grafton comments

All the pro gun people state that an American has the right to own a gun to defend him/herself has a given under the constitution. This is true, but where it gets a little twisted out of shape is that the constitution gave this freedom to protect the people from a government that might get above it self and need the people re-take control of the country. The right to carry a gun was never meant for self defence against their fellow citizens who happened to be criminals. That however is how it is being seen today only because the country has degenerated into a country where guns are so readily available that even a lunatic can pop into a shop and get a Glock 19 that can hold anything from 10 rounds up to 31 rounds depending on the magazine. Just how many criminals are Mr. and Mrs. America expecting to have to shoot down? Is the country that dangerous? If you wish to defend the US against such comments by saying that it isn’t that dangerous you then need to say why a gun that can hold 31 rounds is available.

A missile of any speed can only hit what it can “see” so the way to go is to “hide” the carriers and I am sure that if electronics can be used to create multiple radar images from fighter aircraft they can be used to do the same for carriers.

There would also seem to be another question here that presents a puzzle. These scramjets engines need oxygen to function and there isn’t a lot of that in space, so just how do they to get around this? I accept that there is a way in that they could use a conventional engine to take the missile into space AND not separate until after the turn downward. This however would defeat the whole point of the speed these missiles have in that the launch could be tracked and target predicted. Maybe the US carriers have less to worry about than we are being lead to believe. Maybe the US navy would like some extra spending money and this is just a devious way of getting the US government to part with that money.

Syria pulling the strings again.

Strange that when a U.N. tribunal says what Hezbollah &/or Hamas want to hear everything is believed, but when it says anything else it is a US and Israeli conspiracy against these peace loving freedom fighters.

Well Hezbollah has had time now to breed a new team to take the place of all those lost in the last blood bath they brought about and they have Iran to help cover the costs.

Woflpack.

The above was in answer to your 2-20 post but you got in with another one before I chance to answer. Damn your quick!

I know what you are talking about when say that the empty space needs filling with something, not from something within me, but from good, close friends with whom I have talked. For myself I can only say that after 40 plus years I still can’t feel that need, no it is not a new thing.

One thing that I suspect we might agree on it a distaste for those “atheists evangelists” that are “believers” in not believing, if you follow my odd reasoning.

Also agree that it is an interesting discussion.

Woflpack.

Well said.

I may not agree with the idea that there is a human need for spirituality, but I do agree that it is wrong to hold “religious wars” against any religion. Human beings do have a habit of using whatever means come to hand for killing each other and religion has been used as a mechanism for moving the masses the way a particular leader wanted them moving. That is not the belief that is at fault but the man behind the belief. In that sense it is too simplistic when the religion is held to blame.

I don’t how Wikileaks fits into this odd question. Wikileaks aims to expose information that is being wrongfully hidden from people. We the individual are not of interest to them, besides which they simply wouldn’t have the ability to collate and release the enormous amounts of information that exists on the equally enormous numbers of people. Governments and large corporations do however have the ability to collate the information they collect. Though their objective is to use that information rather than release it. The real fear should be the overlap between government and business. To a large degree we can hold back information about ourselves when WE use our own computers, and only a fool gives away personal information to sites like facebook. But we do not have that same control where government agencies are concerned.

Tax, health, social security, military, school and university, banks and so on and so on all hold records about who we are. How do we stop all that lot finding ins way into ….? Where? I don’t know where all that might end up and I have no control over any of it. On various web sites I can make my self “Micky Mouse” with a fantasy profile to match and that is what I do and would advice everybody else to do. But when it comes to official situations I would be sent to prison for doing such a thing so have no choice but to give the information I would rather not find in the hands of large corporations.

We have all heard the idiocy of government when it says that it is collecting data for our good, they need to plan for how many school places they will need, hospitals and whatever. Yes all true, or should that actually be all half true?

The very fact that we cannot say for sure is what is wrong. We should be able to feel confident that the information that is held on us is safe and is used only for the reasons that we were told it would be used and we are not. There is very little that we can about it though.

Does not show that we do not trust any of our governments?

Transparent government and Wikileaks, something we might all have to give a lot more thought to in the future. And if you are an American you might just change your mind about Bradley manning being a bad guy.

I have no religion and feel no need for any spiritual dimension to my life. An atheist yes, but not one of those atheists that seem to treat what they don’t believe in almost like a religion. It is neither an opposition nor an empty space being filled with something else. Religion is not something that we are born with, it is something that gets added and if it doesn’t get added we live normal lives.

But, any excuse for a party or a fiesta, so, hope you are all having a good holiday.

Reading about Wikileaks and Assange in the Daily Mail?

Now I understand where some of the posts here come from and I fear I may be keeping bad company.

DuraAce at 08:01 PM JST - 17th December “Meh. Look at her face, then look away, close your eyes, and try to visualize her. Yep, you can't. She has no redeeming features to her face.”

Just tried your “redeeming features” test and not problem visualising her. Have you been having problems with your short term memory for long? Sorry, that must sound like a cruel question to ask of a person with memory problems. But then you have quite probably forgotten all about the post you made.

Yes, she’s cute, but beautiful is something quite different. And as for the others mentioned, well, if that is what is being seen as beautiful we are living in a very bleak world. Sad.

Americans seem to dislike the idea that they are disliked around the world yet when an American news outlet based in Japan headlines an article “U.S. gov't sues BP, 8 other companies in Gulf oil spill” they see nothing wrong. Surely the headline should have been “U.S. gov’t sue oil companies”?

This is obvious BP (Britain?) bashing.

“The staff of a presidentially appointed commission looking into the spill has said that the disaster resulted from questionable decisions and management failures by three companies: BP, the well owner and operator; Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig; and Halliburton.”

And yet, surprise, surprise Halliburton is not on the list of companies being sued.

“Holder said it is conceivable that additional defendants could be added to the lawsuit. “This is an ongoing process,” the attorney general said.”

And saying what “might” happen in the future is meaningless.

America, the land of the always innocent, whatever the evidence.

arrestpaul at 11:49 PM JST - 29th November

"The Guardian said………”

Yes but you can be sure that this being the Gruniad it went on to say something nasty about Israel, it simply couldn’t have missed that chance. Its opinion on Iran as such depends on if it happens to be having a go at the US or not. If it having a go at the US then Iran isn’t such a bad place. If you read the Guardian you need to think on many levels at the same time or not think at all.

Why does everybody here believe he really is a housebreaker? He may know and have talked with a few such people but that doesn’t mean he is one. Claiming that he is could, and I think is, just a way of getting publicity. The fact that he is trying to show burglars as being human beings is what I object to. What might be seen as a small crime in financial term is in fact a horrible crime to the person who has had their home invaded. When it comes to burglars I am all in favour of having their hands cut off.

It would seem that the “right” and the “left” are both being seen as anti-Semites. Poor Semites don’t stand a chance do they? Sabi is consistent though, he would blame Israel if it rained in Iran. Doubtless recent earthquakes in Iran were the work of Mosad who have developed a new weapon to cause earthquakes. Personally I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if Israel was responsible for these bombings, though the US could just as easily fit in the frame. Then again if it is a choice between dropping bombs on nuclear facilities and killing individual workers the later might just be the better way to go. Spreading nuclear waste around any country is never that good an idea.

One thing that we can be absolutely sure about though is that the bombs were planted by an Iranian, so if the price is right not all Iranians are that loyal are they Sabi?

If what we have been reading so far is the cream of the crop I really can’t see that the US needs worry. Uncomfortable for a while yes, but not that big a deal. The dust will settle and life will get to normal. After all what we are seeing is only what all other countries do, but they have been lucky enough not to have been exposed.

If these documents were so easily available to some 23 year old then chances are most other interested counties would also have had copies a long time ago. The only people that see this as being a revelation are the none diplomats, people outside government. Every embassy in the world, whatever its nationality has this week been warned to be careful about what it sends out in future. Security in the US of its files has been tightened and the world goes on much as it was before. The “drama” is in the newspaper headlines not with the governments. Yes they will make all the right noises, but really there isn’t that much they are worried about, if anything it plays into their hands because they can now use this as an excuse for even higher levels of security.

This didn’t do anybody any favours, we will all end up paying a little price for this.

Though to be totally honest I would love to see the messages that pass between China and NK. China and Russia and between Japan and China.

Yes, I am still alive and well, I just got tired of the predictable here.

LIBERTAS at 11:36 PM JST - 4th September

I have always believed in allowing a man to find his own place in life, as you have so obviously done. It is not my place to say that you are wrong, though I do some times forget my place, don’t we all? I think if you look very, very carefully you will find that I did not say anything, not a single thing, about who should or who shouldn’t do what, I simply stated the obvious that Israel’s neighbours are backward and a danger to Israel, I did not say anything about them not being allowed to have weapons or being allowed to defend themselves. I think you presumed far too much and in so doing said far more about your thinking than about mine.

“or let their neighbors have them too under the same non-inspection regime that Israel favours”

As much you so obvious hate Israel do you really, really believe that allowing such countries as Syria and the Lebanon to have nuclear weapons is such a good idea for the West? Can you in all honesty say the you believe these countries would behave responsibly with those weapons? How long do you think it would be before some of those weapons found their explosive way into the hands of terrorists and maybe even the US of A? A child might be allowed to believe in ideals, adults need to deal in practicalities. Israel is not your enemy and never will be, but can you say the same of other middle eastern countries?

They have nothing to gain and everything to lose, so why join a “club” that will give them nothing but ear ache?

If Israel has nuclear weapons (remember they have never admitted it) then they have very obviously behaved in a responsible way in respect to those weapons. So responsibly in fact that we cannot say for sure that they even do have them. Just how much more responsible can a country be? They are surrounded by backward undemocratic countries none of whom could care less if they were attacked and wiped out, none of whom would come to their aid, if fact most would happily join in any war against Israel. So having their very own nuclear umbrella makes perfect sense, unless you happen to be so anti-Israeli you are blind to the fact they have a right to defend themselves. But then no intelligent poster on JT would be that bigoted would they?

stevecpfc at 09:06 PM JST - 30th August

“YuriOtani; what happened to Hiroshima and Nagasaki was done by Americans ancestors and this generation had nothing to do with it.”

Which might go part way to explaining why no apology for the barbarity of it has never been forthcoming. But Steve are you saying (in clear terms) that Japan has no need to apologise to Korea or are you just getting a sly dig in at YuriOtani?

“Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani criticized donations made to foreign NGOs rather than the Pakistani government Sunday, saying much of the money would be wasted

“Eighty percent of the aid will not come to you directly,” said Gilani, referring to Pakistani citizens.

“It will come through their NGOs, and they will eat half of it,” he said during a press conference in his hometown of Multan.”

The reason is that most people don’t want their money going to the corrupt Pakistani government. Gilani is just angry that he isn’t going to get his hands on as much because the NGOs will stop him and his kind from robbing his own people, again.

“Muslim countries, organizations and individuals have pledged nearly $1 billion in cash and relief supplies”

One billion mat sound a lot (to those of us who don’t have it) but if you think about it and break it down to who is giving what, it really doesn’t amount to that much. Also, now that the “Muslims” have been crass enough to say how much they have given can we not now have a none Muslim figure given to show just how mean and nasty those none Muslim are being (yet again) to those peace loving Muslims?

1,000 to maybe 1,200 demonstrated and it got news coverage?

By the way, what is the population of South Korea?

proxy at 03:09 PM JST - 30th August

Very well put.

prinzjay at 05:58 PM JST - 30th August

What a great animal loving attitude, if there are “too many” kill them.

No wonder this little guys getting some bites in while he can.

If she was inspecting filming locations and working for the UNHCR who was paying the travel costs?

Just curious.

SuperLib , Madverts .

Come on the pair of you, this is just some witness prattling on to a TV news camera. He represents nobody but himself and we have no idea if he is total idiot. This is Rio De Janeiro, you know, the place where all the sports people will be getting their heads blown off in the next few years.

Now in the case of Mexico we know where all the boys are getting their toys, but where who these savages in Rio buying their toys from?

“The scope of Iran’s reaction will include the entire the earth,” said Ahmadinejad. “We also tell you—the West _ that all options are on the table.”

For me that translates as we will use terrorism all over the world if we are attacked.

LIBERTAS at 09:10 PM JST - 22nd August

I am by no means a supporter of American foreign policy or wars if you want to give them their more simplistic name, but you lost all credibility with the opening line “The astute leaders of Iran”. Even you must have smiled when you wrote that.

The real sticking point is and always will be Jerusalem, neither side will ever give way on this, the strange thing is that neither is right and neither is wrong, they both have good reasons to want to hold on to it. What’s needed is to have Jerusalem taken out of the game by making it an international city then there might be some hope of moving forward on other issues can be agreed on.

“But in Gaza, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri rejected the invitation.

“We ... consider this invitation and the promises included in it empty, and it’s a new attempt to deceive the Palestinian people and international public opinion,” he said.”

Hamas being its ever helpful self.

“Also invited is former British Prime Minister Tony Blair”

I find it strange that the Americans haven’t yet realised just what a joke this man is. What back room dirty deal will he make at this meeting I wonder.

Finally, can somebody please tell me what “This is the Pottery Barn rule” means? It might be a well know expression in the US but it is meaningless to the rest of us. Including this quote without some explanation is just poor and parochial writing.

neogreenjapan at 09:37 PM JST - 20th August

“The Queen is the biggest source of income for England and UK. USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are not independent, sovereign countries. They are owned and run by the House of Windsor within the City of London Corporation”

Great! So I was right then, Australia could be sold to China by the “queen”.

BTTSimon at 12:41 PM JST - 20th August “You do know that the old dear and her family has to pay taxes! If they dump her there will be a drop in travel to England”

Fine, they can still be taxed, I didn’t say shoot the old dear. As for travel to the UK falling off because it no longer had a queen. Why? France has no royalty, have you seen any kings or queens in Prague? But the royal palaces still get enormous numbers of visitors. Both Madrid and Aranjuez get visitors by the thousands every day. But not Buckingham palace or Windsor. Maybe kicking the old lady out so that tourist can visit makes better sense.

As for this silly idea of getting the Brits back to manufacturing, no chance, their benefit system makes working for a living counter productive.

Who cares what this says about Obama? What is far more important is what it says about the American people.

GJDailleult at 10:18 AM JST - 20th August

I think King Arthur would have been right.

I wonder if the UK is still in a position to sell Australia to the Chinese, I say the Chinese because I don’t think anybody else has either the money or the naivety to buy it.

By the way the queen no longer owns all the swans, that was changed in the 1970s, anyway I think it would be a better idea to keep the swans and dump the old dear and her family.

BP took the full blame for this oil spill while it was going on, but anybody with half a brain knew that the day would come when BP would take action against the companies that were really responsible for the rigs failure. Now Transocean one the two main companies that brought about this rig failure are trying yet an other public relations con job on the American sheeple. Why should BP provide Transocean with information that is very likely going to be used by BP to take action against Transocean?

Triumvere at 02:25 AM JST - 16th August

"Of course, you can see the name as a coded message pointing to an underlying jihadist agenda, if you so choose. But there is a much more plausible explanation."

I think you know I wasn't being serious about the Cordoba thing.