gags

Not to rain on your parade, but you'd probably have more success working through the Republican party in our current system. Although they can have some influence, 3rd parties never amount to much.

I've often wondered if the same thing would happen with Cuba. Our economic boycott of the island has been less than successful. If we lifted that boycott and began to trade freely with Cuba, my guess is that the Cuban people would dump Castro relatively quickly.

Generals H. Norman Schwarzkopf and Tommy Franks. Scharzkopf was a decorated (purple heart and silver star among others) veteran of Vietnam in addition to successfully running Gulf War I. Franks is also a Vietnam veteran and was a "soldier's soldier" from what I hear. I don't know anything about their politics or personal lives, but both men excelled at being and commanding soldiers.

There's no need for that. A nun once told me that if a boy masturbates, he'll go blind.

You're welcome. I feel the same way everytime I log onto this site.

Although portions of the smoke reach the upper atmosphere and travel long distances, couldn't the problem be mitigated best by people who are in close proximity to the factory? They would likely bring suit because they've been directly harmed. The neighbors are the ones able to show actual damages and a direct link to the polluter. The folks in the Adirondacks should probably join together and build some of those cool chairs for the people in Michigan. You know, just as a small token of their appreciation. I'm not sure that anyone is actually saying that. However, I'd still like to focus on how one solves the problem of multiple small sources of pollution (cars, for example) without government regulation. Perhaps it could be done through class action tort litigation against the vehicle manufacturers. If the people of Los Angeles were to act as a class and sue the vehicle manufacturers because of the smog in their city, would that be a rational means of encouraging the manufacturers to install emission control devices on their vehicles? On the other hand, I'm not entirely certain that emission control devices wouldn't be installed on vehicles absent government regulations. There are so many environmentally conscious people in this country that things like catalitic converters might be an option that the car companies would offer to buyers even if the govt. didn't require such devices.

The thought of her running around braless is disturbing.

If we were to focus on auto exhaust for example, it seems that an individual would have a very difficult time rationally claiming that they were harmed by the pollutants coming from any specific vehicle and its driver. Nevertheless, with thousands of cars on the road spewing exhaust in a concentrated area, the air can become difficult to breath pretty quickly. I honestly can't think of how one would solve this problem without resorting to some sort of government control. Maybe the only solution is that you simply don't live in a big city if you don't like air pollution. With a factory belching smoke, it seems that tracing pollutants to their source would be easier, which should simplify the process of establishing liability. One would still have to demonstrate harm in order to be compensated, but I suppose that could be done by a physician. What about people with pre-existing conditions like asthma? Is the asthmatic entitled to greater compensation for air pollution than the person with a healthier set of lungs?

I believe he's referring to Ms. Sheehan. She has made some truly outrageous statements recently.

Are you saying that it's not important to vote because a single vote won't change the outcome of an election? Tommyedison apears to have been saying that a rational soldier fights for selfish reasons, including maintaining his own freedom. There may also be certain principles and/or ideals (freedom, for example) that are so dear to the soldier, he would rather die than continue to live in the absence of those things. This is hardly altrustic.

The following 4 paragraphs from the article are truly stunning. 1)While criticizing Western democracy as "deeply flawed," the bishops appeal for greater "understanding" of what motivates terrorists, and say efforts must be made to address their "long-standing grievances." 2)The war on Iraq, they say, appeared to have been executed "as much for reasons of American national interest as it was for the well-being of the Iraqi people." 3)And looking beyond Iraq, the bishops also argue for a more flexible approach by the U.S. and European Union over Iran's nuclear program. 4)In a preface, one of the four authors, Bishop of Oxford Richard Harries, writes that for many people in the world today, "It is not terrorism, but American foreign policy and what they perceive as American expansionism which constitutes the major threat to peace." Here's the translation: Par. 1: We should bargain with our killers and also subsidize them. This would be the "Christian" thing to do. Par. 2: Wars should be fought for reasons other than self interest. Presumably altruistic reasons. Par. 3: We should allow the Iranians to build nuclear weapons. Presumably this would help counter-balance US power in the region. Par. 4: America is evil and should be opposed. Dictators, thugs and murderers like those running Iran and North Korea are apparently less of a threat to peace than the USA. I think it's safe to say that only the minds of self-hating mystics could come up with such twisted drivel.

I'm not sure where to get the other P&T segments. A buddy of mine gave me the link I posted above.

If you're interested in seeing the entire P&T segment on PETA, you can watch it here: http://media.putfile.com/petaBS Good stuff.

In high school, my friends and I were very interested in politics and debate. As a result, I was always looking for things to read that helped me strengthen the logic behind my arguments. Somehow I came across a copy of "The New Left - The Anti-Industrial Revolution" and it blew me away. Such clarity, such razor sharp logic.... I was hooked. Wow, it's been a number of years since I've heard those initials. After getting an undergraduate degree I moved to Washington D.C. and starting working for a man named Terry Dolan and NCPAC (the National Conservative Political Action Committee). Terry had his problems later on, but YAF and NCPAC were fairly powerful organizations in their day. Skap, I used to love your grandfather's show. Mark Scott was on WXYZ radio (1270 AM) in Detroit during the late 1980s and most of the 1990s. He and his fellow broadcaster David Newman were far and away the finest talk show hosts in America - bar none. I didn't know Mark personally, but I was lucky enough to have met him a couple of times at different events. He was a great man and I was very sorry to hear that he passed away. Cheers to you and the memory of your grandfather. Phil

Welcome, glad to have you around. My wife and I met at U of M, so I have mostly good memories. I will admit though, that sometimes it's tough to stay sane in Ann Arbor.

You make a good point David. I'll retract my earlier "problem" statement, which was meant more along the lines of the idea that unions shouldn't be prohibited by government. Perhaps I should add that in my experience, unions are counterproductive for employees who excel at their jobs. If you're good at what you do, you can usually negotiate a better pay and benefit package for yourself than what the union makes available to everyone. Better employees also tend to advance faster in non-union shops. Hey! I guess I do have several problems with them.

I don't have a problem with unions as long as one isn't forced to join or pay dues. Closed shops should not be allowed. On the other hand, if a group of workers wants to band together and pursue collective bargaining, they should have that right. They should also be aware that there is a world market for labor. Businesses will move their operations overseas if labor costs make them uncompetitive.

Well, before we stop ranting and raving, let me add Senator Mary Landrieu (D - LA) to the list. Her performance during the Katrina fiasco was beneath contempt.

What a strange and contradictory fellow.

"Food Ethics".....I love it.

Some of you might find this case to be interesting: http://www.envlaw.com/dearborn.html If you click on "Read the Complaint" you can pull it up in a PDF file. The case involves residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the Rouge Steel complex in Detroit, MI. The steel plant is now owned by the Russian company Severstal, but it was made famous by Ford Motor, Harry Bennett, and the labor violence that took place there during the 1930s. The Rouge Plant is emitting dust and ash that falls on the homes of the residential neighborhoods that are in close proximity. In Paragraph number 1 of the complaint, they start out by saying that "This is an action necessary to protect the property rights of the Named Plaintiffs....."

I suppose they set the precedent for this type of program with the response to 9/11. Politicians increase their power base by encouraging dependence on government, and this is just more of the same.

It seems clear that much of the suffering due to delayed response is the result of the actions taken by the hooligans and criminals who see this natural disaster as an opportunity to loot and terrrorize people. I hope the National Guardsmen follow their orders to shoot looters on the spot.

There also seems to be a fairly sizeable contingent of people who simply couldn't get out. Some are elderly w/o private transportation and some were in the local hospitals, incapable of moving themselves. On a seperate but related issue, I was rather disturbed to hear one spokesman from the NAACP and another from the Urban League claiming last night on cable TV that the government's slow response can be attributed to racism. I believe it was the man from the Urban League who made an incredibly bizarre statement to the effect that during the 1969 hurricane, "you people" (meaning white people or those in power ??) used the bodies of blacks in New Orleans as sandbags to stop the water from flooding homes and businesses. My wife and I nearly fell out of our chairs when we heard that.

I wonder if the patient would have had the same reaction if the doctor had warned her about the risk of smoking instead of being obese. Somehow I doubt it.