USA - General discussion (Part 1)

[haku]

I was reading this article about a poll in France, the article is not really interesting, lol, but the readers' comments posted after the article are, especially those from American readers who go on a bashing rage of French people even though the article is not about the US at all. Americans, such nice people.

[luxxi]

Originally Posted by freddie

No. Then smoking and drinking should be banned as well. Before even, since you're causing harm to other people with smoking.

Fien by me.

Originally Posted by freddie

Umm.. do they? Well I dunno, but I'm sure it's not as big of a problem as STDs are. I mean, what do we hear about more every day? People dying from AIDS or colon cancer?

AIDS. Because it's more profiled.

Originally Posted by freddie

And both genders have the same chances of that. And this is besides the point. The point is that you can do what you want as long as it doesn't involve someone who has no say in it. And legislature should have nothing to do with consentual sex. Except in that one case.

That is your opinion. It's people also have opinions about gays. Which may not be sme as yours.

Originally Posted by freddie

Hm?

Ah, I see you edited your post

[luxxi]

Originally Posted by haku

I was reading this article about a poll in France, the article is not really interesting, lol, but the readers' comments posted after the article are, especially those from American readers who go on a bashing rage of French people even though the article is not about the US at all. Americans, such nice people.

Only 227% of French think Arafat is terrorist.

Any poll that doesn't state sample or error margin should be treated with extreme scepticism.

[haku]

Originally Posted by luxxi

Only 227% of French think Arafat is terrorist.

LOL, yeah, typo... It was probably 22% or 27%, most people have a good opinion of Arafat here.

[thegurgi]

hehehe, the people are really confused about the Arafat coverage. I've heard people go "who is he?" and the reply is "the leader of some people in the middle east" and then they ask "so what do we want? him to die or live?" and the reply is "i'm not sure, i can't remember if he's a bad guy or a good guy".... at which point i laughed, it sounded like a comic book. How do i overhear such insane conversations....

How is Arafat doing lately? and what do you think will happen to the Palestinians if he does die... it's something i've been pondering.

[haku]

Originally Posted by thegurgi

How is Arafat doing lately?

Officially he's not dead, but in reality he is, he's only maintained by machines until several diplomatic problems are settled, the place of his burial, the place of the funerals, etc. Apparently those problems have been settled, funeral in Egypt, and burial in Ramallah, so Arafat shoud be "unplugged" and annouced dead any time now.

Originally Posted by thegurgi

what do you think will happen to the Palestinians if he does die.

It's going to get even worse for the Palestinians (if that's possible), they will no longer have an undisputed leader, there going to be chaos.

It's good news for Israel, that's for sure, Sharon was almost laughing yesterday when he was talking of Arafat's burial, the guy was delighted. Arafat gone, Israel will be able to annex the West Bank in the near future and complete the creation of the Grand Israel, Palestinians will be pushed out to Jordania, or deported to the Gaza strip.

[coolasfcuk]

Originally Posted by haku

I was reading this article about a poll in France, the article is not really interesting, lol, but the readers' comments posted after the article are, especially those from American readers who go on a bashing rage of French people even though the article is not about the US at all. Americans, such nice people.

...haku, I see in you, as someone once said, such a TRUE French

[nath]

Questioning whether the the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was a hero of the Palestinian resistance or a terrorist, 43% voted for the former, while only 227% chose the latter.

hihi...why OR?...you can be both....this afternoon , one of my best friend was at home, she is Arab. And she told me All Palestininans and all Arab people know that Arafat is very very rich and that he took the money which was for Palestine...but in the same time they respect him cause he was a "hero"...

Greg, it seems that after Arafat's death his first minister will be at the head of the "country" during 60 days , and after new elections will come...if all is calm...
All the french press and media are for Palestinians and hate Sharon...I think the hate for him is equal to the hate for Bush, here...

Originally Posted by haku

It's going to get even worse for the Palestinians (if that's possible), they will no longer have an undisputed leader, there going to be chaos.

2 weeks ago, we saw with Oga on the swedish television, a very interesting and funny interview of Madeleine Albright, the Clinton's foreign minister...
And she said something that made me smile : she said that when they could be so close to the peace , in Camp David, the main problem was always Arafat cause he didn't act as a President should act for the best of his country but he always behave as a chief of resistance, a leader...It was that i've always thought....did you notice that each time a proposition of Israel for negociations was announced...systematicaly , the day after , a bomb was exploding in a bus or in a market?
Was Arafat really so "weak" to stop the terrosists ?
It could seem not so far from the theory about Bush: to let the terror, the fear, the conflicts, the war beeing, longing...to keep the power...

Originally Posted by haku

It's good news for Israel, that's for sure, Sharon was almost laughing yesterday when he was talking of Arafat's burial, the guy was delighted. Arafat gone, Israel will be able to annex the West Bank in the near future and complete the creation of the Grand Israel, Palestinians will be pushed out to Jordania, or deported to the Gaza strip.

Didn't Sharon separate from his Right and Extreme Right(which were against this idea) to decide to give back some territories to Palestinians, last week ?

Ps: I don't like Sharon, I really don't like him...but I'm not sure neither that Arafat was really the best guy for wanting and establishing some "peace"...

[haku]

Originally Posted by coolasfcuk

haku, I see in you, as someone once said, such a TRUE French

Well, i don't know what true French means for you, but i know what it means for Americans, lol, for my work i have to visit daily dozens of american websites and i know perfectly well what they think of us. Since the debate at the UN about the invasion of Iraq where France blocked the US resolution, Americans absolutely hate us, american media are constantly insulting us, just because we dared to disagree with them we are trashed like the worst scum and ridiculed in every possible way. During the recent US presidential campaign, in republican political meetings, republican candidates asked crowds to boo French people because we are ungrateful cowards, and crowds did it enthusiastically.
After over two years of French bashing in the US, there is now a serious rift between the two countries, so serious that a reconciliation is no longer possible, there is too much resentment.

Originally Posted by sunwalk

2 weeks ago, we saw with Oga on the swedish television, a very interesting and funny interview of Madeleine Albright, the Clinton's foreign minister...
And she said something that made me smile : she said that when they could be so close to the peace , in Camp David, the main problem was always Arafat cause he didn't act as a President should act for the best of his country but he always behave as a chief of resistance, a leader...It was that i've always thought....did you notice that each time a proposition of Israel for negociations was announced...systematicaly , the day after , a bomb was exploding in a bus or in a market?
Was Arafat really so "weak" to stop the terrosists ?
It could seem not so far from the theory about Bush: to let the terror, the fear, the conflicts, the war beeing, longing...to keep the power...

I'm not surprised that a US foreign minister said that everything was Arafat's fault and Israel was totally innocent. The US has always had a totally biased appoached to this conflict, Israel is good, Palestinians are evil, Israel want peace, Palestinians want war.
Israel has the right to defend itself, but Palestinians don't have that right apparently, they are supposed to let Israelis take their land and push them out of the territories without fighting.

Originally Posted by sunwalk

Didn't Sharon separate from his Right and Extreme Right(which were against this idea) to decide to give back some territories to Palestinians, last week ?

Sharon is making a strategic move, withdraw fom Gaza Strip which is a very small and uninteresting territory to leave it to the Palestinians, but Sharon has no intention of doing the same thing with the West Bank, Sharon wants to annex Est Jerusalem and the whole West Bank to Israel and push Palestinians out of this territory. And it will be done soon, now that Arafat is (almost) dead.

[coolasfcuk]

Originally Posted by haku

Well, i don't know what true French means for you, but i know what it means for Americans, lol, for my work i have to visit daily dozens of american websites and i know perfectly well what they think of us.

There is no surprise why i am using this smiley

Look at all your posts in this thread haku ... how do you speak of Americans? they are always 'bad.. bad.. bad'
The difference is NONE

[nath]

Originally Posted by haku

... Since the debate at the UN about the invasion of Iraq where France blocked the US resolution, Americans absolutely hate us, american media are constantly insulting us, just because we dared to disagree with them we are trashed like the worst scum and ridiculed in every possible way. During the recent US presidential campaign, in republican political meetings, republican candidates asked crowds to boo French people because we are ungrateful cowards, and crowds did it enthusiastically.
After over two years of French bashing in the US, there is now a serious rift between the two countries, so serious that a reconciliation is no longer possible, there is too much resentment.

Of course, it's just in ONE direction: "Americans press ans Americans hate US and insultes us" !!!.....
Were and ARE , even now, the french press and all the french media very tender about Americans and their President???!!!!!!.....I really don't think so....If a lot of french could physically spit to the faces of Americans, they'll do...So i'm french, too...but by my side, I think the treatment is equal in both sides.

I'm not surprised that a US foreign minister said that everything was Arafat's fault and Israel was totally innocent. The US has always had a totally biased appoached to this conflict, Israel is good, Palestinians are evil, Israel want peace, Palestinians want war.

Sometimes, I have the feeling to read a propaganda/political manuel...or "L'humanité"....
It reminds me some of our so GREAT intellectuals /philosophs....as Sartre and so on.....who claimed HOW Wonderful and Great was U.R.S.S (U.S.S.R?)!!! The unic model to follow! All the ones who didn't believe a such thing , weren't "in the move", in the political fashion!!!!....

Even when it was clear that the Staline's government was a pure and criminal dictature...how many years did they stay without admitting it?....

Madleine Albright seems an enough direct person...for exemple, she was the minister of Clinton but didn't use very tender words towards her ex-president when she spoke about his lies about Levinsky's story...in the same way, she told that she will vote for Kerry because she belongs to his party but she was full of shame about the Campaign and the "arguments" which were used by Kerry and Bush...
And she was not more to tender while speaking about the representative israëlian; her humour was very funny, she said they were both of a execrable mood and that if they had been women it would have been said that they were in period of pre-menopause..
She was obliged to tell to them they have to behave as adults cause she wasn't the Camp David Mother
But you might be right: she is just an American, so just one way to think! (her parents were from Czechoslovakia...)

Just , if you listen a French radio as "France-Info", you could notice that all the specialists of Middle-Est have the same statement: or it's a CHAOS if the "hard" Palestinians catch the power or there is a possible beginning of peace (or negociations), now that ARAFAT isn't in place anymore.....and they aren't american specialists....but may be they are jewish...I haven't checked !

PS: Haku.......my goal isn't to hurt you, I have nothing against you as a person....just the fact to see systematically the states as just a Bad thing seems dangerous to me. That's just because of that that I express my opinion...not because I believe The States are perfect.

[thegurgi]

sorry to say Haku, but it's true, and you have to admit the attitude we give each other is slightly mutual... despite the strong ties between us at the beginning things have gotten worse. But know when even willing American's who love the french from learning about France in our schools and go there often come back with contempt because they were willing to give france a try but we're instead treated like crap. But i know that some of us can be exactly the same (since my french canadian brother in law gets insulted by Americans, so...)... i think we need to call a truce and try and be friends again (the people that is)

[Bitty2002]

Please go to this website: http://72.3.131.10/

and, you will also notice that most of these people are younger because younger people tend to be the people online, so it doesn't even include the tons of older adults that are also sorry.

And, for women, sex increases the chance for cervical cancer. Maybe we should all stop having sex...except for maybe lesbians who only use one finger. But I am sure down the road it will be proven that that causes rabies, so maybe they shouldn't either... Yeah I think we should just stop having sex all together.

[freddie]

Originally Posted by luxxi

Fien by me.

But not fine by democracy.

Originally Posted by luxxi

AIDS. Because it's more profiled.

And not more deadly? Are there 10s of milions people dying of collen cancer everyday?

Originally Posted by luxxi

That is your opinion. It's people also have opinions about gays. Which may not be sme as yours.

Yeah. It's called homophobia and it's largely looked down upon as something hypocritical and naive. Outlawing sibling marriages is not though. You figure it out.

Originally Posted by luxxi

Ah, I see you edited your post

Oh, that.

Originally Posted by haku

Americans absolutely hate us, american media are constantly insulting us, just because we dared to disagree with them we are trashed like the worst scum and ridiculed in every possible way. During the recent US presidential campaign, in republican political meetings, republican candidates asked crowds to boo French people because we are ungrateful cowards, and crowds did it enthusiastically.

They seem to forget one thing though. There wouldn't BE a United States of America today weren't it for France interfering when they fought their war for independance.

[haku]

The battle in Falluja continues.

Accounts from residents in Falluja.

Report from a BBC correspondent in Falluja.

According to several organizations, the humanitarian situation in Falluja is catastrophic, residents are out of food and water (water and electricity were cut by the US army before the assault), wounded can't be brought to hospitals (all hospitals inside Falluja have been bombed), and a lot of bodies are rotting in the streets and destroyed buildings which could cause an epidemic.

[haku]

Another report from BBC correspondent inside Falluja.

The US army has announced that once the battle is over, *all* men between 15 and 55 still alive in the city of Falluja will be considered terrorists and arrested.

[Kate]

How much longer do the Iraqis have to suffer the American presence? It doesn't matter when Americans will leave, now or in ten years -- Iraq will always return to being the way it was before the Americans, it's the way they used to live and maybe it's the way they should live, it's their business.

[haku]

Falluja assault is almost over
The US Army has killed about 1,200 insurgents and made about 1,000 prisoners while only losing less than 40 US soldiers, great job.
The number of civilian casualties is of course "undisclosed".
The city of Fallujah is virtually distroyed.
The humanitarian situation inside the city is catastrophic, humanitarian organizations tried to enter the city yesterday to help civilians but the US Army refused.


Interesting report from a BBC corresponent with the Marines inside Falluja
"The consequence of this, for the ordinary people of Falluja, is that for four days now there have been bodies lying in the streets.
It is starting to become a serious health risk.
I spoke to an officer who had been a little way out from the base and he said that cats and dogs are now starting to eat these bodies."


Pictures from inside Falluja


US soldier finished off a wounded insurgent with a bullet in the head

[spyretto]

The battle is now intensified in Mosul.

[haku]

Originally Posted by haku

US soldier finished off a wounded insurgent with a bullet in the head

Wow, i just saw the video on TV, that was rather graphic. The Iraqi was lying unconscious on the floor and the US soldier literally blew his brains out, he shot him from about half a meter with an assault gun (don't know the name of those guns). "He's not dead." *bang* "He is now." Yeah, that's for sure, his brain is on the wall.