Job Discussion Forums

Ajarn Miguk · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 227 Location: TDY As Assigned

Dear Scott & John,

Happy to hear from you both.

I propose then the US impose the same rules KSA has for the retention of passports on Saudis and other non-US citizens resident in the US. Seems only fair to me. However, with one caveat, and that is that such retnetion only apply to nationals of nations which follow such a practice relative to US citizens resident in KSA.

So what do you think? Should I call Colin on his private number?

AM

P.S. --- What is "rugby?"

johnslat · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2003 7:51 am Post subject: Like to walk?

Dear Ajarn Miguk,
Tell Colin, " Hi " for me when you call - poor guy, he's got Harry Belafonte calling him names and his big presentation at the UN didn't go over very well. If things get too bad, let him know we can always find him a job teaching EFL over here. Sure, suggest away - but I kind of doubt the administration wants to pull the nose hairs of the House of Saud right now.
I believe they're still using gas in the States, right? Well, until that changes, my guess is the USA and the Kingdom will make nice with each other. It's not " fair ", you say? As JFK reportedly once put it: Life isn't fair. And politics most certainly isn't. What's rugby - mama mia. Look, I know it's not as popular as ( American ) football or baseball, but still . .

http://www.usarugby.org/

You really need to get out more.
Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

You will next be telling us that you have never heard of cricket ! What can we do with our cousins across the pond ? So blinkered ! So monocultural ! So totally unsuited to working outside of the US of A !

johnslat · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2003 11:18 am Post subject: General scot

Dear scot47,
It's good to see that you always eschew generalizations, which are, of course, the hallmark of every parochial mind.
Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Bigotry is still legal in Saudi Arabia. This place is a refuge from the insanity of political correctness that has taken over most of the Western World.

Actually I was using irony. I know that many people find this a difficult genre. It may not be widespread in xenophobic Riyadh, where johnslat hangs his hat.

And it is Wednesday afternoon. Alhamdullilah the weekend is nigh. And I just picked up my salary for April. Paid here by the Gregorian month, whereas last place it was by the lunar, i.e. Muslim, month.

And I praise the Lord that I am in Saudi Arabia earning a decent salary and not in Rosa's Cantina in Quantico with the Ollie North Fan Club.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

This Ajarn guy could do well working in the field of Fotreign Affairs. He would really make those nasty foreigners love and respect the US of A.

johnslat · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2003 1:36 pm Post subject: The veil is lifted

Dear scot 47.
Irony, huh? Well, you have to concede, I think, that it's not always easy to distinguish scot47, the grouch, from scot47, the ironist. But wait ( light blub flashes on over his head ), could it be they're one and the same? Let's see now - if you were using irony, which expresses the opposite of the literal meaning, why then that means you really think your " cousins across the pond " are unblinkered, multicultural and totally suited to working outside of the U. S. of A. Gee whilikers, you're actually an Americanophile. You sly dog - you've had us all hoodwinked.
Regards,
Cousin John

johnslat · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2003 1:42 pm Post subject: If it's not broken . . .

Dear scot47,
" This Ajarn guy could do well working in the field of Fotreign Affairs. He would really make those nasty foreigners love and respect the US of A. "

What? You mean you don't think the present crew is doing a good enough job? But heck - we don't want them nasty furryners to love and respect us - just to fear us. "Oderint dum metuant" - the motto of the current administration.

Regards,
John

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Dear Ajarn,
The problem is that making the citizens of a country pay for the rules of their government is not even fair in democratic countries. where they may have had a choice in who is their leader.
And discrimination against Saudis in the States, and to a lesser extent I suspect the UK, is very real. I know of no American or Brit who has been beaten up in Saudi because of Bush's or Blair's policies, but I have had students to whom this happened in the US (I may add that the case was taken seriously by the local police authorities so we are not talking about institutionalized attacks here).
The question is academic anyway. The UK embassy has never been famed for looking after its citizens (though the service from the consolate in Saudi is a pleasant exception) and the US is notorious for leaving them in the lurch. In Mexico they actually used to push the Mexican authorities to keep anybody busted for dope in jail for as long as possible.

Ajarn Miguk · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 227 Location: TDY As Assigned

Actually, Scott, Quantico is the Ollie North Fan Club. Ask John. He can explain it to you. I would, but I've got to take Colin's call on the other line.

This rugby thing....has it like been around a long time?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Scot with one "t" if you do not mind, you American imperialist !
And while you are at it my full name is "scot47" ! Any more impudence and I will report you to Pancho Villa !

He is still in charge down there, isn't he ?

Ajarn Miguk · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 227 Location: TDY As Assigned

He never left. It's always good to be among friends, right? Even here in red clay country. Peace.

johnslat · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2003 4:24 am Post subject: A true believer

Dear Ajarn Miguk and scot ( with one "t" ) 47,
First, let's get the rugby question out of the way - has it been around a long time? Well, that depends on how you want to define the game. Here's a good site that'll give you all the details:

http://www.bocaratonrugby.com/rugby_education/history_of_rugby.htm

Now, as to Quantico - and Ollie: Quantico, Virginia is the location of the USMC Officers Candidate School ( which Ollie attended ), the NCO Academy, the SNCO Academies and The Basic School ( if you want any further info on this, please go to ):

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/ind.nsf/career

As for Ollie - well, we're going to get into personal opinion here, much or all of which, I strongly suspect, will offend Ajarn. The USMC tends to attract - how can I put this diplomatically - Extremists? Gung-ho types? Ends justify the means guys? True believers? Take your pick. Ollie, I'd say, falls into all the above-mentioned categories, as his major role in the Iran-Contra affair ( and Lord knows what else ) would seem to indicate. For Ollie, any action/policy can be justified if he sees it as contributing to the benefit of the USA. Dirty tricks? No problem. Dealing with the mullas in Iran? Send me in, coach. Ollie and his kind ( hey, I'm being nice; I could have said, " ilk " ) are sort of the conservatives' answer to Osama - equally extreme, equally ready, willing and able to do whatever it takes to advance the agenda. For some, this makes Ollie a hero, a " stand-up " guy. For others, it makes him a " loose cannon ", a wild card in the deck,
a " cowboy " For those who believe, " Hey, you gotta fight fire with fire ", Ollie is an inferno. For those who believe in honesty, transparancy and
other such sentiments ( that Ollie would likely describe as " wimpish ), he's a nightmare.
Regards,
John

Ajarn Miguk · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 227 Location: TDY As Assigned

Come on. Admit it, John. Deep down inside (where so many fear to tread these days), you like the guy. Otherwise, how do you know so much about him?

Quantico is never forgotten by any Marine officer. Not a single one.

Minor correction, John. Lt. Col. North did not graduate from OCS at Quantico. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and received his commission there upon graduation. He did attend the Basic Officer's Course at Quantico, a distinction only appreciated by a few of us.

By the way, have you ever read a poem by Rudyard Kipling titled, "Tommy?" If you haven't, you should.

Peace.

omar805 · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Thailand

A friend just sent me this story in an e-mail :
Thought you might be interested in this

Anyone remember this??

It was 1987! At a lecture the other day they were playing an old news video of Lt.Col. Oliver North testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings during the Reagan Administration.

There was Ollie in front of God and country getting the third degree, but what he said was stunning!

He was being drilled by a senator; "Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?"

Ollie replied, "Yes, I did, Sir."

The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, "Isn't that just a little excessive?"

"No, sir," continued Ollie.

"No? And why not?" the senator asked.

"Because the lives of my family and I were threatened, sir."

"Threatened? By whom?" the senator questioned.

"By a terrorist, sir" Ollie answered.

"Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?"

"His name is Osama bin Laden, sir" Ollie replied.

At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn't pronounce it, which most people back then probably couldn't. A couple of people laughed at the attempt. Then the senator continued. Why are you so afraid of this man?" the senator asked.

"Because, sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of", Ollie answered.

"And what do you recommend we do about him?" asked the senator.

"Well, sir, if it was up to me, I would recommend that an assassin team be formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth."

The senator disagreed with this approach, and that was all that was shown of the clip.

By the way, that senator was Al Gore

Also:

Terrorist pilot Mohammad Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986. The Israelis captured, tried and imprisoned him. As part of the Oslo agreement with the Palestinians in 1993, Israel had to agree to release so-called "political prisoners."

However, the Israelis would not release any with blood on their hands, The American President at the time, Bill Clinton, and his Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, "insisted" that all prisoners be released.

Thus Mohammad Atta was freed and eventually thanked the US by flying an airplane into Tower One of the World Trade Center. This was reported by many of the American TV networks at the time that the terrorists were first identified. It was censored in the US from all later reports.