The Cellar - View Single Post

Undertoad · 03-03-2003, 06:53 PM

What's more interesting to me is how far you have to go to criticize the US. For all the crap that's happening in the world, how do you choose the US?

You have to walk past half of Africa, humming a happy tune; they have an excuse, they're darkies, so nobody expects them to act civilized. Mugabe seems like a bad man, but maybe he has a well-intentioned long-term plan.

You have to trot around mainland China - no "secret arrests" there to be alarmed about, no sir. No Patriot 2 in China. They always play above board in China.

Hussein, well we assume all his dirty work can be tied back to the US SOMEHOW, so he gets a free pass.

Il, well he's just a *traditional* Commie - it was never in favor to bash those guys, so what's a few million dying, no biggie. And threatening nuclear holocaust - I'm sure it's just that the guy's misunderstood somehow. After all, he's only got at most 2 bombs. Everybody else has a lot more!

Australia, well, there's no fun bashing your own nation.

But the US...! Well THERE is your basic evil-doing country! More evil than all the rest of 'em put together!

The proof:

-- PATRIOT 2 a PROPOSED law written by a single non-lawmaker, that hasn't even been in committee and that certainly won't pass constitutional muster. I'm more against it than you are, but it's not law, and bits of it won't apply even if it becomes law. (The law is very complex in the US and serialized TV shows won't help you understand half of it. Even most Americans are ignorant of most US law.)

-- "Secret" arrests... covered by international news organizations.

-- Gitmo detainees, who are being held in a Caribbean paradise because they are amongst the most dangerous men on earth.

-- Torture, which everyone oddly assumes is happening, except for the experts and former military and intel people who say it's a poor way of getting information.

-- "McCarthyism" although McCarthy happened 50 years ago and remains as completely discredited as the day he was censured by the Senate.

What kind of a stretch do you have to make, to sit there from down under and look around the entire world and say that the US is the one you have to keep an eye on?

The invasion of Afghanistan? Are you insane? How far does your memory go back, like 5 minutes?

I'll tell you what, I WAS not only IN a 'disfavored political group', but I helped to run and manage it and ran campaigns that actively threatened circles of massive power for nearly ten years. And not once -- I was really looking for it -- not ONCE did I find myself even the target of any kind of interest from the status quo. Never mind the secret police and the late-night knock at the door; nobody ever bothered to even telephone me and politely ask me to not do what I was doing. Nobody even sent me a nasty letter. Not even an email.

Hey, y'know what I've just given you? First-person evidence.

03-03-2003, 06:53 PM	#10
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	What's more interesting to me is how far you have to go to criticize the US. For all the crap that's happening in the world, how do you choose the US? You have to walk past half of Africa, humming a happy tune; they have an excuse, they're darkies, so nobody expects them to act civilized. Mugabe seems like a bad man, but maybe he has a well-intentioned long-term plan. You have to trot around mainland China - no "secret arrests" there to be alarmed about, no sir. No Patriot 2 in China. They always play above board in China. Hussein, well we assume all his dirty work can be tied back to the US SOMEHOW, so he gets a free pass. Il, well he's just a traditional Commie - it was never in favor to bash those guys, so what's a few million dying, no biggie. And threatening nuclear holocaust - I'm sure it's just that the guy's misunderstood somehow. After all, he's only got at most 2 bombs. Everybody else has a lot more! Australia, well, there's no fun bashing your own nation. But the US...! Well THERE is your basic evil-doing country! More evil than all the rest of 'em put together! The proof: -- PATRIOT 2 a PROPOSED law written by a single non-lawmaker, that hasn't even been in committee and that certainly won't pass constitutional muster. I'm more against it than you are, but it's not law, and bits of it won't apply even if it becomes law. (The law is very complex in the US and serialized TV shows won't help you understand half of it. Even most Americans are ignorant of most US law.) -- "Secret" arrests... covered by international news organizations. -- Gitmo detainees, who are being held in a Caribbean paradise because they are amongst the most dangerous men on earth. -- Torture, which everyone oddly assumes is happening, except for the experts and former military and intel people who say it's a poor way of getting information. -- "McCarthyism" although McCarthy happened 50 years ago and remains as completely discredited as the day he was censured by the Senate. What kind of a stretch do you have to make, to sit there from down under and look around the entire world and say that the US is the one you have to keep an eye on? The invasion of Afghanistan? Are you insane? How far does your memory go back, like 5 minutes? I'll tell you what, I WAS not only IN a 'disfavored political group', but I helped to run and manage it and ran campaigns that actively threatened circles of massive power for nearly ten years. And not once -- I was really looking for it -- not ONCE did I find myself even the target of any kind of interest from the status quo. Never mind the secret police and the late-night knock at the door; nobody ever bothered to even telephone me and politely ask me to not do what I was doing. Nobody even sent me a nasty letter. Not even an email. Hey, y'know what I've just given you? First-person evidence.