Bingo! Now we know why they gave some of the land back!!! - Page 13 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Botnst · #**181** 09-05-2005, 06:00 PM

Blanco is that rarist of beasts, a conservative Democrat. She is like Zell Miller, without the bombast. She is also the fourth decent, honest governor in 30 years or so. I think her advisors have not been serving her well. I am hopeful taht Jamie Lee Witt will be an aweful lot more pragmatic and will be able to match the conduits between state and fed agencies.

But all of teh blame certainly does NOT rest on the state's efforts. FEMA is a freaking mess that is just plain rotten in the middle.

Bot

cmac2012 · #**182** 09-06-2005, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peragro

It seems like arrogance is a common theme in sooooooooo many things these days on the port side of the house.

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

So true.........

Hmmmm, this from the guy who said on August 7, 2005, just before he disappeared briefly in the witness protection program:

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

The RIght is ALWAYS right.........

Your inability to see your problem is obvious...

You need to talk to your DNC handler...its time for a new program.

Interesting that Peragro original line was in response to Jennifer and Brad's attempting to, like, bring peace to the middle east and stop the killing, mann.

The right has a penchant for coming up with albatrosses and hanging them around the necks of everyone to the left of Colin Powel. If it's not Teddy, Bill, or Dan it's Barbara Streisand or Ed Asner or Ben Affleck, people who I personally have a lot of control over.

Poor ol' Ed Asner, championing the case of Mumia Abu Ikilledacop, a guy who is a really, really bad choice for poster boy for the anti-death penalty crowd. Mumia, with his cute dreadlocks, is, IMO, about 99.99% chance guilty as sin. Ironic, his killing the cop has made him a star reporter, famous and sought after whereas before the killing, he was a so-so radio reporter with a lousy work ethic and almost zero renown, at least according the excellent Vanity Fair piece about the Mumia circus/gravy train.

So bonehead, on the arrogance thing, consult a mirror.

cmac2012 · #**183** 09-06-2005, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peragro

I agree. I think we are the greatest nation on earth, but I usually don't go around proclaiming that. If I were the head of the nation I probably would cause that's part of the job description. Every President we've ever had has done that. When we get one that doesnt' I think he should probably leave at that time.

I don't lie awake at night trying to think of reasons why we are a nation of jerks, buttt....

The greatest nation on earth thing is not healthy, IMHO. We are good people, in many, many ways. We have also done some serious screwing up in the last 50 years, a good bit of it whitewashed over because:

We are the GREATEST NATION ON EARTH!!

It leads to all sorts of mischief, arrogance like that. Our friends in the world community don't respect that attitude. Ya ever had a brother in law or friend who was certain he could do everything better than you? Did you like or respect that?

cmac2012 · #**184** 09-06-2005, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvrpgrl

I have found that the truly informed celebraties wind up on the right side of issues. And I mean informed beyond the usual talking head points that Hate, errr, Air America pumps out daily. They might as well put on a recording, "Bush sucks, Christian righties suck, Haliburton, Iraq was for oil, Lied about WMD's, Bush sucks, Christian righties suck, Halliburton, Iraq was for oil, Lied about WMD's, Bush sucks...."

They can be obnoxious, don't forget, they're trying to be the counterpoint to Rush and Hannity.
However, a lot of their material has merit. Sorry they step on your toes, upset your applecart, and jostle your sacred cows.

mikemover · #**185** 09-06-2005, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

It was a difficult choice for him. He could stay in Iran and complain about the administration or he could go to Louisiana and complain.

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301680.html)

Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.

The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

A senior administration official said that Bush has clear legal authority to federalize National Guard units to quell civil disturbances under the Insurrection Act and will continue to try to unify the chains of command that are split among the president, the Louisiana governor and the New Orleans mayor.

Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.

"The federal government stands ready to work with state and local officials to secure New Orleans and the state of Louisiana," White House spokesman Dan Bartlett said. "The president will not let any form of bureaucracy get in the way of protecting the citizens of Louisiana."

Blanco made two moves Saturday that protected her independence from the federal government: She created a philanthropic fund for the state's victims and hired James Lee Witt, Federal Emergency Management Agency director in the Clinton administration, to advise her on the relief effort.

This is completely and utterly UNsurprising.

It is also unsurprising that we are NOT hearing this on the news.

We can't have this getting out now, can we?..... Everything is Bush's fault, don't ya' know?

Mike

luvrpgrl · #**186** 09-07-2005, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

I don't lie awake at night trying to think of reasons why we are a nation of jerks, buttt....

The greatest nation on earth thing is not healthy, IMHO. We are good people, in many, many ways. We have also done some serious screwing up in the last 50 years, a good bit of it whitewashed over because:

We are the GREATEST NATION ON EARTH!!

It leads to all sorts of mischief, arrogance like that. Our friends in the world community don't respect that attitude. Ya ever had a brother in law or friend who was certain he could do everything better than you? Did you like or respect that?

As far as historical standards go, I think America beats their own drum the least, compared to say, Spain, Britian, France, Germany, etc. etc. etc.

peragro · #**187** 09-07-2005, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvrpgrl

As far as historical standards go, I think America beats their own drum the least, compared to say, Spain, Britian, France, Germany, etc. etc. etc.

You left out Italy and most definatly the Soviet Union, remember the workers paradise? Oh, and there's Cuba and China and Japan. Could patting yourself on the back be something that all countries do? Or maybe something that all people do at some time or another?

cmac2012 · #**188** 09-07-2005, 02:54 AM

Do you mean in the past? I imagine that would be true. Right now, I don't know. I guess a lot of nations are prone to believing they are the best. A lot of religions are the same way, "we're the only true church, etc.

I think the average person in America holds onto this notion pretty tightly, the notion that we are the greatest. I dunno, seems harmless in a lot of ways -- I know in my own life, arroagance has been a real problem. I get a little success and WHOOPS!, there's goes my head, swelling up big time, followed by a crashing back to earth, eventually.

luvrpgrl · #**189** 09-07-2005, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

Do you mean in the past? I imagine that would be true. Right now, I don't know. I guess a lot of nations are prone to believing they are the best. A lot of religions are the same way, "we're the only true church, etc.

I think the average person in America holds onto this notion pretty tightly, the notion that we are the greatest. I dunno, seems harmless in a lot of ways -- I know in my own life, arroagance has been a real problem. I get a little success and WHOOPS!, there's goes my head, swelling up big time, followed by a crashing back to earth, eventually.

well, actually, nobody can even closely compare to us now. For the worlds only super power, we actually are very restrained by historical standards. All the others conquered as much as they could. And fact of the matter is we are more powerful than any nation at any time, ever. I think the amount of patting on ones own back in relation to our power as compared to what other countries have done, we are quite humble about it (and Im talking about Americans in general, not me

)

Now, why arent you at work NOW???? grrrrrrrrrr

boneheaddoctor · #**190** 09-07-2005, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peragro

You left out Italy and most definatly the Soviet Union, remember the workers paradise? Oh, and there's Cuba and China and Japan. Could patting yourself on the back be something that all countries do? Or maybe something that all people do at some time or another?

You ever been to Italy?.....jobs are hard to find adn what you do find pays a pitiful ammount compared to what we make here for the same job. And many things cost more over there.

However nobody beats the French in pure arrogance....

cmac2012 · #**191** 09-08-2005, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvrpgrl

As far as historical standards go, I think America beats their own drum the least, compared to say, Spain, Britian, France, Germany, etc. etc. etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by peragro

You left out Italy and most definatly the Soviet Union, remember the workers paradise? Oh, and there's Cuba and China and Japan. Could patting yourself on the back be something that all countries do? Or maybe something that all people do at some time or another?

Uhh, I hate to be an a$$, buttt...this doesn't put us in good company in the bright flash before burnout colonial, hegemonic domination, dept.

One exception, maybe, is China (Cuba's too small and weak to be considered in the history of hegemeny). I'm sure there's a lot I don't know, but seems like China is real good at exporting diaspora that do well somewhere else, but China the govt. doesn't seem to have mounted a global domination bid that I know of. Ghengis Khan is the only case in the rough geologic vicinity I can think of. Of course, they're getting pretty aggressive to their next door neighbors lately -- Tibet, Taiwan -- but that's not global (not yet) and before that, mostly internal, I think

Amazing what history turns on, I read where China had ocean sailing ships 4 or 5 times the length of Columbus's vessels, and this in the 1300s, I believe, what's that -- uhh 14th century, maybe 15th. Apparently, they sailed as far as the region of Madagascar, I believe DNA evidence of Chinese ancestory was found, to some degree of certainty anyway, either there or on the mainland. Then the Emperor So and So came in and had a phobia about sending contingents out to strange lands, so the fleet was grounded and burned.

Could you imagine swooping one of those up in ferry boat size time machine? Cood dude. Anyway, imagine they had instead continued around the horn of Africa and discovered the Americas first. The world would have been very, very different.

luvrpgrl · #**192** 09-08-2005, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

Uhh, I hate to be an a$$, buttt...this doesn't put us in good company in the bright flash before burnout colonial, hegemonic domination, dept.

One exception, maybe, is China (Cuba's too small and weak to be considered in the history of hegemeny). I'm sure there's a lot I don't know, but seems like China is real good at exporting diaspora that do well somewhere else, but China the govt. doesn't seem to have mounted a global domination bid that I know of. Ghengis Khan is the only case in the rough geologic vicinity I can think of. Of course, they're getting pretty aggressive to their next door neighbors lately -- Tibet, Taiwan -- but that's not global (not yet) and before that, mostly internal, I think

Amazing what history turns on, I read where China had ocean sailing ships 4 or 5 times the length of Columbus's vessels, and this in the 1300s, I believe, what's that -- uhh 14th century, maybe 15th. Apparently, they sailed as far as the region of Madagascar, I believe DNA evidence of Chinese ancestory was found, to some degree of certainty anyway, either there or on the mainland. Then the Emperor So and So came in and had a phobia about sending contingents out to strange lands, so the fleet was grounded and burned.

Could you imagine swooping one of those up in ferry boat size time machine? Cood dude. Anyway, imagine they had instead continued around the horn of Africa and discovered the Americas first. The world would have been very, very different.

You do realize that northern chinese speak a different language than southern chinese?

cmac2012 · #**193** 09-10-2005, 02:29 AM

Yes, and Native Americans speak a different language than English, or many different languages, actually. So what else is new? Conquest and acquisition of territory has been going on for a long time.

I didn't write all of that to try to paint the Chinese as the saints of the world. My main point was that uber-nationalistic pride doesn't have a real good track record in the longevity dept.

Botnst · #**194** 09-10-2005, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

...My main point was that uber-nationalistic pride doesn't have a real good track record in the longevity dept.

Nor does national self-loathing.

cmac2012 · #**195** 09-11-2005, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

Nor does national self-loathing.

Well thanks, I won't take that one too seriously, per your instructions. You know what? I'm prouder to be an American than I've been in a long, long time.

Funny, huh? After the last 10, 11 days especially.

After the scope of the multi-faceted disaster became obvious, I was thinking, Jeez, the rest of the world is going to say, "Whoa America, you done burned your bridges. We told you don't be thumbing your nose at us."

Then, last Thursday or Friday, I forget, the traiterous NPR read off a list of the countries that were donating aid to us and what the aid was. I honest to God got choked up and a bit teary. I thought, they do remember, we have helped out many, many times, recently in Indonesia and previously in many other arenas. I realized that our goodness is way to big for a pompous, legacy baby like Dubya Dubs to erode in 5 short, bungle prone, aggressively arrogant years. That even the utterly pointless slaughter in Vietnam and other small agrarian nations couldn't destroy the affection the rest of the world has for us. Make that "love/hate relationship" the rest of the world has with us. Cause we can be enormous a$$es, oh yes we can.

My acknowledging the truth is self-loathing? So sorry. "Seek the truth and the truth shall make you free," sayeth the Lord.

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