COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Russian Tattoos, Jacked in the Caucasuses,

God of crime
The Russian word for God - Bog -
is also an acronym used by criminals.
It means "I shall rob again".

Brave Old World
by Victor Davis Hanson

Russia invades Georgia. China jails dissidents. China and India pollute at levels previously unimaginable. Gulf monarchies make trillions from jacked-up oil prices. Islamic terrorists keep car bombing. Meanwhile, Europe offers moral lectures, while Japan and South Korea shrug and watch -- all in a globalized world that tunes into the Olympics each night from Beijing.

"Citizens of the world" were supposed to share, in relative harmony, our new "Planet Earth," which was to have followed from an interconnected system of free trade, instantaneous electronic communications, civilized diplomacy and shared consumer capitalism.

But was that ever quite true?

In reality, to the extent globalism worked, it followed from three unspoken assumptions:

First, the U.S. economy would keep importing goods from abroad to drive international economic growth.

Second, the U.S. military would keep the sea-lanes open, and trade and travel protected. After the past destruction of fascism and global communism, the Americans, as global sheriff, would continue to deal with the occasional menace like a Muammar al-Gaddafi, Slobodan Milosevic, Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong-il or the Taliban.

Third, America would ignore ankle-biting allies and remain engaged with the world -- like a good, nurturing mom who at times must put up with the petulance of dependent teenagers.

But there have been a number of indications recently that globalization may soon lose its American parent, who is tiring, both materially and psychologically.

The United States may be the most free, stable and meritocratic nation in the world, but its resources and patience are not unlimited. Currently, it pays more than a half trillion dollars per year to import $115-a-barrel oil that is often pumped at a cost of about $5.

The Chinese, Japanese and Europeans hold trillions of dollars in U.S. bonds -- the result of massive trade deficits. The American dollar is at historic lows. We are piling up staggering national debt. Over 12 million live here illegally and freely transfer more than $50 billion annually to Mexico and Latin America.

Our military, after deposing Milosevic, the Taliban and Saddam, is tired. And Americans are increasingly becoming more sensitive to the cheap criticism of global moralists.

But as the United States turns ever so slightly inward, the new globalized world will revert to a far poorer -- and more dangerous -- place.

Liberals like presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama speak out against new free trade agreements and want existing accords like NAFTA readjusted. More and more Americans are furious at the costs of illegal immigration -- and are moving to stop it. The foreign remittances that help prop up Mexico and Latin America are threatened by any change in America's immigration attitude.

Meanwhile, the hypocrisy becomes harder to take. After all, it is easy for self-appointed global moralists to complain that terrorists don’t enjoy Miranda rights at Guantanamo, but it would be hard to do much about the Russian military invading Georgia's democracy and bombing its cities.

Al Gore crisscrosses the country, pontificating about Americans’ carbon footprints. But he could do far better to fly to China to convince them not to open 500 new coal-burning power plants.

It has been chic to chant "No blood for oil" about Iraq's petroleum -- petroleum that, in fact, is now administered by a constitutional republic. But such sloganeering would be better directed at China's sweetheart oil deals with Sudan that enable the mass murdering in Darfur.

Due to climbing prices and high government taxes, gasoline consumption is declining in the West, but its use is rising in other places, where it is either untaxed or subsidized.

So, what a richer but more critical world has forgotten is that in large part America was the model, not the villain -- and that postwar globalization was always a form of engaged Americanization that enriched and protected billions.

Yet globalization, in all its manifestations, will run out of steam the moment we tire of fueling it, as the world returns instead to the mindset of the 1930s -- with protectionist tariffs; weak, disarmed democracies; an isolationist America; predatory dictatorships; and a demoralized gloom-and-doom Western elite.

If America adopts the protectionist trade policies of Japan or China, global profits plummet. If our armed forces follow the European lead of demilitarization and inaction, rogue states advance. If we were to treat the environment as do China and India, the world would become quickly a lost cause

If we flee Iraq and call off the war on terror, Islamic jihadists will regroup, not disband. And when the Russians attack the next democracy, they won't listen to the United Nations, the European Union or Michael Moore.

Brace yourself -- we may be on our way back to an old world, where the strong do as they will, and the weak suffer as they must.

61 comments:

  1. Peace Plan Offers Russia a Rationale to Advance

    Negotiating from a position of strength, the Russians demanded the fifth point, allowing their troops to act in what was termed a peacekeeping role, even outside the boundaries of the separatist enclaves where the war began, with an understanding that later an international agreement might obviate this need.

    The vague language of the fifth point allows Russian peacekeepers to “implement additional security measures” while awaiting an international monitoring mechanism.

    The Georgians asked that a timeline be included in the language for these loosely defined Russian peacekeeping operations, but the Georgian official said Mr. Sarkozy’s response was that without an agreement, a Russian tank assault on the capital could ensue: “He was saying it’s a difficult situation. He said, ‘Their tanks are 40 kilometers from Tbilisi. This is where we are.’ ”

    Mr. Sarkozy and Mr. Saakashvili announced the agreement around 2 a.m., and Russian tanks and troops moved toward Gori soon afterward. The Russians cited the fifth provision, saying they had identified a threat to the local population that justified their troops assuming a peacekeeping role in the city.
    ----
    Text: Peace Accord Sarkozy Gave to Georgians (August 14, 2008)
    Bush, Sending Aid, Demands That Moscow Withdraw (August 14, 2008)
    Russian Soldiers Occupying Stalin’s Birth City Are Buoyed by Battle With Georgia (August 14, 2008)
    Conflict Narrows Oil Options for West (August 14, 2008)
    Rejuvenated Georgian President Cites U.S. Ties as ‘Turning Point’ in Conflict (August 14, 2008)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Civil disobedience only works in civil societies.

    While the US has the cleanest water and air in the industrialized world, the Greenies tell us that exhailing is bad for the planet. That those pastoral cattle are a threat to the global enviorment.

    That breathing and cow farts are major concerns, or at least should be.

    The idealogy of business, as exemplified by the Russell Company traders, has been at the helm of the US Republic for a hundred years or so, now. With mixed results, to be sure.

    Poverty, from a global perspective, has been eliminated in the US, where even the "poor" own a color TV and a cell phone.

    The folk in the US don't much care about India and China, less about Georgia and the Ukraine.

    They're just other items in the expense ledger. And expenses need to be slashed.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rejuvenated Georgian President Cites U.S. Ties as ‘Turning Point’ in Conflict

    By Wednesday he seemed an almost preternaturally reinvigorated man, once again raising the temperature in Georgia’s bitter disagreements with Russia, and invoking special ties with American democracy and freedom.

    Moments after President Bush appeared at the Rose Garden to say that the Pentagon would begin a humanitarian aid mission to support Georgia, Mr. Saakashvili was on the phone with a Western reporter, talking fast. “This is a turning point,” he said. Soon he appeared on national television, his tousled hair combed back flat and wearing a freshly pressed suit, assuring his country that the worst had passed.

    We already saw U.S. Air Force landing in Georgia despite Russians controlling the airspace,” he said, after a C-17 had touched down. “And we will see U.S. military ships entering Georgian ports despite Russians blocking it. That we will see.” He added, “These will be serious military ships.”

    But the American military said that although the Navy had been ordered to assist in the humanitarian mission, it had not yet formed its plans and no ships were en route.

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  5. The Dems won't pursue free trade like Dubya did; but, they won't roll it back, either.

    The question for me this election is: Missile Defense, or Biofuels? It's a "toughie."

    Can McCain roll back ethanol? Probably, yes. The EPA is omnipotent when it comes to implementing the rules; and, the Pres appoints the head of EPA.

    Can McCain deliver on Missile Defense if he's elected? Maybe, maybe not.

    Can Obama deliver on biofuels? Yep.

    Will Obama positively, absolutely kill missile defense? Yep.

    Can we make it eight more years without missile defense? Probably.

    Can we make it four more years without a strong biofuels program? It'll be a mess if we try.

    Shit!

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Can we make it eight more years without missile defense? Probably."
    ---
    Yeah, I don't plan on buying fire insurance for the next eight years, either, since we probly won't need it.
    Same for batteries for fire alarms.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Got a whole frigging continent and offshore brimming with energy resources, and we pretend that we're at the end of the line.
    Should be developing both alternative and traditional energy resources.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey Rufus,
    Why isn't someone pursuing Coal to Methanol, ala, Hitler.

    Did you see my links the other day?

    ReplyDelete
  9. rather than a long diatribe a small point

    Who is going to protect nigerian oil heading for china?

    I suggest an easy way to "share the costs" of globalism is to make a point to the world (read this pirates) is that we of the USofA are not protecting any chinese, russian (or any non United Democratic state) flagged shipping...

    (btw the Brits did this to us in the 1776-1783 time period)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Missile defense against whom?

    The System would be overwhelmed by a Russian assualt.

    Who else is there, realisticly?

    Not China, our bestest trading partner.

    Not the NorKs, they've begun to disarm, thanks to the success of Six Perty Talks, besides, they don't have ICBMs.

    Same goes for Iran, no capable missiles, but then they do not even have the nukes, either.

    The reality is we need to be producing 400 million barrels of ethanol per year, as quickly as possible.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Coal to liquid, have at it, too.

    Will not be the job base that producing 400 million barrels of ethanol could provide.

    Ethanol distilled for less than a dollar per gallonm from non food stock resources.

    ReplyDelete
  12. dr.

    biodiesel

    that is the way, the truth, the light...

    made from everything from bef, pig & chicken fat, to soy, rapeseed, palm, peanut & more...

    we even have ground cover legumes that are used as off season and rotation fallow crops that afix nitrogen to the soil, require zero til, provide insect resistance and the leaves produce OIL...

    couple that with domestic solar on every strip mail

    couple that with tax credits for geo-thermal

    couple that with wind/electric & nuke...

    couple that with tide power & wind...

    (not to mention a revamp of our mass transit train system)

    ReplyDelete
  13. A world without OPEC, Russia or Hugo...

    picture it...

    No middle east issues ever again...

    No Uppity Russia

    Hugo can go pound sand...

    ReplyDelete
  14. obama?

    what a joke.....

    -a dem of 28 years...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Doug, I didn't see the links, I guess. Sorry.

    Coal to Methanol probably isn't going very far. The plants are incredibly expensive, it's an ecological nightmare, and you end up with a poisonous substance (methanol.)

    Guys, if my son came to me and said: "Dad, I'm just not making it. My paycheck is only getting me to the 25th of the month," What should I say? Should I recommend that he look at his expenses to see where he can cut some outgo? Should I recommend that he work a little overtime? Should I recommend that he take a couple of night-classes, and see if he can get a raise, or a new job? All of the above?

    Or should I say, "HIT YOUR SAVINGS, SON!" "HIT YOUR SAVINGS!" "HIT YOUR SAVINGS!" "HIT YOUR SAVINGS!!"

    It seems to me that this would be somewhat akin to saying DRILL! DRILL! DRILL!

    ReplyDelete
  16. A jobs program that requires land, water, and acreage!
    Coal we got up the Wazzoo.
    ---
    Methanol Uber Alles

    The Air Plan that Defeated Hitler - Google Books Result
    by Haywood S. Hansell, Haywood S. Hansell, Jr. - 1979 - History - 311 pages... 100 percent of her nitric acid (basic component of all explosives), and 99 percent of her equally important methanol were synthesized from coal, ...

    ReplyDelete
  17. land, water, and acreage and ENERGY!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Poisonous substance?
    You drink Gasoline?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Methanol has a higher energy density than ethanol, also.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'd appreciate some links about the expense of coal to Methanol.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Missile defense is money in the bank.

    It protects our navies, air force, capital cities, It is the big cop on the beat. It dissuades skank states from throwing growingly cheaper missile at allies. It will keep our present and future adversaries from sitting too high in the saddle.

    Been watching the fascist olympics?

    China ueber alles is the dream, going for the gold.

    Deny them. Double down on missile defense

    ReplyDelete
  22. Captain Charles said...
    "Fletcher Christian: why on earth are you tossing money into the air for energy tech that will take a decade to work out? The laws of physics are what they are…not what we’d like them to be.

    Why is it that you utterly ignore the one technology that works NOW. Coal conversion [invented 75+ years AGO…] that produces hydrocarbon derivatives at a cost of 45-65 dollars per bbl [depends on who you talk to…]. Need gas? Diesel? Jet-A? JP-5? Plastics feedstock? All there, all at half the world market cost.

    You want a heroic project FC? How about an announcement to the world that American is taking it’s military off the world oil grid [and thereby freeing up ALL the POL DoD is currently buying to go back into the commercial market…] and will no longer be a slave to OPEC. That’s right, a goal of 100% coal-based POL for government use…commercial market to follow.

    I wonder who’s digestion would spoiled by that speech?
    "

    ReplyDelete
  23. No, Doug; Methanol has a lower energy efficiency than ethanol. It's like 65,000 btus, or such (ethanol is 76,000 btus.)

    I wouldn't get too excited about hundreds of years of coal, either. That's at "Present Usage." You start making transportation fuel out of it, and those years supply get a whole lot smaller, real quick.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Time to fund the self determination of the Russian occupied peoples.

    For decades the chinese, indians, europeans and russians (and sadly us) have allowed the fake national goals of the palestinians to be on the front burner...

    time for karma

    fund armed revolutionaries against china, russia, the arab world & russia

    ReplyDelete
  25. Doug, we're producing over 600,000 Barrels/Day of Ethanol, NOW.

    The Germans never came close to that with coal to liquid.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Doug, I'm getting ready to go take a nap, now; but, a ctl plant costs about 10 times as much as an ethanol plant - $$s/capacity.

    And, again, a lot of people make the same mistake with coal as with oil. They confuse "reserves" with "Potential Flow Rate."

    It's really not a very promising technology.

    ReplyDelete
  27. In depth look at the secret societies that will take over our country tonite on C2C!--

    Thu 08.14 >>
    Journalist and author Jim Marrs will be discussing the secret societies that threaten to take over the United States.

    and

    BLACK-GOLD BLUES
    U.S. green lights 'anything into oil'
    Defense Department OKs facilities turning natural produce into energy

    By Joe Kovacs
    © 2008 WorldNetDaily

    Naturally occurring bacteria used to convert biomass into hydrocarbons.

    A Georgia company looking to solve America's energy problem has finally teamed up with the federal government, hoping to make millions of barrels of oil every day from virtually anything that grows out of the Earth.

    Bell Bio-Energy, Inc. says it has reached an agreement with the U.S. Defense Department to build seven test production plants, mostly on military bases, to quickly turn naturally grown material into fuel.

    "What this means is that with the seven pilot plants – the military likes to refer to them as demonstrations – with those being built … it gives us the real-time engineering data that we need to finish the designs for a full-scale production facility," J.C. Bell, the man behind the project, told WND today.

    "In 18 months or so, we will start manufacturing oil directly from waste and we will build up to about 500,000 barrels a day within two years. In another six months, we'll reach a million barrels a day."

    As the United States now imports about 13 million barrels of oil a day, the only obstacle then to total energy independence from foreign sources will be the money needed to develop the processing plants, he said.

    "Working with the USDA we've identified enough waste material around the country, we truly believe we can make the United States totally energy independent of foreign countries in about five years," he said.

    WND originally reported on the project in March as Bell, an agricultural researcher, confirmed he'd isolated and modified specific bacteria that will, on a very large scale, naturally and rapidly convert plant material – including the leftovers from food – into hydrocarbons to fuel cars and trucks.

    That means trash like corn stalks and corn cobs – even the grass clippings from suburban lawns – can be turned into oil and gasoline to run trucks, buses and cars.


    Wood pulp is among the many natural materials that can be converted into oil and gasoline, according to Bell Bio-Energy, Inc., of Tifton, Ga.


    He said he made the discovery standing downwind from his cows at his food-production company, Bell Plantation, in Tifton, Ga.

    "Cows are like people that eat lots of beans. They're really, really good at making natural gas," he said. "It dawned on me that that natural gas was methane."

    WND also reported how the national news media more or less ignored his announcement of a potential solution to America's dependence on Middle East nations for its oil.

    But the U.S. military was listening. And Bell now confirms his agreement with the Department of Defense, the Defense Energy Support Center and the Army will have seven demonstration facilities built at Fort Benning and Fort Stewart in Georgia, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort AP Hill in Virginia, Fort Drum in New York and Fort Lewis in Washington, as well as one more installation in San Pedro, Calif.

    "We should have all of the plants running within 60 days," he said. "This is a big step in our growth, from the engineering that we develop with these plants, we will be able to build our full-scale production facilities and be in full production in the next 12 to 18 months.

    "Everyone now accepts the fact that we can make oil through bacterial action and now it is just a matter of time and money until we are turning out one million to two million barrels per day," he said.

    He told WND the first full-scale facility probably will cost $100 million to $125 million to build, and that an investment of $2.5 billion likely will be needed to reach a production level of a million barrels per day.

    But he said the return – even if the oil were sold for $70 a barrel, just half of what it was going for six weeks ago and still substantially lower than the current market rate of about $110 a barrel – would be significant.

    "It will feel very, very good to be to the point where we finally turn off the spigot from overseas," he said.

    The process previously had been verified, said Dr. Art Robinson, a research professor of chemistry at the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine who publishes the Access to Energy newsletter. "These other ways [of producing energy] work; the only question is if they're competitive in price. Any hydrocarbon under pressure and temperature can turn into oil."

    How big does Bell believe the process eventually could be?

    "With minor changes in the agricultural and forestry products, we could create two to two and a half billion tons of biomass a year, and you're looking at five billion barrels of oil per year," he said.

    ReplyDelete
  28. It just boils down to this folks: When oil is $100.00/Barrel you can make biofuels out of your granny's gymn shorts, and be competitive.

    G'nite.

    ReplyDelete
  29. They used to talk about getting oil out of the Canadian tar sands (similar to converting coal I think) as being profitable with oil around 55 bucks a barrel. Unfortunately the cost of squeezing oil out of the tar sands goes up as the price of oil goes up. It takes a large amount of energy to get the oil out and it is proving to be very environmentally messy.

    ReplyDelete
  30. But with so many modern judges bent on writing law by fiat, doctors, firemen and used car salesmen are just as qualified to opine on judicial philosophy. In fact, we'd prefer the used car salesmen.

    ABA Plots Judicial Coup

    ReplyDelete
  31. Remember the Reagan days, "peace thru superior fire power." Missile defense system a must.

    ReplyDelete
  32. As a result of the development of Canadian oil sands reserves, 44% of Canadian oil production in 2007 was from oil sands, with an additional 18% being heavy oil, while light oil and condensate had declined to 38% of the total.[5] Because growth of oil sands production has exceeded declines in conventional crude oil production, Canada has become the largest supplier of oil and refined products to the United States, ahead of Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

    Because extra-heavy oil and bitumen flow very slowly, if at all, toward producing wells under normal reservoir conditions, the sands must be extracted by strip mining or the oil made to flow into wells by in situ techniques which reduce the viscosity by injecting steam, solvents, and/or hot air into the sands. These processes can use more water and require larger amounts of energy than conventional oil extraction, although many conventional oil fields also require large amounts of water and energy to achieve good rates of production.

    At the present time, only Canada has a large-scale commercial tar sands industry, though a small amount of oil from tar sands is produced in Venezuela. Both Canada and Venezuela are major suppliers of oil and refined products to the United States. Tar sands now are the source of almost half of Canada's oil production, and output is expanding rapidly, while Venezuelan production has been declining in recent years. Currently, oil is not produced from tar sands on a significant level in the United States.[9]
    wiki

    ReplyDelete
  33. There was a bill passed by congress restricting government purchases of fuel that had life cycle greenhouse gas emissions higher then traditional fuel. This has concerned tar sands producers.

    ReplyDelete
  34. 64% Now Support Offshore Drilling; 42% See it as Best Way to Reduce Oil Prices

    Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) support going ahead with offshore oil drilling, an issue that John McCain seized on in early June as a way to help lower gas prices and has since forced Barack Obama to at least partially agree with.

    Daily Presidential Tracking Poll

    The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows Barack Obama attracting 43% of the vote while John McCain earns 42%. When "leaners" are included, it's Obama 47% and McCain 46%.

    McCain Takes Slight Lead Again in Nevada

    ReplyDelete
  35. 64% Now Support Offshore Drilling; 42% See it as Best Way to Reduce Oil Prices

    ==

    Which means the oil mafia has little more work to do in educating the masses.

    Drill! Drill! Drill!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I'm a sucker for that oil mafia:) For the sake of the planet, we ought to go back to horse farming, I just can't stand thinking of all the work.

    Mat, don't miss C2C tonite! Secret Society Night!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Well it's on the list there.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I'm a sucker for that oil mafia:)

    ==

    I know Bob. But if you keep sucking on that sucker you'll lose you teeth. :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Mat, don't miss C2C tonite! Secret Society Night!

    ==

    Should I dress up? :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. E-Zip Electric Bike
    @ WalMart



    Top Speed:
    * 18 mph/29 km/h

    Range:
    * Up to 15-22 miles/24-35 km

    Drive:
    * Patented Currie Electro Drive

    system
    * Speed specific gearing
    * Shimano 7-speed gearing

    ReplyDelete
  41. BS on the Bias.

    Rentech has patented the technology, built the pilot plant, and funded the commercial plant.

    USA has 25% of world coal supplies - more if you include “reserves” not considered cost effective under current regulatory code. This compares with 2% to 3% for oil and natural gas.

    Coal produces (1) electricity, (2) liquid fuel, (3) hydrogen for future fuel cells, and (4) has the supply potential for export commodity.

    If the objective is reducing the OPEC bill, this is proven technology, coming in at $2/gal production cost and producing multiple feedstocks to diversify the revenue streams, including carbon which is sequestered in process and sold.

    It also works when the geothermal cycle goes into a long cooling phase.

    ReplyDelete
  42. with a range of 15-22 miles with normal pedaling

    That looked pretty good, until I came to that, Mat.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Bob,
    It just means that when you go down hill you should pedal, as doing so charges the battery.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Seems to have pretty solid reviews too. Most are very happy with the bike.

    ReplyDelete
  45. You got to pedal downhill? That sounds even worse:)

    When I was in Amsterdam years ago, everybody had a bike that had a little gas engine that would kick in to take you up a hill.

    I clicked on the reviews but nothing came up. My wife has been wanting something like this.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Here you go, Bob:

    Reviews

    A second battery pack costs an additional $70. That will basically double your range.

    ReplyDelete
  47. You got to pedal downhill?

    ==

    Would you rather pedal uphill? :)

    ReplyDelete
  48. Not Sold Online
    This item is being discontinued. Availability is limited.


    Please check back on or after .

    We can email you when it is back:





    Add to:Delivery Options:
    • Available only using:
    • - Free shipping to store.

    • Ship to home is not available.

    • Ship to home - Learn More




    Information not available. Check store for availability. Learn More

    Check store for availability.
    Not Sold in Stores

    I'm going past Wal-Mart in a few minutes, I'll stop in and see if they have one, or a brochure about them. Not sold online, not sold in stores, availability limited, being discontinued.

    Wonder who makes them. Probably China.

    I'd rather not pedal at all! Later.

    ReplyDelete
  49. I'd rather not pedal at all! Later.

    ==

    Later, Bob. I'll check our locale store as well.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Polish Prime Minister set to sign Missile Defense Pact with U.S. - Dow Jones

    ReplyDelete
  51. Well played, Pootie.

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  52. Poland was going to sign, regardless, rufus. Nothing Russia could do was going to stop that.

    The play in Georgia was not to stop the signing, but to cast doubt upon future Russian actions.

    So far Pootie has not lost a thing.

    ReplyDelete
  53. THIS LEGISLATION has a little something for everyone.

    'Ceptin the poor ol' Saudis.

    snif, snif

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  54. I thought they weren't going to mention nuclear, Rufus, but they finally did, third paragraph from the end. Comprehensive bill, sounds like.

    How many people died on the nation's roads last year?

    20,000+
    30,000+
    40,000+
    ?

    Answer

    ReplyDelete
  55. Vlad You’ve Got Mail

    /////////////////////////////////

    From President George W. Bush:
    Dear Vlad:

    Beijing is weird. First of all, you can't breathe the air. Second, how 'bout those drummers? Sure, they're perfect, but that's the point. A billion Chinese see 2,000 drummers in sync and say, "Well done, my little emperor son." I see 2,000 drummers all moving with one motion and I'm thinking: "Whoa." Can anybody say MIL-I-TAR-Y PRE-CI-SION?

    Hey, which reminds me. What's up with Georgia? This is not good, Vlad.
    ...
    Trustworthy, Vlad. Got soul? Why not just hire the Goodyear Blimp and paint "Mission Accomplished" on the side? Here's the deal, Vlad. ... Your invasion of a sovereign neighboring state is unacceptable in the 21st century -- blahblahblah -- and you're hurting Russia's standing in the world, not to mention our relationship.

    Oh, and by the way. We're talking 4 million people here. Four million, Vlad. You wanna let the big dog eat? Fine. Pick on somebody your own size. And yes, your pecs are bigger than mine. Whatever. Hey, gotta split. It's Kobe time. Take care and give my love to that cute little gymnast of yours.

    Ciao amigo,
    Bushy
    P.S. Did you catch the American women's beach volleyball team?

    ////////////////////////////

    From Sen. Barack Obama:
    Dear (Former) President Putin:

    I'm sorry to be writing this e-mail instead of meeting you in person, preferably in the Oval Office, where I belong. Soon, soon. ‘

    Nevertheless, and notwithstanding the foregoing, I felt it imperative that I express my deep concern about Russia's invasion of the tiny, democratically elected sovereign nation of Georgia. It would appear that you are not familiar with my platform for change and hope. War does not fit into this template and I am quite frankly at a loss for words to express my deep, deep distress.

    As the chosen leader of a new generation of Americans who speak a global language of peace, hope, harmony and change, this is simply unacceptable. Quite frankly, your actions pose potentially severe, long-term consequences. I'm not sure what those might be, but they won't be nice or fun.

    Please picture me looking very serious when I say that I respectfully request you to calm down. Life is but a flicker in time and we're but actors strutting and fretting. That is to say, we're all on this planetary journey together and our karma is interrelated and interdependent. Thus, it would seem that our differences are best resolved through words, not bombs.

    It is said that war is a failure of diplomacy. I would submit that it is also counterintuitive. If my Kenyan father and my Kansan mother and my multinational upbringing taught me anything, it is that we are all One. That said, I am The One the world has been waiting for -- and you are, quite frankly, blocking my chi.

    As soon as possible, I'd like to sit down and begin talking about how we can resolve these and other differences that threaten peace-loving people, which I'm sure includes you. I haven't looked into your eyes and would never presume to know your soul, but I do know that we share a common humanity and that we can all just get along.

    Yours in Global Harmony,
    Acting President Barack Obama

    ////////////////////////////

    From Sen. John McCain:
    Hey, Putin.
    Don't make me come over there.
    McCain

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    “That’s my guy” - Mama Slade

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