Open Thread

  • Bookmark and Share

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: Medvedev heading to Cuba and Venezuela.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev plans to travel this month to Cuba and Venezuela, which have increasing military and trade ties with Moscow...The Soviet Union was a stalwart supporter of Cuban leader Fidel Castro during the Cold War. Under Hugo Chavez, Venezuela has moved to buy millions of dollars in Russian weaponry and invited Russian energy giants to drill in the country's oil fields. A Russian naval flotilla is on its way to the Caribbean to hold joint military exercises with Venezuelan forces.

What do you think this means? Should Americans be concerned?

Read commentsFree email alertsTake action

Comments Policy

All comments are owned by whoever posted them and are subject to our terms of use. They should not be assumed to represent the views of NewsBusters.

Viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

Keith Olbermann in a minute

Yeah, Keithie's Greatest

Yeah, Keithie's Greatest Moments....the only thing missing, (and I expected it to end with it) was his Shut...the hell...up!!

When I clicked on the link,

When I clicked on the link, I fully expected it to be related to the woman who had unsatisfying sex with him and was getting out her revenge by telling how bad he was in the sack. (in a minute)

As a closing statement, GWB

As a closing statement, GWB needs to envoke the Monroe Doctrine, to poke Puttie Put in the eye, and Hugito gets kicked eksewhere.

He needs to make sure the Soviets do not set up shop in this Hemisphere.

The worst that can happen is the media and democrats get upset with Bush.  BFD.  I am sure he couldn't care less at this point.

This might actually kill two birds with one stone. Expose Putin/Medvedev and Chavez as the frauds they are, and if any so called Republicans condemn Bush for this move, we would know who to kick out in the future! 

No, we don't need to be

No, we don't need to be concerned about this:  Cuba and Venezuela are tiny country[ies].....Barack H. Obama...President-Elect of the US.

Yeah, really.  Nothing to

Yeah, really.  Nothing to worry about there!

Has anyone any further info

Has anyone any further info on President-elect Punk wanting HRC for his Sec of State?

GMTA, Tim....I just posted

GMTA, Tim....I just posted the link below.

Can you say October?

Could they be heading there to do a rehash of the missle crises? We are putting them on the Polish border maybe Put Put is thinking about putting them here in retaliation?

Guns and Violence are not the answer but they are one solution to the problem== SARG

No doubt.

No doubt.

Good point Iam, this could

Good point Iam, this could be the 'new kennedy's' 6 month 'international crisis test' big joe was referring to.

Maybe

Maybe Putin and friends can put a missile base on some south side chicago real estate. Rezko can broker the deal. That way we can keep an eye on em.

Obama is apparently

Obama is apparently considering Her Royal Clintoness for Secretary of State

In view of the rumors that she might be in contention for SCOTUS, I consider this a much better situation. 

 

HRC

I don't see it happening.  HRC more than anything wants POTUS.  While Secretary of State would firm up her international experience, I don't see an upside for her.  SOS is a thankless job that gets a person no credit and lots of criticism.

What I think is a possibility is that Obama and Biden are going to screw up so badly that, in a Spiro Agnew move, Obama will drop Biden and bring on HRC as VP.

I remember reading sometime

I remember reading sometime before the election that Ahmadinejad would be dancing in the street if Obama was elected.  I think Medvedev is dancing too. 

We are in sooooooo much trouble.

It means we're screwed

     I don't see Pres. Obama doing much to dissuade a huge threat on our national security between these countries.   The only thing Pres. Obama will offer to do is invite Russia, Cuba, and Venezuela over to the rose garden so they can sit around, smoke the peace pipe/bong and sing Kumbaya.  Yeah, that's how he'll negotiate with foreign leaders that might threaten us.

“I've spoken to all of them that are living.  I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances" B.H. Obama

Miz

You're exactly right.  Don't you know that these leaders are laughing themselves silly that the USofA would elect a cissy at such a time in our history? 

I had the same thought.

Since everyone is so close, this could be BO's first International Tet a' Tet. The World would be so impressed, maybe they would be our best friends.

(Sarc off)

Time to update those Duck

Time to update those Duck and Cover flicks from the 50s/60s. A school in our town still has the fallout shelter sign in the basement; might need to reconstitute that infrastructure.

Russian Akulas prowling the Caribbean with The Boy Wonder in charge - that's comforting to who?

Add Barney Franks 25% cut

Add Barney Franks 25% cut to our military and the picture gets worse.

The cost of living's going up, and the chance of livin's going down. - Flip Wilson

new topic: Constitutional Amendment

I would like to see a Constitutional Amendment that would require any person seeking any position in public office to have as a mandatory pre-requisite: a minimum of 15 years experience in Business, with at least 5 years of supervisory and budgetary responsibility.

No more allowing kids to go from college to public office without real-world experience. No more ignorance about capitalism, and no more intellectual hypnotism about socialistic programs, fed into their heads by socialist and communist professors.

Similarly, no one should be allowed to practice law, teaching, or journalism without business experience first.

We're capitalists, so let's make that the "mandatory service requirement" for all who would go into public service and professional careers.

Let's discuss!

Capitalism is Good if Practiced Correctly

Unfortunately business experience doesn't mean a person will be a good leader.  (i.e. Michael Bloomberg, Jon Corzine, Hank Paulson). 

True, but wouldn't it be

True, but wouldn't it be preferred over total ignorance and misinformation?

email

I thought that you all might be interested in this email that I received this morning:

Jim Neugent is a coach in  Childress ,  Texas .


Jim writes: 

My name is Jim Neugent. I wrote to ABC (on-line) concerning a program called 'THE PRACTICE.' In last nights episode, one of the lawyer's mothers decided she is gay and wanted her son to go to court and help her get a marriage license so she could marry her 'partner.' I sent the following letter to ABC yesterday and really did not expect a reply, but I did get one. 

My original message was: 

ABC is obsessed with the subject of homosexuality. I will no longer watch any of your attempts to convince the world that homosexuality is OK. ' THE PRACTICE' can be a fairly good show, but last night's program was so typical of y our agenda. You picked the 'dufus' of the office to be the one who was against the idea of his mother being gay, and made him look like a whiner because he had convictions. This type of mentality calls people like me a 'gay basher.' 


Read the first chapter of Romans   (that's in the Bible); and see what the apostle Paul had to say about it.... He, God and Jesus were all 'gay bashers'. What if she'd fallen in love with her cocker spaniel? Is that an alternative life style? (By the way, the Bible speaks against that, too.) 
--Jim Neugent 

Here is ABC's reply from the ABC on-line webmaster: 

How about getting your nose out of the Bible (which is ONLY a book of stories compiled by MANY different writers hundreds of years ago) and read the declaration of independence (what our nation is built on), where it says 'All Men are Created equal,' and try treating them that way for a change! 

Or better yet, try thinking for yourself and stop usi ng an archaic book of stories as your lame crutch for your existence. You are in the minority in this country, and your boycott will not affect us at ABC or our freedom of statement. 

Jim Neugent's second response ! to ABC: 
Thanks for your reply. From your harsh reply, evidently I hit a nerve. I will share it with all with whom I come in contact. Hopefully, the ArkansasDemocrat Newspaper will include it in one of their columns and I will be praying for you. 

- -Jim Neugent- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Note: Wouldn't Satan just love it if people stopped using the Bible for a crutch? 
Please resend this to everyone in your mailbox. 


Jim Neugent 

A request...

Hey Buckeye, could you post your message to the top of the blog rather than in the middle of this topic (and delete it from this thread)? Thanks!

Wow. A Declaration of War.

Wow. A Declaration of War. You got a link to that ABC comment form or whatever Jim filled out? Or the email address it came from?

debunked: http://tafkac.org/u

Buckeye - check SNOPES.com

Next time you get an email like this, check SNOPES.COM. Even though this story (according to Snopes) is true, it happened in 1999.

Luke 23:34

PALIN/Jindal '12

Examples

Not necessarily.  What makes a good leader is character, not information.

Take some examples:

In NYC, Bloomberg wants to put a 5 cent per bag tax on plastic grocery bags.  While 5 cents doesn't seem like a lot, it still adds to the price of food.  His policy shows more concern about the environment than about how citizens will make ends meet.

A year or so ago, Jon Corzine was in a serious auto accident because his driver was driving too fast.  So what does he do? Starts trying to write all this legislation about seat belts and speed limits.  Because he didn't have the character to tell his driver to drive safely, everyone in NJ has to be over-regulated.

You're absolutely right

...but I see the chances of getting SOME exposure to leadership through business, whereas it's a void in academia.

Think about the age requirements that already exist in the Constitution for President and other offices. At the time the Constitution was written, most people were working by age 12 or so. Earlier if they grew up on a farm.

So by the time they got to those required ages, they had 15, 20, or more years of real-world experience.

Nowadays, a kid can grow up, go to college, and have zero real-world experience, and have his/her head filled with an equal number of years of academic opinions.

Even if it's not perfect, I prefer the real-world experience.  

 

 

More Than Community Organizer

I understand your point.  We would all like a POTUS with more experience than "community organizer". 

But I don't have much faith in today's business leaders.  At the moment, we are seeing all the CEOs shirk their leadership responsibilities for bailout money.  Lately I've been looking for examples of people that I think are good leaders.  I can't think of many.

Today's business leaders

Today's business leaders are just people, and they are up against the same hurdles as the rest of us. As you said, it's more than just information - you say it's character, and I'd add that it's the EXPERIENCE of building one's character.

We all have to deal with the popular culture, and no doubt some get caught up in it. But there are many who don't; for one, Max DuPree comes to mind as an example of an exemplary business leader.

But if the popular culture embraced the expectation for character and leadership, wouldn't the people coming out into the workforce be mentally more focused? If the expectations were higher, wouldn't there be a better chance that the results would also be higher?

If there were a mandatory business requirement, think of how that would change the environment of thought in the experience of childhood. We could get imaginative and silly here and project that kids would ask Santa for that cool "Jr CEO" game, but in actuality, that might not be a bad influence. Maybe better than the influence of rock stars or auto thieves...

The point is that if future leaders had all those years of business experience, don't you think it would be a lot less likely that they would aquiesce easily to ideas like handouts without responsibilities, or regulation rather than accountability, or consumption without contribution?

I really think that successfully shouldering responsibilites in the private sector should precede taking responsibilities in the public.

 

I would be happy

If we could repeal the incredibly stupid amendment that gives 18 yr olds the vote. (I recall the whine: "they can die for their country but they can't vote".)

Amend the constitution to limit a federal judges term to a number of years, I prefer 10, rather than being stuck with some of these jerks for life.

Make sure that your candidate is actually eligible to office by providing proof of age and citizenship. Instead of allowing the parties to "vet" their candidate.

A question for the people

I just got a invite from a friend to go down to the Capitol reflecting pool to protest Prop 8 tomorrow.  Never mind that we're in DC and that the federal government really has nothing to do with whatever Californians want in their constitution.  I know some people protest just to protest regardless of efficacy. 

Anyhow, setting that aside, this friend of mine is living with her boyfriend, and has been for years.  If either of them had any burning interest in getting married, I'd know about it.  It seems they're content to just cohabitate.  Fine, they're grown ups, but it makes me wonder: how many of the go go gay marriage heterosexuals out there are married?  How does first hand knowledge of marriage correlate with opinion of gay marriage?  The handful of polls I've looked at are broken down by political ideology, sex, age, religion, maybe income but not marital status.  Seems like a big gap there in knowledge.

Smoking...

Sounds like a very reasonable activity. Freedom of Speech and peaceful assembly.

You are correct about the efficacy of such an endeavor since it is clearly a California Constitutional Amendment -- even the California Supreme Court is helpless now.

The only recourse is to get another Amendment passed that reverses the current Amendment -- that will not happen in DC. 

If conservatives are RIGHT, then liberals must be WRONG.

Raleigh NC too

There is a protest Raleigh NC tomorrow too. link

YOU CAN KEEP "THE CHANGE" PALIN 2012

If I were the Russian leader,

I would visit these countries and their dictators too.

After all, I want control of this hemisphere and in order to do that, I need the cooperation of these two fools in Cuba and Venezuela.

Once I have my weapons in place, and my "advisors: in place, there will be NO stopping me.

Throw in the plus of having Comrad Obama in the White House, and voila.......

I would have USA in Check!

 

It means get ready for the next phase of the Cold War

I was once of the belief that the West actually "won" the Cold War, but in recent years I have come to realize all we really managed to accomplish was to obtain a twenty year armistice. It is much like the temporary armistice that came after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which really settled nothing and eventually led to the bloody continuation of WW I.

Yes, the USSR collapsed under the weight of the inherent, fatal flaws of Marxism, but in the years since has managed to rebuild itself to a certain degree. Even more problematic for the West is that Russia now has access to the technology it once lacked, which once upon a time  prevented the USSR from taking advantage of its vast store of natural resources.

What is truly disheartening is that the American people, who appear to be blissfully re-shingling their roofs as the country around them burns, have seen fit to install a man as CIC who is less than clueless and, as I see it, appears to be preparing to affect what will essentially be a surrender in the GWOT.

It even gets worse when you take into account that this nation is quite literally teetering on the brink of financial and economic impotency. Believe me, if you, like me, are already losing sleep over the specter of an Obama presidency, then you probably shouldn't read this.

Yep, the perfect storm is brewing, alright, and we will be damn lucky to survive it.

-Dave

Did this country just elect Obama/Biden, or was it Soros/Ayers?

We are already

involved in a cold war. But it is within our borders. I posted above. Rezko could broker a deal for a Russian missile base in Chicago or maybe near San Francisco, it would provide jobs and much needed foreign currency and we could keep our eye on 'em. 

"...no civilization, no matter how rich, no matter how refined, can long survive once it loses the power to meet force with equal or superior force." - Bernard Knox

Yep

Now, for me, there is NO chance of sleep.

Our public schools have truley done their job. It started in the 60's with "new Math".

New Math was stopped in it's tracks because the parents of the 60's were educated and not indoctrinated as the children are today.

I continue to tell the folks around me to pay attention because these are scary times we are in.

Thank God for NB

 

Russia

Anyone with half his brain tied behind his back, as Limbaugh would say, can see the storm that is gathering with Russia. Forget the social issues-- what Thomas Sowell warned about months ago is true: all the social issues will be meaningless if the bombs start to drop. The POTUS being black will not matter when decisions have to be made and leadership counts.  But the POTUS being an immature, inexperienced, incompetent pretty boy will surely make a difference. America is on the brink. We will suffer greatly for the "liberals" election of the Chicago thug and his pals. The MSM will be screaming the loudest---when it is too late.

NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"

But the POTUS being an immature, inexperienced,

 "But the POTUS being an immature, inexperienced, incompetent pretty boy will surely make a difference."

You forgot one thing.

Marxist

 Marxist

Obama is a Marxist? Ya' think? But...but...but that would put him on THEIR side. Oh,My God! Why didn't Katie Couric,et.al. tell me about this? Now I am angry.

 

NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"

This government outrage story involves the shoddy treatment...

...of a former Marine who served in Vietnam, and whose son died in the attack on the USS Cole by some "misunderstood" members of the "peaceful" religion of Islam.

After reading something like that, you really have to wonder if this nation has much of a future.

-Dave

Did this country just elect Obama/Biden, or was it Soros/Ayers?

"Misunderstood"

According to the "liberals", the most vicious people in the world are simply "misunderstood". Bill Ayers is "misunderstood". Dommer was "misunderstood". Neville said that Hitler was "misunderstood". Scheeze!

BTW, read "Why They Hate" by Brigitte Gabriel. It's all about the "peaceful" Islamo-fascists. What she describes from the 70's,80's, and 90's in the Middle East is the same crap being perpetrated on this Marine hero. God help us.

 

NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"

Liberals "misunderstand"

Liberals "misunderstand" just about everything.  However, we on the right understand all too well...

RD, as an employer the

RD, as an employer the military has a right to enforce the rules.  I personally think the man has teh right to display the stickers and if they are not too prominent they would not be a problem.  It all depends on teh rules and who is interpreting them.  Possibly tehre is a PR problem involved and I would hope there is not any bias problem in teh command struucture.

I do see if he was barred from visiting teh National Cemetary, that is a problem and there should be no rules to prevent one from doing so.

The man has every right to bring a lawsuit to right the problem.  I would be interested to find out teh details of teh suit on both sides.

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

Dan,

I'll see if I can keep track of the story as it unfolds.

The thing that bothers me is that PC has gotten to the point where it appears the military is telling people they aren't allowed to talk about the enemy.

What the hell kind of military is that?

-Dave

Did this country just elect Obama/Biden, or was it Soros/Ayers?

Dave... Outrageous...absol

Dave...

Outrageous...absolutely outrageous!

 What is going to happen to this country if we sit by and let this type shite happen...we cannot be passive any longer....this is a disgrace of all disgraces...

God help us all...

Lord this man had better win his case....For All of US!

I am so heart-sick....

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

Bailout

Freddie is going bankrupt 

JDW

DAILY WAVE

  • GOP: A new start with a new team
  • Who will the libs attack after inauguration?

That's okay, JDW...

...at the rate the US Treasury is being plundered, we won't be far behind.

-Dave

Did this country just elect Obama/Biden, or was it Soros/Ayers?

Bailouts: More

I have been watching the Fairness Doctrine clowns for a long time yet last night something new occurred to me. Considering all of the free government handouts, what happens if public radio wants some of the action? 

JDW

DAILY WAVE

  • GOP: A new start with a new team
  • Who will the libs attack after inauguration?

JDW,

LOL-Well, they better get in line and fill out one of these forms.

-Dave

Did this country just elect Obama/Biden, or was it Soros/Ayers?

What a tremendous testament

    In Re: cvgbuckeye

What a tremendous statement that dialogue represents! I really appreciate you taking the time to print that. The bigtime message from ABC rings loud and clear. Whatever rep. that wrote that response from ABC, needs to be exposed, so that other people will read it and realize, they do not care about us as individuals, only their agenda. I'll say it again and again, do not support them in any way and especially financially. I'm sure there are sponsors out there, that if they were to read that corespondence, would have second thoughts about advertising with them. Thank you again!

The democrats are singing

The democrats are singing "Happy Days Are Here Again", their favorite dictators are on the move. Old Jimmy Carter must be delerious with joy.

Spread the Wealth

Barack Obama ended his campaign so flush with cash he's telling staffers to keep the change - and then some.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/11/14/2008-11-14_barack_obama_gives_campaign_staffers_ext.html

Of course not

He is just looking for spare parts for his '57 Chevy.  Why else would he visit the Island Paradise.  Oh, wait.  Is Michael Moore going to be there...........

Space Shuttle Endeavor

Launches tonight.  The night shots are the BEST!

Here's the link to the NASA site.

About 3 hours to launch, turn on the streaming NASA TV, you'll hear all of the feeds, totally fascinating stuff.

 

Blonde if you hurry you can drive up there and watch live.

Thank you for the link...

I heard a sonic boom yesterday, bam-bam   first time in many years. That was as good as any olfactory blast from the past.

First Mutt's Viet Nam 2

IranianUranium

Sonic Boom

One would think that living as close to Cherry Point MCAS and being in the flight path for the aircraft flying from Seymour Johnson to the bombing range in Dare County that I would hear a lot of sonic booms. Most of the planes at Cherry Point, Harriers, EA-6 Prowlers, don't fly fast enough. I don't recall hearing one since I lived here. The sounds coming from the Ospreys being flown by the Marines make a lot more noise than a jet. The Sounds of Freedom are loud and clear around here.

YOU CAN KEEP "THE CHANGE" PALIN 2012

There are major

There are major restrictions to super sonic flight in and around civilian population areas.  Standing on a flight deck while a Tomcat boomed the boat was always fun. 

The cost of living's going up, and the chance of livin's going down. - Flip Wilson

But the new F22's do

I was up your way in New Bern last summer, and the new F22's (although they may have been Navy?) made a pass that gave a boom. We saw them and BIL said,,ohh they are going to fast, I said what? BOOM

 

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

F22's

I thought you guys might be talking about Hondas. *In OT mood*

Live Feed for Shuttle Endeavor Launch

It's going on now....here's the link.

You can click whichever media suits you.

I love this stuff!

<Edit>  A full moon launch...I've never seen that before!

 

Blonde

Thanks for the link.  I caught this from one of your earlier posts and sent the link to my son.  I'm going there now.  Thanks again!

Enjoy!

I keep running out the front door!

No clouds here tonite, so I should be able to see it about a minute after they fire it.

Fun!

 

Bye Bye Bush (Anheiser-Busch)

The Justice Department has okayed the nBev takeover of Anheiser-Busch, after the euro divests itself of LeBlatts.

It saddens me to see AB go.....although I don't drink their beer.

 

§ ALERT!! Dallas ISD using fake Social Security numbers!!

Did THIS get ANY NEWS???

Dallas ISD faulted for using fake Social Security numbers

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/111408dnmetdisdsocials.3d93dbc.html

Years after being advised by a state agency to stop, the Dallas Independent School District continued to provide foreign citizens with fake Social Security numbers to get them on the payroll quickly. ...

WHAT!??!?

Welcome to Obama's Amerika!!!  This is the TIP of the Iceberg!!!

OMG!!

Ster.

I am a peripheral visionary. I can see the future, but only way off to the side.

With false data how do you

With false data how do you do a criminal check?

Doug Phillips, TEA's director of investigations and fingerprinting said Thursday that he didn't know which laws forbid issuing fake Social Security numbers.

"We just knew it looked bad and smelled bad," Mr. Phillips said. "That
was the first time we'd ever heard of that one." 

The cost of living's going up, and the chance of livin's going down. - Flip Wilson

§ Dan..Start with real SSN's??

I can't believe this is getting a PASS!!!

Do you think it should?  I can't tell.

Hmmmm....

Ster.

I am a peripheral visionary. I can see the future, but only way off to the side.

I'm with you on this,

I'm with you on this, P!SSED!!!

What other information have they uncovered that has been ignored? (never saw that before, der, what do we do???) These "teachers" have major contact and influence with America's children almost daily. 

The ID theft / illegal alien issue should have been reported to the Feds and local community immediately, period.  

The cost of living's going up, and the chance of livin's going down. - Flip Wilson

Does anyone know any groups...

that one can join...like patriotic support groups who will be able to unite and protect whatever is left of America after we are destroyed by the incoming administration? I am hoping that after the incoming 3rd term of the Clintons(this will be worse than Carter) no one in this country will ever vote democrap again!!

Viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.