A Forum for Grinches and Ho-Ho-Hoes

[megaloman]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
[I posted something a little more intemperate which I might regret later, so instead I will just say this: If you really think that, you can kiss my ass. And if you don't, you can kiss my ass for suggesting it.]

Interesting response, but the threat of your bared ass (while off putting) wouldn't do anything to stop the barbarian communist hordes that were at our gates, i.e. our southern border, thus confirming that you didn't and still don't understand the threat of the red tide (and its modern day successor, Islamofacism).

Thankfully, Reagan did, and W does.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
[I posted something a little more intemperate which I might regret later, so instead I will just say this: If you really think that, you can kiss my ass. And if you don't, you can kiss my ass for suggesting it.]

I apologize. That was intemperate. I do not believe that those deaths do not bother you. There are some subjects that still hit too close.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Spanky
You mean the same state where the Attorney General wants the names of all woman who have had late term abortions? What happened with that anyway?

That's Kansas. Our Attorney General has some idiotic notions about medical record privacy, but not that idiotic. Fortunately, there's not a HIPAA exception for what the good Attorney General from Kansas wants, though I suppose he could try to get a court order.

Since he's ostensibly looking to root out statutory rapists through late term abortion records (his reasoning, not mine), one would think he'd just look at the publicly available birth records and find out which mothers were under the age of consent when they gave birth. His is the more circuitous path.

ETA: Coincidently, I read today in Grits for Breakfast about a new movement in Texas called "Save our TexSons."

that's taking on an important but truly taboo topic: they were formed to criticize Texas statutory rape laws and the application of lifetime sex offender registration to consensual sexual acts between youths.

Apparently 14 year olds are so hussied up that it's hard to tell who's legal any more. See Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset for more information.

[bilmore]

"The other day in the Guardian Martin Kettle wrote: ‘The war was a reckless, provocative, dangerous, lawless piece of unilateral arrogance. But it has nevertheless brought forth a desirable outcome which would not have been achieved at all, or so quickly, by the means that the critics advocated, right though they were in most respects.’

Very big of you, pal. And I guess that’s as close to a mea culpa as we’re going to get: even though Bush got everything wrong, it turned out right. Funny how that happens, isn’t it? In a few years’ time, they’ll have it down pat — just like they have with Eastern Europe. Oh, the Soviet bloc [the Middle East thugocracies] was bound to collapse anyway. Nothing to do with that simpleton Ronnie Raygun [Chimpy Bushitler]. In fact, all Raygun [Chimpy] did was delay the inevitable with his ridiculous arms build-up [illegal unprovoked Halliburton oil-grab], as many of us argued at the time: see my 1984 column ‘Yuri Andropov, The Young, Smart, Sexy New Face Of Soviet Communism’ [see the April 2004 Spectator column ‘Things Were Better Under Saddam: The coalition has destroyed Baathism, says Rod Liddle, and with it all hopes of the emergence of secular democracy’ — and yes, that really ran in these pages, on 17 April, not 1 April.]

By the way, when’s the next Not In Our Name rally? How about this Saturday? Millions of Nionists can flood into Trafalgar Square to proclaim to folks in Iraq and Lebanon and Egypt and Jordan and Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority that all the changes under way in the region are most certainly Not In Their Name. "

More, but can't link - pay site in the Spectator

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Spanky


What makes you think Singapore is not a democracy. The communist party operates freely there. They have democratic elections. All adults can vote. Singapore, by the way, is the only country to go from a third world country to a first world country and thirty years. Also, and not coincidently, it has been consistently rated the freest economy in the world every year since 1975.

Given that the People's Action Party controls nearly every seat in Parliament, the term "democracy" may not be wholly applicable.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by bilmore
Pol Pot had a good life, at least.

(If you want to speak of the millions in VN and C that died in the purges, intentional starvations, and mass cleansings in both countries, keep going. But I'd walk away from this argument were I you.)

Much like Chile under Pinochet, Iran under the Shah, Iraq under Hussein, Somalia under whoever is in charge this week....

Totalitarians occupy far too broad a band on either side of the spectrum and the US has a long record of supporting the ones who help our intererests and subverting the ones who don't. I am not defending or condemning the US here. I am simply pointing out that neither the right nor the left has a monopoly on terror, torture, and genocide as a means of maintaining power.

We are neither Satan nor the World's Humanitartian Supercop. I don't have an answer to the cynicism so transparent in our exercise of power in favor of our national interest and our willingness to let millions die when we have othing to gain. But the claims of moral superiority on both sides are getting a bit tiresome.

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by Spanky
The correlation is almost absolute. The poorest regimes anywhere in the world are the ones that adopted socialist systems. The wealthier ones are the capitalist. You take any regime at any time in world history, and the more socialist, the poorer they became, and when they adopted free market principles the richer the became.

Well, I stand corrected. I mean, who needs evidence when you've got faith?

A long-winded way of saying Cite, please.

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by Spanky
Also, and not coincidently, it has been consistently rated the freest economy in the world every year since 1975.

Where do you get this stuff? The Heritage Foundation has rated Hong Kong the freest economy every year since 1995. Look it up.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Spanky
In 1970 South Vietnam had the highest per capita income in Asia. Today the only country with a lower per capita income is Burma (another socialist country). Recently they have been doing better because they have adopted some free market reforms. Cuba has the lowest per capita income in the Caribbean (yes they even beat Haiti). And had the highest per capital income in the Caribbean when Castro took over.

However, in either the totalitarian regimes or the communist regimes, the wealth was all enjoyed by the ruling elite, and the rest of the nation lived in abject poverty.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
Where do you get this stuff? The Heritage Foundation has rated Hong Kong the freest economy every year since 1995. Look it up.

Of course, it's not really a country. If you let Singapore carve off pieces, or even allowed the US, for purposes of the study, they could improve their results as well.

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by Spanky
In 1970 South Vietnam had the highest per capita income in Asia.

Might have had something to do with the large number of American troops there. Foreign occupation is usually not a sustainable economic model. If it were, I'm sure the WH would argue it as the reason for having invaded Iraq.

Today the only country with a lower per capita income is Burma (another socialist country).

I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers, but if you look here, you'll find a ton of countries with lower per capita incomes, not all of them socialist. And are you using socialist and communist interchangeably? I need to know because otherwise you're hard to follow.

Recently they have been doing better because they have adopted some free market reforms.

True.

Cuba has the lowest per capita income in the Caribbean (yes they even beat Haiti). And had the highest per capital income in the Caribbean when Castro took over.

I'd really love to know your source for this, because everything I can find says that Cuba per capita income is not available. So you could be right - but I'd like to know your source.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by taxwonk
However, in either the totalitarian regimes or the communist regimes, the wealth was all enjoyed by the ruling elite, and the rest of the nation lived in abject poverty.

I think Spanker's counting on being part of the wealthy ruling elite -- in which case, this is the ideal system.

[spookyfish]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Of course, it's not really a country. If you let Singapore carve off pieces, or even allowed the US, for purposes of the study, they could improve their results as well.

Haven't the natives of New York City already done this?

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by spookyfish
Haven't the natives of New York City already done this?

Just Manhattan. It's not really a city - it's a borough.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by spookyfish
Haven't the natives of New York City already done this?

Although I don't think it improved their competitiveness standing.