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

not wanting to start conspirac theries and the like but the secrate scervice and deffence budgits will proberbly be increased. although it could have and in a sence it did weaken the global economy so poor cuntrys any of them will benafit slightly to.

the fact is that no one has ownd up so it is not really a big publicaty stut that terrorists pull off from tiem to time so I wunder what the motive actully was. I mean think about it, ohmar, and the manchester bombings as well killed alot of people (all be it not as many) and caused millions in damadge and the IRA owned up becase it ws a publicaty thing you sort of we still exist, but no one has for this so why do it?

he claimed responsibility for the Oklahoma City bombing?

treefrog what are you talking about in post 14. I think you should researh your facts before posting or you will come across as ignorant as LOOnytunes{the drunk pig farmer}

He's talking about the fact that the US funded anti-soviet resistance in Afghanistan during the cold war, and that this included Bin Laden's group.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1551000/1551100.stm

> "The Afghan jihad against the Soviet army was backed with American dollars and had the blessing of the governments of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan."

Who's ignorant now?

Apearently you are the ignorant one Lucinda. post 14 states thay bin laden took responsabilty for the Okalahoma bombing and since then he has been #1 wanted man in the US.

After reading your past posts however your ingnorance does not suprise me.

What people like you doe not understand is without so called american agression you woulf most likely be speaking russian and if you dared speak your mind {however limited it is} you would be breaking big rocks into small rocks in siberia.

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste"
so stop wasting Lucinda

Ahh - I see we have a misunderstanding here - I thought you were questioning the first statement by treefrog, that "it is a FACT that the US trained Bin Laden in terrorist tactics". Now it is clear to me that you were referring to the second statement, concerning Oklahoma. The joys of a text-only communication medium, no?

Incidentally, I'm told that the cold war ended a few years ago...

Yes misunderstandings do occur in a medium like this

"They will carefull pick on a weak opponent ..." Most everybody is weak when put side by side with America, even the great Britain, as powerful as it is, is kind'a weak when compared with the Americans.

Actually, one of the reasons American fight other peoples purposes (and this *is* only ONE of the reasons) is that America needs to justify the size and strength of it's army by doing actions and using this army, otherwise it will just detiriorate to a weak think that exists only because of habit (like the swiss army).


Dancer

>>without so called american agression you woulf most likely be speaking russian<<

this phrase (along with, you'd be speaking German, and my personal favourite, you'd be speaking Japanese) never fails to make me laugh. Why is it that if the fascists won ww2, the russians the cold war, the worst thing to befall us is that we'd be forced to learn another language?

Who has benefited the most from the Sept. 11 attacks?

Gary Condit. His 15 minutes are sooooo over.

Who knows? This might be just what he needs to be reelected. Not that I care. For one thing, I don't live anywhere near his district.

"Actually, one of the reasons American fight other peoples purposes (and this *is* only ONE of the reasons) is that America needs to justify the size and strength of it's army by doing actions and using this army, otherwise it will just detiriorate to a weak think that exists only because of habit (like the swiss army)."

This is what I'm always saying...let's base our comments on facts if we're going to present them as such, and let's present our opinions as opinions. The US doesn't have to justify the size and strength of it's army by doing actions and using this army. The US knows it has the biggest and strongest and most technologically advanced army, by far, in the entire world. They know this. And I really don't think the US army will deteriorate from lack of use. WE like what we have over here, and we will defend it at all costs. Not that other countries shouldn't defend their countries...I'm not saying that we are the only one's who have it good.

I just wonder why british people are so defensive when it comes to America. Some people might say it's a form of "penis envy", the US being so darn big and strong and all. And the fact that our economy and unemployment rate are "the envy of Europe" (Forbes Magazine). Or maybe it's the fact that we're richer. Or maybe it's resentment that we broke away from GB in the revolutionary war. I think the Earl of Chatham said it best in his Stamp Act speech. He basically said, don't p**s America off. They're starting to get really rich, and they have a bunch of stuff that we want and need. If you tax them without representation, they're going to rebel, like an angry child with his mother. Maybe this is when it all started, Brits looking down their noses at Americans. We beat British imperialism, and maybe that's rubbing people the wrong way. But what do I know.

Oh, and if you're wondering why I would be thinking of British Imperialism, let me get an angry mob after me...Isn't it time you let Ireland go? Is that tiny corner really worth it? You know, you really don't belong there...

KG-typing from a coutry 4 and a half times that of yours near you.

(I love starting s#@t with you guys!)

Goens

Northern Ireland is not a simple problem. If it was we would have sorted it out by now. When the majority of people in Northern Ireland still want to remain part of the UK, 'letting Ireland go' would only create much worse bloodshed. There are people there who are just as passionate for staying part of the Union as those who hate it. People who have lived there for generations, who have jobs, homes, families, a whole way of life there. To 'let Ireland go' would not solve anything. And anyway, I am sure you, as an American, understand the concept of not giving in to Terrorism by giving them what they want just because they bomb us.

Jude

I think ireland has more of a case than al queida

although as an irish persion (although I am not living there any more) it became aparent to alot of us a wile ago that life would be allot easyer without the milatery there. you see of there wernt sp amny guns there it would antagonize people less.

> "The US doesn't have to justify the size and strength of it's army by doing actions and using this army."

They need to justify defence spending to the voters who fund that defence spending. That's true in every democracy in the world.

> "I really don't think the US army will deteriorate from lack of use."

The difference in fighting ability between veterans using tested equipment, and green soldiers using untested equipment, is huge. "Use it or lose it" is true of all armies, and has been implicated as one of the major causes of the first world war, for example.

> "Isn't it time you let Ireland go?"

The majority of those in Northern Ireland wish to remain British citizens. You think a democratic country should be right to ignore their wishes? Besides, Eire doesn't want to take Ulster off our hands, so how do you suggest we 'let it go'? Car boot sale?

Of all the dubious things that the UK is involved in, to pick Northern Ireland...

> "typing from a coutry 4 and a half times that of yours near you."

Four and a half times what? Obviously not literacy...

Ireland have more of a case for what? The government of the Republic of Ireland are not, repeat NOT, condoning the work of any of the paramilitaries. I also think they have given up their constitutional claim on Northern Ireland. Also, Northern Ireland have their own parliament now, though it is hard to actually to get anyone to sit down and agree on anything.

My sympathies for your country are beginning to fade I have to say, if your opinions are typical of Americans generally no wonder you are so universally disliked.

Maybe you should get your facts right before you start throwing your opinions around. You are only showing yourself up and embarresing yourself.

> "I also think they have given up their constitutional claim on Northern Ireland."

Given up as part of the Good Friday Agreement...

The US doesn't have the largest army in the world.

We only have about half a million people in the active Army. That's not very large. It's expensive for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which is that we have to lure volunteer soldiers with money. We are very sensitive to casualties. Therefore we do a lot to train our men and to protect them. We maximize their effectiveness through the use of technology.

The Army suffers some from lack of use, but not all that much. The training that American soldiers undergo is in many ways more difficult than actual combat. Sometimes, it's almost as intense. Combat experience is obviously a plus, but our trianing is pretty good.