Pass The Ammo

Yeah, but you cannot tell this to that Aussie dork. I hate those losers. Bunch of rude, foul and nasty people. Just hang out with the Aussie troops for awhile and you will learn how what the scum really is on the bottom of a dumpster wheel.

Andrew, “stamping out drugs where it counts (like Afghanistan, were Americans could easily do it and something like 2/3 of the world’s opiates come from)”

who the hell do you think would be responsible for that? The U.S. Armed Forces and Intelligence, smart guy. So how would that save money on our defense spending?

Also, I love when foriegn folks complain about how much we spend on our military. But who will be the one who saves your ass when you get into a bind? We will. Here’s the thing Andrew, I could go on and on about why it is so vitally important that a Superpower like the U.S. needs to have such a powerful defense budget but I honestly think I would be wasting my time. You would probably just disregard it and then throw some neato links my way that somehow proves your point. Please save yourself the trouble.

Excellent! Some real debate until boycott returns. I was expecting much flaming … I’ll reply later today …

JJ, sorry I made a jump in my thinking about Afghanistan and drugs that I didn’t explain. My thinking was that a large chunk of crime was drug-related (addict holding you up for cash to buy smack) and therefore sorting it in Afghanistan was a good way to start. Not that I was going to suggest that you should go and attack Afghanistan to sort out the drugs - not at all. It’s just that the US is *already* in control in Afghanistan and the troops preside over the biggest opium crops in the world with a mandate to keep the peace, not to do anything about drugs. So I was suggesting that the US foot the bill because a) they’re there already and b) it would fix an American problem - drug-related crome.

As it turns out I was wrong on this anyway - according to the Department of Justice statistics, only 25% of crime is committed by addicts looking for cash for their next hit. Still, it does seem to make a mockery of the amount of money spent by the DEA, FBI, CIA etc. to control opiates in America when they could be destroyed in Afghanistan. They could probably eradicate the entire opium crop in a matter of weeks …

As for the US saving us in a bind, I don’t quite agree with you there. You will if it’s in your interest but otherwise not. The US likes Australia because we’re a sympathetic outpost in the middle of Asia. Not for any other reason. As for WW2, you guys sat back selling arms to your allies until Germany declared war on you and you were attacked in Pearl Harbor. Then it was in your interest to fight so you did something about it. But thanks for whart you did - we still appreciate it.

Australia, by comparison, jumped in and helped Britain from day one with a serious number of troops - all volunteers. I can’t find the number of Australian volunteers in WW2, but it was 300,000 from a population of 5 million for WW1 in similar circumstances. That’s a serious commitment to an ally in trouble and we asked for nothing in return.

So will the US save us if we’re in trouble? Probably, yes because it’s in your interest to do so being a handy outpost. But let’s face it - we don’t go making trouble in other countries except to help the US so we probably won’t need it.

JJ, why do you all hate ‘neato links’ - i.e. research? I have an Australian friend who was asked by an American woman HOW LONG IT TOOK TO DRIVE TO THE US FROM AUSTRALIA. The conceit of the US is to think that the US is all that matters. So you know little about the rest of the world. As long as you think that, your foreign policy will continue to be terrible and it’s affecting the rest of us. That’s why we care about US polilitics. Really stupid things like attacking an Islamic country (Iraq) because President Bush thought that they had WMDs that they would pass onto terrorist. Whoops - sorry. Now apparently the reason was to fight for the freedom of Iraq and America is safer from terrorists. ARE YOU CRAZY? Pity the US wasn’t there for the people of Iraq when they knew he was gassing the Kurds. Anyone want to guess where Iraq bought those chemical weapons?

The superpower status that the US enjoys currently is a byproduct of making a heap of cash during WW2 when everyone else was spending cash to survive a war and because you made (and continued to make) the atomic bomb.This superpower status will pass. Like the greeks, the romans, the British Empire, the USSR etc. Perhaps the European Economic Community is next, or China. Who knows. Use it wisely while it lasts. With your current economy and increasing dependence on imported goods, your cash may run out earlier than you think. Look at the trouble you’re having swatting Iraq - do you think North Korea or China will be any easier?

Now I promised Mike two cents on US citizens wanting guns so that they can keep the government in check. I find this absolutely amazing and I’ll tell you why:

1) The US is the country trying to spread democracy across the Islamic world like a beacon of hope and yet it’s citizens don’t trust democracy themselves - they want to be able to bring down the government by force if necessary. What the …?
2) Can anyone tell me what kind of scenario would allow you to all act as one and take over the government? How would it be organised? Who would start it? How would it end? Who would be your new government - the NRA?
3) The outcome would be total anarchy - does anyone remember the LA riots? This is wild west stuff all over.

Boycott, we trust OUR politicians because we are in a democracy that works. Plus the media keeps them in check. Your media just tows the line with the government (many editors of your major newspapers issued statements of regret that they supported the US march to war. Too late, people) and you have too much power invested in too few people at the top. How many people did it take to get the war on Iraq started? It was probably just Bush, Rice, Rumsfeld and a few other cronies that now have over 1000 US troups in boxes and countless Iraqis dead. John Howard (our Prime Minister - have you heard of him?) is boring but he’s reliable. We don’t like him so we’ll actually criticise him to his face to keep him honest. But he’s done a good job so far and our economy is strong and getting stronger.

But you know what? I haven’t got the time to do proper research on my opinions and learn from other people who clearly don’t want me doing it. I’ve got a business to run and writing witty retorts for people like boycott takes too much time. I’d like to thank Chad for my award for longest post (do I get a gun as a prize?), and those of you who actually found the banter entertaining and replied in turn. And I’d like thank boycott for being his own charming self.

I’ll check what people have to say and I’ll probably respond until Monday when I go overseas on business for a week but then I don’t think I could be bothered. Most of you will be happy to see me go, but come on - admit it was at least partially entertaining.

Mike - I like the way you think - if you want to keep in contact offline then ask Chad for my email address. Chad please pass it on to him.

Fight the good fight, people. (Preferably with clubs and bottles).

Cheers,
Andrew

:shock:I am a robot:shock:whats with you crazy kids and these really long comments?:shock:why don’t you simmer downnnnnnn:shock:

Excuses, excuses… you can bag on me all you want, but in the end I am right. Tell me exactly how the Australian market contributes to the rest of the world in any serious way? I mean really. You are just spewing out a bunch of crap to prove a worthiness that was never there. If you seriously think that war was started from a few “cronies” than you show your true arrogance. It is true that you don’t make trouble in other countries because you simply don’t care. Forget the terrorists and forget the threats as long as they don’t apply to you directly. You cannot deny the fact that the removal of Saddam was a good thing. Any leader that butchers his own people and leads people by force should be removed. Do I agree with war in Iraq 100%? No, but I think that in the end we see some very positive results from this.

Mike, no Australians don’t have a clean slate either. As for watching American politics, it’s hard *not* to know what America is doing from over here. The truly sad thing is that in general the rest of the world has a better idea of American foreign policy than Americans do. We were in disbelief that Bush was re-elected. [I know I'm deep in republican territory here so my apologies]. I have a theory why he was, however, and that is that Americans don’t see foreign policy as ‘what are we doing to the world?’ but rather ‘what is the world doing to me?’. From this perspective, Bush is a rational choice. He’s firm, decisive and Presidential. He does what he says - he’s launched a ‘war on terror’ (regardless of it’s success). He looked for Osama (for a while). And then there’s the Christian Right (which incidentally I’m a part of, although the American Christian Right and the Australian Christian Right are two different animals) who voted on conscience issues - abortion, etc. But exactly how Bush is anti-abortion when he’s presided over three million of them is anybody’s guess.

As for keeping the government in check, surely evil people like Donald Rumsfeld are way to cunning to cause a public outrage large enough for you to all want to storm Washington DC. And if some cataclysmic event did encourage you to all take up arms, once you’ve stormed Washington DC, what then? I say that if you want to keep a government in check then be informed. Avoid Fox news and get onto the web. Find out what’s really happening. But you’ve got your gun for other sensible reasons so it’s handy in case you need it.

Communist, how am I ever going to retain my title as longest commentator on passtheammo if I don’t keep up the word count?

Boycott, there’s something to be admired in a man who ignores everything that everyone else says and is convinced that they’re right. I’ve changed my mind about gun ownership in two days as a result of talking with you guys - I apologise for my weakness. I guess I’m a flip-flopper like Kerry. We need more hard men like you and Bush, who, in spite of the facts continue with what they’re doing regardless. Strong leadership! I’m with you all the way, brother. I won’t trouble you with any more facts to ignore - to a strong man like you, they’re water off a duck’s back.