President George Bush Kicking A$$

[BT]

I am just quoting from it and making a comment.
Geezz talk about 'policing'

I see neither policing nor muscle flexing in that request. Both charges you have made recently, without substantiating them, i might add.

If you don't have an answer just say so.

[Cynthia]

I am just quoting from it and making a comment.
Geezz talk about 'policing'

I see neither policing nor muscle flexing in that request. Both charges you have made recently, without substantiating them, i might add.

If you don't have an answer just say so.

Read the post before you come in with a flippant response- BT.

Tell Bush to "Just say NO!"

 

[BT]

If you showed a link between high oil prices and the war in Iraq i didn't see it. Might as well blame China and India for the lemons. The increased demands have a lot to do with spot oil pricing. So does speculation.

BTW a flippant post from me would look like something like this:

"Might as well just post teehee as your answer."

That might also qualify as patronizing. Doubt it is muscle flexing or policing.

 

[Amianthus]

There is no comparison...and frankly, AFTER the war in the European/Asia theaters came to an ALTo..., returning vets were offered a hell of a lot more here at home....... The GI bill for one. 

Last time I checked, the GI Bill and various other benefits for returning soldiers was still in force.

[Cynthia]

"And this is related to the war, how?"

Instead of replying on the article, and to the point that I made about the article that Lanya posted, you flexed this remark. hmmm, not policing...ok well ..not quite, but flippant and task manager....yes.



Just read the post, reply, and be done with it.....no need to monitor, BT. If the post I made had had nothing to do with the war, so be it. You tend to reply with a sort of flexing hall monitor attitude.

Continue on with the discussion, please. 

[Cynthia]

There is no comparison...and frankly, AFTER the war in the European/Asia theaters came to an ALTo..., returning vets were offered a hell of a lot more here at home....... The GI bill for one. 

Last time I checked, the GI Bill and various other benefits for returning soldiers was still in force.

Not according to some who are running for office in my state. I just saw a political bite charging the opposite.

[Cynthia]

If you showed a link between high oil prices and the war in Iraq i didn't see it. Might as well blame China and India for the lemons. The increased demands have a lot to do with spot oil pricing. So does speculation.

BTW a flippant post from me would look like something like this:

"Might as well just post teehee as your answer."

That might also qualify as patronizing. Doubt it is muscle flexing or policing.

 

Teehhee

[Amianthus]

Not according to some who are running for office in my state. I just saw a political bite charging the opposite.

I'll need more than a "political bite" to change my mind. I've seen the budget figures showing money being spent on those benefits. I've talked to soldiers who are receiving those benefits.

Politicians lie. Always have, always will.

[Cynthia]

Not according to some who are running for office in my state. I just saw a political bite charging the opposite.

I'll need more than a "political bite" to change my mind. I've seen the budget figures showing money being spent on those benefits. I've talked to soldiers who are receiving those benefits.

Politicians lie. Always have, always will.

http://www.tomudall.com/index.php?src=hhdisp

It apparently could be better, Ami.

[Cynthia]

http://georgemiller.house.gov/gibill.html

apparently THe GI BILL could use some serious Udall OverHauls.

 "On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind."

[BT]

Just read the post, reply, and be done with it.

And I'm the taskmaster?

[Amianthus]

It apparently could be better, Ami.

OK, so this politician thinks the benefits could be better. He's welcome to his opinion.

Still haven't shown how the benefits are any less than they were at the end of WWII. Matter of fact, they're better now than they were then.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Last time I checked, the GI Bill and various other benefits for returning soldiers was still in force.\

=========================
Yes and not really.\
Returning soldiers CAN get money to go to college, but they cannot get all the money they need to cover room, board and tuition to most colleges. They can live at home with the 'rents and attend community college. But the GI's after WWII could go to Harvard and the GI Bill covered everything.

[Plane]

Prove a negative, huh?  You don't want to believe it, fine.  No skin off my nose, especially since you obviously have no intention of being objective or recognizing current reality.  By all means, continue with the Blinded Bush bashing

I didn't think you could do it.

Prove that this war is working...give us numbers, data and facts, please.

Or you could bring BT in to help.

A whole lot depends on a realistic definition of "success" Iraq is on a good trend right now , the violent elements have suffered violence and the government has grown stronger. I am very hopefull we can leave there and leave a functioning democracy there.

But only part of that is in our controll, we can make the formation of democracy possible but it is the people who live there who must make it operate elese we have a puppet and not a democracy . Even a peacefull and prosperous puppet is a failure in our stated goals . A poor and strifefull democracy is more like a success to me.

"I want to say a word to our troops and civilians in Iraq. You've performed with incredible skill under demanding circumstances. The turnaround you have made possible in Iraq is a brilliant achievement in American history. And while this war is difficult, it is not endless. And we expect that, as conditions on the ground continue to improve, they will permit us to continue the policy of return on success. The day will come when Iraq is a capable partner of the United States. The day will come when Iraq is a stable democracy that helps fight our common enemies and promote our common interests in the Middle East. And when that day arrives, you'll come home with pride in your success, and the gratitude of your whole nation."

President George W. Bush
April 10, 2008

http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/58861.htm

In The Past 12 Months, Iraq Has Undergone A Political Transformation That Is Virtually Without Precedent. Iraqis have completed three successful nationwide elections, voted for a transitional government, drafted the most progressive, democratic constitution in the Arab world, approved that constitution, and elected a new government under their new constitution. Each successive election has seen less violence, bigger turnout, and broader participation than the one before.

The Process Of Forming A New National Government Will Take Time And Patience. When the final election results come in, Iraqi leaders will begin working to form a new government. In the weeks ahead, Americans will likely see political turmoil in Iraq - as different factions and leaders compete for position and jockey for power. Yet out of this debate will emerge a free government that represents the will of the Iraqi people.
Iraqis Have Shown They Can Come Together For The Sake Of National Unity. After the January 2005 elections, Shia and Kurdish leaders who did well at the polls reached out to Sunni Arabs who failed to participate. Now Iraqis must reach out once again across political, religious, and sectarian lines and form a government of national unity. In the December 2005 elections, Sunnis turned out in large numbers. Sunnis who abandoned violence to join the political process must learn to use their influence to benefit their community and the country at large. Shia and Kurds need to understand that successful free societies protect minority rights. The success of Iraqi democracy will come when political divisions are driven not by sectarian rivalries but by ideas, convictions, and a common vision for the future.

http://www.meforum.org/article/1921

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), an intergovernmental organization representing the majority of Muslim states, provides a useful pool to study. Only 48 of the 57 states that comprise the OIC and which account for 1.1 billion out of 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, however, provide the data necessary to calculate the status of democracy; the other nine simply do not collect sufficient data.[4] These span several regions, including 18 states in the Middle East and North Africa; 15 in sub-Saharan Africa; 11 in Asia beyond the Middle East; 2 in southeastern Europe; and 2 in South America. They have an average per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of $5,746; an average, official unemployment rate of 15.44 percent (for countries with unemployment data); and a military expenditure as percentage of GDP of 4.93 percent (see Table 1).

The Status of Democracy Index (SDI) measures each country's progress toward democratic governance through multiple variables. First, it measures governance through four variables: how heads of state and members of the legislature are selected; political party development; suffrage; and the maturity of civil liberties. Second, it incorporates the annual Freedom House survey to quantify media freedom.[5] Third, it uses U.S. State Department reports to measure religious liberty.[6] The fourth variable incorporates ratings of human rights from the State Department and prominent nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.[7] Fifth, it uses the United Nations Development Program's index to provide a measurement of human development.[8] And lastly, the Heritage Foundation's index of economic freedom quantifies economic freedom.[9]

The Status of Democracy Index rates each of these nine variables on a three-point scale: 0 (nonexistent), 1 (emerging), or 2 (fully present). Some of the variables, such as media freedom, religious liberty, and respect for human rights, are easy to quantify, whereas measuring human development is more subjective. Economic freedom can be scored on the level of governmental interference in the economy: 0 (strong), 1 (moderate), and 2 (low). It is then possible to convert the totals to a percentage for ease of digestion.[10]

..................

As the Status of Democracy Index shows, democracy in the Middle East and North Africa is the exception rather than the rule. Lebanon and Turkey, each with a 61 percent score, rank the highest. Only Algeria (52.7 percent) and Egypt (50 percent) score in the upper two quadrants. In descending order, the rest of the Middle East and North African countries are: Jordan (47.2 percent), Tunisia (47.2 percent), Yemen (47.2 percent), Kuwait (44.4 percent), Morocco (44.4 percent), Syria (36 percent), Qatar (33.3 percent), Bahrain (30.5 percent), Libya (27.7 percent), Oman (27.7 percent), Sudan (27.7 percent), United Arab Emirates (27.7 percent), Iran (25 percent), and Saudi Arabia (13.8 percent).

Correlation analysis indicates:

The greater percentage of Muslims a country had relative to its overall population, the lower its SDI score tended to be.[11]
The higher a country's GDP per capita, the lower its SDI score.[12]
The greater percentage of a country's GDP that is devoted to military expenditures, the lower its SDI score.[13]
Because GDP and military expenditure percentages are positively correlated with each other,[14] a linear regression examined which of the two was a stronger predictor of SDI. The regression suggests that military expenditure percentage is most strongly related to the country's SDI after considering its GDP, not the reverse. The greater a country's military expenditure percentage, the lower its SDI.
The greater the percentage of Muslims within a country, the higher the percentage of the GDP that is devoted to its military expenditures.[15]

....................

".......at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, have urged caution when promoting democracy in Iran. They argue that such U.S. pressure generates paranoia in the leadership, provides an excuse for political and cultural repression, and encourages the subversion of the indigenous reform movement.."

..........................

Democratization is a generational initiative that must consider internal and external dynamics. There is, obviously, no magic formula. There are many Muslim communities, each with its own unique approaches?some entirely rejectionist, unfortunately?to nation-building and democracy. What Muslim leaders and peoples who wish to improve the democratic character of their societies can do for themselves is determine how best to improve their democratic practices and institutions and make them more attractive to those people and groups who are less inclined to support democratic transformation. What non-Muslim leaders and peoples can do is encourage and support Muslims as they speak out for equality, good governance, pluralism, and tolerance...."

[Cynthia]

OK, so this politician thinks the benefits could be better. He's welcome to his opinion.


No, he's welcome to run for office and promise something better than we used to have once upon a time.
OPINION?
Not that's funny, Ami.

You stated that politicians lie. You never produced this new Bill. That leads me to believe that you had never heard of said Bill until it was posted. You can argue, but you apparently have little to stand on this time around.

Still haven't shown how the benefits are any less than they were at the end of WWII. Matter of fact, they're better now than they were then.

If you read the Bill, there is plenty "less" than should be..... why don't YOU prove to me that this Bill is asking for too much.