Asked of milroyj yesterday:
Still waiting for an answer…
I’m sorry milroyj is such a contemptible example of humanity and US citizenry.
Yes, I find is shameful the way milroyg belittles and attempts to silence anyone who disagrees with his viewpoint. Lincoln would be appalled at where some parts of the Republican party have gone these days.
Those abroad do have legitimate concerns about who is sitting in the White House because the decisions coming from Washington, D.C. do affect them. I don’t think “agree with me or I’ll kill or imprison you for life without trial” is a proper way in which to run either a government or foreign relations. Being an American does not make me inherently superior to anyone else. Being a fanatical Republican rightwing nutjob does not make milroyj inherently superior to anyone, either. Shouting others down just proves he has no factual basis for his views, or the weaponry to engage in a true contest of wits.
Because you have hurt others
Because you have treated others with contempt and disrespect merely for being born in a different country.
Because you have made assumptions about people based solely on the fact they don’t agree with you, without considering why they disagree with you, or even being willing to entertain the idea that there views might have some merit.
Because you seem incapable of agreeing to disagree.
Someone asked, why vote for Kerry if he voted for the Patriot act. My answer is that I reckon that he voted out of political expedience, which is a rather ordinary thing that politicians do. By contrast, the Bush administration conceived it and sold it as a necessary measure for fighting terrorism. Does this mean that Kerry was gullible on account of being duped by the Republicans? Possibly, but so was nearly the whole Senate, which has yet to admit to its own culpability in the WMD mess which, if it had exercised its responsibilities for intelligence oversight, might have been defrocked much earlier. So were 80% of Americans, who jumped on the war bandwagon and fell for the canard that greater security meant greater freedom. It is unfortunate to be the victim of a con man, but it is ethically reprehensible to be the Con Man in Chief. Bush’s entire concentration is upon increasing the power and scope of government. Kerry is pretty much just another bumbling politician whose ambitions have been pacified by his marriage to Teresa. Better to have Elmer Fudd as president than Simon Legree.
So now, within less than 12 hours, I’ve seen both Bush and Kerry dismissed as Elmer Fudd on these boards. That’s politics for ya.
Be vewwy, vewwy quiet! I’m wunning a campaign for pwesident! Huh huh huh huh huh!
Now don’t be hatin’ Elmer Fudd. He had more style than either candidate. Hmmm Elmer for Pres, and Sam for VP. Damn I enjoy watching a good old fashioned flame war 
Oopsie, I almost forgot to say, I sleep a lot better at night knowing the Patriot Guys are checking all those library books and whatnot.
If my posts on this message board have hurt others, then I am truly sorry. That was never my intent, ever.
American elections do affect people in the UK - at least while we have a PM who faithfully follows your president into war regardless of the wishes of the people. We do have a right to an opinion about American politics.
Also, I haven’t noticed any Americans here being at all shy about commenting about European politics - and no-one tells them to STFU.
Anyone care to comment on the actual topic of this thread?
Not Ted Kennedy’s politics or mistakes.
Not the upcoming election.
Not the rights of foreigners to comment on American politics.
Is anybody concerned about the fact that a very famous political leader had to make three ghod-damned phone calls to the head of Homeland security before he could get his name taken off the list? What the holy hell would it take for some of you to admit that the system, as it now exists, is fucking broken? As it now stands, if I want to visit relatives anywhere in the eastern half of the U.S. I have to take a minimum of a week off, and anything out of the country is totally out of the question.
There’s a reported terrorist with your name on the list, too, Czarcasm?
Sure, the system is broken, locking and guarding the upstairs windows after the thief has already run out the open front door. But the thread topic is Kennedy. His name was put on the list, I’d bet, simply as a stupid prank. Most of us wouldn’t have that problem, especially those of us with non-Arab names.
If Kennedy’s name was put on the list, it sure as hell wasn’t a stupid prank. It was a politically motivated violation of the senator’s right to travel freely. From what I’ve heard, the name on the list was merely similar to Kennedy’s, in which case the problem was low to medium level shmucks harrasing a prominent politician because they didn’t like him. It’s simply in-credible that none of these security people knew what Sen. Kennedy looked like. That leaves us with a federally mandated safety program that engages in partisan harassment.
The trouble is, Ted Kennedy’s name [w]wasn’t* on the list. All they had was the first initial “T” and the last name of Kennedy. I just find it incredible that:
- It never occured to The Powers That Be that this was an extremely crappy way to find terrorists,
- It never occured to anyone that it might come in handy to have in place a procedure to take names off this list, and
- Not one ghod-damned person involved in the bannings thought that anything was wrong when a national Senator was refused access.
Kennedy is the topic only in that even he had one hell of a time getting the problem fixed, meaning that we don’t have any chance whatsoever.
And the initial for Edward is “E.”, anyway.
squink, the name on the list was “T. Kennedy”. I’ve also flown way more than enough to have any confidence in the world-awareness of the average airport security agent. But I don’t disagree with you.
I think that a lot of the problem has to do with the very character of the average American citizen. It seems to me that at some level we (collectively) want these conspicuous flashy displays of security because it looks as if someone is actually doing something. We want to be forced to take off our shoes and have our paperclips taken away because we are afraid and want the comfort of seeing that, gosh darn it, someone is doing something about the problem.
The problem, as I see it, is that the real solutions are not flashy (it is hard to get excited about thicker doors). Further, these flashy measures are diverting attention and recourses from measures that might actually save lives.
Kenndy isn’t off the list according to this report:
Kennedy has company on TSA list
Yes, there IS something seriously wrong when even a member of Congress (and a Kennedy, to boot!) doesn’t have the pull to get off a list like that. Kennedy and Lewis only got their “security check” letters because they ARE in Congress - anyone is fucked up the ass sideways if their name even resembles one on the watch list. There is no appeal. None.
Clearly, the attitude is that those who names bear a chance resemblance to someone’s alias should just put up with the hassle of being banned from the nation’s airspace. Sit down, shut up, be a good little serf.
There is just so much bullshit involved in national “security” is hard to know where to start shoveling. Today I read that the 9/11 report said that all 19 of the 9/11 hijackers had signed a statement prior to entering the US that they were NOT entering for purposes of perpetrating terrorism. OH MY FUCKING GOD!!! THE BAD GUYS LIED!!!
Too many “security” procedures are based on the bad guys obeying the rules… and they don’t obey the rules, except when convenient for their own purposes. What a load of horseshit.
Meanwhile, we pour billions into useless measures, while neglecting the real threats around us. We harass and inconvenience law-abiding citizens and do nothing truly effective to stop the Bad Guys. All the while, the jackasses in positions of power surrond themselves with guards and fences, hoping the enemy will be satisfied picking off the peasents but leave their precious flesh and blood alone. Devil take the hindmost and all that.
I am disgusted.
This and other amusing questions are on the standard visa application. For your reading pleasure and general amusement, I present you the DS-156, Application for Nonimmigrant Visa:
And this is scary.
Think about it: A terrorist could give himself a shroud of security by taking a non-Arab name, even if he looks Arab to a moderately trained eye. After all, while Mohammed may raise eyebrows, Emilio or Rosenstern would not. To most Americans, a dark-skinned guy could be any number of ethnicities, and could come from Mexico City as easily as Mecca.
I’m accusing anyone of being racist, merely pointing out one more reason why racial profiling is a rather stupid practice.
:dubious: Yeah. “Kennedy” is SUCH a typical Arab name! “Lewis” :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
I’d love to listen in on one of those personal appearances. I wonder how many people who answered “YES” are let through by the consular officers? 