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

I found this "discussion" of the AWOL American.

They have a few choice words about him, and Canada: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1080469/posts

A book note:


If anyone is looking for a good read, I would highly and strenuously recommend this year's Canada Reads winner, The Last Crossing by Guy Vanderhaeghe.

My immediate reaction to it when I read it a few months ago was that it had far more at it's heart and was far darker than Conrad's Heart of Darkness to which it has certain similarities. While Conrad's novel has become a part of the canon of English Literature, The Last Crossing is far more successfully executed, says much more about the human condition, and is just a far better piece of work, I think. I hope that it manages to be recognized far beyond our borders.

Ah freerepublic.com - some many redneck, so few brains...

I'm afraid I don't have too much sympathy for Hinzman. He should have known what he was potentially signing for before he put his name on the dotted line. If he didn't, someone should have explained it to him.

We all hope for a comfortable berth for our signed-for time in, (been there, done that), but you have to realize that if your country gets into a conflict, you WILL be called upon to do your duty. If you aren't willing to accept that, stay a civillian and go do something less dangerous.

Before I signed on the dotted line my father explained that to me, and he had the chance to explain it to one of his grandsons. Both of us thought about that, understood that and went anyway, but we knew what the potential was.

This guy should have got the "search for self" out of his system first, not after the fact.

We should grant him refugee status not because he's escaping the U.S. Army, but because he's escaping the U.S. education system.

On the other hand, you're absolutely right, but would a Canadian education rub off on him? At least it would save his son from that fate!

I agree that he isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

However, he did apply for Consciensious Objector duty and his paperwork was "conveniently lost" for 6 months by the Army. The fact is that the Army should have dealt with his application and not "lost" it.

For whatever reason, he felt that the Army did not take his beliefs seriously. Whether he can stay here is another matter. I'm not sure if Canada would look at the probability of his getting killed in Iraq as enough of a certainly to allow him to remain. He may apply on the grounds of discrimination against his religion. However, there are plenty of Buddhists in the US who freely practice their religion. I don't know that he has much of a hope there.

What particularily bothers me is that his going AWOL is seen as treasonous by a good many Americans. Judging from a lot of the remarks about draft dodgers of the 60s, most Americans don't understand much about what it is like to be conscripted and sent to war, and either have short memories of the times, or haven't been tauht anything about the times.

Sadly, unless they wise up, they will be starting the cycle all over again.

I am saddened, too, about the attitude against Quakers. Several people in that link I posted, essentially said they were living off the avails of what fighting men gave them. Fact is, America probably wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for Quakers, in particular, and the various American-grown Protestant faiths.

Quakers were instrumental in saving countless escaped slaves, worked in field hospitals in the Civil War, and have made many, many contributions to the country that they are being accused of "living off".

(By the way the developer of Quaker Oats was not a Quaker. He was a Unitarian.)

(Wasn't the developer of oats God? -- oh. Unitarian, I get it.)

subject change:

The guy has such great originality that he names his dog "Spot"!

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/040221/w022156.html

Why does this make it to International News?


(I know you weren't actually talking about God when you were talking about Quaker Oats, Mudhooks.)

Hey, give the man a break! It's easy to spell....

I'm surprised he didn't call the thing "Dog".

Hey, look at this:

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/02/20/inflation200204

and this

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/02/20/USinflation_040220



That President Bush sure is doing a good job of everything.

Because it could so easily be mis-spelled a G-d... and that could get him into trouble. At least Spot could be tops, pots, opts, ostp, or otps. Those are all good words.

"I've been horribly defamed!"

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/02/20/black_040220

"otps" is a good word?

We're talkin' G'Dubya, here....

I don't think it is really possible to horribly defame Lord Tubby of Fleet. The reality is so much tawdry. Expelled from tony Upper Canada College boarding school for cheating on high school exams. Made the legendarily cheap Thomson newspaper chain ("you want a another new pencil, then turn in the stub of the last one") look like Santa Claus. Destroyed the Canadian Newspaper industry by buying it and firing half of the reporters and stomping on any that disagreed with his archconservative political biases. Married Barbarella Amiel (possibly punishment enough) Finally left the country to pursue and purchase the title he so desperately felt he deserved. Famous for his arrogance, bullying and egotism.

Yep, he needs to sue to protect that reputation.

Hey, here's something old but interesting that I just found by accident (it actually started with a google search for "Barbarella Amiel")

"The United States vs. Iraq: A Study in Hipocracy"
http://www.namebase.org/ppost12.html

Here's a story to watch:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4CC80A18-4F28-423B-81E0-9BB454AF494D.htm

And here's one for the "The World is a Place of Irony" file:

'Iraq may claim Jordan, Kuwait

Sunday 22 February 2004, 9:20 Makka Time, 6:20 GMT


Governing Council chief says territorial issues will be discussed


The president of Iraq's interim Governing
Council has said Baghdad would consider territorial claims over neighbouring Jordan and Kuwait in the future.


"We need our Arab brothers around us. Now, we cannot discuss this matter with them at all, but in the future, we'll see," said Muhsin Abd al-Hamid, in response to a question from a Baghdad consultative council member.

Shaza Hadi al-Ubaidi had asked Abd al-Hamid about the status of territory once linked to Iraq such as Jordan and Kuwait, at an extraordinary meeting of the 37-member consultative council.'

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6BAD9B67-1757-4BF0-9F2D-0A5260EA9ABC.htm

Yep, Democratic Government®™ in-the-making....

Hi guys *big wave* Just welcomed another canadian newbie yesterday, this one more in our ballpark ...well, ok a ways outside the ballpark, 3 blks west 2 blks south... - suffice it to say he's not that far from cl either - U608251 , in Canmore!