h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"I want to see the creation of an alcohol/electric generator industry. Eliminate the dependence upon a non-renewable source..."

We discussed hydrogen fuel cells a number of pages back.

I figured. I've been absent from this thread since Nov., and only checked back in yesterday; I'm sure you guys have already hashed and rehashed that subject. I've heard that fuel cells are still a thing of the future - has there been anything done recently?

"However, since oil for food was supposed to supply food and medicine to the Iraqi's why are they still dying under sanctions?"

From what I've read, many medicines and simple pieces of equipment are still blocked by sanctions because they are supposedly "dual purpose," meaning they could be used to make weapons. Chloride obviously has a dangerous potential, so it's blocked. Unfortunately, it's also vital for water and sewage treatment. Parts for incubators or kidney dialysis machines are restricted.

There are also a lot of complicated details about the sanctions that are not widely publicized. For example, of the oil that Iraq is allowed to sell for this programme, a portion of the money goes to a fund for reparations to Kuwait. When the Iraqis request simple medical equipment or even ambulances, they are blocked or delayed by the UN Sanctions Committee.

"So for example when the Iraqis asked for 500 ambulances, approved by the World Health Organization as minimal under the circumstances, these were initially blocked in their entirety and then slowly, over a period of six to nine months, were released 100, 200 ambulances, really picayunish stuff, inexcusable."
- Dennis Halliday, Asst Secretary General and UN's Humanitarian Coordinator for the oil-for-food program in Iraq, who resigned 1998 in protest over economic sanctions.

http://www.zmag.org/ZMag/articles/barsamian.htm

"That's amazingly shocking just how expensive war is when you put it like that. "

Expensive ?
It can cost you your life.
There still seems to be a bit of the dream like quality about how some people view war.

"The rest was obsecured by my wife wanting to play a new CD and tell me a story."

I totally, totally feel your pain. My wife's stories usually involve cats who work at a McDonald's where all the burgers are free, and the customers are animals too.

Sanctions create a miserable life in Iraq. Proven.
Do you think Saddam Hussein goes without anything at all?
Do you think he cares anything about the 'cannon fodder?'
The problem for Iraqi people is being pinced in the middle of other people's greed and madness.
Bombing people will cause even more problems for them than sanctions do at the moment. Guaranteed.

Della, all that's left of the Washington snipers story is the number of years they spend in courts before getting executed. Someone will surely correct me, but I think the younger one was 16 or 17? The only story I've seen in the news was whether they were going to try him "as an adult" or not, which would apparently qualify him for the death penalty. I still don't understand how our lawmakers can define who is an adult and who is a minor, but in the courts, they can just see how emotional the case makes them and decide to try a child "as an adult."

A few years ago there was a half-retarded 12 year old boy in Florida who killed a 6 year old girl. He was supposedly demonstrating wrestling moves on her and broke her neck. He was tried as an adult, sentenced to life in prison. Haven't heard if they've had any successful appeals, but that's Florida for you, where they elect a Bush as their governor.

Last I heard about the scientist Anthrax suspect was that they couldn't get any solid evidence on him and he was protesting how the media had begun to single him out.

Lentilla: "I can see it now....

Want a million dollars? Then kill Saddam Hussein! Yes, that's right - we personally guarantee a million tax-free American dollars will be paid to you if you bring us Hussein's head on a platter. (Please, no body doubles.)"



Why kill? What's this obsession people have with killing their supposed enemy? What's wrong with a simple coup and a life in exile somewhere desolate?

Della I may of missed placed you...I thought you lived in New Zealand?

"I call black people, African Americans and I call jews, jews. Why, what do you call them? "N*gras"?"


()

try to post this again...ealier I hit post next thing I knew I didn't have anything on my personal space and I couldn't log in

For the first time, last night, I saw an american anti war protest on TV.

It was after Bush's address. A tonne of pissed off new yorkers, saying what amounted to their anger at being draged into war by the government.

The next news item showed a young 'tank crew' soldier, just arived in the desert expressing his excitment at getting to try-out what he's been trained for.


subcom, my wife's stories are those she reads in her favourite magazine and can never wait to tell me.

"The problem for Iraqi people is being pinced in the middle of other people's greed and madness."

I agree, and we should get them out of that mess

"Bombing people will cause even more problems for them than sanctions do at the moment. Guaranteed."

Something many haven't considered. Iraq is not a country that has been left alone, doing it's own thang that Bush suddenly wants to attack. Remember, Bush's dad's policy was "sanctions and containment" and that is what Clinton also subscribed to. The Iraqi's have been under a constant siege since 1991, with sanctions starving them of food and medicines and US warplanes bombing their country every few months should a silo appear that could harbour missiles or suchlike. That has been the reality for Iraq for 10 years. When this started, some people on this thread may not even have been 10 years old. Now, Bush Jr (who I keep having to point out I have no real respect for) is bringing the whole thing to an endgame at last. I've wanted the whole sanctions and occasional bombing thing to end for ages and I'm happy to subscribe to what seems to be the only way out.

If Bush doesn't got to war with Iraq, it won't be "peace", it'll be more of the S&C policy of Bush Sr and Clinton. And that's come with one heck of a bodycount so far.

"Why kill? What's this obsession people have with killing their supposed enemy? What's wrong with a simple coup and a life in exile somewhere desolate?"

Let's be honest, a lot of people would like to see Hussein dead. And there's a sense of satisfaction in seeing a smug, immoral dictator being strung up by the people he's oppressed. Shame they never did it to that scumbag Pol Pot, or that miserable little Daily Mail favourite Pinochet.

"I've wanted the whole sanctions and occasional bombing thing to end for ages and I'm happy to subscribe to what seems to be the only way out.

Being the only thing bush want's doesn't equate to "the only way out". It points to a lack of wanting to do anything else. It's lazyness

"Being the only thing bush want's doesn't equate to "the only way out". It points to a lack of wanting to do anything else. It's lazyness"

I can't see another way out. War is the only option Bush wants to persue and nobody is willing to do anything about Saddam except the Americans.

" nobody is willing to do anything about Saddam"

Are we back around the circle again, you have a bew phrase that means "do nothing"

"Are we back around the circle again, you have a bew phrase that means "do nothing""

No, I mean that no other world powers except the Americans are willing to get rid of him.

well, and all of the European governments, bar France and Germany (nice going, guys, you tried to create a "credible alternative" (without giving us an alternative) and have isolated yourselves on your own continent).

The announcement of the 8 European leaders (my own country,Denmark, Included) is embarrasing, and only goes to show that the EU is a joke, regarding foreign policy.



On the news right now 03:00 CET, they tell me that american planes are dropping flyers over southern Iraq, to tell people to stay away from military fcilities.

And it´s 3..2..1...!!!



TD.

There is a terrible policy amongst most powers to just "leave it to the yanks". It's past time that other powers be counted

Things would be a lot easier for the U.S. now if they'd supported the international criminal court and the Kyoto decrees. You've got to give a little to give a little, and the U.S. is giving nothing away and expecting the world to stand behind them. It's the classic office conflict in macrocosm. How many times have you thought 'Jeez, if this guy didn't dismiss every idea I've ever had, I might be willing to grant him some slack and agree with him every once in a while?' Besides, more countries would be willing to throw their weight firmly behind the U.S. if they could be sure of getting a fair trial for Saddam afterwards.

We just need more evidence before we do anything at all. With current mobilization, we're looking at war in two weeks. If we have war in two weeks, we'll be fighting it by ourselves, and it'll be a war between Iraq and the U.S. instead of the world against Iraq, which is what it should be. (And we'll quietly forget that the U.S. is the reason we're in this mess in the first place.)

The problem I have, hasselfree, is I don't think America has the right to present themselves as the protector of the world. Just because the UN won't bust some heads doesn't mean there aren't some diplomatic solutions that haven't been tried. France and Germany have come up with nothing between them, but that doesn't mean there isn't anything. France has traditionally done nothing and been trampled on, time and again.

What scares me is that Ari Flesh-eater was talking about the possiblity of nuclear weapons being used against Iraq; when pressed to reveal further details, he said 'The answer was deliberately ambiguous.' Sabre rattling? Yeah, but that doesn't mean they won't drop a little one just to make a point.