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

I guess it has become a case of misplaced priorities really. The US has the best military infrastructure worldwide, but their civil infrastructure is like an old WW2 quilt, used, re-used, patched up and re-patched, when what is needed is a new quilt!

MH
(Did you like the "Amarican Quilt" analogy? MH thinks he's smart!)

*likes analogy*

hamish thats true and part of what im getting at,there being certain
parts of the U.S INFRASTRUCTURE IS to cocksure of itself,beleiving that if its for the"good of the country" the end justifies the means.
spending trillions of dollars on developing weapons when the same funds would be better spent on wellfare and the like of,this day and age "war and invasion " of other "states,empires,countrys" no longer being feasable ,look at russia and afganistan most "take overs"are now more effective when they occur from within i:e poland most of the russian satelite states all of these "expensive" high power weapons being useless the war being waged on the streets by men women and children with no or little training other than the desire to be free from what ever "opression" they beleive they are being subjected to.

Well said, Bob.

A little twist on that: the current situation in Iraq with not only ex Ba'ath party supporters attacking the american troops but also those who were before the war against and opressed by Sadam. I firmly believe that we should have let the country sort out it's own problems, which were nowhere near as bad as in Liberia or the Congo etc which our countries have turned a blind eye too because they serve us no purpose. Now in Iraq, I think eventually Sadam would have been ousted by the people. I mean they are fully prepared now to take on the US and UK in gorilla tactics and our armies are a hell of a lot more powerful than Sadam's, also better equiped and trained. Using that measure I think they would have eventually done something about it and the money Bush and Blair used (and is still using) to fund the invasion and the aftermath could have been spent on something an little more useful...like new council housing for us people who can't afford to spend £150k on a one bedroom flat...or better hospitals etc etc etc etc etc.

Well said JT, but now that it's done, the US machine is responsible for the clean up, and especially after the first Gulf conflict where they walked away from their responsibilities. It is good to see them trying to fix things this time, but the problem is using US administrators and staff to set it up! Use the locals and the locals will get behind it, use a foreigner and they will treat it with nothing more than mistrust and scepticism, especially after that foreigners country just invaded.

MH
You watch the permanent strategic bases set up by the US near and in the Iraqi oil fields after all is said and done!)

"Use the locals and the locals will get behind it, use a foreigner and they will treat it with nothing more than mistrust and scepticism, especially after that foreigners country just invaded."

Very well said.

They are already advertising in the recruitment sections of the newspapers in this country for economists and construction consultants to go and work there. It's sickening. Are they trying to tell us that there are no qualified professionals among the Iraqi people? How do they expect the Iraqi people to trust the rebuilding efforts if all they are going to do is hire foreign labour?
First there is the military occupation and then the economic occupation - it's sickening. It's hardly surprising that the Iraqi's see the US and UK as occupying forces.

I agree you two.

There was a lot of talk before the invasion about how these are highly educated and qualified people in Iraq with resources as opposed to Afganistan for example.

I bet the Iraqis are intelligent enough to know the US should have had a plan! Geez- they best get to asking the UN to come back in bigtime and putting Iraqis in positions of power and planning in the reorganization of their country.

Did *anyone* fail to see this coming?

I'm thinking of starting a pool for the date the first US combat troop show up in The Occupied Territories. Maybe just before the early primary elections?

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/332804.html

WASHINGTON - Military involvement by the United
States and its NATO allies may be necessary to
create stability between Israel and the
Palestinians, a key lawmaker said Sunday.

"If we're serious about having a
situation of stability, a very
direct action, I think, is
going to be required," said
Republican Sen. Dick Lugar,
chairman of the Foreign
Relations Committee, on CNN's
"Late Edition."

Some would argue that the US already has troops in the occupied territory. they are called "Israelis". The uS has owned Israel for so long it isn't funny. the CIA set up camp so long ago that no-one remembers. Israel is the US's first attempt at gaining the Middle east foot hold, and not a bad effort by my standards really.

MH
(Not usually one to agree with conspiracy theories, but they are up to something!)

Doubt you get any takers going against the political timimg. Makes me nervous Bushs approval numbers are going down. Means they will do risky things to try and get them up.

They will try to get Arafat out don't you think?
Offering a new home in foriegn territory with comforts first?

Maybe Arafat could take a money grabbing vacation like Bush has.
Wish I could go on vacation and make money rather than spend it!

MH you are right there. They are the first and last stop for gaining influence in the middle east. Surely they do not think they can convince them to do what the US wants. There are not enough troops or dollars for that mission and all that goes with it.

Frightning. How can it not become a Holy War in the eyes of those persons living there then?


*EPA is saying they lied at the direction of the White House about the air quality in NY after the attack.

The most disgusting thing about Israel (at the moment) is this bloody wall they're building around the occupied territories to "keep suicide bombers out". I remember the jubilation across the world when the Berlin wall was brought down and can hardly believe that another country would build another wall to segregate an (occupied) country and further install an even stricter apartheid system with Palestinian workers only allowed to visit Israel for 6 hours a day.

How can this happen in the 21st century?

How can the jewish israelis not see the disgusting hypocrisy after the horrendous anti-semitism of the years spanning the second world war?

How can this happen in what is (supposed to be) the most holy city of the christian world?

....AND how can so many americans and american politicians fully support it?

What a shit world.

the wall as you call it is a statement nothing more as you stated is ridiculous in this day and age it will serve the same protection to any agresser as your garden gate with modern weopons ect no defensive or segregational effects can be obtained by such a descion to build such a thing.
i dont agree with the indication that all such walls built with these intentions should be torn down as "The Great Wall of China" was constructed with that purpose in mind.along with hadrians wall several other examples.
It depends on what branch of (Holy muslims hindus pharoeseans and many more religeons consider jerusalem holy ) you refering to civilisation had reconstructed several holy places by the birth of the religious leader known as christ no one group can claim exclusive ownership of land .Almost all conflicts are fuelled by the misguided notion that they can.

Yep the wall is sad. To say they would continue no matter what, is sad.
If 3 religions cannot peacefully share a holy place on earth, then who can?

Religion: Mind control for the masses. An easy way of controlling the general populous with claims of retribution (Brimstone and fire etc etc...)that they need not prove and/or justify.

Religion: fables and tales embelished and exagerated enough over many, many generations that they become "real" tales of "real" people. For example, who was Robin Hood? Was he Robin of Loxley or a purely imaginary character that many tale tellers have told and over generations, he became real. (Sherwood forest is real therefore ........etc etc...)

MH
(We will be free when the religions die!)

http://www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk/
not here for long link to paint shop for any one in need of whitewash o.k a little sarky iknow but what would you expect costs alone now if costs of enqury came out of guilty partys there a novel ideah

Thanks for the link BoB
Looks good I'll have to return and read all about Kelly.

Ashcroft on tour proudly talking about his beloved Act> He said the USA Patriot Act, which expands law-enforcement powers to levels that make J. Edgar Hoover's legendary goons look like Girl Scouts, "ensures liberty."
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%7E115%7E1588127,00.html

The sad reality is that no-one can be in national politics of ANY nation without the need to be corrupt. In the US it is done for the "sake of National Security", in Britain it is done "for the good of the empire" in Australia it is done so that the "beer doesn't stop flowing". In all politics, by it's very nature, the politician must me schmoozed by big business, schmoozed by other nations, schmoozed by the media. They must also in turn do their own amount of schmoozing back!

MH
(In order for true democracy to work, no-one must be incharge!)

I'm sure you are right

It's a real worry when I am right Abbi!
if my philosophical ramblings hit the mark, it is a shining example of the trouble we are headed for!

MH
(They laughed when we learned the "Stop, Duck and Cover!" method! but who's laughing now! WHO'S LAUGHING NOW!!!!!)