Comments Posted By michael reynolds
Displaying 341 To 350 Of 839 Comments
PROSECUTING TORTURE AS A DISTRACTION FROM THE ECONOMY
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This China ascendant thing is getting ridiculous.
1) China has an economy somewhat smaller than Japan, somewhat larger than Germany. The UK and France together have an economy bigger than China. The EU taken together is vastly bigger than China with about a third of the population.
2) China has internal tensions sufficient that they had to bail out on the G-8 -- a terrible loss of face -- so that Hu could rush home. You'll notice that doesn't happen in the US or Japan or Europe.
3) If we're in hock to China, don't forget they are in hock to us. We are their Citibank: too big to fail. They've invested in us and if the dollar goes down, they go down with it.
4) As a military power China has nothing but problems. Our "neighborhood" is Mexico and Canada. Theirs is Russia, India, the various 'Stans, Vietnam and North Korea. They hold a terrible hand: unpredicatable borders in every direction, access to the oceans that is restricted by US-allied choke points, a two-generations-ago military technology, and an officer and NCO pool with virtually no combat experience.
Now, it may be that China is a competitor for superpower status somewhere down the road. But not today, not next year, not next decade.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 12.07.2009 @ 11:00
Obama is certainly subtle enough and ruthless enough to proceed. My own suspicion is that this is more in the nature of a brushback pitch: a warning to the GOP that pain can be inflicted.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 12.07.2009 @ 09:48
A FEW WORDS ON THE EFFICACY OF CHANGING ONE'S MIND
You were right the first time Rick.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 6.07.2009 @ 17:58
David Letterman tells an off-color joke and Palin resigns?
Thank God the North Koreans, the Iranians, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah and the rest of the folks she'd have had to face as president don't have senses of humor.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 4.07.2009 @ 10:25
OBAMA'S MEASURED RESPONSE ON IRAN AND THE PENSION CRISIS
Congratulations on the new gig. They're lucky to get you. But even you can't make me read a piece on public pensions.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 23.06.2009 @ 08:14
'IT IS NOT OVER. IT HAS JUST BEGUN'
I'd like to think I'd be out on the streets with them. But man, I don't know. That has to be a gut-check moment and you can't praise these demonstrators enough for stepping into those streets.
I'll say this, though: I hope we don't ever have to fight these people. I like them and I respect them. They'd make good allies and tough enemies.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 20.06.2009 @ 23:24
IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
Poor Rick. After trying so hard to resolve the conflict between your own intelligence and the stupidity of your compatriots you're signaling surrender to stupid.
Yes, anger, that's what we just haven't had enough of from conservatives. More anger please. The country wants and needs more angry old white guys.
When's the last time you talked about an actual conservative idea? I recall a post on the conservative health plan a while back. Before that? After that? Why the silence on ideas from you and other conservatives? Because you don't have any. All you have is nostalgia for a bygone era. That and the rage of the old man who sees life passing him by.
Remember when you were talking about conservatives re-thinking, re-imagining, adjusting and coming back better and stronger? And this is what you've come up with? Not a single new idea, and now a call for more teeth-gritting and jaw-jutting and grim determination to . . . to what, exactly? Get those darn kids off the lawn?
Your party is killing you, Rick. All they have is impotent rage and now you endorse their impotent rage. This tells me everything I need to know about the conservative movement and the GOP.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 17.06.2009 @ 10:06
'THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING HERE'
One more, Rick, since you accuse me of talking about pissant nobodies:
Two weeks before a pivotal election, the Bush administration brought some of the Republican Party's conservative base to its front yard Tuesday by inviting talk radio hosts to broadcast from the North Lawn of the White House.
About three dozen radio hosts set up inside a huge tent, interviewing administration stars such as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and political guru Karl Rove. The hosts, both national and local plus a smattering of liberals, hailed from New York to San Diego.
snip
Bush spokesman Tony Snow, himself a former radio talk show host, sat for at least 34 radio interviews in the big white tent. His hit list included national hosts Glenn Beck and Neal Boortz, as well as Inga Barks of Bakersfield, Calif., and Dave Jaconette of Kalamazoo, Mich.
"The chief objective is to make our case as clearly as possible, to as many people as possible," Snow said.
According to Talkers magazine, four of the five top talk radio audiences tune into conservatives: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and Laura Ingraham. Of those, only Hannity showed up at the White House on Tuesday, and his day included an interview of Vice President Cheney to be run on both his radio and Fox News television programs Tuesday.
I was not able to locate any principled conservative denunciations of this event.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 16.06.2009 @ 20:24
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 16.06.2009 @ 19:53There are dozens of radio talk-show hosts broadcasting this week from Washington, D.C., as part of a rally that aims to pressure Congress to defeat an illegal alien amnesty bill, protect the border, and support the U.S. Border Patrol. But the president isn't planning any meetings with them, according to a spokeswoman.
Dana Perino was responding to a question from Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House. He asked, "The president has more than once invited up to two dozen talk radio hosts to broadcast from the White House. But now, while three dozen are broadcasting on Capitol Hill for three days on illegal immigration, we have received no such presidential invitation or even word of welcome. And my question, does the president wish we would all go home?
"I think you're talking about apples and oranges, Les," said Perino.
The Bush administration is sending its message out to people across the United States via talk radio. American radio hosts were invited to the north lawn of the White House Wednesday to broadcast their programs live and ask questions of senior administration officials.
The cold and the rain did not stop Shannon Burke, from WFLA in Florida, from coming to Washington to broadcast a live interview with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
"It's 9:31, at 540 WFLA . I'm Shannon Burke, live at the White House. The front steps, actually, in a kind of leaky tent. Joining us we have spotted a couple of leaks, but we're not going to bring that to your attention. Joining us now is Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Secretary, thank you."
Now what do you boys have? Nothing?
NEENER, NEENER, NEENER...LALALALALALALALASome pissant reporter from a pissant station gets an interview with Rumsfeld and you're comparing that to an ALL DAY ABC FULL ACCESS to the White House with GMA, WNT, 20-20, and Nightline all getting access to admin officials to talk about THEIR health care plan not to mention interviews with BOTH Obama and Michelle?
Grow up, Michael.
ed.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 16.06.2009 @ 19:05
