Re: Eliot Spitzer, antismoking leader, self-destructs

On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:36:19 +1300, "Pete Dashwood"
<dashwood@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:

>"Judson McClendon" <judmc@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
>news:KRcEj.21483$Er2.16748@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>And what are the criteria for measuring "evil of nature"?

There's no need to figure it out. Government and Fox News TELL you who is
evil and who
isn't. In most cases, our atrocities are not evil because they are
intended to restore
order; the other guys' atrocities are evil because they intend to forment
anarchy. 

>As long as you advocate bombing and killing people ("terrorists") you are

>morally no better than those you target. If they are "evil" so are you.

Huh? We're the good guys. 

>As you watch the price of gas at the pump rise unstoppably, do you think
all 
>the dead young men (on all sides) were worth the sacrifice?

You're assuming the price of gas is caused by short supply. That's not
true, there's
plenty of supply. The price of gas reflects increased demand for hard
assets. You can't
blame Arabs for $1,000 gold, $3.50 copper, $5.50 corn and $13.00 soybeans,
all  doubled in
five years. 

>Putting young men in harm's way is not a good way to protect their lives
or 
>property. If people are to die, and sometimes they have to, it should be
a 
>VERY carefully weighed and calculated strategy that minimises the risk to

>them, and everyone, from the Commander in Chief to the troops on the
ground 
>should realise what the plan is, what the possible outcomes are, and why
it 
>is necessary to do what is being done. In other words, there should be a 
>clear entrance strategy, a clear plan of action, and a clear exit
strategy.

Entrance strategy: hit the beach
Plan of action: kick ass
Exit strategy: leave

>And, if some people DID believe it, does that mean they are "idiots"?
What 
>about people who are simply not well informed on technology?

Careful. This IS a Cobol forum. Some here might take offense.

>I believe you are far too free with labelling people as idiots or morons 
>simply because they disagree with you, but then, I would say that :-)

It's common practice on Usenet.

>Yes, a huge amount of valuable work was done, and credit is due to those
who 
>did it. But let's not forget that the computer industry caused the
problem 
>in the first place; it was therefore beholden on the computer industry to

>fix it.

Only the legacy sector. Databases had no Y2K problem because they had a
capable DATE TYPE.

>Has it? The "terrorism" is inspired by perceived injustice and inequity, 
>further fuelled by religious extremism. Until these things are addressed,

>the "War on Terrorism" cannot be won, and will, indeed, last for 
>generations. The weapons that are needed are ability to listen and
negotiate 
>on the one hand, and education on the other. Instead the usual redneck 
>solution of overwhelming force has been adopted by a redneck President
(with 
>his own agenda) who is far from the sharpest tool in the box, and whose 
>actions should even embarrass other rednecks.

Bush is from Connecticut. He's not a redneck, he's a wannabe.

>When Bin Laden is finally captured, someone else will take his place
(he's 
>probably already training a number of replacements), and that replacement

>probably won't be over six feet tall and need dialysis. Given that it has

>proved impossible so far to capture or kill Bin Laden 

This website do***ents MANY missed op****tunities to get rid of bin Laden
before 9/11. 

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline.jsp?before_9/11=huntforbinladen&timeline=complete_911_timeline