Steve Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 Oh my! http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81618.html?hp=r4 Though Ryan had already decided to distance himself from the floundering Romney campaign, he now feels totally uninhibited. Reportedly, he has been marching around his campaign bus, saying things like, “If Stench calls, take a message†and “Tell Stench I’m having finger sandwiches with Peggy Noonan and will text him later.†Even before the stench article appeared, there was a strong sign that Ryan was freeing himself from the grips of the Romney campaign. It began after his disastrous appearance on Friday before AARP in New Orleans. Ryan delivered his remarks in the style dictated by his Romney handlers: Stand behind the lectern, read the speech as written and don’t stray from the script. Ryan brought his 78-year-old mother with him and introduced her to the audience, which is usually a sure crowd pleaser. But when Ryan began talking about repealing “Obamacare†because he said it would harm seniors, one woman in the crowd shouted, “Lie!†Another shouted “Liar!†and the crowd booed Ryan lustily. Who boos a guy in front of his 78-year-old mother? Other 78-year-old mothers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 Noo Yawk apartments p.s. "Obama's speech at the UN today." Written by professional speechwriters, as political speeches almost always are. I expect Obie to win, but things could change by election day - especially if Ahmedgingerbread launches some missiles at Israel or vice versa. The Republicans would grit their teeth and accept the results if Romney fails, but I wonder if their would be riots if Obama loses. Riots? Why? Look at the '00 election. If riots didn't happen under that scenario, I can't see how losing an election would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 Speaking as someone who's always observed, as against, participated in the American experience, I fully expect America to be boots 'n all in the Middle East until the oil runs out. I don't see any difference if it's Obama or Romney or Ventura. I'madinnerjehad has all the wrong ideas in my view, but his point about interfering in another sovereign country's affairs is valid. Until a country (say NZ) actively does something to some one else, let them alone. Conversely there is the wisdom of preventing a nuclear weapon existing in the Middle East, imagine all the Middle East nations clustering around the protective umbrella of a nuclear armed Iran. Mind you it doesn't seem to have worked well for Pakistan. Hard to argue against the logic. Big Oil has too much of a stranglehold on Washington. The oil companies globally are very powerful. I do think we will see a shift though. China has a voracious apetite for oil. Just like America did during its great expansion when it happened to us. Because of China's need for oil, they will take an increasing interest in the region to make sure the oil continues flowing. They don't have the navy to do that now but they are rapidly expanding theirs. We'll see Chinese ships in the Middle East in the future. Possibly near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelgianBoy Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 Because of China's need for oil, they will take an increasing interest in the region to make sure the oil continues flowing. They don't have the navy to do that now but they are rapidly expanding theirs. We'll see Chinese ships in the Middle East in the future. Possibly near future. China launched their first aircraftcarrier earlier this week, not even operational yet. to have a full operational group, estimates are to wait another 8 to 10 years. so no near future at all..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 I've seen/worked on some of the ships they build in China... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamui Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 China launched their first aircraftcarrier earlier this week, not even operational yet. to have a full operational group, estimates are to wait another 8 to 10 years. so no near future at all..... Ten years is nothing. A major difference between Western democracies and the Chinese Communist Party is that the Chinese government has long term plans which span decades, while in the US and Europe they mostly plan just until the next election. I remember CNN saying in 1999 (while sitting in a hotel room in Hong Kong) that China needs 20 years for to have an own car industry. Meanwhile China hasn't not only their own cars, but high speed trains and airplanes and they are preparing to land on the Moon. Saying that the current carrier is not functional is only for to appease the Western audience. Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines et al. will clearly know what the development of the carrier means and I guess they are extremely concerned (as the USA are as well behind closed doors). By the way the USA have increased military in the area in past years considerably. The "Great Game" for the leadership in Asia is on again. The struggle in the Middle East might be soon the smaller problem for the USA and the rest of the Western world and its allies. That's one reason while the USA and its allies should clean up the mess in the area soon (which ends and starts of course with Israel). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unit731 Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 I had a 260 square feet/ 24 square meter apartment in Tokyo. My bathroom for example looked like being formed out of one piece of plastic (in included even a japanese style bathtub for to sit in). It was very easy to clean with the shower head. . I first viewed such in a hotel near Narita airport. Tiny hotel room. Bathroom/WC was all fiberglass/plastic. Manufactured in two pieces. The seam was horizontal half way between floor and ceiling. Thought it was a neat design. Don't know what they would have to do when it comes time to remodel. As the two halfs would never fit through any doorway. Very easy to clean though. Just hose it all down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamui Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 I first viewed such in a hotel near Narita airport. Tiny hotel room. Bathroom/WC was all fiberglass/plastic. Manufactured in two pieces. The seam was horizontal half way between floor and ceiling. Thought it was a neat design. Don't know what they would have to do when it comes time to remodel. As the two halfs would never fit through any doorway. Very easy to clean though. Just hose it all down. Houses in Japan are not being remodeled, they are being replaced. Anyway, back to the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 Riots? Why? Look at the '00 election. If riots didn't happen under that scenario, I can't see how losing an election would. I was in LOS for the 2000 election, but I don't think there was anywhere near the division over that election as now. Nobody cared that much if Al Gore was defeated. The division now is the worst I've ever seen. The Obama people are practically painting Romney as the Anti-Christ. I get sent a steady stream of rightwing Obama-is-a-Muslim-commie-illegal-alien crap from my friends in the States, plus a steady stream of Obama is God from my sister and her friends. It reminds me of the red shirts and yellow shirts in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 Ralph Nader: President Obama’s a ‘war criminal’ It’s no surprise that Ralph Nader isn’t a fan of former President George W. Bush. After all, the longtime activist ran against him in both 2000 and 2004. But Nader’s even less a fan of President Barack Obama, if only because he thinks Obama was capable of so much more. On issues related to the military and foreign policy, Obama’s worse than Bush, “in the sense that he’s more aggressive, more illegal worldwide,†Nader told POLITICO, going so far as to call Obama a “war criminal.†“He’s gone beyond George W. Bush in drones, for example. He thinks the world is his plate, that national sovereignties mean nothing, drones can go anywhere. They can kill anybody that he suspects and every Tuesday he makes the call on who lives and who dies, supposed suspects in places like Yemen and Pakistan and Afghanistan, and that is a war crime and he ought to be held to account.†Nader called Obama “below average because he raised expectation levels. What expectation level did George W. Bush raise?… He’s below average because he’s above average in his intellect and his knowledge of legality, which he's violating with abandon.†“I don’t know whether George W. Bush ever read the Constitution,†said Nader. “This man taught the Constitution, and this is what we got.†Nader gave Obama this much: He’s the lesser of two evils when compared to GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. But he said Obama is “the more effective evil because he brings credibility, he brings the democratic heritage to it, he has legitimized the lawless war-mongering and militarism abroad of George W. Bush.†When asked to highlight some positives about Obama’s presidency, Nader said, “I like the way he’s emphasized renewable energy, even though he still supports nuclear and fossil fuels, as if they’re all the same, all of the above. But he does speak more about renewables than any president perhaps since Jimmy Carter.†And: “He wanted to have a public works program, he really did want to have a jobs program and the Republicans crushed it and that would have created a lot of jobs that couldn’t be exported to China.†Nader doesn’t let Republicans off easy, either, calling them “the worst Republican Party in history.†“We’re dealing with a real sick, decaying Democratic Party that can’t defend the country against the cruelest, most ignorant, most anti-worker, most war-mongering, most Wall Street–indentured Republican Party in its history, since the 1850s.†As for Romney, Nader said “he’s not the old Romney, governor of Massachusetts. He’s had a character and personality makeover. He’s just bought into the extreme right wing of the Republican Party, represented by Paul Ryan, and I don’t think he’s going to be able to shake that. He’s basically a corporation running for president masquerading as a human being.†For the first time in a long time, Nader is not running for president this year. From the way he puts it, he may be through with such campaigns. “I’ve run several times and we’ve documented the two-party tyranny, which means they’re very adept at excluding, with a whole variety of ways, third parties.†It’s not, however, because he’s been billed by some as a political spoiler. “That’s a politically bigoted words, as if we’re second-class citizens,†said Nader. “Since we’re all trying to get votes from one another, either we’re all spoilers of one another or none of us are spoilers.†My link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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