Which world leader would you go on a date with? Page 4

Maybe this is a better quote from Sarah Palin:

"It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America. Where, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to ... to our state."

Only a tiny minority of people, almost entirely American, seriously think Al-Qaeda was in Iraq before the invasion. What is indisputable is that the invasion acted as a magnet for every kind of insurgent to flood into Iraq afterwards.

And it's the poor bloody Iraqis that suffer. You know I spend a lot of my time in the US (I've been there nearly all this year) and the one thing that sticks in my craw is the lack of attention to the plight of the Iraqi people in the media. It's all about the number of Americans who have died. Which is also a crying shame.

But who do you blame for all the deaths since the invasion? And the lack of clean water and electricity while Dick Cheney and Halliburton are getting rich(er)? After five years??? Oh I almost forgot, it's OK, the Iraqis have got free and fair elections! Well whoopy-effing-doo.

Sorry to spoil your thread sootyj.

Quote: Huge Bear @ September 30 2008, 2:33 PM BST

Maybe this is a better quote from Sarah Palin:

"It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America. Where, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to ... to our state."

Only a tiny minority of people, almost entirely American, seriously think Al-Qaeda was in Iraq before the invasion. What is indisputable is that the invasion acted as a magnet for every kind of insurgent to flood into Iraq afterwards.

And it's the poor bloody Iraqis that suffer. You know I spend a lot of my time in the US (I've been there nearly all this year) and the one thing that sticks in my craw is the lack of attention to the plight of the Iraqi people in the media. It's all about the number of Americans who have died. Which is also a crying shame.

But who do you blame for all the deaths since the invasion? And the lack of clean water and electricity while Dick Cheney and Halliburton are getting rich(er)? After five years??? Oh I almost forgot, it's OK, the Iraqis have got free and fair elections! Well whoopy-effing-doo.

Sorry to spoil your thread sootyj.

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What do Americans think of the Iraq war? It surprises me whenever I see Palin and other Republicans on television that they're still trotting out the same arguments for why America should be at war in Iraq as Bush has been trotting out for the last five or six years. Surely there can't be many Americans left who think it's a good idea?

It's very polarized. I was in a restaurant in New York on 15th August 2003 (the day after the huge power cuts - and just a couple of months after Bush had declared his original victory). Lots of couples together and unlike in UK we all tend to talk to one another. Two huge but friendly guys came in - they were from New Orleans and were up to see a pre-season NFL game.

So they ask if we're English, and we say yep, and then one of them says "We wanna thank you for all the support you Brits gave us during the war." Etc, etc. And our reply, look we're guests in your country and we don't want to speak out of turn, after all the British were involved in the invasion as well. But, honestly guys, you have no idea what sort of trouble you've stored up for yourselves. (Remember how they allowed the museums to be ransacked while they guarded the Oil Ministry?).

The guys were perfectly courteous, but obviously didn't like our answer and didn't speak to us again. But, everybody else around was nodding thoughtfully and then started to talk to us.

As I said, I think it's a subject that really polarizes opinions.

It'd be too easy for me to say that because everybody I know, just about, opposes the war that means the majority do. Many, many people still support it. What makes me sad are the recent comments about "victory" in Iraq. Nobody's won. By the same reasoning the US never lost the Vietnam war, because they weren't defeated militarily.

Quote: Huge Bear @ September 30 2008, 2:33 PM BST

Maybe this is a better quote from Sarah Palin:

"It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America. Where, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to ... to our state."

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And in what way is she incorrect? Russia and Alaska are separated by 2 miles at their closest point. Russia has resumed Cold War-era bomber patrols within spitting distance of the U.S. (and the UK, I might add) and the U.S. does scramble fighters from air bases in Alaska. Everything Gov. Palin said is true.

That's not the point. That whole paragraph was her trying to voice her credentials for understanding foreign policy - because she lives on the "front line" she must somehow understand how the world works. Which is total baloney.

For Christ's sake - the minute she moves away from a script she becomes totally incoherent. Imagine the economic problems getting worse, financial meltdown, tension between the West and Russia increasing, and then the frail John McCain (it's well known) has a heart attack. President Palin? In THAT scenario? I would shit myself.

Come on sootyj, where's a peacemaker when we need one?

Quote: Huge Bear @ September 30 2008, 3:13 PM BST

That's not the point. That whole paragraph was her trying to voice her credentials for understanding foreign policy - because she lives on the "front line" she must somehow understand how the world works. Which is total baloney.

For Christ's sake - the minute she moves away from a script she becomes totally incoherent. Imagine the economic problems getting worse, financial meltdown, tension between the West and Russia increasing, and then the frail John McCain (it's well known) has a heart attack. President Palin? In THAT scenario? I would shit myself.

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What about Obama's pick for vice president, Joe Biden? Last week he was quoted as saying that President Roosevelt addressed the nation on television after the crash of 1929. Except Roosevelt wasn't president and Americans didn't have televisions at the time. A few weeks ago he asked a paraplegic to "stand up and be recognized" and a few years ago he made an infamously politically incorrect remark about Indian convenience store owners. Do media gaffes mean a person is unsuitable for office? What about Obama's remark about visiting "all 57 states?"

How much experience did Governor Bush have when he entered the White House? Governor Clinton? Governor Carter? Governor Reagan?

Just keep in mind that we're in the middle of an ugly election campaign and dirt is being dug and mud slung by both sides. Obama and Palin are just about equal when it comes to experience. So are McCain and Biden. None of them are stupid or incompetent (despite what their detractors might say) and they all have the potential to be fine leaders.

What I love about Joe Biden is he got into trouble for plagarising Neil Kinnock. Of all the British politicians to copy, he chose the Welsh windbag!

Quote: DaButt @ September 30 2008, 3:26 PM BST

Do media gaffes mean a person is unsuitable for office?

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No, thank God.

I loved what he said about Arnie the other day.

Monosyballic Austrian cyborg. Brilliant.

I wasn't arguing in favour of Joe Biden. Did you assume I was?

In many ways Palin is like Bush multiplied by x, and look how he's ended up. You can disagree of course.

Tell you what, just to inject a little humour, do a quick google of Prince Philip (the Queen's husband in case you weren't aware) and some of the things he's said in public...

I'm very combative today, I've got raging 'flu

Stop discussing serious politics damn it!

n.b. Al Quaeda were in Iraq preinvasion trying to over throw Sadam, they considered him a decadent liberal.

And frankly that Palin quote is right up there with "I had no sexual relations with that woman"

But anyway, if I was a gayer I'd quite fancy Sadam.

He was fit, rugged and that moustache.

Quote: DaButt @ September 30 2008, 3:02 PM BST

And in what way is she incorrect? Russia and Alaska are separated by 2 miles at their closest point. Russia has resumed Cold War-era bomber patrols within spitting distance of the U.S. (and the UK, I might add) and the U.S. does scramble fighters from air bases in Alaska. Everything Gov. Palin said is true.

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Well for one she never had a passport to even visit Russia...and technically if she didn't have it a year later she wouldn't have even been able to drive across Canada to get to the her GOP meetings. The idea that because she's in close proximity to a country gives her international experience is worse than a joke, it's a deceit.

And the last I heard Obama hasn't visited a single Latin American country, but I'm not going to judge anyone's suitability for office based upon the number of stamps in his/her passport.

Quote: DaButt @ September 30 2008, 6:04 PM BST

And the last I heard Obama hasn't visited a single Latin American country, but I'm not going to judge anyone's suitability for office based upon the number of stamps in his/her passport.

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He also didn't try to lie.