Job Discussion Forums

[struelle]

[nolefan]

just had two bottles of wine so sorry if this does not make muich sense!

The second amendment protects the right for people to near arms, it does not stipulate that they have to carry them at all times. More often than not, criminals get their weapons through the illegal channels so it has nothing to do with this amendment.

As far as the US policies go, it seems as though they suffer from a lack of consistency in their politics! Everytime a new administration gets in, it stops everything the previous one has done and moves on th better greener pastures... there is something to be said about "follow up"! As another person pointed out, Sadam and Bin Laden used to be sponsorted by the CIA...

an old wise man said: IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO!

'nuff said!

[chegs]

"Sometimes it works out well, as it did when we entered World War 2, defeating Japan and Germany"

But until Pearl Harbour, how many splinters did the US accumulate in it's derriere from sitting on the fence waiting to see who was going to win? Of course it wasn't a "Commie" authoritarian, expansionist regime threatening Europe so it would have been OK whoever won in the end I guess?

"the US repeatedly has sat down at the negotiating table with England and Irish nationalist parties in a concerted attempt to broker a deal that's amenable to both sides."

And until that deal is reached it's citizens continue sponsoring the IRA to the tune of $500m a year. Tanks, bejesus!

"America's "crazy gun laws"--also known as the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution, as contained in our Bill of Rights--was implemented so that an armed citizenry could react forcibly if necessary to unconstitional tyranny by the government"

So, now is the time to act, surely! (Guantanamo Bay, post 9/11 restrictions of freedom and excessively forceful monitoring of your everyday activities)

To say that the gun laws are OK because "they are written into our constitution" is simply indefensible, sorry. In our constitution it's still legal to shoot a Welshman in Chester after dusk (but only with a bow and arrow) and guess what? You don't see crowds of archers gathered at Chester City gates at dusk every evening, just in case.

"No. I do believe, however, that the overriding principle behind our actions are: 1. our national security first; and 2. self-determination for everyone else on the planet"

It's up to the citizens of everyone else on the planet to determine their own affairs, thankyou. The US despite what you may think, is NOT the world's policeman, we have (and trust) the UN to do that. America's history is based on violence and war. Since 1776 it's been involved in military conflagration with just about every country on the planet, but strangely enough none that could punch back with the same weight (Russia or China). This is more schoolyard bully tactics than concerned big brother. Apologists for a right wing dictatorship are more vocal about defending their rights of oppressed people than most, irrespective of whether they are being similarly oppressed themselves. See David Letterman's recent run in with the White House as an example.

QED

[China Pete]

Has anyone mentioned that the visa situation involves more than just a few visas upon arrival being denied? And Americas fingerprint rule involves 37 nations, not just one or two. I'd guess China is on the list because of the large muslim population and the Xin Jiang province, which has a lot of militant muslims.
Normally i would agree with concensus and say <to the governments> "all of you just stop it, youre acting like babies." But in this case, I feel China is the one being difficult.
The US isnt denying visas or raising prices or making tariffs, just fingerprinting to go along with getting access to our soverign nation. But in return, China raises prices, denies thousands of visas, etc etc. THAT is what I would call immature. China could match the US and require fingerprinting and maybe add background checks, just to annoy us, but they blow it all out of proportion.
I know for one, that thousands of US citizens who use the F visa (for whatever purpose) Will have no way to be in the country on business anymore than one month at a time whereas before, it was one year at a time. This is a big problem for many... myself included.
Every nation is soverign, and in addition to that- some are stupid.

[Philolinguist]

My, my, we certainly have opened the can of worms now haven't we? I knew if wouldn't take much for the bleeding heart Marxists to come out of the woodwork and start goose-stepping to the "Internationale." Well, let's see what we have here.

Steve:

[chegs]

PREAMBLE

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and

to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and

to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,



AND FOR THESE ENDS
to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and

to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and

to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and

to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples.

IF WE CAN'T TRUST THESE GUYS, WHO DO WE TRUST?

"See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction." George W. Bush, Milwaukee, Wis., Oct. 3, 2003

SO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TRUST HIM?

Who has the most weapons of mass destruction?

Who attacked who in Iraq?

[Philolinguist]

Similar to the wording of the Chinese constitution.

[nolefan]

[Philolinguist]

Nice articles on the UN's effectiveness...or lack thereof: (an extended scholarly treatise) http://www.heritage.org/Research/InternationalOrganizations/HL794.cfm
(shorter and more quickly to the point) http://www.laststory.com/The%20Last%20Hurrah%20of%20the%20United%20Nations.htm

[struelle]

[chegs]

Oh my God!

I read this:

http://www.laststory.com/The%20Last%20Hurrah%20of%20the%20United%20Nations.htm

as recommended.

A more narrow-minded, flag-waving, hysterical piece of vicious propoganda is hard to imagine.

If you can't be bothered to read it yourself, it's main tenets are as follows;

The UN is full of American hating, third world, (What does that mean, by the way? I always thought there was only one world) unruly, unwashed dictators who ought to know better than to ruffle the feathers of their globe trampling, imperialist superiors. Therefore anyone with any common sense should completely and flagrantly disregard them and side with the US quickly as it attempts to crush any conflicting ideologies and bring us all in line within the cozy New World Order (which blatantly DOES exist, before anyone says otherwise).

Philologist, please. If you aren't right wing, it doesn't necessarily follow that you are a Communist. Consider that there may be apolitical humanists out here in the big wide world (1st, 2nd or 3rd).

The information and disinformation spread by the mass media machine does get to some people. Usually those too feeble minded or scared to stand up for themselves. This is the sole purpose of the New World Order. Divide and conquer, frighten and subjugate, misinform and confuse, distract with sports games and fatty snacks. If that fails, get the intellectuals or activists tarred and ridiculed as cranks, commies or pinko liberals.

There is a choice and for more people than you might imagine, the "American Way", right or wrong, just doesn't fly!

[Roger]

If Philolinguist is assuming we can all follow his logic and accept that "America won the Cold War" and similar statements, I for one need to find a toilet where I can puke!
Still trapped in the manichean "we are good - them are bad guys" thinking, mate???

[Philolinguist]

Hehehe! Are we having fun yet? If you're not, I am. I thought that shorter article would get a rise out of internationalist bench warmers who sit on the sidelines and are pissed off that the world is moving on without them. Old Europe, as Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld aptly named them (with the exception of enlightened sorts in Britain), is starting to get the picture and recognize its geopolitical irrelevance. Ah, as the world turns!

In all seriousness, I don't quite agree with all that was stated in the brief article...it's even a bit to the right of myself which is considerable. That said, I do agree with most of it. A much better read for those of you with the patience to endure it is the discourse by the Englishman in the extended article.

One can hardly deny that the UN is ineffective in its "peace keeping" role. A cursory examination of its history will reveal that it has had few if any successes in that regard. But of course, any lack of success in the UN's mission is due to the wicked imperialists in the White House. PUHLEEZ!

Given the fact that the US is financially supporting the UN to the tune of 25% (a figure that no one can deny) and that its headquarters is in the US, it's laughable to think that the US hasn't given the UN a fair opportunity to prove its worth...and it has been found wanting. Hell, the UN is the biggest center of espionage in the world, wiith the vast majority of its members having diplomatic immunity from prosecution. Move it to France or Germany where it will be more appreciated. And Libya is the chair country for human rights! Isn't that a hoot! That's enough to destroy its credibility right there.

[chegs]

As fun as this has been, I think it's time to stop. Mr. Sperling probably wouldn't be too pleased about us spouting rhetoric of such nature.

Philolinguist, you are right about the apolitical humanist oxymoron, but you draw heavily on Marxist Lenninist rationale in stating the same! I should have said "non-party politically aligned humanist", but then that would be a little too PC even for a raving liberal like myself!

I'm a Brit, neither proud nor ashamed of it and I had to leave England when our country began it's final drift from Europe and into the welcoming arms of Uncle Sam. Not that that in itself is wrong, but I really feel that the US is going to suffer a) another "Vietnam" in Iraq. b) A huge backlash from the Muslim world in general. c) A situation in which much of Europe will move unwittingly to the left in order to counterbalance the undue power wielded by the US by filling the vacuum left by the petering out of the Soviet Union.

Communism wasn't achieved by the Russians or anyone else for that matter. They merely dabbled in Socialism in a half-assed way. But then again, words like socialist, conservative and democratic are too all encompassing catchwords. The Cold war wasn't about political ideology for the US, it was about the preservation of the Military Hardware Industry there. No one could or would want to threaten the US, until it interfered with their own lives. Yes, the people of Iraq suffered under a brutal and tyrannical despot, but they were in no position to even scratch the veneer of America's sovereignty , much less it's national security.

Guess what I'm trying to say is, none of us hates America. It just needs to grow up. At the moment, as a nation, it is comparable to a testosterone-ridden teenager. We know it will pass as the nation eventually settles into itself. 250 years, give or take a few, particularly considering the continuing changes in it's racial demographic, isn't enough time for it to really find it's feet and become a centred and truly stable "society" (I hate that word. As our ex-leader Mrs. Thatcher said "There's no such thing as society.")

It's still flexing it's muscles, feeling the first surge of power and not knowing exactly how to exercise it. Please don't follow the example of we Europeans and descend into wholesale expansionism, slavery, oppression and genocide. Believe me, I think I can speak for ALL of us from the West Coast of Ireland to the Black Sea in saying we aren't proud of it!

I guess a lot of rage comes from our own sense of shame. It's like standing on as a father watching our son make the same boo-boos that we did. Knowing that whatever we say, he'll have to find out for himself. A truly mature reaction to the unease it is causing in some countries would be a real mark of how far America has progressed from it's infancy and will surely bond it more closely to it's founding fathers from the rest of the world. We'd be glad to work with you.

Perhaps we could do something crazy to achieve this, like set up a forum for discussion. We could call it the um, er, ................."United Nations" or something like that...............

I'm sure it could solve a lot of the wor...........................

What? Someone tried that?

So "How are we going to do it?"should be the next question we all need to address, perhaps?

[Dalian Veteran]

In a sense, China is overreacting a bit to this fingerprinting thing. Those with immigrant visas have already had to do this fingerprinting thing all along anyway, long before the policy was applied to non-immigrant visas. My wife had to do it at our port of entry when she came with me under the immigrant visa. It was no big deal. Just one of those standard operating bureaucratic things. I do think this fingerprinting thing is a bit of a senseless waste, but I'm not really going to protest over it either.

When I was in China, I had to have a thorough physical exam and do a fingerprinting plus more before I could marry my wife. Plus, we had to register with the PSB every time we changed addresses. And like all foreigners, I had to have a thorough physical exam just to get the work visa. Chinese entering the U.S. don't realize they have it easy once they've gone through the port of entry. And on top of that, they can walk down the streets and even hold hands with an American local without being stared at or hearing sarcastic "ni hao" and "chink" the way we foreigners have to put up with "hello" and "laowai."

But considering that a number of Western countries and other close allies of the U.S. have been excluded from this fingerprinting policy, I can see why China would be a little upset.