1 members (Irked),
11
guests, and
0
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums59
Topics17,128
Posts314,539
Members6,305
|
Most Online294 Dec 6th, 2017
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 17,177 Likes: 254
It's the Despair Quotient! Carpal Tunnel
|
It's the Despair Quotient! Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 17,177 Likes: 254 |
Sorry JGW...try THIS ONE on for size. Gutter language and all I think it's one of the most accurate and certainly the most inspiring assessment of them all so far. TICK TOCK M-Fers. 
Last edited by Checkerboard Strangler; 06/22/09 11:07 PM.
"The Best of the Leon Russell Festivals" DVD deepfreezefilms.com
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,850
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,850 |
Not replying to CS, just tacking a comment on the end of the thread. From the President's press conference today: Asked why he wouldn't spell out any consequences, the president replied, "Because I think that we don't know yet how this thing is going to play out. I know everybody here is on a 24-hour news cycle. I'm not." http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/23/obama.news.conference/index.html
"The white men were as thick and numerous and aimless as grasshoppers, moving always in a hurry but never seeming to get to whatever place it was they were going to." Dee Brown
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 17,177 Likes: 254
It's the Despair Quotient! Carpal Tunnel
|
It's the Despair Quotient! Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 17,177 Likes: 254 |
Why not reply to me, am I radioactive all of a sudden :-(
"The Best of the Leon Russell Festivals" DVD deepfreezefilms.com
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,026 Likes: 98
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,026 Likes: 98 |
This whole thing is boiling down to simply yet another religious war. All the talk about freedom, free speech, etc. is just feelgood stuff and little else. There were mullahs actually in the marches. I listened to one of the teenage marchers deplore the fact that they had no leaders. At the same time the supreme leader, and his private army, the revolutionary guard (the ones with guns who are doing the killing), are out to move the population back into doing god's will. If they do not then they will being down the wrath of that same god. Until the religious problem is resolved NOTHING will be resolved. I know, on the face of it you have the two richest guys in Iran leading the charge but the fact remains.......
What we should never forget is that we too have our religious extremists who would like nothing better than to get the rest of us in line. They came very close with Bush and, unlike those in Iran, we just kinda rolled over and let it happen. I suspect that Iran is of such interest because they are obviously worthy of serious respect in that they, at least, are trying to put a stop to it?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,850
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,850 |
Why not reply to me, am I radioactive all of a sudden :-( spent some time at ground zero in Hiroshima several years ago. Learned never to mess with any(thing/one) who is radioactive!
"The white men were as thick and numerous and aimless as grasshoppers, moving always in a hurry but never seeming to get to whatever place it was they were going to." Dee Brown
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,740 Likes: 1
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,740 Likes: 1 |
"The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words." (Philip K.Dick)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,850
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,850 |
Hey! Where did you get my senior picture? I thought I burned all of those blasted things!
"The white men were as thick and numerous and aimless as grasshoppers, moving always in a hurry but never seeming to get to whatever place it was they were going to." Dee Brown
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 18,003 Likes: 191
Moderator Carpal Tunnel
|
Moderator Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 18,003 Likes: 191 |
What we are seeing in Iran is the fruition of dictatorship. Think of the other sham "democracies" that exist in the world, or have existed. Hitler was actually elected into office. Most other election processes in the world are even more corrupt than ours. What is happening in Iran, I believe, is the frisson created by the dissonance between what the people thought democracy (limited as it is) meant, and what the unelected (popularly) leadership intends for it to mean. In this case, democratic institutions were intended to be the opiate for the masses.
Last edited by NW Ponderer; 06/24/09 03:32 PM. Reason: add missing phrase
A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.
Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,740 Likes: 1
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,740 Likes: 1 |
Prof Cole makes an interesting point Moreover, very unfortunately, US politicians are no longer in a position to lecture other countries about their human rights. The kind of unlicensed, city-wide demonstrations being held in Tehran last week would not be allowed to be held in the United States. Senator John McCain led the charge against Obama for not having sufficiently intervened in Iran. At the Republican National Committee convention in St. Paul, 250 protesters were arrested shortly before John McCain took the podium. Most were innocent activists and even journalists. Amy Goodman and her staff were assaulted. In New York in 2004, 'protest zones' were assigned, and 1800 protesters were arrested, who have now been awarded civil damages by the courts. Spontaneous, city-wide demonstrations outside designated 'protest zones' would be illegal in New York City, apparently. In fact, the Republican National Committee has undertaken to pay for the cost of any lawsuits by wronged protesters, which many observers fear will make the police more aggressive, since they will know that their municipal authorities will not have to pay for civil damages.
The number of demonstrators arrested in Tehran on Saturday is estimated at 550 or so, which is less than those arrested by the NYPD for protesting Bush policies in 2004. emphasis mine however the tolerance for protest seems to have vanished. Massacre In Baharestan Square? one wonders what my government, or yours would do in the face of large scale protests such as been happening in Iran
"The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words." (Philip K.Dick)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 10,853
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 10,853 |
The kind of unlicensed, city-wide demonstrations being held in Tehran last week would not be allowed to be held in the United States. Senator John McCain led the charge against Obama for not having sufficiently intervened in Iran. At the Republican National Committee convention in St. Paul, 250 protesters were arrested shortly before John McCain took the podium. Most were innocent activists and even journalists. Amy Goodman and her staff were assaulted. In New York in 2004, 'protest zones' were assigned, and 1800 protesters were arrested, who have now been awarded civil damages by the courts. Spontaneous, city-wide demonstrations outside designated 'protest zones' would be illegal in New York City, apparently Perhaps Obama should make a speech denouncing American government suppression of the right to protest, saying that the eyes of the world are on the USA! And Americans dare to lecture other countries about voting irregularities! Americans are such hypocrites, hypocrites, hypocrites! .
|
|
|
|
|