tvashtarkatena

Most of the misery...today...after subjugation, depopulation and the reservation system. Just a little detail, but then, you're not one for details.

Actually, given your lack of respect for American values, our institutions, and the Constitution, I would think you'd be a better candidate, although Somalia or Sudan might suit you better. More freedom to 'pull out all the stops' there.

CHIAH!

I thought Ivan was a bit strange before I met him. The reality is so much more bizarre.

What would it take not to be qualified enough to spray? A coma?

Years ago my roommate went to Russia on a climbing exchange program. Pre-Gorbachev. If you know anything about Russians, you know that they are INTO qualifications big time. Introductions were made. Dr. Soinsosky, PhD. Mr. BlahBlahBLah, President, Association of Blah Blah Blah. My roommate was a student at the time. He had them introduce him as Doug Larsen, GMHR. They bought it, hook line and sinker.

General Member of the Human Race

I gotta git me one a them thar TVs.

I have a GMHR certificate.

Is that PJ O'Rourke?

Hey dumbshit, they already do. Again: Aside from apparently being Seattle's number one ACLU groupie, what are your qualifications to endlessly pontificate and cite constitutional law here or anywhere with the authority you try so pathetically to project? Our future enemies already do? Kewl, myan.

I've seen Oberman a total of once, so I'm not very familiar with his opinions. Sorry to dissappoint. As for the 'dying American empire' posts, certainly you can dredge up one out of your extensive libtard database to support your assertion, cuz I certainly have no idea what you're refering to.... BTW, it's true that I don't believe that countries should have empires. Unpatriotic, I know, but I gotta be me.

You'll live. Besides, it gives you something to talk about.

Don't sell yourself short, Gene. You still got it goin on.

Oh, and I wasn't aware that any qualifications were necessary for spraying, other than having a couple of reasonably functioning fingers.

Are you kidding? Clinton already tried what you propose--and this was the result: The CLinton administration was actually very successful at arresting, prosecuting, and convicting terrorists, lawfully and Constitutionally, from McVeigh to Yousef. Let's not forget that, against Clintonite recommendations, the Bush administration placed terrorists threats on the bottom of its priorities, and ignored clear warnings about Al Qaeda specifically. And, of course, that 911 happened a year into Bush's watch.

BTW, you do take some purdy pictures. The pictures are already there. My camera takes them. I'm just the transport.

How does your seven years downrange relate to the story of saving a 5 year old girl again Mike? Is it really all about you and your experience? No one you know has mowed anyone down, but can you deny that thousands of civilians have been killed in these conflicts, some by indescriminate targeting? Because you personally weren't involved, it's never happened? Come on. Just going by your postings. You've often advocated a kill them all approach (release the Gitmo detainees so you can kill them, remember that one?) on this forum. You've also been a staunch advocate for torturing detainees, 'taking the gloves off', and all that. I believe that we should treat our enemies with our core values of fairness and freedom. Probably cause, due process, a fair trial. You know the drill. That, to me, is the true test of a society's convictions. So far, we're failing it. I realize that you probably post that shit for shock value, but, nonetheless, you can hardly claim being affronted by my story of saving a 5 year old girl, can you? If you actually behave similarly in the field, what is it about that story that still pisses you off? Furthermore, my advocacy for upholding the rule of law, part of which would entail prosecuting those Americans who have broken it, is not the same thing as denigrated the service of those in the field, or aiding the enemy, as you so often suggest. Of course you obey orders and regulations by definition. It's the military. If you don't, you're gone.

I was wondering when you'd show up with your obligatory pot shot. Nothing relevant to the topic at hand, of course. There never is.

I'll recount one more story to illustrate a different approach then trying to kill person in the world who disagrees with us; a technical impossibility anyway. This week I had a talk with my friend John, who spent in year in Ramadi in 06-07 as part of a combat engineering batallion. They were under constant mordar fire from across the river. What turned that tide was not levelling those neighborhoods or mowing down everyone in sight. It was a 5 year old girl who'd been injured in an IED blast. The marines medevaced her to a field hospital, patched her up, and delivered her back to her village (with great fanfare) six weeks later. The five villages where most of the mortar fire had originated turned staunchly pro-America on that day. THe mortar attacks ended, because locals began to report mortar team activity. Just on illustration of the power of love over hate in resolving a seemingly intractable conflct.

There is no current system any longer. Military commissions have been haulted, Gitmo has been ordered shut down. My alternative to the current system is the current system; the criminal justice system. It already exists, and, unlike the military commission clusterfuck, actually has a proven history of putting bad guys behind bars without destroying our American definition of liberty. As for your 'terrorist dinner guest' idea; Mr. Ali, Robinson's defendent, is reportedly intelligent, funny, worldy, personable, well loved by his family, and fluent in english. I'd probably enjoy his company, but then again, I enjoy most people's company. I'd probably enjoy yours. He's considered a war hero by his side. I suppose what he is depends on which side you're on. We bomb civilians over there; they consider us terrorists. The crew of the Enola Gay killed 100,000 civilians with the most terrible weapon ever invented. We consider them war heroes. It's not really a white hat/black hat world, is it? One thing Mr. Ali has asserted about America is that we don't walk the talk regarding our proported belief in the principles of freedom. Regrettably, he's right on that score. Hopefully, that will change.

BTW, I caught some UF on the big screen at the local watering hole the other night. A Braxilian guy versus a Chinese guy. The Brazilian wrapped himself around his opponent like a constrictor and slowly proceeding to drain the life out of him. Kind of cross between love making and reptilian predation. Primal, horrifying, graceful, and fascinating, all at the same time. There were two more matches. The variety of fighting styles was amazing.

No response; too weird. I"m still waiting for a reason why the criminal justice sytem, with it's proven track record of trying, convicting, and punishing terrorists wherever they are captured, and which requires no eviceration of our basic values, isn't up to the task. I'm not holding my breath, because there isn't one.

It's interesting that you speak for liberals and soldiers. You've never been either one. As for soldiers: Jeffery Robinson, the Gitmo defense attorney I heard speak yesterday, told this story. When he first got to Gitmo, he went to meet with the military defense team, a group of officers who had been assigned to defend five of the detainees currently on trial there. All but one was under 40. He expected that they'd 'mail in' their defense. He couldn't have been more wrong. According to Robinson, they turned out to be some of the smartest, most dedicated, and hardworking defense team he'd ever worked with in 28 years of criminal defense practice. They were, to a man, ashamed and appalled at the way our government had treated the defendants, and how it had attempted, in every way possible, to rig the trials in prosecution's favor. They knew that what we do to our prisoners sends the green light around the world to all of our current and future enemies to do the same to our captured soldiers.

Two tactics you might try: Accepting things you can't change. More love.