NationStates Jolt Archive

Two hilarious short pieces in today's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1667689,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1667806,00.html

"What democracy - they didn't pay us our money!"

In one, we find that the Iraqi expatriate community in Jordan is being paid to vote in the Iraqi elections. Now, it's no secret that the US uses NGOs to fund those parties which it would prefer to see win, and with the amount of corruption in Iraq anyway, I doubt that it is Iraqi money being used for such purposes.

In the other, the Pentagon announces that it is going to spend $300m to plant pro-US propaganda in foreign media. Much more definitely taxpayers' money.

So, let's see here... the US government has to pay to trick people to like it, and gets the American public to foot the bill. Smoothly does it. *Points, laughs* Glad that's not my money! :p

(Oh yeah, and we can stop pretending Iraqi Freedom and Democracy is anything but a sham. It's getting embarrassing now.) :rolleyes:

So, let's see here... the US government has to pay to trick people to like it, and gets the American public to foot the bill. Smoothly does it. *Points, laughs* Glad that's not my money! :p

Well, you might not have to pay for it, but we do. :mad:

W00t!!! Plutocracy!!!

*is smug in the knowlege that the British government has the decency to cover up most of its more outragous actions*

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1667806,00.html
I want one of the t-shirts! :p

In the other, the Pentagon announces that it is going to spend $300m to plant pro-US propaganda in foreign media. Much more definitely taxpayers' money.

You have to pay to win. Or do you think it's better to invest all this money and time and bodies, and intentionally lose for lack of trying?

Would you rather we just spend the money on more bombs?

And incidentiliy, can you point to any of the "propaganda" stories we've paid for, and show where it is lying in any way? Or are all the stories true, and you're just mad because America is getting its message out?

It would have seriously surprised me if the US government wouldn't have tried everything they can put put a pro-US puppet government in the US :rolleyes:

Surely it's preferable that attempts to democratise and reform the middle east are done diplomatically rather than militarily.

You have to pay to win. Or do you think it's better to invest all this money and time and bodies, and intentionally lose for lack of trying?
People who have to resort to buying victory don't deserve it.

I believe in success on the merits of one's own ideas and hard work, thank you very much. :)

Would you rather we just spend the money on more bombs?

And incidentiliy, can you point to any of the "propaganda" stories we've paid for, and show where it is lying in any way? Or are all the stories true, and you're just mad because America is getting its message out?
I would rather the United States fed the homeless who are freezing in Detroit City. I would rather they rebuilt the crumbling school system. How much do you think $300 million would help the homeless?! Maybe we wouldn't need to issue propaganda if we were humanitarian without the bigass tanks and missiles.

I would rather the United States fed the homeless who are freezing in Detroit City. I would rather they rebuilt the crumbling school system. How much do you think $300 million would help the homeless?! Maybe we wouldn't need to issue propaganda if we were humanitarian without the bigass tanks and missiles.
Tell ya what. You talk to the terrorists, and ask them nicely to please quit blowing people up, and if it works, I will personally write my Senator asking for the military to put down their weapons and start building schools and power stations, and I will ask that half of them come back to the states to run soup kitchens. K?

While your at it, kindly call Al Jazeera and ask them to give us equal opportunity in their propaganda pieces, so we can save our money for welfare.

I would rather the United States fed the homeless who are freezing in Detroit City. I would rather they rebuilt the crumbling school system. How much do you think $300 million would help the homeless?! Maybe we wouldn't need to issue propaganda if we were humanitarian without the bigass tanks and missiles.

Spot on, bravo!

While your at it, kindly call Al Jazeera and ask them to give us equal opportunity in their propaganda pieces, so we can save our money for welfare.

As soon as you allow Al Quaida to have a spot on Fox, I am sure Al Jazeera will co-operate...

As soon as you allow Al Quaida to have a spot on Fox, I am sure Al Jazeera will co-operate...
LOL, good one! :p

President Dwight David Eisenhower once said, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in a final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed - those who are cold and not clothed."

He's right, too.

Sometimes it's necessary to make guns, launch ships and fire rockets. There are things worth defending with force. Those things should be defended. We as citizens of the world are obligated to stand up for ourselves and those who cannot stand up for themselves.

But when we fight wars of liberation, it seems a waste of money to teach the people we're liberating that money should speak louder than ethics. And yet, while the State Department is trying to teach Iraqi reporters how to be ethical journalists, the Defence Department is trying to teach them how to accept bribes for ghostwritten articles.*

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch says it's okay, though - the stories are "basically factual", if oversimplified and heavily biased, and besides, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is a liar. With that argument, how can you go wrong?

I seem to recall that the UCMJ has a clause that specifies a range of punishments for actions that bring disgrace upon the US military. I don't see how Lynch is doing anything by his statements, except ensuring that people will think the US military is an unprincipled, mercenary institution spreading sleaze and corruption.


* Of course, we have medical researchers in the US accepting bribes from pharmacorps for ghostwritten articles all the time, and we don't complain, so I'm not sure why we should care about the government bribing people for the same purpose.

LOL, good one! :p

:D Thanks

Two hilarious short pieces in today's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1667689,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1667806,00.html



In one, we find that the Iraqi expatriate community in Jordan is being paid to vote in the Iraqi elections. Now, it's no secret that the US uses NGOs to fund those parties which it would prefer to see win, and with the amount of corruption in Iraq anyway, I doubt that it is Iraqi money being used for such purposes.

In the other, the Pentagon announces that it is going to spend $300m to plant pro-US propaganda in foreign media. Much more definitely taxpayers' money.

So, let's see here... the US government has to pay to trick people to like it, and gets the American public to foot the bill. Smoothly does it. *Points, laughs* Glad that's not my money! :p

(Oh yeah, and we can stop pretending Iraqi Freedom and Democracy is anything but a sham. It's getting embarrassing now.) :rolleyes:

you're actually pretty wrong

you did notice the VOTE today, didn't you?

What's not democratic about that?

As for doing some pro-America PR elsewhere, can you blame us? Cripes, everywhere they're concentrating on only the negative aspects ... missing the forest for the trees.

They voted today... which means that Iraq will soon have a democratically-elected government. Do you think such things are bad? No? Then give us some props. Christ.

What's not democratic about that?

Well, the fact you're paying people to vote for Allawi, for one.

People who have to resort to buying victory don't deserve it.

I believe in success on the merits of one's own ideas and hard work, thank you very much. :)
Remind me to cut the defense budget to zero. You can assemble the troops and tell them that they won't be paid, and won't have weapons, will have to swim to the foreign country next time, and we expect them to use only their brains and whatever they can whittle out of sticks.

Well, the fact you're paying people to vote for Allawi, for one.

seems shady, yes, and I can't agree with it.

But when you consider how democrats hand out cigarettes to homeless people so they'll go and vote for dems, how repubs give out stuff to people (i'm sure they do)... means this is not unprecedented.

Also... at least they have the right to vote.

Remind me to cut the defense budget to zero. You can assemble the troops and tell them that they won't be paid, and won't have weapons, will have to swim to the foreign country next time, and we expect them to use only their brains and whatever they can whittle out of sticks.

maybe we can hire the X-Men to take care of our military needs. they might work for simple social acceptance.

seems shady, yes, and I can't agree with it.

But when you consider how democrats hand out cigarettes to homeless people so they'll go and vote for dems, how repubs give out stuff to people (i'm sure they do)... means this is not unprecedented.

Also... at least they have the right to vote.
Let's not forget that the Democratic Party paid money to the local NAACP in Ohio in order for them to register people to vote and get them to show up at the polls and vote Democrat - and the local NAACP chairwoman paid people with crack cocaine to register and vote.

Not just cigarettes my friend...

Let's not forget that the Democratic Party paid money to the local NAACP in Ohio in order for them to register people to vote and get them to show up at the polls and vote Democrat - and the local NAACP chairwoman paid people with crack cocaine to register and vote.

Not just cigarettes my friend...

If all else fails 'they did it too'...

I sometimes wonder why we bother with this place.

If all else fails 'they did it too'...

I sometimes wonder why we bother with this place.
Republicans aren't selling crack to people to get them to vote. So "they didn't do it too".

Let's not forget that the Democratic Party paid money to the local NAACP in Ohio in order for them to register people to vote and get them to show up at the polls and vote Democrat - and the local NAACP chairwoman paid people with crack cocaine to register and vote.

Not just cigarettes my friend...

i know, but i didn't want to be pointing the finger just at Dems... for once in my life, I tried to show fault but with thoughts toward mitigation.

Republicans aren't selling crack to people to get them to vote. So "they didn't do it too".

lol, most Repubs prolly picture the plumber's bum when they hear the word "crack"

hehe

lol, most Repubs prolly picture the plumber's bum when they hear the word "crack"

hehe

No Repubs only snort coke ;-)

maybe we can hire the X-Men to take care of our military needs. they might work for simple social acceptance.

Dude! Do you know how much ass that would kick?

Republicans aren't selling crack to people to get them to vote. So "they didn't do it too".

Jack Abramoff agrees with you.

Would you rather we just spend the money on more bombs?

How about just not spending it on any useless, nonproductive shit at all? I'm sure there's kids wot need book-lurnin somewheres about.

*snip* use only their brains and whatever they can whittle out of sticks.
Don't underestimate what a master swordsman can accomplish with a properly balanced stick.

One good bokken strike and bam! Cracked skull. Japanese samurais did it, I don't see why modern infantry soldiers couldn't ! ;)

Also... at least they have the right to vote.
What's the point? If they don't attach any intrinsic value to the institution of democracy, and only participate through bribery, then what exactly was the all-consuming need to hand it to these people on a silver platter in the first place?

You have to pay to win. Or do you think it's better to invest all this money and time and bodies, and intentionally lose for lack of trying?

Paid for democracy isn't democracy. Not when you're paying people to vote.

Remind me to cut the defense budget to zero. You can assemble the troops and tell them that they won't be paid, and won't have weapons, will have to swim to the foreign country next time, and we expect them to use only their brains and whatever they can whittle out of sticks.

Straw man. Paying to arm your soldiers does NOT equate paying people to vote for you. If you think that, I have to question your mental faculties.

And before you think to say "Dem's do it too!", I'll point out this. I think buying votes regardless of who you are puts you on the lowest level of political scum.