# We are happy \[the Space Shuttle\] broke up." **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 1, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148 "2003-02-01T19:45:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/261 "2003-02-03T02:46:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*The point is that the source of funding is _all UK tax payers_, not just the UK government. If the Beeb starts idolising Tony Blair, there’ll be Labour Party voters outside the studios demanding heads. And vice versa. \*\* I don’t get this. Don’t UK taxpayers = UK government, for all intents and purposes? If not, your socialist crap is truly scary. Remember, we fought a revolutionary war about this very subject. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/262 "2003-02-03T02:49:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jaakko \* > \*\*“Well, you’re about to bomb our country to bits and invade it, but gee willikers, I’m sure sad to see that something bad happened to you. Even though I might be violently killed in a few weeks by your government, I have nothing but good thoughts in my mind for you.” > > So were those outraged by the statements expecting this instead? \*\* Of course not, those peaceful Iraqis and all. Godwin’s Law be damned, would you have talked about peaceful Germans or Japanese in the '40s? ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/263 "2003-02-03T02:51:10Z")
Upon review. No Monty I am sure “the bombs of god” that the american army uses will “straw the chaff and save the wheat”. I bet that if innocent Iraquies paint their houses door with animal blood the good archangel Bush will sheat his mighty sword. Even more if they pray to GOD and promise not to be evil they will be saved. After all this is fight of good vs. evil so god will surely recognize his own. We only need to remain faithfull to God and his envoy Bush. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/264 "2003-02-03T02:52:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Estilicon \* > **In desert storm we only saw what the pentangon showed us, I was 10 or 11 years old but I distinctly remember that the most dramatic shot was a penguin (or a similar bird) covered with oil.** Because Saddam torched the oil fields, you moron. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/265 "2003-02-03T02:55:23Z")
milroyj the point being you stupid asshole that thousand of people died. And yet the most dramatic picture we got is a penguin. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/266 "2003-02-03T02:56:42Z")
What the heck are you on, Estilicon? Whatever it is, you might be wise to hie to a competent doctor and get a cure for it. Your last posting made even less sense than your usual postings do. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/267 "2003-02-03T02:58:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Estilicon \* > \*\*milroyj the point being you stupid asshole that thousand of people died. And yet the most dramatic picture we got is a penguin. \*\* Please present your cite that “thousand of people died” in the Gulf War. Civilians, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/268 "2003-02-03T02:59:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by milroyj \* > \*\*I don’t get this. Don’t UK taxpayers = UK government, for all intents and purposes? If not, your socialist crap is truly scary. Remember, we fought a revolutionary war about this very subject. \*\* He is saying that if the BBC started idolizing one dude, all the supporters of the others dudes would complain. try reading posts before responding to them with Red Scare Tactics, Senator McCarthyj. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/269 "2003-02-03T03:00:30Z")
The first reference was to Wilde’s “Ballad of Reading Gaol”. The second to the old testament. The point my sardonic friend is that you are mighty confident that your bombs will not harm civilians. Only a reigious fanatic can think that. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/270 "2003-02-03T03:08:09Z")
First Monty > [@](#): > > Hey, asshole (that’s you, Estilicon)! Got any proof that this country’s planning on using saturation bombing as opposed to targettling only military targets? > > Thought not. You see, don’t tell me that is not an absolute trust in your miliatars. The priest in the church next door is as fanatic as you. He can’t conceive that perhaps he is wrong. milroyj Let me introduce to a legal expression (in march I will be a lawyer). It is spanish “De público y notorio”, roughly translated it means of public and notorius knwoledge. In cases of that I don’t have to prove anything. My friend if Afghanistan taught as anything is that your precise bombing was not that precise. And that was 1 year ago. Now technology was a lot cruder 12 years ago and censure was stronger. Do you really think all those cute images the pentagon gave us were a representation of the true? ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/271 "2003-02-03T03:10:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\*He is saying that if the BBC started idolizing one dude, all the supporters of the others dudes would complain. try reading posts before responding to them with Red Scare Tactics, Senator McCarthyj. \*\* Thanks, McCarthyj sounds pretty cool. How did you guess, btw? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/272 "2003-02-03T03:12:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Estilicon \* > You see, don’t tell me that is not an absolute trust in your miliatars. It’s not an absolute trust in my military. You asserted that this country’s military was going to use saturation bombing. Perhaps you would care to provide your definition of that term? I, on the other hand, am using the commonly accepted definition of it. Saturation bombing is basically bombing anything and everything in an entire city or region. The United States and the rest of the Coalition forces did not do that in the last Gulf War and it doesn’t appear that they will do that in the next one either. Unless, of course, you care to provide proof of your assertion. > [@](#): > > The priest in the church next door is as fanatic as you. Only fanatic I see here at the moment is you. > [@](#): > > He can’t conceive that perhaps he is wrong. Are you just crazy or are you really a moron? ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/273 "2003-02-03T03:14:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Estilicon \* > \*\*First Monty > > You see, don’t tell me that is not an absolute trust in your miliatars. The priest in the church next door is as fanatic as you. He can’t conceive that perhaps he is wrong. > milroyj > > Let me introduce to a legal expression (in march I will be a lawyer). It is spanish “De público y notorio”, roughly translated it means of public and notorius knwoledge. In cases of that I don’t have to prove anything. My friend if Afghanistan taught as anything is that your precise bombing was not that precise. And that was 1 year ago. Now technology was a lot cruder 12 years ago and censure was stronger. Do you really think all those cute images the pentagon gave us were a representation of the true? \*\* Bullshit, amigo. You made the statement that America was planning on “saturation bombing”, which we are not. It is up to you to prove otherwise. Why don’t you go kiss a penguin? I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt there are penguins in Iraq, outside of zoos. Moron. ---
**Author:** ![nothingnobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c2a13f/32.png) [@nothingnobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nothingnobody)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/274 "2003-02-03T03:31:28Z")
we are all human. lack of compassion is not limited to Iraq. the replies to this thread are testament to that. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/275 "2003-02-03T03:41:33Z")
Whilst dredging up fetid minutiae upon which to embrace and suckle (thanks samclem), I ran across this comment by the Iraqi ambassador to the UN: > [@](#): > > On “Fox News Sunday,” Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri, Iraq’s representative to the United Nations (news - web sites), said only, “This is an unfortunate accident … In Iraq they view this accident from that point of view. Certainly this is unfortunate for the families … and for all people here in the United States.” [from here](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=578&e=2&cid=578&u=/nm/20030203/ts_nm/shuttle_dc) It’s not glurgy or anything, but it does display a decent modicum of respect. That’s pretty classy of him given the circumstances. Well, ya’ll probably wanta get back to sucking up some notorious penguin face or whatever around here, so I’ll leave you to it. ---
**Author:** ![Ulterior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/85f322/32.png) [@Ulterior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulterior)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/276 "2003-02-03T03:47:14Z")
Something about the BBC: if **milroyj** is right and it’s just an organ of the British government, wouldn’t it be _pro_-war, considering the positions Blair is taking these days? -Ulterior ---
**Author:** ![Jaakko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@Jaakko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaakko)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/277 "2003-02-03T04:35:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by milroyj \* > \*\*Of course not, those peaceful Iraqis and all. Godwin’s Law be damned, would you have talked about peaceful Germans or Japanese in the '40s? \*\* Eh what? Could you rephrase that so that even I can understand it? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/278 "2003-02-03T04:53:42Z")
milroyj: Well, I agree with you BBC is overly biased, but CNN is completely compromised. When I decided to give up on CNN, and BBC for content was when I started reading about the Iranian student protests bordering on revolt at the end of last year in Asian press, yet heard not a peep about it on the main pages of CNN or BBC. BBC is a good source for headlines as is CNN, but I don’t really regard their pieces as much more than fluff. However, CNN despite private funding is a complete tool of the state. It spews the party line completely, all the time. I don’t trust CNN one bit, and if they are given the most complete access of anyone, I don’t think I’ll be seeing even 10% of what they are seeing let alone 10% of what’s actually happening. And if there is a press blackout, the most we’ll see in foreign press is aftermath. The American government has been censoring journalism quite a bit more with every conflict, and I think that’s a shame. Yes it does make it more difficult to have clandestine operations, but it also keeps them honest, and provides the information to the American people, because in the end, we are responsible for the actions of our government, and if the government is hiding what it’s doing, then we are responsible for something that we might not condone. So yes I do think the strategic trade-off is worth it. Not to mention that I believe we are going about the war on terrorism completely and utterly wrong. And yes it’s important to me that I know that the political prisoners in Gitmo are there legitimately, and no I am not going to just trust the administration’s judgement on that. As for Iraqi oil fires, I have read, and can provide a cite, saying that many of the oil fires were started by American Napalm, if you want my cite, let me know, however keep in mind that Ramsey Clark is attached to it, therefore you will be able to dismiss it as liberal tripe without even getting much argument from the liberals here. Hell, I can’t stand behind it’s veracity, but the people who actually wrote it seem to have the credentials, so who knows? -shrugs- [http://www.deoxy.org/wc/wc-index.htm](http://www.deoxy.org/wc/wc-index.htm) Erek ---
**Author:** ![martin\_ibn\_martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@martin\_ibn\_martin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martin_ibn_martin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/279 "2003-02-03T05:28:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*R-i-i-i-i-i-g-ht! If you can find any Arabs mourning the death of Ilan Ramon, I will fellate Dick Cheney. \*\* Was that wager tossed off in vain? A quick trip to my mosque would locate a few arabs who mourn the death of nearly anyone. Will a signed affidavit do? Videotape? If I find half a dozen, will you do Rumsfeld as well? hehe Salaams, Martin ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148/280 "2003-02-03T05:40:12Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by RedFury_ > So, are you personally, and I quote, really “so far up on the moral high ground in comparison to ass hymens like Saddam that there’s nothing they could do to raise themselves up to our level”? Because the message I am getting from the overall tone of your post is that you’re acting exactly as hatefully intolerant as those you wish to condemn. Yeah, I’d have to say I _am_ morally superior to Saddam. I’ve never killed anyone, ordered anyone killed, nor have I orchestrated the invasion of another country. I also haven’t tortured anyone, nor have I engaged in genocide. > [@](#): > > Fuk 'hem, you say? Well, right back at you then, fuck you and everyone else who thinks like you. Which obviously includes your Resident warmogerer. Well, obviously you must be party to some secret knowledge that the rest of us aren’t. Why don’t you tell us how to fix everything? We’ve tried lots and lots of things in the past, but nothing’s worked so far. If you’ve got the answers, then I would think that you’d be morally compelled to share them with us. After all, if you had such information you’d be even farther up on the moral high ground than the rest of the planet. So tell us, **RedFury** , how we can do it. It’d be nice if we could all live in peace and harmony, but it’ll never happen with this species. Filth like Saddam will never willingly give up power. One can wring their hands all day long about how awful the US is, and I’ll be the first to admit we’ve done some really shitty things, but we’re still not the worst asshole on the block. > [@](#): > > BTW, congrats for showing such great restraint in witholding the use of nuclear weapons since WWII. But according to that logic, we should extend our unending gratitude to quite a number of other countries who never used them to begin with. To say nothing of those that flat out refuse to build them. Yeah, we should and we do. The nations which agree to abide by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty do get benefits handed to them. For fuck’s sake, man, we _dropped food to the Afghanis while we were going after the Taliban!_ Are you so foolish to try and pretend that they’d do the same for us if the situation were reversed? Granted we did it so that the anti-war activists would have one less thing to protest about, but we did it just the same. Folks like Saddam would simply have those who disagreed with them shot. If you want to believe that America’s the Great Satan, go right ahead, I can’t stop you, but even you have to admit that there’s worse devils out there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-happy-the-space-shuttle-broke-up/152148.md?page=15)