North Korea

[Boroda]

Do you seriously think someone in the West wants Saddam to be replaced? What for? To form a Kurd state that will take parts from Iraq, Turkey and other countries?

Politics is a dirty and bloody business. Example: US supports Kosovo Albanians but declares they fight Usama Ben Laden and co, the ones who sponsor Kosovo and Chechen terrorists. All that rethorics about "democracy" and "free world" have only one purpose: to fight an economical war against competitors. And Europe caught in a trap during the cold war still has to follow the US, even if it leads to economical and social disasters (see the consequences of the agression against Yugoslavia).

And now please tell me who deserves more respect: Fidel or mr. Clingon and his gang.

Disclaimer: all thet I wrote above is nothing more then a opinion that I want to be discussed here ("troll" or a "provocation")  

As for wedding - I think that it is one of the best examples of cultural differences, at least the most obvious I could think of.

------------------
With respect,
    Pavel Pavlov,
    Commissar 25th IAP WB VVS

[Dowding]

Boroda - I think the aggression against Yugoslavia was justified, both in the civil war and the Kosovo campaign.

It wasn't so much the US that was leading us, more like common sense. Its something that Russia ought to use more often, viz Cheychna (spelling wrong I know   ). Just watched a documentary by Babitsky.

Democracy is far better system than communism Boroda - no offence, but we have more freedom in the UK than yourself in the USSR ever had. It may not be working in Russia at the moment - but neither did communism.

[This message has been edited by Dowding (edited 09-11-2000).]

[StSanta]

Heh if it wasn't for his human rights record, Castro would be one cool dude.

Small country, and he's stood up to lots of assasination attempts, lots of attempts to overthrow his government, US embargo for longer than I've lived and whatnot.

He's David, and the the US is Goliath. Too bad he's a mean David.

I always cheer for the little guy in such confrontations.

The Cuban economy is wasted because of Castro's inability to adjust to changing times. There are other ports he can trade with, and get good prices from. He just ain't to any significant degree.

Still, he's cool from standing up to the US for so long. He sucks bigtime for his human rights abuses.

His beard earns him an extra .2 coolness points though.

------------------
StSanta
JG54 "Grünherz"
"If you died a stones throw from your wingie; you did no wrong". - Hangtime

[Tac]

Disclaimer: Once again, I AINT defending Castro.

"There are other ports he can trade with, and get good prices from. He just ain't to any significant degree."

StSanta, if you own a bussiness and you trade with the US, you WONT trade with Cuba. Period. The very moment US finds out you do, they will cut you off. My family owns a chemical distribution company back home, Cuba was a great market to push into... problem was, if we did we lost more than half of our costumers in the US, our tax benefits (for trading with US), and most of our source of raw materials.

So it aint that Cuba doesnt go into other markets, its that the other markets cant afford to trade with Cuba, because if they do Big Brother USA will cut off US trade and benefits to them.

So go figure.

[StSanta]

Tac:

I somehow dopubt the US will cut off trade with latin American countries, or European countries for that matter, who invest and do business with Cuba.

I want the sanctions lifted as well - hell, the whole deal stinks of hypocricy. Normal trade relations with the friggin' *Chinese*. but not Cuba?

The former are much worse than Castro.

------------------
StSanta
JG54 "Grünherz"
"If you died a stones throw from your wingie; you did no wrong". - Hangtime

[Boroda]

Dowding, it was justified in your mind. That's enough for you.

Human rights? Who cares for Serbs being killed in Kosovo now, Christian monasterys 800 years old being destroyed, Serbian workeres locked out from their workplace by British KFOR troops?...

Human rights is always a stick with two ends. Some people are more equal? (Kosovo war showed us a bright example of a media newspeak: "ethnic cleansing"="police antiterrorist operations", "humanitarian catastrophe"="blame anyone but our bombs for this disaster", etc.)

And please, believe me: Chineese are not better or worse. They are just different. Are you sure you can blame people for being different from you?

Hehe, sometimes when I talk to Europeans or Americans here in Moscow I feel that there is a big difference between them. Russians are much closer to Europeans. Strange, isn't it?

------------------
With respect,
    Pavel Pavlov,
    Commissar 25th IAP WB VVS

[Toad]

 

Originally posted by Dowding:
I'm sure they were looking for an excuse to bail out, IMHO they didn't need one - US airline staff sorted that out.

I think we should be clear on one thing, anyway.

The US AIRLINE may indeed have paid the salaries of the SECURITY STAFF. That is the general practice.

However, in FRA as in almost every other country, SECURITY STAFF procedures are defined by the country in which the airport is located.

For example, US Security Staff are hired and paid by the airline. (At some airports, all airlines share the expense, at others with individual gate security, a specific airline pays according to use.) However, Security Procedures are defined by the US FAA.

So, "US" doesn't enter into this. It was German security regulations in action.

Just thought I'd get that straight.  

[Toad]

 

Originally posted by Tac:
And please remember Castro wasn't communist,[This message has been edited by Tac (edited 09-11-2000).]

Well, certainly at least not until the "revolution" was successful.   After all, he was getting support from many in the US during his fight against Batista.

Here's a site, just one of many that show non-support of Batista and attempted support of Castro:
 http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~delacova/cuban-rebels/4-3-58-embargo.htm

(The NY Times reported that the US Government suspended a shipment of arms to Batista in this article. As well as indicted a NY firm for trying to ship arms to Castro.)

WASHINGTON, April 2 (1958)--The United States Government has imposed an embargo on arms shipments to Cuba. Officials said today that it would not be lifted so long as the current tension continued.

News of the embargo came as a Rochester, N.Y., concern and three of its officials were indicted on conspiracy charges stemming from alleged attempts to send arms to the Cuban rebels. The indictment was returned by a Federal grand jury here.

The arms embargo was indicated in a little-noticed statement made available by the State Department about ten days ago. It suspended a shipment of 1,950 Garand rifles bought by the Cuban Government of President Fulgencio Batista."
 

I love reading "new, improved!" history.

 



[This message has been edited by Toad (edited 09-12-2000).]

[Boroda]

Toad, history is just a bunch of misunderstandings and mistakes. Just remember how WWII started.

Now - some stupid security boss didn't get the correct instructions on how to handle foreign diplomats, or that North Koreans used the wrong gate instead of a diplomatic green-corridor, or something even more stupid...

------------------
With respect,
    Pavel Pavlov,
    Commissar 25th IAP WB VVS

[Toad]

 

Originally posted by Boroda:
Toad, history is just a bunch of misunderstandings and mistakes.

In some cases, that is true.

There are also deliberate, pre-meditated actions. (Which, of course, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight can prove to be mistakes or smart moves! Gotta love this life stuff!)    

In any event, what is your point there?  

I don't subscribe to situational ethics in any event. There is right and wrong.