Political Rants

Nude protests are a double-edged sword. But wait just a second, Ben... Military strategy concerning a perceived enemy of the U.S. is "moronic and hateful"? Hmm... Must've missed the memo.

Sure we have a right to free speech and all, but the planned walkout is going to do absolutely nothing. The free speech thing should be revised to state "effective free speech," because this will just make everybody look like morons. First of all, walking out in the middle of school will do nothing. Supposedly the "media" will be there... do you honestly think they would actually air an event in which **gasp** kids are skipping school? Like that never happens! Second, marching on the gas station will do nothing as well. The gas station isn't responsible for the oil crisis, it's just a small franchise. If anything, business and the owner would be hurt. How effective is a political statement if, at the same time, it is saying, "We have no idea what the real cause of the problem is, so we'll just go to the nearest gas station!" How much do you want to bet that half the kids will just trot on down and buy a Code Red and a bag of Doritos? Then, there's this whole notion that the day is supposed to not be "Business as Usual." (the supposed slogan for this "nation-wide" event) What about all the teachers and administrative officials who are paid by the very government the protest is againist? What if they don't want war? If they skip school, the don't get paid. Sure you can think of the school as an extension of the government, but it's fairly ironic that the institution that is educating these students for free is getting the shaft. If anything, public schools are probably the part of the government that is most opposed to the war. Why should the institution be hurt by a protest against something it is also opposed to? There are also a bunch of students who will take this opportunity to skip school, students who have absolutely no interest in the cause.
I could keep going on and on about how stupid this walkout will be. I'm neither radically opposed nor radically against the war (I haven't heard a convincing enough argument from either side yet) but this is just ridiculous. Exercise effective free speech, and get your message across in an accurate, visible manner, not just an excuse to skip school and hang out at the gas station.

Andrew, what you just said was moronic and hateful. We need to get one of those nude protest going though!

Before I start I would just like to say that Sadam is a horrible tyranical ruler and deserves to be placed in the presitigous category of Hitler and Stalin and that this world would be better with out him alive. But I think Bush is going at this situation all wrong. What Bush is doing right now is making it seem as if there will be a war on Sadam no matter what. Therefore whatever Sadam does it doesn't matter because Bush will invade. And we have seen that through Bush's speeches and most recently his follow-up statement of the Iraqi's destroying some of their missles, where he said this doesn't mean anything and so on. So Sadam is put in a precarious position if he disarms the US invades and he is fucked, if he rearms / continues to arm then he will stand a chance. So if I was Sadam I would get some big ass nukes and nuke the fuck out of the US and hope to kill everyone that could destroy him and his empire. And this scenerio don't look to good for us Americans, as we get the fuck bombed out of us . . . all because Bush is incompotent . . . ! Well the whole getting nuked is farfetched but the position that Bush is putting Sadam in is a reality and is only worsening the situation.

I believe that it is a very good idea to walk out and especially during school hours. We the people of the United States of America have a right to voice our opinion and have the neccesity to voice our opinions and people who trully believe the hour in Iraq is not justified they should walk out. And by walking out during school the students are bringing attention to there walk out, because before that letter was sent out I had no clue that a walk out was going to take place and now I am slightly entriuged about the walk out and considering participating in it. I think that our school should consider doing one of those nude protests! I would be all for that!

As most of you know by now, there is a walkout at school tomorrow to protest a potential war. I want to know people in the forum's opinion on the event. I am all for freedom of speech. I think that the thought of the walkout is a healthy thing. On the other hand, the planned march on the gas station is pointless and foolish. Other than making the students of Hopkins look like complete schmuks and hurting a local business, what will that accomplish? Another very stupid thing is that it is taking place during school. The reason why it is happening when it is is because the people planning it know that they wouldn't be able to get anyone to show up after school or on the weekend. It isn't planned when it is to "make a bigger statement" because it is not that much of an act of rebellion. All that would happen to a student who participates is an unexcused absence.Overall, I support the idea of having a protest (although I do not agree with the message of supporting Sadam) and freedom of speech. I just think that it could be done differently.

More proof of my point that Europe sucks is Belgium, a small country with nothing better to do than arrest its citizens who download mp3's. You'd think a government would have something better to do such as arrest people committing real crimes. But apparently in Belgium no one commits real crimes so instead of just firing some cops they started going after people who commit victimless crimes. What?s next Belgium, going to start arresting people for J-Walking? Belgium, get a life.

I am not against the United Nations criticizing Israel, what I am against is how they are so concerned about Palestinians above all other oppressed people on earth. I don't see the United Nations speaking out for North Korean to be free from the tyranny of Kim Jung Il. I don't see the United Nations speaking out for people of countries where human rights are non-existant, like China. In fact, China can't be criticized in the UN because they would veto anything criticizing them (do I smell a fundamental flaw with the organization's structure?). Israel is criticized and no one else is for many reasons that I can't get into right now. The United Nations is incapable of taking on any of the world's major problems because of the overall concencus that it requires to do anything. By the way, the United Nation's record on terrorism, the issue that America is most concerned about is abismal. With the giant voice given to 3rd World dictatorships, the U.N. will never agree on even defining the term, none the less fighting it. In conclusion, the U.N. is horribly innefficient, and even when something is finally agreed upon it cannot enforce it. Because of this, the world's major problems are forced to be solved by the United States.

By the way, the United Nations is a giant threat to national sovereignty if it gets the power that you crave for it. They have already begun the preliminary stages of a World Tax Commission and are very exited about the prospect of an International Court of Justice. Based on the record of the United Nations, I know that they are not going to put any truly brutal war criminals on trial, because the Third World Hellhole they come from will be mad. You just wait and watch. The people they put on trial will be American or British soldiers or generals. The United Nations is quickly becoming a tool of the disordered world to attack the ordered one. Although they have no power right now to do this, you should be aware of the trends from the U.N.

The U.N. isn't the best possible solution to world politics by any stretch of the imagination, yet its not the worst thing in the world either. I think that it could strengthen its stance on Iraq, as Iraq poses a significant threat to basically any world power, especially any European world power, as quite simply, it's easier to get a nuclear missile to Rome than it is to get one to New York. Andrew and Paul, you both have untenable positions. Andrew, you say that the U.N. is entirely in the right; is and should continue to be the end-all be-all of world politics and foreign policy. Paul, you say that the U.N. does nothing and might as well not exist for its lack of testicles visible to the naked eye. This is also wrong, as Gross cites. There's my bit, respond as you will, just don't lose perspective.

Now you just shot yourself in the foot. YOu complained in a previous blog that the UN is potentially dangerous as it starts exceeding it rules of soveriegnty. But now when you are pressed up against a wall you say that they should go into countries and break soveriegnty. What do you want? Make up your God damn mind. Also you say that the UN depends on the US . . . once again not true. The US does contribute some peace keeping troops of the UN's but the majority come from nations such as Britian as the US sends in its own troops as well as NATO troops. And I don't think that you understand the amount of power that the UN can potentially have. It can freeze banks, international trade, enforce borders. and other very offensive actions to that extent. Also I believe that the United States, France, China, Russia and Britian greatly hinder the amount that the UN was able to do and with ou those nations especially the United States, able to have a larger sway in events that is knows nothing about to control. Oh and lastly I am sorry to tell you but fucking grow up . . . the Israelies aren't defensiveless holy people that are perfectly innocent. They are equally terrorists, madmen, haters, and promoters of violence. What should the UN do . . . kill everyone that has raised a finger against a jew? Human beings are human beings in they eyes of the UN unlike most of the rest of the world.