You'll excuse me, but I am not comfortable with state owned UAE companies controlling 6 major ports in major US cities, reguardless of what promises they make.
Way to stay on top of stuff there Bushy. You're doing a heckova job.
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java the thoughts aquire speed, the teeth acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
First she pops up all "You are not following Hinduism! You should! Please do!" Since she was in second place and very close to me in terms of military might, I changed over just to avoid pissing her off and having a costly battle on my hands in the near future.
And then a few turns later, Greece invades me because I kept turning down their trades. No problem, they're about half the size of me and they have more settlers/workers than combat units. So I crush them in a few turns with only losing three units. Instead of razing their country and taking the negative hit with their allies that weren't quite friendly enough to join the fighting for them, I just take over the cities and hand them to Isabelle as a gift to get on her good side. They were too far away from my cities to do me any good, and the AI is impressed no matter how retarded the gift is.
So about twenty turns later Isabelle starts getting pretty pissed at me. Why? Because I'm "being influenced by that Heathen religion" and "our close borders are making tensions rise".
Listen, you stupid bitch. I only took Hinduism because you asked me to about five minutes ago. And the only reason we're even situated on the same continent, let alone with close borders, is because I gave you four cities free of charge on my continent.
So I did what any man would do. By that point I had developed my first ICBMs and nuked the shit out of her for being such a whiny bitch. Then made peace and apologized after launching all my nukes.
I guess what I'm trying to say is we should nuke the UAE just in case. Then apologize.
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Kuroi Madoushi likes to say stupid stuff like:
More like gg Bush's cabinet. I can't imagine what they were thinking...perhaps I should rephrase that: I can't imagine they were thinking. It's not a great reflection on Bush himself that this flew in under the radar, but it's not like it'd be the first time some decision did. He's got plenty to do and it's understandable that something like this might not make it to his desk or attention until after the fact, if even then.
I love how he's backing it up now that it's been approved, even to the point where he's saying he'll veto legislation passed to block this deal.
Bush has a serious problem with admiting that he and his administration make mistakes.
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Snoota says po-ta-to, I say pa-ta-to:
-snip-
You should never appease the 2nd ranked civ, they will always find something to pick at. I just invade a civilization as soon as our borders touch and I find myself with a sizable army.
Yeah.
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Blindy. had this to say about Pirotess:
I love how he's backing it up now that it's been approved, even to the point where he's saying he'll veto legislation passed to block this deal.Bush has a serious problem with admiting that he and his administration make mistakes.
He's backing up the people he chose to do a job and it's probably because of the political implications of not doing so as much as his pride. Not that I think it's right, I just can't really offer any criticism since I really don't know what his options are and the consequences of them.
Everybody does some really stupid shit to save face now and then...often at the expense of the pride they're trying to spare and of the people involved with them. In this case, it's the country that may suffer. On the other hand, if he doesn't support the decisions of people he appointed and sacrifices his pride, he basically says "The people I chose are incompetent" and that reflects poorly on him for choosing them. Not to say it's not a poor reflection anyway, he's just avoiding actually publically admitting it.
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java the thoughts aquire speed, the teeth acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
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I bet you never expected Kuroi Madoushi to say:
He's backing up the people he chose to do a job and it's probably because of the political implications of not doing so as much as his pride. Not that I think it's right, I just can't really offer any criticism since I really don't know what his options are and the consequences of them.Everybody does some really stupid shit to save face now and then...often at the expense of the pride they're trying to spare and of the people involved with them. In this case, it's the country that may suffer. On the other hand, if he doesn't support the decisions of people he appointed and sacrifices his pride, he basically says "The people I chose are incompetent" and that reflects poorly on him for choosing them. Not to say it's not a poor reflection anyway, he's just avoiding actually publically admitting it.
So basically, you're saying he has a problem with admiting that he or his administration made an mistake.
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I bet you never expected JooJooFlop to say:
Hay guys, remember way back just after 9/11 we were worried that all arabs would be labeled as terrorists or terrorist collaberators that arn't to be trusted with anything?Yeah.
It is racist to assume that a single arab is a terrorist simply because he is an arab.
It is not racist to assume that it is possible that 1 out of hundreds of the arabs that will be overseeing the security of a major port in a major city is a terrorist simply because 1 out of a hundred arabs are terrorists.
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Blindy. stumbled drunkenly to the keyboard and typed:
So basically, you're saying he has a problem with admiting that he or his administration made an mistake.
I was offering a perspective on why he might have such a problem. Just conversation really, I don't have an axe to grind in this.
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java the thoughts aquire speed, the teeth acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
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There was much rejoicing when Blindy. said this:
...because 1 out of a hundred arabs are terrorists.
That's news to me.
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JooJooFlop says po-ta-to, I say pa-ta-to:
That's news to me.
Well it's not an exact fact, but it can not be denied that a significantly higher portion of the Muslim population are terrorists than any other demographic.
Does that mean that putting the UAE in charge of our shipping ports means we will definitely find a terrorist somewhere in the security loop? No. Does it increase the risk? Yes. Blindy. fucked around with this message on 02-22-2006 at 02:14 PM.
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How.... Blindy..... uughhhhhh:
Well it's not an exact fact, but it can not be denied that a significantly higher portion of the Muslim population are terrorists than any other demographic.Does that mean that putting the UAE in charge of our shipping ports means we will definitely find a terrorist somewhere in the security loop? No. Does it increase the risk? Yes.
The question is just how significant that risk is. And if it's worth saying to the entire middle east "Uh, yeah, sorry, we just don't trust brown people." I've yet to see anyone give any reason not to trust this company with ownership of the docks besides "OMG they're ay-rabs." The UAE is hardly an enemy of the United States.
The UAE has, for the record, been very nice to the US. They let us put military/air force bases in their territory, use their airspace, etc. They may not be as pro-US as we'd like, but they're hardly the "Hell's Mouth" of terrorism waiting to vomit on us.
Likewise, control of terminals doesn't mean they don't still have to deal with our customs/import officials, the Coast Guard's regulations on stuff, etc. In fact I'd almost guarantee their stuff will "just happen" to be scrutinized all the more.
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
It's not as blitheringly stupid as you act like it is, under other circumstances it would be a perfectly equitable business decision, but proposing it right now is politically tone deaf.
Chalk this move up as one more reason for me to feel vindicated in voting against Bush. Maradon! fucked around with this message on 02-22-2006 at 06:01 PM.
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
1) It's still going to be unionized American longshoremen unloading the ships. They're not going to bring in groups of mercenary towelhead longshoremen to sneak stuff into the country off of the ships. No change there.
2) The Coast Guard is still going to have a say over port security and Customs will still be checking their 5% of all containers coming in. Again, no change from current operations.
3)When you look at total imports into this country, approximately 50% of imports come from the following five countries: Canada, China, Mexico, Japan and Germany. Granted we've had some difference with some of these countries, but none of them really represent a security risk. The first "iffy" country is Saudi Arabia at number 14, with 1.4% of total imports. And most of that is oil. So it's not like we're importing loads of stuff from Iran, North Korea or Cuba.
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The Hitchhikers Guide has this to say on Callalron:
I think a few important facts are being lost in all the uproar.1) It's still going to be unionized American longshoremen unloading the ships. They're not going to bring in groups of mercenary towelhead longshoremen to sneak stuff into the country off of the ships. No change there.
2) The Coast Guard is still going to have a say over port security and Customs will still be checking their 5% of all containers coming in. Again, no change from current operations.
3)When you look at total imports into this country, approximately 50% of imports come from the following five countries: Canada, China, Mexico, Japan and Germany. Granted we've had some difference with some of these countries, but none of them really represent a security risk. The first "iffy" country is Saudi Arabia at number 14, with 1.4% of total imports. And most of that is oil. So it's not like we're importing loads of stuff from Iran, North Korea or Cuba.
Colbert puts it well.
"Sure, if you think about it, it makes sense. But not if you feel about it."
Honestly, I don't care what measures we take, I do not want a state owned arabic company running any business directly related to the security of this nation.
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We were all impressed when Blindy. wrote:
Colbert puts it well."Sure, if you think about it, it makes sense. But not if you feel about it."
That's a really terrible motto.
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If Mod was a glacier, they'd be a fast one:
That's a really terrible motto.
Hey, he doesn't read the news to you, he feels the news at you.
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Moding:
That's a really terrible motto.
Like most liberals, he's a comedian 
On the other hand skipping the 45 day investigation period is just plain stupid, first of all it makes the deal look 100 times shadier, second of all it contiues a president that to the goverment its own rules dont realy matter
"I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
-- George Herbert Walker Bush
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Maradon! had this to say about Knight Rider:
Like most liberals, he's a comedian
I think he's Conservative.
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Mr. Parcelaning:
I think he's Conservative.
If he's a real conservative, then the landoverbaptist people are real catholics.
I'm sure the real problem is that I just don't have a sense of humor though, haha! Maradon! fucked around with this message on 02-23-2006 at 01:32 PM.
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Leftover Mog had this to say about Robocop:
On the other hand skipping the 45 day investigation period is just plain stupid
Correct. Like I said, it isn't the company that's taking over six terminals in assorted ports around the country, it's how they're going about it that bugs me.
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
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Ja'Deth Issar Ka'bael had this to say about John Romero:
Correct. Like I said, it isn't the company that's taking over six terminals in assorted ports around the country, it's how they're going about it that bugs me.
I was about to mention that there are a great many of our ports that are run by foreign countries... I believe we have 361 active ports, by the way, and these six cant be the only ones that are undergoing change-of-hands...
I think a great deal of it is that the company is Middle Eastern. I dont have the time to look anything up but I am of the opinion (Read-NOT trying to claim this is hard fact) that Middle Easterners have more terrorists than any other large group of people. The Middle East happens to be under the magnifying glass right now, and they use tactics that perhaps arent UNIQUE to them, but not widely used by the terrorists of other areas and organizations.
My problem is that one foreign country sold the rights to American terminals to another foreign country without any real oversight. I can't fault the seller company too much, because our people more or less waved it past without a second look (awfully convenient, of course, given who was on the committee to decide). It just annoys me in general. It's one of those things I assume happens often enough, and I will agree that it probably only made news due to the fact it's an Arab country taking control of the terminals. My irritation is due to the fact it happens in general. Just because it happens to be an Arabian country it's happening in regards to doesn't change the underlying item that irritates me.
Like has been said earlier in the thread, it's not like the UAE is exactly a major threat to us. Quite the opposite.
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
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I wish Azakias would say this more often:
I was about to mention that there are a great many of our ports that are run by foreign countries... I believe we have 361 active ports, by the way, and these six cant be the only ones that are undergoing change-of-hands...I think a great deal of it is that the company is Middle Eastern. I dont have the time to look anything up but I am of the opinion (Read-NOT trying to claim this is hard fact) that Middle Easterners have more terrorists than any other large group of people. The Middle East happens to be under the magnifying glass right now, and they use tactics that perhaps arent UNIQUE to them, but not widely used by the terrorists of other areas and organizations.
No, it's a fact. We don't exactly have census numbers, since few people will check "Terrorist" under occupation, but there is no getting around it.
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JooJooFloping:
Show of hands, who thinks Blindy is just plain racist?
It's also the stance of the Council on American-Islamic Relations that all the uproar over this is rooted in racism.
The CAIR building, ironically, is built on land owned by Dubai Ports Int.
Seriously.
Break out the tinfoil hats? Maradon! fucked around with this message on 02-24-2006 at 12:53 PM.
What upsets me is that the decision was made by the people who have information and experience, and is now possibly going to be overturned by the people who don't. Even if you don't like Bush's administration, you can't argue that housewives in Kansas are making a better informed decision than cabinet members.
I love democracy as much as any American, but this is the sort of situation where I feel it is a hindrance. The vast majority of the American population can't and won't bother to understand the finer details or reasoning behind the decision but will still oppose it vehemently because 'ohmahgawd, nukes on boats.' Lashanna fucked around with this message on 02-24-2006 at 12:54 PM.
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I bet you never expected JooJooFlop to say:
Show of hands, who thinks Blindy is just plain racist?
Racist? No. I don't dislike or distrust any Arab simply because he or she is an Arab.
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x--LashannaO-('-'Q) :
I love democracy as much as any American, but this is the sort of situation where I feel it is a hindrance. The vast majority of the American population can't and won't bother to understand the finer details or reasoning behind the decision but will still oppose it vehemently because 'ohmahgawd, nukes on boats.'
The notion that the people are too ignorant to govern themselves is the heart of every socialist. It's also the basis for fascism.
The fact is that the UAE IS trustworthy, but you can be perfectly trustworthy and still be a conduit through national security at the same time. Putting a country with islamic ties in charge of a point of entry into the country, to me, seems like an avoidable risk. You're probably right, in all likelihood nothing at all will happen, but we're dealing with an enemy that specializes in subverting trustworthy channels like this.
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Maradon! had this to say about Captain Planet:
The notion that the people are too ignorant to govern themselves is the heart of every socialist. It's also the basis for fascism.
I realize this, and I agree with you that it's a bad idea. I have a problem with the people who oppose this deal on nothing but the fact that it 'feels like a bad idea,' and it's frustrating that these people are able to change the position of officals who may not agree with them (and may know better), because of things like mid-term elections.
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Blindy.'s unholy Backstreet Boys obsession manifested in:
Yes, and even though these people are happy to kill themselves, they would never let their company lose profit. That's just crazy.
...Dude, ya really think the Ijiots that are going to off killing themselves are the guys that own/run a company?
It's not something people hear about.
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How.... Maradon!.... uughhhhhh:
The notion that the people are too ignorant to govern themselves is the heart of every socialist. It's also the basis for fascism.
In many cases they are, this is why direct democracy doesn't work. Given the ability to completely self-govern people would just constantly vote themselves more public spending and less taxes untill all of society collapsed in the best of cases. In the worst, we'd be looking at widespread state-sanctioned genocide on a scale that would make Hitler blush six months down the line.
A consitutional republic works because most of those in charge have a vested interst in it staying in one piece because it is the basis of their power and will bring to bear the full weight of their damagougery to keep the people from proclaiming a divine monarch or ripping each other to shreds. Those who are not in charge gain that same vested interest as soon as they make it even close to a position in which they could threaten the system.
Also if you're looking for a basis of fascism, try nationalism or mob mentality instead. Fascism isn't exactly about looking after people who don't know any better, it's about using the individual merely as a tool of the state, among other things. Mod fucked around with this message on 02-24-2006 at 06:42 PM.
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Mod had this to say about Punky Brewster:
Also if you're looking for a basis of fascism, try nationalism or mob mentality instead. Fascism isn't exactly about looking after people who don't know any better, it's about using the individual merely as a tool of the state, among other things.
Thomas Hobbes has a few things he'd like to talk to you about.
