Earthquake In Asia

[Lexusfreak]

My God, it's over 125,000 now! :cries: I've never heard or seen anything so terrible in my life. :(

[VGR]

it really angers me that so many people are against freeing an opressed nation.  it also offends me personally, as i know many people who put their necks on the line

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We're against the killing of 250,000 people and counting mainly to be assurred there is no interruption in the supply of crude oil flowing out of the Middle East to our shores in the years ahead.

Ask yourself this:

If a space alien came to our planet and transported all the Middle East oil over to their own planet would the American military establishment still want to occupy Iraq? Of course not because their would be no future return on our investment (in terms of lives and dollars). So the "war" is primarily about oil, not to free politically oppressed people.

For the same reason - a lack of a return on investment - the American military doesn't go into Rowanda and other politically oppressed areas around the world where the people are poor, uneducated and have no valuable resources that we could ever use like crude oil, rare minerals, etc.

[ArmyofOne]

it really angers me that so many people are against freeing an opressed nation.  it also offends me personally, as i know many people who put their necks on the line

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We're against the killing of 250,000 people and counting mainly to be assurred there is no interruption in the supply of crude oil flowing out of the Middle East to our shores in the years ahead.

Ask yourself this:

If a space alien came to our planet and transported all the Middle East oil over to their own planet would the American military establishment still want to occupy Iraq? Of course not because their would be no future return on our investment (in terms of lives and dollars). So the "war" is primarily about oil, not to free politically oppressed people.

For the same reason - a lack of a return on investment - the American military doesn't go into Rowanda and other politically oppressed areas around the world where the people are poor, uneducated and have no valuable resources that we could ever use like crude oil, rare minerals, etc.

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I didnt ask you for your for his political views, instead you trashed my thread which was originally meant as informative and remorseful. I'f i wanted your opinion on the war in iraq, thats what this thread would have been titled. :chairshot:

We're against the killing of 250,000 people and counting mainly to be assurred there is no interruption in the supply of crude oil flowing out of the Middle East to our shores in the years ahead.  

OMFG im so sick of people saying that. and put up a link that says 250,000 people and i'll believe it. I'm in the war, are you??? (well, not in it per se, but all i have to do is tell somebody i want to and i can see it first hand). the media doesnt even BEGIN to give the complete picture. I know what its about. You dont seem to have the slightest clue. PEOPLE DIE. Its war, and it happens. Move on. Yeah its sad, but we wouldnt get anywhere if it didnt happen. and 250,000 people? My !Removed!. The US Military is not Atilla the hun. If you have a problem with the US Miltiary, then you have a problem with freedom. None of us want to be there. But we will always do our duty. Freedom isnt free and it's a lesson that people like you have yet to learn. I hate to use the word nieve but... <_<

I have a friend over there right now that was in fallujah. He said there were 10 year old KIDS firing at him. so WTF!. When there are 10-14 year old kids picking up guns and shooting at you, are you not going to shoot back? And before you answer, put yourself in the situation so you can honestly answer. Anyone who picks up a weapon in iraq and proceeds to shoot american soldiers will be shot back at. No if's, ands, or buts. Its the american policy not to fire until fired upon. One of the first things you are taught in the army. They are called the RULES OF ENGAGEMENT. look 'em up.

BTW, are you familiar with the country artist named Toby Kieth? Perhaps you should look up his Lyrics to "An American Soldier".

here, i'll even make it easy for you:

I'm just trying to be a father,

Raise a daughter and a son,

Be a lover to their mother,

Everything to everyone.

Up and at 'em bright and early,

I'm all business in my suit,

Yeah, I'm dressed for success from my head down to my boots,

I don't do it for money, there's still bills that I can't pay,

I don't do it for the glory, I just do it anyway,

Providing for our future's my responsibility,

Yeah I'm real good under pressure, being all that I can be,

And I can't call in sick on Mondays when the weekends been to strong,

I just work straight through the holidays,

And sometimes all night long.

You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door,

Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey I'm true down to the core,

And I will always do my duty, no matter what the price,

I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrafice,

Oh, and I don't want to die for you,

But if dyin's asked of me,

I'll bear that cross with an honor,

'Cause freedom don't come free.I'm an american soldier, an american,

Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand,

When liberty's in jeopardy I will always do what's right,

I'm out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight.

American soldier, I'm an American,

An American,

An American Soldier

i stand ready to apologize to you (even though i shouldnt since you hijacked my thread) if/when you can furnish credible proof of your 250,000 casuality figure....until then, stay the out of my thread if you have nothing constructive and ON TOPIC to say. Make your own if it so upsets you. That its all. We are done here.

[bartkat]

it really angers me that so many people are against freeing an opressed nation.  it also offends me personally, as i know many people who put their necks on the line

←

We're against the killing of 250,000 people and counting mainly to be assurred there is no interruption in the supply of crude oil flowing out of the Middle East to our shores in the years ahead.

Ask yourself this:

If a space alien came to our planet and transported all the Middle East oil over to their own planet would the American military establishment still want to occupy Iraq? Of course not because their would be no future return on our investment (in terms of lives and dollars). So the "war" is primarily about oil, not to free politically oppressed people.

For the same reason - a lack of a return on investment - the American military doesn't go into Rowanda and other politically oppressed areas around the world where the people are poor, uneducated and have no valuable resources that we could ever use like crude oil, rare minerals, etc.

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Please stop trying to make political hay on a thread that ain't intended for such. If you want, there's probably already a thread for that *BLEEP* or you can *BLEEP*ing start one of your own. Thanks.

[Thienn]

I can't believe that people turned this tragic topic into debate about our foreign policy! It is so *BLEEP*ing sad but let's give some fact about hundred of thousand (if not millions) people died under Saddam? Being a political refugee from Vietnam I will give you my personnal horror story as the result of the U.S pulled out of the region (countless of South Vietnamese died after 1975, thousands died trying to cross the ocean. and PLEASE DO NOT FORGET MILLIONS OF CAMBODIAN PEOPLE DIED:-( Let's hope we not pull out of Iraq until the job is finish. So please leave the political bull *BLEEP* out of this and focus on the real tragedy! God Bless...

[VGR]

let's give some fact about hundred of thousand (if not millions) people died under Saddam? 

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Only during the late 80's and beginning of the 90's when Saddam was forced to take retaliatory action against rebel factions who were trying to take control of Iraq away from him. Likewise the American military would gun down 100,000 war protesters too if they tried to march into the White House and assume control.

During the Clinton and early Dubbya years (1992-2003) it is estimated only a few hundred rebels were killed by Saddam. That means if Saddam was still in power today, the 100,000+ Iraqi civilians and 40,000+ Iraqi soldiers we have killed (plus the 500,000 we have severely wounded) would still be alive and well.

The German !Removed!'s were as hypocritical as we are. On the one hand they'd mourn innocent victums of a Sicilian volcano or landslide while at the same time planning to invade the country and kill any Sicilian who got in their way.

[bartkat]

This sent from a friend off of a blog run by some career foreign service types (foreign service officers or FSOs). ( see the source at http://diplomadic.blogspot.com/ )

"...Subject: Report from Indonesia, no United Nations to be found

Saturday, January 01, 2005

UN Death Watch . . .

Well, we're heading into Day 7 of the Asian quake/tsunami crisis. And the UN relief effort? Nowhere to be seen except at some meetings and on CNN and BBC as talking heads. In this corner of the Far Abroad, it's Yanks and Aussies doing the hard, sweaty work of saving lives.

Check out this interview (on the UN's official website) with SecGen Annan and Under SecGen Egeland shows,

"Mr. Egeland: Our main problems now are in northern Sumatra and Aceh.

<...> In Aceh, today 50 trucks of relief supplies are arriving. <...> Tomorrow, we will have eight full airplanes arriving. I discussed today with Washington whether we can draw on some assets on their side, after consultations with the Indonesian Government, to set up what we call an “air-freight handling centre” in Aceh.

Tomorrow, we will have to set up a camp for relief workers – 90 of them – which is fully self-contained, with kitchen, food, lodging, everything, because they have nowhere to stay and we don't want them to be an additional burden on the people there."

I provided this to some USAID colleagues working in Indonesia and their heads nearly exploded. The first paragraph is quite simply a lie. The UN is taking credit for things that hard-working, street savvy USAID folks have done. It was USAID working with their amazing network of local contacts who scrounged up trucks, drivers, and fuel; organized the convoy and sent it off to deliver critical supplies. A UN “air-freight handling centre” in Aceh? Bull! It's the Aussies and the Yanks who are running the air ops into Aceh. We have people working and sleeping on the tarmac in Aceh, surrounded by bugs, mud, stench and death, who every day bring in the US and Aussie C-130s and the US choppers; unload, load, send them off. We have no fancy aid workers' retreat -- notice the priorities of the UN? People are dying and what's the first thing the UN wants to do? Set up "a camp for relief workers" one that would be "fully self-contained, with kitchen, food, lodging, everything."

The UN is lying."

Just a little news from the "other side" as it were. Take it for what you feel it's worth. Probably won't see such from NYT or The Guardian.

[Steve]

let's give some fact about hundred of thousand (if not millions) people died under Saddam? 

←

Only during the late 80's and beginning of the 90's when Saddam was forced to take retaliatory action against rebel factions who were trying to take control of Iraq away from him. Likewise the American military would gun down 100,000 war protesters too if they tried to march into the White House and assume control.

During the Clinton and early Dubbya years (1992-2003) it is estimated only a few hundred rebels were killed by Saddam. That means if Saddam was still in power today, the 100,000+ Iraqi civilians and 40,000+ Iraqi soldiers we have killed (plus the 500,000 we have severely wounded) would still be alive and well.

The German !Removed!'s were as hypocritical as we are. On the one hand they'd mourn innocent victums of a Sicilian volcano or landslide while at the same time planning to invade the country and kill any Sicilian who got in their way.

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Does the subject of this topic mention Saddam?? or does it mention anything about iraq? US government maybe? NO

Keep this thread on topic...

If you want to talk about Saddam then create your own thread and dont *BLEEP*e in this one!

[ArmyofOne]

let's give some fact about hundred of thousand (if not millions) people died under Saddam? 

←

Only during the late 80's and beginning of the 90's when Saddam was forced to take retaliatory action against rebel factions who were trying to take control of Iraq away from him. Likewise the American military would gun down 100,000 war protesters too if they tried to march into the White House and assume control.

During the Clinton and early Dubbya years (1992-2003) it is estimated only a few hundred rebels were killed by Saddam. That means if Saddam was still in power today, the 100,000+ Iraqi civilians and 40,000+ Iraqi soldiers we have killed (plus the 500,000 we have severely wounded) would still be alive and well.

The German !Removed!'s were as hypocritical as we are. On the one hand they'd mourn innocent victums of a Sicilian volcano or landslide while at the same time planning to invade the country and kill any Sicilian who got in their way.

←

Does the subject of this topic mention Saddam?? or does it mention anything about iraq? US government maybe? NO

Keep this thread on topic...

If you want to talk about Saddam then create your own thread and dont *BLEEP*e in this one!

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thanks steve and thienn for getting the subject back on topic.

My church's disaster fund has now reached $3,000. thats cool. it just keep sgetting bigger too. not bad considering we are a congregation of less than 150 people. anyone else donated? you can also donate at the top of the site through a link in red.

also, some of my local wal marts are accepting non perishable food donations to be shipped to the affected countries via Fed-EX and UPS Complimentary shipping B) its good to see the world come together in times of crisis. it give me and many others hope that there still is hope for the world. :)

[Steve]

I have made all my family donate.. even my son will dontate from his pocket money.

I am impressed with how many people have donated.. I am noticing so many collections in stores and banks... its been great

[bartkat]

There are stories of kids selling cookies, lemonade, hot chocolate,etc and donating into thousands of dollars. One kid in Vancouver selling cocoa was only 6 years old.

[ArmyofOne]

There are stories of kids selling cookies, lemonade, hot chocolate,etc and donating into thousands of dollars.  One kid in Vancouver selling cocoa was only 6 years old.

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add another one to the list, motorola is donating 2 way radios and other equipment to the rescue workers. i dont know exactly how much, but those walkie taliies arent cheap!

[SKperformance]

here is some videos on another site which it is ebing hosted on,

i don;t know anything about the site but noticed they pay you to post, i have no comment as i am just a visitor to see the vids

it shows some waves that are basically small but keep coming and coming so it washes away most light things in its path rather easily

http://forums.livingwithstyle.com/t90777-a...ami-videos.html

p.s. the last vid shows victims of the wave in its aftermath

[bartkat]

JD Maltz says his USAF unit is going to head down there from Japan on Thursday. I think they'll be unloading planes and moving supplies around.