Mark;

Until the Soviet Union ceased to exist the battle cry of the United States was anything anti communist was good! If you did not like a fellow Americans politics because they dared to suggest something then the McCarthy type hard line anti communist dialogue branded you a communist or “pinko”. Black Americans have rights? “ You are a commie pinko”! “America! Love it or leave it!”.

Well, I notice that there is no longer a “Cold War” or “Iron Curtin”. In fact the Soviet Union has changed names and is trying to rediscover itself. However, we still have communism in countries like China, North Korea and Cuba.

The battle cry of the United States is now, “Homeland Security”! We can do no wrong and we are fully justified in whatever we do by uttering these profound words! We can take away the rights of United States citizens in the name of “Homeland Security”, or attack other nations. Only a good American knows what I mean! Everyone else should either “Love it or leave it!”.

We no longer talk about the “Domino effect” or how communism would cause one country after another to topple and how we have to save the world through war. Peace through war has been our motto for a long time. Now we talk about terrorism and we attack other countries in the name of “Home Land Security”.

We are a land of diversity. It is unfortunate that the insane asylum doors have been opened and the patients who escaped are running our nation.

War is good. War is righteous. The United States is at war. Therefore the United States is good! My philosophy teacher would be proud of me. :)

Other than that I am ready to join you in a pint or two of Guinness. Nothing in life is perfect but with Guinness who cares?

My grandfather taught me a bit of Gaelic from the time I could walk.

Slán go fóill!

Tom - In "Lovely Silicon Valley". (Sometimes it is more lovely than others)

P.S. I would love to visit Ireland but I am afraid I would not return to my home.



>I am afraid that Bush will get re-elected again, if nothing else people will be branded unpatriotic if they don't vote for him, but all we can hope for is that Clinton can come in again (she probably ran the country the first time anyway) and clean up after another Bush economic disaster
>Cheers
>~M
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>Mark;
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>You have a timely point! As I drive to work as of the last week, there is a radio advertisement about how to make 10.15% per year on an investment. They then explain (quickly) that "you may loose all your principle", that there is "no protection on your investment" and "you may make up to 10.15%".
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>The choice of words is interesting. On the radio you cannot use 4 point type and flash it for 1 microsecond as you can on television, but trying to understand anything while commuting to work while driving a car can be a difficult if not impossible event. :)
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>By the way I am sure that Bush will be reelected President. Unemployment will rise and the media will announce, “things have never been so good”!
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>Tom