Originally written by Jacek K. on November 14, 2009 8:13 PM
Originally written by Ron Finney on November 14, 2009 6:26 PM
And most importantly, are the women better looking in Poland or Germany. I'm sure Nanna would say Norway.
I take this to be a rhetorical question. I am sure that Nanna (who is from Denmark BTW) will confirm, upon return, that your first option (i.e., Poland) is the correct one.
Indeed! Although in my entirely unbiased opinion, Danish women run a very close second.
Expert Mother tongue: English Posts: 1807 Joined: February 1, 2008 Location: United States
RE: OT
Regarding wine, to me the interesting thing is how international the wine industry has become. And a big reason for that was the contribution that the University of California made to wine technology in the 20th century. Before U-Cal got involved, out of let's say 100 bottles of wine, maybe 20 or more would be bad, and have to be thrown out. After the Californians got into it, that number is now at about 1 or 2. A big contribution. They made wine a science and made it more of an industry than something that is "hit or miss". I guess that is maybe the American "contribution" to business: standardization and mass production. What Ford did for the auto and what Taylor did through "scientific management" (which has made the world vastly more productive and wealthy, by the way), the Californians did for wine.
I am always fascinated to find out about new wine regions in the world. Where I live Texas now has a pretty big wine industry. I used to live near the "Wine Road" in Germany, and was very interested in it there.
[Edited by John Bunch on November 15, 2009 12:10 PM]
Mother tongue: Polish Joined: February 18, 2003 Location: Poland
RE: OT
Originally written by Ron Finney on November 14, 2009 8:38 PM
I'm sure the rebuilding is a long term process. I was even more interested in attitudes, work ethic and cultural rebound since being free of the Soviet Union. I would expect nations like Poland and Hungary that had a heritage of openness to rebound quicker than say Russia, where the people have always been under the thumb of despots, whether the Tsars or the Party Secretary.
One possible take, although I disagree with the WSJ alarmism:
Trained as a historian, Mr. Michnik says he harbors no illusions about the inevitability of anything. He notes that Central Europe's democrats could have been crushed as the Chinese students were at Tiananmen Square the same year the wall fell. So who is to say now that Western liberalism will prevail in the future? Even of Poland—now a member of the European Union and NATO—he says that: "We are headed in the right direction, but on a narrow path. One false step and we become Russia."
If the new cliché is the "return of history," then the danger isn't a second coming of communism but of authoritarianism. Russia is the region's most worrying bad pupil. It tasted civic freedoms in the chaotic 1990s. Then, under Vladimir Putin, the KGB colonel who took over in 2000, the country veered backward. Political liberties were decimated and the rule of law was trampled. In their place came aggressive nationalism, "sovereign democracy," and the promise of "order." Meanwhile, the economy was hijacked by a rapacious state and privileged oligarchs. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704795604574519463075074956.html?mod=djemEditorialPage
Expert Mother tongue: English Posts: 1807 Joined: February 1, 2008 Location: United States
RE: OT
I agree. Poland is really a western European, Catholic country that has much more in common with the countries of western Europe than it does with, say, Russia. Russia is a vast country and does not have the same liberal European traditions as Poland or Hungary. I do admire the Russians in many ways, but they also do have a tradition of despotism that one cannot deny.
Mother tongue: Polish Joined: February 18, 2003 Location: Poland
RE: Situation in Iran
Back to Iran.
Originally written by Jacek K. on June 19, 2007 2:41 PM
As I noted time ago, right after the fall of Baghdad, in his New York Times column Paul Krugman quoted a Brit close to "the Bush team" on a phrase that summed up the administration's attitude of the moment: "Everyone wants to go to Baghdad. Real men want to go to Tehran."
That was FOUR years ago! My patience is running out.
Thank God, I am now being joined by a distinguished man of action. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to give the floor to
Here is Wolf Blitzer and Barbara Starr talking last night on CNN about the Iranians and what the U.S. might to do them; it's really pitch-perfect:
STARR: This is the massive ordnance penetrator, or MOP, now being rushed into development to be carried on B-2 and B-52 bombers. The most likely targets? Iran and North Korea, which are believed to have buried weapons facilities hundreds of feet underground or into the sides of mountains.
PIKE: Some of those would probably require this massive ordnance penetrator simply because they are buried so deep and no other bomb would be able to certainly destroy them.
STARR: At 30,000 pounds, the MOP, some experts say, will be able to penetrate 650 feet of concrete, a significant boost over current bunker-busting bombs like the 2,000-pound BLU-109, which can penetrate just six feet of concrete, and the 5,000-pound GBU-28 which can go through about 20 feet of concrete.
GEOFF MORRELL, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: This has been a capability that we have long believed was missing from our quiver, our arsenal, and we wanted to make sure we've filled in that gap.
STARR: No air strikes against North Korea or Iran appear to be in the works, but Iran says it could start enriching uranium here in the next two years, and both the U.S. and Israel want to ensure that Iran cannot manufacture and assemble a nuclear weapon.
All of this has now led to more funding for the MOP. The Pentagon plans to have the first bombs available by December 2010, two years earlier than planned.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: Now, the Pentagon likes to say it's not helpful to speculate on future military targets, but certainly this weapon gives the Pentagon, Wolf, an option it hasn't had before -- Wolf.
BLITZER: It's a huge, huge bomb, Barbara. Thanks very much for that.
Wolf was practically breathless with excitement as he marveled there at the end about what a big, big, powerful bomb that is. He looked like he was in need of CPR or some other type of relief. "It's a huge, huge bomb, Barbara."
What possible reason could those crazy, irrational Iranians have for wanting to hide their nuclear facilities? It's not like anyone's threatening them or anything. And remember: the proof that Iran is a unique, Nazi-like threat is that they allegedly have people in their government that threaten other countries with military attacks. No responsible, civilized country would do that.
Iran's evil intent is also demonstrated by their recent decision to allow IAEA inspectors to examine their Qom facility, which proved that there were no active centrifuges there, just as Iran said. Truly peaceful countries would never allow such inspections. So thankfully, we're about to have "a huge, huge bomb" -- bigger and better than all the ones we had before -- that can take care of the Iranian menace once and for all.
Expert Mother tongue: English Posts: 1807 Joined: February 1, 2008 Location: United States
RE: Situation in Iran
Classic example of what is described in the book "The Suicide of Reason", about the inability of westerners to understand the threat from a theocratic state. The truth is, Jacek, that the Iranian leadership really does think differently than we do. Part of their interpretation of Islam centers around the "end times", which will be initiated by a big war. To someone who enjoys 3,000 years of Greek/western Englightenment, like you or I, it makes no sense. But to a Shiite it makes sense (maybe try to imagine the world like someone in Europe would in 1600 - with foreign policy being about "fighting for God". That would be a start.
And the notion that just because a nation allows inspectors in from the UN means that it is weapons free really is joke. The UN put in 17 resolutions calling for Saddam Hussein to disarm. Why so many ? Could it be that the entire inspection process is a big joke ? (in his excellent book about being a British merc in Iraq, ex-SAS soldier John Geddes said that he heard many indications while in Iraq of Saddam having smuggled his WMDs across the border into Syria right before the U.S. invastion in 2003, and I have no real reason to doubt that), and that was despite Hans Blix and the entire "UN inspection regime".
Was it "rational" to send teenagers to their mass deaths in suicide wave attacks during the Iran-Iraq War (and given them plastic keys to use to "unlock heaven", after they died ? Is it "rational" to fund Hezbollah, which has destabilized the entire region ? The "rational actor" theory of international affairs is just a theory, and irrationality is the norm in human affairs. As is miscalculation.
[Edited by John Bunch on November 18, 2009 11:44 AM]
Expert Mother tongue: English Posts: 1807 Joined: February 1, 2008 Location: United States
RE: Situation in Iran
Saudi Arabia recently beheaded and then crucified a child-murderer, placing the body on public display. Indeed, Saudi Arabia carries out more than 100 beheadings per year, almost one every three days. Crucifixion is not commonly used, but occasionally is used. And Hamas uses this form of punishment from time to time, in Gaza. Iran also uses such primitive, draconian punishments as the stoning to death of adultresses (mostly the men go free, but the women get that one).
Does this sound like a part of the world where decisions are made on a "rational" basis ?
[Edited by John Bunch on November 18, 2009 12:24 PM]
Mother tongue: Polish Joined: February 18, 2003 Location: Poland
RE: Situation in Iran
Yup, considering the record of Iran's conquests around the world, I would be wary of those Nazis. Here are but a couple of examples of their aggressiveness, all from the 20th century:
I agree with Norman, we shouldn't be waiting. We waited when Hitler was coming to power and look what happened.
Like I said many times, Poland's government has been preparing us for an Iranian nuclear strike for a few years now, imploring the US to build an antimissile shield here.
"Everyone wants to go to Baghdad. Real men want to go to Tehran."
P.S.
Originally written by Jacek K. on November 17, 2009 6:09 PM
Originally written by Bernie Bierman on November 17, 2009 5:32 PM
P.S. John Wayne ... who ... became an American super-hero and super-macho icon, never served a single day in the U.S. military.
Mother tongue: Polish Joined: February 18, 2003 Location: Poland
RE: Situation in Iran
Quoting from another thread
Originally written by Ron Finney on November 18, 2009 6:30 PM
The Socialists have a twisted love affair with [Sarah Palin]. They can't get her off their mind. You no doubt lie awake at night thinking about her. No single woman of such vision has captured the world stage since perhaps Evita Peron.
Expert Mother tongue: English Posts: 1807 Joined: February 1, 2008 Location: United States
RE: Situation in Iran
"Newsweek" has Palin on the cover this week, in running shorts. I just wonder if they would do that with Biden, or would it seem undignified. That attitude of the media seems to be that if the politician is a woman, play up the "sexiness" angle.
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