jruaustralia comments

The argument of size is just plain absurd, a universal system can be scaled, what matters is the cost per person, not the total cost.

Actually size does matter--and 'scaling' as you've argued will depend on that 'population'-- even here in Australia esp. in urban cities where upfront fees may be necessary. Don't believe everything you read from textbooks.

the chinese want "Respect" they are gonna have to Earn it First!

Just wait for a Chinese to find a loophole with that rule-- oh wait, blame American warmongers!

And this is definately not a dominance of South China sea,instead it was an active'self defense measures' fighting for a nation's survival.

Are the Chinese threatened by Vietnamese fishing boats, do you think? LoL

East and South China Sea doesn't belong to one nation-- not China for sure however Beijing insists and demands with its phony historical evidences.

Asian reputation of adhering to a liberal maritime system should not lose its credibility simply because the Chinese--right now-- wants to divert people's attention from inflation within China and calls for change within its own borders.

Under any sensible arrangement, the south china sea and the east china should simply be carved up

I'm afraid East Asian trade would suffer under such 'sensible' agreement, and Asia's reputation of adhering to a liberal maritime system would lose credibility.

We all know which country in Asia is trying to dominate South and East China Sea. This should stop once and for all.

End of story.

Australia has a small population as does Sweden maybe they can afford it, we can't and we've already been through that. Most people aren't interested in it.

It's not fair--and quite one-sided-- to compare Austl and the US when it comes to universal health system. The mere difference in size of population would make it daft.

Obama did manage to recieve the 2nd highest amount of campaign donations from Fannie/Freddie while they were under investigation and he did it in half the time of his peers, 4 years instead 8.

Shocking, would this make him on par with DODD or worse?!

Moore should make a documentary about, "NOT" making any more documentaries. Now, that I will pay any price for a ticket to see that one!

I doubt his endorsement counted-- it came late, more like Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall till he realized the other one won't win at all.

So the Philippino's are complaining that their drilling ship was harassed in an area claimed by several countries.

Dear AdamB, as you know oil explorations are normally done by private companies-- in the Philippines, as far as I know, same as in other regional countries-- these activities are conducted with several intl oil companies that may include Japan, Netherland or British interests.

Indeed, protests may be taken only by the govt, but let me assure that the hand of free enterprise is alive and well in Asia. Perhaps are our idea on Asian companies are different, but that's the fact in nations like the Philippines where the state are pretty much offloading their commercial interests.

As for Vietnam, they have the right to protests. Afterall these 'ships' used are 'warships' not 'patrol boats'. Anti-piracy exercises you say, you must be kidding =/

so if several countries claim the area why where they drilling there sounds like they where being provocative themselves and when it turned pear shaped they complained.

What a try-hard attempt to show your knowledge of the issue-- but for people who do have a serious take on South China Sea, remember Johnson South Reef where in 1988 Vietnamese troops died as a result of an escalated naval exercise.

It's not an issue that could turn 'pear-shape' (good grip!) to those who do know the recent history of Southeast Asia.

CON'T.

China claims most of the South China Sea as its own and has resisted signing a set of rules.

Philippines President Benigno Aquino on March 4 said his government formally protested to China after two boats harassed an oil exploration team in the contested area. Vietnam objected to Chinese counter-piracy drills near the disputed Spratly islands, it said in a Foreign Ministry statement.

Latest on South China Sea from Bloomberg:

China reasserted its sovereignty over the South China Sea following protests from the Philippines and Vietnam last week following separate incidents in the disputed waters.

"China holds indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters in Beijing today. "China seeks to solve disputes with friendly consultation with other countries."

Very aware of the Vietnam incident

Good on yah =/

@adamb, I'm sure you're aware of the recent activities of Chinese military in the past 2-wks, including in the Philippine waters, South China Sea (big story in Vietnam recently).

Imagine if the helicopter would've crashed for some reason, how much China would be blaming Japan for the incident? SMH

Oh, the merry-go-round of Japanese-Chinese relations. In that case you'd see a hundred flaming Japanese flags around large Chinese cities, and shills will be back on JT.

Michael Moore as a hypocrite listen to el rushbo.

Careful there, taka, some posters here might think that as smear on Dear Michael.

Taxpaying voters should decide how their tax dollars are spent, NOT government union leaders or so-called celebrities looking for attention.

Agree, if unions are the third force in US economy then you have to ask at some point what's the use. Union leaders brought down the UK Labour govt last election by campaigning against key natl economic policies.

A union leader in the UK said this about BROWN's economic policies vs GFC very close to the election date:

"When there is unemployment you need to invest, yes you have to deal with the structural deficit, but if people don’t have money to spend then people don’t buy the products people make.

(Labour) have managed to somehow miraculously convince people that the problem in society is the deficit."

Caveat emptor. Let's hope the US Prez (and the Dems) won't regret this very close ties with organized labor in near future.

“the elite bureaucracy of Japan makes most major decisions, drafts virtually all legislation, controls the national budget and is the source of all major policy innovations in the system.” Unfortunately, however, such “policy innovations” have been unable to bring Japan back to economic growth since the asset price bubble burst more than twenty years ago.

Of course unelected officials need to be held accountable for underperformance. That's part of creating govts that are transparent, efficient, and not corrupt.

Reminds me of a complaint from an activist in China (not Japan), she complained "high officials' (the bureaucracy) attitude can be very different to problems but in local government, all they want to do is pay lip service."

High time that we put these people under microscope.

I can't see the NYT bucking the Democrat Party unless someone pretty high up in the Obama admin was OK with an editorial like this...

It's called common sense. Let's pray for more common sense not just in the US labor movement but in our region too.

Good luck to the people of America! Good luck to Gov Scott WALKER!

You refuse to accept that there is a breaking point where worker benefits can bankrupt the system. There needs to be some kind of balance.

Agree. Indeed, if unions are the third force in running a business, I think there should be a point when you should ask, what's the use?

This is the fascist way being advocated by the poster

Yes, yes, hon, we all know you love Michael MOORE, but let's not personalize the issue.

So whatever "absurdity" came about, came about as the result of a very free and democratic process.

Let me add a 'liberal' catchphrase in the 50s 'competitive doctrination', and what's the common response from the liberal when attacked by the opposite side in this competitive arena of 'democratic process'... call the person a 'Fascist!'

That's hypocrisy-- get off of your high horse!

(To moderators, a 'horse' is not impolite in English language if used as a noun)

And that’s why we have time value of money calculators and inflation. Money does not equate to wealth necessarily. If we're going to keep running on a fiat monetary system than it's the government’s role to responsibly control the money supply so that it reflects a growth in production and wealth.

Here's something cpy+pasted from Moore's website-- another thing to irate our resident 'liberals' in JT--

"Fighting inflation has come to be seen as the holy grail of central banks; a policy that it is supposed to be outside of the realm of normal political debate. On slightly more careful inspection, the inflation fighting by the Fed and other central banks is actually a policy that is designed to ensure that the wages of ordinary workers do not grow too rapidly."

JFK what is a liberal.

Adlai Stevenson was more liberal than JFK. JFK's speech (on liberals) was more a charm offensive at the time, knowing that these Stevenson Democrats that included Eleanor opposed him from the start.

So why are the Wisconsin Senators-in-hiding still hiding?

It seems they need more media exposure.

It is hilarious to see some posts who are bashing Wisconsin pension . Well, you fail to see the next target is your social security.

You do know that superannuation of Wis. govt employees' different to social welfare, right? Some things are not paid for by the US Fed, you see.

What I read was that a conservative stated that Moore had no business "leading" a union protest.

No one's coming at you simply because you fail to read other posters-- the thread is not just about you (and, in your head, me attacking you). I think a little recognition of two or three other posters' fair.

Coming at you, you say? LoL

No one has ever argued -- outside the voices you are hearing on your own -- that Moore should "lead the protest."

Wow, you're really a narcissist aren't yah. R E A D the argument of other posters here for a change =/

Well heck, the Fed bailed out Bear Sterns, AIG, Citibank, Fannie Mae, Chrysler and GM.

And?

I understand what a demagogue is, and it's clear you can't understand the term if you try to apply it to Moore.

Yes, yabits, what-ever you say.

What we really need to be like the French.

Yes, balance your budget. Dépenser peu d'argent.

His first movie "Roger and Me" was very pro-union/worker as was his book Downsize This! Both of which were made when Moore was relatively unknown.

Sorry to say this but I'm not as star-strucked as some liberals here. Roger and Me (good grip!) is past, as you know, that the article didn't even bother to mention it. Making a 'very pro-union/worker' movie is not convincing enough for MOORE followers to argue that the film-maker should lead the protest.

Stating that Moore resembles Coulter in any way is gross ignorance. It shows you know essentially nothing about either one of them.

A big LoL! Did you feel pity for COULTER or were you spooked by the idea that MOORE could be nothing more than a demagogue? Which is which?

Moore's dad was a union worker at GM in Flint. People who worked in union jobs at auto makers could afford to send their kids to Catholic schools

He is Michael MOORE, a celebrity much like his conservative equal Anne COULTER. If COULTER leads a rally much like this one, for a more conservative cause, I'm sure you'd be the 1st to shout W-H-Y!

Oh, perhaps the fact that he flew by Concorde to do interviews in London

Yes, yes, much like a working class. You have to admit though that MOORE leading a pro-union protest is dubious and questionable.

Yes we do walk among you.

Indeed, and more emphatically in courts. Hoorah!

Michael Moore rallies pro-union protesters in Wisconsin

Is he like the Lady Gaga of pro-union folks?

The crowd roared in approval as Moore implored demonstrators to keep up their struggle against Republican Gov Scott Walker’s legislation, saying they’ve galvanized the country’s against the wealthy elite and comparing their fight to Egypt’s revolt.

U-hu. I remember Charlie SHEEN grumbling the same line when he got sacked.

Although those fringe church donkey oshiri groups protesting at US military funerals should drink some cool-aid

Hence, the reason why I would never support a Bill of Rights. One of many things that could stay in America.

Pastor Phelps of Westboro's call for a renewal of Christian faith is more akin to a pop-star wearing a vulgar dress. It's cute (or horrid) but it'll fade.

Unfortunately for the families picketed by these 'donkeys' the hurt may well be insurmountable.

Check out, 'High cost of free speech', Washington Times

I cpy+pasted Justice ALITO's remarks (Snyder v. Phelps)

“I fail to see why actionable speech should be immunized simply because it is interspersed with speech that is protected. The First Amendment allows recovery for defamatory statements that are interspersed with nondefamatory statements on matters of public concern, and there is no good reason why respondents’ attack on Matthew Snyder and his family should be treated differently.”

Kudos for mentioning 'Westboro'.