skeptomai

Share the name of the manufacturer so we can buy from them! Great find!

That's a hoot!!! Good on 'em!!

so what brand is it??

Please, please tell us which company you got that from, so we can support their awesome contribution to society too.

I have to agree with everyone else, we *must* know what company this was so that we can support them with our hard earned dollars!

-=kt=-

what's the brand name?
-d

Maybe the cat was just hungry?

Please let me know the mfg......
We need to support these people in their efforts to show that not all of us are "Ugly Americans"

http://tombihn.com/

This is freakin priceless!!

thats awesome.

i want one

That is absolutely fantastic!

Good thing the bags are "bombproof", given our illustrious leader's record...

I am assuming it is a Trager bag. They are fantastic and from the Pacific Northwest.

example:

http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/13291/11/photo

Hello?

Why didn't you tell us how to find this product?

Try to do it before we send Condoleeza over to the BBQ on Thursday, OK?

GB

I am not particularly fond of French hypocrisy (any more than American-come on, feteing Robert Mugabe and hosting Mobuto Sese Seko :( )

But, this is hilarious.

This is a company that should be punished in the marketplace.

Of course it is from the left coast.

Phil, you are giving the rest of us Phil's a bad name.....

Get some Good Humor, or Howard's Love, or something, friend!

See you at the Gay Republicans Meeting?

xx

Phil in 'Delphia

Anything that describes "president" Bush properly is all right by me.

Anything that describes "president" Bush properly is all right by me.

Anything that describes "president" Bush properly is all right by me.

I have a bag by Tom Bihn and I loved it before I read this post. Now I love it even more. Tom Bihn rocks. www.tombihn.com

FABulous!!

Seems to me the company which makes the bag are being cowardly. If they really feel that way, why not put it in English, too? And if they don't feel that way, they're pandering. Very typical of the left.

So, what happens when the president changes and we get a genius who can produce five words without an incorrect one and discuss his thoughts sensibly? Will the bagmaker still be insulting him?!

Also, could be they didn't like Clinton...except Clinton was full of lust, not an idiot. "Slick" Willie implies intelligence.

Calling our president an idiot is immature and disrespectful. I don't care what your politics are, when did everyone in this country lose respect for the office of the president? To voice an opinion on the internet is fine, to put it in print on a company's label or to announce it at a Dixie Chix concert is just tasteless - especially in a time of war.

It disgusts me to hear how our senators and congressmen slam eachother and the president (republicans and democrats alike) in public.

Well Doug, sometimes the truth hurts, doesn't it? Isn't democracy great? We are just calling a spade a spade. Our current president, little shrub, is an idiot - a born again nearly fundamentalist idiot at that. We can have the utmost respect for the office of the president and still know, and enjoy calling him an idiot or whatever the hell we want. Think about that long and hard so it sets in. As for the french - what a bunch of ungrateful bastards. This UN debacle with Kofi and the boys and all their kick backs from Saddam should shame the hell out of them!

Doug Gordon: 1) A good many people in this country lost respect for the office of the president when he was appointed by the supreme court. Most of the rest lost respect for the office of the president after he had various kinds of sexual contact with an intern. Regardless, the label doesn't say "Sorry the president is always an idiot" but that the current president, as a person, is an idiot. 2) Voicing an opinion in any form is fine; is one of the fundamental freedoms of this country and of humanity; the internet has been around for about 40 years and you seem to suggest that before it existed there was no tasteful place to express an opinion. 3) "Especially in a time of war"?!? Give me a break. The tasteless thing is that the president-person tricked congress into sending our citizens to die, and tricked others countries into sending their citizens to die.
I encourage you to express your opinion: it's just that it's a stupid opinion.

First - I celebrate freedom of speech and that's just one of many things that make this a great country.

Second - calling someone a "shrub" and attacking his religion is a poor way of arguing politics. Stick to the issues - take the high road!

I do agree the OFFICE of the president has been degraded over the years (Nixon/Clinton, etc.), and that is a shame. Our political process seems to be rewarding the name-calling and sleaze. I think it's just more 'dumbing down' that seems to appeal to someone (TV? Tabloids? Who actually responds to this crap?)

In short - politicians suck - both sides of the aisle.

I'm fully aware that the internet has been around for a long time - when did Gore invent it again?

"I encourage you to express your opinion: it's just that it's a stupid opinion"? Why more attacks on me personally?????

thats right bush is a dumbass... with all his famous idiotic lines... I LOVE THAT TAG

It really is funny when the pinkos come out in full force. I for one am proud to be a Christian. I happen to know what that means too-its more than a punchline. Go ahead and bash Bush-call him names, whatever you want. Oh, before I go-did you graduate from Harvard? Also, did any of you commies graduate from Harvard AND Yale? I am sure you'll give me something about his family getting him through and junk which is a bunch of hogwash. He went to the classes, got the diplomas and anyone who can get diplomas there can't be the "idiot" you pinko commie losers claim him to be. He knows exactly what he is doing. Oh and by the way, if you don't like the tax cuts, send me the money-I'm sure I know how to spend your money better than you do since you are certified wackos.

What a treasonous, America hating bunch of fools y'all are. Scum has a higher IQ than you idiots.

Oh, I love it when the so-called Right gets righteous. It's always so poetic, in an ugly way.

Go back to listening to Rush, you stupid trolls.

I wonder about these individuals who seem to support bush...
Perhaps the man did go through harvard and yale. so what? good on him.
fact of the matter is that this man, and those who instruct him, were the ones to push the usa into invading iraq. thousands of people died because of this man and those who instructed him. why?
ask yourself that question.
and don't believe the simple answers. investigate for yourself why this man, after september 11, decided to invade the worlds 2nd largest oil producing country in the world, when the person responsible for leading the september 11 attack was over in the hills of another country?
very strange that fact.
but most people in the usa seem to be able to talk their way around that one.
very strange indeed.
"home of the free"
so they say.
glad I don't live there.... I am amazed how "free" the people of the usa believe they are when their government tracks everything they do and say... big brother is watching you...
enjoy your freedom and new found status of most hated country.

a canadian

Hey REAL Phil, if you want to talk about communism, let's take a look at our country today shall we?

"Homeland Security" can enter your home with no probable cause, tap your phone line and install hidden cameras to moniter your every move without you being aware. The Goverment can now tell you whom you can and cannot marry. The FCC is regulating what we can and cannot hear on the radio as well as TV. In Georgia women can be put in prison for body piercings. There was a book written about this new era we live in called "1984", he missed the title by 20 years.

The only way Bush could be more Un-American would be if his name was Mao and he was Chinese. In fact I hear the morticians who keep Lenin's body on display in Moscow has not been able to get the grin off his corpse since Bush stole office.

Phil you are the biggest "pinko" of all because you support the loss of our freedoms and the destruction of the American way of life. I am sure all of our Forefathers are turning over in their graves as we speak.

I like the picture. Good find!

Love him or hate him, you gotta admit that Mr. Bush does not act as if he understands the complex issues which face the nation. Like terrorism. C'mon. Fighting terrorists with a military invasion is like trying to kill a bee by shooting its beehive with a shotgun.

Hello,
thank you for sharing it with us ;-)
It is hilarious !

I hope you won't mind, but I put the picture on my web site (http://www.palmbavardages.net/article.php?article=42) -- it is in French, with a link back to you ;-)
If you do mind, I will take the picture back of course.

Thanks again,
David

Hi all,
first of all, I am pretty happy that a lot of you americans seem to start thinking at last.
In the last couple of months, I was afraid that the USA is running amok and I couldnt help myself think of Starship Troopers...
But now I have hope that Us residents see that Hollywood is NOT real life (well at least the residents do, not their politicians).
In 50 years or so, everyone in the whole wide world will shake his head when remembering George Bush and his gang and what they have done to global history...after a lot of horror being done by wars in the last century, you could think that the human race should have learned at least a bit.... but then...the former rescue from evil has changed sides and is attacking a country with high tech weaponry where the opposition has almost nothing... Bombing cottages where people lived and who had never heard of USA at all.... killed ....
Boy oh Boy.... what happened to the USA ?
A german...

I wouldn't say Bush is an idiot as i don't know him.
But sure that the way his chose for American foreign policy is... special...
Renaud, proud to be French

I just want to point out that we frenchies didn't vote for our president that much, either. Or at least not eagerly. :/

Nevertheless, the picture is fun. Thanks for sharing. :)

I think it is a Waterfield Sleeve case (www.sfbags.com).

Je leur commande un sac tout de suite ! :)

Thats nice, maybe theres still hope left for the USA. But as we can see, there are still enough brainless idiots who would follow ANY leader, even it was mr.dumbinator xD

now that i am reading the comments, i gotta say: USA SUCKS!! GET BRAINS !! YOU WERENT EVEN ON THE MOON, SO _WHATS_ LEFT TO BE PROUD OF ??

Why do republicans hate America?

ralf
Why is it only the US that's running amok? 'Real life' can be seen in the Getty images of strung-up charred corpses in Fallujah. Liberal silence on this issue is complicity with the crime. 'Hollywood' is mass media in general, as evidenced by your foul literary references. If those deaths in Fallujah were meaningless, or the deaths of Israelis, as well as but NOT ONLY Palestinian, you should give up your worldly possessions and move to India.

okay Jonas,
name the thousands who died. you have no understanding of numbers unless you can count to a thousand without a break. where are you getting these 'facts'? and remember, your entire arguing position rests on 'facts' you cannot verify. this is what is called a 'castle made of sand'.

I love how, when confronted by truth in an argument, right wingers inevitably succumb to "If you don't like this country move to Iraq/India/Cuba, you cheese eating surrender monkey!"

Frankly, I'd rather stay right here and take my country back from you who have done so much to degrade her and destroy her.

Yes, our president is an idiot, and we stupid Americans sat back and let him steal an election and bankrupt the nation, both financially and morally.

But hey! Don't forget to duct tape a flag to your SUV while you delude yourselves that we're still a free country!

Believe it or not, there are a more than a few Americans who are just as horrified as the rest of the world at what arrogant bullies our government has become. If more people understood that, maybe we wouldn't have to pretend we're Canadian when we travel overseas.

What liberal silence, Robert? Sounds like a fact you cannot verify.

Robert
What are you talking bout ? I never said that any death is meaningless...?!??!?
The problem I see is that a civilized country such as the United States of America wants to be, tries to solve problems in a more intelligent way then just show off their powers and military strength.
the people in Iraq have suffered a long time and as hard as it may sound, they just dont know what they are doing as they are led by fanatics..and they never had a chance to make up their own thoughts...
Imho, US is acting a little triggerhappy and has to face the consequences, and what I meant by "Hollywood" style is that a lot of young americans join the army as it sounds cool to carry a gun and be the smart soldier boy and once they wake up they find themselves in Afghanistan, Iraq and wherever in the world there is the need of a supersoldier that saves the day... I think that is what people think when joining the troops, as if it was a honor to march into war and as we can see from a lot of reports, these young guys and girls get ill and homesick becuase the truth is not quite as beautiful as they were told....

Jane,

when I was young, everything american was hip cool and fresh and a lot of american ways that swapped over to Europe was part of the walk of life for a lot of youngsters here.
Coke, Television, Clothes, american movies american superstars where idols for us here in europe... no matter what was impotred from US, it was cooler than what was produced here...
Sad to say that this has changed a lot in the past few months / years... Somehow the US of A have changed from a real free country with endless possibilities to something ummmm.... ummm... lets say: different and this scares a lot of people...
But as long as I can read posts like yours, I still have hope that the real americans like I got to learn them, really take back their country and show the "others" how they really feel...

Anybody considered the possibility that the text actually refers to the French president?

It is great that in America we have the freedom to say what we want without fear of repurcussion.

It is cowardly to issue that statment like that in a foreign language.

Want to be an agent of change? Say it out loud, believe in your message. Thomas Jefferson and Dr. King never hid their thoughts, why is Tom Bihn hiding his message? Is it to be witty? Is there a more sinister agenda. I find it sad that someone chooses to depreciate their country in that way.

He has the right to say it. I just question why he would want to.

Canada, the 51st state.

All conservatives suck.

Liberals have the open minds.

We'll say whatever we want, no matter who it hurts.

We'll march in our Birkenstocks.

We'll hug the trees.

We'll tax those who actually make the money.

Lets give everything to those who don't earn it.

Everyone is entitled to something.

Yes you people are right. Why go over there and fight these people. I mean we should send our law enforcement. It worked so well in the past.

Wait no it did not. The definition of Retardation is to keep doing the same thing and expect different results. Your hero, Richard Clarke said in 1999, they saw how we handled the first World Trade Center bombing, we caught most of them. They are shaking in their shoes, really shaking in their shoes. Somalia, Cole, OK city(which Clarke said he could tie to Al Quada as well). If this is shaking in their shoes, my goodness, I hate to see not shaking in their shoes.

Oh and by the way people, a non-partisan recount of the Florida Election votes still gave Bush the win in Florida. If you are too dumb to understand this, there may be no help for you at all. Or the fact that the Florida Supreme Court violated Florida Election law by asking only a certain segment of the population's votes to be recounted. In effect, trying to steal the election, yet somehow you people have turned this around. Such idiocy, from people who think they are so smart. tsk tsk.

Great - fantastic. What an awesome tag. I'm going to have to buy something from them out of respect.

x

Really fantastic !
So belgian people are sure that all amercicans aren't like that'idiot son of a hashole'...
Just like all belgian aren't paedophiles...

Keep fighting, my friends

Nico

Bravery, thy name is printing in a foreign language on the laundry instruction tag of a computer bag.

Ignorance is when you do not know anything beyond what you have been told and you believed it at face value without researching beyond that. Combine that with seeking out your ignorant opinion with other ignorant opinions and you come to a conclusion that this is a fact.

The sad part is that the rest of the world is laughing because the ignorance is still coming from the Americans and that gets extended in to voting for the President and Congress.

"But I didn't vote for Bush", you will cry.

No, but you are still sheep pandering to the Plutocracy by electing the Congress that is more well off and more rich than 98% of the people they are supposed to represent, and you still think that either Bush or Kerry are viable choices.

No one yet has expressed their outrage on the real issues beyond their hatred for Kerry/Bush, and again, that is as American, ain't it? To find a tag on some clothing that says that "hey, we didn't pick our President" and get a circle jerk going with chuckles and how funny it is. None of you will make a difference in America, perhaps these little shots at Bush is an acknowledgement of your incompetence and perhaps this will give you some joy while knowing your impotence.

Perhaps our children will be a little more serious and more determined to change back our government in a form it was first created, by the people and for the people.

Until then, have fun shooting your wads at silly tags.

Well said Ethics

Goddamn that's funny stuff

"Calling our president an idiot is immature and disrespectful."

No, it's being accurate. "Disrespectful" is rigging an election:
http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/vote2000/report/exesum.htm
http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/vote2000/florida.htm
http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/vote2000/report/main.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/cta/progs/newsnight/palast.ram

It's good to see a company spending their tax cuts on something to increase their business. You sure know your market guys!

Bush will be proud.

I laughed so hard I nearly fell out of my chair...! Its about time the rest of the world realized we don't all go along with current American foreign policy and that given a choice, we will work for regime change where it matters most.

Ummm... Maybe it's just me but I don't understand why any of you pro-bush, war supporting people are willing to disrespect one of the very freedoms (speech) that your president is trying to "give" the Iraqis people?

If you support him, you support the ideal that he went to war on and it would seem to me, you'd have learned that people and companies can say whatever the hell they want. Whether it's good or bad against bush.

Anyone who goes around harping on be "respectful" of the office etc. needs a lesson in democracy. It pains me that many of bush's so called supporters, are clearly not even as intelligent as he is. I'm more scared of Americans than America.

What a wonderful whine party. It is truly inspiring to read so much infantile pretense at grown up commentary. Never have so many said so much over nothing. But, it is hard to let go from the frat house intellectual banter over cheap beer dirty socks.

wow, look at the left-wing kooks coming out of the woodwork. I'm also not surprised at the eurotrash here too - couldn't get enough of your monolithic, stalinist left-wing media at home, so you decided to come here for some bush-bashing as well? I mean, you eurotrash do nothing but call bush a fascist all day, every day; meanwhile, back in zeropa, you idiots ELECT fascists to office (case in point: the National Front in France). it's pretty funny - you left-wing morons have more in common with rush limbaugh or sean hannity than you think - rush and co. say that liberals are evil and conservatives are good, while you kooks say the same thing, only vice versa. man, i pity the u.s. for having such fools with stubborn minds unable to consider the other side's point of view. god help us all for having to suffer such close-minded idiots.

Tom Bihn links to Robert Fisk on his website in his "about us" section.

'nuff said

Oh, gosh, that is sooooo cool! Please don't hate us French people, it hurts my tummy when Canadians and Europeans hate us. It makes me want to throw up. I am so sad that French hate us. I have gone into debt buying French products to show my support for the French. I'm thinking of renouncing my american citizenship and mutilating myself to show my support of the French - I'm just waiting for a French person to tell me if that's what they want me to do. Because I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to be loved by the French.

Why doesn't the tag say: "Sorry our last president was such an idiot, but he was too busy receiving blow jobs under his desk to deal with the terrorists that were killing Americans."

Can cbrown (or anyone that knows with certainty) let me know who is the manufacturer of the bag (if is real). I want this to be a gift for some friends in Switzerland.

Actually, Bill Clinton was NOT too busy with BJs to battle terrorists. Apparently, it made him highly effective.

President Bush is no idiot.

After the attacks of 9-11, he went after the Taliban and prevented Al Qaeda from going after us again.

People disagree strongly about invading Iraq. It was a bold gamble for President Bush. If we can establish democracy in Iraq, then the Middle East may turn away from dictatorship. When the Berlin wall was breached in 1989, many countries in Eastern Europe were finally able to turn from Communist dictatorship to democracy.

President Bush's gamble may fail. But it is a smart, brave choice, a calculated risk.

Better foreign policy would have been to allow the International Community to continue it's deception with the UN/Saddam Oil-for-Food kickback scam.

Hundreds of thousands of Iraq people died and millions suffered all to benefit the loving people of France and Russia and a few other righteous members of the beloved International Community. These countries did everything they could to protect their OIL, please continue to support their efforts.

Let's not forget George Galloway's involvement in aiding Saddam's brutal oppression and how much money he made in the process. All hail King George and the madness of the United Nations.

Billions made on the backs of the dead. How glorious the triumph!

I always thought the United Nations was designed to defend the oppressed not aid in oppressing the oppressed while lining the pockets of their righteous pants?

Show your support, buy as many pants as you can.

The brainwashed ditto monkeys are out in force.

"Or the fact that the Florida Supreme Court violated Florida Election law by asking only a certain segment of the population's votes to be recounted."

This is a lie. The Court ruled according to state law and ordered a state wide recount. Only under the most restrictive recounts did Bush "win" Fla. in the so-called recount run by the news paper consortium in late 2001. Over a hundred thousand votes have never been counted in any way.

Oh and those people the bushies illegally scrubbed from the voter roles and were ordered to re-instate in 2002? It hasn't been done yet.

The only thing sadder than the sociopaths in power are their supporters made mush-brained by a steady diet of winger propaganda meisters like Hannity and Limbaugh.

I am shamed to share the same country with these fools.

See, its only us America-loving Repbulicans who are willing to defend it. Why do you think a MAJORITY of our military soldiers and officers are Republican when only 35% of the country registers as Republican? Republicans see no dishonor in serving in the world's finest military-fighting terrorism and thugs all over the world. I'm definitely not saying you shouldn't be allowed to protest-you can say what you want. However just because you CAN say something doesn't make it right. I agree that Bush is no Reagan-Reagan was the greatest world leader since WWII, but Bush at least has a spine, has convictions, and believes in God. It's too bad you commies and Europeans don't take a page out of his book-say THANK YOU to America for making the world safer and be on your way.

"pinko commie losers..."

Ahahaha.... I love this guy, seriously. Haven't laughed that hard since "They misunderestimated me." Go back to the Cold War era, buddy. Someone might respect your opinion there.

"It's too bad you commies and Europeans don't take a page out of his book-say THANK YOU to America for making the world safer and be on your way."

Maybe we would if America actually had made the world safer. Please inform us as to how America has made the world safer? Does de-stabilizing the middle east help?

Big man standing up for his convictions by hiding it in another language on the care instructions of a tag.

If he had any guts he'd print his message in bold on the outside of the bag. Then we could see how many of the activists would actually buy it. Not many I'd guess.

Its really easy to be reactionary and talk big over the Internet. How many people actually live by their beliefs and stand up to protest what they feel? Yeah I though so.

> Big man standing up for his convictions by hiding

Kettle, meet pot. :-)

More lies, adopted as fact by the brainwashed, how sad for America and the world.

"After the attacks of 9-11, he went after the Taliban and prevented Al Qaeda from going after us again."

Bzzzzzzzzzzzt! Wrong!

washingtonpost.com
U.S. Concludes Bin Laden Escaped at Tora Bora Fight
Failure to Send Troops in Pursuit Termed Major Error

By Barton Gellman and Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, April 17, 2002; Page A01

The Bush administration has concluded that Osama bin Laden was present during the battle for Tora Bora late last year and that failure to commit U.S. ground troops to hunt him was its gravest error in the war against al Qaeda, according to civilian and military officials with first-hand knowledge.

Intelligence officials have assembled what they believe to be decisive evidence, from contemporary and subsequent interrogations and intercepted communications, that bin Laden began the battle of Tora Bora inside the cave complex along Afghanistan's mountainous eastern border. Though there remains a remote chance that he died there, the intelligence community is persuaded that bin Laden slipped away in the first 10 days of December.

After-action reviews, conducted privately inside and outside the military chain of command, describe the episode as a significant defeat for the United States. A common view among those interviewed outside the U.S. Central Command is that Army Gen. Tommy R. Franks, the war's operational commander, misjudged the interests of putative Afghan allies and let pass the best chance to capture or kill al Qaeda's leader. Without professing second thoughts about Tora Bora, Franks has changed his approach fundamentally in subsequent battles, using Americans on the ground as first-line combat units.

In the fight for Tora Bora, corrupt local militias did not live up to promises to seal off the mountain redoubt, and some colluded in the escape of fleeing al Qaeda fighters. Franks did not perceive the setbacks soon enough, some officials said, because he ran the war from Tampa with no commander on the scene above the rank of lieutenant colonel. The first Americans did not arrive until three days into the fighting. "No one had the big picture," one defense official said.

The Bush administration has never acknowledged that bin Laden slipped through the cordon ostensibly placed around Tora Bora as U.S. aircraft began bombing on Nov. 30. Until now it was not known publicly whether the al Qaeda leader was present on the battlefield.

Now watch the conseronazi call the WP a Stalinist Librul Media mouthpiece. Hhahahahahha

"People disagree strongly about invading Iraq. It was a bold gamble for President Bush. If we can establish democracy in Iraq, then the Middle East may turn away from dictatorship. When the Berlin wall was breached in 1989, many countries in Eastern Europe were finally able to turn from Communist dictatorship to democracy."

I thought we were there to destroy an imminent threat?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021007-8.html

Notice how the word democracy doesn't appear once in that speach.

HAHAHAH all this makes me laugh.

bedwetter, i'm french and i don't hate you, for sure Bush scares me, but it's evident that not all the americans agree with his politic.

firebrand, we didn't elect any "front national" people, they exists and some people vote for them (you know there are other democracies than the USofA) i feel ashamed for this but fortunately they didn't rule anything here. i presume that you have some sort of fascist group in the US too, and maybe (even if they're not elected) their lobbying have more weight than what the front national is able to do here in France.
i can't explain with more details efficiently, because my english knowledge is a bit light to sustain a polemic.
I like this tag a lot, it's not a concern of being a coward or anything, it's a way to communicate a message (and with a good sense of humor), for me it's cool to see that not all americans think that we (french) are at 1 hair from being a proud member of the axis of evil.

"If he had any guts he'd print his message in bold on the outside of the bag. Then we could see how many of the activists would actually buy it. Not many I'd guess."

How many people would buy this message in bold print on the outside of a garment? About 2500, at last count. Most with the English translation as well as the French.

yeah, right, bush invaded iraq to fight against the al quaeda.
too bad most people forget about the time when saddam fought the ayatollah chomeini in iran, one of the most fundamentalistic countries in the middle east.
yeah, it even makes more sense that iraq supported fundamentalistic terrorists from iran or afghanistan, if you know the last POW from iran were released a few days before the war started. sounds like real friends, releasing POW after about 10 years :)
and sure, its clintons fault the planes crashed into the WTC on 9/11. its always the fault of the last government, never of the present.
doesn't matter at all, opinions are like assholes: everybody got one, and its very hard to change.
TabulaRasa, from germany

You may love the tag, but it will never get read -- since when have the French washed anything?

What are they trying to do? Radicalize Snuggles the laundry bear?

PS If you are trying to sway minds, think a little bigger than a laundry tag. In French. At a font size of 8 pt. Bush must be quaking... ;-)

"i presume that you have some sort of fascist group in the US too"

Yes. We call them "Republicans".

"since when have the French washed anything?"

Tim you've been to a special humour high school to be so funny ?

Matthew -

Adolf Hitler was no idiot.

People disagree strongly about invading Poland. It was a bold gamble for Hitler...

Hitler's gamble may have failed. But it was a smart, brave choice, a calculated risk.

Remember, he had many supporters as well, even after the war.

Jane--loved your comments, especially:
..."But hey! Don't forget to duct tape a flag to your SUV while you delude yourselves that we're still a free country!"

Well done!

"when did everyone in this country lose respect for the office of the president?"

Hmm... *Deep breath...*
Hiroshima. Nagasaki. Vietnam. Watergate. Watergate II. Monicagate. Trickle-down Economics. Star Wars. Noriega. Iran-Contra. The Gulf War. The Second Gulf War. Creating Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and Osama bin Laden to fight "The Communist Threat." Installing Ba'ath Party in Iraq in 1965, and funding Saddam Hussein's weapons development programs. Rejecting the Kyoto Treaty. Re-introducing Star Wars. Beginning production of smart mines against national treaty. Shall I continue?

"See, its only us America-loving Repbulicans who are willing to defend it. Why do you think a MAJORITY of our military soldiers and officers are Republican when only 35% of the country registers as Republican?"

I spent 3 years in the U.S. Army, and I would rather lose an arm than vote Republican.

But I think I may know why there are so many Republicans in the military. When I was in basic training, the drill sergeants would always yell the same thing at us every time someone said the word think; "Think! You thought! You're not paid to think. You're paid to execute." That explains a lot.

Did it occur to anyone that maybe the tag is just a joke or not even real?

I agree fully that Jacques Chirac is an idiot!

"when did everyone in this country lose respect for the office of the president?"

I'll bet a month's salary that the person who said this thinks nothing of bashing Clinton and his penis in every political discussion.

Sorry... they were all my Presidents, and when they goof up (especially in the monumental scale as our current one does so well) I'll be right there to bash 'em.

And why do you think that comment is not made by a french refering their president (Chirac)?

Ah, justice triumphs again!

Gotta get one of these bags, no matter what they are for. Gonna buy some and send 'em to France.

The liberals have so much hate for their own country. It is so apparent in the comments at this site. The label is a perfect example.

Thank you "frenchman." I agree that Chirac is an idiot! The jeans could clearly have been made in France....we french feel as strongly against our president as the liberals in the US feel about Bush.

"The liberals have so much hate for their own country. It is so apparent in the comments at this site. The label is a perfect example."

How do you figure? I think the label is just supposed to be a light-hearted joke.

Awesome, awesome.

sic transit gloria americanus

Interesting how this cowardly smear, if aimed at GWB, is written in the native language of cowards: French!

And I'm not suggesting that the person shouldn't be allowed to say it.

I thought that Republicans had a sense of humor. How wrong I was...

This made my day. Thank you so much.

Come on, the fact that 99% (the others are idiots themselves)know exactly who this refers to has to tell you something about the validity of the statement.

"I agree that Bush is no Reagan-Reagan was the greatest world leader since WWII, but Bush at least has a spine, has convictions, and believes in God."
--
So where comes the good part? Just having convictions doesn't mean that your convictions are right, which ofcourse is subjective.

For the God part, I really cannot see why politics should have anything to do with religion. In America, where you are free to believe (or not believe) in anything you want, including religious stuff, it's rather contradictive that you really can't become a president if you don't admit yourself to Christianity.

"Posted by: Sue at April 6, 2004 10:25 AM
The liberals have so much hate for their own country. It is so apparent in the comments at this site. The label is a perfect example."

No, I don't hate this country, I just hate Bush and I hate YOU and I hate other fools who know absolutely nothing about the very principles this country was founded upon.

Last time I checked the dictionary, the US constitution, logic, and common sense, George Bush is not synonymous with the United States of America. YOU are not synonymous with the USA.

If you think George Bush IS ACTUALLY THE SAME THING AS the United States, then you have a poor grasp of the English language or you are completely insane.

Priceless =)

glad to not all americans are morons.
to bad most of them still seem to be :(

see

"Interesting how this cowardly smear, if aimed at GWB, is written in the native language of cowards: French!"

mike this is the finest sentence of the whole thread. And the competition was rude with Tim ("since when have the French washed anything?") in the place.

Don't you love it how, if you don't agree with everything a winger says and fall in goosestepping in line with their belief structure, daring to openly practice your 1st amendment rights to free speech then that automatically equates to "hating your country" Grow up. It's our country too.

I just hope that all the liberals out there can band together to make a regime change at home. Even if you don't like Kerry all that much. Who cares, he's 1000% better than the alternative.

"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to greater danger. It works the same in any country."

-Hermann Goering (1893 - 1946)

"Those who criticize the administration are aiding and giving comfort to the enemy" - John Ashcroft

"How dare Senator Daschle criticize President Bush while we are fighting our war on terrorism, especially when we have troops in the field?" - Trent Lott (R)

(Daschle's)"divisive comments have the effect of giving aid and comfort to our enemies by allowing them to exploit divisions in our country." - Rep. Tom Davis, R-VA

"Your tactics only aid terrorists -- for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to America's enemies and pause to America's friends" - John Ashcroft

Here's a quote from a "real" American.

To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public
- Theodore Roosevelt -

mabye it's france sending it to USA?

Nuke you.

Nuke you all.

"And why do you think that comment is not made by a french refering their president (Chirac)?"

Because the comment would be in ENGLISH. Besides, why would the French have to apologize to the US for *their* president?

"The liberals have so much hate for their own country. It is so apparent in the comments at this site. The label is a perfect example."

Someone explain to me why trying to rescue America from the Constitution-shredding, treaty-shattering, corporation-pandering, environment-trashing, war-mongering chickenhawk fundamentalist religious nuts who have seized control of it means we "hate America".

No, as a matter of fact, we love this country enough that we aren't going to let idiots like you give it away. You, on the other hand, would turn a blind eye to the raping and pillaging of all that represents America without a thought. To me, that makes YOU the unAmerican here.

I wish I had an answer to why most Americans simply aren't paying attention to what's happening in this country. Maybe they are too busy trying to find work, or trying to keep their rent paid, or never think to look outside corporate-owned media for their news, or maybe they've had too many years of public-school indoctrination which has taught them to eat what they are spoon-fed without question. Maybe they have been whipped up into a frenzy of fear by their own government, so that they meekly surrender without a whimper when told what to do and who to hate.

Maybe it's all of these things.

But hey! How about that Local Sports Team?

Boris,

I see, so my comment can not be construed as a joke, where as the comment on the tag is funny!

So a generalization about France is bad while a generalization about the U.S. President is funny.

What really bothers me is how throughout this presidency, the administration can never admit to any wrong doing or mistakes. I find it hard to believe these people when all they do is character bash their opponents, many of whom were former appointees. No one is perfect, but Bush et al won't admit to any mistakes.

Politicians in general in the US don't run on specific issues but instead along party lines. That's the problem! Those who pay for your campaign dictate what your policies are, not the specific problems that need addressing.

America needs to check itself. The fact that Bush said it was every Iraqi's right to have an education and healthcare is great and all, but then shouldn't it be every American's right too?

Both sides are guilty of political bs, but the Republicans are just too deceptive. Sure Bush lowered your Federal taxes, but then State taxes just skyrocketed. But the Republicans won't tell you that. I thought not telling the whole truth was lying.

US political strategy is so like that. Tell them the good stuff and leave out the bad. What a crock! Let's get the whole picture people. So many Republicans are just too quick to say, "But Bush lowered our taxes". Sure he did, but we went from the biggest economic growth in the history of our country, to the biggest defecit, inflation, decreased dollar value, etc. in the history of our country. When we're facing a huge deficit, when social security is going to go bankrupt, when poeople are starving homeless in the streets, sometimes we need taxes pay for these things.

Americans are lazy and won't research the issues themselves. Instead they'll believe a soundbite just because it came from the President. That's the problem. Educate yourselves and look beyond the headline!

I love when you tell people that SUV's are bad for the environment and they counter with, "Well it's my American right to own one."

Nice one!!!! Your American rights transcend any environmental consequences that might come up.

Off the subject but patriotic flag wavers suck. Patriotic do gooders rock!!!!!!

Recently I've been ashamed to call myself american when my country was taken away from me.

A man like Abraham Lincoln could never be president today. No one who grew up poor in a log cabin would even get the time of day from any political party. You gotta be rich and play the game of working in the favor of your supporters, not of the people.

Deficit problems, social security going bankrupt, people without food, education and healthcare, the environment being destroyed and what do the Republicans focus on???? Star Wars (which won't prevent any kind of handheld device or plane crashing into a building), trying to pass an ammendment banning gay marriage(Whose business is it anyways???? How does it affect you?) and getting Iraq to be a democracy.

Nice priorities!!!!

BUSH is an idiot regardless of where his dad paid to get him in. Here's proof!

>>"The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country."
>>>>- George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
>>>>- George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and
that
>>>>one word is 'to be prepared'."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>"I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments
in the
>>future."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"The future will be better tomorrow."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"We're going to have the best educated American people in the
world."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"I stand by all the misstatements that I've made."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>"We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a
firm
>>commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"Public speaking is very easy."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the
>>>>polls."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"For NASA, space is still a high priority."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our
>>>>children."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the
impurities
>>>>in our air and water that are doing it."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"It's time for the human race to enter the solar system."
>>>>- Governor George W. Bush

My favorite is when conservatives who theoretically value business and commerce, trash someone for making an astute marketing move. Of course, it's not in english. It was addressed to their french customers.

Who said this bag is made in the USA? Maybe it was made in France or Canada! If all of you Bush bashers believe what you say then this bag was probably made in China!

Kevin, your comment is the perfect example of the quote I posted above. BTW, you do know who Hermann Goering was don't you. Hitler called people who didn't support him unpatriotic too.

This label is GREAT!
Especially [as I read it] they're talking about Chirac.

I wonder how many of the genius contributers here could land a jet fighter under the hood. I wonder how many could even get past the first chapter of the flight manual.
Most of this group must be rejects from the 9-11 committee. When Dr. Rice enters the hearing room, the I.Q. average in the room will double. If she entered this page, it would triple.
It is no coincidence that Democrat and Dungbeatle both begin with "D".

Tangential political diatribes aside (sigh) that's a great picture. Thanks for sharing.

Why is everyone assuming the label's about Bush, just because the apology is in French? It's not like he's *named* in the apology. For all we know, the bag was made in 1994! ;)

You realize of course, that since it's in French, it is actually Chirac they are talking about, non?

Googlebomb them to the top!
cowards

Hey moron, why would the French be apologizing in French to Americans? How many Americans do you know who speak French, maybe 10%-20% Oh and BTW, these bags are made in the USA.

Ah, the great brainwashed Republican hordes out here in full force. All it takes is for somebody to question the "fearless leader" (who is so fearless that needs handholding from the VP when he testifies in front of the 9/11 commission).

btw, Gore never said he invented the internet!

I never have heard of this company's products or name before.
And I live in WA where they reside.
Now I know why. They're more concerned with pushing liberal trash talk than pushing a quality product.
If I do see their stuff...I will never buy it.
Thanks for the heads up.

And Zelda...the reason we are assuming the label is about Bush is because if you goto this company's website and read around.....you will in short measure begin to smell that hard-to-miss sickening liberal stench

Gore never said he invented the internet, and the Supreme Court didn't award Goerge Bush the presidency.

Both of these mis-representations of the facts have become memes. They are so oft-repeated that the truth begins to lose all meaning. Bush lied. Ted Kennedy caluculated his political future while Mary Jo Kopechne drowned. John Kerry had botox injections.

Life is a lot more complex than these bumper sticker quotations.

George Bush is a good man, who believes in some things that a lot of other people believe in. He isn't particullarly articluate, but that doesn't make him an idiot.

Al Gore is a smart man who noticed that some even smarter men were doing something rather cool. He might have overstated his involvement, or maybe he just didn't clarify his position quite qucikly enough.

Personal attacks and the mindless repetition of cliches only makes both sides seem rather simple...

Perhaps neither the bagmakers nor some of their amused French label readers have stopped to consider what would still be happening to Iraquis criticising their president, or to Frenchman criticising the Nazi regime, if some "idiots" in the White House hadn't intervened at two critical points in history.

If their's is the current definition of "idiot", lets go elect more idiots.

...Sam

Ah Oui,

Remember when we bombed the sheet out of ze Greenpeace boat. Ah, we took zat radical scum and put zem in der place.

Oh but yes. Ze Greenpeace people don't fire back.

We should admire Prezident Bush. But what do we know, we like zee Jerry Lewis.

Ohh ho ho ho ooh la la.

In light of the Madrid bombing, France has raised its terror alert level from "run" to "hide."

The only two higher levels in France are "surrender" and "collaboration."

bush is an idiot no matter how many colleges his family paid off to let him graduate. you've only got to listen to him trying to read what others have written for him. calling him a "puppet" is an insult to the cast of sesame st.

he is also a liar, hipocrite, fraud, criminal etc etc. the world has FAR more to fear from bush and his oil buddies than it does from "international terrorists"

at least 15 of the 19 9/11 terrorists were from saudi arabia but he invades afghanistan? does that not seem a little "odd" to you? do you think he may have had other motives? still, what do you retards care? in a recent survey, 98% of americans quetioned couldn't find afghanistan on a map despite it being labelled "afghanistan". then again, 95% of you couldn't find washington either lol.

he claims to have faith and to be a christian.
four words for you (nice simple single syllable ones too) - thou shall not kill. remember? it was written on that slab of stone god gave to moses. pretty easy to understand, even for americans no?

now that his buddies are "looking after" the oil interests in afghanistan and iraq do you think he'll let the troops come home? how many more families is he willing to destroy in the name of profit?

French Tickler, Madrid is in SPAIN, not in France. Do you even know where Irak is? You know, that country far away that Bush is bombing the crap out off, for no apperant reason. And no, if you didn't know it, saddam had nothing to do with 9-11.

It's obviously a French-made product.

Hey LUFF,
I soon as you can figure out how to spell "Irak", you can comment on where Madrid is.

If Canada was attacked, the US would raise its alert level too. So the Madrid-France connection makes sense.....well, to brain-laden folks it does.

Good uses for Al Franken.

http://img32.photobucket.com/albums/v95/riboflavin/coulterfranken.jpg

Oh foo on you all - I wore the tshirt proudly before it was hidden on a tag in french:

http://americanapologyshirt.com/

I will continue to wear it. Proudly.

For those of you who might yell:
-First, the statement is no lie; I voted for someone else. I'm fully entitled to express that.
-I thought the man was an idiot when he was governor of Texas and put a mentally retarded man into the electric chair. Just because he's the president now doesn't mean I suddenly have a sweeping change of opinion.
-I know a few people who graduated from both Harvard and Yale and as a matter of fact, one of them IS an idiot who needs hand-holding all the time. Just because you can memorize and parrot stuff back doesn't mean you can independently follow a line of reasoning.
-I am a firm and unswerving adherent to the Bill of Rights. This means I believe in the right of all people to carry guns and weapons at all times. Not a typically liberal stance, is it?
-I know quite a few Republicans who also think Bush is an idiot. It is not just a Democrat or liberal opinion.
-Whatever happened to the hunt for Osama, and why are there no progress reports?

I could say more, but I will leave it at that.

So... when do we see this image turning up on snopes.com?
Bets, anyone?

The french is broken.

That is a priceless sign--I bought one for myself, just on the basis of the label.

Shrub (A little bush) may be an idiot. However, the people in his administration are extremely clever--who else would be able to pull off a war with NO evidence, and shrug off that no evidence was found for WMD. Who else would be able to get away with millions in a non bid contract to their former company (Halliburton) to service that war?

Sry RW, I realized that I had spelled it wrongfully after I had posted the message, that's how we spell it in my country.

I want to make one thing clear. The people here that are saying bad things about Bush have nothing at all against americans as a people. In fact, we are saying this because we care about you. We are, for your own good, trying to make you see that Bush isn't a very good president and that your country deserve better. So please, for your own good and for world peace, don't vote for the republicans next election.

Doug Gordon:

uhh, that's democracy.

-I thought the man was an idiot when he was governor of Texas and put a mentally retarded man into the electric chair.Ummm... are you sure you don't mean Clinton? A retarded man was executed in Arkansas during the 92 election campaign. I believe Clinton went back just for the occasion. In any case the governor of Texas doesn't "put" anybody in the electric chair. The criminal justice system does. As I understand it, the Governor can't even pardon somebody unless a special committee recommends it. Maybe you should get these facts straight before questioning somebody else's intelligence.

As for why somebody would be ashamed of Chirac.. are you aware that Saddam's Osirak nuclear reactor was often referred to as the "O-Chirac" reactor? and do you know why? Don't worry, the French have plenty to be ashamed of.

After reading this I got happy but after reading the comments I just got so angry. Im sorry to say this, but you americans are pretty dumb.
If you really want a morron with NO skills what so ever for a leader of YOUR country, then sure have it your way, I don't care. But when this particular morron is trying to rule the rest of the world; I hope the people in USA understands that this might not be the smartest idea and this morron might be more suitable in a recangular cage than in an oval office.

Hey,

You know what ? I am French and I guess we share the same point of view right now about OUR president! lol

B.

UR ALL DUMBFUCKS!!!!

I just love this!
As always, fun things end up being political forums, ok, discussing is good. But to see all these people trying to defend Bush? Honestly, cant you see youve been tricked? Yale and Harvard, probably went to the second one cause he didnt understand anything in the first. The US is a sick little country, with a government which everybody in Europe hates, probably the rest of the world too, there probably hasnt been a coup d'etat that the US havent been involved in. The fun thing is that Canadians that live so close to "Da US" has so much more to say then just "commy" "terrorist" and "unpatriotic", like you fellow Republicans, preferebly use them in a combo to create more effect. But i must admit that im rather shocked about how many Americans that can think for themselves, good job you guys.

Hey Firebrand, did you ever leave your TV dinner and reclining chair? You can't have seen a whole lot of the world outside of Alabama. Grow up...

Bub

This is not a French product ;) If the French had to say that their president is an idiot, they wouldn't say it that way, with these words. It is clearly a translation from the well-known "I'm sorry my president's an idiot. I didn't vote for him."

"Don't worry, the French have plenty to be ashamed of."
You're right.

Just a little more thing: 82% of the French voted for Chirac, so might we say that "we didn't vote for him"? :))

Having been to the US i can only say: you have a great country over there. However George W. Bush is the worst thing that has happened to your country since... George Bush Sr. I won't bash him however, i actually think he seems like a quite funny guy, in a dumb way. But to make him the most powerful man in the world? What were you thinking?

Ola,

I'm sorry my president's an idiot. I didn't vote for him.

Ahh, it's great to hear that some of the Americans haven't lost their minds yet. But it is frightening that a large number of Americans still support Bush.

A few comments on what is stated in the comments above:

1: Yes we are greatful that the Americans intervened in WWII, but it's probably the only time in history.

2: If it is Chirac or Bush on the label, does it really matter? This discussion is mostly about Bush anyway.

hmm, i think that's it. i won't read in this forum again, so if you have any comments on what i've written, mail me.

/From Sweden

"name the thousands who died."

Here's a partial list for you:

http://www.pigstye.net/iraq/wd.php

fuck that stupid puss for just writing it in french. That just shows how much of a pussy he really is

"However George W. Bush is the worst thing that has happened to your country since... George Bush Sr."

I think it's safe to say Ola doesn't have a clue what is or isn't the worst thing that has happened to my country. It never ceases to amaze me the incredible pomposity and pretension with which foreigners offer political analysis of a country they clearly know little about. Or perhaps you would care to engage in a discussion of the steel tariffs and what importance they will have on the President's electoral prospects in Pennsylvania? What's that? You don't know what I'm talking about? Exactly.

"with a government which everybody in Europe hates"

Really? Even everybody in Poland? Or did you not know that Poland is part of Europe? Just goes to show, most Europeans not only don't know much about America, they don't really know much about the rest of the world, either.

"there probably hasnt been a coup d'etat that the US havent been involved in"

Well, I'm pretty sure the US wasn't responsible for the various seizures of power by communists in Eastern Europe, but then, you probably don't like being reminded that it was the US that saved you from being crushed under that boot. Or do you even know? It all goes along with your amazing ignorance of history and foreign affairs.

"But when this particular morron is trying to rule the rest of the world"

Dammit! You're on to us! Why, it's just next week that George Bush was going to issue a proclamation ordering the French to bathe at least twice a week or face invasion. Then again, maybe that's absurd. Because, of course, he isn't trying to "rule the world". He isn't even trying to rule Iraq, he'll be quite happy to pull out once the country is stabilized. I find it very ironic that people who question George Bush's intelligence then proceed to make the most amazingly boneheaded statements to back up their argument. I'd suggest taking that log out of your own eye before trying to find other people's motes.

"Here's a partial list for you:"

I'm curious Sick_of_War, do you have a list of the millions killed as a result of Saddam's reign? Do you have a list of the thousands(at least) who would have died if he had stayed in power? Or do you only have compassion for people when it provides you with an excuse to hate George W. Bush?

Hey all you geniuses--

Before you get all self-righteous and say "Yes I do TOO love this country!" and stamp your feet when right-wingers claim otherwise, you might want to rethink following it up with a statement about how much you despise and fear the majority of Americans.

America *is* Americans. Remember?

If you display that kind of contempt and scorn for the average American citizen, and claim that only you and your enlightened elite are mentally capable of making decisions for "the rest of us", how is it that you're displaying any kind of respect for democracy, the Constitution, or the American people? Sounds like just the opposite to me.

The Eurotrash here keep claiming the US is a "sick little country". If you liberals love the US so much, why aren't you defending it against the likes of "Sweden (no polarbears)"?

Comments like these are a perfect reminder to me of why I stopped being liberal recently. I once thought it was the height of wit to bob along in a flood of common thought, contributing my own little "Bush is an idiot" line as though it's some deep insight that both illuminates me for the genius I am and establishes my bravery at expressing my courageous dissent in public. You guys want to know who's "brainwashed"? I submit to you that it's the people for whom logic doesn't enter the braincase.

Why, "Deena" came close to stumbling on insight, wondering how on earth the idiot Bush could have pulled off this sham of a war? Guys, how about applying Occam's Razor: why would any President, with any Cabinet, lie to the American public, the UN, and the world, with false assertions that there were WMDs in Iraq-- a claim that they knew would be found to be false? If they're such evil geniuses, why didn't they bother to create an alibi-- plant some weapons for the troops to find? Why would they do something so fiendishly clever and so moronic at the same time?

Perhaps because it's not a matter of lying, but of inadequate intelligence. After all, everybody from Clinton to Kay to Chirac to Putin to Kerry believed quite firmly in the existence of Iraq's WMDs, and in fact it has yet to be proved that they haven't been spirited away to Syria or elsewhere. Want to laugh? Go ahead. But be sure to do it in front of some Iraqis, who (please note) don't give the slightest crap about WMDs. More Iraqis are optimistic about their country than Germans are about theirs. What does that tell you? That freeing them from Saddam was a mistake, that they should have been left to rot and die like before, so they wouldn't upset the delicate Oil-For-Palaces-and-UN-embezzlement program and the sweet oil contracts that French companies like ELF had, developing the Iraqi oil fields on top of the drained swampland where the Marsh Arabs once lived?

If you're an evil genius, you show your plan for world domination to a 12-year-old D&D player first. Because that way he'll find all the holes in it.

Such a kid would have seen through the purported "lies" in an instant. He'd also ask why the mysterious oil pipeline through Afghanistan (the reason why we faked 9/11, don'tcha know) hasn't been built yet, or why even after invading Iraq for oil we're all paying $2.50 at the pump.

Could be that the leftist sloganeering has no facts or logic to back it up, and there are much simpler explanations than conspiracies behind everything.

(For the record, Clinton awarded a sweet no-bid contract to Halliburton after the first Iraq war. Remember that?)

Guys, if you want liberal America to be taken seriously by anybody who matters (namely, the scary-stupid VOTING AMERICAN PUBLIC), it would serve you well to stop acting like such children.

Heh, alrighty then, where to start.
First, as folks like the Dixie Chicks found out, you are totally permitted to say anything you want 'round here in the good ol' US of A, however, noone said anything about there being a ban on responding to those same statements. Think about that for a second...
Yes, that means when they say that you are anti-American for bashing Bush, they are as entitled to that as you are of calling him an idiot in the first place. So, when you, in return, accuse them of trying to stomp on your BoR-given right to Free speech by accusing them of giving aid to the enemy, guess what... you're doing the same thing!
Whee! Ain't logic a great thing? Yup, that means that for everything you say about anyone, everyone else in the country can say anything they want, and do anything they want (as long as it falls within the realm of lawful activity) in response, and you can't do a thing about it!
Free speech works for both sides, you know.

To: Brian Tiemann

Thank you! Beautiful, concise, logical, and has the probable backing of locatable facts to support it.

Which is, of course, why you are now on the Official "We hate You" BlackList of all the Liberals who posted "Funny as hell" and "Shrub is an idiot" at the top of this list... assuming any of them are still checking up on it.

Forward me some of the mail, if any of them actually take the time to try and speak to you off of here, just for kicks, I'd love to see the kind of stuff that you might get.

I graduated from an ivy league school. For those who didn't, it's not some magical alternate universe where everybody is a genius. Sure, there are some really smart people there; there are also some first-class idiots.

For some reason there are people who like to promote the myths that (1) having graduated from an ivy league school is proof that he's smart, and (2) if you didn't graduate from such a school, you aren't as smart as he is.

These people like to point out associations that make Bush look good -- he went to Yale -- but avoid the associations that make him look bad -- he was arrested for DUI.

Oh, I will. Though I'm sure the commenting from the choir will stop now, save for a couple of gleeful, honking shouts of "Hahaha! I love it when the wingnuts come swarming out after you poke a stick in their nest! Look at them babble and run around in circles! The Troooooth hurts, don't it? Haahahaha!!!!!1!11"

I had some links embedded too, by the way, but this comment system strips out HTML.

Oh, and anonymous-- I graduated from an ivy-league school too, as a matter of fact, by many accounts the most selective university in the country. True, it wasn't a liberal-arts kind of place, but if you were a moron, you didn't last two quarters there.

The argument can rage forever over whether Bush is an idiot or not; but malapropisms in public speech aside (he's hardly the only President to have produced them), if you sift the real evidence of it from the meme-a-riffic signboard slogans, you end up with one pile a whole helluva lot smaller than the other.

Even if one grants the faults attributed to him, Bush is no more objectionable than the majority of US Presidents in the past, and considerably less than a few. His domestic policies, if you look carefully at them, are nearly indistinguishable from Clinton's. And yet there's this absolutely deranged flood of rabid hatred coming at him from the Left. You think America finds that stuff to be compelling? You think it wins American hearts and minds to constantly bray that the President is an idiot? You guys just might want to get it under control and discover some perspective, if you want there to be a real debate.

Me, I'm just wondering what platform Kerry thinks he's going to run on, with no real stated position on defense, no political ability to repudiate Iraq, and with 380,000 jobs having been created in the past month, unemployment at the same level as it was in 1996, and American industry at a 40-year high. It's going to be a pretty painful set of debates to watch.

About Bills earlier comments..

Well, first of... you're wrong.... in the sense that you are not correct in your assumption.
How else could I as an ignorant European know that the one redeaming quality of Bush is his free-trade support...... that he in this case of political populism totally threw out the window.
The steeltarrifs were put in place to temporarilly appease steelworkers in Pennsylvania who's product and efficiency was substandard. The official reason was to combat dumping from southeast asian countries, although for some strange reason Europe was also included.... see pattern yet?
This of course sacrificed any political trust bush had in regards to free trade, and will hurt all other American trade for the rest of his time in office since the world knows that the U.S. breaks its own rules.

This was of course done to win the important steelstates in the next election, and although the WTO has ruled them illegal, and they will be removed, Bush avoided a s**tstorm of critisism over losing american jobs by just selling out his pricinples and saving a few steelcompanies for a few months more.
The precedent this will set for future agricultural and other U.S. growth sectors in regards to international trade is not a good one.

Not bad for a European ey?

As to the Eastern-block and its satelite states, well there is kind of a difference between a dictatorship regime, and a democratic state.
Anyone who wants to guess who is, and who was not?

I sure hope they don't run out of bags before I make my holiday order on their website!

the label is something not to be discussed like fool here. you all don't even know what brand and where it is produced
anyway, can't deny that Bush is 'idiot'
calling him idiot is not much, because he purposely do that idiocy. he's a jerk and evil.
he even control american media so american will be his support in world invasion campaign. say what? where my prove? hey, where's your prove you all know what your leader is thinking. he's killing many people in process of his 'justice'
what kind of justice is that? he really make his military goes like 'hollywood' film:

the soldier: kill the terrorist, even if you have to kill civilians..

minority report: hey, catch and kill them even before they be a killer..

he even hide the fact that israeli is a war culprit. they kill many palestinian. so many..
i hate to say this but i know ou will ask me? where's your prove about thousands of palestinian dies by israeli evil hand?
wost more, bush is now providing more military support to wipe out whole palestinian..
you know that palestinian fight with stones while israeli soldier kill them using tanks!?
that's why they rather sacrifise themselves just to have back their home!!! is that what you called a terrorist bomb attack? they even use girl? hey, that girl just can't take anyonre cruelty of israeli soldiers. saying that she a terrorist is a big shame for someone honourable to stand up and fight for their rights! unlike you all just shut up of what evil deed your president do!!!

i guess yeah, you must be in darkness... you don't even know that how so many people in afgan and iraq died at the bush invasion.

i'm no us people. but i kno it's hard to oppose your own president. i don't really blame us people for their 'weakness' to go against their president.. just hope you all not be the next president but still as bad as this bush-shit!!

Funny. I, too, wish to apologize to France for a majority of our country and our president. Even though I don't like the way he's running this country, he's still our president.. Americans voted him into office. Americans are to blame. (Ok, so we actually voted Gore into office... STUPID RECOUNT!) I didn't vote in 2000, but I'm going to this year. We must get "W" far from D.C. And.. "Freedom Fries" instead of "French Fries" is the STUPIDEST thing ever.... EVER. I mean, I'd understand if fries were actually french. I'd understand, but I still wouldn't agree with it. Alas, that's just my opinion.
Anyway.. the point of my comment:
I got bored reading all the comments, so someone's probably already addressed this. Some person asked why they put it in french and not english. Most likely because they are apologising TO France. What language is primarily spoken in France? All together now... FRENCH! Good job, you all get cookies.
On another note:
Stop fighting! How can we help improve the status of America with other countries when all we do is fight amongst ourselves?? Smile on your brother and all that hippy stuff! And remember.. Opinions are like a**holes, everyone's got one and everyone thinks everybody else's stinks.
(Got a problem with this? Since I doubt I'll be back to this site... See my name down there? Yeah.. "Kiki" Clicking that will allow you to send me an e-mail! Howsabout that!)

Yes, it's great to see another gutless, uneducated sheep hop aboard the Let's-Take-Cheap-Shots-At-Bush-Cause-It's-Easier-Than-Thinking train.

Thank God you nobody cares what you Saddam apologists "think" or say.

someone posted this:

"-I am a firm and unswerving adherent to the Bill of Rights. This means I believe in the right of all people to carry guns and weapons at all times. Not a typically liberal stance, is it?"

what does the bill of rights have to do with the right of all people to carry guns? last i heard, the 2nd ammendment referred to the right to bear (bare?) arms for the purpose of a well formed militia. i think we have something like that. i think it's called the military...

to anyone saying that bush is not an idiot: how can anyone think it's a good idea to spend billions of dollars on a war (an offensive invasion no less) halfway around the world, attacking a country that "might" pose an immediate threat (a country which many experts did not think actually posed any immediate threat). i certainly dont think saddam hussein was a kind and benevolent leader, but i dont think it was the USA's responsibilty to remove him from power.

i truly believe that george w. bush is the worst president that we've had in my lifetime (that's only out of 5, but he;s the worst by far). he has no respect for the environment (the goddamn earth. the place where we live. it's not important to him.) he has no respect for the leaders of other countries. he has no respect for the american people. don't get me started on the god stuff. believe what you want, but when you're the president of such a diverse country that was founded on (among other things) freedom of beliefs, don't use your own religious beliefs in your politics.

i know most of what i have to say is only my opinion. i think most of it is reasonable, educated opinion. the president is not stupid. but he is an idiot.

One more thing...
I believe the Dixie Chicks were overseas when they voiced that they were ashamed to be from Texas or whatever, not in the USA.
Not that that negates the whole point of your post or anything.
By the by, I'd like to say that I don't think Mr. Bush is an idiot. I simply don't like how he handles problems.. and I don't like that he sent so many of my friends off to kill and be killed. I think he's a coward. If he were any kind of proud American, he would have done as our forefathers did and joined the fight, rather than cowering in some hidden fortress thing in the middle of nowhere. And we shake our head at Hussein and joke about him doing the same thing. I know what you're thinking.. "You didn't join the fight, you're a coward, too."
You're half right. I didn't join the fight because 1.) I don't believe war is the answer and 2.) I really don't think my 5'1" and 100 pounds of skin and bone would have done much good in the war, anyway. Note that I said "MY" as in.. some other short, skinny girls might be perfect for the military. Just not me.
Ok, that's all. For real this time. I promise.

Bill:
Where (oh where) in my post did I say that Clinton was NOT an idiot? The reference was for Bush; no one else. I made no inference that should have led you to believe that I was somehow excluding other presidents from this judgement. And to dispute your assertion: Yes it is the justice/legal system that puts people on death row, but when a governor is presented with multiple requests for official stays of execution and refused to sign any of them (there were three at the time), he is just as responsible for throwing that switch. Where do I get my facts? I was a member of the group that appealed for clemency in the case of Betty Beets, a mentally handicapped grandmother with a history of being battered by her husband - long-term spousal abuse usually being a significant factor in commutation of sentence. I was documenting the clemency process and, after our failure, the events leading up to the execution. If you don't trust what I say, look her up; you'll see all the facts for yourself. How's that for "getting my facts straight?"

Many governors are just as bad. Plenty of them have executed mentally ill or handicapped people. I'll agree that Clinton was just as much an idiot. But I did not vote for Clinton either time he ran. I didn't vote for Bush Sr. or Dole, either.

By the way, every country in this whole world has something to be ashamed of. Presenting a fault of one country does not automatically redeem or excuse any of the others. I made no comments whatsoever that should have led you to believe I was being an apologist for France (look at the URL I posted and you'll see that the quote on the laundry tag isn't just a French thing, which was the POINT of my post), nor did I make any references to Iraq because my beliefs on that are party-agnostic: it doesn't matter if the Dems or the Reps are in power here - the US is always abysmally bad at regime support or change, and it always backfires on us.

...Saddam is the perfect example.

Dave:
while you are correct that the 2nd amendment refers to a well-regulated Militia, the subsequent quote is "the right of the people to bear and keep arms shall not be infringed."

it doesn't say "those people participating in the militia," nor does it have any other qualifications (unlike many of the other amendments, which have qualifications a-plenty). even if it was meant to refer only to the military, the quote is there as is. it shouldn't hard to see where i and many others believe it means that we ALL have the right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of defense.

however, i'm well aware that depending on the bent of the people intepreting the amendment, the resulting opinion will differ. in the reality of law, your interpretation can be just as valid. American law HAS translated it much closer to my own than to yours, though ;)

It boggles my mind whewn I hear or read people claiming that our president "tricked us" or "lied to us". No president will ever trick or lie to us because ultimatley it will come out and be detremental to thier remaining in office another term. The news had reported on several occasions Where Bush got the INTEL from regarding Iraq. As I recall it ultimatley came from a web based research paper. Now I know Bush had an invasion of Iraq on the ajenda once in office anyway. But is it no reasonable to believe that indeed it was bad INTEL that was thought to be good INTEL?
I think Bush basically decided enough was enough regarding Saddams's toying with us. Since the other president's didn't put thier foot down Bush finally did. However, Saddam was never threat to our nation. He would never be that ballsy. And truth be told The liberation of the Iraqy people was never the real purpose. It was mearely a ploy to draw support for the war. Don't think so? Look at all of our other wartime involment. The only time we actually got involved in a war just for the sake of helping a people was in Bosnia. Helping stop the Genocide of the Muslims there. Perhaps Hati more recently but we're not really that involved.
Not even in WWII did we go fight the Nazi's for the purpose of saving the Jews. Hell thier plight was never front page news. Rather it was page 6 news. We went to Europe as a result of Hitler advancing to greatly and because we got the final push from several american Jewish organizations that had been pleading for us to there. But we didn't believe of the atrocities for a second until our soldiers saw it for themselves. So remember. Freedom from opression is rarely the main reason we go do anything. Unfortunately with this Iraq sitution, our country will never learn. We are the ones who encouraged him to fight Iran, we are the ones who supplied Saddam with WMD's to fight Iran.

Look now at Iran. Look at it back then. We did not like Komani. But if I recall we aided the removal of the Shah and we want the Iyatollah. My Iranian friends tell me the Shah was much better than any of the Iyatollahs.

Now we are saying that Iran is the next country to look hard at after Iraq.

Basically we need to stop medling with other countries for our own purposes and become more self reliant.
Pete

I don't like the president at all and am helping the Democrats to replace him in the upcoming election. However, that label in French is just more French arrogance and bullshit. They have no respect for a government that bailed them out of two world wars and took over their fight in Indo-China (Vietnam), basically bailing them out again. When the French get their shit together, maybe I'll take what they say seriously. Until then, I view them as a bunch of jealous bastards who wish the world was speaking their language instead of English. What fucking arrogance from a nation that owes its very existence and freedom to the strength of the United States. Fuck you, France!

COMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON people!!!!
It's just a f***ing label ... And a damn funny one at that. Have a laugh ... or don't ... there's REALLY nothing to discuss here!

If anything look up the definition of 'idiot' and you'll see that, OK, it's the wrong term to describe Bush. A more appropriate label would read:
'We are sorry that our President is STUPID. We didn't vote for him.'

Other than that there's really nothing to discuss ...

You got buzzed by: http://buzz.bazooka.se

5400 clicks...

It's fun to see people throwing a fit over this. As a french, love you too !

Say what you want about politics, but that's one funny tag!

Some of you people scare me though...

"I don't like the president at all and am helping the Democrats to replace him in the upcoming election. However, that label in French is just more French arrogance and bullshit. They have no respect for a government that bailed them out of two world wars and took over their fight in Indo-China (Vietnam), basically bailing them out again. When the French get their shit together, maybe I'll take what they say seriously. Until then, I view them as a bunch of jealous bastards who wish the world was speaking their language instead of English. What fucking arrogance from a nation that owes its very existence and freedom to the strength of the United States. Fuck you, France!"

If that is so, then you better hand Statue of Liberty back to France if you do not wnat anything to do with france.

When you want to give out a message, you have to know who is the audience. This bag is writing in French, thus aimed at the french audience. Thus "our President" is referred to BUSH. The bag being made in USA supports this.
If this was about Chirac, then it would be addressed in english, because it would be aiming the American audience, but this is not so. Thus no one from now on can deny that the "President" is Bush. Any one who deny this, is clearly an "arse-licker" as Latham put it.

Bush is he just VERY inarticulate, and has trouble communicating, and stupid. A person who have graduated from Harvard have clearly put Harvard to shame.

Regarding Sam's email about Israel and Palestine.

Look, far as I am concerned both side a wrong. Both side teach thier children to hate. Neither side will ever win. I truely hope that both sides aquire nuclear bombs so that they both can wipe themselves out. Frankly the Palestinians are a bunch of fools. I mean how long before they finally figure out that Suicide bombing will not help them win thier struggle. If your gonna win you need to go after the military. Not the civilians.
I can't even really remeber the history of that region. I can't remeber which side was forced out of that region oh I think it was in biblical times right? And then the other side came back in modern times to claim thier land rights or something.

This is ridiculous. Not this far into the future.
I mean the kids of the original over powering people and thier kids and thier kids only know that region as thier home. You cannot expect them to leave what is now thier homeland. You must work out a way to live together. You must share disputed holy sites. The solution is so obvious its pathetic. The problem that prevents the solution is the ignorance of the peoples on both sides. If the Palestinian people would just let the two military organization work it out perhaps the stone throwers wouldn't get killed.

Reagrding your comments about Bush. Well you can hate him but understand that no president says "kill the bad guy even if the good guys are in the way". No military leader says that either. HOwever all military leaders and presidents in all countries know and accept that unfortunatley civillians will die that happen to be too close to a target that must be destroyed or are mistaken for an enemy.Accidents will always and forever be a part of war.

Pete

Wouldn't it have been more appropriate in the English washing instructions ?

"glad I don't live there.... I am amazed how "free" the people of the usa believe they are when their government tracks everything they do and say... big brother is watching you...
enjoy your freedom and new found status of most hated country."

a canadian

Actually the USA is still regarded as the most desired country to live in. Biog brother does not watch our every move. You think there is no Canadian official observing suspicious Canadians on the WWW? You are wrong. YOu think your Big Brother has no way of knowing when your last traffic ticket was or when you last used your credit or ATM card? You are wrong. You think your president doesn't have high power companies pulling his strings? You are wrong.
One good thing about Canada is that while prostitution isn't legal, that fact is not enforced. And thats how it should be anyway.
Pete

"C'mon. Fighting terrorists with a military invasion is like trying to kill a bee by shooting its beehive with a shotgun"

Would you rather be the one to do it? I din't think so. So shut up.
Pete

Hi all.

I just wanted to say that we, french, also regret this situation between our two countries.

I'm not fond of Americans' way to always claim they are the strongests, the biggests, the betters of the world ... They claim it on internet, on TV, in their movies. Although it is true in certain ways, it makes other countries feel they don't exist, or that their mind doesn't matter. I really think it's because of this attitude that there is a growing anti-american feeling all over the world.

Fortunately, not all americans think and act like that, but we always pay attention to people that shout loudly.
And actually, americans that shout loudly are the ones who hate french. This hurts me, all the things i read about us are so unfair and teinted by a politically manipulated hate !

Why french gov was against war in Iraq ? Not because of financial interests, not because they are cowards nor betrayals or disgratefull bastards. French gov had much more experience of magrebin countries than American's one, and knew that removing saddam would not create a happy democracy like in hollywood movies.
Moreover, Bush's Weapons of Mass Distraction were the more ridiculous and obvious lies in America's history.

Look how his the world now. Look how more peacefull is the world now ! Bush's war against terrorism has made more terrorism than ever.

I'm not a hippie, war is necessary in some occasions. This time it was a terrible mistake. 600 americans actually died in Irak, this means that 600 american families will never see their boy again, and americans are still dying daily in bomb attacks. It makes me sick, everytime a soldier is killed i just can't help to think about his parents and family.

So please french-hating people, try to think by yourself instead of repeating what your political liers want you to think.

And finally to come back into the topic, just before Mr Catastrophe W Bush went to power, American and French were friends. So if i were american perhaps i would regret what is happening now and also would like to apologize to french.

And as a french, it makes me fell better to see that not all americans are anti-french, and not all americans are pro-bush.

Well, I just want to say that none of our presidents, neither Bush nor Chirac was really elected. Does that means that I am a communist ? No. Does that mean that i am an extremist ? Not at all. I just claim what i think. I merely don't understant why War is the american gov answer for everything. I'm not anti american, i m just critical of the ACTUAL government and that's pretty different. Please show us that not all americans are like him. Please let the world be proud of american strength!!!

"now that i am reading the comments, i gotta say: USA SUCKS!! GET BRAINS !! YOU WERENT EVEN ON THE MOON, SO _WHATS_ LEFT TO BE PROUD OF ??"

Oh Christ another idiot. Look I know I only saw it live on TV and I wasn't there. But a moon landing one cannot fake when there were literally thousands and thousands involved in the project.

So you see no stars in the photos. Well dumb ass thats because the camera was adjust to account for the intense glare for the ground objects. In a pitch black environmet or even a not so dark environment when is the last time you were able to decern the exact shape and color of a car with its headlights right in your face? Never is the answer. THe flag moved not because of air but because of it being handled by the astronaut. The shadows were not from multiple light sources and some shadows were longer than others sinply from the topography being different. Same thing happens here on earth. Atmosphere doesn't cause lens flares, lens's cause lens flares. There is not exhaust crater because it is gravity and external pressure that causees exhaust to escape in a staright line when at high speeds. In space there is no external pressure and the moons gravity was very little. The exhaust in turn sho out hoizontally in all directions instaed of straight down towards the ground. The radiation belt that supposedly ould result in death upon passing through it is hardly a source of serious exposure for a trip that only lasted a total of three days if I recall. What would have made it worse is if the sun had started to hav enormous ejections. Which did happen after the entire trip.
True, the test vehicle on earth was mostly imposssible to fly on earth. But then its final production model wasn't used in earths atmosphere where there is high gravity now was it? There is a photo that shows rafters in the darkness of the image of two astronauts excavating. That was a tabloid photo alleging that the landing was a fraud. The photo was actually a poor reproduction of the nauts practicing at a texas facility if I recall. The television video was awful and it did appear that you could see throu the nauts as if they were superimposed. The broadcast signal from the lander to the TV networks was not sent on your every day carrier signal. No normal TV signal could broadcast that far. If I recall, I think they used a carrier signal primarily intended for audio only. Next, remeber that TV and TV cameras in those days was hardly a pretty picture. it was very coomon to see on every day tv the effect that an intensly lighted object had on the rest of the scene. The object would cause a temporary burn-in on the lens. Then when other object passed in fron it appaeared as though you could see through that object.

So some cross hatches in the photos appear to be behind objects in the photo. Simple and easily reproduced phenomena. The hatch marks were etch marks in the glass. If light passe through the lens in the right manor it will pass through the etch marks rendering all or portion of them invisible to the film.

Explanations of how the dust was shootiong into the space from the tires of the rover just as it happens on earth were flawed and blatently incorrect.

There is an IR Device on the moon placed there by us. I think its a little more than just a mirror. Scientist from all over the world regularly point an IR beam precicly at it for measurement This is how we know EXACTLY how far the moon is from earthy. There were other ways of mathmatically figuring it out but this is how we get our definative answer.

Why exactly you would be so stupid to believe psuedo-scientists suggesting that we didn't go is beyond me.
Pete

"If it wasn´t for the US all you European would be speaking german"

Well.. If it wasn´t for us Europeans all of you Aericans would be speaking Apache. ;)

"he claims to have faith and to be a christian.
four words for you (nice simple single syllable ones too) - thou shall not kill. remember? it was written on that slab of stone god gave to moses. pretty easy to understand, even for americans no?"

This is a stupid argument. It is widely accepted that law enforcement would still go to thier heaven even if they killed in the line of duty. As will the soldiers. Bush would to since he isn't even actually killing anyone
Pete

For fucks sake ... how long are you americans going to bring up WWII? Do you think Hitler would have stopped when he had all europe? Or do you think he would have gone after the jews in USA too? It was in your interest to help out so don't try to make it some kind of service to us.

Gör det egentligen någon skillnad om man kommer från USA eller Frankrike. Inget av de båda länderna har väl direkt visat sig bestå av intelligenta människor. Frankrike är tillräckligt efterblivet för att fortfarande hävda att alkohol är bra vid graviditet och att misshandel bör inkluderas i barnuppfostran. USA... behöver väl knappast nämnas något. Lite som en humla. Borde inte kunna flyga, men flyger av bara helvete. If you people (from US and France) cared to learn a second language, maybe you would be able to read this. You ignorant, stupid idiots.

/C

So France have something in common with USA. Mooron leaders. Its true, everybody hates America nowdays but everybody doesn't hate americans. Americans is mostly nice accually. Wierd! Nice people, bad country.

I bet there won't be many in stock yet... Too bad, I'd gladly buy some dozens.

As for the "ungrateful French" as a comment said, the guy simply does not know what he talks about. Or perhaps he believe what the "free" media says.

I've always said (my parents to me, me to my children) never to forget the guys who came in '44 to fight for us. And I won't.

Still, Bush believes he lives in a videogame.

"Gör det egentligen någon skillnad om man kommer från USA eller Frankrike. Inget av de båda länderna har väl direkt visat sig bestå av intelligenta människor. Frankrike är tillräckligt efterblivet för att fortfarande hävda att alkohol är bra vid graviditet och att misshandel bör inkluderas i barnuppfostran. USA... behöver väl knappast nämnas något. Lite som en humla. Borde inte kunna flyga, men flyger av bara helvete. If you people (from US and France) cared to learn a second language, maybe you would be able to read this. You ignorant, stupid idiots."

I'm American, and I speak two foreign languages. I would never waste my time learning Swedish, though. It's only spoken by about 10 million people.

Can you support an argument, or just call names?

A comment from Sweden: Great!

Sweden. The world's only true communist state. Discuss.

What a shit! I will accuse them all!
You motherfuckers!

Darian Henderson : Oh come on! communist state? If you were right, that would be an argument that communism does work, cause sweden is doing just fine. ironic
O by the way, until a couple of years ago relationships between sweden and usa has been just fine. Did you know that we collaborated in military intelligence during WWII and the cold war. Us providing usa with information on sovjet troop movements and soforth. But your dear president is changing all that

I don't know Euro, really like to discuss things in Swedish meetings for hours and hours and without making a decision. Taxes are high, everything is heavily regulated. Maybe not communist, but they sure do seem to think that they alone know how to run a country and don’t need anyone else. Ironic.

I’m no fan of Bush.

Hey folks...
just a short reminder on this issue..
"Idiot" derives from the greek "Idiotos" and literally means a "private man"..thx and ciao :-)

Hi, I've read some of you. I just want to say that intelligence is to feel everything is more complexe than it appears. And your president see the life simple.
To analyse you also need references. How a country with only 500 years of History (and i am nice when I say that)could have the background to think about it. You know (most of americans) few about your history and nothing about the world history (I spent 6 month in BGSU Ohio, some student asked me in 1997 if we had electricity everywhere, fridges, laundry iron, and a king ... in France !!!).
Even your history... Who sold you New Orleans ? Who was Lafayette for you ?
I'm from Normandy ( a bit more history and geography for you)and I know what American, British, and Canadian did for us, but you be very critical with your best friend when he 's wrong, and you don't need to suicide with him if he wants to die...may be you should try to stop him with what you can. Wasn't it suicidal to go in Irak ? Does it worst to shit on your friends ? does it worst to die there ? Where you welcome in Irak as liberators like in France in 1945 ? How many american where killed by french in 1944/45 ? don't look for, the answer is 0

I went in many countries central america, Jordan,... and I am happy to be european, and not to be a citizen of the most hated country US

You know what is arrogance ? It 's when you shit on everybody and when you say your right in any case. So which is the most arrogant country in the world ? Are you sure france is ? May be arrogant people don 't like eachother, if you understand what I mean...

For years and decades america was the country of freedom, but since the fall of the berlin wall and USSR things have change. No more utopy. war economy and war. most of american have been manipulated by their government in the last year. Open your eyes and welcome back with your friends.

shel segal you should help bush, you have the same level of analysis ...Ah!AH!Ah! Do you speak french or any other language ? I speak, french, british, american, spanish and italian. You 're right, american are very wellknown for speaking foreign languages ah! ah ! ah! Language is a domination tool, money also...and ..english and dollars are everywhere so...The world have changed since a century. do you know this ? . go back to study !!! Or come and visit france, you could speak about us with experience...one thing more; do you where natural american are coming from ?

I just want to salute those who think further than the others. and the canadian guy (i've read that canada and europ are getting closer and closer; free canada !!!)

olivier

C'mon you commie-fucks@!

It was MADE IN FRANCE and was a reference to THEIR President.

I say: "Turn Mecca and Medina into a sheet of GLOWING GREEN GLASS"

Arfcom Rocks.
Rock on dude.

I only say, fredom fries.

I would like to remember to certains people that if it was not for the Soviets who defeated tha Germans on the Eastern front in Stalingrad the Ameriacns would have been to afraid to intervene. And as they poved that point later on they only attacked soft target so far...

hi,
sorry I should have read again my previous mail. there is still spelling mistakes, and missing words.
sorry for that
olivier

freedom fries ah! ah! ah!

a lack of culture, they 're coming from belgium...

olivier

waou corwin
you 're very efficient
the goering's citation freeze my blood
culture, culture
eveything is there
olivier

Sweden here...

We are equally appaled about Bush.
It takes about 10sec of listenings to the guy to realise his not fit to be the president of a book club.

How anyone can vote for him is just sad, really really sad.
But look on the bright side, only about 40%? of US are registered voters, and only about 70%? is voting, and 51% of that is about 14% of the population (puh).

So maby there is hope for you after all.

bill
how many irakians died during the first gulf war and during the second ?

we could speak about american economy if you want, but be sure to be enough armed to speak about that.

In france we have an expression that could be yours :"culture is like Jam, the less you have, the more you need to spread it."
you 'ré welcome

olivier

Sweden rules. It truly is the land of the free; anyone with good enough grades can become a doctor, engineer etc. No dow required. The back side of that is that due to the high taxes and so on, it's hard to become _filthy_ rich. If you want to be that. Sadly, we are drifting fast towards the right.

Regarding Bush - as a summary - I think it's scary that the worlds most powerful man doesn't seem to be that intelligent.

I know a lot of people in Scandinavia. There's really not much incentive to work hard - you just get taxed more. I think it makes many people complacent.

I just find it hard to believe the level of hypocracy displayed by successive US administrations. Bush speaks of the war on terror, when many US administrations have supported international terrorism when it suited their gains. Why have the US not ivaded Saudi Arabia, when it spawned the likes of Bin Laden, I mean they saw nothing worng with invading Afghanistan for the same reason. They did ask the Taliban to hand over Mr Bin Laden, and when the Taliban asked for proof of his involvement, it couldn't be produced. The answer: lets invade ! . I agree that the attack on the twin towers was a despicable act, but that doesn't give any one country the right to take the law in to their own hands. I mean wasn't the UN set up specificaly to prevent such things from happening.
Why aren't they trying to get to the root of WHY these attacks happen? because I think they already know, they have played a large part in creating these fundamental groups, the C.I.A. trained Bin Laden and his cohorts to fight the russians in Afghansitan. They also supported Saddam Hussein, until he stopped taking their orders, they had full knowledge of what he was doing to the people of Iraq, but did nothing about it. Also where are the weapons of mass destruction? the only reason they invaded Iraq is as plain as the nose on your face, Oil, and corporate gain... paying back the people who helped get Mr Bush in to office. The people left suffering are the general populace of Iraq. There will undoubtedly be a civil war resulting in many more deaths when the US pulls out of Iraq.
I could go on ranting here all day but I have had my fill of Mr Bush and his cohorts,but I do feel sorry for the US troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. It must be terrible when the dawning realisation of why they are really there hits them :(

coool :)

sau geil (ass we say in germany)

Coolt

------------
http://www.alltombarn.com

Whoa! Not taking sides here, but some of you people should learn that everything isn't just black or white, most things fall somewhere in the grey scale inbetween.

Example: You don't (by definition) support Saddam/Osama just because you're not entirely satisfied with the US president.

Excellent! well done that company LOL. Hopefully you Americans will vote those right wing nazi bigots out of power shortly. He's made you all look like complete idiots and most of us here in the UK do not support you and your vindictive ways.

A pro European anti American Brit.

I agree

Darian, as much as I'd like to bash you for that statement about Sweden being a communist state, I can't, because even if "communist" isn't the word I would use you do make some points.

The common opinion among us swedes seems to be that we can do better on our own. Otherwise, why would the majority of swedes vote no in the euro referendum, giving obscure reasons like "heeelp, we don't want to give all the power to Brussels" and "let's vote no just to piss off the government" etc?

I voted for the euro btw, and I'm seriously considering moving abroad after having graduated from university, because for every day I'm more and more appalled by the mentality of people in this country.

And oh yes, the taxes are fucked up too. We have the highest taxes in the world - and yet they keep raising them year after year. Help :/

Ah, just had to say that. Go on debating the original subject now :)

Why don't we all just sing "We shall overcome"? ;)

Politics in america is f****d.
You need proportional representation to break the back of the two party gridlock thats got your country beholden to well entrenched powerful interests on both sides.
"The business of america is business"

Dear posters in this thread,

Please stop embarassing the rest of mankind.

Thankyou.

Signed,
Approx six billion people in the rest of the world

lmao!

quelle idée géniale, je suis mort de rire !!!
c'est vrai qu'il vraiment trop con ce type.
une idée à retenir car il y a un paquet de nazes en france aussi. VIVE LES AMERICAINS !!!

"Sweden. The world's only true communist state. Discuss.
Posted by: Darian Henderson at April 7, 2004 03:11 AM"

OK:
You are ignorant. Sweden... communist state? Haha

Kill al TERRORISTS!!!!
GO BUSH GO!!!!

Scheiss auf Irak!!!!

Heil dem Vaterland

hi,
there is pro european british ? let's open a museum for them.
I'm kidding, welcome in europe. you are our best ennemy (GB)what would be france without GB ? no history, no rugby ...What would be GB without france (an island may be)? what would be the froggies without the rosbeef ?
2000 years of common history

Hey, the swede come on in europe ? Don't you feel we 're sharing our history since centuries ? You're part of my ancestors (I'm from Normandy) Do you know Charlemagne ? The first European guy...

taxes in your country is a synonym of wellfare state no ? And you have one of the best in the world no ? Everything has a price ? And life is a long race with many surprises, may be later you will be happy to leave there instead of living in the US or GB (sorry for that GB's, but your wellfare state is a dream at the moment

For example have been graduated 6 years ago from one of the best business school (5th) in France and since 2 years I looking for a job in advertising (in france you're hired only if you 're really experience in the job you're competing for, so I can moove for an another job)be sure I am happy with the french state at the moment. Two years ago, I was pissed with this system...

peace and happiness
olivier

D'un autre côté, nombre de francais n'ont pas non plus voté pour Chirac de leur plein gres...

alle amerikaner sind schwul

ouai, sauf que les ricains on ne leur a pas mis le revolver dans la bouche pour voter Bush, alors que chirac... s'est bien demmerde pour avoir l'extreme droite au deuxieme tour non ?
olivier

Germany:Cool idea :) this shows that the U.S. are just ruled by the wrong people

Es gibt doch noch Hoffnung

Vive le vieux europe

Olivier:

Yupp, taxes is synonym to wellfare. And yes, the social security system in GB is more or less a joke. (I'm styduing ECs social secutity coordination laws at my university at the moment :])

yes, i know Charlemagne, the greatest king etc :]

i'm sad that a majority of the swedish populace voted NO in the Euro(€) question, but in time they'll coem around (hopefully)

I've never had such a laugh at comments on a LABEL! All it is is a clever marketing move. Though by the time i was done scrolling all the way down i forgot the name of the bag company...

daross,

the charlemagne stuff is just a joke. But if you have a look on the map of his territory, you will be very surprised that we 're coming back 10 centuries ago !!!
olivier

I think that if we all hold hands and smile, the world will be a better place. Some fresh flowers would help too. All hawaiians can have a flower in their hair, either side of the head will do.

Et puis Chirac a pas truqué les elections lui au moins ...

Attention Peter Janak...

...and anyone else who has had the patience to read this far.

I find a lot of your comments amusing and often astute. However I find some of them disturbing.

You claim that "No president will ever trick or lie to us" because it would hurt them politically. I have never known a politician to speak the truth only ever their versions of it. However no government of a superpower has spewed as many lie-like truthes as the Bush government has since the cold war.

To say it was just bad intel assumes there was no evidence to the contrary... which of course there wasn’t since you cant prove something doesn’t exist... but there were a lot of reports claiming there was nothing to be found.

As you say, threats from WMDs were never the reason for going to war, nor "the liberation of the Iraqy people was (never) the real purpose" but no-one declares war because of one irritating asshole. Superpowers do go to war to control valuable resources, but don’t expect everyone else to condone it.

USA does act like a global police force, the kind that plays favourites. This kind of foreign politics generates anger and resentment in others eventually spawning what we today know as "terrorists". Desperate, deluded, destructive, indiscriminatingly discriminating and death-lusting.

As for the Isreali-Palestinian debacle only USA can solve it since only USA can put any pressure of significance on Isreal. Even threatening to stifle the huge flow of cash to Isreal would force peace negotiations and simplify things. Both sides are stupid, I agree, but I don’t think the conflict has to end with military interventions at all. Blinded by their hatred they refuse to see that economical terrorism would win them more that any amount of killing. Burn some fields FFS, sabotage cars and pull fire alarms! The billions of dollars lost in one day would be much more efficient than any amount of blood shed.

There are always innocent casualties in any war, but rarely any cause to go to war in the first place. The regime change in Iraq would have been easier and better to achieve with a programme of education, propaganda, economical attacks on government officials and international negotiations…
Then again we have already agreed that a regime change for the people of Iraq was never the goal.

“"C'mon. Fighting terrorists with a military invasion is like trying to kill a bee by shooting its beehive with a shotgun"
Would you rather be the one to do it? I din't think so. So shut up.”
Umm. I think this is to point out that trying to kill bees with a shotgun is really dumb and not something anyone should try. Same with terrorists… then what should you do? Try to find out what made them angry, stop making them angry, wait for them to calm down and then, if need be, swat any too stupid to realise that they have no reason to be angry anymore. In that order.

As for everything else you have said. I completely agree (especially to that lunar idiot, lmao). Just out of idle curiosity will you be voting for or against GWB?

Good luck with the counting this time America.

*grabs oxygen mask*
*puts on flame retardant suit*
*climbs into bomb shelter and shuts door*
*yanks out the modem and tries to hide from the big bad brother*
*runs out of bomb shelter grabs a couple of easter eggs and runs back*

Happy Easter everyone.

Btw has it been confirmed that it is a Tom Bihn bag? Might get one… for the bags sake of course… hehe.

I am not so ridgid as not to be able to change my mind. Feel free to give constructive criticism if I have written something crazy.

Olivier:

heh, you're right.

/Daross (A Swede)

heureusement que chirac est un peu plus fin qu'un trucage d'election pur et dur ...
mais la finesse ce n'est pas ce qui etouffe le George W Bush , ce serait plutot les bretzels (oups desole pour l'orthographe de ce biscuit)
et en plus je l'aime bien notre gaulois national, meme si il est un "peu" vereux, beaucoup menteur...

ironic that Tom Bihn also posts pictures of troops in Iraq using said bags.

http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/CTGY/_TRAVEL

wouldn't that imply support for the iraq campaign?

I agree with cat :-)
Go man go !

Jane, will you marry me?

Kevin:
Yeah, right, it was made in Canada. And it's about the President of Canada.

French Girls Are Hot!!!!!!

may be there's another remark about this, but i initially assumed it was a reference to the french president.

"French Girls Are Hot!!!!!!"

Less than italian girls , but very good one !!

Delirium from Belgium .

Kiki:
No one says they're ashamed to be from Texas. What Natalie of the Dixie Chicks said was that she's ashamed that BUSH is from Texas. Me too.

It was a t-shirt slogan at the start of the war...ideology from a t-shirt, the french have won.

One more thing the French-bashers don't know, or don't want to know: they are fighting, and doing it well, at our side in Afghanistan.

Well folks what do you expect, you live in a country where the politicians are corrupted.
Mammon rules all the way upp to the White house.
Your so called fight for democracy in the world and take a stand where things are wrong is pathetic.
USA and USA alone are responsible for the mess in the midle east, if you wouldn´t provide Israel with so much money,weapons and support in the political way it wouldn´t be so much truble to get to a peaceful solution.
Give Palestina some F16,tanks and chopers as well and you will se that they will kill in more accepted ways.What Israel does is nothing more or less then state terrorism supported by you.
People get the politicians they deserve at least in a democracy and last I checked US still was.
But as long you accept the arms lobby, the Israel lobby and their money contributions your kids will still die in their schools or homes.
And the rest of the world will hate you becuse your are unfaire and inconsistent.
The 11 Sept was a tragedy and nobody should die that way but you know your foreign politics gave those bastards a reason.

Christian: I speak five languages at various degrees of proficiency. Swedish is not one of them. That may make me an ignorant, stupid idiot, but it doesn't make you any less rude and obnoxious.

It is simple... Just break it down

Politics

Poli = Roman prefix for many
Tics = Blood Sucking Creatures

WTO605: Sorry to rain on your parade, but the prefix "poly," meaning 'many,' is Greek and not Latin.

Wilhelm: alle amerikaner sind schwul

Nein, nur die Besten :-)

DG-

Can't express disrespect for our president? Go find a nice monarchy if you don't like our democracy. Jebus, you people ran an eight-year, megamillion-dollar witch hunt against the Clinton Administration which successfully convicted Bubba of getting blown by an intern, distracting him from taking care of Al Qaeda in the process. Don't tell me about disrespecting the prez. Somehow, the sanctity of the office is only an issue when your guy's in, and then you act like he's an infallable sovereign appointed by God rather than a scum-sucking pol appointed by and accountable to the American public. If you wanna live in a Medieval theocracy, go back to Afghanistan, already.

my dear friend Robert,

may I suggest you to have a look on the website (www.Blackwater.com) You will learn that your innocent civil contractors were mercenaries (who are wellknown for being philanthropist, and using love power, ah ,ah ,ah ). It doesn't excuse the savage murder of those guys, but it's part of the risk of their job.
one lesson for you : to be sure, use several sources of information.

What irakians think when they see petroleum plant repared, and have no electricity, no medecines... May be that you came for oil. And the blackwaters guys were "stilling " their resources.

Things are fare more complicated than you think. And I am not excusing anything. As I read on this site every thing is grey not black or white.
I know that countries have only interests and no friends, but what is your long term interest ? IS it the same short term interest ?

Your international image is now really catastrophic and what about your debt ? Who is going to pay, you, your children, the children of yours...The biggers investors in the US were the Arab's (saudia) do you think there going to invest in your country or in Europe ? Do you think you' re stronger enough to be alone ?

I hope for you that you will stay the strongest country of the world, in an other case, many of your hidden enemies will wake up...Have a look on what happened in animals groups when the chief is declaining...

olivier
Have you ever been in an other country ? For example in Chiapas (mexico), Jordan,Nicaragua, Salvador (your neighbours) do you think people have the same interest with you ? do you already have to fight for food ?

Open your mind (inchallah)

francophile,
thank you to be aware, we were waiting for you. We are 200 special task forces, may be for chasing the extremists... plus a few planes...
But may be things are differents there... because we have an international agreement ...

thank you for your participation
olivier

WTF, Get Your Own Blog...the thread's about a label.

"What irakians think when they see petroleum plant repared, and have no electricity, no medecines... May be that you came for oil. And the blackwaters guys were "stilling " their resources,"

oliver you talk like you have lived there, you do, your broken english & all. Read a blog, http://dear_raed.blogspot.com/
written by a well known Iraqi.

the frenchs even had good sens of humor and chritical sight

When the things are not good in US, it is also bad for "the rest of the world". America became a world leader with the power of arguments - not with the power of guns. Hope that curent behaving will be changed in autumn.

Weltpolizist Amerika? fragt kopfschüttelnd

Herzlichst,

Ihr Th. W. Adorno

"I'm American, and I speak two foreign languages. I would never waste my time learning Swedish, though. It's only spoken by about 10 million people.

Can you support an argument, or just call names?"

Jesus, relax! Just had a bad morning. So you speak five languages... brilliant! Swedish is hardly spoken by more than 9 million but is still more important. Why? Becaus we don't waste our time bombing poor countries everytime our minister Göran gets an hard on by letting interns giving him their heads. US presidents should spend some time solving US' problems instead of wasting non-americans' lifes. Ignorant rednecks may call us communists eventhough we are having the same politic as in the rest of europe, however, our country does work in contrast to US. You don't see people begging for food in sweden, you dont see students killing other students in swedish schools and you will never see the swedish govermnet killing another person as a punishment.

bit me,

thank you for the blog, but I don't understand the end of your mail. It's probably about my english level, in this case your right, i need to refresh it

olivier

Das Reh springt hoch
Das Reh springt weit,
warum auch nicht
es hat ja zeit...

keep on fighting! (or leave)

Will this tag be even funnier if the sitting president is someone you did vote for... and then it's like all paradoxical and stuff. Yeah, totally.

Dear visitors

humor is if you r laughing anyway...
Thats my motto (special in these days)

have fun, enjoy your lifes, it will be over soon!

Sincerly yours

G. W. Bush

"I don't know Euro, really like to discuss things in Swedish meetings for hours and hours and without making a decision. Taxes are high, everything is heavily regulated. Maybe not communist, but they sure do seem to think that they alone know how to run a country and don’t need anyone else. Ironic."

I agree that taxes are too high in Sweden, or, that we have too many different taxes. Not everything is heavily regulated. I comparisson to the US I think you would call Sweden " the land of the free". We only prohibit things which we see as major problems and which the people wants to prohibit, hence, we do not regulate peoples bed room habits e.g. how the fuck can your surpreme court even discuss the legallity of oral sex, and wether homosexuals should be able to get married? Everutime I hear "the land of the free" I burst into tears. Damn, US is one retarded country. Although, some states have prohibit smoking. Thats good! /C

Hey guys,
it is one of the most interesting lecture I ever had on this kind of subject. Bush is an idiot? Well I am not sure! He is dangerous. And the worst thing is that he has one of the greatest power in hands on the planet.
Isn't it scary?

Christian > Although I must say th2 "father knows best"-mentality in this country does have rather weird twists sometimes. I'm thinking of the gambling laws, the alcohol laws (with ridiculously high taxes and "Systembolaget") and various other petty things.

My point is that what you said about us only prohibiting things that are seen as major problems isn't entirely true.

That's a funny one, i hope he will not be reelected anyways ;)

Why the hell would any American want to apologize to the French for our President's actions? I mean how important an ally of ours were they to begin with?

Bush is not scary or dangerous, he is merely doing what the world community would never have the balls to do. And that is take the fight to the terrorists and not letting them dictate the battle.

Que ce soit à propos de Bush ou de Chirac, bravo :-)
Les deux ont été elus de façon douteuse (Bush avec de la triche et Chirac grace à la réaction contre l'extreme droite).., et les deux sont de sacrés menteurs et escrocs !

Whatever it concerns Bush or Chirac, that's cool :-)
Both of them have been elected unfairly (Bush and his cheats in Florida and Chirac with votes against right-extremists).. and both of them are very BIG liars and crooks !

Un français râleur.

Sweden drifting to the right? What are you smoking....those damn social-democrats think its a good idea to castrate the armed forces we have left wich took over thirty years to build but only a few to ruin. I guess they want us to rely on everyone else sacrificing their blood to make us safer so we can continue sleeping in our increasingly degenerating isolationist bubble. Remember the similar scrapping of our armed forces around 1934? They were so damn sure that peace was guaranteed in the future, and oh boy were they wrong or what? The world isnt as safe as we would like, and we better be able to defend ourselves or the next time we wont get off the hook as easily as the last time.

By the way, swedish arms exports to the US is the highest ever at the moment, and it wont change soon unless the communist party gets all power (not very likely).

I don´t really like Bush but I don´t have to, all decisions coming from his goverment doesnt have to be poor because of that. I support the war in Iraq 100%, I don´t care for US motives, no one acts solely for humanitarian reasons in international politics, what matters is the ends result. Sure, war sucks, but Saddam HAD to go, too bad it took so long but now it´s done and instead of just saying "go home bad US men" take a step back and think about the situation. Sure people are dying, sure Iraq is chaotic and miserable, but if it can emerge from this cleansing as a stabilizing factor in the end its worth every drop of blood.

Of course, it´s not me getting my ass shot off over there but I can still have an opinion. And Christian, ridiculing others for not speaking your langauge is arrogance at its finest and is no better coming from a swede than from an american or arab. Stop giving our country a bad name and say something constructive instead.

THE DUMP IS THE MESSAGE :

NOWDAYS WE SEE MORE AND MORE DIGITAL INFORMATION, FROM TV; TO INTERNET, TO MOBILES PHONES, TO NAME QUIET FEW. DIGITAL INFORMATION IS TODAY EPHEMERAL, THOUSANDS OF KILOBYTES SERVING ONCE AND AT ONCE TRASHED.
BUT ALL THAT CAN BE RECYCLED. YES, THE TRASH BIN OF YOUR COMPUTER CAN BE RECYCLED, AND THAT IS WHAT THE DIGITALRECYCLING COMPANY CARES ABOUT. THIS JUNK WILL BE STORED, RECYCLED AND RESUED.
BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT TO STEAL THINGS TO UNDERSTAND THEM BETTER, THIS PROJECT PROPOSES TO PUT THINGS TOGETHER FOR A COMMON GOOD. THE POINT IS NOT TO DENY PRIVACY, BUT TO RETHINK PROPERTY. WHAT SOMEONE THINKS IS USELESS FOR HIM CAN BE USEFUL FOR SOMEONE ELSE. BEFORE TRASHING WHAT ABOUT SHARING? SO DIGITAL®E©YCLING™ TRIES TO BUILD A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER.

THE TRASHCAN OF THE COMPUTER IS AN ANALOG ICON OF A REAL TRASHCAN, BUT THE DIGITAL DUSTS ARE NOT LIMITED TO THIS AREA. THOSE DIGITAL RUBBISH IS EVERYWHERE, IN OUR PERSONAL COMPUTERS, THE WEB SERVERS AND A LOT OF INFORMATION IS LOST DURING ITS TRANSPORTATION ON THE INTERNET. ALL THOSE PIECES OF INFORMATION SAY A LOT ABOUT THE WAY WE USE OUR COMPUTERS AND BY EXTENSION ABOUT OUR PERSONAL BEHAVIOR.

RUBBISH AS A MEDIUM

+ DAMAGED, DEFECTIVE OR SUPERFLUOUS MATERIAL PRODUCED DURING OR LEFT OVER FROM A MANUFACTURING PROCESS OR INDUSTRIAL OPERATION.
[OFFICE DE LA LANGUE FRANÇAISE, 1974]

+ MATERIAL REJECTED AS OF NO IMMEDIATE WORTH OR LEFT AS RESIDUE OF PROCESSES OR OPERATIONS.
+ USELESS CONSUMPTION
+ ANY MATERIAL (OR FORM OF ENERGY) WHICH IS DISCARDED BY MAN, AND WHICH MAY CAUSE POLLUTION.
+ ALL SOLID WASTE MATERIAL THAT OCCURS IN HOUSEHOLDS, COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES, MUNICIPAL PLANTS, INDUSTRY, ETC.
[OFFICE DE LA LANGUE FRANÇAISE, 1994]

RUBBISH IS WHAT IS LOST AFTER USING A MATERIAL. IT'S ALSO A PRODUCT WITHOUT ANY VALUE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE OR WHAT TO DO WITH, A RESOURCE THAT WAITS FOR A USE OR CAN’T BE USED BECAUSE OF A TECHNOLOGICAL GAP.
THE RUBBISH IS CONNECTED TO THE IDEA OF PROPERTY , OR TO BE MORE PRECISE IT’S AN OBJECT WITHOUT ANY OWNER, SO WHEN SOMETHING IS TRASHED IT BECOMES PUBLIC PROPERTY.
A TRASHCAN IS FULL OF MATERIAL: INFORMATION DATA THAT CAN BE USED OR REWORKED INTO A FINISHED FORM.

d®™

Whats up everyone!

"Christian > Although I must say th2 "father knows best"-mentality in this country does have rather weird twists sometimes. I'm thinking of the gambling laws, the alcohol laws (with ridiculously high taxes and "Systembolaget") and various other petty things.

My point is that what you said about us only prohibiting things that are seen as major problems isn't entirely true."

Sin...: I find it true, since we wouldnt regulate alcohol consumption if we didn't find it necessary. We have well functioned alcohol politic. Also our gambling rules are ok. Thing is, if would have to live with a father or a mother which is for example an alcoholic, you appreciate the Systembolaget, same goes for gamblers. The regualtions are not there as an obstacle for you to have fun, come on, you can drink as much as you like as long as you have purchased your licquer between 10:00-19:00 monday to friday and 10:00-15:00 saturday. The regulations are there to spare the people who will have to live close to addicts, and to solve alcohol related problems. After all, sweden has the greatest sortiment of different wines etc in europe (as a consequence of our EU-membership- we must import almost everything so that our monopoly wont be an obstacle to free movement of goods) and we have the lowest number of alcohol related diseases (forgive my english). If you look at, what you and I many times see as obstacles to a fun living, in another perspective, you will understand what I mean when saying that we regulate for a quite good purpose. However, I agree with you when you speak about "father knows best"- mentality, but hey, I am not the one voting for the social democrates!

lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

I am from France and I can tell you that our country is so completely a mess because of socialists and because of Chirac.
Anyone that even tracks a small bit of news (not the European propogandist stuff) knows that Chirac was in bed with Sadaam in the worst ways.
Chirac is supporter of terrorism and loves money and power more than he ever will peace or justice.

I just am waiting for the day I have the right opportunity to get out of this sickening country.

There is only one hope left for the world...and it is NOT in Europe.
God Bless America !!

...yes, George Bush has some skeletons in his closet, but overall, he is doing the right things.....and it will change the world.

Doug Gordon wrote (Apr 5):
"Calling our president an idiot is immature and disrespectful. I don't care what your politics are, when did everyone in this country lose respect for the office of the president? To voice an opinion on the internet is fine, to put it in print on a company's label or to announce it at a Dixie Chix concert is just tasteless - especially in a time of war."

As a citizen, it is your responsibility to question your elected leaders, especially at a time of war. The last four years have shown a President who did not only not have a majority, but not even a plurality get elected. He was placed in power by the electoral college, a system devised by the founding fathers because they didn't trust popular vote.

And three years later, a neo conservative slant has invaded all levels of politics. A holier than thou administration declaring that they know best and they'll be damned if you get in the way.

Republican, Democrat, Independent, whatever you may be, it is your job in a representative government to question, with fevor, your elected officials. If they don't represent adequately? Vote them out. That's the system. And if one doesn't question and challenege the government, then they are in fact not a patriot, but a pawn.

"Question with boldness even the existence of a godl because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear."
- Thomas Jefferson, 1787

Now that thing is funny :D.

Anyway it is a very good marketing gag ;).

But one thing for sure:

Bush may not be an idiot but he is very dangerous because he believes in the crap which he does ... .

I dislike him for Iraq war and his ignorancy against the human rights charta ... the US under Bush is equal to a terrorist state in my humble opinion since they don't obey the human rights which is very sad, because the US is a great country :).

I hope in november you have Kerry as president :)

cya

Muffin

www.muderack.de

I am really afraid that america is going wrong.
more and more religious stuff every where
more and more suspicious and paranoiac
less and less freedom
more and more christian influences
less and less friends
less and less an economic leader (china takes the place)
money less and less powerfull

What could be the end of a giant ? Is it going to drag its ally down ?

Christian > The way I see it, the overly harsh alcohol rules don't hit the people they should. When the wrong people (i.e. alcoholics and minors) don't feel like going to "systemet" (which mostly is because of the prices), what do they do? Yes, they purchase "hembränt" and "smuggelsprit" instead, somethimg that's even worse for the state since it leaves them without diddly squat in terms of money, and in the long run also increases health problems. When you drink HB, you never know what you get. A number of people die from that shit every year.

My point? Well, I think it would be for the good of all if alcohol taxes were reduced and prices were lowered. Thereby surely there would be more alcohol sales, but there'd also be less "homeburning" :D and smuggling. It would also leave the state with more control over who could and who couldn't get their hands on alcohol.

On a more personal note, call me selfish if you like, but I think it's wrong that myself and the majority of people should be victimised because there are a distinct few who can't handle their drinks and gambling.

christian you may want to learn more about the US than repeat newpaper headlines. Sure the same would be true for me speaking about Sweden without visiting it.

Michael: Don't behave like an arse. I said I was sorry to all americans and french. Had a bad morning and if you are from sweden you would really know what a bad morning is like when it is minus degrees outside. For fuck, they have a big sun over the riviera 300 days a year! They can live with some childish critisism. But it does not give you the permission to act like a tired school boy in the middle of the day. Get rid of the military. It only costs a lot of money and we wouldnt know how to use it anyway. Russia will not invade us, and everytime something happens the US will bomb both countries anyway (ooops, not constructive, again I apologize for my childish behaviour... we swedes are actually really nice and friendly, and to Lala "French Girls Are Hot!!!!!!"... you should spend a summer in sweden).

Next time I go to my apartment in the Cote d'azur, I won't have to explain the Bush bumbling, bungling,bush-league blunder in Iraq. I will just show my French friends that label. Where do I get one ?

Xiv,

Not bad for a European ey?

Actually, it is quite impressive... you are able to penetrate deep into Bushes mind and know exactly what his motivations for everything are.

Have you even been to Penn? How do you know their work was substandard? Can you prove this "assumption" you make?

Can you prove that it was purely for appeasement? Can you back that up with facts?

Hurt American trade??? Yeah, we are really being intimidated right now by those European trade giants. Have you looked at our economy lately? It is taking off and has been for some time now.

I don't think you can say the same about the EU.

I don't think your analytical skills are doing any Europeans a favor in this instance.

this is bloody brilliant.

Before defending our laws on alcohol you may want to look at the laws in Sweden as theirs can be odd too. 18 to drink at a bar, 21 to purchase at the store to take home.

mon pauvre french fried,

je serais curieux de connaitre ta vaste experience du monde en general (geopolitique par exemple) et de celui du travail en particuliers.
tu as le discours soit d'un mec votant le pen, oit d'un utopiste de 20 à 30 ans qui n'a jamais pris de claque dans sa vie (ouai tu vas mpe dire que t'as perdu ton chien a 5 ans et que tu a ete traumatise...) mais que connais tu de la pauvrete, du chomage, de la famine... evidemment quand on avance avec des oeilleres aux yeux, tout parait plus beau...

tu penseras surement que je suis un gauchos soixante huitard attarde. libre a toi. moi je pense etre un humaniste de droite (eh oui

empathie ca te dit quelque chose ... essaye d'en eprouver et ton analyse se modifiera naturellement

quand a Jacquo, c'est un super vendeur (t'en connais qui vendent honnetement toi ?)le temp dira qui avait raison, mais sache que rumsfeld est venu dans les années 80 ( a la fin) vendre des armes chimiques a saddam alors...

je le repete les etats n'ont pa d'amis, que des interets...
olivier

Sin: You got a point there. Bite me: Should I even respond to that?

Bite me > It's actually 18 in bars, 20 in stores (except for beer with an alcolol level of 3,5% and below).

I am from the US and I can tell you that our country is so completely a mess because of conservatives and because of Bush.
Anyone that even tracks a small bit of news (not the US propogandist stuff) knows that Bush was in bed with the oil industry in the worst ways.
Bush is supporter of imperialism and loves money and power more than he ever will peace or justice.

I just am waiting for the day I have the right opportunity to get out of this sickening country.

There is only one hope left for the world...and it is NOT the US.
God bless Europe!!

...yes, the EU has some skeletons in his closet, but overall, it is doing the right things.....and it will change the world.

Eller har jag missuppfattat nåt nu? :D

It's about time we start apologizing :-) Well, the right thing to do now is to vote against Bush in November!

bush is awesome. he is the best president this country can even imagine right now. if you don't agree, go ahead and vote for kerry. watch terrorist destroy this country, watch our taxes sky rocket, watch everyone around you be destroyed. as for as bush...he's been doing great. he's doing tax cuts, we went to war which is great because USA has not been terrorized since 9/11 and if you blame bush you are stupid because clinton could have captured bin laden when he was in office but clinton blew it off so blame clinton and if you don't believe me do some fucking research, also...bush has created over 150,000 jobs since he's been in office. and thats fucking amazing. so why are people saying shit about bush. yeah, he's making EXTREME tax cuts for the rich...but you know what...the more money they have...the more money they SPEND...the more money they SPEND...the more MONEY businesses get. and if you disagree with that...you are also dumb. yes, bush says some dumb stuff..but overall..he's been doing a good job. we are all still alive and doing okay. his team is doing a wonderful job so fuck you in the asshole and i hope you pull the cock out your ass and lick the shit off the dick motherfuckers. fuck you democrats.

This nice dual monitor software Maxivista has also a hidden feature against Bush. Check it out at http://www.maxivista.com and click the about box image.

Sorean

this president does not mean our president of the United States, it means the president of the company which first wants to touch down and then buy the oil of iraq payed with the life of many US soldiers and much more iraqi civilists.

greetings to Haliburton, Cheeney, Rummy and the Dummy.

the real idiots are Condi and Gordi cause they left the way of hunan beeing.

Great. Cock references do indeed help getting a point across.

Or not.

Jerry,
Your incorrect.
Bush has not made 150,000 jobs.
He made a TON more.
He has created over 308,000 last month alone.

:>)

jerry, jerry
my poor jerry
are you blind ? or just ignorant ?
How many attacks (mass murder) on your territories have had before 09/11 ? Where you on war all the time long ? No, so may be war and attacks are not linked. Ok Clinton did several mistakes for your national security, but Bush knew weeks before that attacks would take place in NY using plane . so who is the most responsible for ? I can't answer(and I don't have to, i am french). For your economic point you 're partly right, but in an other hand, the bigger the gap is between rich and poor the higher rate of criminality you have (and yours is the highest of the developped countries, including Russia &China...)It's also partly right because you could have gain on national health with an increase of productivity. And 150 000 new jobs in 4 years for a big country like yours is nothing (between 1999 & 2001 - i.e 2 years - in france more than 150 000 were created, and we are 60 millions only), and we are somthings like the fifth world economic power, only, so...

And finally, war is better when you're not involved in, and when it's far from you, hey Jerry !!!

go for studying
olivier

FreedomFries,
Your just a plane ticket away.
Get the F*** out of this country then.

FrenchFried...come take his place. PLEASE!

For the record, the votes in Florida were recounted 7 times by independent firms and in all cases Bush won. Get over it!

France is not an ally and if anything they went totally against us trying to convince other countries not to support us. It's surprising to find out they had their hands deep in the food-for-oil program. Duh! If not for the U.S. the tag would have been written in German. I know Germany didn't agree with us about the war in Iraq but at least from "appearances" they didn't go against us.

Although I will not boycott French products, I will not make any statements indicating that I am on their side....like most of the people that have posted. I WOULD boycott the company putting this tag on their clothes but then again they are not interested in selling to me. They want the French and their supporters to buy it. To me this goes deeper than a Bush bashing. I find it despicable and unpatriotic. I would much rather buy from a company that has an American flag on their products.

At least we finally have a president who is willing to stand up and fight for this country and show the terrorists and terror sponsoring states that we are not all lazy, easily scared off americans. Does Black Hawk Down ring any bells? Strange that the burning and dragging of the men in Iraq last week resembled that part of our history. If a different political party was at the wheel we might still be doing the paperwork on sanctions in Afganistan. The only thing these idiots respect (unfortunately) is force.

Sadaam...think about it. He was giving money to families of Palestinians who participated in suicide bombs against Israel and gas'd his own people plus the scientists still won't talk because they are afraid for their lifes. Many have already been killed. The guy was power hungry and had months...thanks to our friends in France...to get rid of things. Do you REALLY... REALLY believe there were no WMD?

If our friends in France had sided with us and helped convince the other few countries (Germany, Russia, and China) to go along with it maybe it could have been solved politically. The actions of France and the others emboldened Sadaam rather then preventing a united front. Who knows how it would have turned out but it is possible we would not be in Iraq right now.

Just think about this. If I was a terrorist who would I vote for? Kerry or Bush. I think you know the answer. Also, I am sure France would like to see Kerry win but that doesn't affect my vote.

Regards,

Joe

Oops, forget to mention to the french Oliver that posted a few messages above mine that nothing...I repeat nothing at all has been found in all the 9/11 investigations that there was direct intelligence stating planes would be flown into buildings. Also, I believe there was no reference to either the WTC or Pentagon in any of these reports.

If your press is reporting that then it doesn't agree with the reporting in the United States.

Joe

I have one of those bags! They told me it says "Our president is a genius de homoerectus"
And I am, so what's your beef?

-Prez Bush Hisself

There are LOTS of very intelligent people in the US, probably as many as there are intelligent iraqis, swedes or french. However, your current president is not one of them, and that is a fact.

The tag is good for a chuckle, just don't take it too seriously... it's only someone expressing their opinion. If you hate it that much make your own computer sleeve and a tag that says what you want...maybe YOU can be on the "Best Week Ever"!

a wise man once said: "don't take life to seriously cos you'll never get out alive"!

>>>Stagliani
Haha priceless. Van the Man can´t be wrong...

bush - the man who sold the world

fyi, I hope everyone knows it is a damned lie that the votes in Florida were counted seven times. This is a lie that has been repeated endlessly by the Bush spin machine. Most counties in Florida were never recounted at all; it's clear Bush stole the election.

And anyone who says calling the president an idiot is unpatriotic doesn't understand what America or democracy itself is all about.

And as for nothing being in the pre 911 intelligence about planes being used as weapons, this is another damned lie.

And the foreign press does indeed report different stuff than the US press, because about 99 percent of the US press is in the tank for Bush. It's all about how Bush is relaxing those media cross ownership rules...

Cheese and rice, people...I'm probably the youngest one here, so forgive my ingnorance, if at all displayed. You don't like our president, that's fine. Put it on the internet, do whatever you want, but please do it maturely. "The president is a stupidhead!" "Nuh uh! He is not, you poopoohead!" And now, I return to my Pokemon videogame and Cheetos.

a bush cvote: "the us have the best educated americans in the world" or "most of our imported things comes from other countries". Quite a clever guy..............

Hey,

its great!!! Check this out - Protest with a different sound!!!

http://suspiciouswhitepowder.com/files/audio/suspiciouswhitepowder-nothingnicecondi.mp3

Cooooondi Riiice.....

All the best,

s.w.p (nikolai onken)

ethnocentrism is a BAD thing, especially in an increasingly globalized society. president bush has not only encouraged ethnocentrism, but made it a law (patriot act anyone?). i am personally embarrassed to come from a country who's democracy is so corrupt that george w. bush is now president in spite of his loss of the election.
also, the way to combat terrorism is not to kill all the terrorists. this will only create more. the ideas of those who hate america's arrogance will only become more widespread if we try to kill all who hold them.

How come conservatives are so quick to insult? Just because Bush may in fact be an idiot, doesn't mean all conservatives have to follow suit.

Clarification:

As far as the election, NORC has recounted all the votes. With the way those jokers in Florida were counting them I am glad the courts decided it. It was turning into a free for all and the re-counters were ignoring Florida law. BTW: I was a registered democrat back then and liked Gore.

Yes, planes used as missiles were found in some of the intelligence in the 90's but they were not mentioned in the Presidential Daily Brief that was the hot topic with the 911 commision this weekend. That intelligence was given to the Clinton administration who by the way should have dealt with Osama. As Condaleezza stated last week there was no silver bullet.

I never stated calling the President dumb was unpatriotic. I stated putting that French blurb on the tags was unpatriotic and cowardly. Why wasn't it in english? Because they knew most of us don't know or want to know how to read French.

99% of the media is for Bush. That's a "damn lie". Until conservative radio and the Fox news channel came along the media had a real liberal bias. In fact, last month either CBS or ABC...I forget which one...admitted their past reporting was biased. This was actually on their website...not some media spin.

HOW AMUSING. BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE SAME PEOPLE THAT SELL ARMS TO THE FANATICS KILLING OUR BOYS. GIVE ME A BREAK.
LARRY

florida recounts: there were at least two media groups doing recounts in florida. in nearly all scenarios, gore won. the right has been trying to rewrite history, but the fact is that gore won most recounts. and that's without taking into account pat buchanan's higher votes in palm beach (which he himself has said should have been for gore), the intimidation by florida police in certain areas, and the questionable cleansing of voting registration records.

fact check *EVERYTHING* the right says. you'll be amazed how often they lie.

second, i would love to know who made these - i'd love to buy them for folks.

Great tag very funny. It should refer to Chirac if it doesn't. On the political rants: Remember that in 1960, the republicans whined that JFK had stolen the election. Now it's the other way around. Funny how a near-perfect result (50/50 split) makes so many so cross. At least this time, there has been no Bay of Pigs or borderline nuclear war yet, has there? Also remember that while there are Americans who oppose Bush, there are foreigners who do support his attempts to fight terrorism by turning murderous dictatorships into liberal, prosperous democracies, and who do like the USA - in principle, at least. If the alternative is talking and sucking up to tyrants talking and underhanded UN oil-for-food deals and talking and abusing veto-power and talking and doing absolutely squat, give me a flawed but decisive Texan in the White House any day.

To anyone who is saying that the war should be supported because "think how badly off the iraqis would have it if america hadn't gotten involved..."

let's think about that.

If America Hadn't Gotten Involved in Iraq?

Well, maybe the CIA wouldn't have recruited a young Ba'athist called Sadam Hussein to assasinate the ruler of Iraq in the 60s, shuffled him around Egypt and other less hostile nations when the "hit" went wrong before finally returning him to Iraq and seating him in power with the Ba`ath party so many years later creating the whole problem for those poor Iraqis in the first place.

Yes... indeed... things WOULD have been better if America had never gotten involved in Iraq. Who'd have thunk it?

To anyone who is saying that the war should be supported because "think how badly off the iraqis would have it if america hadn't gotten involved..."

let's think about that.

If America Hadn't Gotten Involved in Iraq?

Well, maybe the CIA wouldn't have recruited a young Ba'athist called Sadam Hussein to assasinate the ruler of Iraq in the 60s, shuffled him around Egypt and other less hostile nations when the "hit" went wrong before finally returning him to Iraq and seating him in power with the Ba`ath party so many years later creating the whole problem for those poor Iraqis in the first place.

Yes... indeed... things WOULD have been better if America had never gotten involved in Iraq. Who'd have thunk it?

What`s the matter if G. W. swallows a fly? Then he has more brain in his belly than in his head.

D.

Maybe it would have worked if it was in Arabic but why oh why would anybody apologize to the French!!!

Sacre Blue!!

fuck

LOL !!!!!!
Sorry but your president ask for it!
Bush is an Idiot and that's a fact!
:-)

It is even better if it is an American Manufacturer, although the French can lay claim as well. Well done.

It is even better if it is an American Manufacturer, although the French can lay claim as well. Well done.

To kevin lyda-A*hole, A**hole-all the NATIONAL media, even the 1's who love to hate Bush, admit the Independant recounts showed he won!!!! But, talkin' about cheats-WHO INSISTED that ALL the Military ABSENTEE ballots be thrown out and MADE it happen THROUGH the CORRUPT FLORIDA courts-Gore, not Bush, or GW would have had a MAJOR win margin-that's about 10,000 votes the Liberals/GORE (let's count every vote-except the MILITARY)got thrown out-FROM THE PEOPLE who GUARANTEE your RIGHT to vote-I KNOW-I retired from the Military in 1987-and I get real PI**ed at ANY a**hole who steals votes from the Military!!!! If it weren't for them, YOU'd have no vote, and would be speaking German/Japanese or Russian, A**hole...A retired Military Vet...

Ha Ha Ha! That bag tag is fan-tastic. A word of wisdom to all you angry political types... Calm down chaps- its only a game: I should know!

On a more serious note, that label is ingenius and I take my bowler off to the manufacturers. Job well done!

Yours truly

Tony

hi Joe,

First, my name is Olivier with (i) like in french not in english.

Second Have you ever been in Palestine ? How would you feel if you'been there ? are you sure you have enough elements to analyse the all situation in Palestine ? Have you met palestinians and Israeliens ?

And how could you say the "intelligence didn't state..." when there is still people, making enquiries on it ? Is it already done for you ? ( in the case you must be subjective) But in fact you are, because you couldn 't ignore that saddam was supported also by the US durings years before being unusefull and mad. You (the US) have also supported Bin Laden during the Afghan war agains USSR ?

Till now (and till some WMD have been found...ah, ah, ah) your president is a lyer. And America was the countrie of freedom and justice for most of the people before you elected him. He turned this image because of its ignorance of the others (he had never been out of the US before being elected ...)Now people see your country like an empire who is fighting for oil and world power.
I've been in the US several times during the 90's, you've changed and it's a regrettable for you.

For the votes. If there were more voters the problem would have not been. So go for voting and don't complain you're still in a democraty (this part is not for you Joe)

see you
olivier

LAME

What tempest in a tea-pot! Are we still capable as individuals to react with such incredible vigor to the real issues? Trivia, (ok, so it's amusing) is what grabs us most firmly by the short and curly, doesn't it folks? Sorry, guys---but after the first five or ten delighted comments, it's all major ho hum!! Time to move on.

Not just yet, folks. Civil "disobedience" has been a lost tradition in American society. We need so much more of this.
---Please consider the difference and motive between "acting" like an idiot and "being" an idiot. Much wiser to assume Dr. Bush and his sponsors know just what they're doing, and it's all according to plan.
---Now, doesn't THAT just raise your stress levels?!

Lessee...this will be Comment #339. And the post has 85 trackbacks at the moment. I wonder if either is a Moveable Type record. - Randy

lost lost lost. What else have we lost?
Let me see now---there must be something.
Idealism? Humanity? Freedom?
Oh, come on now. Slavery is dead and gone. Right?? Ask any African-American. (Sex-slavery doesn't count, you dummies.)
Genocide of the Native American? Damn right! Who needs them innorant redskins anyway---(not counting the manufacturers of booze and tobacco, of course.) Not to mention the white flour and white sugar and artery clogging grease we are pumping into the reservations to what remains of native populations dying of depression, diabetis, burgeoning obesity and despair) And while we're on the subject, Who is the main exporter of tobacco to Europe and other 3d World countries these days? I haven't checked lately. Could it be that the real terrorists is US?
Perish the thought!!!
Don't look now, but are we about to lose Women's Right for Choice once again? That's a good one. Us rich folks what can afford safe abortions by legitimate doctors can always get what we need done, and no sweat. But let's face it, sex is dirty, and if she got herself raped, and pregnant, it was because she wanted it, so it's her problem. Ain't that the truth? Besides, we need cannon fodder to send out there to keep them savages under control. So how about a Draft? Hey hey hey! Don't look now kids, but that's the next step, ain't it?

It's hilarious how America are criticised for a (blatant) breach of international law and how quick Americans are to belittle other nations as a result... France, Germany and now even Spain, seeing as how they've democratically decided that they don't want anymore of their innocents dead. Yes, Americans have shown their true colours since 9/11. A bunch of idiotic jingoists commanded by a bunch of evil imperialists who seek to rule the world. All people who insists that if you don't agree with everything they do, then you're their sworn enemy. Did someone say NAZIS?

Congratulations, America. In just over a year you have gone from one of the most respected nations on earth to one of the most hated.

"A bunch of idiotic jingoists commanded by a bunch of evil imperialists who seek to rule the world. All people who insists that if you don't agree with everything they do, then you're their sworn enemy. Did someone say NAZIS?"

Hey now, no reason for that. I happen to think we made the right decision, since for 60 years, it's been our boys (and now gals) out there dying for the ideals for which we believe. After the UN and the EU twaddled their thumbs and allowed Christians to slaughter Muslims, the US put its boys in the line of fire to stop the madness. Ditto so many other times....

That said, for Americans to trash the Spanish, French, and Germans is normal, but the vehemence of some anti-EU sentiment is silly. (Lord knows, we Americans have been belittled in their press for decades, so a little tit for tat is harmless.) Human nature, though.

While I disagree with the sentiment in the label, I love the humor. It's what makes this nation so great. :)

Hey Mouseketeers!
I was a US Marine during the last invasion. (2nd Division, FAST Co.) and I lived the lie. Don't trust anything you read in the 'mainstream' press. Hey everybody, reach your own conclusions!!!

http://www.pnac.info

That said... & not that ABC is necessarily a free thinking source---
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/nightline/DailyNews/pnac_030310.html

It's now time
~to do away with corporations.
~to petition for divorce from Isreal.
~to wake the hell up.

Isn't it amazing how these Krazy Kaput Konservatives (ooh... notice the acronym?), when faced with a logical argument or fact, simply devolve into neanderthals and quote some unverified, false or ignorant 'fact'.

"All Liberals hate America" - Thats right, keep saying it and eventually it will become true.

"Al Gore invented the Internet" - He never even claimed so!

Where I come from, Ireland, the level of anti-american sentiment is overwhelming. 4 years ago, we liked you!

America - Land of the Free (oh and one of the only countries in the world not to have signed the international treaty on the rights of the child, and not to have participated at Kyoto...)

Need I continue?

Hi, I just want to say that:

There's no need for arguing about politics and trying solve weither people should hate the US or not.

Just read the text from the slip of the bag. Nuff said. Really. It's all there.

By the way: Im from Denmark. That's a small european country who's government supported Bush when he moved into Iraq. I'm ashamed of that. Actually our Prime Minister is a mini-Bush! Get rid of him!

Is there anybody left in this world that does not have something to be ashamed of?
It's a pretty dumb way to use up energy that could be far more constructively employed, even for the Danes, who by and large tend to be really cool people.
Try becoming an activist---even in small, small ways for starters. Once you develop the talent, it tends to grow. To quote Eleanor Roosevelt, that great lady who never allowed herself to be bullshitted: "Do something every day that scares you."
BOOO!

Brilliant!!Especially when seen from France! ;-)

Just for the record - if you look at Tom Bihn's website (and read the interview with him in the local paper), he didn't authorize or make up the label, nor is he continuing its use, although he doesn't mind it. Only 1700 of the labels were made. Besides, he didn't originate the idea; it came out in 2003 on an "American Apology" T-shirt in the six official languages of the United Nations.

Oh - and the reason it's in French is because the bag is sold in Canada (among other places), which requires all printed material to be bi-lingual.

Please, save us the "high road" lectures. Isn't about 90 percent of all humor pretty low road? Thank god some people are still childish, and whoever put that text on the tag was just havin a good lark. Good to see that there are still decent humble Americans out there who in their own quiet --perhaps clandestine-- way try to send a different message to the world.

Check out Tom Bihn's web site, or see below for text from the site.
I like this guy. Seems he has his values in the right place. Rather than engage in escalating, angry, politically skewed e-mail postings (right or left), he's successful at being a man of business, good will, free speech, and a sense of humor. Perhaps he's a real Christian...

We've had such a response to the care label, or "Treason Tag," that we just had to put it on a t-shirt.
Though originally intended as a poke-in-the-ribs at Tom Bihn himself, everyone seems to have a "president" that they think is an idiot. Take your pick: Jacques Chirac, Bill Clinton, George Bush.

While our best guess here at Tom Bihn is that this was a prank meant to poke fun at the company's founder and president, Tom Bihn himself, many have assumed that this is about another president. Regardless of what the intention was, much publicity has come of it, and many people have requested and purchased bags made with this label.
So, now, not only can you have this label inside your bag, but you can also wear it proudly on your chest. And you can feel good about it because all the profits from sales of this shirt will be donated to the Seattle Vet Center to benefit their Homeless Vet Program.

This has been the most entertaining hour I've had lately. I enjoyed hearing such an intense, international bull session, people coming from so many different directions.
And then, the last comment by Sasha, clearing up the etiology of the label.

Someone wrote: "C'mon people, it's just a funny label". Which put it back on a sane level for a few minutes. But the fact is, the world is not sane right now, if it ever was.

I'm fascinated to hear from the guys from Sweden, among others; to know that they have their problems, too, though Sweden has a reputation (in US) of being the nearest to perfect society. It's a relief, really.

I don't mean to sound unemotional or objective about the mess the US has largely caused. Our historic meddling and manipulating is now paying off in chaos and misery worldwide. Not to arrogantly claim responsibility for all of it but we're the biggest and bestest, after all.

Now there's people in the drivers' seats who've completely gone off the rails. Bush is actually the most harmless of the bunch.

Help us, Rhonda!

ghag

Hey, I resent the personal attack on communists. We are a proud people, with our faults and advantages, however a personal attack aginst us is faar too much, especially from a naive bible-thumper. Moreover,we might not respect the president as a person, but we do respect the government. The American government is pure genius, keeping a "president" in power while doing what needs to be done for the empire to expand and thrive. Our collective red hat is off to the government, for we could never come up with a totalitarian regime so brilliant, so as to be disguised by a dmocratic election of a figurehead.

i didnt read to far on here but did anyone even bother to read the website that sells them and see that it wasnt even meant for our president but for the president of the company that makes the bags go to the site and find it out for yourself

go buy one of those with the money you get back from the tax cuts Bush supported. if you dont like him so much, give them the money back.

Maybe it is a Frenchman (the translator) apologizing that Chirac is such an idiot...

Morons. All of you.

If you read the manufacturer's website, it is clear they were referring to the President of the company, Tom Bihn...
*************************************************
Though originally intended as a poke-in-the-ribs at Tom Bihn himself, everyone seems to have a "president" that they think is an idiot. Take your pick: Jacques Chirac, Bill Clinton, George Bush.
**************************************************

This has been a really entertain time, reading all these comments, ranging from the idiotic to the logical. In response, I can only offer a quote from one of America's Founding Fathers, whose own perspective over 200 years ago still echoes most loudly today...

"Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just." - Thomas Jefferson

Liberals are a great bunch. Unless the Govenment is providing them with a handout and siding with the ineffectual UN they want to blame all their problems, and those of the world on the current Administration. You all may want to take a step back and realize the potential of what is being done in Iraq. A miniture version of Hitler has been removed from power and we just may see a democratic nation in the Middle East.
But then, the liberal leftist hippy punks that you all seem to be would rather the US "stay out of it" and chant "no blood for oil". Hey, the next time you go for a drive, or the heat and/or electricity turns on at your house - try living without "oil".
Grow up, educate yourselves on how dangerous this world we live in truly is. Afterwhich try starting an informed and intelligent blog.

PS: The French are a hateful bunch of cheese eaters who's businesses were in Iraq oil under Saddam Hussein's regime. When the US liberated Iraq - it destroyed Frances cheap oil supply. The true reason the Frence were against military action in Iraq.

The French are Godless monsters, and if it weren't for our military action, they would be speaking German today, and some of us would be lampshades or bars of soap.
We need to take a more agressive approach to the militant Islamics, if not, there will be more 9/11's. Drop leaflets in the Sunni Triangle,"you have 48 hours to leave the area" then commence carpet bombing. We need to show these sub-humans in dirty nightshirts, what a kick ass country we are! Stop the politically correct left from demoralizing our troops. Their blood will be on the PC lefts hands.

I can only hope the Manuf is French. That guy is an IDIOT!

You guys make me laugh. Do you think we Americans sit around worrying about how people in Europe think of us? I couldn't care less. Do people in France care what the US thinks of them? If most of the world hates us we must be doing something right. As far as Iraq is concerned, why is it bad to depose Saddam? It is ironic that all these little anti-war demonstrators use their "Freedom of Speech" to try to keep the Iraqis from having that exact same right. War for oil? We were getting all of the oil from Iraq we needed before the war, from American and British companies. How would a war help us get more? The only difference is now the people of Iraq can share in revenue from the oil. GH Bush went to Iraq and look how it helped his career. Do you think GW Bush would do this for that reason? Most people are blinded by politics to see that this is a good thing that will save millions of lives and improve the quality of life for 10's of millions. The only thing to make this war "popular" would be having a liberal president in office. Remember when Clinton was in office and everyone agreed Saddam was bad and needed to be stopped. Now Bush comes along and this is the worst thing for freedom. Yes, sometimes irony can be pretty ironic. And since most of you out there forgot you government lessons here is a refresher course. The Electoral College, not the popular vote, elects the President of the United States. That is why Bill Clinton was elected twice and GW Bush was elected. Remember Clinton only received 32% of the popular vote in 1996. Funny, I don’t remember hearing how flawed the system was that year. As far as the recount goes, why didn’t Gore want to recount the military votes he had thrown out in his SELECTIVE recount?

PS. Go W!

The posters on this thread are quite funny indeed. Firstly, it seems to me that almost every American posting here possesses one of the traits that most non-Americans hate about Americans. This trait is the self-centered assuredness that everything is about YOU guys! Give it a break, please! I assure you that your international likeability rating will rise significantly.

If Americans must know, there are other sovereign democracies in the world at this very moment. Freedom is not an American invention, nor is it solely an American institution. By the way, I think the label is quite funny and that it probably relates to French President Chirac, sad perhaps, but true.

And, as far as freedom of expression goes, I think the USA is lagging far behind in truly understanding and practicing freedom of expression and thought. I remember an incident a few months back where a teenage boy went to school with a t-shirt that had Dubya's image, and it read: "George Bush is a Terrorist". The boy was admonished by the school authorities, sent home, and tried in the court of public opinion... if not in a court of law. Well, free-speech indeed my friends. I can assure you that in Canada, nobody would have said a word to someone wearing a t-shirt of our Prime Minister saying that he was a terrorist! Nobody!

Another anomaly of American freedom is that it is illegal, yes I said illegal, to create a Communist party. Although I am not a Communist by any stretch of the imagination, it goes to show how intolerant and insecure the American institution is with dissent and variety of opinions.

The fact that most of you squabble over left-wing/right-wing name-calling and rhetoric goes to show how very little Americans understand about political "calibration" or categorization. Please remember that there are only TWO parties in the USA... I am certain that the political spectrum has more nuances than that. Furthermore, if you listen closely to the Republicans and the Democrats, you will find that both parties are pretty much at the center and both speak of most issues in a very similar language.

Again, in Canada we have around 15-20 political parties depending on the election year. There are 1 or 2 Communist parties (they have a constitutional right to express their beliefs), we have a Green party (Environmental activists), we have a Separatist party, a Liberal party, a Conservative party, a Socialist Democratic party, and so on... Canadians believe that these parties have a RIGHT to be, and that these "obscure" parties would never get elected, although they do provide interesting ideas and viewpoints which bring the powers that be reason to reflect and act in a more reasonable fashion. Why? Because the voices of the whole political spectrum is heard.

That is my Canadian two-cents worth... bash me if you must! I know that that freedom has not yet been taken away from my friendly neighbours to the south.

That wacky tag gag required all of the political and intellectual sophistication of doing something like, say, writing "The principal is a poo poo head" in pig latin on the bathroom wall of an elementary school. Typical indeed of the pitiful arrested adolescent syndrome better known to some as "liberalism".

I'm mad as hell. We must support our president! As far as I'm concerned USA should take over Europe. Nobody has as good an army as us. The French should be eternally grateful for saving their ass in WWII. There would be no France if it wasn't for us.

minor note of contention. there would likely be no united states if it were not for the french. or have you forgotten that they save your ass in your war of independence?

learn to take a joke man. it's not like they're publishing state secrets, everyone knows the guy's a moron. the fact that it's snuck along in french should really give you pause... what do you think would have happened in the so-called "land of the free" if they'd published this in english and it had been caught?

kudos to the makers of this fine product and to their fine example of wit and humour.

Deets:
Like everything in life it is not always what you do, but how you do it that is important. Taking out Saddam might have been a good thing, if we didn't violate the UN charter concerning aggression (putting us on par with Japan circa 1941), violate the Geneva convention (photographing the prisoners of war and dead Iraqi soldiers) alienate our allies (leaving us now to have to kiss their behinds to help us out of this mess) and lie about the facts to the world thereby undermining our credibility (PS W, as per your press conference, consistency and credibility are NOT the same things) all in the process of taking him out. We could have done it in a mature way, like W's father did building a real coalition (coalition of the willing, what a joke)and go in and remove him. But you see, that would have taken some time, and we had to fight the war in Feb/March, before the summer heat, so that we could be done by Nov/Dec and have our "Mission Accomplished" in time for the elections. Politics, and ONLY politics dictated this war's timing and if W (or the puppeteers who realy run the show) were really concerned, they would have done it right, like adults, like REAL MEN instead of attacking Iraq for it's polical advantage. Deet, you better worry what Europe thinks about us, because they will be the countries who help will keep another 700 US soldier from dying and 5000 more from being wounded.

REAL Phil:
I guess I'm one of those commie's that did go to Yale, and yes I know it is very easy once someone gets in to coast through and get a degree (W got a Gentlemen's C-- you basically get that for attendence). What did he do after he left college? Three failed companies that went bankrupt (using money and support from family friends and Saudis), insider trading with Harken Energy that had his dad not been prez and family friend not been head of the SEC should have landed him in jail, and "won" the presidency, surprise, with a little help from his family (Friends of Dad on the supreme court, Brother who manipulated the recount and cousin from FOX news that prematurely called the electon for W). My favourite phrase has always been "George Bush was born on third base but acting like he hit a triple"

James Stephenson:
You are incorrect about the recount. A full state recount (the independent one and the newspaper coalition one using under and overvotes) found that Gore won the state when every recount standard ranging from liberal (pregnant chad) to conservative (no chad) was used. Had the supreme court ordered the recount that should have been done, a Gore win would have been the result . It is a fact, look it up before you post. A recount of the kind Gore wanted of just those four counties using only undervotes ironically would have resulted in a Bush win using either a liberal or conservative standard. (here is a great summary of all of the recounts http://dir.salon.com/politics/wire/2001/11/12/recount/index.html)

That just goes to show how much idiocy will be pushed to the forefront in our society... Liberals -- get over it, Bush won, and will win again, and guess what else, the terrorists started planning the attacks when the last President was in office. get over yourself and get a life.

Great tag! To the person who suggested that we buy the product with our tax cuts; are you rich enough to qualify for the tax cut? And if so, what the hell are you doing trolling around here for?
To the defenders of Bush; wake up! Or do you support Fascism?
Bush is worse that stupid; he's evil. He and his fundamentalist extremist Ayatollahs,
(or his "Administration" as you Americans like to call them) are plotting Armageddon. Their foreign policy is geared to creating an environment so hostile that nuclear armageddon is an inevitability. These religious zealots are trying single-handedly force the end of the world, so they and their born-again cabal can live Revelations, and enter the kingdom of heaven. A vote for Bush is a vote for the end of the world. George W. Bush is the anti-Christ! Be very afraid!
The fate of the world lies in the hands of the American voters. Be VERY afraid!

Every cop is a criminal and all the sinners are saints, right?
The French did help us out in our war of independence, but, they did NOT do it for us. They were looking after their own interests. Since they had a great deal to gain by England losing the colonies they fought against England. They even tried to gain territory in the Caribbean in the war. As for us being just like Japan, we were enforcing a UN resolution, correct? This was not a "Sneak" attack on an unsuspecting nation. To understand this we need to go back to the Gulf war when the UN led coalition went into Kuwait to free them from Iraq (See, they acted just like Japan. Funny how that turns out.) Once we pushed them back into Iraq the UN wanted to stop because “All objectives have been met”. This was done after the US pushed for the Iraqi people to help depose Saddam. Then, magically it was the bad Americans who pushed this war and then left the people of Iraq blowing in the wind. It was the UN who stopped the US from going in and removing him, but now we need to get the UN involved again? The UN made resolutions that Saddam disregarded and they never enforced. Then the US went back and tried a novel approach, enforce the resolutions. The UN and all the countries that were in financial bed with Saddam shuddered to think we would actually take their cash cow out for good.
I should care what Europe thinks of the US? Should I care what China, South Africa, Brazil and Cuba think also? Even the countries in the EU don’t always agree with each other. Where does that leave us? Europe has the same problem that the US is being accused of; they want to be the center of attention. The US should bow to their wishes and desires. Personally, I would like the US to go back to a policy of isolationism. I would love for the US to get out of the UN. I think most of the nations in the UN would also like to see the US out. What is wrong with the US wanting accountability for the billions of tax dollars spent on other countries. The countries line up to take the money but they don’t want to be told what to do. I have a perfect solution: We won’t give them any money and we won’t tell them what to do.
And now Canada is being hailed as the last bastion of free speech? I don’t think there is any country, including Canada and all of the EU that has not been affected by political correctness. Everyone is up against that monster, even the great white north. Remember, if that t-shirt were in Canada the child would be sent home if it were not in 2 languages. While I am on the subject, I was in Canada around Ottawa. Beautiful place but every person who spoke French hated everyone who didn’t and vise versa. Beauty, Ay.
Another misconception about the US is: there are only 2 parties. If that is true how did Nader and Buchanan run in 2000? Just because other parties can’t get that many people to vote for them doesn’t mean that aren’t there. Remember it was the democrats that stated no one in Palm County would vote for Buchanan. Also, there are several Commie parties in the US. Also, the 2 major parties aren’t the original American parties. So someday there might only be the GOP and the green party, who knows.
I am not trying to say that the US is perfect, because no country or government is. I do believe that the US is the greatest nation. I don’t think Bush is a moron or an idiot. He is a good person with a good faith. That is how I see it, and I don’t need anyone in Europe to validate how I feel. On the same token, I don’t care if a company anywhere in the world makes that tag and or someone believes what it says.

Tim, you are so angry you can’t even make sense. IF GW Bush is “trying single-handedly force the end of the world, so they and their born-again cabal can live Revelations, and enter the kingdom of heaven” how can he be the anti-Christ? You are so blinded by politics that you can’t see the truth. Everyone who paid taxes in the US qualified for the tax cut.

DEETS:

Glad to hear you came to Ottawa and enjoyed your stay. I was born and raised in the Ottawa area, and I still live there. This brings me to the first subject: "I was in Canada around Ottawa. Beautiful place but every person who spoke French hated everyone who didn’t and vise versa. Beauty, Ay."

1- Having lived in Ottawa for the past 38 years I cannot fathom how you can come to such a generalisation. It would be like stating that all (or the majority of) Americans are murderous gun-toting serial killers, which we all know is not the case. I admit that SOME francophones hate anglophones, and SOME anglophones hate francophones; Canada is not immune to social intolerance. But, it is only a very, very small minority of the population which feels this way. You see, I speak, read and write English and French with equal ease, style and grace. Actually, a sizeable portion of the Ottawa area population is bilingual... This mostly means that almost every Francophone has the ability to speak, read and write in English. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of Anglophones... but I will admit that the situation is improving. Let me just state what should be obvious. Francophones speak English out of necessity (gives them the ability to interact with fellow Canadians and most of the world), and many Anglophones feel that there is no valuable reason to learn French (but many of them will learn Spanish or Italian just because it's not French). OK! I will not start a Quebec revolution on this thread... I promise!

2- Beauty, Ay! Actually, it's "Hey!". (chuckles)

3- vise versa... No, no! It's "vice versa", taken from the French language which in turn took it from Latin.

As for your statement: "Should I care what China, South Africa, Brazil and Cuba think also?". I can't tell you if you should care what Brazil, Cuba and South Africa may think of you. However, I know as a fact that Americans should damn-well care what China thinks of them... I went to China a few years back, and I witnessed first-hand the absolute hell-bent attitude of the government and the people toward Communism; they hate it with a passion! China is definitely a Capitalist society. Actually, it is the most Capitalistic society I have ever witnessed (visited). The market is huge, they have know-how, they love to trade and sell, and they have lots of business savvy. All I saw in the cities was people who were dressed with the latest fashions (they make the clothe, so...), people who sported the latest techno-gizmos (cell phones, PDA's, ...), people who were eager to learn English and hoping that China would become a member of the WTO. There were more stores and shops than one can imagine, free entreprise is alive and well in China... believe you me. Oh! By the way, Communism is not really a political system in itself, as many humans tend to think. Communism is more of an economic ideology based on the exploitation of workers. But, in order to put such a system in place there must be a political willingness to do so. Hence, the Communists form a political party in order to enable themselves to achieve their economic objectives.

So if Communism is the exploitation of workers, how would one categorise Capitalism? (Hmmm? Connundrum)

Here is a quote from a trusted source explaining Communism: "The term ‘communism’ was first used in modern times to designate a specific economic doctrine (or regime)...".

Little known FACT! Who holds the vast majority of US government issued Treasury Bonds (meaning who finances the US... Who has the American Treasury by the nuts)? That's right people, it's big bad China... check it out because it's the truth through and through.

Now let us take a closer look at your statement regarding language laws in Canada. This would be the following: "Remember, if that t-shirt were in Canada the child would be sent home if it were not in 2 languages". Wrong! You are not stating anything close to the reality of this Canadian issue.

1- This would only have happened in Quebec, if the kid would have been spotted by a Quebec gov't language law enforcement agent (very unlikely scenario). Canada has only two "Officially" bilingual Provinces. These are Quebec and New Brunswick. Quebec (where I live) has the harshest language laws of all. In Quebec you are allowed to advertise in English if and only if you also advertise in French. And, the English writing has to be smaller in size than the French writing (there is a size ratio thing here). However, there are exceptions to these rules. Furthermore, these laws are not very strictly enforced. They are actually a political means to try to save and preserve the French language in a Province that is 90+% French-speaking. As for Canadian laws on bilingualism, they state that all Federal government services must be available in both languages everywhere in the country. Canada is also officially bilingual by law, but this does not mean much at all. It's just another political shenanigan concocted to "supposedly" promote cultural diversity and equality.

This is the last issue concerning your comments. This one is apparently not well understood, even by Americans. Here it goes: "Another misconception about the US is: there are only 2 parties. If that is true how did Nader and Buchanan run in 2000? Just because other parties can’t get that many people to vote for them doesn’t mean that aren’t there. Remember it was the democrats that stated no one in Palm County would vote for Buchanan. Also, there are several Commie parties in the US. Also, the 2 major parties aren’t the original American parties. So someday there might only be the GOP and the green party, who knows."

1- Nader, Buchanan, Perrot et al. Not political PARTIES anyway you slice it. These fellows were "independents" and not parties whatsoever. However, it is a fact that Perrot did form a proper party for at least one election. The definition of a US political party is quite simple. A party needs a structure (to organise fundraising, speeches, debates, campaigns, ... and to acquire card-carrying members as well). This structure must have a home-base (brick and mortar), deputies, secretaries, "permanent" staff, etc. Also, a party needs to be a bona fide and recognised organisation with representatives (candidates) at the State level in order to have congress/senate representation. It must also have a name, it must be allowed to debate publicly with representatives of other parties, etc. So as such, we cannot state that the fellows above were part of actual political parties, they were indepedents plain and simple. Even your statement makes it quite clear when you say that "the Democrats said that nobody would vote for Buchanan..." Read it closely, they said Buchanan not the Buchananites or some such thing; they addressed the issue by referring to an individual and not an organisation. And to top it all off, these guys are portrayed by the media as "left-wing/right-wing nutcases", and are considered fringe players or rich eccentric extremists or oddballs of sorts. They never actually get "serious" political consideration given the way the USA holds presidential elections.

2- The part of your statement where you say that the US has several Commie parties is absolute nonsense. Please name me just ONE official, legitimate and recognised Communist party that has a mailing address in the USA. And please, give us the link to their Website. Communist parties are illegal in the USA, this is the FACT: yes, yes, yes!

3- The TWO major parties are not the orginal parties... Well I should hope so! If anything, political landscapes change and evolve, and political inclinations and thinking mutate and mature. But what we are talking about is now, the present state of the USA and the world. By the way, I seriously doubt that there will ever be a MAJOR party with socialist/environmental/fascist/... agendas or philosophies any time soon in the home of the brave and the land of the free. I know it's very difficult and painful for Americans to swallow this pill: "Canada is more tolerant than the USA as far as freedom of speech and expression are concerned. Canada offers its citizens very good legal and constitutional protection and rights to express opinions, dissent and criticism... even of its own government and leaders". I know that it must hurt DEET, but you've got to face-up to the facts. Look at te USA's patriot act. Look how civil rights and liberties are slowly but surely being eroded fron the American way of life... think about my friend, Dubya is one weird psycho.

Lastly, I must state that I often travel to the United States. I have several American friends, and my grandfather and two of my aunts are American as apple pie, Nikes and George Washington. I actually like Americans alot. I enjoy debating politics, economics and foreign policy with them. I think that most Americans, when met one-on-one, are quite amiable, sensible and likeable. Plus, they usually have good common-sense. However, the American government(s) is quite the opposite. I think the US Gov. is rightly portrayed as the arrogant, self-righteous, war-mongering monster that it is. Imperialism is long gone people. Yet, the USA continues to invade and occupy foreign countries, it continues to value and pursue political subversion and the installation of puppet-regimes (as they will do in Iraq, which will inevitably backfire, again, in ten years), it continues to push and annoy countries that have no business being "bothered" by the USA. There is so much one could write about the USA's record for causing political instability in the world over the past 100 years. So much that this server could not hold it all. Hey! But I like Americans and the USA, I just don't like its foreign policy. You know, if France (as well as Canada) is a legitimate sovereign country it has every right to decide its own political and foreign policy agendas, don't you think? I mean to say that that France, and Canada, and countless other countries, had every right to not want to go to war with Iraq. Don't get me wrong, everyone is soothed and happy that Saddam is gonzo for good... but what on earth gives the right to the USA to occupy and strongarm ordinary Iraqi citizens? Mark my words, the operation will continue for the next 10-15 years, and Uncle Sam will just keep on sending in more troops, more troops and yet again more troops. Vietnam II? Well it's certainly off to a good start!

Anyhow, that was my little polemic on the state of the USA, and my response (corrections) and comments to DEET's misconceptions.

Salut mes amis Etats-Uniens, amusez-vous bien!

Toodles!

It's indeed an imperfect world we live in, and no one person has all the answers or knows the whole truth.

I'd have to agree with the one poster who suggested that some of us should try and find a more humanitarian cause to dedicate ourselves to, instead of engaging in name-calling and bashing. I'm all for debate and free discussion, but I can't help but wonder if our energy might be better devoted towards involving ourselves in causes where the impact would be both tangible and positive, if even only for a few persons. Most of us can't change the world - but we can change the world for a few persons at a time.

President bush rox ! he serve american well !

President bush rox ! he serve american well !

Louis,
The best post on the thread!

To "anonymous", who wrote "President bush rox ! he serve american well !", I say.
You clearly have no notion of the language of English. See below:

1. Capitalisation of Surnames: "Bush", not "bush".
2. Simple Spelling: "Rocks" (what an americanism), not "Rox".
3. Again, Capitalisation at the Start of a Sentence: "He", not "he".
4. Present Tense: "serve" applies to all pronouns except he/she/it/one in the simple English present tense, where "serves" is used. So "He serves" not "he serve".
5. Capitalisation, Wrong word used: Its hard to make out what you mean, but I presume that you mean "America", "The American People", "The American" or "Americans" - not "american".
6. Spacing: On two occasions, you put a space on either side of an exclamation mark(!). This is not commonplace, and only one is necessary - to the right of the mark.

Whoa, thats quite a list y'all!

A living demonstration of the American education system?

PS Hate to be his English teacher...

Oh yes, by posting twice ("anonymous") you really proved you're point, eh?
God love him/her...

It's in French. They're probably referring to Jacques Chirac. And that's hilarious.

ich bin kein amerikaner
wo soll ich jetzt bitte hin
ich wollte eigentlich nach hause
im internationalen sinn

ich bin das sorgenkind der zeiten
im atlantik abgestürzt
unterwegs in unendliche weiten
ich habe abgekürzt

ich bin kein amerikaner
ich bin ein versager
im fernsehn haben sie gelacht
dann bin ich aufgewacht

im karnevalsverein für indianer
zwischen untergrund und wirtschaftsspiel
zieh ich meilenweite kreise
auf der jagd nach einem neuen stil

in der kalkulation der planer
gelistet als privatidiot
kulturpessimistisch noch fataler:
schiessen sie auf den pilot

ich bin kein amerikaner
ich bin ein versager
im fernsehn haben sie gelacht
dann bin ich aufgewacht

Good reading all.. I love the label... It is to bad that everyone in the USA is ignorant to what is going on around them just keep sitting there with your blinders on while he passes another patriot act or two or comes up with some insane reason to go fight an unjustified war. And for anonymous that posted twice what are you a moron he serves the country well yah can you give me an example of what good has come to this country since he has been in office. Other than jees we've really got everyone hating us now, we are trillions of dollars more in debt, unemployment is through the roof, civil liberties(oh I think I can remember some of them)(patriot act 1 and 2).. I think you could just go on and on and on and on.. You should do a little reaserch before posting such a lame comment. Peace to all it is great to see that we are not all brainwashed...

15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore (AMERIKAH!) sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns [EUROPE] which thou sawest upon the beast [FINAL LAST WORLD ORDER], these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman [AMERIKAH] which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." REVELATION 17:15-18
One can see how Europeans are now beginning to hate the US WHORE, who is more than ever fornicating with the International Merchants.
And listen how all the brainwashed little fundamentalist "Republicrats" are whining: "Honor our mother of harlots!" Ready for the nukes?
"4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong [is] the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more" Revelation 18

Bags!! Ahhgg! "What fools these mortals be!

They should put some fancy anti-Kerry french writing on flip-flops. That would actually be funny. Flip-flops for the flip-flopper.

And, is Kerry supposed to be the speech major or something compared to Bush? Have you people heard him speak? Sheesh. What a linguist. (Not)

fantastic stuff! the sooner Americans get rid of that dumbass Bush the better.

(1)Is the label even genuine? This could be a hoax. Why wasn't the brand named?
(2) Why does the label refer to "our" president in
french, instead of "your" president? The disgruntled workers could well be commenting on Chirac.
----------------------------------------------
However, having said that:

"Calling our president an idiot is immature and disrespectful."

Some of you may remember prior to the watergate scandals, Newsweek always used the respectful
"Mr." in front of any president's name no
matter how clumsy or repetitive it made
the topic. After watergate they notably
stopped doing it.

The deceitful, corrupt, lazy, amoral, indifferent, incompetent currently
squatting in the WH deserves every
perjoritive used against him.

Quote from "The Fish":
And, is Kerry supposed to be the speech major or something compared to Bush? Have you people heard him speak? Sheesh. What a linguist. (Not)

Actually, my aquarian friend, a linguist is someone who studies languages, I can only presume that you mean public speaker.

As I said earlier: a living demonstration of the American education system.

(PS I have heard that Kerry is in fact a good linguist, in comparison to the retard shrub you call President)

Who was the only person granted a death reprieve by GWB?.......Henry Lee Lucas.
Who granted Otis Poole a death reprieve?..JEB.
Read up on old Henry and Otis...cannabals, as well as murderers.

the shrubs in my garden have more intelligence than that idiot squatting in the White House. Bill Clinton - all is forgiven. I miss ya.

"If most of the world hates us we must be doing something right."

Huh?

"It is ironic that all these little anti-war demonstrators use their "Freedom of Speech" to try to keep the Iraqis from having that exact same right."

Ah, you mean freedom of speech as in shutting down an Iraqi newspaper critical of the American occupation, thereby causing major anti-occupation uprising in Iraq, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people on both sides? I wouldn't exactly call that "irony". More something like "idiocy". VERY typical of the way Bush & co have been handling their foreign policy up till now.

"The only difference is now the people of Iraq can share in revenue from the oil."

Oh, really? Is that why we see all those Iraqi citizens on the news living in poverty? Wouldn't one expect to see them driving around in fancy cars, living in beautiful and expensive homes, wearing t-shirts saying "I love Dubya"?

"Most people are blinded by politics to see that this is a good thing that will save millions of lives and improve the quality of life for 10's of millions."

The only reason for starting this war was to improve the lives of people whose lives didn't need much improving to begin with: Bush and his pals in the White House and the US corporate world, not to mention Mr Ariel "the Hutt" Sharon.

"Remember when Clinton was in office and everyone agreed Saddam was bad and needed to be stopped. Now Bush comes along and this is the worst thing for freedom."

Nobody in their right minds would have said that Saddam wasn't bad (except maybe for you Americans who had some shady dealings with the man not even such a long time ago - remember Rumsfeld shaking his hand?) It just doesn't justify a war on this magnitude to get rid of the guy. Besides, he's gone from power now, they have him! How about ending it now? No reason anymore to stay in Iraq, unless... hmmm, could it be oil after all?
And what about all those other crazed dictators on this planet? Why not get rid of them? Because they came to power courtesy of the USA, and as long as keeping those idiots in power helps the USA (and Ariel Sauron), there is no reason to. Despite thousands of people losing their lives thanks to those US-supported despots.

"The Electoral College, not the popular vote, elects the President of the United States. That is why Bill Clinton was elected twice and GW Bush was elected."

I seem to remember that Dubya was selected, not elected.

"As far as the recount goes, why didn’t Gore want to recount the military votes he had thrown out in his SELECTIVE recount?"

Because the US High Court (you know, Bush Sr.'s buddies) wouldn't let him.

The world is going to hell in a handbasket, thanks to your pResident Bush. He is, without a single doubt, one of the most dangerous men alive today, together with the people who work for him (or... is it the people whom he works for?) and Jabba of Israel.

>Biog brother does not watch our every move. You think there is no Canadian official observing suspicious Canadians on the WWW? You are wrong.

Sure I'd be wrong if I thought that. But you musta slept through Echelon and Poindexter's Total Information Awareness.

>YOu think your Big Brother has no way of knowing when your last traffic ticket was or when you last used your credit or ATM card? You are wrong.

I *do* wonder how many Canadians are aware der Fuhrer gets a look at their tax records when they cross into der Vaterland... he probably gets to look at a lot more but we know about that much.

>You think your president doesn't have high power companies pulling his strings? You are wrong.

"President" Martinet is indeed a fascist, but he's a lesser fascist than Stronach (thankfully we won't for awhile have to look at her giving Clinton a grope). But it's that white supremacist Harper that scares me; he'd manifest your destiny and make us a US federal territory.

What an interesting read this is? A load of pro war jerks grasping at straws that the label perhaps refers to the French president? Nice try guys, but think about it morons. It wouldn't make sense, and besides, didn't they actually get off their asses and vote for their president?

Why is the label's brand name not listed then, I hear you scream in that ugly fashion that all right wingers do? Well, because the company would be closed down in the new Nazi-Amerika perhaps?

All you right wing, "pro war on terror", self centred, delusional individuals could do your self a favour. Go and do some reading at www.newamericancentury.org

I don't see "blow job" Bill's name on any of this "plan for world domination" shit either. Just a whole lot of names from your current administration. Congratulations people, while you were sleeping, these lunatics became your government.

One last thing my dear "patriots". Why is it in your country a guy can be fired for screwing a consenting woman, but not fired for killing thousands of people, including his own, on false pretences for war? Or why does a woman become public enemy number one for showing a boob, when your politicians get away with lying to you each and every day? Wake up......

Hey, what are suiciders?

Deet, you're as ignorant about Canada as you seem to be about just what G.W. Bush is. The language laws you refer to are in one province. No, you wouldn't be sent home from school in Quebec for wearing an English-only to-shirt. I'm anglo and went to school in Quebec for a year. Why do you have to lie Deet?

>>with a government which everybody in Europe hates
>Really? Even everybody in Poland?
The Poland that says "we were mislead" and is contemplating pulling its troops ahead of schedule? That Poland?

I don't have time to read every comment here, so someone may have already said this, but it's not a hoax. It's also not, apparently, directed specifically towards Bush. Instead, this easter egg was apparently originally aimed at the president of the company that manufactures the bags. Or, at least, that's what the company claims. T-shirts are available at the link above, if you're interested.

Didn't realize HTML was turned off in comments. In the above, "the company claims" was supposed to be linked to:

http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/TB1112

which is the manufacturer's apparently official explanation as well as where you can buy t-shirts with a large version of the care label on the front.

Pretty stupid...

Wow! This thread, started over washing instructions written in French on a laptop carrying case, seems to have taken a severe tangent indeed. We're now writing about Poland and the Iraq war, US foreign policy and economic ideologies, name-calling and country-bashing... quite interesting to say the least. Now that most who have read this thread know that the label's French "instructions" were meant as an inside joke regarding TOM BIHN, we should start another blog to further debate more important matters... like say, the US occupation of Iraq and the ever-changing "reasons" the US gov't is giving to justify its actions. By this, I mean that the evolution of the USA's reasons are mind-boggling to say the least, let's see:

1- Iraq HAS weapons of mass destruction;
2- Iraq HAD (yes HAD, past tense) programs to develop WMD's;
3- Iraq HAD (again, past tense) the means to establish programs to develop WMD's;
4- Iraq HAD the intention to attain the means to establish programs to develop WMD's.

Without wanting to be too cynical, there is a serious problem when an administration cannot clearly state the reason(s) why it took certain actions... especially if it concerns attacking another country. If the law worked in this fashion, most of us would be in jail. I mean, who on this earth has never had a thought about hurting/killing/stealing/... ? When I was a kid I sometimes wished my Dad was dead... I even thought to myself: "Man! Would I ever like to make him vanish". Hell! I even thought about hurting some of the kids at school, etc.

People and Nations cannot be held accountable for thoughts, wishes or intentions. Moreso if the intentions cannot be verified, which is an extremely difficult task at best. This would mean that all you posters saying that you should take over Europe, etc. would be guilty of... speaking out and thinking! Now we can't have that now can we? Surely, anyone who is able to think, speak or write can appreciate the inherent values they carry.

One last note. I think there is a serious social/educational/knowledge problem, when people wanting to get involved in debating politics can only do so by stating "brilliant" declarations such as:

1- "Calling our president an idiot is immature and disrespectful." (How far-reaching and profound! I hope GW won't get too angry at "those" impolite people);

2- They should put some fancy anti-Kerry french writing on flip-flops. That would actually be funny. Flip-flops for the flip-flopper. (Now this is one solid declaration, with so many subtle undertones and overtones. I guess GW is not flip-flopping when he explains why America went to war with Iraq... everybody flip-flops once in a while my friend, so why not Kerry?);

3- President bush rox ! he serve american well ! (I sincerely hope this poster is not an American... it would more than shameful! Naw! I think this person must be... thinking of the singer, Bush, and impatiently awaiting his next tour (of duty));

4- I'm mad as hell. We must support our president! As far as I'm concerned USA should take over Europe. Nobody has as good an army as us. The French should be eternally grateful for saving their ass in WWII. There would be no France if it wasn't for us. (Now, now little fella! I think you skipped too many Anger Management and History 101 classes to attempt to deliver what could have been such an articulate statement).

5- That wacky tag gag required all of the political and intellectual sophistication of doing something like, say, writing "The principal is a poo poo head" in pig latin on the bathroom wall of an elementary school. Typical indeed of the pitiful arrested adolescent syndrome better known to some as "liberalism". (Hey Wile! Now be a good boy and give tissues to all those Liberals you hurt... they need to wipe their tears and be consoled);

6- The French are Godless monsters... (What a prize! Now, if you will, let's take a look at nations that are not Godless: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Lebanon, England, USA, Italy, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Japan, and so on... OK! Now I see your point! Those Godless French...!);

7- But then, the liberal leftist hippy punks that you all seem to be would rather the US "stay out of it" and chant "no blood for oil". Hey, the next time you go for a drive, or the heat and/or electricity turns on at your house - try living without "oil". (By golly Billy-Bob! This here boy is as smarter than a 3-year-old possum! Heeeee haaaaw! OK! I'm sorry! I think you're right... let's kill'em all and, while we're at it, let's put these hippy varmints to rest too!); I respect your right to express yourself, but I think you were on the wrong thread... the scripts for the new Bruce Willis movie "America free at last" is called: "Hollywood tonight".

There are too many to keep going on. The only point I wanted to make, without trying to insult anyone in particular, was that political debate needs to be somewhat constructive, and conducive to raise awareness, whatever side you're on. In my view, these vague, childish, pointless and empty statements only help fuel anger and resentment.

Live freely, think, observe... speak!

See y'all later!

According to Sun Tzu

3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.

4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.

5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.

In this case, calling the president an idiot suggests to foreginers that America does not fully support their leader. Sun Tzu said that this is one of the vital attribute of war to a nation.
12. Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking to determine the military conditions, let them be made the basis of a comparison, in this wise:--

13. (1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral law? (2) Which of the two generals has most ability? (3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven and Earth? (4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced? (5) Which army is stronger? (6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained? (7) In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?

14. By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat.

That's one strategic advantage taken away from the US.

If you're not doing anything illegal, what do you have to fear from anyone lookin into your business? Personally, I could give 2 shits about the goverment watching me, what are they gonna bust me on? underage drinking? I would hope they have better things to do.

About the tag, i thought it was pretty funny.

The USA - empire of evil. The president of the USA has brains of the monkey.

Now, where to begin...

On many occasions, people defending the actions of the american government really line up behind the president and the administration with a clear and what is to believed 'rational' belief that the USA stands for freedom, democracy, peace and that USA is unique in it's constitutional right of 'freedom of speach'... Now, it seems to me that in taking this standpoint, many americans don't know much about the rest of the world. In the whole of europe, freedom of speech is a natural thing. In fact, it's so natural that we don't even need to shout it out all the time. Also, I belive (my point of view) that the individual citizen in USA is largely subdued by internal automatic censorship by which the whole idea of freedom of speech is lost. The democracy system has only two parties (right, even more right) which really does not qualify as a whole spectrum democratic environment where you have a strong opposition. In fact, I think that the American ideals are crumbling and lost to history. It will never be able to live up to it's ideals again in a _very_ long time.
An exchange student from sweden was wearing a turban and making a joke video of Usama bin laden, and whoops, he got jailed and sent back to sweden.. This sounds more like some of the faschist examples Americans are so quick to condemn.
I think USA is rotten to the core with fake intentions. Standards, Double standards, tripple standards... Whatever suits the sitting administration, particularly when it is close to election times.
I feel pity for those americans who can look at their own country with an open mind. It must make them want to flee...

Ps. I heard that Noam Chomsky was deliberately censored from public appearance in american press. Is this true?

/Mattias

My oh my... all the fuss for nothing! How 'unusual'... give them a reason to let steams out and show-off their opinions and there you go, suddenly everything is so amazingly meaningful... Maaan aint it funny that innocent jokers who came up with this tag (well, unless its a smart marketing move of course)wanted to laught at the company's president... couldnt even dream of any underlying political motifs... Telling you, net is a shortcut to creating great new revolutionaries who gather proud aware crowds around them, to baaaad w/o even knowing they are the ONE :)))
Maaaan, life is a such a farce... or as good old russian Gorby said 'when arguments make ur heads boil, truth evaporates'...

Very good job, very good joke!!!

Well, I am a 53 years old French teacher (female), and, actually, when I read Mickael Moore's books, when I watch his pictures (or do you say "movies"???) I LOVE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

I love people who suffer because of the rapaciousness of big companies, I LOVE American people who try to resist....

...And I am really disgusted by the high or middle class white people, you know, the "typical americans" those they show us in the stupid TV series wich polluate our screens...

Courage! Soon or later, Justice will come back... If you fight against injustice.

Dominique

PS: Do you know that it is a very very difficult work for us, learning YOUR language?
They constrained us to learn your difficult language, we spend years and years, and a very few amongst us succed to use it... why don't you learn ours???

Since everybody is correcting me, allow me to make a correction or two.
First, The United States is a democratic republic, not a democracy.
Second, Nader ran on the green party ticket not as an independent. The green party will have a candidate on the ballot this year as well.
From Australia in your “One last thing my dear patriots” I guess you were talking about Bill Clinton. Well, let’s be fair, he never, and I quote “had sexual relations with that woman, Monica Lewinsky”. Well, it turns out he did so he was impeached. He in fact was not fired because he never lost his job. He was not impeached for the act itself, but rather for lying about it under oath to have a lawsuit against him thrown out.
Dutchman you said you seem to remember that Duyba was selected not elected. Well I guess you need to buy one of those memory books, because that is not what happened at all. What did happen was Bush got more votes; Gore protested the results and wanted a selective recount and the high court said no. How did they select him by refusing to let the selective recount go ahead and let the voting results stand? The 4 counties in question were under Democrat control, did they help Bush get elected? Also, Gore won all of those precincts. Why recount were you won, to troll for votes? When Gore says all votes should be counted, why did he have 11,000 military votes thrown out? Could this be because he knew they we 90% in favor of Duyba? In short, stop kicking that dead horse.
Louis you said “Oh! By the way, Communism is not really a political system in itself, as many humans tend to think.” – Who else would be thinking about it?

Just to let you know, the comment about the shirt having to be in 2 languages was just a failed attempt at humor. Sorry, if I made anyone upset.

Also, if you have not figured it out yet, spelling is not my strong suit, especially when I try to make it “Canadian”.
Canada is a very beautiful place and I plan on vacationing there very soon. I would also love to go hunting up there some time. I don’t completely agree with it political system but I don’t see it as bad.

Louis, as far as China goes, I don’t care what they think of America. What you say about China is true, but just like you said; they are doing all of those things to make themselves better. Are they worrying about what we think of them? I don’t think so, at least not as much as most would think. If they did there might not be as many human rights violations there. I agree with the direction China is going and I hope they continue. If they do the world will be a better place because they have a lot to offer. Also, I never said anything bad about China so I don’t know why it was referred to as “Big Bad China”. And before you raise them to the highest level of freedom bearers visit www.freetibet.org.

As far as the Patriot Act goes all I can say is it sucks that we need it. I hope they work to make it better. I say “they” because both sides voted it into power.

And as far as Iraq being “Vietnam 2” lets remember a couple of things. It was a former French colony that asked the US to come over and help them in their fight against communist North Vietnam.

Also if communism is not really a political system it is too bad 100 million people had to die to find that out.

LOL!.. so true... I didn't vote for Bush.

peace,
core

wow, what a bunch of queers. If you guys hate the ways things are going here, move to fuckin russia and see if that's any better. Man I'm sick of this "it's hip to hate bush" bullshit.

josh

I think that Kathy Lee Giford had the right idea. What happened to supporting and being an American where we have respect???

It is very easy to bash others for doing things contrary to our way of thinking, but are there any viable,if so get your elected officials in your country to present it and stick by it on national principles. Instead of letting national politics and national pride get in the way. Did you vote...well if u did in the last election for US President you did not vote for George or Al u know u voted for someone to vote for them "Electorial College" elects our president, read your laws.

As far as who is right or who is wrong, only time will really tell, and depends even then on who u ask. It is great to be able to call our elected officials to task over wrongs perchieved..

When, in the future you perceive a wrong ask yourself,Have I exercised all my obligation as a citizen or am I just exercising my right to complain? A No show is the same as a yes vote!

It is wonderful when those from other countries believe they have a grasp on the inter-working of our country, but can not seem to express their understanding in intelligent conversation....But what is even worse is when those who are citizen of the USA fall prey to their pratting. You do not have to agree with everything that our country does to be a good citizen, but it does behove us as citizens to be citizens and stop electing elected officials based on who they know, what their family name is and how much pork they voted for in our local districts/states.

Your upset get off ur fat duffs and let your elected officials know that you are holding them accountable in all respects....Your watching them... and damn big brother watching us....Thats to easy is it not,to complain is so much easier.....Bush and congress may be the authors of part of whats going wrong here in this country, But as the publishers/printers we as citizens have a obligation to hold there feet to the fire....

I spent time in the service 23 years and I am a democrat, but my politics goes beyond party lines I vote for what i feel as a citizen is good for my country and beleive that with that also comes the trust to insure that all elected officials do our bidding. Perhaps this sounds like space "A" so be it at least my head is not in someone rear end.....You don't like whats happening then make it change, or shut up and go home and live in the dark. If your not part of the solution then u must be part of the problem!

Beeing french, I've a great compassion for all american people. All of the World is suffering of the raving madness and the killing frenzy of your President. Love is all that we need.

Hm, I came here for this hilarious tag and fell into a discussion I want to add some things to.
First of all, I see somebody being proud of 'freedom of speech' and some other about 'move to Russia'. BTW, the Russian people I met were very educated, nice and intelligent people.
That's one problem with some (most?) of you USA citizens (I think Americans includes Canadians). Freedom of speech as long as you speak the Language of American Proudness, don't try to critisize anything. I found out when I had a discussion about the start of the Iraq war: all this USA guy said was: I have to stand behind myt president. Don't you guys have opinions of your own? Still some McCarthy influence?
One other problems is, you act so damn superior.
I don't agree with these countries who try to get on top of USA but I can understand their feelings. Stop trying to make the world better according to your opinion; start making the world better. Think of Kyoto f.i. (ever heard of that?)
You have a very limited view of what's going on in the rest of the world. You can't help it, because your governement and press is giving you limited information. Don't forget your society has very high crime rate compared to other western countries. You have (too) many (too) young mothers. Try to solve these problems before you tell other countries what to do.
Apart from that, I had great times when encountering USA guys on holiday.

OMG, shut up.

" I think Americans includes Canadians ".

In canada, you can be shot for such an insult.

Haha, I meant to say: Canadians live in North America. But you are in no way comparable to the cowboys south of you. (However, as I understand from your message, you like shooting, too)

That's why I object to use the word 'Americans' for the citizens of USA. 'Americans' means all inhabitants of Northern America.
Don't say European if you mean a German (or French ;)

Get around the table and find a better word for the guys of the USA. You are Canadians, they are ... ????

I absolutely love it... we need tags like that for all our clothing in the USA, along with billboards, television, newspaper, and magazine ads. It is so true, why do should our lives by determined and judged by what this one dickhead decides? We bought a 200 Euro car and are in Italy right now, France soon, and maybe Amsterdam. Hope you get this Ian. Write us at y2kbond67@hotmail.com or saradube@hotmail.com, we never check the business site... not in that frame of mind yet. Bond is 37 today! Yahoo!

A little disappointing to see the company's president disowning the tag as a reference to Bush, at least according to Newsweek this week.
http://olivepress.blogspot.com/2004_04_01_olivepress_archive.html#108239170241583167

hi,
For everyone who thinks that the french are bastard, cowards, or should be gratefull etc...

My answer is a very wellknown tale

It was a very cold and snowy day. A very young bird had fallen down his house. he was very cold and was waiting for help yelling "piou piou, piou piou". A very sympathetic cow came and as she knows he was very cold, to help him, she shited on him. The very little bird was very happy and gratefull. to express it, he was yelling "piou piou, piou piou". A fox came. He took the little bird, cleaned him and ate him.

There is 3 morals to this tale
1- the one who shits on you isn't still your enemy
2- the one who takes you of the shit is not still your friend
3- when you are in the shit please don't shout.

do you understand what I mean, my american's "friends" ? Think about it.

By the way, did you face any resistance from the french population when you came in 1944 ? So could you make any comparison between wwII and the Irak war ?
You look like parrots repeating your government 's propoganda, think using your arguments. but for that you need education...

olivier

Rob Drudle, I don't think you are correct. From reading these posts it appears that Canada is the leader in free speech across the globe. Nothing you could say could make them mad. They love free speech so much I bet they would love to hear that more often.

My dick hurts and there's lice on my balls.

Since Stephen O'Brien criticized the English usage of a non-native speaker, let's be fair and criticize Stephen's English usage. I'll put his comments in square brackets, since more apostrophes would be confusing.

[So "He serves" not "he serve".]
Stephen, this is a sentence fragment. Please rewrite it as a complete sentence.

[Its hard to make out what you mean...]
Stephen, you forgot the apostrophe in [its]! Remember that [its] is a possessive form [belonging to it] and that you should have used [it's = it is] instead. I'm sad to discover that your education system didn't teach you this.

[On two occasions, you put a space on either side of an exclamation mark(!).]
Stephen, why did you forget to put a space between a word and a parenthesis? Next time, please write [exclamation mark (!)] and remember the space. Interestingly, in French writing, one puts a space before punctuation, so maybe you could have been forgiving - but you weren't and therefore I won't be forgiving with you.

[Whoa, thats quite a list y'all!]
Sigh... Stephen, there are two "errors" in this sentence of yours. You made that apostrophe mistake again: [that's] not [thats]. Secondly, you should put a comma between [list] and [y'all]. If you don't know why, then there are grammar books out there for you to read.

I'll stop there. Personally, I dislike criticism of someone's argument based on their spelling and grammar - especially when that person isn't a native speaker of English. Shame on you, Stephen. If you're going to be so prescriptive, then you should at least refrain from making errors yourself. How's your grammar in non-English languages, by the way?

The Liberal Left is what is wrong in this country. They have a brain the size of a wallnut. They don't realize that Socialism is wrong and Communism is dead. They hate Bush because he stood up to the enemy no matter what the the third world barbaric morons from the UN thought. I hope that we help destroy the Palestinians, then the Syrians, then the Jordanians, and any other anti-American Islamic Moooslum that gets in our way.

Have a Nice Day!

actually, the 'Liberal Left' generally has a higher IQ than most of the 'conservative right'. And even most 'Conservatives' (true conservatives at least) don't support our Elected Imbecile. Socialism and Communism in their purist forms are wonderful, but GREED gets in the way.

Your ignorance comes out, Mr. Smith, when you refer to Palenstinians as 'anti-American Islamic Moooslum's (nice misspelling by the way, way to show off that intelligence quotient). For you information, the vast majority of the Palestinians in the West Bank are of....wait for it now....CHRISTIAN faith, as are a fairly high percentage of Syrians and Jordanians. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Islamic faith, as practiced by the MAJORITY of it's followers, is a peaceful faith, there are a few FANATICS that pervert the teachings of the faith (sound familiar? read up on the Spanish Inquisition.)

In conclusion, allow me to say this, I believe in the Freedom of Speech, anyone can say anything they want (providing it isn't making a threat, the Supreme Court has said that fighting words aren't covered by the First Amendment), BUT, make sure that you have your facts straight before going off on a Nationalistic rant (Patriotism=Good, Nationalism=BAD). A little piece of advice, don't let Rush and Savage be your opinions.

I'm sorry, but I don't have the time for reading all of your comments and for following the endless discussion whether Bush is a little bit of an idiot or just a complete moron. If you would ask me, I would say that I think Bush's shoe size is 50 percent higher then his IQ. But that's besides the matter: what the F#%$ is the brand of this computer sleeve and where can we get it in The Netherlands? Politically correct or not, it is just damn funny

Bob Dobbs thanks for the insight, I didn’t know that most of the Middle East was Christian.
Want to guess how many people in Arafat’s inner circle are Christian or Jewish? You say Nationalism is bad; I guess the Palestinians have not heard that yet. Look at the Palestinian movement, it is 100% Nationalism.

bob,(and deets, because you're in the same bag)
I spent 6 months in BGSU (Bowling green State University ) a few years ago. And I saw many stupid animals like you ; unclever, with no culture. Just guys and girls who just can speak, write (with a very poor grammar,)count (a little), and read. They had no ideas on what the world is. Some of your fellows though France was IN Paris (Ah, Ah, Ah ). And you, you criticize, without knowing anything. I just came back from Jordan and Syria, and you have you been there ? Do you have any ideas on what are the results of your foreign policy since decades, in the arabic world.
I think they have a bigger experience of history than you. They 're finest then you and that 's why you could not understand them. You should go out of your Hole, and visit other countries, see how is the life when you're fighting for food, or to survivve; it changes your point of vue.

Intelligence is a mix of culture and abilities to weight arguments. And you seem to have a lake of both... Like many facists. Because your arguments are extrem right one's. Your president is bringing you on a very slippery way and even in europe you have less and less supporters.

who do you have any respect for, exept you (US) ?
Remember that the roman empire ruled the world during 400 years, and you since only 60 years so... you 're small...(even the spanish, the french and the british ruled the world longer than years centuries ago)

I'm sorry for every tolerant US citizens, and educated one's. The extrem right is destroying your country, and I think it is a pity to turn your back on your fame, and on your principes(which made your country the symbol of freedom.

Go for travelling and studying instead of watching TV and drinking beers. Ask also to your vets if you are on the way to solve your problems with "the arabic world" destroying irak and supporting Sharon...

olivier

Not saying who the company is perhaps they are referring to the French President?????

I'm Beglian citizen and I find very intersting to see how Usa citizens can be divided about the way their leader manage the country.
In Europe it's clear that Usa (Bush admin.)foreign politics isn't understood. But be sure that hypocrisy is not a american privileges. See how Europe don't care about Tchetchenie's conflict.
There are many examples.

Oliver, please use the spell check feature on your computer before you put me down for bad grammer.

Blah Blah Blah, all of you. I'm going to slap the friend that linked me to this boring drivel. Can't you all find something better to do than hate another Country or political Party?

I, for one, am Glad that Bush cleaned up Clinton's Miserable Failure in Iraq. After Congress approved the Iraq Liberation Act and Clinton signed it in '98, the poor fellow did his best to get Saddam to obey the disarmament mandates. Even bombed the hell out of Iraq for days, killing uncounted numbers of Iraqis (nobody cared to keep score for the guy). But, in the end, Saddam kicked dirt at him and thumbed his nose in defiance at the world.

Both Al Gore and GW Bush campaigned on the promise to fulfill the Iraq Liberation Act. Remember? The stated purpose was to remove Saddam by force and install a Democratic government in that country. That became official US policy in '98.

What distresses me is that the mainstream news media today depend on the sheeple to have very short memories. That way they can feign "surprise" that, gosh, GW Bush had plans to go after Saddam before 9/11. Well, of course he did. The Iraq Liberation Act. Remember?

you' re right Deets, but I speak and write 4 languages (english, french, spanish, italian)so...
Could just spell correctly my name O L I V I E R

Olivier, sorry I mis-spelled your name, but what did you expect from a "stupid animal" like me? Since I only speak and write ("with a very poor grammar") one language how could I ever have any ideas on what the world is? The only idea I can understand from decades of US foreign policy in the Middle East is a thriving democracy (Israel) in a sea of failed despots. I mean look at the Palestinians; they are, as a group very poor, but somehow Arafat is worth 200 million dollars.

I can see several problems with your arguments.
1. You called me a fascist, when you know I am a dyed in the wool capitalist. Does calling me a bad name make you feel better? If it does, call me it in all 4 languages you speak! Just because I disagree with you I have no intelligence? You actually sound very elitist. I have no culture because I hold conservative views? Remember, I live in the "melting pot"; you know "give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses......" and I support that 100 percent. Why? Because that is one of the things that made this country great. That is in fact why I am here. My great-grandparents immigrated here, and for that I am forever grateful.
2. Name one US colony that the US is forcing its control on. Like you said France, Spain, England and Rome have ruled the world longer than the US because they have ruled the world. These great societies as you see them, did this through fear and violence. Remember, it was the Europeans who raped, killed and destroyed cultures in North and South America all in the name of gold and conquest. The US is not blameless by any means, but it seems that all liberals want to forget history because the facts get in the way of their master plan.

As far as traveling to Jordan or Syria, I have no interest to go there.

As a French working for a French company with subsidiaries in the US and Ontario, I am a bit deceived by all this 'I hate the French' or 'I hate the American' language depending on which side of the Atlantic Ocean you are.

This discussion in not new, just as a reminder, download that very interesting booklet called '112 gripes about the French' published by the Information and Education division, US Occupation forces in 1944. This was distributed to US soldiers fighting in France. It can be found on www.blackmask.com

Most of what is said in this too long blog was already written in this booklet, 60 years ago.

American and European people share the same intellectual grounds based on freedom and entrepreneurship. This should be used to solve the complex issues in the Middle East instead of fighting each other with out-of-age preconceived ideas

Claude=> Excellent
... we all live on the same planet

Hi Deets,

I'm very happy you react on my message, it was volontary a bit provocative.

One more time, your arguments are "black or white", don't you think there is also grey ?

The fact that I'm speaking several languages helps me to understand better, others cultures. And I hope this make me analyse situation in a more objective way. I'm also keen on travelling, and situations on the ground are very different from the ones you see on TV...

For example in Jordan; the King Hussein who died in 1999, dealt in 1946 (he was 17 years old !!!) with the british to built his country "the hashemite kingdom of Jordan (before the country was first french, then British "thanks" to T E Laurence from arabia) Till he died, he was very very respected by his people. Now King Abdallah (his son)is managing the country, and it get closer and closer from a democraty. Jordan is like Switzerland in the middle east region, it's safe and people are very friendly. They 're also very tolerant because 25% of the people are Palestinian refugees (How would the WASP react if 25% of the US inhabitants were mexican for example- I 'm sure french will react very bad if 25% of the inhabitants were british-). For ending, it's also a very rich area for its history and monuments (perhaps you have already see Petra in Indian Jones and the last crusade; you remember the pinks monuments digg in the rocks). 3 religions cross there...and also romans, turkish, arabs...

Guess who supported during more than 30 years Saoudia Arabia ? or Irak during the 80's (while Saddam was already here) and sold it some WMD (gas in fact) ? may be you should ask D Rumsfeld, there is some good pictures of him shaking hands with Saddam after the deal... (I know we 're not clean too)

How much Bush worth ? Do you really think is clean with the Halliburton stuff for example ?
Sometime you need to sweep in front of your own door, before going to sweep in front of your "neighbour" 's door.
I'm not comparing Arafat and Bush, but I just want to tell you that things are far more complicated than they appears, and you need to digg very deep if you want to have an objective point of vue.

For the Emma Lazarus stuff (give me your...)Don't even try to convince me on your melting pot. may be there is some melted place like NY, Washington, Chicago... But in Texas, New Orleans, or Ohio ( in Cincinnati University, in the dorm, you have one floor for the black, one floor for the white, etc !!!)I never saw so many racism than in the Us. Don't make to much angelism and be sure we (europeans and french) also have our problems with integration.

one us colony ? for the same price I give you several Marshall Island, Diego Garcia, Hawaii what is a colony ? how long does it take when you invade a territory to be part of your country ? Because in many old colonies, we stayed during centuries so was it still colony ? What is the difference with Hawaii or the others...

I never said that french (or the other europeans) were angels. We fought a lot, we lost our leading because of that. We have been jerks for centuries, and sometimes were are still (in Rwanda, Tchechenia...)but we 're getting holder and holder. And like elderly people, I hope our experiences are making us more and more wise.

For example in Irak. Do you think Saddam worth to "fight" our oldest ally only for economics interests ? I don't think so. We know this war was a trap for the world security and you went in ... We know this because we are the only country (with you and the russian) to have a full spying system (our is very reduce, but allow us to verify some informations, like WMD presence...)And we probably had human informations (spy) as we were very well introduced in Irak.
You lost your international credibility because of "the conservative" (they 're more facist than conservative). They are really worry about mankind,and WMD,human rights, so why don't they go to fight North Korea (there 's proofs of WMD)?

Compare what the nazi principles of communication were and what your conservatives said:

"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to greater danger. It works the same in any country."

-Hermann Goering (1893 - 1946)

"Those who criticize the administration are aiding and giving comfort to the enemy" - John Ashcroft

"Your tactics only aid terrorists -- for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to America's enemies and pause to America's friends" - John Ashcroft

Your guys are dying for fake reasons and for oil companies. you're loosing your leadership for that. Just remember that empires (even the Russian one)died because of the economic impact of the war. Tell "Walker Texas Ranger" to go back in his Ranch for drinking and eating brettzle, he would be less dangerous for you and for the world.

Go for travelling (backpack) Deets, it will change you, and it's also very cool to discover other cultures. Come in France first. We are not smelling so bad, you will test frogs, nails, wine, and cheese and may be the girls...
Finally you know why the rooster is our symbol ? cause it is the only animal that sing and yell when its "foots" are in the shit !!!

If you want to be free just think by yourself and mix your sources

see you
olivier

different (and also subjectives) informations could be find on
http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page.html
http://www.dawn.com/2004/03/24/ (pakistan news)
http://www.iribnews.ir/front_en.ASP?sec=front_en (Iranian news)
http://www.independent.co.uk/ (very independent, but a bit left handed)

I agree. He is an idiot and I didn't vote for him either.

To All,
Calling Bush and “Idiot” is perfectly acceptable for the simple reasons the man has behaved and spoken as we (the majority) have all come to define what an idiot is. (If) he’s being labeled as idiot solely for his preconceived plan for ignoring pre-911 warnings, destroying Iraq and using our tax dollars to rebuild it, letting Bin Laden escape Afghanistan while focusing on the construction of an oil pipeline, and all of the other behind the back scheming that he and Dick Cheney did, is the Republican agenda that has been set – not out if any “idiocy”. But speaking in staccato three or four words at a time, (as if he he has to wait for sound bites so he’ll know what to say), sitting during briefings like some bewildered third-grader, and not even knowing the meaning of simple English grammar makes him an idiot, regardless of he can fly and land a jet (which monkeys have been proven capable of). I can accept an idiot as a world leader, providing that his integrity and heart were in the right place, or if his radical agenda jibed with most Americans views. The middle class (low class in some cases) that support his agenda are ignorant because they are believing into the propaganda/media that we are in Iraq to fight terrorism alone, not secure a tight control on an oil producing nation. Any other belief as to why is there is pure ignorance. The American people have been had (AGAIN), and most can’t even recognize this as fact. To many (as proven on this page), disagreeing with this current protocol means being “un-patriotic”. Terms like “Unpatriotic” and “Liberal” are thrown around by those whose vocabulary has been programmed by media, and can’t think of any other words to utter. If this Idiot/Clown gets elected another term, WE ARE ALL DOOMED.

Tanker, blame the "no war for oil" crowd for the tax dollars we're spending in Iraq. On that matter, Bush listened to The People who, in a big way, are idiots. Other nations participating in the reconstruction effort are getting paid with oil. As to the way he speaks, Moses could not carry on a conversation either. He had his brother do all the talking - and was one of the smartest leaders ever. Bush has demonstrated the wisdom to accomplish what our nation's leaders have said for many years must be accomplished. The previous Prez tried but failed. Bush is getting the job done.

And, yes, we are in Iraq to protect our oil-producing friends. Remember how Saudi Arabia asked us to use our military to defend them? Remember why Osama bin Laden attacked us? Aren't you proud that Bush has pulled that military out now that Saddam is no longer threatening that nation? Osama will use some other excuse but at least we've shown what a BS artist he is.

Bush is smart enough to take the tough steps to bring resolution to the 12 year war in Iraq. It simply could not continue - the costs were too high, especially in innocent lives.

Olivier, I agree with your statement, "Just remember that empires (even the Russian one)died because of the economic impact of the war."

Let's not forget that we have been at war against Iraq for over a decade. Nearly every month Saddam's forces shot at our "containment" troops and aircraft. The Chinese were, in the last few months, selling him the most advanced anti-aircraft systems because our aircraft were able to evade the old Russian made systems. There was also the huge cost in human lives of trying to "contain" Saddam. Over 5,000 children a month died in the name of peace and the adults were uncounted. This went on month after month, year after year.

It had to end and, as Bill Clinton made clear, simply walking away and letting Saddam get back to his dirty business was unacceptable. Clinton made it clear - if Saddam would not cooperate he would be removed by military force. That's why the Iraq Liberation Act was created in 1998. Clinton failed because he did not apply sufficient force to finish the job. Bush's leadership has been much more intelligent in that regard - first to force Saddam to let the inspectors back in then, when Saddam still would not cooperate, to fulfill the Iraq Liberation Act's policy.

We don't know what the future holds but we do know the 12 year shooting war, with nearly half a million innocents killed, will not continue as it had. Now we must all pull together against the Islamists who are trying to tear down Iraq and many other nations in the world. As civilized people, we MUST come together against them or our future will be hell on earth.

No Green Giant, the only thing that Bush has demonstrated is his complete ineptness as a leader, and total comittment to generating profits for his big-busness supporters. The blame for the billions of tax dollars that were spent/will be spent can be attributed to the Bush/Cheney agenda - an agenda which was formulated BEFORE 911, and carried out, using 911 as justification. This forum is not big enough to debate the facts as to "Who" is at fault and and "Why" it was done, but I assure you that you are mistaken. 2nd, Nato was prepared to "protect" any other invasions into any oil -producing ally by Iraq, as you were alluding to. Apparently, the Bush agenda takes precedence over the rest of the world. Plain fact that 911 was used to buffalo the American people for the Bush/Cheney agenda. Profits, not revenge, not protection, were the motivation for this war.
3rd, GWB should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as Moses, shame on you.

Tanker...

> No Green Giant, the only thing that Bush has demonstrated is his complete ineptness as a leader

Au contraire, he has achieved tremendous successes. America was attacked repeatedly since the first World Trade Center bombing over a decade ago. Clinton's weakness only encouraged ever more bold attacks. As long as they're attacking, we might as well be smart enough to fight back.

Bush demonstrates outstanding leadership in getting nations all over the world to cooperate in the war against the global enemy, Islamists. Even Islamic nations' leaders are aiding the effort - practically a miracle of diplomacy.

> and total comittment to generating profits for his big-busness supporters.

What's that? Generating jobs and improving the economy? GOOD! I would be horrified if our President were not a businessman dedicated to improving American business opportunities.

> the Bush/Cheney agenda - an agenda which was formulated BEFORE 911,

Reminder: THE IRAQ LIBERATION ACT. Of course it was formulated before 9/11. Even Al Gore campaigned on the promise to finish the job. Let's not feign surprise.

> 2nd, Nato was prepared to "protect" any other invasions into any oil -producing ally by Iraq

I highly doubt that. And with Saddam spreading the bribe money around after he invaded his oil-producing neighbor (but was driven back mainly by US firepower), even the UN would not touch him. Clinton lacked the strength to stand up to the UN. It took clear moral leadership from Bush, along with a coalition of over 60 nations, to end the travesty.

> 3rd, GWB should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as Moses, shame on you.

Why not? He waged war in the interests of his people. And he was one of the greatest leaders the world ever knew. But, he was ridiculed as a moron by his political competitors. Unlike Bush, Moses killed the competition. Bush has made the error of believing Democrats would "share power" in government toward productive ends. They instead choose to undermine him.

Olivier,
> one us colony? for the same price I give you several Marshall Island, Diego Garcia, Hawaii what is a colony ?
Well, of these islands which one did we invade? None. Sounds good to blame the US, seems everyone is doing that these days. In fact good ol’ Europe is where the invaders to these islands came from. Also, the people of Hawaii wanted it to become a state long before it was admitted to the US, and two of the three examples are not colonies of the US at all. Brief history.
Marshall Islands - Germany purchased the Marshall Islands from Spain in 1899. Japan seized the Islands in 1914, governing them under a League of Nations mandate until the U.S. Navy occupied them in 1945. In 1947, the islands became part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under United Nations trusteeship. The Constitution of the Marshall Islands entered into force on May 1, 1979, at which time the parliament chose Amata Kabua to be the country’s first president. In 1983, the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the United States, which entered into force in 1986. Under the Compact, the country is fully sovereign in domestic and foreign affairs, but gives responsibility for defense to the United States.
Diego Garcia - The Portuguese explored Diego Garcia in the 1500s; between 1814 and 1965 it was a dependency of Mauritius. It then became part of the Chagos Archipelago, which belonged to the newly created British Indian Ocean Territory. The island remains a British dependency today. A British dependency, Diego Garcia was developed as a joint U.S.-UK air and naval refueling and support station during the cold war.
Hawaii – Toward the end of the 19th century, agitation for constitutional reform in Hawaii led to the overthrow (1893) of Queen Liliuokalani, who had ruled since 1891. A provisional government was established and John L. Stevens, the U.S. minister to Hawaii, proclaimed the country a U.S. protectorate. President Grover Cleveland, however, refused to annex Hawaii since most Hawaiians did not support a revolution; the Hawaiians and Americans in the sugar industry had encouraged the overthrow of the monarchy to serve their business needs.
The United States tried to bring about the restoration of Queen Liliuokalani, but the provisional government on the islands refused to give up power and instead established (1894) a republic with Sanford B. Dole as president. Cleveland's successor, President William McKinley, favored annexation, which was finally accomplished in 1898. In 1900 the islands were made a territory, with Dole as governor. In this period, Hawaii's pineapple industry expanded as pineapples were first grown for canning purposes. In 1937 statehood for Hawaii was proposed and refused by the U.S. Congress—the territory's mixed population and distance from the U.S. mainland were among the obstacles.

> How would the WASP react if 25% of the US inhabitants were Mexican for example? Well, every day thousands of Mexicans and people from South America come to the United States, most of the illegally. There are some places that are 98% Hispanic. 13 percent of the population in the US is Hispanic. 34 percent of the population of Texas is Hispanic. Regan offered amnesty for illegal Hispanics in the 80’s to help them out and remember he’s a conservative.

> If you want to be free just think by yourself and mix your sources
You then give 5 links to websites that have the same views. How is that freethinking or mixing my sources? Everyone one of these sites are anti American, anti Israel, anti Christian, anti democracy… you get the point. You should widen your scope of sources.

WISDOM, it sounds like your education is lacking. You seem to think the American form of gorvernment is a democracy. You must have graduated from one of those public schools that is afraid to teach the real history of this country. This is a DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, NOT A DEMOCRACY!

RUPERT, I also understood the tag to be referring to the French President and NOT the American President. Some are just so quick to judge and criticize, they assume that any criticism of a president must be referring to the American president. I didn't vote for "Dubya" and I didn't vote for Gore, either. BOTH are idiots in my book. Check out http://www.libertarian.org if you want another choice. There's also a nice little online survey there that might show you that you are neither a Democrat nor a Republican.

I live in Florida. I'm well aware of the non-partisan recount. Bush won it without even including the absentee ballots (which the majority of them were Republican voters) that the Democrats didn't want allowed because they had no postmark on them. Let's just "disenfranchise" the military vote! If they are stationed overseas, their ballot wouldn't have a postmark on it! The Democrats also tried to throw out the ballots of certain counties in Florida where the majority of the registered voters were Republicans. Most of the American people never heard about this recount. Since the media leans toward the Democrats, there was very little coverage by the media of this recount. Nothing was mentioned about the representatives of the Democratic Party busing people from nursing homes to get them registered to vote and then busing them to the polls to vote. MOST OF THESE PEOPLE WERE TOO SENILE TO EVEN KNOW WHAT AN ELECTION WAS LET ALONE FIGURE OUT ANY KIND OF A BALLOT! That so-called "confusing" ballot was designed and approved by a DEMOCRAT! (Could this have been a conspiracy?)

ETHICS, if our government was in the form it was originally created, we wouldn't have a the problems we have. This country was founded under Christianity with tolerance for all other religious choices. That all went to hell in a handbasket with M. O'Hare! Now, the atheists want to take "one nation under God" out of our pledge of allegiance. I think I'll continue to vote Libertarian.

DJEB, I read through the links you listed. Very interesting. They all make mention of language problems. What happened to the requirement for citizenship that one speak ENGLISH? There was a comment about elderly people not being able to understand the ballot? That would probably be the ones from the nursing homes so senile they forget their own names registered to vote by representatives of the Democratic party. Oh, and let's not forget the high percentage of black voters being purged from the lists (I'm assuming this is because they were felons). Have you visited your local jail lately? I HAVE! Most of the prisoners are non-white. ( By "non-white", I'm referring to Hispanics, Oriental, Native American and black.) Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against anyone because of the color of their skin, but the non-whites seem to get into trouble more often! Maybe there's a bit of discrimination by our law enforcement officers, but then here there are just as many non-white officers as there are white.

RAUL, our foreign policy needs a complete overhaul! I think we need to stay home and clean our own backyard before we try to clean someone else's!

DAVID, let me repreat myself.....This is NOT a democracy. It is a DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC.

GLENN FLEISHMAN, what terrorist did Clinton deal with? I mean, to which one did he send money? That was his way of dealing with foreign affairs....throw money at it!

MATTHEW, I like the way you think but I still wouldn't vote for Bush OR Kerry. I think Bush did the right thing. I'm just not sure it wasn't done for the wrong reasons and justified with lies. Only time will tell.

THE REAL PHIL, well said. I just don't understand why the American's have to be the "world police". Whenever a people have troubles, they hold their hand out to America for a handout. Once they get it, they have nothing kind to say about America or her people! I'm a bit narrow-minded here....I feel we should close our borders and only allow people in for a limited time. If they don't leave on time, hunt them down and boot them out! That would make some REAL jobs here for some REAL AMERICANS in the form of Border Patrol Officers! Let's not leave out foreign aid...why are we sending so much money to so many countries who's people hate us when we have so many people here in the USA that are hungry and homeless?

TABULARASA, how many opportunities did Clinton have to assinate BinLaden? SEVERAL but he wouldn't act! If he had, the 911 WTC incident might have never happened!

CORWIN, "Even if you don't like Kerry all that much. Who cares, he's 1000% better than the alternative" ???? Are you totally unaware that we have at least FIVE (5) political parties? Democratic, Republican, Reform, Green and Libertarian are the ones I know of.

UPSET, "Sure Bush lowered your Federal taxes, but then State taxes just skyrocketed. But the Republicans won't tell you that." Not all states have state income tax (I assume this is to what you are referring.) And I really can't tell that Bush did that much for the middle class. You know them. They're the ones that carry the bulk of the tax weight. We might make $40k/year but most of us can't afford the "tax shelters" on that $40k/year.

TOODLEOO, "-I thought the man was an idiot when he was governor of Texas and put a mentally retarded man into the electric chair." I always thought it was the judge presiding over the trial and giving the sentence that put the criminal in the electric chair. Was Bush in that courtroom? (Actually, I thought this travesty was Clinton and in Arkansas.) What happened to all those appeals that convicted criminals get? Seems a lot of people wanted that "retarded man" in that electric chair.
"-I am a firm and unswerving adherent to the Bill of Rights. This means I believe in the right of all people to carry guns and weapons at all times. Not a typically liberal stance, is it?" I feel the same way even though I don't think this right is stated in the Bill of Rights. I always carry at least a .38 in my handbag. I even have my very own concealed weapons permit! I recall a bumper sticker of many years ago saying "Outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns". I WANT THAT BUMPER STICKER!

BRIAN TIEMANN, I heard a tidbit that Kerry wants to put a 50 cent tax on each gallon of gasoline. If this is true and the Green, Reform and Libertarian Parties don't participate (I'm sure they will), I would have to vote for Bush. For me, that would be voting for the lesser of the two evils.

DAVE, you posted "what does the bill of rights have to do with the right of all people to carry guns? last i heard, the 2nd ammendment referred to the right to bear (bare?) arms for the purpose of a well formed militia. i think we have something like that. i think it's called the military..." Dig through the dust and debris of your storage and look up "militia" in the dictionary. It's NOT "called the military". Nevermind. I'll do it for you........from the "American Heritage dic-tion-ar-y of the English Language" -- mi-li-tia (ma-lish'e) n. Abbr. mil. 1. An army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers. 2. A military force trhat is not part of a regular army and is subject to call for service in an emergency. 3. The whole body of physically fit civilians eligible by law for military service. [Latin militia, warfare, military service, from miles, milit-, soldier.]

EUROPEON, we have FIVE political parties. Refer back to my note to CORWIN. Maybe you should learn more about our political system before you criticize it.

SEPTIC TANK, This is NOT A DEMOCRACY! It is a DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC! It amazes me how many people think our American government is a democracy! Our schools have really failed in education! Clinton should have told the truth. If he hadn't been getting blowjobs on government time in a government office, he wouldn't have had any reason to lie to anyone but his wife! tsk! tsk!

CHRISTIAN, damn. Can I move to Sweden?

SUBVERSIV, "Dubya" tried to "divorce" Israel, but Congress voted against breaking the treaty that Jimmy Carter got us into. How many BILLIONS (trillions?) of dollars have we sent over there now? Carter was a joke! Not nearly as funny as his brother, Billy Carter and "Billy Beer".

JACK McHUGH, I'm sure very few people know about those lampshades made from the skin of concentration camp prisoners in Germany. I didn't know they made soap out of them also.

LOUIS, we have FIVE political parties that I know of. Then there are the "independents".

I've read through most of the comments. I am not without opinions. I will also say i have two children who are close to "draftable" age and I believe this is a real possibility: our children will be drafted. I have no problem with the idea of every citizen serving their country, in public service. I believe that people in this world have to learn how to live with each other. I can only speak as a mother so as a mother I did not bring children in this world to kill others. Or to be killed. I brought children in this world to help make it a better place, to try to tell my children to respect others. That we are all the same: all any one else desires is some respect and love and if it is given, it might be returned. but you don't give it for the return, you give it because it is right and it is human. Lose some of your judgement? Remember compassion? I don't care what your religion or lack thereof, everyone who speaks here has a passion and seems to care a great deal. I brought children into this scenario and I hope they will help make it better. I did not, emphatically did not, bring them into this world to kill another human being. Let's have our differences. Let's talk about them, let's negotiate them (isn't that what marriage is about? a relationship with an employer?). Let's talk, let us not kill. My sense is that everyone speaking here has some compassion for human life. And also understands that once they have killed, no matter what their point of view, is never the same again. Can never forget or justify...

a

PIZDATO!!! =)

Absolument fantastique...
Vrai qu'il est con votre président huhuhu
(woups , not on my head please )

R_Matou

R_Matou : Please be more objective (et pas si Gaulois)

i'm glad to note that Americans people are not truly some "BUSH fanatics"... It's simply your media TV that show us a wrong reality :)
Respectful ciao From France !

Benzor

I agree with Benzor, most of the time people are simply influenced by what they watch on TV... I think it's pretty interesting to have a vision on the whole world, on the different cultures and population to be objective.

Nevermind, this picture and this message is simply amazing ! Congrats !

More objective ???

"After the attacks of 9-11, he went after the Taliban and prevented Al Qaeda from going after us again."

Yes , it's clear... All people of a nation is working for killing american... Sure...

It's like Irak. The colonisation time is finished. Why only american death are really important ? This is not what you think ? But it's that your state apply !

Generally, I don't talke about your internal policy because I don't live in America and I can't judge your internal situation.

Thus, generally, I am satisfied to say : "my gods why make a hay for a blowjob at the job?" that's seems me to be the situation of most pleasant :D

But actually not ! Your presidant & other leader form USA think destruction for destruction ( I'm not say all american !!!) .
Slap for slap, bombe for bombe.
My god , your are the most power state . Is it the only possibility to regulate problems ?
Why do a honnor to kill and to crush other ?

Moreover, I'm not agrea with dead judgment & other judgement (the list is soo big )...
Where is the dictatorship ?

So , your leader are idiots and I'm an Belgian objective ...

R_Matou : M. Bush is only the spokesman of an administration. The Bush admin is a complex mix of economics interests ( eg. Carlyle Group) and ultra conservative chritians(eg C. Rice is the daugther of a famous US Preacher)and I grant you their politics is not very ...objective. But which country's politics isn't managed by specific interest (philo or eco). A good example is the attitude of France reagrding the "protection" given during Rwanda's "Turquoise" operation.

But of course it doesn't mean that this is an excuse for all the the number of deaths

I'm not say american are the only idiots in the world.

Whe have all in our contry idiots as leaders ...
But not at the powerfull place generaly ;)

I accept Chirac is an exeption at the rules.
He is an idiots to.

Merci, l'Amérique! Thank you for helping to diffuse the strained Franco-American relations. I had a good smile.
I am glad to see one can separate the politics from the people in the USA too.
Paris, France

hi,
my ultimate answer for you Deets, because I can't manage your education and repair all the hole in it...

In 2000 native from diego garcia , (which is "officialy' british)were allowed by the suprem court (in GB) to come back (??? colony = expropriation)on their territory but the US opposed it...

Marshall Islands : offical money US dollard, offical language english, and marshall language, main economic partner US (with 47% of the imports, japon 3%, Australia 4%)In 1945 the US took the place there, in 1946 first Us nuclear try
You 're a very powerfull guest to be allowed to proceed nuclear try in a "foreign country" !!!

for Hawaii the answer is in your own message "the U.S. minister to Hawaii, proclaimed the country a U.S. protectorate" It sound very democratic !!!
And what about California, Texas, New-mexico ?
Use the word you want but when you rule somewhere where you're not from, it looks like colonization (even economic one)

In jordan palestian =25 % of the ALL population

I trust you for reading other sources I gave several differents by their nationality, interest... Irib is Iranian (very different from DAwn which is pakistani and close from the power; pro-US), Aljazeera is pro Arabic, The independent is quite on the left (the british one)
and asiatimes is "written by asiatic people for asiatics" free speech forbidden in china...
I don't understand how you can say they 're the same. May be if they all agree about one subject it's because the facts are what they are...

I don't give you any advice about the US newspapers, you probably know them better than me...but I read NY times, CNN, Washington post, and sometime (for fun) Foxnews. And also la prensa de Mexico, la prensa libre (honduras, new zealand news, afgha.com,...and others when I have time...

see you olivier

OK, the tag on the bag is very funny.
However some of the comments make sad reading...

Anti-Americanism, esp. among Americans, is not funny. It was not funny under Clinton, it's not funny under Bush.

Anti-Americanism was widespread in the world long before Clinton/Bush. YANKEE GO HOME was one of the best-known slogans of the 20th century.

We Europeans have short memories. America saved Europe twice in the last century, in two world wars. Without America, we would all be speaking German now, or Russian.

Corruption and shady dealing in pursuit of your own country's interests is not confined to American politics. The French could give you lessons. Look at the European Union, look at the United Nations now, with its Oil for Fraud programme.

America is far from perfect, but America is not what's wrong with the world.

Americans, lighten up. Give your country a break.

Jean-Pierre

Jean-Pierre - HOORAH!! Sadly, I think America will have to save Europe again, this time from Islamic conquest. Osama bin Laden understands this, which is why his outline for conquest starts with taking America down, then Britain, then the rest will be easy pickings. With America out of the way, the other nations will not unite to fight a common enemy. They will try to negotiate and follow paths of unilateral "peace" until the star and crescent flag is flying over their capitols.

A war requires two sides to engage. A massacre only requires one.

D BRAUER - I understand your concerns about your children possibly being drafted to kill other human beings. I also think it is a horrible thing to do. However, it is the only way civilization can be preserved. What sets us apart from animals is that we are very good at doing what it takes to make ourselves safe, whether it is building better homes and cars, improving our agriculture, and improving our ability to use weapons against those who threaten us.

We are under attack. Islamists don't want to "talk it out" to come to some amicable cooperative situation. Their purpose is to keep on killing until they establish global Islamic rule, drive Israel into the sea, fly the star and crescent flag over every nation's capitol. This is why they are attacking all over the world - and have been for over a thousand years only to be driven back again and again.

As horrible as killing other humans is, it is also one of the most honorable things that can be done when evil humans disregard others so much that they'll happily kill your children without a second thought. Would you rather the Islamists kill your children or your children kill the Islamists? Do you care enough about your children to encourage them to be bold and protect themselves and their neighbors from those trying to kill them? Or would you rather see them slaughtered like peaceful, noncombative sheep?

Americans in France Against the War

www.aawfrance.net

America is more at risk of terrorism thanks to Bush.

If you believe in democracy, get rid of the clown in power in the White House and restore our reputation as a defender of justice.

No one died when Clinton lied.

Brian HUEBNER
American patriot
defend our Constitution - get rid of BUSH

Americans Against the War
www.aawfrance.net

> America is more at risk of terrorism thanks to Bush.

Prove it. In contrast, I'll reveal that many terrorist attacks against America have been prevented thanks to Bush's global War on Terrorism...

Chicago, L.A. towers were next Al Qaeda terrorist targets - Bush's decisive response to 9/11 disrupted similar planned attacks
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20040330-120655-9785r.htm

Dirty bomb plot on Sears Tower - British discover plan to use deadly chemical in attacks (April 19, 2004)
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38093

Arrest of Terror Suspect Points to Other Threats
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/1/29/123639.shtml

And so on.

> No one died when Clinton lied.

Brian, that is laughable. Clinton lied about WMD at the Sudan medicine factory, people died from his bombing it. Clinton made the case that Saddam had to be eliminated because of his refusal to hand over his WMD programs and bombed the hell out of Iraq, killing Iraqis like crazy. Clinton insisted Iraq must be punished until Saddam cooperated with the disarmament mandates so he vetoed the UN's effort to lift the deadly sanctions that were Saddam's excuse to kill over 5,000 children a month. Nearly half a million dead because Clinton insisted Saddam was not cooperating with the disarmament mandates. If Bush lied about it, so did Clinton. But neither did, as Hans Blix confirmed in Feb 2003, indicating that Saddam had violated Resolution 1441 by not accounting for over 1,000 tons of WMD materials he was known to have when the inspectors were barred in '98.

Yeah, lots of people died and if Bush lied so did Clinton.

Bush has restored our reputation as the defender of Justice. It is too bad Democrats try so hard to tear down our nation's reputation just for political gain against Bush. Truly sick.

An American for America

i am french and sure we can do the same thing for our president as well :)

Why the world is under attack by Islamists...

9:29: Fight hose who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and
His Messenger, nor acknowledge he religion of Truth (Islam), even if they are of the People of the Book, until they pay the
Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued

Green Giant,

You're obviously an intelligent guy; why are some of your views so blind?

Could you please define 'Islamist' for me.

In response to "9:29: Fight hose who believe..."
Look in the Old Testament, I'm sure you'll see something similar.

And no, I aint gonna fight no hose!

A lot of religions want their supporters to fight the 'infidels'. Islamitic and christian as well. In the name of God people have made lots of war ena lots of people died.
If you, Green Giant, think that islam is a synonime for terrorist, open your eyes and have a look, for instance howmany people died in Northern Ireland. No islam involved.
Saoudi Arabians managed to do what Americans never succeeded: a country without alcohol.
The basics and basis of maths and physics were developed by Arabian scientists in a time when European peasants were fighting and struggling and America was populated by very respectfull natives.
Show some respect for other people, get out of your states and see that not the whole wide world is stupid because they don't live 'the American way'. You'll notice that what makes the world an interesting place to be, is the difference in cultures and habits.
Oh, and pleasetell your 'respected' mr Bush he is not a world-citizen if he rejects all agreements the USA had made (your starwars plan) or should make if you were a real leading country (Kyoto. Ever heard of that?)

STEPHEN O'BRIEN

> Could you please define 'Islamist' for me.

According to common usage and dictionary.com, it is: An Islamic revivalist movement, often characterized by moral conservatism, literalism, and the attempt to implement Islamic values in all spheres of life.
"All spheres of life" means imposing Islamic rule over others by force if necessary according to the process of Jihad.

Understanding Jihad
http://members.tripod.com/iaislam/UJ.htm

The difference between Islam and other religions is that Islam is the only religion with its advocates globally using violence to force conversion or subjugation on others.

BERNARD

> In the name of God people have made lots of war ena lots of people died.

We're looking at the modern world and what is happening today. Christianity had a horrible record in the past but has reformed. Islam is unique in the modern world for its process of Jihad, the last step of which is the forced conversion or subjugation to Islam. Unlike other major religions, Islam cannot seem to reform into a "religion of peace".

> If you, Green Giant, think that islam is a synonime for terrorist

Not what I'm saying. However, can you name the religion that produces and motivates 98% of today's terrorists? As to Northern Ireland, if the IRA was setting off bombs all over the world to force people to submit to Catholic rule, establishing Catholic nations, imposing severe penalties or death on non-Catholics in their conquered turf, it might have been more like what Islamists are up to today.

I agree that Mr. Bush is not a "world-citizen", and neither is any other national leader. Too many nations want "world policy" to suck America dry. Mr. Bush's JOB DESCRIPTION is to look out for US interests, not the interests of, say Libya. Or Egypt. Or France. France was doing quite well looking out for itself, taking bribes from Saddam. Same for other "world-citizens". Bush had good reason to reject Kyoto as did many other nations.

The following countries have NOT ratified the Kyoto treaty
Australia, Croatia, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Lichstenstein, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Niger, Philippines, Russian Federation, saint Lucia, USA, and St. Vincent.

Let the "world-citizens" be warned - Mr. Bush doesn't play along with these shenanigans!

Oil Is Not Well - Kofi Annan can run, but he can't Hyde.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pdupont/?id=110004968

Scandal With No Friends - Oil for Food scandal is cover-up of the century
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/19/opinion/19SAFI.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1082485761-+TEoY68LDK5Zu4OyRybnCQ

Saddam Supporters Received Lucrative Oil Contracts
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/Investigation/saddam_oil_vouchers_040129-2.html

OIL FOR PALACES - UN helped Saddam steal billions from Iraqi people, lining its own pockets
http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/17955.htm

Oil for Food Is Just One of Many Scandals at U.N.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/3/30/94213.shtml

Olivier,
>In 2000 native from diego garcia , (which is "officialy' british)were allowed by the suprem court (in GB) to come back (??? colony = expropriation)on their territory but the US opposed it...

In 2000, a British court ruled that the order to evacuate Diego Garcia's inhabitants was invalid, but the court also upheld the island's military status, which permits only personnel authorized by the military to inhabit the island. The Ilois (native people) sued the British government for compensation and the right to repatriation, but in Oct. 2003 a British judge ruled that although the Ilois had been treated "shamefully" by the government, their claims were unfounded.

>Marshall Islands : offical money US dollard, offical language english, and marshall language, main economic partner US (with 47% of the imports, japon 3%, Australia 4%)In 1945 the US took the place there, in 1946 first Us nuclear try
You 're a very powerfull guest to be allowed to proceed nuclear try in a "foreign country" !!!

You said it yourself, a very powerful GUEST. Read up on the islands.

>for Hawaii the answer is in your own message "the U.S. minister to Hawaii, proclaimed the country a U.S. protectorate" It sound very democratic !!!

You left out several important facts. This was done after a revolt on the island by the people who lived there. True, it was mostly due to financial reasons, but the natives and the Americans both were party to it. It then became a republic, not part of the US.

>And what about California, Texas, New-mexico ?

What about these? These were all lands taken from the French, Mexicans and Spain. Once again you missed the ones who colonized these places. Look to France and Spain for that. Texas broke away from Mexico on its own. Once it received independence, it was a republic for 10 years. Due to financial reasons the government decided to join the US. A deal was worked out exchanging land for debt relief.

>Use the word you want but when you rule somewhere where you're not from, it looks like colonization (even economic one)

My point here is that just because it “looks like” colonization does not mean that it is.

>In jordan palestian =25 % of the ALL population

Yes, in 10 (maybe 12) refugee camps. If they are so tolerant why are they still living in camps that were setup in the 1950’s and 1960’s?

"Let the "world-citizens" be warned - Mr. Bush doesn't play along with these shenanigans!"

Really?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-04-16-bush-blair_x.htm

RAPHAEL, do you have a problem with this? It is nothing like UN members, including Anan, taking bribes from Saddam. Instead, this is the normal process by which emerging governments gain international legitimacy. Bush eliminated the shenanigans, now the world can get back on track in bringing Iraq into the international community.

"U.N. will have a central role, as now, in developing the program and machinery for political transition to full Iraqi democracy," said Blair, adding that the two leaders would seek a new Security Council resolution to put the weight of the world body behind the shift.

Doesn't anyone think the photo above is a hoax? My guess is that someone created it with Photoshop.

The real joke is that one photo like this can induce hundreds of people to spout off intemperate opinions.

If it's a hoax, it's well done. I find it interesting to see which way the posters here interpreted it based on their individual biases. Some were open minded enough to consider that it may have been a Frenchman apologizing...

hi,

"frenchman apologizing" for what ? to answer rudely to a non educated, and ignorant powerfull guy, to be aware of geopolitic (and particulary aware about the arabic world), to disagree with you, to work for world stability ... make your choice
All the "ally" you involve in your war have been cheated (CIA was supposed to have proofs, and Powell appears like a clown on the international scene now), and i 'm not sure it's good for you in a middle term vue.
I love one chineese proverb "Seat on the riverside and you will see the body of your enemy pass". you should have done this, the Tiger has very confortable riversides...

Bush show us it's easy to fight a rogue state (with your technology), but he also demonstrates his incompetence to fight terrorism; Bin Ladin is still running, and Al Quaeda is getting more and more healthy and numerous. He should have concentrated your forces (army, technology,...) on one objective the terrorists. But it's less spectacular...

for Irak, we should have continued the containement technic, it worked for USSR so why not for Irak ?

olivier

Bizzar, if not thought invoking page. I'm English and I'm ashamed of my Prime Minister. He's turned himself into George Bush's butt monkey. First and foremost America's goverment sucks..as do a majority of westernised goverments..Explain the logic..
I'll sell your country lots and lots of weapons. Then I'll claim the person buying them is evil and must be over thrown..probably because he's sat on a big stash of oil.
A Few facts hopefully a lot of you "Americans for America" are aware of.
1) America put the Taliban in power.
2) Amreica put Saddam in Power.
3) The Majority did NOT back a war on Iraq
4) Religion is the root of evil..Only Man would take a religion and kill in a Gods name..Ergo is all evil.

America claims to be a World Leader yet constantly looks after its own intrests. Fuck America. We all have to live on the same planet you obnoxious buch of pricks.

Hmm, I agree with The Maddog.
We can make the list longer and longer, how the US 'helped' other countries for its own interest (Chile to name one), how the US sees itself as the world leader while constantly only thinking about it's own interest, how the US has 'freedom of speech' while people with left-wing ideas are accused of having 'non-american feelings', how the US is a free country in which someone telling 'I'm gay' makes the whole audience cheer for his courage, how the US is a melting pot of cultures in which the blacks are punished more severe than the whites, how the US is a humane country yet is one of the few modern western countries where the death penalty is carried out (and how many times the wrong suspect?), how the US says everybody must have the freedom to carry a weapon while you've got the most serial killers in the world (relative to the number of inhabitants!). And on and on.
All while God is blessing America.

Oh, I forget.
Please don't say you won the cold war.
Once upon a time in the old Sovjet Union there was this kind and wise man named Michael Gorbachov. He deserves the honour of ending the cold war.

Hello all
I am French and very happy to see that so many Americans are having a so nice sense of humor.
Thank you !!!
But I have a doubt.... Who is the target ?
Be sure this can also apply to our President ...

BIG UP TO Y'ALL AMERICAN LIBERALS. Keep posting. Us farners need some encouragement. Thought we'd lost you there for a while. Kerry 2004 all the way. Word to the neighbor

YOU'RE LOSING ALL YOUR FRIENDS AMERICA! Time to help out other people around you. Not all farners are turrsts. Tell your mother's friends

Well, if it's not a hoax it seems like it's either a message from France to US or from US to France. If we just take logic into it and not bother about which countrys president is an idiot we get the following:

If French people would write a message to US people on a label with text in English and French, would they use English or French? Of course English since most US citizens don't speak French.

If US people would write a message to French people on a label with text in English and French, would they use English or French? It would seem likely to use French as English is understood by part of the French population while French is understood by practically all.

Logic simply says that you use a language for communication that the target for the communication will be likely to understand. And it seems like most people here also assumes that it's a message from within the US to France, perhaps not because of a logic reasoning but more from a personal feeling that the US president is a bigger idiot than the French.

The reasoning presupposes that it's not a hoax, but I'm not ruling that one out. Pretty fun anyhow :-)

Lighten up people! It's just a freaking joke!

That about says it all.

France Sucks.

HEY THE MADDOG,

We don't care about you or the rest of the world. We're tired of defending everyone by sending our troops and our money when we can easily find more practical uses here domestically. I say we shut our borders and close our checkbook to everyone who does not have a valid SSN. Then we'll see how much the world complains about the USA. Bunch of greedy bastards you all are. You're cry when we don't come to your aid, and then we do, you cry that we are exerting ourselves over your area. You can't have it both ways. So we'll make the decision easy for you. You ain't getting jack squat from us any more.

Proud to be an American, and that's all.

"France Sucks" is having delusions of grandeur here.

"You ain't getting jack squat from us any more." Hahaha. Is that an executive decision then, you fat lazy bastard? Thanks for drawing the line, you stupid shit. Hahaha. Amurca is the one doin the beggin now boy, coz their boys gettin torn up down there in I-raq. Why do you think Cheney's on the Asia tour and Powell hit the phones. Coz you need help boy. Them dumasses at the White Hoes not bright nuff to plan the war, before they go shinning bright lights and making things go BOOOM.

"Amurca is the one doin the beggin now boy, coz their boys gettin torn up down there in I-raq".
Just the the Nazi's got tore up in France in 1940.

OLIVIER

> "frenchman apologizing" for what ?

For having a President who was helping Saddam bribe the international community, kill thousands of innocent children every month, avoid the consequences of refusing to obey the disarmament mandates. Yeah, the French should be mightily ashamed of the guy.

Bush has shown tremendous competence in fighting terrorism. He has gotten nations all over the world to join the fight and great progress has been made. Most of Al Qaeda's leadership have been caught or killed. Al Qaeda cells around the world are being captured or killed, preventing attacks. It is now a war instead of allowing them to massacre innocents without consequences. Tell me, just because in 1944 Adolf Hitler was still alive, would you have claimed that the Allies showed great incompetence in fighting Nazis? It's just as foolish as your claim about Osama being alive.

> for Irak, we should have continued the containement technic

We? The US was left to bear the cost and risks of containment, getting shot at by Saddam's forces regularly. Meanwhile, the French, Russians and others were taking Saddam's bribes. We now have a President who is not stupid enough to be taken advantage of like the last guy.

I am disgusted with people who say we should have continued killing over 5,000 innocent Iraqis a month, year after year. Nearly half a million dead. Didn't the Nazis teach you guys anything about caring for humanity?

Take a look at the manufacturer's site knee-jerkers. It has nothing to do with Iraq or France or G.W.

http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/TB1112

'Though originally intended as a poke-in-the-ribs at Tom Bihn himself, everyone seems to have a "president" that they think is an idiot. Take your pick: Jacques Chirac, Bill Clinton, George Bush.'

I can't believe you people believe this. Its a hoax!!

It's still funny. And inspired quite a lively debate. :-)

A note from the folks in question:

While our best guess here at Tom Bihn is that this was a prank meant to poke fun at the company's founder and president, Tom Bihn himself, many have assumed that this is about another president. Regardless of what the intention was, much publicity has come of it, and many people have requested and purchased bags made with this label.

So, now, not only can you have this label inside your bag, but you can also wear it proudly on your chest. And you can feel good about it because all the profits from sales of this shirt will be donated to the Seattle Vet Center to benefit their Homeless Vet Program."

If anything it's brilliant marketing.

For all of you that say it is a hoax and that it isn't funny. Learn to laugh it is freakin hilarious and I completely agree with it which probably makes it ten times better for me. But the ones who are pissed about it lighten up.

James Stephenson:

" The definition of Retardation is to keep doing the same thing and expect different results."

Your quote is incorrect...that's actually a definition of insanity. Another definition of insanity can be found by looking at the current administration's actions.

Hey "France Sucks"

Feel free. Dont let the international door hit you on the way out. Come back when you can act like grown ups. Anyway..With a name like France Sucks just shows what a Idiot You really are..One of Americas greatest symbols (Statue of Liberty) is french. French Fries (oopps Freedom Fries) come from Belgium but you where sooo close. France has more history, art and culture than America could ever dream of.
France is still inhabited by idiots though..But I can say that. I've been there (and live next door) and they burnt my sheep.

Hey 'france sucks'.
Got a point there. Just close the dore and ignore the rest of the world. Haha.
You're not that rich any more, though you all live like rich guys.
Your economy is bad, tech industries are owned by Japan or others foreign countries.
Close the door and realize you're poor. No real education, no culture, no style, nothing.
Pity for you, when you close the door: only Disneyland left for you Americans. But I suppose you're happy with it.
You know, I'm almost beginning to think Jerry Springer paints a realistic portret of USA. Never forget this KKK man who could only shout 'white power' because he was too dumb to put three words in a sentence.

YOU COMMUNISTERFAGOLEOS WHO DO NOT LOVE THE BUSH KING ARE SATAN HOMO JEWS, AND MOST OF YOU ARE NIGGER LOVERS WHO HATE AMERICA AND YOU WILL BURN IN SATAN'S CROTCH FOR BEING THE HATE-BAIT-BLUE-PLATE SPECIAL OF HELL! WE HAVE A WHITE CHRISTIAN PRESIDENT WHO IS GUIDED BY GOD, AND THAT MEANS HE IS HOLY, AND YOU ARE DIRT AND SHIT AND SCUM AND POTTY RESIDUE FOR ME TO SHUN AND MOCK AND SHUN!

I AM SHUNNING YOU!

*SHUN*!

*SHUN*!

SHUNSHUNSHUNSHUN - *SUPER* - SHUN!

HA! HA HA! YOU DONE BEEN SHUNNED RIGHT UP TO YOUR SNURKY LITTLE EYEBALLERS, YOU PANSYFROOTING NANCYPANTS ELITE SMARTYHEAD BITCHERS! JUST BECAUSE YOU MADE A'S AND B'S, YOU THINK YOU CAN BE IN CHARGE, BUT NOW IS THE TIME WHEN THE NOT-SMART-NORMAL-MEN-WHO-ARE-NOT-ELITE TO TRYUMF AND WIN AND WIN AND WIN AND NOT HAVE TO FEEL DUMB CUZ WE CAN SLAP YOU AND SAY WE ARE THE RULERS AND KINGS AND YOU WILL BE OUR SERFS AND SLAVES AND HOUSE MONKEY NIGGERS. I GESS YOAR NOT SO DAM SMART *NOW*, HUH! AND VIAGRA, SO THAT ISN'T YOU WI9NNING ANY MORE EITHER! FAGS! NIGGERFAGS! NIGGERFAGHOMOBUTTSEXORS! HA! HA HA! HA HA HA! GEORGE BUSH FOREVER! GOERGE BUSH FOR HERO AND KING AND QUEEN! GOERGE BUSH IS THE ONE WHO IS THE ONE, AND YOU MUST DO AS YOU ARE TOLD AND CRY LIKE BIG FAT NIGGERFAGHOMOJUDYJEWS, YEAH, HA HA, HA!

... on the other hand, if they really stepped up methamphetamine interdiction, most of those guys would be in prison by November...

KJFGSL

Nah, that definition applies to the last Administration. Year after year of murderous sanctions, leaving US troops over there to "contain" Saddam and get shot at every month, watching the French and Russians take Saddam's bribes to keep him in power... and maybe BJ Clinton expected something to change? LOL!!

Bush (and Gore) campaigned on the promise to do something about the mess. As we have seen, when the guy says something he means it, even if he's not the most eloquent.

We continue to show the world we're a bunch of pathetic selfish loosers. Imoral selfish losers.
Not enough Pat Tillman's in left in the U.S. just
a bunch of Socialist Rats!

Seems kind of silly that we have to be either liberal, conservative, Democrat, or Republican. Personally, my views are in between but lean a little left. However, Bush is the most dangerous President we've ever had, and gives Republicans a bad name. He gives America a bad name. I'm not a conservative-hater or a Republican-basher, but Bush has got to go. It'll already take a generation to repair the damage he's done to our civil liberties and the country's coffers - if he's re-elected the damage may be irreversible. I love my country but it is in dire need of a regime change. Thanks, Sally

Patrioterer, that was the funniest shit I've seen in ages.

The rest of you, stop it with this "France taking bribes" stuff, even if it was true (its not), its still completely different than ongoing mass murder.

The deadlines in Iraq for resumption of oil contracts was about to be up, and French companies legally negotiated a series of oil deals. The war then destroyed all legal order in Iraq, as well as everything else except 35 million Iraqis who want to kill you now.

Instead of paying for more war, give the money directly to Iraq so that maybe they can like us somehow.

http://www.democrats.org/mistakesweremade/index.html

Funny,
yes, but
I haven't decided if it was ha-ha funny or hmmm? funny.

There's FLEWRIDES in th' wutter, makes things all WRONG in a person's ectoplasmers and shit.

Well, that's wut it sez in the fuckin' BIBLE.
More or less.

WUTTER YOU BASTRONS LOOKIN' AT?

I'LL SLAP THE EVIL CLOWN GRINS RIGHT OFF ALLA YER BLANK ROBOT FACES, YOU NEOCON ASS-HAMPSTERS!

Humans are stoopid. That's why it's legal to kill them.

and now, a rant from the far middle:

What, you people are still here? Gwan, party's over, go home.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=|

The problem is that sensible people don't appreciate napalm until they either see it, or feel it. Seeing on TV or in photos is better, because they can figure it out without actually having to get charred or view the charred remains of a loved one.

ZOTZ! inspiration strikes... go to the fake celebrity binaries groups, and request the Bush girls... not humpin' poodles like a "normal" neocon fembot, but in combat situations. Wonder if the well-shaved chimp can make his BRANE parse THAT.

Need some " ...OF IRAQ!" bumper stickers. Y'know, add-ons:

BUSH FOR PRESIDENT ...OF IRAQ!

And now, for those in the cheap seats suffering rectacranial inversion, autofelchers syndrome, dickslexia, NOT TH' E-LEETER SMARTYNESS HAVER PIE, and/or Fox News Viewers Cognative Dissonance Dissasociation Disorder, here's a simple recap.

(dear fukhedz: you have a tiny penis that does not work so you are very angry and fussy. Get over it. Nobody cares. Nothing will help, and you will be sad a lot, and have a sad life, and die sad. That's sad for you, but nobody else cares. you can cry and cry and say that other people hate america when you know they really just hate you. you are pathetic. why the fuck didn't anyone ever teach you to die QUIETLY? and, you suck each other through the buttholes of dead poodles. dead FRENCH poodles. for fun. because you like it. i hate you. you stinky manbitches.)

Y'know, just in case you were confused or anything, I mean, OBVIOUSLY yer fuckin' loopier'n the proverbial shithouse rat, you follow a dazed shrubbery without so much as a flicker of flame, and call him THE CHRISTIAN PRESIDENT. How sane could you be? BOMB THEM IRAQI BABIES! SHOCK AND AW, HOW CUTE, DEAD IRAQI BABIES! DEATH IS THE ULTIMATE LIBERATION! DEATH EQUALS FREEDOM! KALIIIII!!!!

woah... Bush is a Thugee???

Now, we know Bin Laden isn't really a Moslem, he's a follower of Chemosh. What if this is an ancient rivalry between the Children of Chemosh, and the Thugee? What if this war was REALLY all about the Glory of Kali?

Now, THAT, I could almost excuse!

Anyway, I know you hogfuckers are insane, but I didn't want to add to your confusion, so I SPLAINIFIED it all for you! Yer welcome, bitchmonkies.

The tag was a joke, lighten up people. The day when we lose the ability to laugh at ourselves will be a sad day. For those that are upset by this, perhaps it just hit a raw nerve.

As far as calling the president an idiot and showing "disrespect" for the office of the presidency....

I think the president has done that all by himself. Many presidents (from BOTH parties) have done some pretty disrespectful things. Bringing on themselves to be called names like: Idiot, horny imature bastard, liar, thief, murderer... the list goes on.

The president IS an idiot, and that is probably the LEAST of his faults.

A bit funny. But I if people in the U.S. want the rest of the world to think that they are any thing elese than a gang of egoistic idiots (with a cuple of exeptions of course) They really need to try harder.

Revolution!

Haven't had so much fun on a forum in long time.
Maybe we can get a new thread? This one is getting long ...
Down Bush !!
:D

MAX WROTE:

Since Stephen O'Brien criticized the English usage of a non-native speaker, let's be fair and criticize Stephen's English usage. I'll put his comments in square brackets, since more apostrophes would be confusing.

[So "He serves" not "he serve".]
Stephen, this is a sentence fragment. Please rewrite it as a complete sentence.

[Its hard to make out what you mean...]
Stephen, you forgot the apostrophe in [its]! Remember that [its] is a possessive form [belonging to it] and that you should have used [it's = it is] instead. I'm sad to discover that your education system didn't teach you this.

[On two occasions, you put a space on either side of an exclamation mark(!).]
Stephen, why did you forget to put a space between a word and a parenthesis? Next time, please write [exclamation mark (!)] and remember the space. Interestingly, in French writing, one puts a space before punctuation, so maybe you could have been forgiving - but you weren't and therefore I won't be forgiving with you.

[Whoa, thats quite a list y'all!]
Sigh... Stephen, there are two "errors" in this sentence of yours. You made that apostrophe mistake again: [that's] not [thats]. Secondly, you should put a comma between [list] and [y'all]. If you don't know why, then there are grammar books out there for you to read.

I'll stop there. Personally, I dislike criticism of someone's argument based on their spelling and grammar - especially when that person isn't a native speaker of English. Shame on you, Stephen. If you're going to be so prescriptive, then you should at least refrain from making errors yourself. How's your grammar in non-English languages, by the way?

_________________________

Well Max, first of all; great response! I wasn't really being serious in that post though - but it is annoying when the standard of the thread drops to "President Bush rox..." etc.

One thing though, I think he/she is a native speaker of English ("... he serve OUR country well"...)

Once again, fabulous comeback to my blatantly ignorant post!

MARTHA STEWART WAS PROSECUTED BECAUSE SHE WOULD NOT BREED WITH COLON POWLUP. WHEN QUEEN BUSH SAYS TO MATE WITH THE HOUSE NERGO, LOYAL AMERICANS DROP TROU AND RUT LIKE DRUGGED MINKS! IF SHE DID AS ORDERED WE'D HAVE AN ARMY OF THE VERY FINEST PICKANINNIES ON THE PLANET. THEY'D BE BIG AND STRONG AND NOT TOO BRIGHT, EXCELL AT HOMECRAFTS AND COOKING, AND HAVE AN INNATE SENSE OF COLOR AND FORM. MARTHA STEWART IS A TRAITOR TO THE GLORIOUS RIGHT! ALL LOYAL HALIBURTONIANS WILL SEEK BUSH IN ALL THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT AND GOOD, AND WILL HAIL HIM. SEEK BUSH! HAIL BUSH! SEEK BUSH! HAIL BUSH! SEEK, HAIL! SEEK, HAIL! AND NOW YOU'RE DOIN' THE HOKEY-POKEY, YEAH MAN, HA-CHA-CHA-CHA!

Dear Culture Warriors;

Any of you freaks get anywhere near me, I'll cut your fingers off and sew them in a circle around your useless warty little dicks. You creeps aren't ready for what I can do to you. Any questions?

Your Pal,

Culture

"bush is awesome. he is the best president this country can even imagine right now. if you don't agree, go ahead and vote for kerry. watch terrorist destroy this country, watch our taxes sky rocket, watch everyone around you be destroyed. as for as bush...he's been doing great. he's doing tax cuts, we went to war which is great because USA has not been terrorized since 9/11 and if you blame bush you are stupid because clinton could have captured bin laden when he was in office but clinton blew it off so blame clinton and if you don't believe me do some fucking research, also...bush has created over 150,000 jobs since he's been in office. and thats fucking amazing. so why are people saying shit about bush. yeah, he's making EXTREME tax cuts for the rich...but you know what...the more money they have...the more money they SPEND...the more money they SPEND...the more MONEY businesses get. and if you disagree with that...you are also dumb. yes, bush says some dumb stuff..but overall..he's been doing a good job. we are all still alive and doing okay. his team is doing a wonderful job so fuck you in the asshole and i hope you pull the cock out your ass and lick the shit off the dick motherfuckers. fuck you democrats."

JERRY IS NOT STOOPIDER THAN NOT, BECAUSE HE IS NOT ELEET AND SMARTYHEADER STUFF. FACTS ARE STUPID THINGS, AND THAT'S WHAT SO SHUT UP AND BE FOR BUSH AND NOT THINKY ALL THE DAMN TIME IN AMERCA! YOU DAMN DEMOCRATERS HATE EVERY SO MANY IT HURTS IN HIS SPLEEN AND MAKES HIM PEE A BAD WAY, AND HATE YOU SOME TIME FOR ALL YOU BLOWJOBS LIKE CLINTON AND KICK YOU IN YOR PEE-PEE! AAARRRGH! YEAH! YEAH! BUSH BUSH SUPERBUSH! WOO WOO!

Does the product get recalled if Bush loses the election?

> Does the product get recalled if Bush loses the election?

Let's hope not. The tax cuts have reinvigorated the economy, Al Qaeda is taking a beating, the Iraq Liberation Act is getting fulfilled, the UN is taken to task for its corruption, the Navy has stopped bombing at Vieques, Iran and Libya are opening up to nuclear inspections now too, the troops have been pulled out of Saudi (depriving Osama of his excuse to attack us), corporate criminals are being systematically exposed and prosecuted for the first time in a decade, we are finally fighting back against the enemy that has attacked us unchallenged for a decade, airline pilots are getting rearmed after decades of being disarmed and vulnerable, we've got Presidential support for viable alternative energy such as BioDiesel, hydrogen fuel cells and wind farms...

I wonder how much of this product would be recalled if Kerry got in?

I think just as much as Bush recalled treatments from the presidents before him.

And as far as being threatened. You don't know how it is to be threatened. You haven't had war in your own country for an 200 something years.
You think it's heroic, fight for your country etc.
If you had remembrance how war really is, you would fight for the life of your children.

> If you had remembrance how war really is, you would fight for the life of your children.

It is because we remember what war really is that we are willing to fight. Those who look out only for their own "safety" have made enormous mistakes in past years. It is because of them that Adolf Hitler was able to walk all over Europe. Only by sacrificing our children, to rescue our European allies, were we able to put an end to that.

If the European nations at that time had worried less about their short-term "safety" and had ganged up to fight Hitler together as soon as he became a problem, America probably would not have had to get involved at all.

We have been attacked by the same enemy that is attacking all over the world now. We share in the danger your nations face. The danger is especially great to us because Osama bin Laden's declaration of war indicated that America must be destroyed first so that the other nations will be undefended. He is wise and dangerous. We must fight them together or we will be defeated separately!

I hate to say it ;) but:
For one time I agree, about this Hitler thing and about these terrorists.
But ... when talking about WW2 please consider a lot of Canadiens, English en French (yes!) were figting together with you. Big parts of NL were freed by Canadiens, elder people still respect Canadiens very much for that. (Younger people think that USA alone freed the whole of Europe)
IMHO the biggeste difference is, these countries including USA were freeing people. Nowadays lots of people are convinced it has few to do with 'free people' and lots with 'taking care of our own interest'.
If Bush had the politness and charism of Clinton, it would be different. Now we see him as a spoiled child.
You should not have killed Kennedy. He had it all ...

I read every post on here and as i started i thought it was goin to be a bunch of bush hating morons stating no facts based in truth and unbased criticisms, sarcasms, and uninformed opinions. For most of you that is what it was, then i got to the posts of Green Giant.....all you pig headed liberals and others who hate bush and are blinded by that hate why don't you read some of his posts. He actually can go thru a whole post without cussing or stating moronic opinions of his own...why should he, he was smart enough to do research on every point you guys would bring up and then commence to blow you away. And what do you guys reply to him....hmmm. nothing really new just the same old BS about bush being stupid or bush being a murderer, and how bout that Powell guy. All you Clinton lovers couldn't get enough of him and everyone wanted for him to run for president and that he was a great black man, now you degrade his intelligence and say that he is some white house "boy" for Queen bush to tell what to do. Patrioterer it's statements like yours that make no sense and really just prove that people like you should have no right to even...well....talk out loud (or post for that matter). You love your conspiracy theories and your fantastic ideas about the Bush Administration and how they are killing innocent civilians and bombing houses in Iraq for the fun of it i really challenge you to come up with anything real and documented to support your claims. Kusinich or whatever his name is feels it's ok to say bush is ordering snipers to shoot civilians in Iraq, and its from statements like these from your "leaders" and that is generous to call them that, it's their statements that you base your opinions on. Do some actual research and you'll find the news that isn't getting reported in the mainstream media. Hmmm i wonder why you don't see on tv other than fox the 9/11 families that support bush and everything that is goin on, and if you had any common sense you would see it for what it is...extreme Bias. Again the problem with all of my statements and Green Giants posts for you guys is that you have to be a rational, sane, and intelligent person who actually will look at the FACTS before spewing out rash and unqualified opinions.

All this converstation was started over a tag that wasn't even about Bush. Look at Put it to Rests post, it's not about bush but it's funny to see how quick you Bush haters are to jump on anything that makes you think that your opinion is the norm in America, but if you want to stay in your little Kerry loving, Bush hating, irrational world then by all means. However, when people Like Patrioterer get to have a say in America thats when i say that America is goin to hell in a hand basket. People that don't understand what our country was founded on, people that don't understand the cost of freedom in all of its forms, people that don't understand how a debate is really supposed to be done. Debates aren't ignorant opinions criticising the other PERSON, come with your facts i will come with mine have a reasonable debate and if you disagree then shake hands and agree to disagree. You can't do that, and if you had some fact or evidence then come with it. These conversations will go no where, liberals and most demmocrats will believe what they will and no amount of truth or facts will sway them. So post some more commments and remarks, yell at me and others like me so you can feel vindicated then crawl back into your hole and hate Bush, America, and everything else that doesn't see things the way you do.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I loved the tag, I've wanted the shirt for ages.
I have no political agenda. I don't like bush for personal reasons.
I don't support any of the canidates in the next election. I think i'll just fill in my own name when the time comes. Maybe we should just use a lottery system for the job but reduce the term to just two years.
I'm a heinz 57 (pure bred mutt). I have a decent education and speak 9 languages(4 european, 3 historic classics, 1 asian and good ol' english-the worlds most misbegotten hash of verbal torture from several different cultures).
I don't like the war. I don't like the reasons. I don't support "the just because I'm american, I'm the best " elementary school bullying.
I reside in america. I am not american- I AM HUMAN and so are all of you(I hope).
I think we need to grow up. Blessings to you and yours.

Didn't 'vote for him' would seem to only mean a president who could be voted for - not a ceo of a corporation - still it is funny - would love to have a few to wear around - maybe forums of this kind will effect the thinking of those who actually do think. Our founders were well aware of history and political reality - the first amandment is our only defense against the propaganda we are so drowned in by this corrupt administration.

Je n'ai jamais imaginé qu'un pareil abruti puisse un jour être à la tête d'un pays comme les U.S.A ... c'est d'autant plus triste que l'image des Americains en ai souffert!
Réagissez au plus vite car chaque minute passée agrave le passif politique de ce grand pays! .... Et profitez-en pour remettre Shouarzy derriere une camera et non en scene politique. (si vous saviez à quel point il a une image ridicule et idiote dans le reste du monde il aurait peut-être pas été elu! a moins que les éléctions soient truquées aux USA... au point où vous êtes cela ne m'étonerait pas!

http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/CTGY/CARELABEL

"This all began as an inside joke aimed (we think) at the president of our company, Tom Bihn. Many people have concluded the care label refers to other presidents - what can we say?"

Hmm .. genious. It sounds asif you think well but you have this Common American Problem.
In fact, you are Blinded by your CAP.

America is a Free Country (music with trumpets and lots of horns), you are proud to be American (add even more trumpets) but if one think different (quote) you should have no right to even...well....talk out loud (end quote).

When do you learn that most Un-American sounds are just thoughts from people who think themselves and wonder why things are the way they are.

In Europe, it's quite common to think for yourself and critisize the governement if you feel you need to. Even in Russia (I was there two years ago, working, met a lot of people) is is a common sense nowadays to think for themselves and speak out loud.

That's ab-so-lu-te-ly wonderful!!Ciao from Rome.

Sono spiacente, anche il nostro presidente del consiglio Silvio Berlusconi è un idiota e un farabutto, ma io non ho votato per lui!
I'm sorry that also our prime minister S. B. is an idiot and a rascal, but I didn't vote for him!

Is that sign directed against GW Bush or Jacques Chirac??
I am not so sure....It seems to me that they both compete to become the worst president on our planet!

That's an hard contest 'tween bush,berlusconi and chirac...

LOL.
In New York a 15 year old schoolboy was interrogated by the CIA. During the lessons he made 2 drawings. On of Bush' head on a stick, 1 of Bush as a devil, firing a rocket.
LOL.
The CIA. 15 year old.
Maybe the next tag will be about CIA?

Green Giant = Rush Limbaugh

Never heard of the man. I Googled and found:
http://www.buy-books-online.us/images/rush_limbaugh_idiot.jpg
You mean that man?

I really thank Green Giant for having saved my life 50 years ago when he landed in Normandy. I may be eternally thankful so that I will never express a criticism against his sayings...Hum...You seem to enjoy this part of History don't you? Funny...

I could have been born American, or Iraki. That's why i would never criticize a people for the befaviour of its leaders. That is so narrow-minded. I'm not sure Chirac didn't engage in the war because of his humanitarian feelings. If he had any, we would know it. If he sees a common interest with Bush, he won't hesitate to get involved in bastard affairs. The difference maybe is that he wouldn't be proud of it.

je vois que tous les américains ne sont pas aveugles, puisque vous ne suivez pas votre président comme des moutons.
Vous avez un cerveau, vous vous en servez, il y a donc un fort espoir que tout s'arrange.
Enfin, ne soyez pas catégorique avec nous les francais, nous aussi avons des divergences avec nos gouvernants. Vous parler de l'hypocrisie française, mais chaque individu est différent. une seule constante en france : quand le printemps arrive, tous le monde est en grève.... là je suis pas fier de ceux que font mes concitoyens, enfin différence de culture.

Bonne journée
(sorry for not translated this message, but I'm a little bit lazy today)

Malek, why do you criticize those demonstrating in France?

Olivier, how comes you've travelled so much? Do you belong to an association or something?

That Bush that is not even a shrub will not get this one out of the country!!!! I love it, human nature is so ingenious that it will always find a way to express itself even in the worst case Bush scenario. Are we talking about a religious fanatic? an idiot? an inquisitor? dictator? Advance case of some wierd disease? or just someone who has a loose screw????

Move along people - nothing to see here.

I think I preferred the first half of the postings, or maybe I just got tired in the end . . . Anyway, this "comment" is more directed to the former half:

It must be satisfying to get the expletives off your chests, and I admit I enjoyed reading the insults(; But people tend to get heated and jump to their own, cozy sides in a debate like this, and hurl petty insults at each other. Useful therapy, perhaps, but it only riles the very people you're supposedly trying to convince. For instance, no neo-conservative Repub, on being called "stupid", is going to say, "Oh, I see the light. I am prejudiced and brainwashed, and Bush is a $@%^&" (Like the tricky swears?)

You can't bully or insult somebody else into holding your opinion. It works on a social level in 7th-10th grade, but nowhere else that I've found.
That said, you can't bully Iraqis into submission to a sort of gov't not necessarily suited to their culture or way of life (IMHO)

You don't have to be a liberal or Democrat to dislike Bush. I'm conservative and Christian. My father and grandfather and great-great grandfather were ministers. I'm a PK (Preacher's kid), and "proud of it". But, to put it mildly, I am terribly distressed at what Bush is doing to our country...what all our Presidents have done to our country! We are now at war with Iraq - a war I'm violently opposed to. George Washington, in his farewell address, warned us about becoming embroiled in other nations' affairs. Haha, fat lot of good that speech, eh what?

Several people in the above dialogues asked the rhetorical, idealistic question, "Why would any President . . . lie to the American people?" and again, "No President would ever lie to the American people" Coming it a bit too naive, perhaps? It's a familiar question; I remember at age 7 asking my mother, "But why would people want to kill each other?"

Why indeed. But they DO, and that is the main point.

There is a little word "Power" which some people seem to have forgotten. A President only has 4 years, maybe 8, to play around with his fun little country. Name me one major President since 1850 who hasn't blatantly lied to the American Public, and I will refute your claim. It would be silly of you to attempt to find one who hasn't, though; you can't prove a negative.

Now, plenty of people will dismiss Presidential/Candidatial (that isn't a word, I know) lies and blunders as unimportant. Heck, the President is only human, and he's bound to make some mistakes. It's not like he's infallible, or anything.

Exactly so. He isn't infallible. He IS just human. That's why I don't trust him around nuclear warheads.

BTW, It was really nice to hear from all the French and Swedes, etc. I don't speak Swedish, and only un peu French, though I know Latin and Spanish and Old English well enough, but I do wish Americans would take the initiative and learn languages other than their own. Whether or not they realise it, Americans come across as very arrogant when they expect someone else to know their language, without at the same time reciprocating that knowledge. When you learn other languages, you (usually) get an appreciation of someone else's culture - which many Americans are missing. Whenever I travel out of country, I notice that the loudest voices among the tourists are always American, and they tend to use the "shout" method to communicate with natives: "YOU - KNOW - WHERE - ME - CAN - GET - BATHROOM?!!!"

The whole attitude "I deserve the best, b/c I AM the best" is very unattractive and immature. I often feel ashamed for fellow Americans when they tout this outlook on life and about their country. It's a big problem w/ Americans, and I think we're all especially prone to it, like some hereditary disease. I find myself falling into it, even when I'm criticising it.

Americans who criticise the Bush administration and the war in Iraq are denounced as anti-American, but what is "American"? Does "American" mean somebody who supports Bush, or is an American someone who supports America?

I could cite many examples of what I'm getting at, but here are just a few:
If you have a good friend who's an alcoholic, do you support them by buying them beer?
If your beloved child steals from another child, do you support your child by condoning this behaviour?
If you see a thief knock over an old lady and steal her purse, do you aid society by remaining silent?

In other words, if your government is doing anything you hold to be spiritually, morally, or ethically wrong, do you support your COUNTRY by pretending it isn't doing it?

But maybe you have no problem with anything that has to do with the US in Iraq, or the US foreign policy, or the Gov't spying on its own people, or the fact the President declared war instead of Congress - I could go on. In that case, I would argue that you are actually anti-American, b/c you obviously haven't read the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights, or any founding documents, or studied the founding fathers. And so maybe you'd like to belong to a police State where the good old Land of the Free used to be, but if so, you don't qualify as truly American in my book.

I could elaborate further on all the above points, so sorry if they're a wee garbled, but I've already blabbed far too long.

Hey, what about our young men in Iraq? Support our troops, and send them home.

Wise words, Alisha

Don't blame france. according to the Tombhin site ( http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/CTGY/CARELABEL for the full story ), the French is on the labels because the bags are also distributed in Canada. Canada has a reasonably large french population (mostly in the east, but there are also pockets in the west), and our laws require bilingual labels on just about everything sold here.

It was also a Canadian Press Attache who ended up in the presidential dogouse when someone overheard her saying "Oh, what a moron!" in response to a story about Bush's latest escapade. It didn't help much when Jean Cretien (our prime minister at the time) didn't see fit to punnish her for (IMHO) speaking honestly.

As for the bags being foreign made, the page indicates that *only* the bags made in Port Angeles WA carry the labels

The company's official story is that the tags were a reference to the _company_ president (not someone else who shall remain unnamed) but they have, nonetheless, resulted in heavy sales.

Yours was the best post so far, Ayisha.

George Bush believes in God? Which God, Real Phil? The God of Corporate Greed? Because the Christian God I know wouldn’t give huge tax breaks to the extremely wealthy, much less substantial ones to the middle class, and virtually nothing to the poor. It’s my understanding that Jesus Christ would have done the exact opposite. I really don’t know how the political right also became the religious right when they seem to have no concept of what Christian precepts really mean. Among the righteous right-wingers, there is no turning the other cheek, acknowledging that the meek shall inherit the earth, or living by the golden rule and treating everybody well. Instead, there is hatred of anyone who is not like them and greed and war-mongering and lies to get whatever it is they want. How un-Christian is that?!?!

Wow! I just was told about this blog and I took me quite a while to read. (Yes I read the whole thing!) Some of the comments were thoughtful while others were so mind numbingly off-balanced that I bruised my jaw when it hit ground. About those who were offended by the label, you have to remember that the political Right in the US has absolutely no sense of humor and they take it quite personally. All this is representative of the creeping fascism in the US. Observe the anti-label reactions: Make fun of the person I voted for (Bush) and not only does everything about you (presumably France/the left) suck but I will do everything in my power to punish you as well. As a patriotic American, I am proud to say that my president is a blithering idiot and that his handlers/puppeteers have dark intentions. Their tactics however are pure evil. If I might paraphrase for them, “We have all the power and we will use it to destroy our enemies.” That means first and foremost consolidating power within the US. There is nothing like a self-created war environment to get the job done.

Remember that there has always historically been fascist streak a mile (1.6 km) wide in the US and that ever since the Far Right highjacked the Republican Part, its current incarnation represents a pre-cancerous lesion on the American body politic. It is now time for all decent Americans to unite and take back our government.

Screw all you French loving hippies. If it wasn't for people like Bush you would all Spreakenze Deutsche you ingrates

Not again!
Where were you in 1944?

Not again!
Where were you in 1944?

Not again!
Where were you in 1944?

If it wasn't for people like Bush, America would have some real native Americans left.

What surprises me is how violent and nasty some of you Americans are to eachother - just because your political opinions differ? What are some of you more rabid going to do? Shoot or bomb the other guy?

As a Canadian in Asia, I can tell you that the Americans out here fall into two basic categories: embarrassed and apologetic for Mr. Bushleague's actions, or disliked and dislikable.

Calling a 'liberal' or 'leftist' opinion 'pinko-commie' is simply laughable, and it demonstrates the brainwashing some of you were reared with and by. Has it occurred to you righties that America may possibly not be the greatest country/philosophy on earth?

My brother lives in the USA. I like the country and visit it often, but not recently. I just have become fed up with the bullying of other nations and ways of life, including your very poor treatment of Canadians over the last two years. Did you know anti-American sentiment in Canada is at at all-time high? What a pity this is.

Iraq is another Vietnam, you didn't understand the situation before you went in and you don't now. You've lost many soldiers, you've alienated yourselves from many, and millions of American citizens are just too damned embarrassed to know what to say to anyone from another country. No wonder many Americans I meet while traveling are as someone above posted calling themselves Canadians. I don't mind, if it keeps you safe.

But what has happened that you would need to borrow another national identity to make your peaceful way? Perhaps the world has learned that any American way made is rarely even-handed or equitable, often inimicable.

Pleased to see the pinko-commies and leftist nuts out here - because you're also the artists and writers and small business owners and peaceniks and volunteers and educators and farmers and hell, you're probably at least 50% of the population!

In Canada we have about 300 murders per year for a population of 31,000,000. Do you know what your rate is? Highest (by a country mile) in the world. See "Bowling For Columbine".

It would be good if more Americans travelled - saw the world for what it is - and slept with a few different nationalities. You can't hate what you've loved. Peace.

I would like to concure with Adam. Through the US's reckless and arogant foreign policies, the world thinks that all Americans support such policies. Stereotypes notwithstanding (Canada like any other country has its nutcases too), people around the world are frustrated and when they run into an American, they want to vent (even after we tell them that we hate Bush and that we have no personal say with him). Because news/entertainment is one the US's greatest exports, other countries know far more about us the we know about them. The sad fact is that the international goodwill the US worked hard is build over the last 60+ years has been flushed down the toilet by Bush and if US keeps this up it will soon find itself isolated both politically and economically.

I think Adam is right.
USA citizens, open your eyes and look around.
We, the rest of the world, have a good impression of the American Society just by watching Jerry Springer show and Ricky Lake, Dallas and Dynasty and reading newspapers about the next massmurderer in USA, the next country threatened by USA and the next country liberated by USA.
Americans don't seem to have a clue how the rest of the world is made. How could you, if you think Disneyworld is a realistic model of the world.

Thank you for information !

As an American I thank the Lord each day to wake up and have the right to do as I desire. If you do not like us who are American that is just fine with me. You don't know me anymore that I know you. If you like where you are just stay there. We don't need you and would be greatful if you stay away from our shores and borders, but please keep your insane people there too! We don't need your bombs. We don't ask you to come and we don't stop you from leaving so please do what makes you happy, but it would be nice if you could take responibility for which ever you decide to do and quit claiming to be victimized.

Very Happily American

I'm glad waking up in Europe. The place where we are allowed to criticize our leaders while not being accused of un-European activities.
I hope you will stay at your house, too.
And keep your bombs to yourself, too.
Vietnam, Cambodja, Chile, Panama, several African countries didn't ask for you to come. They don't stop you from leaving.

Do what makes you happy but do it in USA, not the rest of the world plz.

Long, long ago, 60 years ago, you freed Europe from the nazi's.
If you go on like this it won't last 60 years until the Germans and others will have to free some part of the world from you, Americans.

Your president Bush declared he don't accept the International Court at the Hague. He will never accept any American is put on trial over there.
Seeing the news from Iraq, I wonder why ...

Hmmm ... maybe I should give you a compliment, too. You did a good job chasing Osama bin Laden. Pity you didn't get him and changed viewpoint to Saddam. Pity you thought you could free an Arabic country. In Europe we generally like you Americans (like to critisize, too, because you react so funny) but we know why you'll never be able to free a country in the next, say, 50 years.

fucking awesome.

Wow, looking at all the posts I can see the real problem with society...so single minded because did anyone ever think that maybe...just maybe...the french bit was talking about the French president?
*gasp* Wow...doesnt take a political science masters degree to think of that one. *rolls eyes*

hi

OMG thats fucking hilarious!!!
xoxo
~Elle~

OMG thats fucking hilarious!!!
xoxo
~Elle~

Internet and clothing labels...as about as "Fair and Balanced" as it will get. Pathetic. The media is about as "liberal" as the conservative corporations that own them.

hi everybody,

It's a long time since I have been on this blog. If you had already taken the time for reading all, you could underline something : Only some americans are rudes and violent ...a lack of arguments

T.J I love americans like you they deserve their country only speaking, you represent what is the worst in the US : intolerant, without any form of culture (except videogames, tv, may be) I'm sure you never went out of your country, and may be out of your state. You probably prefer not discussing with people and kick them. You should go to Irak just for fucking and rape, and kick irakians like your soldiers (under orders) do, you have the right profile; you fellow the mass like a chip.

How could you give any lessons to others countries ? Where are your famous christians valors ? May be you should think like a hippie, they don't torture my friend...

For all the WII stuff I invite, whom are concerned, to not discussed with inelegant people and ignorants (about geostrategy, and the US interests in 1944, like helping the british or brake the communist advance...). And with all your experiences in war, you should know the resistance can be very efficient....

You 've been manipulated by your own government of angels (ah , ah, ah). You have proofs of it now, no WMD (whereas GW bush and his staff knew where they were in 2003, as they said), torture, you're stick there, and you're not welcome there (for liberators...). You keep your opinion because your too proud to admit it, but even you're best ally begin to doubt (have a look on the news in GB). The more you keep your opinion the more ridiculous you appears. You 're not anymore credible, and the ultimate developpements in Irak reinforce this image.

Sorry for all the US citizen who think far away from their nose, their purse and those who have not been lobotomized by the US admo.

olivier

J'habite la Belgique a Bastogne et je suis tres reconnaissant a l'Amerique de nous avoir libere en 1944,mais je me demande ce que font les americain en Irak.

What Etienne said was:
"I live in Belgium in Bastogne and I am very entitled to the Americans who freed us in 1944, but I ask myself what the Americans are doing in Iraq."

Ok, for you people out there that only see the BAD you want others to only see concerning American troops in Iraq, consider this..and these are FACTS btw...

that between May 1 2003 and Dec 23, 2003 US troops have done alot of good in Iraq including :

...the first battalion of the new Iraqi Army has graduated and is on active duty.

...Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets.

...Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country.

...Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets side by side with US soldiers.

...nearly all of Iraq's 400 courts are functioning.

...the Iraqi judiciary is fully independent.

…on Monday, October 6 power generation hit 4,518 megawatts-exceeding the prewar average.

...all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools.

...by October 1, Coalition forces had rehab-ed over 1,500 schools - 500 more than scheduled.

...teachers earn from 12 to 25 times their former salaries.

...Girls are allowed to attend school for the first time ever in Iraq.

...all 240 hospitals and more than 1200 clinics are open.

...doctors salaries are eight times what they were under Saddam.

...pharmaceutical distribution has gone from nothing to 700 tons in May to a current total of 12,000 tons.

...the Coalition has helped administer over 22 million vaccinations to Iraq's children.

...a Coalition program has cleared over 14,000 kilometers of Iraq's 27,000 kilometers of weed-choked canals which now irrigate tens of thousands of farms. This project has created jobs for more than 100,000 Iraqi men and women.

...we have restored over three-quarters of prewar telephone services and over two-thirds of the potable water production.

...there are 4,900 full-service telephone connections. We expect 50,000 by year-end.

...the wheels of commerce are turning. From bicycles to satellite dishes to cars and trucks, businesses are coming to life in all major cities and towns.

...95 percent of all prewar bank customers have service and first-time customers are opening accounts daily.

...Iraqi banks are making loans to finance businesses.

...the central bank is fully independent.

...Iraq has one of the world’s most growth-oriented investment and banking laws.

...Iraq has a single, unified currency for the first time in 15 years.

...satellite TV dishes are now legal.

...you can buy satellite dishes on what seems like every street corner.

...foreign journalists aren't on 10-day visas paying mandatory and extortionate fees to the Ministry of Information for "minders" and other government spies.

...there is no Ministry of Information.

...there are now more than 170 newspapers.

...foreign journalists (and everyone else) are free to come and go.

...a nation that had not one single element - legislative, judicial or executive - of a representative government; now does.

...in Baghdad alone residents have selected 88 advisory councils. Baghdad's first democratic transfer of power in 35 years happened when the city council elected its new chairman.

...today in Iraq chambers of commerce, business, school and professional organizations are electing their leaders all over the country.

...25 ministers, selected by the most representative governing body in Iraq's history, run the day-to-day business of government.

...the Iraqi government regularly participates in international events. Since July the Iraqi government has been represented in over two dozen international meetings, including those of the UN General Assembly, the Arab League, the World Bank and IMF and, today, the Islamic Conference Summit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today announced that it is reopening over 30 Iraqi embassies around the world.

...Shia religious festivals that were banned, aren't.

...for the first time in 35 years, in Karbala thousands of Shiites celebrate the pilgrimage of the 12th Imam.

...the Coalition has completed over 13,000 reconstruction projects, large and small, as part of a strategic plan for the reconstruction of Iraq.

...Uday and Qusay are dead - and no longer feeding innocent Iraqis to the zoo lions, raping the young daughters of local leaders to force cooperation, torturing Iraq's soccer players for losing games, or murdering critics.

…plastic shredding machines are now used for shredding plastic.

...children aren't imprisoned or murdered when their parents disagree with the government.

...political opponents aren't imprisoned, tortured, executed, maimed, or are forced to watch their families die for disagreeing with Saddam.

...millions of longsuffering Iraqis no longer live in perpetual terror.

...Saudis now plan to hold municipal elections.

...Qatar is reforming education to give more choices to parents.

...Jordan is accelerating market economic reforms.

…Kadaffi has renounced his WMD program and welcomed U.S. and British inspectors to verity it.

...the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for the first time to an Iranian - a Muslim woman who speaks out with courage for human rights, for democracy and for peace.

...Saddam is gone.

...Iraq is free.

...Yet, little or none of this information has been published by the Press corps that prides itself on bringing you all the news that's important.

Iraq under US lead control has come further in six months than Germany did in seven years or Japan did in nine years following WWII. Military deaths from fanatic Nazi's, and Japanese numbered in the thousands and continued for over three years after WWII victory was declared.

It took the US over four months to clear away the twin tower debris, let alone attempt to build something else in its place.

Now, take into account that the US Congress fought the administration on every aspect of their handling of this country's war and the post-war reconstruction; and that they continue to claim on a daily basis on national TV that this conflict has been a failure.

Taking everything into consideration, even the unfortunate loss of our brothers and sisters in this conflict, do you think anyone else in the world could have accomplished as much as the United States and this administration in so short a period of time?

And then ask your local media and newspapers why they dont report these and instead bash the US?

Ponder that for a while. And yes, Saddam didnt invite us there or ask for us to be there...the thousands in mass graves that didnt have the freedom alot of you idiots take for granted did. Consider that before you talk bad about those who are willing to bring freedom to others who dont have it.

An impressive list indeed, you are right about that.
I have to stop this discussion for a while. I just heared about the killing of the American technician. Disgusting, inhuman. I feel kind of sick. He was a civilian.

I feel sorry for the death of this man. He just did his job and I think a good job. No matter if he was Iraquian, American ir whatever.
Nobody deserves to die like this, nobody is ever entitled to kill someone this way.
I liked this discussion very much until an hour ago when I heard of this killing. I think it's inappropriate now. Sorry.

"Ok, for you people out there that only see the BAD you want others to only see concerning American troops in Iraq, consider this..and these are FACTS btw...
that between May 1 2003 and Dec 23, 2003 US troops have done alot of good in Iraq including :"

Jon, nobody has said that the troops are all bad, and that they haven't done a lot of good after they blew the place up. However, many of us have a problem with the fact that 100 billion+ has been spent (and even more to come) when the priorities of the Bush administration should be destroying Al Queda, and solving the problems at home. And if you believe that the main objective of this mission was 'Good Will' on the part of the Bush administration, then you are the "Idiot".

hahaha

hehe

I think Adam is right.
USA citizens, open your eyes and look around.
We, the rest of the world, have a good impression of the American Society just by watching Jerry Springer show and Ricky Lake, Dallas and Dynasty and reading newspapers about the next massmurderer in USA, the next country threatened by USA and the next country liberated by USA.
Americans don't seem to have a clue how the rest of the world is made. How could you, if you think Disneyworld is a realistic model of the world.

totaly incredible!!!!!!!

mouhahahahahaha absolute irony!!! I love that!

Ok... it is probably a good idea that Bush and his administration had the guts to take down Saddam regardless of what anybody says. He is brave, I will give him that, but he is still a total idiot. He is just not able to convince the world that this was the right thing to do. Nor did he ever try. This makes him a failure as a President of the USA, which happens to be a very important and powerful country -- for the time being.

Most if not all security analysts understand the situation. It will take many new and much better presidents as well as some time to restore the enormous "soft power" the USA had before this whole crisis. Bush eroded a good portion of the superpower status the USA ever had, especially from the perspective of EU citizens. If you conducted a poll today about how EU citizens (ca 500 million) felt about the USA, you would get astounding figures that any EU government would never publish for fear of petty reprisal from the US regime... I lived in the EU before and after 911, and the sentiment changed dramatically. At first they were sympathetic like most of the world, but Bush's behaviour (yes alone) made them forget that sentiment very quickly. You have to remember that the attack did not hit HOME, like in the USA or the whole of North America, for that matter. After all this was an attack on the continent.

The simple truth is that Americans are hated all over the world more than ever. Bush is systematically making this worse.

My question are... do Americans realize this? Do you understand what is going on in the world? Are you convinced that CNN and your media is properly keeping you informed in a proper and unbiased way? Most EU citizens do not think so. They see foolishness and idiocy at its worse. They are only pitying themselves right now for not having enough power to correct the problems the USA is causing.

Do you actually understand that your secure status is temporary and depends on your leadership and behaviour?

I don't want to oversimplify the issues, but the solutions are at hand. Your government (including your stable but hindering institutions) simply do not have the foresight or competence, nor guts to do what really needs to be done for the security of America and the world.

I, like many others, am questioning the validity of the "presidents" actions. We as a country will rue the day that we allowed this piece of crap to take the helm of our once respected nation. Yes, Sadahm is a bad man but none of the reasons given for war were truthful. Rather they were all lies , fabricated to send this nation to war. We are supposed to be a nation to which others look up to and admired. But now that "W" has screwed us all. We are not looked up to but hated by many. War is not the awnser for anything. We as a nation must take back the control of this country. Let's make the government fear the people again. Stop letting those bastards make these decisions for us. Make them take heed to our voices or boot them the hell out of office. Stop letting these appointed assholes lead us down the road to conflict and dispair. SEND BUSH HOME TO SCREW HIS CATTLE NOT THE U.S. CITIZENS HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS DECISIONS

LET IT BE KNOWN HOW YOU FEEL. ESPECIALLY IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THE ÄPPOINTED ONE" HE WAS NOT ELECTED. HE'S NOT WANTED. HE'S SCREWING US ALL IN ORDER TO MAKE A LITTLE MONEY FOR HIM AND HIS CRONIES. HE DOESN'T CARE FOR YOU OR HE WOULDN'T HAVE LIED IN ORDER TO GET US TO WAR. NEVER HAVE WE BEEN LIED TO AS MUCH BY A PRESIDENT. NEVER BEFORE HAVE WE AS A NATION BEEN SO MISLED MY OUR PRESIDENT. EVERYTHING THE MAN SAYS IS CRAP. AND HE TRIES TO MAKE YOU FEEL STUPID FOR YOUR BELIEFS AND IDEALS.
MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT SEND THAT ASSHOLE BACK TO CRAWFORD WITH A BOOT IN HIS ASS

Just found this little story:

Creation
Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Heaven, God went missing for six days. Eventually, Michael the archangel found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired of God, "Where have you been?"
God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look Michael, look what I've made."
Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?"
"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put LIFE on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance."
"Balance?" inquired Michael, still confused. God explained, pointing to different parts of Earth, "For example, Northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth while Southern Europe is going to be poor. God continued, pointing to different countries. "This one will be extremely hot and arid while this one will be very cold and covered in ice." The Archangel, impressed by Gods work, then pointed to a large land mass in the top corner and asked, "What's that one?"
"Ah," said God. "That's Canada, the most glorious place on Earth. There's beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers, streams and an exquisite coast-line. The people from Canada are going to be modest, intelligent and humorous and they're going to be found traveling the world. They'll be extremely sociable, hard-working and high-achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace. I'm also going to give them super-human, undefeatable ice hockey players who will be admired and feared by all who come across them."
Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed. "What about balance, God? You said there will be BALANCE!"
God replied wisely. "Wait until you see their neighbours!"

"It's obviously a French-made product."

I do not really think so LOL

Time to discuss again!? Let's say, about:
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/5/15/22827/0477

.

HAHAHAH

"However, when people Like Patrioterer get to have a say in America thats when i say that America is goin to hell in a hand basket."

SO MOVE TO CHINA WHERE PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, YOU BITCHMONKEY. EVERYBODY GETS TO HAVE A SAY IN *MY* AMERICA, YOU WHINY LIBERAL JEWFAG!

Haha, Patrioterer. That's how you treat people in your 'free' country.

from Doug Gordon "...when did everyone in this country lose respect for the office of the president?"

When the man holding that office lost respect for the vast majority of the U.S. citzenry, that's when.

President Bush's disdain for the people in the U.S. (whether citizens or not) is apparent in his many failed and failing policies.

Again from Doug Gordon: "To voice an opinion on the internet is fine, to put it in print on a company's label or to announce it at a Dixie Chix concert is just tasteless - especially in a time of war."

Excuse me. "...in time of war." ??? Congress has the obligation to declare war, to my knowledge they have not done that. All 'wars' since World War II have been an undeclared wars (even the Korean 'war' and the Viet Nam 'war' were called 'police actions' or some other nonsensical B.S. term.)

As for the 'war' in Iraq, it's becoming obvious to a majority of U.S. citizens that the president's agenda was never WMDs, nor security of the U.S., nor the security Iraq's neighbors, nor the liberaton of the Iraqi people, nor the establishment of democracy in Iraq, nor even the ouster of Saddam Hussein, but rather the securing of huge oil reserves. If Iraq and Kuwait had had huge banana plantations that sustained their economies instead of huge oil reserves, neither this President Bush nor the previous President Bush would have cared a single whit about Iraq or Kuwait.

from Doug Gordon: "It disgusts me to hear how our senators and congressmen slam each other and the president (republicans and democrats alike) in public."

That practice while it may be deplorable in the eyes of many is neither new nor is it likely to go away. Politicians have been slamming each other since the earliest days of the Republic. Hamilton/Jefferson, Lincoln/just about any of his opponents.

Lee

lol

ok, i didnt read all the comments, bc there were to many and im tired, but i read about this in newsweek, and apparantly the company that sells these had released a statement saying that the tags are talking about the president of the company, not of america.

ok, i didnt read all the comments, bc there were to many and im tired, but i read about this in newsweek, and apparantly the company that sells these had released a statement saying that the tags are talking about the president of the company, not of america.

well well well, i was going to accept this as a funny and true to live acception of our "wonderful" presidents doings, but then some blind patriot named jon said some pretty amusing comments about the "good" we have done in iraq! GOOD!>!?!? ok, let's do some "history" as opposed to present shall we jon, saddam hussain was appointed and inserted by the United states a long long time ago to secure our interests in the middle east. In case you are unaware of such events read some books concerning the conspiratorial view of history not the local schools textbook or cnn. We appointed him a long time ago this is part of the reason he was allowed to remain in power so long. then low and behold in 1991 saddam was no longer pleased with the power the us government had bestowed upon him and he decided to get greedy, so he invaded kulwait a country under the direct leadership of a dictator. So of course the Global police force, aka the U.S. had to jump in and bomb the living shit out of iraq, soon after which we reinstated our appointed dictator of kulwait, then we allowed saddam to regain power and control of his country. Then saddam continued to defy u.s. foreigh policy, so of course something had to be done to take over saddam's vast oil fields and international wealth, so after appointing, supplying with billions during the iran vs iraq war we decide to take over iraq now and capture saddam. Remember noone challanges the U.S. government and lives to tell about it, just ask J.F.K. oh yea he ain't alive. Your president isn't a hero, or a good person, jsut another pawn in the global chess game that is leading up to the New World Order that has been planned two hundred years ago. Another step in the plan, gas prices.... why should they go down, we only own 92 percent of the worlds oil companies, charge what you want in a monopoly and ppl will have no choice to pay... end of story, jon bush is a boob just like all the other politicians, that tag is hilarious, and i need to go and take a piss, good talking to you

I was told it's on a eastpack that you can read that!

I hardly believe that this is an american company....

Ladies & Gents, I am amazed that it is no longer permissible to express oneself. Saying that Dubya is a monkey so stupid as to be incapable of peeling a banana may not be very polite, but it remains, nonetheless a statement of fact. Such freedom of expression is not only fundamental to US identity, but a clear form of political expression (it's called democracy). As for the tag, a private company can do whatever the hell it wants with its products, and if people respond favorably and buy them, then it;s doing the right thing. That's capitalism.

Now, considering that US sufffrage was about 28% last election, and that Dubya got 50% of this vote, then the Monkey in Chief was democratically elected by a vast majority of the American population equalling, oh, about 15% of total. Almost makes me feel like becoming a communist.

Now, it may be regrettable that the successful expression of democratic capitalism is a tag pointing out that Chief Monkey is incapable of shucking a banana, but that's the American Way, after all.

As for all you highly repressed little closet fascists that would like to equate dissent and disagreement with disloyalty and betrayal, or better yet, would like to equate belicose and belligerent posturing and mindless violence with effective foreign policy, I would prescribe a Clinton style blowjob and one of these bags. Maybe the consequent change in your perspectives will make the world a safer place. You can be sure Bush's policies won't.

To the makers of the bags: for what it's worth, apology accepted. Ego te absolvo.

I imagine this CD sleeve is distributed internationally. Perhaps the text was written in French because it was directed towards French-speaking people who wouldn't understand it if it were in English. There are many ways to convey a message... underground, overground, overt & covert.

On the suject of respect. What ever title you may have does not mean you have a right to automatic respect. Respect is earned not a right.You could say that Saddam had to be respected because he was president of iraq. Think about it.

Entirely agree with you Louisa.

I am french and I agree to say that the french president is idiot

Woa, that's a fat load of comments!

Those are a lot of comments, most of them being crap...

Is Bush an idiot? YES, of course he is! That's why he is there. If he was a smart leader the big companies would not have supported/elected him.
Is Jacques Chirac an idiot? Well, probably he is not. If he is, he is definitely not as stupid as Bush!

What's with the tag? MONEY TALKS! People like it, people buy it, company makes money (and yes they give some to the Seattle Vet Center)

[I am a Greek Cypriot and I would be a terrible liar if I said that I like any republicans...]

Can I just say that I’m sick of flip comments, and cheap shots on such a serious subject. Love him or hate him Bush is in charge and we are in the fight of our lives with people who hate us because of our lifestyle and religious and societal beliefs. Their hatred of us started long before either of the Bush Presidencies and they will not stop until we are all dead. They believe that they are ordained by their god to do so. Watch the Daniel Berg video, really watch it and listen. Then watch it again. Watch video and look at photos from 9-11. Americans are so quick to forget and move on, it is among the best and worst of our tendencies.
I’m sure that the soldiers and family of soldiers appreciate the smarmy, self important and naive comments on this tag. I’m sure there are a lot of liberals patting Tom Bihn on the back for such a bold strike at terrorism.
Has the Bush administration handled the war correctly? No, there are many problems and it may cost him the election, but I doubt it. Would a liberal president be doing better? Absolutely not. No politician will be able to approve the cruelty it will take to defeat the madmen we are up against until there are enough Americans scared into the realization that we can’t ignore this and make it go away and we can’t hire a lawyer or call 9-1-1 and make it all better.

Who said that the USA was a democracy and that it had anything to do with freedom? That must be the greatest con-trick perpetrated on any population. Even the Romans were more honest with their people, and look what happened to them.

You cannot elect a president in the US unless he has become mega-rich on the backs of you poor suckers over there, your president uses Jesus and fear of outsiders to keep you under control (just so you KNOW you are doing right) and the illusion of freedom in the US is simply that - an illusion. Why are you all shooting each other up within your country? It's the worst kind of every-man-for-himself anarchist state and I wouldn't mind if you kept it within your own borders, but exporting your attitudes and beliefs whilst crowing about their 'correctness' is criminal.

... cant you see that pick is fake? :D

Hey, ksievers, you feel pretty bad, thinking about Berg and 9-11. You should, they were bad things to happen.
Now keep that in mind and have a look at Vietnam tapes. What you did to innocent people, children also. With your napalm and Agent Orange, the USA killed many times more people than were killed at 9-11 including Berg. You did not only kill them, you made them have crippled children who will be living witnesses for years to come.
Still feel so bad what happened to your USA?

Our president is an IDIOT! Stop living in denial!

Hey Bernard, I do feel bad for those innocents accidentally killed by the US during the vietnam war. I also feel for the 1,670,000 Vietnamese citizens deliberatly murdered by their own government. Not to mention the 2,035,000 murdered by the cambodian govt., 61,911,000 murdered by the USSR, 35,236,000 murdered by the Peoples Republic of China, and the 20,946,000 murdered by Germany. Funny, in examining a list of mega-murderers between 1900 and 1987, the United States doesn’t even show up on the list. But by all means, let’s bash the U.S. it’s far more trendy.... If you want to look for yourself go to http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/DBG.TAB1.2.GIF

We here in spain sent to hell our stupid
ex-president "mr little bastard Aznar"

We lost almost 200 human life's in the hands of stupid al qaeda terrorism on the 11M

WE ARE NOT WITH BUSH, WE ARE NOT WITH AL QAEDA

WE DONT FEAR TERRORISM (WE LIVE WITH ETA)

FREE IRAQ
FREE WORLD

DEAR AMERICAN'S... FUCK BUSH ON NOVEMBER!

KISS FROM EUROPE ;*

MOORE 4 PRESIDENT! :)

You all realise this is about the president of the Tom Bihn company, not about Bush...

http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/CTGY/CARELABEL

ksiever... interesting to note that your statistics on most kills by countries comes from a Hawaiian educational site... No wonder the US wasn't featured on it.

Thousands died in 911, hundreds more in the Iraq War and now numerous tragedies everyday in the disastrous post-war regime. Yes, of course, what calamities. American (and Israeli!) lives are precious while others' are not.

Bush sent troops, on his own accord, in blatant defiance for the UN, to Iraq on the pretext of weeding out terrorists, liberating the suppressed masses under the despot Saddam, and clearing out his arsenal of 'weapons of mass destruction'. No tact or diplomacy, just plain derring-do and abject stupidity. He had a bold plan, but he had no clue how to clear up the mess that he created. Oh, and apparently, the weapons of mass destruction have mysteriously disappeared.

True, sentiments of animosity towards the Americans have originated from decades ago, far before Bush took power, but with his less than diplomatic manner and arbitrary attitude towards the Middle East countries and his idiotic fundamentalist sentiments, it's no wonder the hatred for Americans has intensified to such frightening levels. On a side note, Muslims are not the only fundamentalists around. Take a look around the states of US and you'd see that some Christians don't fare too much better in their opinions and takes on other religions.

..............................

Hi ksiever, it took a while to react, was away some time.
When I speak to my son because he did something not-so-very good, I get angry if he starts talking like 'yes, but the neighbour boy is even worse'.
I think if you're proud of yourself, you say: "Yes, you're right. And we even murdered xxx indians. And xxx japanese by throwing an atom bomb when the war was already over. Bad feelings about it, too. Being one of the strongest countries in the world we should be an example instead of fighting our way around as movie-cowboys."
In fact, I agree with Rofl.

Back to the bag...could it be the it was French made?

Typical of those without conviction of their principles. Hiding?

This whole thread reminded me of a post I put on my blog, so I'll post it here since so many feel it's OK to rant on and on for pages.

-------------------------------------

I am in DC and logged onto my home machine to check some work related stuf. I decided to read a low volume political list I am on and this happend.

I wound up posting this as an email to a mailing list I am on. I cannot include what I was replying to... so I cut that out and summarized.

This touches on some topics that I have been mulling over as I walk around Washington D.C. and musing on the state of the world. I'll have more to say about it... but this came out as I wrote a "quick" reply.

Fundamentally this post is about the US actions on the global stage, and the upset other nations feel about it. I edited it heavily to keep only the section that is a semi essay.

Posted by Soulhuntre to a BDSM/Politics list on 06/05/2004 around 17:22:00

[ a comment was made that President Bush doesn't give "a rats ass" about global politics ]

I disagree. I think US policy indicates tat our government takes global relations extremely seriously - you all just don't like our choices.

[ mention was made of the Kyoto agreement on environmental issues and the US's refusal to sign onto it ]

Kyoto is a deeply, deeply flawed document. There is absolutely no advantage or incentive for developed nations to sign onto it and it was almost tailor made to shift the cost of cleaning and maintaining the global waste issues onto our shoulders. As with so many recent global movements the concept seems to be to screw over the US and western nations (to a lesser degree) as punishment for some perceived economic or ideological mistreatment and then blame us when we don't bend over and lube up for it graciously.

[ similar upset was expressed that the US has refused to place it's citizens under te jurisdiction of the ICC or 'world court' ]

It's one of the things I like about this guy. US citizen, US courts. Some other nation wants to effectively hold one of our citizens hostage or kidnap them then they may wind up looking down the seeker of a smart bomb. Go ahead, make our day.

These are the sorts of policies that governments are SUPPOSED to handle... the protection of its citizens from the unilateral detention and abuse by foreign powers. It is, in fact, one of the few really strong arguments FOR a federal government's intervention in our lives.

Especially when we can see that as resentment for the US situation (being the sole remaining truly global power) that the little dogs are barking louder and louder for US blood.

US citizen, US laws, US courts. As one of the provisions of the "world court" (they left out the word kangaroo) was to allow that court the unilateral right to judge, extract and detain US citizens from US osil - it's a damn good thing he didn't sign on.

BTW - this is not something that Bush is alone on. Very few US citizens like the idea of turning over our sovereignty and ability to keep our own citizens under US jurisdiction.

[ discussing that the US has forced the EU into compliance with some of our anti-terrorism policies ]

But lets even grant that that isn't true... then the irrelevancy of the EU as a power capable of enforcing the will of its people serves as a warning to the US as to what will happen to us as soon as we start appeasing other nations demands.

We are a nation at war. Entire segments of the planet work and pray daily for our destruction in a way they do not work against the EU. Whether you agree with our choices as we fight that war is not really relevant. No one else on this spinning ball of mud has the power to protect us but ourselves and most of even our "allies" seem to secretly long for us to fail.

It is no shock then that we have decided the wishes of most of the planet are irrelevant or not in our best interests ... most of them aren't.

This hatred of the US predates Bush, and it is not a reaction to him despite the propaganda otherwise. The ideological enemies of democracy and capitalism are many - and the look for nothing short of the eradication of our nation in its entirety. The communists wanted us gone, yet we remain. The radicals and extremists in the middle east want us gone, and we will remain after their little corner of the earth is eating McDonalds and wondering what happened to their fanaticism.

On a planet with a large portion of the population that wants our destruction we must take steps... they will not all be popular and they will not all be correct or fair. We will adjust. We always do.

But history has shown us that appeasement always fails. When you ask forgiveness or feel guilt for your very existence you are already defeated. Those who want the US gone may say it's because of Bush for the moment, or Iraq, or Britney Pears navel or whatever the excuse is but it is a lie as it was a lie when Hitler and Stalin pretended that small compromises would appease them.

As a nation in a battle for our existence we have seen that the rest of the word is almost entirely useless to us. With the exception of a very very small number of allies we have found that most of the world will stand aside form the battle and tell us how we deserve what we are getting, and that it is our own fault. We have realized that our own fate is in our own hands entirely... and we are making decisions accordingly.

It is no surprise that this position is unpopular. The self sufficiency and self interest of another is always a source of anger and upset to the weak and irrelevant. Hell, Ayn Rand is spinning in her grave saying "see? it applies to nations as well!".

Like this parasites depicted in Atlas Shrugged many nations of the world are angry that the US is looking to its own self interest and survival. Like them the constant demand is that we subsume our interests and sovereign will to that of the mob or the "greater good" all the while carrying their burden and defending them.

Pardon me then for not weeping when they get upset.

funny -- I always thought "Slick" Willie implied pre-cum...

Look at the fools dance to the tune of marketeers. The company that made that bag only cares about selling bags.

The latest sales trick is to link the product with a popular idea. Then people can feel like they're expressing themselves by buying the product.

The same company is probably selling "Good work on that whole Iraq thing Mr Bush" bags elsewhere. After all, idiots are distributed evenly across all points of view.

This discussion is great publicity for the company. I assume you're all getting paid by the company for this so by all means tell your friends about the zany bag label!

Some questions:

How much does the bag cost?

Is that good value compared to other bags?

Why hasn't anyone thought to ask these basic questions?

Do we buy crap now just because it has an agreable sentence on it?

If this message has offended anyone then good because you won't remember once you read the self-affirming message below:

If people knew the real you they'd realise you're the coolest!

If you'd like to thank me for telling you what you want to hear then simply make a small donation via Paypal: http://www.paypal.com/accounts/DFSESJH3JH44K65JK4J5K2J34K5JK24J5K3JKJ2K53JK232KK23K4JK234.htm

@sounhunter:
This is a lot you put over there. Anyhow, it makes clear how the (majority of?) the US people think about the rest of the world. Which means you are not able to free anybody anywhere, you are only able to think of your own damn business.
Why not be honoust about it and just tell the others: 'to hell with you'?
And ehh, two questions:
- "We are a nation at war": who are you at war with? I mean, who did you declare war?
- "ideological enemies of democracy and capitalism": being against USA you are against democracy. Nope. USA was not the first country to adapt some kind of democracy and you have a very limited form of it. So USA is not equal to democracy.

what i find most interesting when reading these comments is that a lot of people confuse patriotism with agreeing on what the government says on various issues and regard disagreeing to be treasonous in nature.

Before i begin let me mention that i am a democratic socialist, i am a european, and i love some aspects of America.

One of the most important rules in democracy is to be critical of the elected leaders once they are elected by the majority, this is what the free press and freedom of speech is about, constantly monitoring the activities of the powers in office.

It is the job of the government to do what it feels is best for the CITIZENS- Yes you the citizens employ them and pay for their meals and if you don't agree with them you should fire them. Which brings us to this; any citizen is obligated to voice his opinion against the government if he feels it is not acting for the best of the citizens (if you're a lazy citizen the press does this for you, unless the press has ideological ties to the current government of course). Also, might i add, the constitution called for a revolution (read democratic revolution) should it ever happen, god forbid, that the government acted against public opinion.

Therefor voicing your opinion, is not just your right, it is your obligation. Speak up but keep in mind that should your voicings be unfounded, formal or informal restrictions will be imposed upon you (read lawsuit, criticism or boycotting).

Patriotism as a term was invented by the ruling powers to control citizens. True patriotism has nothing to do with political ideologies or serving the government. Be a responsible citizen and act accordingly, for the good of your people, with whatever action you see fit.

Comments

Somebody should make a backpack or suitcase that has a "Proud to be American, Not Proud of current Administration". That way, I can raise my head up high while travelling (I've heard of American's traveling overseas with Canadian flags on their personal effects).

Ce???? ??????!

That same phrase "Nous sommes desoles..." is starting to pop up on websites - I saw it at www.musical-saw.com (down at the bottom left)

Why are any of you writing comments alive? Is there an entilement to freedom, liberty, joy, food, shelter just because you say so? Where do good things come from and bad things come from? Are there really any absolutes? When I read the comments here it makes me think that many of you have limited understanding of the basic facts of life. Why does the sun come up everyday? Go back to the basics then you wouldn't sound so terribly foolish. NO ONE OWES ANY OF US ANYTHING! We howevere owe everything to a Creator God. The number of references in this long list of comments where there is any acknowledgement of thankfulness to anyone for anything shows that Americans are not the only people who do not appreciate what they have. If you are filled with hate that is what you will find in the world, if you are filled with thankfulness that is what you will notice. I really feel sorry that so many do not have joy in their life and have nothing to share with anyone else except contempt and has been shown repeatedly by the comments.
Why not look for a little joy! You just might get a shock and find that there is a lot of good things to enjoy.

md

Jon, that's a lovely list of America's supposed achievements but, without any supporting sources or documentation, it's nothing but pure propaganda. I could just as easily type out an unsubstantiated list of 100 evil things the U.S. has done.

What has in fact been documented is that the U.S. armed and supported Iraq in its war against Iran; that the U.S. did NOT remove Saddam after he killed the Kurds (in fact, the U.S. renewed ties with him); that the U.S. did NOT remove Saddam after he quelled the Shi'ite uprising the U.S. had promised to support; that the U.S. did NOT remove Saddam for an additional 12 years during which time they effectively weakened Iraq by means of trade embargoes, sanctions, no-fly zones and routine bombings; and ONLY after 9/11, on fabricated charges of ties to Al Qaeda (unproven) and WMDs (also unproven) did the U.S. go in.

When the first two reasons were proven false, then and only then did "freedom to the Iraqi people" become the battle cry. To hear anyone talk about how the U.S. saved Iraqis from Saddam is laughable.

Thanks for good info

Getting back to the bag label:

If they are so "bad ass", fabulous, geil and the like, then why didn't they write the same in English. This is just hiding behind a foreign language that wouldn't normally be inspected closely, a similar type of deceit that any politican is accused of.

Hypocrites

bread and butter bread and butter !
Who cares anyway about who hates who ?
love your country or hate your president, I just thought we were all standing on the same piece of rock wandering around the universe, more concerned about trying to destroy its ressources...
The power is in their hands and nevertheless you have or not the freedom to say anything about them they still have fingers to press the button ...

It's an internal joke. The "president" is referring to Tom Bihn's president, not US or any other prsident. Read this: http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/CTGY/CARELABEL

Well, maybe I'll provide a comment that you guys won't be able to write off as coming from some foolish right-wing religious zealot that you love to self-righteously sniff at: Say what you want about Bush to Americans. But what's the purpose of falling over yourselves to inform the rest of the world how much you hate Bush but egotistical posturing?

Regardless of how many good reasons one has to detest a politician, to make an ad hominum attack on the leader of your own country (he was called an 'idiot' on the tag of a company product, not exactly a prime venue for intelligent political discourse) accomplishes very little which is constructive and only serves to divide. Especially when the intended audience (apparently the French, in this case) don't even have a say in our country; it just shows how self aggrandizing the entire "statement" is and how it was simply intended to inform others of how right these guys are and had no constructive intent.

People who get angry about this kind of thing do have a point. It's similar to how the Dixie Chicks caused an uproar by insulting the US overseas, not here. You don't have to see the US through rose colored glasses, but dissent should have a purpose and is best directed inward. To insult the country to those outside the country is more like weakminded simpering than useful political discourse, and it's not a character trait you'd like to see in somebody who is supposedly your collegue in making this country better. I think this is the central reason people get so upset by this kind of thing. Meaningless sniping is just divisive and more about ego than any honest desire to make the country better.

we true americans are shocked @ pea brained liberals who think it is cool americans die. any time they help our enemies by lying about u.s. policy they get u.s. soldiers killed. keep your traitor ideas to yourself. you are all punks. if you don't like it here move to canada home of the
loosers

Bush, tu as fait ta busherie autour du monde comme l'ont fait pratiquement tout tes prédécesseurs. Mais toi, tu l'a fait tout autour de la planète. tu fait massacrer tes enfants et c eux des autres...Tu es le pire président que les USA est eut. Tu écoeure le monde entier...

Well well well...

It's hardly a surprise to see that freedom-hating vandals have atacked this site AND that they are based in the Zionazi state of Israel.

i think bush is a dick head

:)

Keep up the great work on your blog. Best wishes WaltDe