When did the GAO ever approve of any US weapons system?

Why is it impossible to have a discusion about the EU without have someone bring the U.S. into it? I realize that the U.S standing in the world invites comparison, but it would be nice if it could occasionally be set aside.

Can the Spanish vote not stand on it’s own? They were voting on a serious issue and the results may have reprocussions in other EU nations.

Comparing any U.S. federal/presidential election to the recent Spanish referendum is, as Gnome points out, rather silly. The U.S. vote was to determine who would be president, not whether to have one or not.

As far as voter turnout in western nations, I agree with EN830. As an example, the last Federal elections in Canada were nothing to brag about. British elections are coming. Perhaps that discusion will even include enlightening comments about the impact on British society and relations with the EU and not just how it was influenced by the Bush/Blair connection

Sauron

Ben

A interesting article IMHO.

Sauron

P.S.
I hope you will not be admonished for violating the new rule that requires a poster to include a personal opinion when posting such an article. :confused:

Regards

Sauron

Frank

Thanks for the reply but what recurring theme are you alluding to?

Sauron

Flood

I am not in a position to argue your experience. All I can say is that I am in a position to scan and sample the national TV news chanels in both Canada and the U.S. on a daily basis. and the news is quite detailed and the major issues are discused and argued throughout the day and particularly in the evening. It’s not all hard news all day to be sure and there is much repetition and a lot of trash filler and opinion as well but it very pragmatic. There is a large difference between the content of the local news and the national news in both the U.S. and Canada as you would expect. I imagine it’s the same in the U.K.

Every large U.S city has a number of daily newspapers of all stripes, with different ownership and views and can say anything they want, question anything and speakout on any issue. Small town papers are just what you would expect. State ownership is non-existant. There is no BBC or CBC type stuff but they are also available on the hundreds of chanels available via cable, satellite, etc including dozens of European and other non-english, non U.S. chanels from everywhere. There are tons of internet based editions and countless bloggers watching every move. Little of this could be characterized as more parochial than anywhere else I would guess.

Canadian newspapers are more closely owned than in the U.S and radio/TV broadcasting is far more regulated than in the U.S. Canadian regulators believe our boarders extend upward to space.

Sauron

I

Well Ben as someone said to me recently you are entitled to your opinion.

Sometimes Ben us Canadians have trouble with the sarcasm thing being as we are not as adept at sophistry as you European types. I would have never made the connection between the Congo and past Belgian deeds there on my own.

I am gratefull, however, that you believe I should be allowed to post my stupid crap here. I was afraid there for a bit that I would be the one in violation of the rules again.

Regards

Sauron

Frank

I had no idea I had inadvertantly posted this twice. (Mistakes happen but usually they are obvious and no one tries to make a federal case out of it). Thanks for taking care of that detail for me.

Is there a double standard at work here? Are certain subjects taboo? A number of rather ignorant comments have been made here recently without a reaction from you. Why am I warned? Was I impolite? Did I ask anyone if they were “drunk” or if they were a “ju”? Did I infer that someone was acting like a Nazi? Did those comment constitute an opinion? Is being laconic poor form? Compared to the responses from those whose only purpose is to ridicule?

Well my opinion is this: that this behavour by the U.N. is just another example of how corrupt that organization is at the senior level, down through to operations levels and is the direct result of the current SG’s lack of standards and leadership. He of all people, should be crying out everyday about this sort of thing. He should be on T.V. talk and panel shows in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere, every week, talking about this and other situations ( oil for food, Sudan and others). The press would fall all over him for a chance to hear him speak and perhaps shame the SC members into reforming the U.N. You would think that as an African he would be outraged by this and other events taking place there. This is the same guy who was recently grandstanding about how effective the U.N. was in the Idian Ocean while everyone knows it took the U.N three weeks to get off it’s collective ass out of the first class seats, and into the 5 star hotels and BMW’s while the U.S. Austrialian, India.Indonesia and others were doing all the real work. He should resign and let someone else take over or call for serious reform.

Perhaps rather than suggest that this is an attempt to flame, it should be regarded as an attempt to discuss an issue. When you actually read the comments here, it becomes apparent who is actually doing the flaming.

Don’t worry Frank, we can handle him.

What that means Frank is that we can prevent any serious discusion on this forum that dosn’t meet our criteria.

The fact is Frank that all of the topics mentioned by those who for whatever reason are too shy to discuss the Congo issue, have already been taken up by this, forum.

I do not believe you are fooled by this type of tactic.

regards

Sauron