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

After victory was declared in the War on Iraq, May 1st, many of us asked ourselves - where would the eye of Sauron, oops, I mean the attention of the Pentagon turn next?
I heard a whisper that Pakistan might be considered to be 'of interest'. What's *that* about? Then, there's still the rest of the 'Axis of Evil'. The cases against them are just as shaky as that against Iraq, but that won't stop some people from po-facedly declaring the "necessity" of attacking oh, say, Norfolk Island? (It makes about as much sense )
The following are some thoughts written on a Sunday night, while watching (not really) the final Tom Hanks 'stirring'miniseries 'From the Earth to the Moon'

War Effort

14 September 2003

England expects every man to do his duty
All men everywhere, and women too.
Why do we expect love, truth and beauty?
We're only here to do what we must do.

Not just England mind, but everywhere men live.
(Women, too, and children.) All must prevail.
Our homes, our lives - little enough to give.
To make sure our land does never fail.

Empires rise and countries fall.
Cities live amd people die
Time, space, life and death appal
What would we be if we didn't try?

Oh, and by the way, (comnpletely unconnected) we watched the DVD of the Touchstone movie Mission to Mars last night.That's the one with Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle and Connie Nelson. It was better than expected, a pleasant surprise!
Also, we saw 'Excalibur' (1981) on Saturday, with Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson and a young Helen Mirren. Whether or not it was 'true to Malory' as my boyfriend at the time objected (he said it wasn't) it was

Pakistan? not a chance, they have an army and everyone knows that the US doesn't pick on anyone who can fight back. Look what taking on two of the worlds weakest countries did to their national debt.

Mission to Mars is very "old school" SF. Before SF got turned into action movies with a future twist. It's good and there's no 'bad guy'.

my guess is either iran or perhaps somewhere in africa

David Letterman joked about having already prepared a news logo for the 'War on Syria'!
Apparition, you're right - Pakistan really does have nukes!

Who has more oil and a weaker military? Iran or Syria

i think iran has mor oil but syria a weaker army...plus the u.s. has allready accused syria of harbouring"terrorists"

And as we all know, the US has harboured and raised money for terrorists of the IRA flavour.

I wish they'd give up the pretence. Bush's supportes would support him if he said he was about to invade country X to find 'that damned tooth fairy'

yeah yhey seem to enjoy his naked aggression

So, crazyhorse (just fixed a really bad typo with your name whew!). Do you have any history of voting Republican to give us an insight?

I suppose seeing them first hand is enough.

Of course, Pakistan has actual nuclear weapons (or nuculer, according to a certain unelected right-wing leader who shall remain nameless but his initials are George W. Bush...).

Now, if they were "imaginary" nuclear weapons, or "phantom" WMDs, there might be a chance that Pakistan would be a target.

And, of course....
No oil = No glory

Regarding Republicans, they're throwing a hissyfit because the recall election in California has been postponed - apparently many of the voting machines aee still of the same type as were in use in Flori-duh, and which are implicated in Dubya's selection.
Voting machines. What are they like, and why *machines*?

I doubt they would bother attacking any African country.

First, all they would have to do is wave a little money at any one of the corrupt governments, and "Hey, Presto", oil would flow.

Second, we all know what happened in Somalia. Somalis were out-gunned and out-manned by the Americans, but managed to lead the Americans on a merry dance. The Americans were out and Peacekeepers in faster than you can say "Blackhawk Down"....

Third, we have all seen what the population of an African nation can do to EACH OTHER armed only with machetes.

Fourth, the American military is notoriously bad at fighting jungle warfare. IF they had to choose an Africa country, it would have to be a dry one....

I wonder why Libya has never been mentioned?

Libya and its nutcase Khadafi appears to have fallen off the American radar.

Considering what Reagan did in 1986 (bombing Libya and killing Gaddafi's daughter) I bet they're thankful!
Yes, I wonder what this is all about? Ignoring Libya, I mean.

"Libya and its nutcase Khadafi appears to have fallen off the American radar."

Didn't Libya recently agree to pay many millions in reperation for various acts including Lockabie(SP?)

The whole "We're saving the Iraqi people from a dictator" twaddle kind of falls a little flat when you consider that Libya has an equally evil leader.

I saw lower-intestinal-tract powel on ABC last night saying "we're not occupiers" 'we're a liberation force'

Translation: We're not used to sticking around after invading a country and killing 1,000s of civilians and failing to get who we claim to be after. It's harder than we though and although we were rude and insulting to the world community, we really need to be bailed out again.

I firmly belive that the US should be given no help with Iraq. They're like a 3 year old that needss to be taught a lesson or it'll never learn.

Once the Americans leave, of course, the UN will have to go in and try and help the country get back on its feet. I am fully in support of Canada helping then.

Of course, the UN will have to do this on their own dime (or, rather, on everyone else's), as the US won't help them out.

Yes. New Zealand troops have been sent there. In their usual roles engineering and mine clearing.

Americans like Blatherskite tend to stick their fingers in their ears at the reality of everyother nation doing the actual work for the worlds stability. People like Alectrician still in sist things like 'the UN is nothing with american power' where as the UN would get a lot more done if 'american power' would keep it's nose out of things and stop being so trigger happy with it's Veto.

As lomg as the world keeps cleaning up then the US will continue to rampage.

Hi Della,

So you enjoyed the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "What we did on our hol's" too. Excellent! Excalibur maybe cheesey and hammy but it remains one of my favourites.

I think Nicol Williamson (as Merlin) stole just about every shot he was in, and he got the cheesiest lines . As for Helen Mirren, well she got her kit off, again . Her and Diana Rigg remain the sexiest babes in British Theatre (am I showing my age?).

The rest of the cast could have been doing Henry V. Did you notice that they all delivered their lines in standard RSC tum-ti-tum time?

Apparently they are trying to arrange a cast reunion so they can do a documentary to add to a DVD boxed set. I'll be first in the queue if they do.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\.

"Remember this moment.....for it is the doom of men that they forget!"

in reply i have never voted in a us election ,,,allthough i did register in the last one i wasnae there for the vote

khadafi has done libya a lot of good his agricultural programs have rsulted in the largest ever project bringing water to otherwise dead areas.as far as i'm aware he has never been responsible for any kind of mass killings in fact im sure the united states has executed more people his coup was relatively bloodless and allthough the lockerbie incident was regrettable i doubt khadafi himself had anything to do with it in fact he cooperated by turning the suspects over for trial