So long and thanks for all the fish

[kis123]

I've appreciated your contributions at the TMF. They're a little lengthy, but appreciated. I'm not one of the board members who thinks everything the government says is right. I'm not one of the members who thinks patriotism is a blind following. If your opinions are different than mine, I don't tell you to "move somewhere else." There are people who have a "my way or die" mentality and just want to spew venom until they get their way. And if you let them run you off, you'll be giving them just that. And they'll still be spewing venom and nothing will ever change, except you let them bully you.

Simply put, people reserve the right to be stupid, and you can't change ignorance with a few words. That doesn't mean you let them run you out of town. They're not going anywhere, and neither am I.


If you don't understand anything else, get this....don't ever let anyone run you from anywhere you want to be. If you want to be a part of this board, stay and be a part of it. If you want to leave, then leave. But you're not a child, don't let anyone control you like one!😡

 

[Mephistopheles]

Finally someone who came with real facts and reliable information to prove his points in often excellent posts, and now you left? Goddamnit, the general discussion really lost one of it's brightest contributors imo.

 

[red indian]

A clarification..........

......for all those who found boffers "anti american" or Big Jim or me or anyone else who uses these boards to critisize the President,his cabinet, the administration in general, or the U.S. military.

The United States of America is the greatest world power ever seen on the planet. Since the demise of the Soviet Union, it is the ONLY world power in exsistance.

Its commercial, industrial and financial muscle dwarfes any other on the planet. This massive and overwhelming money making machine is able to controll world trade to such an extent that the U.S. is in all but name, a global empire.

Like any empire of the past, its position of dominance is protected by military power. In the case of the U.S. is has a totally unassailable military strength both in terms of the size of its forces and the technology it has at its disposal. In the very near future, the U.S. will be so advanced that it will be able to wage war
anywere in the world without risking the life of a single U.S. serviceman.

This level of dominance on the world stage means, inevitably, that American culture, language, customs, music, life style, food, sport (god help us!) is equally dominant across the globe.

The consequence of all this world dominance is, guess what? you are going to get talked about!!! why is this such a suprise to those of you who view any critisism of the U.S.as "anti American"? the rest of us have no choice other than to be interested in what the U.S. does and what decisions its government makes, and what do you know??!! we dont always like what we see!!! another big suprise???.....really?

Lets face it, who cares what Latvia or Iceland or the Vatican think about the middle east, the price of oil or world trade tarriffs? they are not important, its what the U.S. says and does that matters because they dominate the planet.

It is an inevitable consequence of all this world domination that the U.S. will come in for heavy critisism for all kinds of reasons and from all shades of the political spectrum.

I do not think of myself as "anti American" far from it, but I have plenty to pick fault with about the U.S. The same does not hold for Americans picking fault with the U.K. or most other countries, we have no decernable effect on the U.S. for them to complain about.

Contrary to what many of you may think I am not complaining about the situation as I see it. Its just the way things are, someone has to be top dog, and the top dog has to be accomodated as best we can, but the U.S. can not hold this position in the world and not expect to be under the closest scrutiny by the rest of the world.

You are making all the big decisions on the planet and if the rest of us dont like it, its just tough. By the same token, it follows that your decisions will be questioned and critisised, and if you dont like it.....well....thats just tough as well.

 

[BigJim]

To be fair people have "stood up" to him for all the time he's been a member here. He only upped sticks when someone he thought was less sensitive whaled in. And given the analytical and almost "scientific" structure of his debaiting points, I hardly think the post which made him decide to leave can be construed as "standing up to him" at all. He isn't playing the martyr, he's just disheartened and disappointed in my opinion.


As for what Indy said, I'm in wholehearted agreement. He just thought of better words to say it than I ever could. America is the dominant force and there are no second places in the five sense world. America affects everywhere and everthing, ergo it's going to get talked about, and heaven forbid, analysed and critiscised more than the rest. You think the Brits didn't get their fair share of bitching when we ran the word before you? Hell yes we did! And most of it came from your benighted land!

 

[AffectionateDan]

You must be tired, indeed...

...to let the bleating masses have weighed you down to this point, Steve. Don't leave just because the noisy minority has tossed down a cheap gauntlet. Those of us who know you better see the integrity and well-considered words you post. It's the ignorant ones who scream first, think later, man.

Stay.

 

[BigJim]

One last time, goodbye Steve. We'll meet elsewhere I'm sure. Your contributions here were appreciated by many, certainly by myself too. See you around mate. 🙂