Jaysus, but I phawking hate it when people use these words to address a situation such as we are stuck in.

"It's time for the adults to . . . "

"We need some maturity to . . . "

"These infantile people . . . "

It's time for a mind-set change. I know America is a new country, but sweet Jaysus, what we need is a mind-set change, not more supposedly grown-up people. The whole freaking culture needs a change, not just the crooks running it. America -- the pimple-faced, hormone-overdosed willingly-ignorant adolescent bully needs to get off the meds, turn off the game-boy, pick up a book and take a long look at the world. C'mon, it's pretty bad when even the Canadians are laughing their asses off at you. Get a life, America.

Pleeeeeeeze, mommy, I'm scared.

jebldmm writes: "Unless we are willing to invade Iran, they are eventually going to have nuclear weapons. At that point, they will be able to hold the entire middle east hostage."

And the reason we aren't going to bitch-slap North Korea is because they already have nukes. And they ain't holding the rest of the far east hostage -- only America. America is scared because they can actually challenge us.

jebldmm continues: "I would love to see a better solution, but, as I said, unless we are willing to invade Iran (or bomb them back into the dark ages) I don't see one on the horizon."

Where the phawk do you sick, cowardly, amoral, morons come from??? Rock, there is a jebldmm looking for a place to hide his fat, scared butt under . . .

. . . is something I can wrap my mind around. But whoring for whoring's sake is another. These folks seem to generally enjoy war. I mean, who better than a military man to talk about matters that are military? Not that America's military has been in a real 'war' since Vietnam, or really faced a threat since the USSR imploded, but America sure has poured the bucks into it. One hand washes the other, so to speak. The military projects and protects America's power (the wealthy), and the media (owned by the wealthy) makes it look like an honorable thing. Bitch, whine and rail all you want against spending a thin dime for universal medicare, or fixing the social welfare system, or putting some dough into the broken down education system or lowering price of gas. Much gnashing of teeth and rending of hair. But pour the money, unflichingly, down the humungous maw of, much irony here, The Department Of Defense. A bloated military, larger than all other nations combined, it continues to soak up the wealth (except from the untaxed wealthy) and the blood (ditto) of the nation as it serves its real masters - corporate America and, surprise surprise, itself. A virtual perpetual motion machine. I mean, what would all these guys with the ribbons on their chests do if there wasn't a military?? Most of America's wars have been, what General Smedley Butler would call racketeerism, or gangsterism. Perhaps more politely in this day and age where anyone who puts on a uniform is a hero,'securitizing'.

Ol' Smedley (no slouch, he -- the most decorated marine ever) summed it all up: "I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."

And so, yes, you get your McCaffreys and his buddies perpetuating these filthy wars, and using the fear to keep the money pouring into the coffers of the Military - Media - Industrial - Financial complex.

sysprog writes: "And the Democratic Party's platform plank on gun control? Basically that they'd go as far as President Bush would, and as far as the gun owners want, but that's all."

totallyblase's response: Probably not assault weapons, but what the heck. This stuff just can't be made up.

There has to be a punch line here somewhere . . .

From the L.A. Times:

Two Gunmen Kill Each Other In A Shootout At Toys R Us In Palm Desert

"Riverside County sheriff's officials declined to release the names of the dead men, whose bodies were found near the front of the store. Police retrieved handguns on the floor near both of them.

"These guys ran into each other, they squared off against each other, they killed each other," said Sheriff's Capt. Daniel Wilham. "

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-toystoreshooting29-2008nov29,0,5989270.story

I dunno, gawd moves in mysterious ways -- no innocents were gunned down.