The CIA's Latest "Hero"

“Nigal,
Whining about being unpopular on TT? ROFLMAO! Hell, I'm trying to reach the top of the Most Unpopular Person/Troll on Trail Talk poll. And the best thing is that I can enlighten the ignorati about what's really happening and win votes at the same time. Is that sweet or what?

Birch,
That was pitiful. Are you really that anal retentive? Man don't reduce yourself to the role of "spelling checker" in this debate. It's so unbecoming of someone I had such high hopes for. Next time try to think of something witty and I promise to use my dictionary before I post (if I have the time).”

“Solitary, spell checker ????. HUH??? When Did I mention spelling ? I am two wks outta my " speak and spell". Perhaps you meant Baume...

Regarding my "anal retentiveness". Again HUH?

I am glad I let you down. I wasnt try to motivate you to post more. Perhaps my horrible posts will encourage you to put a cork in you blabberhole.”

“LOL!!! . My apology Birch! It was Baume69 or whatever his name is.

LOL! ...Oh my side is hurting.”

“Gosh Everyone is getting so touchy.”

“No biggy Solitary, you just gotta love a good pissin' contest!”

“Oh man, this is the ultimate in thread deterioration...”

“i admit it, it was i. i wasn't spell checking solitary hiker. i find it hard to believe you hit the d instead of the n. they aren't very close together on my keyboard. the point i was trying to make is you keeping calling the mass here "ignorati" and you don't even and know the words you are using. another example:

it's ignorami not ignorati

apparently you are trying to speak more intelligently than you are capable of and you sound like an ignoramus.”

“I thought it was the 'unintelligentsia', *G*.”

“Baume,
To belabor the point let me ask you a an honest question. Have you ever been typing a word and then look down and realize you typed a different word altogether? Like "how" for "who? Or maybe "what" for "want"? It happens. I rarely type the word "exponential", but I have been know to type the word "expedient". Call it stupidity if that makes you happy. I really don't care. If you want to demote yourself to the role of spell checker no one will complain. But if you want to get into "the game", find something of substance to harp on.”

“And it's "ignorati". As in the opposite of the Illuminati.”

“Do you feel better when you call those that have a different source of news than you ignorant?
But if those that you call ignorant point out the fact that you aren't always a gleaming star of brilliance, they are just nit pickin'. It's the pot callin' the kettle from my point of view.”

“Well you know what they say way down here in Dixie.

"Hit dogs hollar!" :)”

“No wonder you been hollering so loud Sol!”

“baume,
The definition of the word "ignorant" does not infer inferiority. This goes the same for my word "ignorati". I do not use them as substitutes for the word "stupidity" or "idiots". The word simple means uninformed to the point(s) of view "my" threads are articulating. My use of the word "ignorati" on these threads is aimed at the first-time reader.
If the word upsets you then just substitue the word "uniformed".
Since you have read and continue to read my threads, I would not consider you one of the uninformed. You have formed an opinion of the ideas these threads espouse. From the drift of your comments I take it you don't agree with what these articles have to say. It could be you just don't like the messenger, or the messenger's method. Fine I can live with that. Maybe what really galls you is that the articles have a "ring" of truth about them?
Could it be that in your experience you have seen our federal government act in ways that defy logic? Could the thought that articles might actually be telling the truth bother you?

Have you ever read some of the history of our government's involvement in places like Chile, Guatamala, Shah period Iran, the Domenican Republic, Columbia pre Panama Canal, the Phillipines (1898 to about 1905), Cuba, etc. Ever read about about how we got Hawaii or Texas or New Mexico or California? Ever read what to United States government did "for" Native Americans, the Mormons in the 1880s or 90s, the South during Reconstruction? If you have then you will know that the federal government will anything (and I mean anything) to assure it's own existance and that of the plutocracy that really run this country (and vastly benefit from government decisions that "happen" to fall their way).

If you think for one moment that the US government wouldn't work with the Taliban or crush them to get an oil pipline you are deluding yourself. My God man, don't you know that up until last year the US government was paying the salaries of everyone in the Taliban just to get the pipeline?”

“Hey, SH. Let me ask you a couple of questions. Are you a part of A.N.S.W.E.R.? The School of The Americas? What is your groups name?”

“I'm at the School for Un-Amerikan Activities. :)”

“Are you familar with the groups I listed?”

“solitary hiker,
Thank you for clearing me up on the difference between ignorant, stupid and idiot. While I am certainly not a fountain of knowledge on US involvement in the many areas you asked above, I am familiar with some. I would be the last one to say the US is right in everything they do (maybe not the last one, you and spock could probably hold out longer). With that mentioned, I could research any other country in this world and find them guilty of the same type of thing, somewhere in their past. No, I don't find a "ring" of truth in what you presented at the beginning of this thread. I find it speculatory at this point. That you insist that oil is behind everything, that you cut and paste anything you can find to support your belief, only leads me to dismiss what you say. It isn't the material, it isn't the person who presented it, it is the way that it was presented. I'm certain, if I had the time and wanted to put the effort into it, I could find 6,000 obituaries to cut and paste here to support the fact that oil is not behind this. I don't know that the Taliban was on US payroll, I don't know that they weren't. I do think that if they were, they still would be if they had not acted in the manner they did after the tragedy. War is war, it is not pretty. I, for one, am proud to be an American. I am proud of what this nation has done, and continues to do for the world, I am thankful for the freedom it provides me, my family and friends. If I weren't, I would find somewhere else to live. I am proud of the fact that we have the strongest military in the world. I am thankful to all the men and women that provide this. In my opinion, there are only a few countries on this earth that can handle the responsibility that comes with being the only world superpower. The US, our government, does an outstanding job of this.”

“Pepperdog... I definitely agree with you... The statements you listed are often incantations that lead to more problems for humanity, and the rest of the planet as well.”

“I agree with pepperdog and pedxing. Further, I believe that difference in opinions is healthy within any democracy. While I do not agree with some of the views expressed on TT (or in the media, my workplace, etc.), I certainly find merit in be exposed to "different" ideas as it often causes me to more closely examine my own.”

“There is an old saying "Americans don't deserve America" I think the person who penned it had people like SH on thier mind.”

“The fact that we have a big military and are a super power is a reason to be proud????? Give me a break! Obviously easy to please. This is a philosophy akin to a caveman being proud of having a big club, very primitive..."me stronger than you, ugh, ugh!"

Be proud of the good virtues we nurture, our standard of living, how we are viewed by other people, our acts of kindness to others, for our rich history, beautiful land, and our innovation or creativity.

Now I'll be reading about how we need to be a superpower to enjoy my list above to which I'll reply in advance, "B*llsh!t". There are plenty of smaller countries with virtually no military, who enjoy the same reasons to be proud that we do. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't be capable of defending ourselves, it's just that it's a really poor example of why to be proud...probably the last on my list.”

“What countries?”

“Open your eyes and look beyond our borders. Travel.”

“Why don't you save me the trouble and just tell me what countries?”

“and people say I'm lazy.”

“Hey if you want to come on up and take care of my responsibilities I'll be happy to flit around the world! Unfortunately it's not an option for me. So enlighten this poor homebody about all these wonderful peaceful places!”

“Solitary is doing some very healthy things that are vital for a democracy: questioning and offering evidence for another point of view.

While I have disagreed with him in blunt terms, I have also benefitted from some of the information and links he has posted. Again, some of what he posts seems useful to me, other stuff seems like BS. One thing this means is that he has pushed me to think. Thats a good thing.”

“I don't like to think. It makes my brain feel all funny.”

“Sure there are some countries with no military. This is because a)they are a puppet nation of a bigger country with a nice big military or b) they are considered "neutral) i.e. Switzerland, and are everybody's ho.”

“Some ego-centric people would like to believe that all other countries depend on a super power. Life has gone on without, quite happily.”

“Sassafras,
If this administration has it's way and declares war on most of the third world countries that Dubya thinks are "our enemies" there will come a time when no American will be able to travel anywhere outside the United State safely. Now that may be fine with a lot of the jingoistic "patriots" who frequent this site, but I for one want to see much more of the world.

Furthermore, there are many countries that have better standards of living, better health care, public transportation and education systems, higher per capita income, and educated citizens with a better grasp of what is really going on in the world. Two of them that come to mind are Sweden and Switzerland.
Then there are places like New Zealand and Canada. In those countries the per capita income is not as high as the USA. BUT those haven't declared war on the whole world so all of the the taxes they have to pay are actually used to benefit the people as opposed to the plutocracy that really run this land.

And as far as what Mapfreak said. My comment on his statement that people like me don't deserve America. Well I couldn't agree with him more. In fact, maybe all the people that think like me should start thinking about moving out of the USA. That way people like you can make Amerika into the Orwellian paradise y'all blabber about at all theose flag waving ceremonies.”

“"Two of them that come to mind are Sweden and Switzerland.
Then there are places like New Zealand and Canada."

Care to share with the ignorant masses what kind of tax rates these countries have? Care to share what type of big government they have where the hands of the government are in nearly every aspect of daily life? Care to share how limited freedom is in these countries? Why is Switzerland so high in suicide rates if it's so picture perfect? We see the world how we want to. At least you tried to give examples. Gear Slut can't even back up what he/she says.


"Solitary is doing some very healthy things that are vital for a democracy:"

LOL! If that's the case, I haven't seen anything this healthy sense I took a healthy dump...”

“There is plenty of freedom in New Zealand, Sweden, Switzeralnd, Canada (and Japan, Australia and most of Western Europe....).”

“nigal, I am not bothering because I expect people to go out and find out for themselves rather than making assumptions. People don't learn anything if you have to spoon feed them.

Taxes are not a bad thing if they are used properly.”

“Crime, poverty, malnutrition, and incarceration rates are lower in some of these other countries. The US has a higher rate of incarceration than the USSR did, and higher than South Africa under Apartheid.

There is a lot to be proud of about the USA. I love this country and prefer to live here, but lets be honest with ourselves about what is going on elsewhere.

There is a lot to be proud of about US foreign policy. After WWII, the US not only returned freedom to the countries it dfefeated - but it helped them build strong independent economies and democracies. Compare the fate of the territories occupied by the US after WWII with those occupied by the USSR (or by other countries after any other war ending in occupation).”

“SUicide rates are generally high in places with long cold winters.

Ohio???”

“In Switzerland you will be ticketed for leaving the engine running at a red light.”

“Switzerland? No military? LOL!

Perhaps the American incarceration rate is high because of a (more) effective criminal justice system. That'd be my guess...

What's wrong in taking a little pride in our militay might?”

“I may be wrong but aren't all citizens in Switzerland required to serve in their military, keep and know how to operate military rifles? I think after a certain age they even get to keep the guns!

"I am not bothering because I expect people to go out and find out for themselves rather than making assumptions. People don't learn anything if you have to spoon feed them."

Whatever GS. IMO you not answering my question just means you don't know the answer either.:o)”

“"There is plenty of freedom in New Zealand, Sweden, Switzeralnd, Canada, Japan, Australia and most of Western Europe....)."

Yes Ped, thanks to the USA:
New Zealand - ANZAC
Sweden - Neutral, probably under NATO umbrella
Switzerland - Neutral (nobody messes with the bank)
Canada - NATO
Australia - ANZAC
Western Europe - NATO
Japan - Limited self defense force to fight Godzilla, protected by US

"The US has a higher rate of incarceration than the USSR did, and higher than South Africa under Apartheid."

Well sure, if you execute them or let them die in a gulag, they don't count as part of the incarcerated population. Are your numbers a percentage of the population or just total numbers?

I would take Sol a little more seriously if his sources weren't so questionable:
Turnipseed (Ambulance chaser)
The Moscow Times (Remember there is no Izvestia in Pravda and no Pravda in Izvestia)
The Times of India
Yvonne Ridley of Media Workers Against War (Like she really spoke to the Pentagon)
Etc.”

“America has a higher RATE(that means percentage of population) of incarceration AND higher crime than most "civilized" nations.

These things are in part due to arse-backwards priorities such as-
little or no preventive measures, poverty and poor education......"but these poor people don't WANT an education, why should we waste our tax dollars on educating the poor.....their children are THEIR responsibility!"”

“BaSOF,

half decent point, but i think you confused between ANZAC and ANZUS. ANZAC stands for the australian/ new zealand army corps, which does not embody a treaty or agreement with the US; ANZUS is the military pact between the three countries. NZ has effectively withdrawn from this pact due to disagreement over nuclear issues with the US.”

“If the U.S. treats it's people so poorly and has such problems compared to countries like Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, etc., why is everyone trying to get into the U.S. to live. Why aren't the masses trying to sneak across the border of Switzerland or Sweden? Because they don't allow it. Do these countries have huge numbers of immigrants just beginning to learn their language and get education, jobs, housing? The U.S. is not perfect but they do a better job than all those other countries, because they have no choice. This is where the people want to live. Huge numbers of immigrants come to Canada, with a plan to eventually settle in the U.S. Why? Why don't they go to Japan? Or Britain? We are the only ones who allow large numbers to come in and live.”

“SH
Go ahead and move to New Zealand, Canada, Switzerland or whatever other country you think is so much better than America.
I've been to a many number of countries and I must say that I alway's return sooooo proud that I'm an American. We have it better here than in any other country in the world. So please, take yourself and whatever ingrateful loser cronies you have and leave. All the more room for me!”

“I feel it may be time to apologize to Sh. I have gotten carried away with responding to his trolling and let my personal disagreements with his views dictate how I treated him. This is one of those things I often have a problem with when I post in the wrong frame of mind. I sometimes forget that this is not the place to blow off steam and vent. I’m not perfect so don’t expect to never see me making an a@@ of myself again but I feel I must rectify these things as they come to me. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me SH and I will try to never utter another cross word to you.”

“Ummm....let's keep the "rectifying" to a minimum, please.”

“Of course there is less poverty in other nations. There is also less opportunity in other nations. SH if you think the US Gov is heavy handed, move to Sweden (the Mecca of Marxism).Yes you have a really EASY life in many European nations, you get to suckle to public teat for your daily ration. It aint a whole lot but its FREE!

Regarding the USSR and Apartheid S.A. Come on those are HORRID comparisons. Thats like saying "well petty theft and vandalsim were non-existent in 1943 Germany". People in those situations simply faced death for being in the wrong place/wrong time.

And Sol, please correct me IF I am wrong but dont you usually espouse libertarian and Buchanannesque politics? If so you seem to really be takin a 180 degree turn with statements like "so all of the the taxes they have to pay are actually used to benefit the people as opposed to the plutocracy that really run this land." I am so confused. Out of one corner of your mouth you bellow about the evils of an over reaching Gov, out of the other side you want to model us after socialist nations. This contradiction is dizzying!”

“I think you guys have missed the whole point. Be proud of your country, but for the right reasons.”

“No the Soviet Union and South Africa are not horrid comparisons. The fact is that the US incarceration is astronomical and exceeds that of other deomocratic nations and of the most oppressive and un-democratic nations. There are trade offs and benefits to the kind of society we have. One of the down sides is an astronomical (and very expensive) incarceration rate.”