"Free" sex? Yeah, right...
[QUOTE=Only Looking]While I often agree that you pay dierctly or indirectly for women, especially for girlfriends and wives, the occasional one night stand is the exception. Just last weekend I picked up (or more truly I was picked up) by a girl in a bar in Las Vegas. Great sex and I may have just spent 10 dollars on a couple of drinks for her. No commitments and I'll never see her again. So Free Sex is totally possible in that situation.[/QUOTE]
Winning lottery tickets exist, too - but I don't see anyone planning their retirement around getting one.
"Free" sex ("free" meaning no con games, tricks or head games) does indeed exist, but it is so rare that it's hardly worth mentioning.
The US Government not the American people
[QUOTE=Dirkdingy]oh, i don't know. most people differentiate between american foreign policy/president bush and the American people. Americans have a reputation abroad as being rich, generous, and gullible.
Voice of America was a beacon of hope too many behind the iron curtain. Even in places that we fucked up. Take the Philippines: they still support us, even if meant giving many lives to save one POW or resistance fighter during WWII. When Americans, especially black ones go to most of Africa they are treated like kings...free meals, pussy, etc.
I thought that most Iraqis would hate us; they don't. They are upset that we don't provide security as it should be provided but can they genuinely blame an American if an Iraqi or an Arab Jihadist blows himself up in an Iraqi store? yea, sometimes the kids or the security contractors get a little trigger happy, but they are just are 50x more often to give the locals plates of food from the d-fac, goods from the px, or medical supplies from the dispensary. Granted, the iraqis I met were likely to say the right things, but even of the shady characters I met they said that Americans were generally good and humane people. Insurgents would do anything to get captured by an American as opposed to the Iraqi Police or National Guard. Whatever happened in Abu Gahrib was NOTHING compared to how an Arab treats another Arab.
Even in Vietnam the people were cool. One guy bought me dinner because he swore that my dad was an MP at his detention center during the conflict.
Although I wouldn't go to Serbia looking for trouble, the police and people there are respectful as long as you don't talk politics...and you can still see the damage today from when we lit their ass up.
Oui Oui the French are dicks, but they don't really like anybody.
Also, aside from some soldiers i know, most Americans abroad are very very liberal; they dislike Bush more than the euro liberals.
Americans are received well abroad because they are either genuinely liked or because they are very good for business.[/QUOTE]I speak for most Canadians. Well it is not NEWS that Canadas Government and the USA Government foreign policy don't agree (just like 90%) of the world. My best friends are from the USA. I can honestly say the people in the USA are great friendly and curtious They in my eyes are the best in the world. But the US foregin policy is written in blood (Bullies) and that most Canadians will not except. I do not cross the border to USA any more my friends from the USA come to visit me. They love Canada little crime, no pollution, or Toxic waste, (sorry New Jersey) CLEAN WATER . Canada does not over throw Governments in 3rd world countries for there natural resources. Plus Canada follows the NAFTA agreement that the USA wrote, to bad the US trade commerce dis-obeys the contract they wrote. One more thing in the Province of Alberta in Canada they found more oil reserves 2nd most in the world to Saudia Arabia. The USA better smarten up and obey the NAFTA agreement because they want that oil. And Canada will gladly sell it to the USA. For over 125 years Canada and the USA have been GOOD FRIENDS and I hope we can mend those bridges. Looks like Canada will be tradeing more with CHINA, (softwood lumber) they have no illeagal Tarriffs Duties etc. We are a little nation 30 million population, we are tired of being bullied and treated like shit from the USA. we will trade with China at least they are honest and dont change and break the rules so they come out on top. As for the American people I still love them, my best friend in Russia is an American I love him like my brother. LOL
Why the US is headed toward fascism-slightly off topic
I happened to be speaking to this older gentleman of about 65....well by speaking, I mean listening to him rail about smokers rights being infringed for 20 minutes....pushed us outside....smoking sections going away........going to start up a legislative action committee....et, all.
When I finally got a word in edgewise I told him that although I don't smoke, I have sympathy for having his freedom infringed upon. I happened to mention that I have an issue with censorship, and mentioned that the FCC is now looking at regulating content even on pay services like HBO.
He looked at me funny, so I had to further explain that I was referring to "Adult Content" (Violence, profanity, sexual situations, nudity)......to which he declared "Well I don't want my kids and grandkids watchin' none of that....
I thought to myself 'Basically what you are saying to me is 'My freedom do do what I want is very important, but fuck everyone elses'"
Like I said, fascism...it's coming
Asia is not as secure as one may think.
Asia’s on the rise largely because of China and India. I believe that the latter may be obliterated by a nuclear exchange within the next ten years. Both Pak and India have the bomb; however, Musharaf has about as much control over his country a as middle aged mother does over her 13 yo son’s access to porn over the internet. While Musharaf is one of the better dictators of the last 100 years, the rank and file of his country as well as the security services are all hard-line Pro-Taliban Muslims. Some of his Generals are truly nuts and will prefer death over humiliation from India. It’s only a matter of time before a border skirmish results in Pakistan responding with nuclear artillery and then…..the world’s population shrinks by a billion +.
China. I don’t know so much about economics (one class, P/F, as an ugrad) or China but their ecoonomy seems a bit artificially inflated to me. I also don’t think it’s a given that they will successfully navigate the eco-political landscape. Do they have gas? I never bet on a country that doesn’t have guns and gas as their prosperity is dependant upon the largesse of others.
The EU? What is the EU? Is it a US like entity under the Articles of Confederations type deal or is like a euro NAFTA. Perhaps I’m an idiot, as I took two classes on the EU and still don’t know what it is. If it’s more like NAFTA it can work, but if it’s anything more I don’t think it will. America has done more for Poland than the Germans ever will. I still don’t see the benefits to the richer countries (majority populations). To me it looks like a poor EE goes to Ireland and works in construction for a little less than the Irish guy and the Irish guy gets pissed at the poor EE because he’s lowering his wage and taking his mate’s job. The poor immigrants sends their wages home, and soon wants to leave too to see his wife and family as they understandably can’t stand Irish food and can’t understand what the Irish are saying. The EEs get even more lazy than they already are because one or two bread winners support the whole extended family while the family back home spends time having “coffees” all day. All the while it increased the fissures between classes as the rich get really richer instead of just getting richer while the poor get poorer. Soon populist demagogues come to power in the West and the shit hits the fan, or tough immigration laws are enacted and the poor countries are even worse off than they were prior to entry into the EU family.
USA. I’ve been reading a lot of Pat Buchanan lately and find myself agreeing with most of what he says. If we can curb immigration and penalize countries for outsourcing before it gets too late we will be good to go for a while. We also need to stop starting wars for fun and get the hell out of the ME. Why the fuck did we bomb Serbia? To test out our weapons platforms?