Holly Cow!!!!!!

A post from JR I agree with. Although you say your last political post and won't respond....

I firmly believe that the importance of modern warfare has been diminished. The only real purpose of the US having such a massive military budget is to keep the economy going. I don't find it to be such a good bragging point that the military budget of the US is higher then (I don't recall the exact statistic, but..) the next 10 nations on the list added together.

These sling shots that the insurgents fire seem to be getting more painful everyday. And a point I keep harping on, that the scenario that exists today was foretold by many an expert. Just not any experts that bush allowed into his inner circle. Although Powell did make the "you break it, you own it" statement.

Then you also have the massive debt that the US has to many countries in the world. And things look more bleak as each day, fewer Americans can afford to buy the goods we import because all our manufacturing jobs have moved out of our borders.

There was an interesting article in todays LA Times comparing the branch of govt in the US that oversees large business practices vs. the branch in the EU that performs the same function. This after the EU slammed MS with penalties last week.

>All are welcome (even RVBoy)
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>From what I've seen, RVBoy tries to focus on technical concerns.
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>In your new role, will you get to travel outside the home country? Many New Zealanders are privileged to travel fairly widely (I'm in Philly next week, fwiw, and my kids are in the South of France) and it's one of those "the more you know, the more you realize you don't know" scenarios. That's how it seems to me, anyway.
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>My first and last political comments on UT for the year: first, don't imagine that "all the rest" have it in for you or for your country. Second, IMHO there is a new balance of power and the nuke is no longer the ultimate weapon. Biological warfare gives even the tiniest "state with a grudge" the opportunity to strike a terrific blow at any Western population. IMHO foreign diplomacy needs a total overhaul: for example, permanent Security Council seats with veto rights in the UN... denying others the right to do that which we ourselves practice routinely... that's like a big "kick me" sign IMHO. which is fine when you're the 6'4 giant in a field of schoolboys... but not so smart if the others get slingshots and start landing dog turds on you from out of sight ;-)
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>As for UT- if it's taking too much time or creating interpersonal situations you don't like, just turn off Chatter... I did it months ago.