themadstudent comments

Pendents aligned with the opposition to a wildly popular president are "outraged," news at 11!

Is this a slow news day or just really shallow reporting. Honestly, this sort of "outrage" is as common as tissue.

I want to see Sully get a metal. Hell, give them to the entire crew. They earned it!

I may disagree with him but I will completely defend his protest. The proper answer to this type of incident is a slap on the wrist. Nobody was hurt and while he caused a bit of a scare, that is no reason to threaten him with the sort of penalties he is being charged with nor denying him access to a lawyer. To do these things makes a mockery of whatever good we hope to have done. An environment where you can feel safe protesting should be encouraged, if not particularly shoe throwing. I hope he is released soon with time served.

If he loses it's war, is it? Mr. Mugabe is a model of demcratic leadership isn't he? Thabo Mbeki must be proud. His "quiet diplomacy" has sure paid dividends. What fools all those who doubted that soft, behind the scenes, diplomatic pressure would control the crisis. I'm sure the mass exodus among Zimbabwe's population and a brutal suppression of people who don't support Zanu PF, not to mention denying food to starving non-supporters whose jobs have been destroyed thanks to Mugabe policies, will all work out in South Africa's best interests. Thank God cooler heads prevailed and serious international pressure was avoided.

At least other neighboring African states are finally starting to wake up to the very real possibility that their turning a blind eye to this fool's posturing and incompetence may very well land a civil war on their collective doorsteps. A little late to do much about it though. Anyone ready to make any predictions about how a civil war will effect the other nations of the horn?

I chalk this up to two things.

First the Bush administration couldn't explain giving alms to the poor without looking like a bunch of bungling serial rapists. You can only answer everything with half truths for so long before everyone begins to hate talking to you.

Second, we are prominent as a superpower, but unlike any other superpower before or since we let out dissidents talk freely. When people who couldn't conceive of a government publicly arguing with itself hears parts of our government bitterly slander other parts what are they supposed to think? Imagine talking to a man who at random intervals begins screaming at the top of his lungs that he's a chronic liar and up to no good. You'd think he was crazy at the least. That's what a polarized democracy does for your PR.

Of course it doesn't help that parts of the American government have indeed been acting badly the last few years. Combined with us going over the heads of other governments who thought they could control the US through the UN and I'm honestly not surprised that our PR is so bad. Nobody likes it when the pissed off bull gets loose in the china shop.