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jcjnyc

Listed below are comments made by jcjnyc between Friday, 5th September 2008 and Sunday, 11th October 2009.

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Wake-up call for world peace 6:02pm on 11 Oct 2009 The unmentioned fact here is that the award is a private award given by a private organisation, decided on only by a five member committee. You and I have no vote or say in the deliberation. Many of the committee's decisions over the years have been controversial. So what. There have been times when the prize was given for extraordinary accomplishments or efforts, and other times when it was obviously given to encourage vision and progress, or actually help to facilitate it.

It just is what it is. As with any philanthropic organisation, it is all about where the organisation itself wants to put its money and influence. Debating the merits of who gets it is like debating which charity is the most deserving...when you are giving the money, then you get to decide who wins.
More philosophical question about torture 3:15pm on 27 Apr 2009 #28, et. al.

During the Japanese war crimes trials in 1947, the US specifically defined waterboarding as torture. Japanese officers and soldiers who participated in waterboarding Allied prisoners were charged with torture for using it, tried and convicted...and executed.

It is apparently torture when used against our soldiers, but not when we use it against others.
The end of the War on Terror? 10:32pm on 25 Feb 2009 The basic problem with the "war on terror" is that all of these groups started as or continue to be insurgencies. To my knowledge, not one insurgency movement in recorded history has ever been defeated militarily. They are invariably eventually absorbed into the political process (whose exclusion therefrom was the orginial problem anyway).

In a world population that is rapidly growing and globalising, there will have to be a lot more diplomacy, compromise,tolerance and inclusion. The old notion, of which the Western powers were particular fond, of just slaughtering everyone who does not agree with you, do your bidding, or allow you to pillage their country, simply will not work in this new world order. Disenfranchised and powerless people have always eventually risen up against their perceived oppressors. This should have been a "war" against perception, perhaps.

Diplomacy does not mean changing the mind of your adversary. There is always common ground regardless of what anyone may think. I truly believe that when someone resorts to violence to be heard, maybe someone should start listening.
Prosecutions for waterboarding? 8:09pm on 16 Jan 2009 103 R-Snail

I could not agree more.

Every country ultimately gets the government it deserves. Regardless of the form of government, the true power always rests with the people - they either put the government in power or allow it to remain in power.

I am no hawk by any means, but I can certainly see more than one side of an issue. I appreciate the fact that you seem to be able to do so as well. I wish these forums were more of an exchange of ideas, than pontifications of intractable positions.
Prosecutions for waterboarding? 5:28pm on 16 Jan 2009 re: 41 Old South
Effective, aggressive, intelligence work by both the UK and US (under the leadership of the hated Bush and Blair), saved our lives, and spared our family untold agony

We do not actually know this to be true, because the government has claimed it cannot tell us anything because of national security reasons. So we must accept the word of people who have been very wrong before, and who have obviously lied to us before. These are the same folks who brought us the story of WMDs in Iraq. They showed photographs at the UN and claimed that had positive proof, not that they just suspected WMDs. They lied, plain and simple. They did not have proof. Why would anyone believe that these situations were any different. There was an obvious political agenda that was being put forward during this time, and I believe still, and the "facts" were conveniently being adjusted for validation. Sorry, but if the Bush government told me it was daylight outside, I would go out and check for myself first before believing it.
Prosecutions for waterboarding? 04:30am on 16 Jan 2009 In response to the posts about the Carter administration and the 1979 Iranian revolution...the revolution was most likely a delayed but direct response to the US and British governments' organized overthrow of the elected Iranian government of Mosaddeq in 1953, and the "installation" of the pro-west shah to protect western investment in the country's oil industry. The Imperial government of Iran was brutal and repressive and the Imperial Family lived in astonishing wealth at the expense of their subjects. It is a lot more akin to the Russian and French revolutions, being a populist movement against tyranny (not that I agree with the shah's government or the ultimate outcome).
Prosecutions for waterboarding? 04:20am on 16 Jan 2009 At the end of WWII, the United States government charged and prosecuted Japanese civilian and military personnel for torture for using water-boarding against allied prisoners of war. The US claimed it was torture under the articles of the Geneva Convention, and a violation of international law. What is good for the goose...
Palin under pressure 4:25pm on 29 Sep 2008 It will be interesting to watch Palin and Biden together. In the "running score" that was displayed during the first debate, it was interesting to note than whenever the candidates attacked each other, or got negative, the Independent voters showed very negative responses. Everyone is tired of the rancor here, which is a typical strategy to divert attention from the issues...which neither presidential candidate would prefer to discuss. Pitbull this, lipstick that...who cares.

I do not even think experience matters one bit, after all who really is prepared for such a job in advance. If experience mattered, Lincoln would have never been president, since he was arguably the most inexperienced presidential candidate of all time.

I want to hear clear-cut answers to the driving questions of the day. I want to hear them admit that with this bail-out of the banking industry and Wall Street, there are not going to be any more tax cuts, improved education, healthcare reform, or revitalized infrastructure. Candidates love to promise what they cannot deliver...remember Reagan got elected because he promised a balanced budget.

I do think the Democrats ignore and ridicule Palin at their own peril. She is not ready now, and I do not agree with her on any political issue, but I think she is the future of the Republican party. Regardless of who wins in November, the smart politicians will be sizing her up, because they will be running against her in the future.
How banks depend on AIG 3:49pm on 17 Sep 2008 The entire concept of this "shell game" is astonishing to me. Institutions have used a lot of very grey maneouvers to offer the appearance of being responsible and solvent. I am sure the expensively dressed people at the top of AIG had overinflated compensation packages, and became super-wealthy cooking up these schemes to scratch each other's backs, and bilk the public out of all they could get. This entire financial crisis, although all analysts claim it is "complicated" to explain, is based solely and completely on greed. Now this greed will ultimately be rewarded by a save from the exact same people who have been its victims, the taxpaying public. By underwriting these failures, governments are tacitly condoning their practises. Will they "save" me if my small business fails?
Disappointment? 06:41am on 05 Sep 2008 The whole thing certainly seemed kind of stuck in the 80s to me. The basic theme of the convention was the same as 2004, and I thought the oddness of that really stood out. McCain seemed uncomfortable. He is suddenly espousing change, now that the experience thing has been worn out, but the rhetoric was classic core republican...not change. The overly militaristic furor of the convention was a little scary, considering the vast majority of Americans are feed up with the whole war thing. It was more like a VFW convention.

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