How we doing?

Yes, Frank, I'm afraid I have to agree with you + the fact that the next war would probably be the final war, considering what is included in the arsenal

I'm glad for you, CI, but statistically, that doesn't seem to be happening to a lot of unfortunate people in this country.

And my question about Rumsfeld and French - was not quite rhetorical. Among so many other things involved in what appears to be little planning for their Iraqi invasion, this administration apparently did not see any reason to study up on the language, culture, history of the Iraqis before making their deceisions. They used intel from people who had been in exile 40 and more years. Contrary to a generaly held American belief, not everybody in the world speaks English. And maybe if Rumsfeld did speak French, or allowed more of a role to the secretary of State - things mighthave been a little smoother.

Doesn't look like we're doing so great.

You know I feel perfectly secure...worrying about a terrorist is like worrying about cancer..preventive measures is only common sense but in the end it's a crap shoot, so why worry?

When death sneaks up on me, I'd rather it find me living than cowering. Screw that.

BPB, That's the whole idea; if you cower and stay 'secure' in your house, you let the terrorists win. That's not living. c.i.

I wonder what the terrorist word for friend is -?
Kimo Sabe; that's it.
Hey, out there: Kimo Sabe! - ulp.
No, that's not it -

c.i. tell that to those idiots who thought of the color alert and raise it for every holiday.

Hey Mr Custer,
I don't wanna go...
There's an injun out there,
waitin' to take ma hair...

BPB, I've given up on this group of infidels; they manage to do everything wrong. c.i.

Bear wrote:


ci wrote:


I'm sure both Bear and ci realize this, but it is worth mentioning:

It is possible "not to feel any safer today" and not be cowering.

I know that is the way it is with me.

OK - next question. What do you mean by safe? Is the world a safer place to be in? Safer than what? Since the beginning of time we've had dragons lurking in dark corners. I'm with the Bear on this one, vertical is better than horizontal. And on the whole, I don't think we're better off. The jobless rate is still high; the inequality rate between the haves and the have-nots is growing; we are not producing better educated children, nor are we producing children who care about other people in the world (I know that's not everybody's goal). That's the next generation, and I worry about what we're passing down to them in terms of values.

And I think everybody should be taught at least two languages - more is better. It would help fight against an increasing isolationist stand.

So far as moving away, Tartarin. Back when things were better, we did think about it. Only because we thought we had found a near ideal spot. Today I think our country needs as many of us as it can get.

Mama

By its very nature, the world IS NOT a safer place in which to live.

The weapons that can be used in any wars that occur are much more powerful -- and although we can brag about some degree of precision -- the fact is if the **** ever hits the fan -- and if a group like the group currently in power IS IN POWER -- we are gonna hit everybody we can with everything we can throw.

Besides the weapons, there is the population -- and its effects on the environment -- just as there are the trinkets of civilization (huge cars) that pose a threat to the environment.

The sky ain't fallin' -- but it also ain't safe here on planet Earth right now.

(I'm standing erect!)

I hope I didn't give the wrong impression with my post...I don't feel safer, the world is more dangerous every day...I just don't give a ****. What good would it do?

BP - what wrong impression? I thought you were pretty clear. And I think you do care, but what's to do? I mean, here in the northeast it's rained enough for 2 months and everybody seems down with the same lingering virus (which I think is a result of all we've done to poison the air - but one of my sisters has this idea about genetically altered food, fed upon by insects, who then go on to put stuff into the earth, which is used to plant the food, thus generating still further genetically altered food.............).

Lived through Nixon, hope to get through this.

I thought you took my comments to mean that I felt secure because of everything that had been going on.

I feel no more or less secure than I ever did, and I refuse to worry about it, it's pointless IMO I'm either going to live out my life or get killed by someone. I'm not going walking in Central Park at night in a thong, but I'm not taking any extreme or different precautions than I ever did.

Perhaps don't give a **** was too strong a way to put it.

Safe is relative. The highway and cancer wards see more death in a month than all Americans that have died in the the last 50 years from terrorism.

As c.i. was saying, this administrations wants you to feel unsafe, to be in fear and think "they" have "saved" you - physically as well as spiritually. Just wait for the take over. As my reading of BPB, go out and have fun, the drinks you or the other person drinks are a thousand times more likely to take you than any terrorist.

BP - if you go walking at night in Central Park in a thong, you'll have several groups interested in you. And my daughter will call to tell me what she's seen.

We used to have a lot of george Orwell Big Brother threads - and now it's here.

Maybe it's better that Rumsfeld's major language is grump, patronize, and then wring his hands.

believe me, me in a thong would invite a mercy killing.....for all concerned.

Perzackly bill W.

Very good description of Rummy, Mamaj!!

Agreed. Right on, Mammaj. For such a tough guy, Rumsfeld seems almost prissy a lot of the time...