Free Republic

In addition to the human noises, add some from pigs and you have the makings of a nice set for full disclosure. Of course, the bleeding hearts will say this is mental torture and should not be condoned. My personal view is that this is the real-life equivalent of the old case in Ethics 101 of the bomb on the airplane. How much and of what type force can one apply to a person who has information relating to the imminent demise of hundreds as a result of the bomb?

Given the present state of affairs in Russia, that is not an over-riding concern to them. Of more contemporary importance is the fact that China is now being en-circled by a U.S.-led (and gradually "democracy-leaning") group of nations. China is going to gradually turn up heat in various areas as a sign of its fear and dis-pleasure.

However, given the nature of technology and communications plus that most frightening and fast spreading disease of all, individual freedom, China will succumb to the desire of its own people and eventually experience a free society. It will not be fast, pretty or co-ordinated but it is inevitable.

This is really the time to propose not the elimination but the gutting (personnel-wise) of the U.S. Postal Service. Instead of the kind of feet on the street delivery service, such as it is now, the Post Office should provide an email account, email machine and printer for each household in the country. The cost of this would be huge in total but the unit cost per home would be peanuts. The debt service and operating costs of this delivery system would be paid by a user fee for each piece of mail - limited to 5 cents per missive and paid by the sender.

The mail and delivery would be encrypted, etc. for security purposes - use of the receiver would be by finger-print, eye scan, whatever. Now is the time for a clinical discussion of the costs and benefits which would derive from such a system. I realize that a lot of the political whores in congress and elsewhere would scream because of the labor issues and the unions but it is the only logical system to replace the antiquated, labor intensive and eternally escalating system we have now. For the record, I have given up drugs.

YOU FORGOT #3 - To provide a mechanism whereby the Plaintiff bar can pursue legal claims against everyone (building owners, employers, etc.) for not providing enough security; ah, ain't contingencies fees great!!!!

Take a longer view than just telling the Saudis to get screwed, which though the rag-head ingrates deserve. Rather, at this point, we should: help the Russians develop their oil, do more exploration domestically (yes, even in that winter wonderland of Alaska), kick-start our domestic nuclear generating program and plan to eliminate Saddam and participate in the liberated oil fields of Iraq.

Now, if the Saudis do get rash and "kick" us out, we might consider some well-placed explosives to slow down their cash cow; it would drive up prices world-wide but that too would incentivise domestic exploration and conservation, too.

Well, the writer is using a double negative - didn't go half bad - that is an inauspicious beginning. It more properly should be "...went fairly well..." or "...all things considered, it went only half-badly..."

Well, at least, he has not caught the Vince Foster virus, which develops from normalcy to exhaustion, depression and then to suicide.

Although it was before my time (and probably yours), you possibly may have read or heard, as I have, that this question was addressed about 140 years ago. I think generally it is referred to and written about, in the United States at least, as the Civil War.

Another clue might be that short statement referred to as the Pledge of Allegiance - cfr in relevant part..."one Nation, under God, indivisible..." There are more than a few court cases, I am advised, that address this issue, both directly and indirectly.

A more serious question is" What the hell is the AOC? Later.

Are these just cub reporters waiting for their big time assignments at ABC, CBS and NBC?

Certainly, this is sad for those employees who invested so heavily in one equity; it is all the more unfortunate that it was in the equity of their employer. However, it is the fault of the individual employee/investor (or his advisor) that he suffered as the result of such a concentration.

Anyone with half a brain knows that it is insane to invest in such a concentration - diversify, diversify, diversify. Buy the S & P Index, buy several indexes but for your own sake (and that of your loved ones), do not invest in just one equity - ever. It is all the more foolish to do it in your employer since, as happened here, when you are out of a job AND a pension fund, you are in a world of hurt. These people have no one to blame except themselves (or their husband/wife/child/parent/financial advisor.)

The Political Whores in Congress will rush to pass some b.s. legislation so they can look sympathetic; they may even try to pass some type of financial bail-out to buy a few more votes with tax-payer dollars; they should be stopped. Let foolish people suffer the consequences of their own actions and it will serve as a bright example of proper conduct for the future. Think of these folks as candidates for the financial equivalent of the The Darwin Awards for 2001.

Yes, Hillary, James Carville and Paul Begala.

Actually, that is a sub-group - the top level heading is under "Oldest Profession."

Look for: Near Term - U.S., Turkey, Iran (and always the Brits) carve up Iraq. Turkey gets the northwest oil fields and their Kurds back; Iran gets disputed territory on its western and Iraq's eastern border; the balance of Iraq is divided by the resistance movements in the eastern part and nothern part.

Long Term - Russia becomes a voting and active member of NATO; China, with no blue water navy, is now surrounded by Russia (and its friends The Stans), a presently docile but potentially inflamed Mongolia, a long-time pissed-off India, a more and more capitalistic Vietnam, a worthless and toothless North Korea (which could easily become the northern suburb of a unified Korea) - and of course the Deep Blue Sea, presently and for the future a bathtub for the U. S. Navy.

The China card played so well by Nixon will now become the Russian card played with equal desterity by W. With influx of communications and the knowledge of and hope for individual freedom, within 10 to 20 years, China will fall as the monolithic communist capital and become a serious free-market competitor. My, my the folks (I am one) who grew up in the 50's and 60's are seeing quite a turn of events.

Did not see the Couric caress but did see glimpses of a Jeffords puff piece on 60 Minutes last night. When two (2) separate puff pieces get done on a pol in a 24 hour period, one has to ask "Why?" I think 60 Minutes, as a card-carrying member of the DNC, along with a DNC founder - NBC -are doing puff pieces on Jeffords so that he gets another few minutes in the lime light as a make up for the legislative slap that the Dems gave him on his special ed legislation. The media and the other Dems do not want him to bolt back (sadly, the Pubs would probably take him back.)

Bush is going to have to take control of the agenda by publicly and repeatedly calling on the Dems to release the Bush appointees and get to work. The economic stimulus package is best relegated to a slow death as a hostage to Daschle and the Dems. Anything done now is too late and will be governmental-centric. It is better to have its death as yet another victim in the war on terrorism - this one done by the Democrat Taliban.

Trent Lott has been laying down for the boys his whole life. He is the most pitiful excuse for a Minority Who Gave Away Majority Leader. He and a whole helluva lot of the RINO's should be sent to the temple for retired eunuchs.

I have and re-read the constitution and can find no authorization for the Congress to spend tax-payer dollars for farm subsidies. If someone dis-agrees with me, would you direct me to the section of the Constitution which specifically authorizes Congress to make such an expenditure? I rely on the the Tenth Amendment as the specicfic article that reserves to the States or the people all authority not specifically enumerated to Congress. Does anyone out there agree with me? Would some of those who dis-agree be willing to be part of a plaintiff's group petitioning for a cessation of this un-constitutional expenditure? My email is magoo_70115@hotmail.com.

Get over it. You and your fellow liberal served your purpose in life, you helped elect the Great She, the future of America. Now, put some ice on it; lie back and enjoy it.

Why not hire one of Sen. John Edwards' buddies in the class action or eco defense industry and sue the Japanese under some theory of post-bellus enviro-corruptus? It would make great press and maybe even Judge Ito could come out of retirement to hear the case.

Save a lot of digits and just describe it for what it is - Berkley East.

Agree wholeheartedly - we need an intelligent and agressive strategist - someone like Newt without the moral baggage - any suggestions?