Political leanings

[pacman]

Fox News started well. I enjoyed their strident view on politically sensitive subjects. They employed some no-nonsense presenters & I became a fan of Bill O'Reilly plus I could happily sit through a few others.

What happened?

They have become a parody of themselves, they have turned into screaming promoters of all things right. And please don't try to paint me as some communist.

I don't subscribe to Fox these days, the times on holiday when I catch up with Bill & Sean & others, I just sit in amazement at what they have evolved into.

To watch them shout a guest down who dares to question their right wing extremism shocks me to the core.

I have witnessed Bill O'Reilly go beserk at someone for the most spurious of reasons. Entertainment maybe, but fair & balanced news commentary? Puh-lease!!!!

I object to being subjected to the standard defense of these wankers by the allegation that if I disagree with them or the network, that I have my own political agenda.

Blueballz, it is not fascist to point out that Fox have gone completely over the line, in fact, fascism is the best term to describe everything they stand for.

I can't say I blame the current administration for denying the Fox representative entry to Obama's news conferences. These so-called journalists have betrayed everything that respectable news people demand.

And that is the truth, fair & balanced... I hope you appreciate the irony.

[pacman]

(geezer @ May 11 2009,18:11)

(Torurot @ May 11 2009,16:13) USA, 5% of the world population, 95% of the worlds problems.  

Do you honestly believe that? I'm not going to argue about it as if you think it's true there's no way i'm going to convince you otherwise.

Sorry Torurot, this figure of 95% is ridiculous & unhelpful.

Whatever our feelings are towards the US, their failings need to be put into perspective.

Now that W is no longer in charge, the country has a chance to restore its prestige & win over many of those who gave up after the re-election of the unelectable - George W.

It was the re-endorsement of this intellectual lightweight that was the last straw for so many around the world.

Myself & friends of mine - we felt that the US had just given itself a black eye, a huge own-goal that had permanently diminished America's status in the world.

This period of redemption won't be helped by throwing out absurd percentages speculating on what a terrible influence the US has been.

The US has certainly exacerbated some problems with their selfish & unreasonable foreign policies but they are not responsible for every tin-pot dictator who arises to terrorise & rip-off their own country.

[manarak]

USA, 5% of the world population, 95% of the worlds problems.

I would rephrase that in something more accurate: 95% of USA's serious problems with foreign countries have ultimately been caused by the USA themselves.

America is one of the best places in the world to live

We can agree on that.

But this isn't incompatible with the fact that the USA did evil things, which causes life to be shitty in other countries (and also caused many deaths).

"the USA are a good place to live" is no justification for imposing their imperialism to the world.

[pacman]

On the subject of dictators, a move sure to win popular support for Obama would be a missile strike on the aging despot, Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe.

He not only has mass consensus behind such a move, he is almost the only leader in the world who can't be accused of racism if he did order such a hit.

That is a political assassination that would be welcomed by people of all nations. We will wait for ever for the UN to ever lift a finger. What a waste of resources that place is...

[blonde_havoc]

(sev7en @ May 12 2009,18:15)

(blonde_havoc @ May 12 2009,15:17) America is one of the best places in the world to live.

Have you ever left your own state?

Have been to (states):
Illinois (obviously)
Wisconsin
Iowa
Indiana
Missouri
Louisiana
Tennessee
Georgia
Mississippi
Florida
Washington, DC
Maryland
Nevada
California

Have been to (world):
Germany
Switzerland
Austria
Belgium

So yeah, I'd say I've been outside of my own state. Thanks for the snark though. It is what you do best.

[blonde_havoc]

(Torurot @ May 12 2009,17:02) You are missing the point about Fox (the spin begins here).  It couldn't tell a straight story if you paid them.  If they could, then I wouldn't have a problem with them.

So you're going to completely ignore the fact that Keith Olbermann is essentially a left-leaning Bill O'Reilly? It's the exact same thing, man. If you hate one, you have to hate the other. You can't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining.

And keep in mind I don't watch Fox News... ever. But I'm not smug enough to sit here and preach against it when CNN and MSNBC do exactly the same thing.

[JaiDee]

(blonde_havoc @ May 12 2009,15:17) As for the Fox News stuff... why is it ok to hate Fox News for having a conservative slant when all the other news networks are decidedly liberal in nature?

Because they SAY they are "Fair and Balanced"!!

    Which is utter bullshit....come on,  everyone knows that.   Another favorite tagline; ''we report....you decide".  And of course the people helping you to decide are Karl Rove and Dana Perrino?  Ex-Cheney staffers? 90-IQ  Morons like Sean Hannity?  Newt Gingrich?  How about getting James Carville or someone smart from the left on there once in a while?

      At least if you are going to be a conservative network, which is fine; ADMIT that you are! Don't go off saying you are fair and balanced when your news programs are all far-right  and you were getting talking points from the Cheney white house for 8 years.  Of  course  MSNBC is far left, NBC probably is as well but who knows, I don't watch network TV.  But as far as I know they never claimed to be Fair and Balanced.

         Watch the Fox news  anchor girls, it's demeaning and embarassing for them, frankly; someone tells those hotties to wear those hiked-up skirts and apply more make-up than the rest of the networks, again better to hook in their gun-toting right-wing Nascar fanbase.  Especially right now, Fox's main job is to scare the American people, to make 'em believe that we are in deep shit because the dems are in control.  

       The "terror threat alerts" coming out of the white house between 2002 and 2005 which NO OTHER network ever ran?  Why, better to scare the American people and make 'em keep watching our network!  "Maybe Dick can send it to  Yellow or Orange today and we can  REALLY scare the fuck out of these people!"  

   Whatever happened to those by the way?  What, we are in no more danger now?  Cheney and Karl cleared all that terror shit  up for us?  Fox also has those stupid graphics flying in and out every 4 or 5 seconds and weird noises and shit, again just to keep their rabid fanbase glued to their model-looking anchor gals so they don't get up off the sofa or maybe......uh-oh.... turn the channel to something just a bit more to the left of Mussolini?

       Conservative network?  Fine, just admit that you are and don't keep saying you are Fair and Balanced  because you're not!

[JaiDee]

(blonde_havoc @ May 12 2009,22:10) So you're going to completely ignore the fact that Keith Olbermann is essentially a left-leaning Bill O'Reilly?

Of course they are the same, and frankly each one is entertaining in their own way.  When in the states I flip through the channels every now and then and land on these networks and usually have a good laugh,  but again Fox has to stop using that Fair and Balanced tagline when they are the only one who even gave a crap about those "Tea Parties"  which meant nothing,  and while they keep dressing their news anchor gals to look like hookers; if I was a Fox viewer I would frankly be offended that they use such low-brow tactics to hang on to viewers but nothing is beneath ol' Rupert or his lap dog Roger Ailes.   When in Asia for months on end and the only station the hotels show is FOX,  and you are a news junkie and NEED your fix, you really get a feel for how far-right they are and the tactisc they use to keep their viewers and frankly it's appaling.

     Honestly, I think CNN is middle of the road now..... while they used to be the leaders of the far left coverage, compared to MSNBC and  FOX they are now the only somewhat-moderate network you can land on these days.  I usually watch Anderson Cooper for a while before I zone out before bed time and he ain't half bad and is even   ..... maybe he likes ladyboys?

Blonde-Havoc, RE  living in or being from the USA .....  I am a proud American, have lived here all my life and have been lucky to lead a pretty decent life which guys my age from Manila to Saigon to Nigeria and Peru would envy, of course.   But when I started travelling the world in 1998 until now, 24 countries all told,  it just opens a persons eyes as to what else is out there!

     Sure, we have beaches and mountains and deserts and rivers; but all these places are filled with other yanks and I like a different point of view sometimes, to interact with people from Europe or Asia and pick their brains a little and experience their culture, etc..... I think people from Ohio who have no passport and only do Florida and Cape Cod and California are missing out on a lot.

  My signature says it all....when I am here I am bored; when I travel I am NEVER bored!

[Stewart]

(Torurot @ May 12 2009,07:52) Right Stewart, throw away line "USA, 5% of the world population, 95% of the worlds problems".  According to CIA world fact book, USA is approx 5% of the worlds population, so let's deal with the 95%.  The exact quantity is indeed debatable.  Rational commentators (those not based on Fox, the spin begins here) don't give the USA free pass. It's actions have consequences. So perhaps you can tell us why is the USA in Iraq, why is the USA in Afghanistan, & 95% (you pick your own figure) of the other "trouble" spots in the world.  Ask Dieter why the USA still has Military bases in Germany and in 749 other places in the world etc ect.  Depends if you believe the USA is part of the problem or part of the solution.  Perhaps it's bits of both.  If you keep stiring the pots in foreign parts, sooner or later you get burned.  YMMV.

Take for e.g. two of the current wars of aggression.

The Strategic Debate Over Afghanistan
May 11, 2009  ©stratfor.com

Graphic for Geopolitical Intelligence Report

By George Friedman

After U.S. airstrikes killed scores of civilians in western Afghanistan this past week, White House National Security Adviser Gen. James L. Jones said the United States would continue with the airstrikes and would not tie the hands of U.S. generals fighting in Afghanistan.

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


In the end, there is never a debate between U.S. presidents and generals. Even MacArthur discovered that. It is becoming clear that Obama is not going to bet all in Afghanistan, and that he sees Afghanistan as not worth the fight. Petraeus is a soldier in a fight, and he wants to win. But in the end, as Clausewitz said, war is an extension of politics by other means. As such, generals tend to not get their way.

Tell STRATFOR What You Think

So, are you going to list the 95% or not??



My guess is that if the US had not been in Germany, that wall would have been a few hundred miles further west, if not a few thousand. And Dieter would not have the freedom to write on message boards like this

Comments like yours are just so simplistic it is embarrasssing

[sev7en]

(blonde_havoc @ May 12 2009,15:17)


Have been to (world):
Germany
Switzerland
Austria
Belgium

And on this you base your opinion that the US is the best place in the world to live in...

[Stewart]

Have been to (world):
Germany
Switzerland
Austria
Belgium

That's it?? That is your view of the world?

[blonde_havoc]

(JaiDee @ May 12 2009,22:59) Blonde-Havoc, RE  living in or being from the USA .....  I am a proud American, have lived here all my life and have been lucky to lead a pretty decent life which guys my age from Manila to Saigon to Nigeria and Peru would envy, of course.   But when I started travelling the world in 1998 until now, 24 countries all told,  it just opens a persons eyes as to what else is out there!

     Sure, we have beaches and mountains and deserts and rivers; but all these places are filled with other yanks and I like a different point of view sometimes, to interact with people from Europe or Asia and pick their brains a little and experience their culture, etc..... I think people from Ohio who have no passport and only do Florida and Cape Cod and California are missing out on a lot.

  My signature says it all....when I am here I am bored; when I travel I am NEVER bored!

Agreed 100%! I have nothing against travel and aspire to travel as much as possible throughout my life. I will most definitely travel when I'm done with my godforsaken studies!!

But I have nothing against anyone who doesn't want to leave the states. My mom for example... she just doesn't want to leave. There's so much for her here. She just has no interest in the hassle of traveling overseas at her age. I don't begrudge her that. My dad, however, has been to many countries because he was a sailor. His favorite country to visit was Greece.

[blonde_havoc]

(Stewart @ May 13 2009,01:48)

Have been to (world):
Germany
Switzerland
Austria
Belgium

That's it?? That is your view of the world?

I'm 26 years old. You expect me to visit every continent? Give a guy a break...

[manarak]

Have been to (world):
Germany
Switzerland
Austria
Belgium

at first I wanted to make the same comment as Stewart, but then I read your post about your age, and I also thought that not everybody has the necessary $$$ to travel at 26.

But then again your vision of the world is seriously limited, blonde.
Too limited to imagine how reality is in countries that are radically different from northern america and Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Austria - all those countries are more or less the same. Except another language is spoken.

Thanks to western propaganda your probably imagine that life in countires like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Iran, etc. is like hell on earth.

Before declaring that the USA is paradise on earth when compared to other countries, you need to travel a bit, and not just to wimpy destinations.

[Torurot]

QUOTE
USA, 5% of the world population, 95% of the worlds problems.


>>I would rephrase that in something more accurate: 95% of USA's serious problems with foreign countries have ultimately been caused by the USA themselves.>>


Perfect! Blowback is a bitch!