to read so much trivia/nonsense paraded as significant parallels.

Gee, yes. They both have two arms, two legs, ten fingers and one head. They also both have mitochondria.

They both have brown hair. It's like they're separated at birth!

///

31 Dianna  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:26:38am

re: #9 Killgore Trout

Are there no gays in Alaska?

Last time I was in Anchorage, the best breakfast I had was at what seemed to be a cafe completely inhabited by gay men, with me off to the side.

Very, very good food. I assume the 20-some years since means there's more openly gay people in Alaska.

32 Macker  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:26:40am

re: #28 wrenchwench

Oh, come on. Sarah is clearly better looking.

/

And I'll be she towers over him too!

33 transient  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:26:54am

re: #27 Macker

The Force Farce is with them?


FTFY

34 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:27:07am

re: #27 Macker

The Force is with them?

No you are thinking midi-chlorians, the mitiochondria's big brothers...

/

35 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:27:15am

I'd really rather not see Dinnerjacket in red high heels. I'll bet his calves are skinny.

36 JohnnyReb  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:27:39am

How do people with so much hate sleep at night? I mean the left hates Palin to their very cores. Something in her just sets them off and they actually lose all rational thought. We need to find out what that is and bottle it. That should be fun.

37 Macker  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:28:06am

re: #34 BlueCanuck

No you are thinking midi-chlorians, the mitiochondria's big brothers...

/

Then that means they both have Cylon traits, like everyone on this planet.

38 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:28:20am

re: #36 JohnnyReb

How do people with so much hate sleep at night? I mean the left hates Palin to their very cores. Something in her just sets them off and they actually lose all rational thought. We need to find out what that is and bottle it. That should be fun.

It's called Mad Dog 20/20

39 Dianna  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:28:21am

It's only Wednesday.

Does the thought we've declared "dumb article of the week" already worry anyone else?

40 Sharmuta  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:28:38am
But above all, both are populists who claim to represent the little people against wily and unscrupulous elites, and against pampered upper-middle-class yuppies pretending to be the voice of democracy.

Except Sarah Palin hasn't used the Alaska National Guard to kill Alaskans in the streets. Other than that- exactly like Ahmadinejad. ///

41 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:28:42am

re: #37 Macker

Then that means they both have Cylon traits, like everyone on this planet.

Sarah is hotter than a "Six," though.

42 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:28:47am

re: #36 JohnnyReb

How do people with so much hate sleep at night? I mean the left hates Palin to their very cores. Something in her just sets them off and they actually lose all rational thought. We need to find out what that is and bottle it. That should be fun.

I think we would need magnetic containment. That much pure hatred is very strong, and corrosive. Look at what it's done to their poor minds?

43 Charpete67  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:28:57am

Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a DILF?

44 Macker  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:29:10am

re: #36 JohnnyReb

As long as it isn't sunshine.

BTW Good Lizards...I'm waiting for a phone call for jury duty. Normally, I'd be at work right about now.

45 MJ  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:29:11am

By the way, one of the NYT terrorism apologist is Nicholas Kristof. Want to guess who Kristof, who, like his co-columnist Roger Cohen is another Israel basher, reads to "understand" the Middle East?

"The blog I turn to for insight into Middle East news is often Professor Juan Cole’s, because he’s smart, well-informed and sensible — in other words, I often agree with his take. "

[Link: www.nytimes.com...]

46 [deleted]  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:29:22am
47 transient  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:29:56am

re: #36 JohnnyReb

How do people with so much hate sleep at night? I mean the left hates Palin to their very cores. Something in her just sets them off and they actually lose all rational thought. We need to find out what that is and bottle it. That should be fun.

Bottle it, find the antidote, and use C-130s fitted with crop dusting equipment to spray it over the Middle East, Iran, and North Korea.

48 DaddyG  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:29:58am

re: #39 Dianna

It's only Wednesday.

Does the thought we've declared "dumb article of the week" already worry anyone else?

The king is dead, long live the king!

49 Noam Sayin'  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:30:10am

We haven't heard from him in years. Is Cole trying to become relevant again?

50 Vicious Michigan Union Thug  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:30:19am

Sarah Palin's Penecostal religion is like Ahmadinejad's Shiite fundamentalism because, let's see, because she honor-killed Bristol for getting pregnant out of wedlock.

/

51 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:30:29am

re: #49 Noam Sayin'

We haven't heard from him in years. Is Cole trying to become relevant again?

Was he ever?

52 Charpete67  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:30:37am

re: #46 apachegunner

no, he's gay

...it's the members only jacket that gives him away.

53 Noam Sayin'  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:30:53am

re: #51 Captain Amercia

Was he ever?


He tried to be a few years ago.

54 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:30:54am

re: #3 apachegunner

guess i'd rather talk to myself anyway

Enjoy the Silence:

Youtube Video
55 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:30:55am

re: #52 Charpete67

...it's the members only jacket that gives him away.


you got it

56 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:30:56am

re: #52 Charpete67

...it's the members only jacket that gives him away.

He's the last Member.

57 Kragar  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:31:06am

re: #15 Killgore Trout

Does Alaska have a secret nuclear program to take out Canada?

WELL IT DAMN SURE SHOULD!

/

58 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:31:42am

re: #54 Dark_Falcon

Enjoy the Silence:



gosh, you started at the top didn't you.

59 sattv4u2  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:31:54am

re: #49 Noam Sayin'

We haven't heard from him in years. Is Cole trying to become relevant again?

ftfy

60 Noam Sayin'  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:31:55am

Interesting buttons, Charles. Here at work, with IE 7.0 they're square. At home on Firefox they're rounded. I like the FF version better.

61 Scion9  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:32:12am

re: #43 Charpete67

Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a DILF?

Definitely not.

62 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:32:18am

re: #27 Macker

The Force is with them?

"Stay on Target!"

/.traditional saying in my gaming group whenever Star Wars is mentioned.

63 Mad Al-Jaffee  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:32:58am

re: #43 Charpete67

Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a DILF?

No, he's a DILDO.

64 John Neverbend  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:33:13am

They both come from areas of natural beauty...they both represent "the little people"...kal vachomer they have a huge amount in common. Is this how online dating agencies claim to match partners in n-dimensions?

65 Kragar  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:33:22am

re: #39 Dianna

It's only Wednesday.

Does the thought we've declared "dumb article of the week" already worry anyone else?

It goes from Wednesday to Wednesday

66 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:33:24am

OT--Jack Ohman at the Oregonian, with whom I do not always agree, has a great cartoon on the nirth certifikit. It's not anywhere on the web yet. I'll see if I can post a link when it is.

67 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:33:34am

re: #58 apachegunner

gosh, you started at the top didn't you.

Yep. I had already read the thread, but the song seemed very apt for your comments, so I decided to post it. I was not meant in derision.

68 [deleted]  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:33:40am
69 VegasRick  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:33:42am

re: #43 Charpete67

Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a DILF?

Yes. Dickhead I'd Love to Fuck -up.
*Not encouraging violence

70 JustABill  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:33:50am

re: #62 Dark_Falcon

"Stay on Target!"

/.traditional saying in my gaming group whenever Star Wars is mentioned.

What game(s)?

71 Charpete67  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:33:56am

re: #63 Mad Al-Jaffee

No, he's a DILDO.

...Dictator I'd Like To ___ ___?

72 sattv4u2  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:33:56am

re: #60 Noam Sayin'

Interesting buttons, Charles. Here at work, with IE 7.0 they're square. At home on Firefox they're rounded. I like the FF version better.

Button Button, whose got the button

(((ahhh ,, the simple games of my youth ,, unlike todays X BOX 360 HALO 3 ,, Call Of Duty ,,, etc )

73 Bubblehead II  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:34:08am

re: #40 Sharmuta

Morning Sharm. Just a quick note to thank you for suggesting that I switch to Safari. 99,99% of the problems I had been having have gone away.

74 Mad Al-Jaffee  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:34:09am

re: #62 Dark_Falcon

"Stay on Target!"

/.traditional saying in my gaming group whenever Star Wars is mentioned.

The death of Porkins is one of the saddest and most memorable moments in cinema history.

75 DaddyG  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:34:24am

re: #70 JustABill

What game(s)?


Head games. /

76 John Neverbend  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:34:25am

re: #71 Charpete67

...Dictator I'd Like To ___ ___?

Do over?

77 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:34:49am

re: #67 Dark_Falcon

Yep. I had already read the thread, but the song seemed very apt for your comments, so I decided to post it. I was not meant in derision.

I understand, no negative thoughts

78 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:34:53am

re: #62 Dark_Falcon

"Stay on Target!"

/.traditional saying in my gaming group whenever Star Wars is mentioned.

It's not a game session unless someone says "I got a bad feeling about this".

79 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:35:02am

re: #62 Dark_Falcon

"Stay on Target!"

/.traditional saying in my gaming group whenever Star Wars is mentioned.

"Almost there . . . "

80 Charpete67  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:35:05am

re: #76 John Neverbend

Do over?

Do Over?...new clothes, facial, etc.?

81 Cato the Elder  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:35:30am

Everybody here knows my affection for Palin is, well, limited. But this is the stupidest thing I've seen in maybe a week, nirthers included. I might just send some money to SarahPAC in Cole's name just to pull his pud.

82 Captain Amercia  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:35:54am

re: #74 Mad Al-Jaffee

The death of Porkins is one of the saddest and most memorable moments in cinema history.

Although, he has the most fitting name in cinematic history.

83 FrogMarch  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:36:07am

Sickos

I agree.

84 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:36:08am

re: #81 Cato the Elder

Everybody here knows my affection for Palin is, well, limited. But this is the stupidest thing I've seen in maybe a week, nirthers included. I might just send some money to SarahPAC in Cole's name just to pull his pud.

did I miss a link here?

85 DaddyG  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:36:33am

re: #74 Mad Al-Jaffee

The death of Porkins is one of the saddest and most memorable moments in cinema history.

His ship made a lot of noise being in the vacuum of space and all...

86 [deleted]  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:36:44am
87 Cato the Elder  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:36:51am

I'm not going to give Cole the click, so just tell me: Has he found a way to blame the West for the latest massacre of Christians in Pakistan?

88 FrogMarch  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:36:55am

Now that GWB is gone - the left have to do something will all that bottomless hate.

89 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:37:05am

re: #85 DaddyG

His ship made a lot of noise being in the vacuum of space and all...


kinda like the tree in the forrest?

90 midwestgak  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:37:55am

Two deletions in this thread already.

91 Kragar  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:37:57am

re: #78 BlueCanuck

It's not a game session unless someone says "I got a bad feeling about this".

One of Mr Welch's rules:

When playing the Star Wars RPG, I am not allowed to give the NPCs the call signs of "Luke", "Leia", "Han", "Chewie", etc etc

92 [deleted]  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:38:04am
93 John Neverbend  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:38:35am

re: #80 Charpete67

Do Over?...new clothes, facial, etc.?

No, I was thinking of British slang which means "hit someone until you get what you want." However, perhaps the other meaning of do over would work equally well, new clothes (give the little sod a tie), facial, manicure, pedicure, etcetera.

94 Cato the Elder  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:39:08am

re: #84 apachegunner

did I miss a link here?

Not sure what you mean...

95 DaddyG  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:39:13am

re: #87 Cato the Elder

I'm not going to give Cole the click, so just tell me: Has he found a way to blame the West for the latest massacre of Christians in Pakistan?

If we hadn't smuggled those Bibles in none of this would have happened... /

96 MJ  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:39:23am

Appears that Jihadi's might have a new champion in a Federal Judge:

Judge expresses skepticism in 'jihad' terror case

RALEIGH, North Carolina (CNN) -- A federal judge expressed skepticism Wednesday as he prepared to decide whether to detain six terror suspects arrested in North Carolina...

[Link: www.cnn.com...]

97 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:40:03am

re: #90 midwestgak

Two deletions in this thread already.

and one of them was me. i've no idea what i might have said wrong.

98 Charles Johnson  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:40:12am

I'm deleting comments that try to bring the pissing match from the last thread into this one, and I recommend that people read my last comment over there.

99 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:40:57am

re: #94 Cato the Elder

Not sure what you mean...


did juan cole say something specific today about palin?

100 DaddyG  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:41:16am

re: #98 Charles Oops... you may want to clean up my 68 then.

101 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:41:50am

i will speak only of pink lemonade and children with teddy bears

102 Sharmuta  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:41:55am

re: #73 Bubblehead II

Morning Sharm. Just a quick note to thank you for suggesting that I switch to Safari. 99,99% of the problems I had been having have gone away.

Glad I could help!

103 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:42:37am

re: #70 JustABill

What game(s)?

Board games mostly. Battletech is my favorite, but some of us also are into Dungeons & Dragons. Yes folks, DF is a game geek.

104 jill e  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:42:41am

Small Israeli flag in Palin's former office. Think Amadinejad has a bigger one?

105 VegasRick  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:42:48am

re: #96 MJ

Appears that Jihadi's might have a new champion in a Federal Judge:

Judge expresses skepticism in 'jihad' terror case


[Link: www.cnn.com...]

If he lets them go the blood will be on his hands.

106 DaddyG  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:44:05am

re: #101 apachegunner

i will speak only of pink lemonade and children with teddy bears

Russian pinko sympathizer. /

107 medaura18586  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:44:19am
"I would have expected him to compare Palin’s fundamentalist Pentecostal religion with Ahmadinejad’s fundamentalist Shiite beliefs. But this comparison doesn’t show up in Cole’s piece, of course, because his main concern is whitewashing radical Islam, not exposing it."

Bingo. Ironic too, because that's the most objective parallel, to the extent it applies, between Palin and Ahmadinejad too.

108 Kragar  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:44:36am

re: #103 Dark_Falcon

Board games mostly. Battletech is my favorite, but some of us also are into Dungeons & Dragons. Yes folks, DF is a game geek.

Former D&D player (it became dead to me with 3rd editon). Now, its all about the 40k. Plus played a ton of other games from time to time in my mispent youth.

109 lawhawk  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:44:47am

re: #18 Killgore Trout

Palin's just awaiting the return if the 12th polar bear.

To kill from hovering helicopters of course / (need I?)

And fixed for grammatical usage

110 Mad Al-Jaffee  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:44:58am

So, I'm not saying that I deserve a hat tip or anything, but I did post a link to this story earlier this week.

All Hail Octavia!

111 American Sabra  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:45:01am

The question isn't what do we think about this piece. How is it going to sit with Palin? She can't handle a stupid joke by a silly comedian, this is going to flip her lid.

Better get over to Twitter tout suite!

112 Macker  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:45:27am

re: #60 Noam Sayin'

Interesting buttons, Charles. Here at work, with IE 7.0 they're square. At home on Firefox they're rounded. I like the FF version better.

Also rounded on Safari & WebKit. Also, type faces are larger size now. Was that you Charles?

113 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:45:36am

re: #101 apachegunner

i will speak only of pink lemonade and children with teddy bears

BLASPHEMER!

/AhmadDinnerjacket

114 Macker  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:45:53am

re: #108 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

How about Star Fleet Battles?

115 Scion9  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:46:17am

re: #99 apachegunner

Uh, apparently you missed the thread's topic.

116 VegasRick  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:46:18am

re: #99 apachegunner

did juan cole say something specific today about palin?

They could not be more different. Juan Cole is just a stupid asswipe.

117 Charpete67  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:46:45am

re: #104 jill e

Small Israeli flag in Palin's former office. Think Amadinejad has a bigger one?

It's interesting how many people don't understand or question how Jewish people in America could support Obama when he is wishy washy on his support of Israel. The real support for Israel from a religious perspective is from Evangelicals...which that article points out.

118 John Neverbend  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:46:48am

re: #104 jill e

Small Israeli flag in Palin's former office. Think Amadinejad has a bigger one?

If he does, it's probably been defaced in some way.

119 A Man for all Seasons  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:46:51am

Did you know my son will be home from the Marines this Month?
I am so proud of him... Thank you for your support and prayers.
He wants to be a local cop...Whatever..If he pulls me over some day for speeding..Do I get off without a Ticket?
[] yes
[] no
[] what is this years Christmas present pops?
Vote now!

120 Kragar  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:47:16am

re: #114 Macker

How about Star Fleet Battles?

Never did that one. Did the Star Trek RPG a few times. I was dubbed the unkillable red shirt.

121 JohnAdams  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:47:18am

OT but I thought I'd share a pretty nice comment from Hot Air, suggesting this as a fitting post to the absolutely childish and outrageous White House "snitch" line:

"I thought you would want to know: there is a film of a skinny guy with big ears that cannot speak unless he is reading and he’s pretending to be Dear Leader and he’s saying that he (Obama) wants a single payer system. Since Dear Leader says he doesn’t, this guy is a phony and I hope you will run him out of the country and never let him back in. Please report back on your investigation."

122 FrogMarch  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:47:22am

Which brings us back to the dis-ingenuousness of the collective left.
During Bush, The left rather liked Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad didn't like the Iraq war - and that's all it took to win-over the hearts of leftists. Never mind the anti-Israel spew and the human rights abuses - Dinnerjacket hated Bush. So he's groovy!

Now that GWB is gone, Dinnerjacket is no longer the snuggle-lover of the left. Nope - Dinnerjacket is now a horrible demon. A demon so vile leftists use him to compare all the left's other demons. Shades of Godwin, really.

123 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:47:24am

re: #108 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Former D&D player (it became dead to me with 3rd editon). Now, its all about the 40k. Plus played a ton of other games from time to time in my mispent youth.

I'm aware of Warhammer 40K, though I do not play it. I do use Games Workshop paints and brushes for my minis, though.

124 DaddyG  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:47:30am

To date, the difference between fundamentalist Pentecostals and fundamentalist Shiites is the willingness of the former to let others choose their own poison when it comes to belief systems.

When the Pentecostals start trying to preach convert or die then I will worry a bit more about the Christian version of sharia law in the west.

I'm not enamored with everything Sarah Palin stands for or has said but I don't fear her personal views hold too heavy a sway over her public policy.

125 JustABill  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:47:59am

re: #111 American Sabra

The question isn't what do we think about this piece. How is it going to sit with Palin? She can't handle a stupid joke by a silly comedian, this is going to flip her lid.

Better get over to Twitter tout suite!

She'll probably get together with a bunch of conservitives and chant "Death to Cole", or perhaps she'll issue a fatwa calling for his execution. (is a / really necessary?)

126 Kragar  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:48:01am

re: #118 John Neverbend

If he does, it's probably been defaced in some way.

There on a roll in the bathroom.

127 Scion9  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:48:01am

re: #111 American Sabra

Didn't you read the article? You should know how she will respond. The Alaskan state press will accuse Cole of being a Zionist agent, her pastor is going to issue a fatwa and then plain clothed militia will pick him up at his home never to be heard from again.

128 VegasRick  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:48:02am

re: #119 HoosierHoops

Did you know my son will be home from the Marines this Month?
I am so proud of him... Thank you for your support and prayers.
He wants to be a local cop...Whatever..If he pulls me over some day for speeding..Do I get off without a Ticket?
[] yes
[] no
[] what is this years Christmas present pops?
Vote now!

Off to jail with you! Criminal!
/

129 Mad Al-Jaffee  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:48:16am

re: #119 HoosierHoops

Did you know my son will be home from the Marines this Month?
I am so proud of him... Thank you for your support and prayers.
He wants to be a local cop...Whatever..If he pulls me over some day for speeding..Do I get off without a Ticket?
[] yes
[] no
[] what is this years Christmas present pops?
Vote now!

[] you should have bought me that remote controlled airplane I asked for when I was 14!

130 _RememberTonyC  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:48:18am

I'd like to write an article comparing juan cole to josef goebbels.

131 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:48:34am

re: #115 Scion9

Uh, apparently you missed the thread's topic.

hahaha, didn't have time to read it, wanted first post DO'H! Probably get deleted huh.

132 Land Shark  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:48:35am

Jesus, comparing Palin to 'ol Ahmawhat'shisname from Iran is the height of crazed moonbattery. And I imagine there's no shortage of lefties agreeing with that crazy shit. Or did I miss Sarah Palin's violent crackdown on her opponents in Juneau and Anchorage?

///

133 sattv4u2  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:49:03am

re: #130 _RememberTonyC

I'd like to write an article comparing juan cole to josef goebbels.

What do you have against Goebbels??

///

134 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:49:16am

re: #108 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Former D&D player (it became dead to me with 3rd editon). Now, its all about the 40k. Plus played a ton of other games from time to time in my mispent youth.

Oh? How so? I found that the third ed was much cleaner and simpler over all. Had enough complexities in it still to keep from being dumbed down. 4ed however...

/yeah, gamer geek as well.

135 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:49:19am

re: #119 HoosierHoops

Did you know my son will be home from the Marines this Month?
I am so proud of him... Thank you for your support and prayers.
He wants to be a local cop...Whatever..If he pulls me over some day for speeding..Do I get off without a Ticket?
[] yes
[] no
[] what is this years Christmas present pops?
Vote now!

I vote the fourth option:

[x] Ron Paul

136 Charles Johnson  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:49:32am

re: #60 Noam Sayin'

Interesting buttons, Charles. Here at work, with IE 7.0 they're square. At home on Firefox they're rounded. I like the FF version better.

Internet Exploder doesn't recognize the CSS rules that create the rounded corners - just ignores them and you get square boxes. The "border radius" style is just beginning to be supported in major browsers. This is the CSS code for it - you have to use browser-specific rules at present:

-moz-border-radius: 7px;
-khtml-border-radius: 7px;
-webkit-border-radius: 7px;
border-radius: 7px;

137 JustABill  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:49:43am

re: #108 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Former D&D player (it became dead to me with 3rd editon). Now, its all about the 40k. Plus played a ton of other games from time to time in my mispent youth.

I though 3ed was actually pretty good. 4ed completely messed up what was otherwise a good game...

138 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:50:02am

re: #86 sattv4u2

:::looks around:::

Where are our liberal/ progessive Lizards to tell us Cole is wrong ,, that Palin doesn't compare to Ahmedinajad,,,
.
.
.
.
that she's actually WORSE

I'm not going to go that far, because I don't think it's true. And no, I don't really think that Palin deserves to be put on the same plane as Ahmadinejad. But I do see overall point that Cole is trying to make, which is that hard-right pols such as Ahmadinejad can draw strength from their political equivalents in America.

Bush's "axis of evil" rhetoric made it easy for Ahmadinejad to gin up public support for his anti-U.S. rhetoric, and claim that the Iranians were victims of "U.S. imperialism" or the "great satan" or whatever other bullshit he spewed. From what we saw of Palin's foreign policy planks, she was from the same "you're with us or against us" cowboy diplomacy mold. The kind of rhetoric that would help strengthen politicians who spew anti-American sentiment like Ahmadinejad.

Just look at what happened once we dialed down the rhetoric, and attempted to reach out directly to the Iranian people. Ahmadinejad's anger looked childish and stupid, and he was forced to initiate a coup to seize power. Not saying you can directly attribute all of that to our change in foreign policy, but it certainly didn't hurt.

139 VegasRick  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:50:25am

re: #121 JohnAdams

OT but I thought I'd share a pretty nice comment from Hot Air, suggesting this as a fitting post to the absolutely childish and outrageous White House "snitch" line:

"I thought you would want to know: there is a film of a skinny guy with big ears that cannot speak unless he is reading and he’s pretending to be Dear Leader and he’s saying that he (Obama) wants a single payer system. Since Dear Leader says he doesn’t, this guy is a phony and I hope you will run him out of the country and never let him back in. Please report back on your investigation."

Perfect! I so love sarcasm.

140 John Neverbend  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:50:57am

re: #117 Charpete67

It's interesting how many people don't understand or question how Jewish people in America could support Obama when he is wishy washy on his support of Israel. The real support for Israel from a religious perspective is from Evangelicals...which that article points out.

It shows, perhaps, that rational people in the US don't automatically assume that a Jew would necessarily be pro-Israel above being pro-US, something that will be important if and when there is a Jewish US President.

141 lawhawk  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:51:31am

re: #111 American Sabra

Not much of a joke - hoping for relations with her underage daughters. But your sense of humor might differ from mine.

142 Noam Sayin'  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:51:37am

re: #109 lawhawk

To kill from hovering helicopters of course / (need I?)

And fixed for grammatical usage

I bet she could hit it from a moving helicopter.

143 A Man for all Seasons  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:51:44am

re: #135 Dark_Falcon

I vote the fourth option:

[x] Ron Paul

There are a lot of Ron Paul bumper stickers in Indiana...Weird...

144 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:51:46am

re: #122 FrogMarch

What in God's name are you talking about?

145 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:51:52am

re: #132 Land Shark

Jesus, comparing Palin to 'ol Ahmawhat'shisname from Iran is the height of crazed moonbattery. And I imagine there's no shortage of lefties agreeing with that crazy shit. Or did I miss Sarah Palin's violent crackdown on her opponents in Juneau and Anchorage?

///

Bad Craziness: It's not just on the Right. Charles has never forgotten that fact, and he hammers both side when they takes strolls down Crazy Lane.

146 VegasRick  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:52:41am

re: #130 _RememberTonyC

I'd like to write an article comparing juan cole to a steaming pile of shit josef goebbels.

FTFY.
Wait! SAME THING!

147 Noam Sayin'  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:52:52am

re: #136 Charles

Internet Exploder doesn't recognize the CSS rules that create the rounded corners - just ignores them and you get square boxes. The "border radius" style is just beginning to be supported in major browsers. This is the CSS code for it - you have to use browser-specific rules at present:

-moz-border-radius: 7px;
-khtml-border-radius: 7px;
-webkit-border-radius: 7px;
border-radius: 7px;

Geek.

*ducks*

*runs away*

148 Kragar  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:53:01am

re: #134 BlueCanuck

Oh? How so? I found that the third ed was much cleaner and simpler over all. Had enough complexities in it still to keep from being dumbed down. 4ed however...

/yeah, gamer geek as well.

3d edition was OK at first, but over time, evolved into something just plain annoying. I haven't even bothered to look at 4th edition.

Now as far as good RPG systems goes, Chaosium has one of the best game mechanics around. They used it for Call of Cthulhu and the Elric RPGs.

149 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:53:08am

re: #138 drcordell

Hmmm, I seem to recall Iranian mullahs decry the "Great Satan" many times over the years. During Regans era, Bush 1, Clinton...

/yeah taming down the rhetoric was what made decide to go for the coup.

150 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:53:24am

re: #119 HoosierHoops
hey Hoops, I mentioned a sunday night NFL game the last thread. I meant this Sunday night. Tennessee against Buffalo. Is it the Hall of Fame game? I know that happens long before preseason. I am hoping thats what will be on Sunday evening partner

151 DaddyG  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:53:32am

re: #138 drcordell Iranian anger and childishness did not originate with Bush calling them the "Axis of Evil". Ask his guests of 444 days back when he was a college student. Even if that were the case now we have a childish and stupid dictator who is building a nuclear arsenal with no repercussions from the West.

152 JustABill  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:54:04am

re: #148 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

3d edition was OK at first, but over time, evolved into something just plain annoying. I haven't even bothered to look at 4th edition.

Now as far as good RPG systems goes, Chaosium has one of the best game mechanics around. They used it for Call of Cthulhu and the Elric RPGs.


I may have to give Chaosium a look...

153 itellu3times  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:54:12am

attention linda douglass, attention linda douglass

The year is 1947

Some of you will recall that on July 8, 1947, a little over 60 years ago, a UFO with five aliens aboard crashed onto a sheep and mule ranch just outside Roswell , New Mexico . This is a well known incident that many say has long been covered up by the U.S. Air Force and other federal agencies and organizations.

However, what you may NOT know is that in the month of April 1948, nine months after that historic day, the following people were born:

Albert A. Gore, Jr..
Hillary Rodham
John F. Kerry
William J. Clinton
Howard Dean
Nancy Pelosi
Dianne Feinstein
Charles E. Schumer
Barbara Boxer

See what happens when aliens breed with sheep and jackasses?
I certainly hope this bit of information clears up a lot of things for you.

It did for me.

No wonder they support the bill to help illegal aliens!

And Now You Know.

so ok the dates don't check out, but then I haven't seen believable nirth certifikits from any of these people, so please investigate further. I got this via email on the interwebs. thanx. a loyal american like yerself.

154 VegasRick  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:54:16am

re: #138 drcordell

You are a moron.

155 DaddyG  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:54:28am

re: #143 HoosierHoops

There are a lot of Ron Paul bumper stickers in Indiana...Weird...


That's not all soybeans growing in those fields. /

156 lawhawk  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:54:55am

re: #108 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Axis and Allies. Risk (the Kamchatka Gambit and Madagascar were always key).

157 Rancher  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:55:08am
She blamed her bad press on not being in the "Washington elite," when, in fact, self-inflicted debacles such as her deer-in-the-headlights interview with Katie Couric, in which she demonstrated a shaky grasp of world politics, are a better explanation for media questions about her qualifications.


The best explanation for the media frenzy against Sarah is that the left are scared shitless of her. Coincidently I saw a South Park episode last night where a Katie Couric was a unit of measurement.

158 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:55:36am

re: #148 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

I play many different systems, currently playing Shadowrun 4e, and D&D 3e (3.5 was far too broken according to the GM). I guess it all depends on how it's run and what you are looking for.

159 John Neverbend  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:55:39am

re: #126 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

There on a roll in the bathroom.

Probably. Hanging it upside down doesn't work, as it's symmetrical for rotations about a vertical or horizontal axis running through the middle.

160 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:55:46am

re: #138 drcordell

I call BS on that one. All Obama has done is whine when Iran does evil things. Ahmadinejad has drawn strength from Obama's weakness. Bush's use of force in the Surge trimmed Iran's sails, but now Obama's "unclench your fist" baloney has let the mullahs fly full canvas again.

161 VegasRick  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:57:10am

re: #160 Dark_Falcon

I call BS on that one. All Obama has done is whine when Iran does evil things. Ahmadinejad has drawn strength from Obama's weakness. Bush's use of force in the Surge trimmed Iran's sails, but now Obama's "unclench your fist" baloney has let the mullahs fly full canvas again.

I'm on FULL GAZE with that one.

162 _RememberTonyC  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:57:14am

re: #138 drcordell

And no, I don't really think that Palin deserves to be put on the same plane as Ahmadinejad. But I do see overall point that Cole is trying to make

even when you attempt to sound reasonable, you don't.

163 FrogMarch  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:57:54am

re: #144 drcordell

What in God's name are you talking about?

[Link: littlegreenfootballs.com...]

164 Cato the Elder  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:58:30am

re: #99 apachegunner

did juan cole say something specific today about palin?

Umm...do you read Charles's posts before commenting? ;^)

165 Kragar  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:58:50am

re: #152 JustABill

I may have to give Chaosium a look...

It forgoes the XP and leveling rules common in most systems, using a percentage based skill system for character advancement. Combat also tends to be very brutal in that HP stay within certain levels for human characters, avoiding the D&D issue of a level 20 fighter getting hit in the head with a long sword and shrugging it off because "It only did 6 points of damage"

166 VegasRick  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:59:13am

re: #162 _RememberTonyC

even when you attempt to sound reasonable, you don't.

"Well Bush is not quite Hitler or Satan but...yada...yada...yada. Not going to waste my time.

167 Rancher  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:59:27am

re: #122 FrogMarch

During Bush, The left rather liked Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad didn't like the Iraq war - and that's all it took to win-over the hearts of leftists. Never mind the anti-Israel spew and the human rights abuses - Dinnerjacket hated Bush. So he's groovy!


His anti-Israel spew was actually another reason they liked him. Obama still likes the "legally elected leader of Iran".

168 [deleted]  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:59:46am
169 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:59:49am

re: #149 BlueCanuck

Hmmm, I seem to recall Iranian mullahs decry the "Great Satan" many times over the years. During Regans era, Bush 1, Clinton...

/yeah taming down the rhetoric was what made decide to go for the coup.

Obviously the Iranian regime was never a wholesale supporter of the U.S from the time the mullahs took power. The history of our involvement with their internal political affairs is pretty self-explanatory. But prior to Ahmadinejad, the anti-Western rhetoric was much milder. Ahmadinejad was elected almost purely on a populist, anti-western platform. And once elected he used every opportunity to decry the U.S. and Israel, using as much inflammatory language as possible to draw purposeful international press attention.

And Bush played right into his hands by returning the favor, and labeling the Iranians as the "axis of evil." Hardliners cannot exist in a vacuum, they need a counterpart to continue sparring with. When Obama said that we have no qualms with the Iranian people, it made Ahmadinejad look stupid. Without someone to return his own rhetoric back, Ahmadinejad simply looked angry and aggrieved for no reason.

170 General Sherman  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 10:59:53am

For what its worth (which is not a lot but is illustrative), Randy Andy Sullivan approved of Cole's clever analysis earlier this week.

171 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:00:44am

re: #164 Cato the Elder

Umm...do you read Charles's posts before commenting? ;^)


I covered that in a previous post Cato, the answer was the rush.

172 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:00:48am

Cole is a far left progressive, so, it's possible that he was lying to the people who like to read this sort of stuff. He really didn't mean it.
///

173 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:00:56am

re: #162 _RememberTonyC

even when you attempt to sound reasonable, you don't.

Still, Tony, be grateful for drcordell. The arrival of a real troll gives us a chance to end our food fights and focus on pounding the troll. Congrats drcordell, you've brought LGF together. Now flounce your troll ass out of here!

174 Scion9  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:02:20am

re: #158 BlueCanuck

I play many different systems, currently playing Shadowrun 4e, and D&D 3e (3.5 was far too broken according to the GM). I guess it all depends on how it's run and what you are looking for.

I'm going to have to out myself as a D&D nerd here too. There aren't any solid issues with 3e except for the glut of add-on content. If your group is willing to put their foot down on not allowing all of 3e's supplements it's fine. If you want to use every resource that Wizard's published for that edition 3.5 fixes a lot of what is broken in 3e. However, if you do use all of the 3.5 + splat you see power creep in the more recently published materials. So if you are selecting 'core' options for your characters and designing encounters you are probably going to encounter problems with party/encounter balance even at low levels. Both systems have serious issues at high levels that were never really addressed.

175 Charpete67  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:02:28am

re: #162 _RememberTonyC

even when you attempt to sound reasonable, you don't.

...it reminds me of people who start out a rant on Obama by saying.."now, I don't think Obama is Hitler, but when you look at Hitler's rise to power...blah, blah, blah."

I can't stand Obama and I'm against him almost everything he stands for, but to compare any US politician/leader from any party to some of the worst and evil dictators in world history is plain stupid.

176 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:02:39am

re: #169 drcordell

Obviously the Iranian regime was never a wholesale supporter of the U.S from the time the mullahs took power. The history of our involvement with their internal political affairs is pretty self-explanatory. But prior to Ahmadinejad, the anti-Western rhetoric was much milder. Ahmadinejad was elected almost purely on a populist, anti-western platform. And once elected he used every opportunity to decry the U.S. and Israel, using as much inflammatory language as possible to draw purposeful international press attention.

And Bush played right into his hands by returning the favor, and labeling the Iranians as the "axis of evil." Hardliners cannot exist in a vacuum, they need a counterpart to continue sparring with. When Obama said that we have no qualms with the Iranian people, it made Ahmadinejad look stupid. Without someone to return his own rhetoric back, Ahmadinejad simply looked angry and aggrieved for no reason.


it is my thought that the populace of iran was never much anti-western

177 FrogMarch  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:03:39am

re: #169 drcordell

Obviously the Iranian regime was never a wholesale supporter of the U.S from the time the mullahs took power. The history of our involvement with their internal political affairs is pretty self-explanatory. But prior to Ahmadinejad, the anti-Western rhetoric was much milder. Ahmadinejad was elected almost purely on a populist, anti-western platform. And once elected he used every opportunity to decry the U.S. and Israel, using as much inflammatory language as possible to draw purposeful international press attention.

And Bush played right into his hands by returning the favor, and labeling the Iranians as the "axis of evil." Hardliners cannot exist in a vacuum, they need a counterpart to continue sparring with. When Obama said that we have no qualms with the Iranian people, it made Ahmadinejad look stupid. Without someone to return his own rhetoric back, Ahmadinejad simply looked angry and aggrieved for no reason.

I'm pretty sure Bush made it clear that he was talking about the government and not the people of Iran.

[Link: archives.cnn.com...]

178 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:03:47am

re: #169 drcordell

Obviously the Iranian regime was never a wholesale supporter of the U.S from the time the mullahs took power. The history of our involvement with their internal political affairs is pretty self-explanatory. But prior to Ahmadinejad, the anti-Western rhetoric was much milder. Ahmadinejad was elected almost purely on a populist, anti-western platform. And once elected he used every opportunity to decry the U.S. and Israel, using as much inflammatory language as possible to draw purposeful international press attention.

And Bush played right into his hands by returning the favor, and labeling the Iranians as the "axis of evil." Hardliners cannot exist in a vacuum, they need a counterpart to continue sparring with. When Obama said that we have no qualms with the Iranian people, it made Ahmadinejad look stupid. Without someone to return his own rhetoric back, Ahmadinejad simply looked angry and aggrieved for no reason.

You are right. And if Bush didn't call him names, and call his country names, he probably would have slunk off into the sunset, sunning himself in Teheran and munching on figs.

Yep, if Bush just kept his mouth shut, that would have taught him a lesson.

You have to be kidding?

179 John Neverbend  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:03:53am

re: #157 Rancher

The best explanation for the media frenzy against Sarah is that the left are scared shitless of her. Coincidently I saw a South Park episode last night where a Katie Couric was a unit of measurement.

What did it measure? Density, resistance, reluctance, repulsive force...

180 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:03:58am

re: #173 Dark_Falcon

Still, Tony, be grateful for drcordell. The arrival of a real troll gives us a chance to end our food fights and focus on pounding the troll. Congrats drcordell, you've brought LGF together. Now flounce your troll ass out of here!


he has taken the weasels place

181 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:04:09am

re: #169 drcordell

I guess supporting Hizbollah in terror strikes against Israel and the U.S. were what you call mild? I need to get a look at your dictionary sometime.

182 Scion9  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:04:48am

re: #179 John Neverbend

IIRC it measured the either the weight or volume of human feces.

183 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:05:16am

re: #179 John Neverbend

What did it measure? Density, resistance, reluctance, repulsive force...

Stupidity.

184 _RememberTonyC  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:05:16am

to: juan cole

Sarah Palin did not authorize this, but your boy ahmadinejad did ...

[Link: iran.whyweprotest.net...]

(warning: very graphic)

any questions, you piece of shit?

185 turn  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:05:24am

re: #138 drcordell

How's o's new "unclench your fist" Iranian foreign policy working out for ya? It isn't, and it wont. oh btw, what happened in Iran had nothing to do with dialing down any rhetoric - that's sooopid to even suggest that.

186 JohnnyReb  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:05:32am

re: #178 Walter L. Newton

You are right. And if Bush didn't call him names, and call his country names, he probably would have slunk off into the sunset, sunning himself in Teheran and munching on figs.

Yep, if Bush just kept his mouth shut, that would have taught him a lesson.

You have to be kidding?

Come on it worked when Bush ignored Kim in North Korea didn't it? Oh wait, never mind...

187 Bubblehead II  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:05:41am

Time to go spend some quality time with the wife.

Later

188 Kragar  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:05:59am

re: #174 Scion9

I'm going to have to out myself as a D&D nerd here too. There aren't any solid issues with 3e except for the glut of add-on content. If your group is willing to put their foot down on not allowing all of 3e's supplements it's fine. If you want to use every resource that Wizard's published for that edition 3.5 fixes a lot of what is broken in 3e. However, if you do use all of the 3.5 + splat you see power creep in the more recently published materials. So if you are selecting 'core' options for your characters and designing encounters you are probably going to encounter problems with party/encounter balance even at low levels. Both systems have serious issues at high levels that were never really addressed.

3 was fun at first (says the LE Rogue/Ranger), but later it got so everyone was just trying to get to the prestige class du jour and picking power leveling min/max stuff and not playing the game to play the game.

Rifts was like that too. Original Sourcebook and material was awesome, but they kept trying to one up themselves at every turn and made the game unplayable.

189 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:06:36am

re: #174 Scion9

Yes and no. It depends on what the GM is willing to put up with. Was playing a 3e epic game that was brutal. Fell apart due to schedules unfortunately. It was epic in every sense of the word, and we weren't let off lightly either.

190 VegasRick  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:06:41am

re: #181 BlueCanuck

I guess supporting Hizbollah in terror strikes against Israel and the U.S. were what you call mild? I need to get a look at your dictionary sometime.

Beheading = bad hair day
Chopping off an arm = intense manicure
Homicidal car bombing = religous expression
*And so on!

191 John Neverbend  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:06:42am

re: #182 Scion9

IIRC it measured the either the weight or volume of human feces.

Oh, I was thinking in the wrong direction. Now that you mention it, I seem to remember watching that episode. That wasn't the one when the characters start oral crapping was it?

192 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:06:51am

re: #180 apachegunner

he has taken the weasels place

Not exactly. Iceweasel is not a troll, but drcordell is. He's bass-ackwards thinking liberal buffoon.

193 turn  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:07:00am

re: #154 VegasRick

You are a moron.

Ha, I used far too many words.

194 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:07:35am

re: #160 Dark_Falcon

I call BS on that one. All Obama has done is whine when Iran does evil things. Ahmadinejad has drawn strength from Obama's weakness. Bush's use of force in the Surge trimmed Iran's sails, but now Obama's "unclench your fist" baloney has let the mullahs fly full canvas again.

HAAHaHahahahaHaha. "Bush's use of force in the Surge trimmed Iran's sails." Iraq used to be Iran's single greatest threat. A neighboring country led by a crazed Sunni who had previously invaded them and attacked them with chemical weapons. Iraq kept Iran in check. Now Iraq is a majority Shia nation, freed from its oppressive Sunni ruler. And guess what Shia-led nation they have begun growing diplomatic ties with? Ding ding ding! Iran!

By throwing Saddam Hussein out of power, Bush did more to empower Iran than any U.S. President in history.

195 apachegunner  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:07:47am

re: #192 Dark_Falcon

Not exactly. Iceweasel is not a troll, but drcordell is. He's bass-ackwards thinking liberal buffoon.

yes, i stand corrected. i think she is also quite smarter.

196 turn  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:08:13am

re: #162 _RememberTonyC

even when you attempt to sound reasonable, you don't.

hahahaha, good one tony.

197 Rexatosis  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:09:17am

What is scarier than the "dumb article of the week" is that its author teaches American college students.

198 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:09:55am

re: #194 drcordell

By throwing Saddam Hussein out of power, Bush did more to empower Iran than any U.S. President in history.

Or he terrified the ruling mullahs so much by how fast it was done. Set up a democracy for the people to CHOOSE who rules them. The only people empowering the Iranian government is China, Russia, and the UN, with there weak approaches to there nuclear arming. Now with BO's open hand it's going to get worse.

199 Scion9  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:10:22am

re: #191 John Neverbend

No, it was the episode "More Crap". Here is the HuffPo outrage over the episode.

The show is embarrassingly juvenile, but I can't help myself from tuning in to it time and again.

200 KingKenrod  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:11:28am

What are the parallels between Pentecostals and fundamentalist Shiite beliefs that are not hallmarks of other major religions? Almost all religions believe in prophecy, afterlife for the faithful, miracles, etc... I'm not sure I see why there is an obvious parallel, especially since Islam is defined by its endorsement of violence for all things non-Islam.

Political support for Israel from Pentecostals has been a major factor in the overall US support for Israel since the 1970's. Without it Israel might have been under the bus years ago.

201 _RememberTonyC  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:13:12am

re: #169 drcordell

Hardliners cannot exist in a vacuum, they need a counterpart to continue sparring with.

this is so wrong on so many levels. I don't even know where to begin. but I do know this much: evil dictators who are flush with oil money have a lot of staying power. and when feckless people like Obama, the EU, and others around the world treat these scum with respect, they simply embolden the dictators to continue their oppression. God bless people like GW Bush and Ronald Reagan who called these dirtbags out and called them what they are: EVIL.

202 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:13:25am

re: #194 drcordell

HAAHaHahahahaHaha. "Bush's use of force in the Surge trimmed Iran's sails." Iraq used to be Iran's single greatest threat. A neighboring country led by a crazed Sunni who had previously invaded them and attacked them with chemical weapons. Iraq kept Iran in check. Now Iraq is a majority Shia nation, freed from its oppressive Sunni ruler. And guess what Shia-led nation they have begun growing diplomatic ties with? Ding ding ding! Iran!

By throwing Saddam Hussein out of power, Bush did more to empower Iran than any U.S. President in history.

So you'd prefer that the rape rooms were still operating and the mass graves were still being filled, is that it smartass?

203 turn  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:13:42am

re: #169 drcordell

Turn put that through the universal translator and it came back "If we just ignore Iran there wouldn't be a problem" along with a ps "it's Bush's fault"

204 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:14:02am

re: #198 BlueCanuck

Or he terrified the ruling mullahs so much by how fast it was done. Set up a democracy for the people to CHOOSE who rules them. The only people empowering the Iranian government is China, Russia, and the UN, with there weak approaches to there nuclear arming. Now with BO's open hand it's going to get worse.

You all love to shit on Obama's approach, what did Bush accomplish in his eight years? North Korea went from a potential nuclear power to a bona-fide nuclear power. And Iran's nuclear enrichment program continued nearly full-steam ahead with almost no stoppages. So explain to me again the benefits of Bush's diplomatic strategy?

Obama has been in office for less than a year, changed up our policy and Iran's regime is already destabilized by internal strife. I'm not saying that it's solely because of Obama, mostly it has to do with the fact that the Iranian economy is completely in the shitter. But regardless, where are the concrete accomplishments of Bush's foreign policy strategy? What did he accomplish with regard to Iran or North Korea?

205 itellu3times  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:16:44am

re: #169 drcordell

Obviously the Iranian regime was never a wholesale supporter of the U.S from the time the mullahs took power. The history of our involvement with their internal political affairs is pretty self-explanatory. But prior to Ahmadinejad, the anti-Western rhetoric was much milder. Ahmadinejad was elected almost purely on a populist, anti-western platform.

I'm no expert, but from what I've read, this last is not true - Achmadinejad was elected as a reformer of the corrupt mullahs, in which case his anti-western rhetoric is just to keep his Islamic bona fides - not to say he isn't sincere about them, too.

But even in Iran, such as the elections count, "it's the economy stupid" works, too.

206 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:16:51am

re: #202 Dark_Falcon

So you'd prefer that the rape rooms were still operating and the mass graves were still being filled, is that it smartass?

Yeah, there's no mass graves being filled right now in Iraq. No sir. No innocent civilians being killed whatsoever. And notice how you completely ignored the point I was trying to make by tossing a bullshit ad hominem argument at me.

The discussion was about Iran, and someone claiming that the Iraqi invasion hurt Iran. I was pointing out that is patently false.

207 turn  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:17:23am

re: #201 _RememberTonyC

Sadly I have only one ding tony. Very well said.

208 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:21:00am

re: #203 turn

Turn put that through the universal translator and it came back "If we just ignore Iran there wouldn't be a problem" along with a ps "it's Bush's fault"

Where did I say ignore Iran? That was exactly what we did over the past 8 years, and what we have begun to change. This isn't that difficult, do you understand?

209 Leonidas Hoplite  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:21:57am

re: #206 drcordell

The discussion was about Iran, and someone claiming that the Iraqi invasion hurt Iran. I was pointing out that is patently false.

Well, good dr., it might be possible that some people in Iran saw the establishment of a nascent republic, however imperfect, across their border and wondered "Hey, if those backwards ass Iraqis can have representative government, why can't we?"

210 _RememberTonyC  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:22:56am

re: #207 turn

Sadly I have only one ding tony. Very well said.

thanks turn ...

211 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:23:06am

re: #202 Dark_Falcon

What about those mass graves?
Read this

The first victim, whose head had been placed at his feet, was found on March 26 by a local village head and a U.S. Army officer who had been given the orchard's location by a man who said he had been kidnapped by Al-Qaeda last August and taken to a "jail" there, but managed to escape before execution.

"Smell that?" Captain Vince Morris, of Iron Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, asked when he approached the orchard on that exploratory visit. No one answered. No one needed to. The gagging stench of rotting flesh was unmistakable. And it was much too strong for the contents of just one grave.

At least 51 additional clumps of remains were uncovered in two, two-hour digs by volunteers from surrounding villages later in the week. The oldest remains were in separate, shallow graves. The freshest remains -- the skeletons still had muscle and flesh holding the bones together -- were in several mass graves, the bodies heaped upon each other.

212 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:23:38am

re: #206 drcordell

There are indeed no mass graves being filled in Iraq right now. The terrorist murders are greatly down and the people are freer than they have ever been. Iraq's Shia Mullahs are holding conferences about their place in politics that have attracted the attendance of a number of their Iranian counterparts. Iraq is helping the Iranian people realize than things can be better without being "Unislamic". George W. Bush made all those things possible, and for that the world should thank him. It won't, but it should.

213 Leonidas Hoplite  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:24:13am

re: #208 drcordell

Where did I say ignore Iran? That was exactly what we did over the past 8 years, and what we have begun to change. This isn't that difficult, do you understand?

Weren't the Europeans taking the lead on Iran? It seems to me they tried all kinds of bribes and appeasement economic incentives and diplomacy and it didn't do a stitch of good. Kinda like Clinton and North Korea.

214 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:25:22am

re: #211 drcordell

Hey look Doc...

Russian Subs Patrolling Off East Coast of U.S.

[Link: www.nytimes.com...]

Must be because of all that nice stuff that Obama said to Putin recently.

215 Leonidas Hoplite  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:25:36am

re: #211 drcordell

What about those mass graves?
Read this

Perpetrated by al-qaeda and thier ilk, correct? Or are you suggesting we did that?

216 _RememberTonyC  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:26:04am

re: #209 Leonidas Hoplite

Well, good dr., it might be possible that some people in Iran saw the establishment of a nascent republic, however imperfect, across their border and wondered "Hey, if those backwards ass Iraqis can have representative government, why can't we?"

this is an excellent point. i always felt that our actions in iraq and afghanistan were important BECAUSE they trued to plant seeds of democracy in areas that had not experienced any. and while afghanistan probably is a lost cause because of the ignorance and illiteracy of its people, iraq is NOT like that. 20 years from now, iraq may be the crown jewel of the region. and even if it isn't, at least GWB and our heroic soldiers gave them a chance.

217 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:28:06am

re: #212 Dark_Falcon

There are indeed no mass graves being filled in Iraq right now. The terrorist murders are greatly down and the people are freer than they have ever been. Iraq's Shia Mullahs are holding conferences about their place in politics that have attracted the attendance of a number of their Iranian counterparts. Iraq is helping the Iranian people realize than things can be better without being "Unislamic". George W. Bush made all those things possible, and for that the world should thank him. It won't, but it should.

What's your alternate reality like? Do they have good healthcare there? Can I come visit?

2,017 Iraqi civilians have already been killed thus far in 2009 because of sectarian violence. Just because it's "down" from the 10,787 that were killed by July of 2006 doesn't really mean much.

218 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:29:21am

re: #215 Leonidas Hoplite

Perpetrated by al-qaeda and thier ilk, correct? Or are you suggesting we did that?

Yes, perpetrated by terrorist scum such as al-qaeda, instead of dictator scum like Saddam Hussein. The point being, if you end up in a mass grave does it really matter which kind of asshole did it?

219 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:31:52am

re: #209 Leonidas Hoplite

Well, good dr., it might be possible that some people in Iran saw the establishment of a nascent republic, however imperfect, across their border and wondered "Hey, if those backwards ass Iraqis can have representative government, why can't we?"

Wow. That is some pretty impressive logic right there. I'm sure Iranians view Iraq as a great model for their country.

220 JohnnyReb  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:32:55am

re: #217 drcordell

What's your alternate reality like? Do they have good healthcare there? Can I come visit?

2,017 Iraqi civilians have already been killed thus far in 2009 because of sectarian violence. Just because it's "down" from the 10,787 that were killed by July of 2006 doesn't really mean much.

I would suggest you go and interview the 8,770 people who were not killed and ask them if it really means much.

221 Leonidas Hoplite  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:33:20am

re: #217 drcordell

What's your alternate reality like? Do they have good healthcare there? Can I come visit?

2,017 Iraqi civilians have already been killed thus far in 2009 because of sectarian violence. Just because it's "down" from the 10,787 that were killed by July of 2006 doesn't really mean much.

Yeah, healthcare is a inalienable right just alongside life, liberty and the pursuit of property. What fantasy world do you live in where you can snap your finger, or pass some flowery piece of legislation, and make everything freakin' perfect? Yes, 2,017 is too many but the chance to have a free country and individual liberty means an awful lot. Just because something is hard does not mean it isn't worth fighting for.

222 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:34:03am

re: #217 drcordell

What's your alternate reality like? Do they have good healthcare there? Can I come visit?

2,017 Iraqi civilians have already been killed thus far in 2009 because of sectarian violence. Just because it's "down" from the 10,787 that were killed by July of 2006 doesn't really mean much.

So you're equating terrorist murders to those by a dictator.

223 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:36:51am

re: #218 drcordell

Yes, perpetrated by terrorist scum such as al-qaeda, instead of dictator scum like Saddam Hussein. The point being, if you end up in a mass grave does it really matter which kind of asshole did it?

It matters to all the people who have not been so buried thanks to Saddams overthrown and it also matters that now at least those who were murdered can it least be ID and their families can have closure. Those are not minor points.

224 Leonidas Hoplite  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:37:17am

re: #219 drcordell

Wow. That is some pretty impressive logic right there. I'm sure Iranians view Iraq as a great model for their country.

So you think the Iranians that took to the streets are living in a vaccum and suddenly decided they didn't like living under a theocratic dictatorship? They were completely uninfluenced by events beyond their borders? Talk about impressive logic.

225 Dancing along the light of day  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:38:30am

re: #119 HoosierHoops

Congratulations.
You get the ticket!

226 lawhawk  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:39:38am

re: #45 MJ

By the way, one of the NYT terrorism apologist is Nicholas Kristof. Want to guess who Kristof, who, like his co-columnist Roger Cohen is another Israel basher, reads to "understand" the Middle East?

"The blog I turn to for insight into Middle East news is often Professor Juan Cole’s, because he’s smart, well-informed and sensible — in other words, I often agree with his take. "

[Link: www.nytimes.com...]

If I want to get insight on the ME, that's the last place I want to get my intel.

First place? Michael Totten, closely followed by Michael Yon, who splits time between the ME and South Asia (Afghanistan).

Juan Cole isn't even in the discussion. But that's the NYT mindset for you.

227 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:40:48am

re: #221 Leonidas Hoplite

Yeah, healthcare is a inalienable right just alongside life, liberty and the pursuit of property. What fantasy world do you live in where you can snap your finger, or pass some flowery piece of legislation, and make everything freakin' perfect? Yes, 2,017 is too many but the chance to have a free country and individual liberty means an awful lot. Just because something is hard does not mean it isn't worth fighting for.

Here is where we differ. I support the ideals of freedom for the Iranian and Iraqi people. But I don't think that my nation should borrow $1 trillion dollars from the Chinese and lose the lives of 5,000 good citizens in an attempt to provide it for them. I think America has enough problems of its own to worry about right now quite frankly.

Nobody here seems to recognize that you can find a dictator awful, repugnant and evil, but at the same time not wish to spend $1 trillion dollars fighting a war to have him deposed. If dictators everywhere need to be overthrown then why haven't we also invaded North Korea, Burma, Cuba and Venezuela?

228 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:43:58am

re: #223 Dark_Falcon

It matters to all the people who have not been so buried thanks to Saddams overthrown and it also matters that now at least those who were murdered can it least be ID and their families can have closure. Those are not minor points.

Yeah knowing that your family member was killed by countryman who murdered him/her over their religious affiliation vs. a countryman who killed them for a political reason must feel great. It's almost as good as having them be alive!

229 lawhawk  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:43:59am

re: #227 drcordell

But for the massive spending on entitlements, including the massive expansion of Medicare prescription drug program, the trillion dollars would be much less. Also, that ignores the very real cost of thwarting terrorism by eliminating a key sponsor and maintaining forces in a region that harbors terrorists. So, while the cost is quite high monetarily and while 5,000 soldiers killed in service to this country is high (but by historical standards of warfare, exceedingly low), it is a just cause.

230 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:44:55am

re: #227 drcordell

What price freedom? What price liberty? According to you, any is too much.

231 kynna  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:45:13am

re: #219 drcordell

Wow. That is some pretty impressive logic right there. I'm sure Iranians view Iraq as a great model for their country.

Possibly. More likely they view the US as a great model for their country.

232 Leonidas Hoplite  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:45:30am

re: #218 drcordell

Yes, perpetrated by terrorist scum such as al-qaeda, instead of dictator scum like Saddam Hussein. The point being, if you end up in a mass grave does it really matter which kind of asshole did it?

Quite right, good dr., if you end up in a mass grave it hardly matters who was the perpetrator - you are in fact still dead. However, the difference between now and then is that it isn't the government that you live under, the governemtn that is supposed to protect you, that is the perpetrator. While things are not perfect in Iraq, and not likely to be for some time, at least there is a chance that the survivors of AQI and all the other cowardly terrorist groups have a chance to live a significantly different life.

233 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:46:40am

re: #229 lawhawk

But for the massive spending on entitlements, including the massive expansion of Medicare prescription drug program, the trillion dollars would be much less. Also, that ignores the very real cost of thwarting terrorism by eliminating a key sponsor and maintaining forces in a region that harbors terrorists. So, while the cost is quite high monetarily and while 5,000 soldiers killed in service to this country is high (but by historical standards of warfare, exceedingly low), it is a just cause.

Saddam Hussein had no affiliations with Al-Qaeda or terrorism. The man was a dictator who maintained a cult of personality. Islamic fundamentalism was the single greatest threat to his regime being deposed. Not only did he not sponsor Islamic terrorism, he would have brutally murdered any suspected Islamic fundamentalists he discovered within Iraq.

234 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:51:47am

re: #230 BlueCanuck

What price freedom? What price liberty? According to you, any is too much.

Look, I'm not saying that liberty and freedom are not noble goals. But I do not believe it is America's role to secure these freedoms for other nations at bayonet point.

If you believe we must fight for freedom and liberty for all the world's people no matter what the cost, how do we decide which dictators to overthrow and which to leave in place? If liberty and freedom are the only things to consider, why have we not deposed all of the dozens of repressive regimes all across the globe?

235 BlueCanuck  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:52:53am

re: #233 drcordell

Saddam Hussein had no affiliations with Al-Qaeda or terrorism. The man was a dictator who maintained a cult of personality.

Oh? How about this piece of information?

236 Leonidas Hoplite  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 11:54:24am

re: #227 drcordell

Here is where we differ. I support the ideals of freedom for the Iranian and Iraqi people. But I don't think that my nation should borrow $1 trillion dollars from the Chinese and lose the lives of 5,000 good citizens in an attempt to provide it for them. I think America has enough problems of its own to worry about right now quite frankly.

Nobody here seems to recognize that you can find a dictator awful, repugnant and evil, but at the same time not wish to spend $1 trillion dollars fighting a war to have him deposed. If dictators everywhere need to be overthrown then why haven't we also invaded North Korea, Burma, Cuba and Venezuela?

Well, I agree that it would be better if the Iraqis and the Iranians had/will thrown off the yoke of tyranny on their own, like we did. Except we didn't. We relied heavily on the Dutch and the French, the freakin' FRENCH, who provided active military support including its navy as well as its army. There is a graveyard of French soldiers in Yorktown. So even we needed help.

We wouldn't need to borrow from the Chinese if we had our priorities straight.

It would be nice if we could overthrow dictatorships everywhere but obviously we can't. However, if we do take out a clear and present dictatorial threat and replace it with a republic, and stand by our word (unlike 41) then perhaps that will inspire others.

237 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 12:01:29pm

re: #235 BlueCanuck

Oh? How about this piece of information?

I should have known that was coming. Yes, he once cut a check to a suicide bomber in the Palestinian Resistance. Yes they are terrorists. No, that does not make Saddam Hussein a major state sponsor of terror.

That does not mean that Saddam Hussein was in any way shape or form associated with Al-Qaeda or radical Islam in any way. No that does not justify the ouster of Saddam Hussein in the guise of national security. For state sponsorship of terrorism see Afghanistan. It's allowing fundamentalist Islamists to run training camps and dozens of madrassas brainwashing schools on your land. It's funding for major terror attacks such as 9/11 or the Cole bombing or the Beirut barracks attack.

238 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 12:03:56pm

re: #234 drcordell

Look, I'm not saying that liberty and freedom are not noble goals. But I do not believe it is America's role to secure these freedoms for other nations at bayonet point.

If you believe we must fight for freedom and liberty for all the world's people no matter what the cost, how do we decide which dictators to overthrow and which to leave in place? If liberty and freedom are the only things to consider, why have we not deposed all of the dozens of repressive regimes all across the globe?

I contend that you are making the perfect enemy of the good. It true that there are regimes the evil we do not overthrow but that does not mean we should not have given Saddam the boot. He was aggressive and controlled space ina critical part of the world.

239 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 12:07:26pm

re: #236 Leonidas Hoplite

Well, I agree that it would be better if the Iraqis and the Iranians had/will thrown off the yoke of tyranny on their own, like we did. Except we didn't. We relied heavily on the Dutch and the French, the freakin' FRENCH, who provided active military support including its navy as well as its army. There is a graveyard of French soldiers in Yorktown. So even we needed help.

We wouldn't need to borrow from the Chinese if we had our priorities straight.

It would be nice if we could overthrow dictatorships everywhere but obviously we can't. However, if we do take out a clear and present dictatorial threat and replace it with a republic, and stand by our word (unlike 41) then perhaps that will inspire others.

We relied on the French inasmuch as they provided us weapons and troops who fought alongside us and against the British. France did not invade our nation, place it under military occupation and then install a government of their choosing. The analogy is almost completely inapplicable.

As far as borrowing from the Chinese, what kind of spending do you think drove us into trillions of national debt? It was for wars. Money was borrowed to pay for Korea, and then Vietnam, and then the Cold War, and then the Gulf War. I'd throw all the 80's Latin America black ops in there as well, but those were financed with weapons sales to Iran / coke sales.

240 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 12:09:01pm

re: #238 Dark_Falcon

I contend that you are making the perfect enemy of the good. It true that there are regimes the evil we do not overthrow but that does not mean we should not have given Saddam the boot. He was aggressive and controlled space ina critical part of the world.

Ah, so it's not really about liberty and all that good stuff. It's an "important part of the world." It's not so much about securing liberties for Iraqis.

241 Leonidas Hoplite  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 12:11:13pm

re: #239 drcordell

We relied on the French inasmuch as they provided us weapons and troops who fought alongside us and against the British. France did not invade our nation, place it under military occupation and then install a government of their choosing. The analogy is almost completely inapplicable.

As far as borrowing from the Chinese, what kind of spending do you think drove us into trillions of national debt? It was for wars. Money was borrowed to pay for Korea, and then Vietnam, and then the Cold War, and then the Gulf War. I'd throw all the 80's Latin America black ops in there as well, but those were financed with weapons sales to Iran / coke sales.

Yeah, we're not in debt up to our ears because of runaway entitlement programs. That's a brilliant piece of obfuscation, nicely done.

242 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 12:12:01pm

re: #240 drcordell

Ah, so it's not really about liberty and all that good stuff. It's an "important part of the world." It's not so much about securing liberties for Iraqis.

You are putting words in my mouth. Therefore, I end this discussion.

GAZE

243 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 12:19:01pm

re: #242 Dark_Falcon

You are putting words in my mouth. Therefore, I end this discussion.

GAZE


Putting words in your mouth?

It true that there are regimes the evil we do not overthrow but that does not mean we should not have given Saddam the boot. He was aggressive and controlled space ina critical part of the world.

Your words, not mine.

244 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 12:24:03pm

re: #241 Leonidas Hoplite

Yeah, we're not in debt up to our ears because of runaway entitlement programs. That's a brilliant piece of obfuscation, nicely done.

Entitlements? Seriously? Where do you get your facts? Here is a graph of the national debt since the Great Depression. Notice the huge uptick in debt during the Bush/Reagan years. You think that Reagan borrowed all that money to spend on entitlements? The man gutted entitlements while doubling the debt.

Graph

245 Leonidas Hoplite  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 12:34:21pm

re: #244 drcordell

Entitlements? Seriously? Where do you get your facts? Here is a graph of the national debt since the Great Depression. Notice the huge uptick in debt during the Bush/Reagan years. You think that Reagan borrowed all that money to spend on entitlements? The man gutted entitlements while doubling the debt.

Graph

Nice chart. Is this an unbiased source? At first blush it seems so but I'm not so sure. When you say 'gutted' does that mean all existing entitlement programs were actually forced to spend less than they had spent in previous years? Or does that mean that they had to make do with smaller rates of growth?

246 drcordell  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 12:40:53pm

re: #245 Leonidas Hoplite

Nice chart. Is this an unbiased source? At first blush it seems so but I'm not so sure. When you say 'gutted' does that mean all existing entitlement programs were actually forced to spend less than they had spent in previous years? Or does that mean that they had to make do with smaller rates of growth?

Not sure about the source, but it's the only graph I could find that graphs national debt as a percentage of GDP (which helps account for inflation, as well as the fact that America has grown richer as a whole). When I say gutted, I should clarify that he merely attempted to cut as much as he could get away with. He scaled back welfare and other social programs, and would have destroyed Medicare and Medicaid if he had the political capital. All in all, he probably merely accomplished smaller rates of growth, but compared to other Presidents that is a "gutting" quite frankly.

247 wiffersnapper  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 1:35:11pm

Palin Derangement Syndrome anyone?

248 Mr Spiffy  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 3:02:35pm

re: #43 Charpete67

Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a DILF?

no

249 aaron's rantblog  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 4:29:03pm

The big difference between the two is that Ahmadinejad feels safe among the faculty and students on any college campus.

250 BethesdaDog  Wed, Aug 5, 2009 9:35:13pm

Cole is one of the worst whackjobs in the left, and he's all the more dangerous because of his "sterling" academic credentials. He's absolutely ballistic and insane when it comes to Israel. He's given way too much respect and credibility.

Maybe he was born in Hawaii...that would explain it.

251 meh130  Thu, Aug 6, 2009 10:13:27am

As far as I know, Palin has not been a member of a Pentecostal church for a very long time. She left the local Assembly of God (a Pentecostal denomination) for the non-denominational, evangelical Wasila Bible Church many years ago.

Most non-denominational evangelical churches base their practices on Baptist denominations.

From Newsweek's A Visit to Palin’s Church:

"Palin has said she was baptized in the Roman Catholic church. As a teenager, she began attending the Pentecostal Assemblies of God church in Wasilla and was baptized there by the founding pastor, Paul Riley. Todd Stafford, an associate pastor at Wasilla Assembly of God, says Palin often publicly thanks Riley--now nearly 80 and still working as a prison chaplain--for bringing her to Jesus when she visits the church. She attended that Pentecostal church until she was 38 years old, when she switched to Wasilla Bible Church, saying she preferred the children's ministries there."

Given the AOG Pentecostals I have known in my life, a strong Pentecostal would not switch to a (small "b") baptist church so easily, especially over something as trivial as children's programs. So I kind of doubt Palin's attachment to the AOG church was a strong Pentecostal theology. More likely, it was loyalty to a church she felt played an important role in her life.

But why let facts get in the way of a good story. Palin is obviously a snake handling, in-tongues speaking Pentecostal who is just hiding in a more mainstream non-denominational church to enhance her political aspirations.

First the Truthers, then the Birthers, now the Churchers?

252 huckfunn  Sat, Aug 8, 2009 6:45:14am

Sounds Fishy

This is a test

253 huckfunn  Sat, Aug 8, 2009 6:47:03am

Sounds Fishy

Test 2

254 huckfunn  Sat, Aug 8, 2009 6:47:18am

Didn't work


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Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT LGF User's Guide RSS Feeds

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