Gerry Atrick

Reply to Sarin and mustard gas found in Iraq in Politics JoeUser Forums

Even the Fox News article you link to it says: "If confirmed, it would be the first finding of a banned weapon upon which the United States based its case for war."

Reply to Bizzare News from around the world in Blogging JoeUser Forums

Pakistan is a country of extremes. I travelled there back in the mid eighties and found it to be quite an amazing place and the people were incredibly hospitable....but then I was a male travelling by myself. Also I was a tourist and so I was never going to see what happens deep inside their culture. The laws you mention have been in place for centuries and will take a long time to change, but with outside pressure they will change and these reviews yo

Reply to U.S. Athletes Warned Against "Jingoistic" Flag-waving! in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Greywar, I heard a slightly different story on the radio. It said that US athletes have been warned against showing excess enthusiasm in their celebrations. I was at the Sydney olympics in 2000 and was in the stadium when the US 100 metres mens relay team won gold. Their display afterwards was well over the top. It really felt like they were rubbing everyone elses noses in it and the crowd reacted appropriately....i.e. cheers turned to boos. Australian

Reply to Dan in Personal Relationships JoeUser Forums

P.S. thanks dharma for passing on the info.....

Reply to Dan in Personal Relationships JoeUser Forums

I can see how this site can become adictive but it sounds like he let it take over his life. Shame. Well done Brad though.

Reply to Fear of Ethnic Cleansing in Palestine in International JoeUser Forums

An excellent article OG San. Israel is the only country I know that knows it can act with impunity from the US. Even at it's worst excesses (and before I am attacked I do not disagree that there are the same on the other side) the US will do precisely nothing to curb them besides some insipid statement that stops short of condemnation. This means that any change in Israeli actions must come from within Israel itself. The 100,000 people gatheri

Reply to Dan in Personal Relationships JoeUser Forums

Why was he banned?

Reply to Petition for John F. Kerry's Resignation in Republican JoeUser Forums

Conservatives are more likely than liberals to sit an election out. Is not true....Both of these groups tend to be politically active, liberals through the ideal of socialism and conservatives through the ideal of capitalism. The difference is that conservatives tend to personally benefit from their id

Reply to The price of gas vs. the price of a bottle of water! in Welcome JoeUser Forums

Sorry for the late reply....I'm just catching up after a busy weekend.... The price of oil compared to the price of water or even orange juice is one of those strange things that end up with us realising the market must be artificially manipulated, otherwise it just does not make sense. You say: Gas is something we need a

Reply to The Larger Scandal in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Steven, I certainly agree with Wisefawn on this. You may feel isolated but there are those of us who will alwyas read and respect what you say. Please keep writing both of you as I find your articles thoughtful and well argued, I guess it helps that I agree with you both most of the time. Mind you, considering how many there are that I disagree with (i.e. heaps), I find these articles refreshing. It's good to know there are others out there with a

Reply to A Familar Story in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I'm glad it is just a story.......thank god it couldnt happen in real life....

Reply to Abu Ghraib Torture Approved at Highest Levels in Politics JoeUser Forums

Well said, sadly I do not think we have seen the end of the lies and cover-ups. Though I am a firm believer that truth will out...even from an administration as obsessively secretive as this one.

Reply to The Larger Scandal in Current Events JoeUser Forums

A thoughtful article. I dont think there is any doubt that the US army is the most powerful and best equipped in the world. But it is only equipped to deal with one type of war, a straight up face to face confrontation. In Iraq this phase was tremendously effective but, as you correctly point out, it was a very small part of the conflict. It is the other aspects where the US seems to have no idea of how to manage it. The impression is that, having

Reply to UK troops vindicated? in Current Events JoeUser Forums

The copies of the British 'abuse' photos that I saw looked wrong....there was something about the quality, it looked to good, too professional. So I am not surprised to find out they were fake. But, as you say, the damage has been done. It may have been contained and defused except for the American actions, I suspect ordinary Iraqis consider the British and the Americans to be one and the same

Reply to Law of Armed Conflict in Current Events JoeUser Forums

The "just following orders" defense was used extensively by Nazis at the Nuremberg trials (1947-48) and came to be known as the "Nuremberg Defense". It did not work then and it should not work now. Of course, if there were orders given then those people are equally culpable. As are those who condoned such actions, though dont hold your breathe. Mr Rumsfeld knew about these abuses for months and did nothing, he would still be doing nothing about it

Reply to Mark Twain nailed it in Blogging JoeUser Forums

Twain is one of my favourite authors but I was not familiar with The War Prayer..... thanks LaVoix. It is a wonderful piece of writing and the quote: "I have told the whole truth in that, and only dead men can tell the truth in this world. It can be published after I am dead." is classic Twain. While we are talking literature, I have always found Shakespeares: "And Caesar's spirit ranging for revenge, With Ate by his side come

Reply to English, translated. in Misc JoeUser Forums

One more for your list: gaol = jail Another aspect is pronunciation: e.g. bouy is pronounced boy in England but booey in the US And you could also write a whole blog on the pronunciation of British towns like Leicester, Towcester and Worcester etc etc

Reply to Death and Redemption in Dixie in History JoeUser Forums

I noticed on your website that you do not get many replies. I would just like to say I always read your posts and enjoy them immensly.....keep writing jimbo.

Reply to Daginol - why you're wrong about Iraq in Blogging JoeUser Forums

I think the US has learned its lesson in Iraq I am sure they said the same thing about Vietnam....history has a habit of repeating itself, us humans are remarkably slow learners.

Reply to 3 Stages of Love in Sex & Romance JoeUser Forums

This is a nice and thoughtful article. I hope you find your soulmate, most people just find a 'best fit' and for most it is good enough. Where I have found true unconditional love in the spiritual and emotional sense is with my children. I have never felt for anyone such intense emotions as I do for them (and I was someone who never wanted children at the beginning.) As someone once wrote 'a partner is someone you would kill for, a child is someone you

Reply to Jumping to conclusions in Iraq in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Two comment Draginol: 1. You wrote an article not so long ago, titled - 'UN: Oil for food program funded the UN - It just keeps getting worse', where you seemed ready to hang the UN based on one unsubstatiated news paper article. And yet here, with photographic evidence, you tell us not to jump to conclusions. 2. I would dispute the claim that prisoners held by the US are always treated well. We have the situation in Guantanamo Bay w

Reply to Some reasons I believe in Christianity in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Many factors about any reIigion are open to interpretation. What seperates the believers from the sceptics or even the non believers is faith. The Christian knows God the sceptic does not and depending on this depends on your interpretation of religious writings. Thank you for the post. I believe anyone who reads posts/articles about religion or faith and replies to them has a spiritual side and the discussion here shows that people are interested. It

Reply to Some reasons I believe in Christianity in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Hi MasonM, This is going to be a long reply. Normally I feel if replies are too long they should be in seperate posts but in this case I would like to take some of your points and give my views on them. Please do not be offended, I am actually in awe of people who believe very strongly in something. So, with that qualification, here goes: "Historically, we know that every single one of Christ's apostles, (the men who lived with Jesus,

Reply to The Iraq War And Your Religion in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Shulamite, You sound like your church is praying a lot for Americans in Iraq, I think the point here is that there are a lot of innocent Iraqis (including a lot of children) being killed and injured but that is not being recognised.

Reply to Fellatio Fellatio Fellatio:) in Sex & Romance JoeUser Forums

Giving or receiving....doesn't matter as long as you both enjoy it....and it sounds like you are having a great time.....excellent. Just make sure you are in the right state...in some states I think it is still illegal.