This is way off-topic...don't read it (was Re: cctalk digest, Vol 1 #461 - 43 msgs)

From: Vintage Computer Festival <vcf_at_siconic.com>
Date: Tue Feb 18 23:03:00 2003

On Tue, 18 Feb 2003, Al Hartman wrote:

> Colin Powell showed real evidence that some people who happen to be from
> the Middle East (Not sure if Hussein and his people are Arabs) are doing
> some bad stuff.

Ha. Ha ha. Ha.

> The discussion is about bad people who happen to be Arab. Not that all
> Arabs are bad people.

Are you certain?

> And it so happens, that a lot of terrorists in the world today are from
> the Middle East. Used to be, terrorists were Northern Irish...

"Terrorist" is a very subjective title. Anyone who would disagree is
probably a terrorist.

> The fact that some of the worst incidents have been perpetrated by
> people from the Middle East does not make Americans, British or others
> wrong for noticing it. If anything, it means that it calls for others in
> the Middle East to speak up and use the social pressures or peers to put
> a stop to their fellow citizens (all these bad people must be SOMEONE'S
> brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, cousins, neighbors...) doing all
> this bad stuff.

Well, since I'm American, I would rather focus on calling on my fellow
Americans to realize the arrogance of our ways and the death and pillage
we have wreaked upon other nations around the world.

I feel it is my patriotic duty to point out the serious flaws that this
country seems to want to ignore.

> The displeasure that is aimed towards Middle Eastern people from people
> in the West is because this isn't happening. People are being killed
> daily, and instead of having Millions of people stand up and protest
> that.... We have millions of people stand up and protest somebody trying
> to put a stop to it.

I do stand up and protest the fact that dozens of Palestinians (mostly
civilians) are being killed every month. Does that count? Or maybe
because they're Arabs it doesn't?

> Yes, I think that's stupid. And I think the people who condemn the
> police instead of the criminals, are stupid...

Criminal can also be a subjective term. Anyone who doesn't believe so is
guilty of something.

> > We all know a good A-rab is a dead A-rab. Fuck
> > them. Let's go in there and take their precious
> > oil from them so they can never use the profits
> > to finance terrorism anymore. That'll end all
> > terrorism forever and ever and we can live happily
> > ever after guzzling all the free oil we want.
>
> Not all American's or Westerners believe this.

Unfortunately, those who have the President's ear seem to think so.

> While I would like that Terrorists get no money at all, from any source.
> And I'm pretty sure lots of Saudi money does indeed go to support
> terrorism. Drug money from Poppy sales also goes there, and other money
> goes there also.

Yes, American tax dollars go to support terrorism. For instance, all
those billions of dollars we give to Israel every year.

> I would like to see the oil money stay in the Middle East, but used to
> feed and care for the people there. To provide water, sanitation,
> schooling, and good lives for the people in Middle Eastern countries.
> Rather than being spent on Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction or
> persecution of Non Muslim peoples.

And I would like to see the $397 billion dollars that we just gave to the
Pentagon to blow up Arabs be re-directed to domestic concerns such as
solving the homeless problem (for one) and maybe fixing the economy.

> That is VERY frustrating for Americans. I contribute money to charities
> all the time, and just get sick when I think of all the Billions of
> Dollars spent on weapons and death that instead should have been spent
> on life and making the lives of people better.

You mean like a $397 billion Pentagon budget?

> People who are Anti-American, and Anti-Bush just don't know the truth
> about Americans or George Bush. They buy all sorts of stories that
> aren't true. Make up motivations that aren't real.

Maybe they aren't "Anti-American" at all. Maybe they are just
"Anti-Buush" because they see through the facade.

> We liberated Kuwait, but if you notice did not take the country over.

We didn't need to. We struck deals to get steady flows of oil from them
for cheap in perpetuity for saving their asses.

> We returned it to the rightful rulers.

We turned it back over to a totalitarian monarchy.

> We've done the same throughout history.

Yes, Central America thanks us for all the peace and democracy we brought
them.

> History shows that Americans aren't interested in ruling the world, only
> liberating other people to be free and happy.

That's a good one.

> So, let's get back to discussing Classic Computers...

We'd better, since some of us seem too naive to seriously discuss
politics.

-- 
Sellam Ismail                                        Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger                http://www.vintage.org
 * Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *
Received on Tue Feb 18 2003 - 23:03:00 GMT

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Fri Oct 10 2014 - 23:35:55 BST