The American Taliban

[Partizan]

Anyone who claims that by standing up to the US would hurt our economic prospects are playing the well worn but discredited tune of the neo-Right.

As one of the previous posters said, US firms will continue to trade here as long as its economically feasable, other than that, jobs are safe.

Standing up to the neo-con criminals in the US by saying NO to Shannon as a stopover would be another slap in the face to a corrup, evil & vile regime in Washington that pays lipservice to international law, the UN and basic human rights.

Fvck them and their spineless FF/PD/ Sindo fellow travellers.

[hamish]

Standing up to the neo-con criminals in the US by saying NO to Shannon as a stopover would be another slap in the face to a corrup, evil & vile regime in Washington that pays lipservice to international law, the UN and basic human rights.

.

In addition, Bush was an abysmal failure as a businessman in every business he "ran", his baseball club he "ran" flopped, he made a balls of Texas when Governor there and, both he and his regime are surely the most incompetent bunch of losers ever to rule the US. Every business Bush "ran" had to be bailed out by Pappy Bush's rich pals.

Here's another promise fcuked up - "staying the course" my arse.

Bush pulls the plug on Iraq reconstruction

$18bn funding to stop at end of year

Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Tuesday January 3, 2006
The Guardian


The Bush administration has scaled back its ambitions to rebuild Iraq from the devastation wrought by war and dictatorship and does not intend to seek new funds for reconstruction, it emerged yesterday.
In a decision that will be seen as a retreat from a promise by President George Bush to give Iraq the best infrastructure in the region, administration officials say they will not seek reconstruction funds when the budget request is presented to Congress next month, the Washington Post reported yesterday.

The $18.4bn (£10.6bn) allocation is scheduled to run out in June 2007. The move will be seen by critics as further evidence of the administration's failure to plan for the aftermath of the war.

A decision not to renew the reconstruction programme would leave Iraq with the burden of tens of billions of dollars in unfinished projects, and an oil industry and electrical grid that have yet to return to pre-war production levels.

The decision is a tacit admission of the failure of the US rebuilding effort in the face of a relentless insurgency. Nearly half the funds earmarked for reconstruction were diverted towards fighting the insurgency and preparations to put Saddam Hussein on trial.

At least $2.5bn earmarked for Iraq's dilapidated infrastructure and schools was diverted to building up a security force. And funds originally intended to repair the electricity grid and sewage and sanitation system were used to train special bomb squad units and a hostage rescue force. The US also shifted funds to build 10 new prisons to keep pace with the insurgency, and safe houses and armoured cars for Iraqi judges, the Post said.

The reconstruction fund was tapped for the hundreds of millions of dollars required to hold elections and for four changes of government. It also helped pay for the tens of millions required to establish a criminal justice system, including $128m to examine several mass graves of Saddam's victims.

While 3,600 projects will be completed by the end of the year, the cost of security accounted for as much as 25% of each project, according to the office of the Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction. A US congressional report in October forecast that many reconstruction projects were unlikely to get off the ground because of the spiralling costs of security.

Production on Iraq's national electrical grid remains at 4,000 megawatts, 400 megawatts below pre-war levels, with the average Iraqi receiving less than 12 hours of power a day. Oil production, which was supposed to provide the funds for Iraqi reconstruction, according to the Pentagon's pre-war planning, also remains well below pre-war levels, mainly due to sabotage by insurgents. Iraq's refineries are producing 1.1m barrels of oil a day, compared with 2.6m barrels on the eve of the invasion.

The cut-off to reconstruction programmes adds to increasing speculation that the administration is planning at least a partial withdrawal of troops from Iraq before November's US mid-term election.

It marks a retreat from a promise by Mr Bush in 2003 to provide Iraq with the best infrastructure in the region.

Yesterday, however, a Pentagon official disavowed that ambition. "The US never intended to completely rebuild Iraq," Brigadier General William McCoy, the Army Corps of Engineers commander overseeing the work, was quoted in the Post as saying. "This was just supposed to be a jump-start."

The Post also notes that fewer than 30% of Iraqis were even aware of ongoing reconstruction projects, suggesting the US has failed to extract public relations benefit from any of the reconstruction projects it has completed.

[Condex]

I'm surprised you didn't find a few quotes on there from Foot.ie's resident Muslim-hating Lord of Intolerance Condex...

Been on holidays for the last few weeks and unlike you I've got better things to do than contribute to this anti-American tripe, its all so tired and predictable.

[dcfcsteve]

Been on holidays for the last few weeks and unlike you I've got better things to do than contribute to this anti-American tripe, its all so tired and predictable.

True. Would be much better to go around blaming Muslims for the actions of people who you yourself know are predominantly Christian, now, wouldn't it (a la your cameo contribution to the Australian race troubles thread)

Where were you on holiday - Alabama ? The Orange Free State ? Guantanamo ?

[lopez]

I really dont know how to name this thread ??

Did I just spot Jimmy 'Loooooord fooooorgive me, for I aym a sinnnneeeerrrr' Swaggart of 'Televangelist Caught In Motel Three-in-Bed Hooker Romp' fame? These have got to be the coooooooooolest guys (and gals) I've ever seen.

[Condex]

True. Would be much better to go around blaming Muslims for the actions of people who you yourself know are predominantly Christian, now, wouldn't it (a la your cameo contribution to the Australian race troubles thread)

Where were you on holiday - Alabama ? The Orange Free State ? Guantanamo ?

Actually I went to Donegal not far from where you spent your stone throwing youth

It was refreshing to find that theres not many of you self loathing PC lefties about

[hamish]

Self-loathing lefties eh Condex

God knows how often I've read that when US righties are slagging liberals.

Now who's being tired and predictable.

It's not anti-Americanism really. It's just that many of us feel that the current regime in Washington is totally disfunctional. How can the Republicans claim they're protecting the US when they couldn't even help the victims of Katrina in their own country in a properly organised fashion.

You now have even more people under the poverty barrier, fewer people covered by medical insurance, outsourcing and most new jobs poorly paid, record defecit, constant borrowing from the Chinese and Saudis, the insane Iraq situation with no funding to complete projects there, corruption scandals coming to head - Abramoff, Cunningham, Libby and many, many more.

Here's a story I head two weeks ago from two friends - both priests -working in the Katrina zone. A number of people there were given a trailer and $1000 dollars to move back home. The money was to buy basic furniture (beds, chairs, tables etc) to put into the trailers. However, the local utility companies demanded money up front to install water connections, gas etc. Result - 1000 dollars gone.
These friends are trying to raise money via the local Credit Union here to help these folks.
Also, the Red Cross, like the government, is very badly organised there too.
So, basically, people are suffering in Louisiana and many are still living in tents and surviving on food hand outs from charities.

This, despite the scale of the disaster, in the World's wealthiest country.

Many young men and women in the US forces Iraq from Louisiana are going mental worrying about the folks back home and would rather be there helping out than shoring up what is becoming an increasingly unstable theocratic country.

That's not anti-Americanism or being a lefty......that's just a criticism of an inept US leadership which is full of useless people........BTW I'm no fan of the Democrats either. To me, the Democrats and Republicans are Tweedledum and Tweedledumber, if you follow.

[hamish]

More US Taliban news.........Pat Robertson is even embarrasing the Bushies.

From CNN

Robertson suggests God smote Sharon
Evangelist links Israeli leader's stroke to 'dividing God's land'

Friday, January 6, 2006 Posted: 1033 GMT (1833 HKT)


Pat Robertson founded the Christian Coalition and in 1988 failed in a bid for the Republican presidential nomination.WATCH Browse/Search


(CNN) -- Television evangelist Pat Robertson suggested Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine retribution for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, which Robertson opposed.

"He was dividing God's land, and I would say, 'Woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the [European Union], the United Nations or the United States of America,'" Robertson told viewers of his long-running television show, "The 700 Club."

"God says, 'This land belongs to me, and you'd better leave it alone,'" he said.

Robertson's show airs on the ABC Family cable network and claims about 1 million viewers daily.

Sharon, 77, clung to life in a Jerusalem hospital Thursday after surgery to treat a severe stroke, his doctors said.

The prime minister, who withdrew Israeli settlers and troops from Gaza and parts of the West Bank last summer over heated objections from his own Likud Party, was breathing with the aid of a ventilator after doctors operated to stop the bleeding in his brain.

Daniel Ayalon, Israel's ambassador to the United States, compared Robertson's remarks to the overheated rhetoric of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Full story)

He called the comments "outrageous" and said they were not something to expect "from any of our friends."

"He is a great friend of Israel and a great friend of Prime Minister Sharon himself, so I am very surprised," Ayalon told CNN.

Robertson, 75, founded the Christian Coalition and in 1988 failed in a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. He last stirred controversy in August, when he called for the assassination of Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez. (Full story)

[dancinpants]

When I work from home on Thursdays and fridays, the 700 Club comes on after the morning news - I watch it sometimes and find myself sitting there with my mouth wide open in disbelief.

After Katrina, they were doing a "mini-telethon" type thing, and with 10 minutes of the program remaining they desparately wanted to raise another $100,000. At that, the two hosts held hands bowed their heads and prayed to God that they would receive $100,000.

And what dya know - God got them the $100,000...

Unbelievable stuff!!!

[dcfcsteve]

Just when you thought the Christian Right in America couldn't get any loopier or scarier !

So what then was God punishing America for with all the recent hurricanes over there. Some on the religious right actually claims Katrina was God's punishment for New Orleans's Mardi Gras - though I doubt you'll find many of their number in the Louisiana and Mississippi areas who agree with them ) But what were Wilma and the other hurricanes punishment for ?

And was 9/11 punishment ? After all - God sees, knows and controls everything, Hallelujiah.....

[dancinpants]

Has the program "The Colbert Report" pronounced "Colber Repor" made its way over there yet? Its a hilariously funny, satiracal current affairs program. Its produced by the folks at the "Daily Show" and hosted by Jon Stewarts once correspondent Stephen Colbert. He takes the role of a Republican, and puts across republican views in such a way that you just have to laugh at them.

If it hasn't I strongly recommend you do a search and see if you can download a few snippets.

I know its kind of off topic - but its kind of not either

[hamish]

Interesting new book out

The Baptizing of America
The Religious Right's Plans for the Rest of Us

Rabbi James Rudin
Description:
The Baptizing of America: Politics, Piety, and the Coming Theocracy exposes the systematic campaign by Christian fundamentalists to co-opt and take over every "room" of American society from the bedroom to the school room, hospital room, operating room, courtroom, work room, reading room and newsroom.
This book focuses on the aggressive war currently being led by fundamentalist Christians to "baptize America." It is a battle that will determine whether the United States remains a spiritually vital country but without an officially established religion, or whether it will become "Christianized," a "faith-based nation" in which fundamentalist Christianity will be the sole legal dominant religion throughout the land. The war will decide whether America follows the path of many other nations and becomes a theocracy not unlike Iran and the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Reform Rabbi James Rudin, will increase the tension with a January book, "The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right's Plans for the Rest of Us" (Thunder's Mouth). Mr. Rudin's assault is significant because he spent 32 years with the mainstream American Jewish Committee specializing in Christian relations.
Until recently, Mr. Rudin considered himself an optimist. Now he believes America's "most significant internal struggle since the Civil War" is imperiling the Constitution and democracy. To Mr. Rudin, "the extreme Christian right" is campaigning to impose theocracy -- or, as he prefers, "Christocracy" -- and take "permanent control of the major political, cultural, educational, medical, judicial, economic, media and legal institutions of the United States."

[Condex]

Self-loathing lefties eh Condex

God knows how often I've read that when US righties are slagging liberals.

Now who's being tired and predictable

Well if your not happy with 'self loathing' how about 'rabid and mad'...

You have a lot the same traits that the Christian right possess, the absolute certainty of your argument, you would have been at home in Salem witch hunting

[hamish]

Well if your not happy with 'self loathing' how about 'rabid and mad'...

You have a lot the same traits that the Christian right possess, the absolute certainty of your argument, you would have been at home in Salem witch hunting

Now you're just name calling Condex. Be nice.

I always check a multitude of sources to educate myself and like most people, have changed my mind loads of times as facts and truths emerge. Events change, truths emerge, opinions can change as facts and truths emerge so, like most people, I have to rely on what knowledge is available at the time to inform my beliefs.

Absolutely nothing to do with certainty and the Salem witch hunting wisecrack is just a tad silly although I did enjoy the humour in it TBH. A bit of slagging can be good for the soul.

Have you any evidence to counterbalance the "absolute certainty" in my opinions in the above posts?

Has the US or has it not a record deficit?

Are more people in the US in poverty or not?

Are more people in the US covered by medical insurance or not?

Has the Bush government pulled the plug on Iraq reconstruction or not?

Did the US government make a mess of Katrina or not?

Has there been an increase in US outsourcing or not?

Has the US government increased borrowing from China and the Saudis or not?

Are there or were there investigations of Delay, Libby, Cunningham, Abramoff etc etc etc or not?

Is there a problem in Iraq or not?

Were Robertson's commence on the people of Dover, Hugo Chavez and Sharon justifiable or not?

Was the "War on Christmas" a real issue or not?

I could give you loads more questions like that.

Using terms like self-loathing, rapid, mad etc means you're only doing yourself a disservice and not discussing the issues, I, and others, raised.

In fact, I could argue, that by indulging in your name calling/stereotyping you might be more qualified for those Salem jobs.

Before I forget, the two priests I mentioned are Fr. P.J. Madden (he used to be on telly a lot a few years ago as spokesperson for the Irish Nurses Association) and Fr. Murray - used to play footie with the latter
I have sources related to all the above questions too but am not sure if there's enough bandwidth on Foot.ie for it all. LOL

Just teasing you a little bit, too, Condex - have a Happy New Year

[dancinpants]

The "Colber Repor's" take on the "War on Christmas"

Hope the link works:

http://www.devilducky.com/media/39373/

[hamish]

Anyone ever hear of Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma?? This guy is unreal.
Here are few of his comments on various topics

Homosexuality
According to The American Prospect during Coburn's 2004 senatorial campaign in Oklahoma, Coburn remarked that in the town of Coalgate, Oklahoma, lesbianism was "so rampant in some of the schools...that they'll let only one girl go to the bathroom." [9] School officials have denied his statement. [10] Coburn has also been quoted as saying:
"The gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power ... That agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today. Why do you think we see the rationalization for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda."
Global warming
During his run for the U. S. Senate, Coburn was quoted as saying that there was, "....no hard evidence to support global warming." Coburn called global warming "just a lot of crap."

Breast implants
In January 2005, during a Senate Judiciary Committee discussion about class-action lawsuits and silicone breast implants, The Washington Post quoted Coburn as stating:
"You know, I immediately thought about silicone breast implants and the legal wrangling and the class-action suits off that. And I thought I would just share with you what science says today about silicone breast implants. If you have them, you're healthier than if you don't. That is what the ultimate science shows...In fact, there's no science that shows that silicone breast implants are detrimental and, in fact, they make you healthier."

Coburn is traditional conservative, opposing abortion except in rare cases to save the life of the mother and advocating tax cuts and limited government.
On the death penalty, he said: "I favor the death penalty for abortionists and other people who take life."
Plus this from today's Alito hearings

Tom Coburn: The one...the only...
Tom had his five minutes today and made the most of it. I get the feeling that he wants to over turn Roe, don't you?
COBURN: You know, how is it that we have sodomy protected under that due process but prostitution unprotected? It's schizophrenic. And the reason it's schizophrenic is there's no foundation for it whatsoever other than a falsely created foundation that is in error.. I don't know if we'll ever change that. It's a measure of our society.
But the fact is that you can't claim, in this Senate hearing, to care for those that are underprivileged, to those that are at risk, to those that are vulnerable, to those that are weak, to those that suffer and, at the same time, say I don't care about those who have been ripped from the wombs of women and the complications that have come about throughout that.
So, the debate, for the American public -- and the real debate here is about Roe.

Video here
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/01/09.html#a6643
Heading is: Tom Coburn...the one the only.

Sources, Wikipedia, Fox "News", Coburn's website, Crooks & Liars.

[hamish]

The "Colber Repor's" take on the "War on Christmas"

Hope the link works:

http://www.devilducky.com/media/39373/

Yeah dancinpants, I get it and The Daily Show snippets on the website Comedy Central. Has all the past ones on it here:

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml
I'm sure you have all this anyway.

Colbert is great creac and I think his snippets are taking the p!ss of those looneytunes Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity mostly.

Crooks & Liars regularly feature John Stewart videos on their website.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/

BTW if you ever watch the O'Reilly Factor and his rants on traditional America and values etc etc etc check this out from The Smoking Gun. You'll know why he's called Fallafel or Loofah.
It's 22 pages of evidence but worth reading.........trust me. Let's put it this way O'Reilly is literally a w.anker.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...3mackris1.html

If you ever have seen his idiotic show "The O'Reilly Factor", well, you'll never watch it the same way again.

Al Franken is always taking the p!ss out of him and Limbaugh, Hannity and their ilk on his Air America show (5pm to 8pm weekdays and available on the net). Just to hear Franken's dirty laugh when they play snippets of those gobsh!tes spouting is worth listening alone. One of Fallafel's regular comments is that he "saw combat". Says it all the time. He dodged Vietnam and never served in the army. Apparently, he was a reporter in El Salvador at one time and saw some protests from the safety of the US embassy. LOL

[hamish]

This is worth reading whether you're a wingnut or lefty or somewhere in between.

http://www.publicdomainprogress.info...was-right.html

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945

[hamish]

Apologies in advance Dahamsta but this is too good to just plant as a website link. If I get banned, I'll understand. It's gonna happen sooner or later anyway. I only copied and pasted the first two paragraphs TBF which I hope will entice readers.

The Crucifixion of Christ, American Style

"For God so loved the world..." he returned his only begotten son to the land where he shed his grace on thee.

By Jerry Ghinelli
04/14/06 "ICH" -- -- Vindication for the faithful, rejoicing for the true believers, it was the second coming of Christ—and he was coming to America. Not to bring Armageddon, but to save mankind from Armageddon.
Jesus will make his first appearance at the intersection of the streets appropriately named "Liberty" and "Church" in New York City, located at what has come to be known as "Ground Zero."
Lower Manhattan was virtually shut down as millions of the faithful and curious flooded the streets to get a glimpse of the second coming of their lord and savior.
Even the New York Stock Exchange suspended trading as the crowds swelled from the Battery to midtown Manhattan. The joy and hope that Christ was bringing was palpable—breathtaking, you might say—in the near carnival-like atmosphere that was created in lower Manhattan.
Songs like "Jesus is just all right with me," "Amazing Grace" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" played from loudspeakers where the Twin Towers had once stood. American flags and crosses were everywhere.
Martin Luther King’s "dream" was now a reality, as black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, young and old, "red staters" and "blue staters," even atheists and agnostics, all joined hands in love and friendship at this celebration of the second coming of the Prince of Peace.
The media frenzy was unprecedented.

Read on.........

http://www.informationclearinghouse....ticle12731.htm

[lopez]

Apologies in advance Dahamsta but this is too good to just plant as a website link. If I get banned, I'll understand. It's gonna happen sooner or later anyway. I only copied and pasted the first two paragraphs TBF which I hope will entice readers.

The Crucifixion of Christ, American Style

"For God so loved the world..." he returned his only begotten son to the land where he shed his grace on thee....

The article proves one thing. Next time Jesus visits us, he should make sure he brings dad along as backup. A bit of fire and brimson in the right place might persuade some of these 'God fearing people' who really is in charge. Otherwise, that's exactly what will happen to him.