Obama shows sense of realism

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

Very true. Finland to the Finns. I'd lock the borders. You may visit here but pretty please, and sugar on the top, don't stay too long.

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so spoketh Another Freekin Fousto :laugh: :laugh: :up:

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Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa

The UN resolutions should have been enforced by the embargo if there was proof it was working and Iraq was getting out of the WMD business, but it was clear he wanted everyone to think he was up so something; but with Bush looking for possibilities with regimes with WMD's and sympathy for Al Quaida, playing poker with nothing in your hand was a bad strategy.

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You know very well that there was a UN security council meeting to decide on further action on Iraq and its WMDs, the meeting that Colin Powell gave a speech at. An agreement then to go to war would have given the invasion legitimacy via the UN that you claim they had.

They didn't give the go ahead did they, remember?

The interpretation that actually, that resolution to go to war wasn't necessary was made retrospectively by Bush/Blair once the US and Britain failed to pass the resolution.

Rewriting history and then condescending those who remember the real version doesn't work very well Mark.

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Originally Posted by BDunnell

And that, I believe, is a great shame. It is ridiculous that so many in the West — holding varied political views, too — base a large part of their opinion of nuclear power on an accident that occurred in the Soviet Union almost 25 years ago, involving technology and safety measures that bear no relation to those in place in the West today. Such are irrational fears.

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Agreed, and thats part of the problem facing the UK at the moment, loads of nuclear and coal power stations are coming to the end of their lives and need to be replaced. Blair and Brown wanted to use more green sources until they realised the cost and reliability issues, stalled on nuclear till its too late so that any new ones can't be commissioned before the old ones go out of use. They can't use more coal for fear of being seen to perform a U-turn and gas isn't good because the Russians like to turn the tap off every once in a while. At least Brown has finally had the balls to give the green light to all those reactors last year.

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Originally Posted by donKey jote

so spoketh Another Freekin Fousto :laugh: :laugh: :up:

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Great minds think alike ;)

What a fitting thread title, it seems to fit some of the sentiments Obama made clear to the U.N.

UNITED NATIONS — President Barack Obama bluntly prodded world leaders Wednesday to join the U.S. in solving pressing global problems, challenging them to move beyond "an almost reflexive anti-Americanism which, too often, has served as an excuse for collective inaction."

...and....

"Make no mistake: This cannot be solely be America's endeavor. Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world's problems alone."


I can only assume the sense of realism that many others here saw will now be dismissed quickly. :laugh:

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Originally Posted by airshifter

"Make no mistake: This cannot be solely be America's endeavor. Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world's problems alone."

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I have no problem with working together WITH America, as long as it doesn't mean working FOR America where America makes all the decisions and others do as America tells them to do. That was the attitude of the Bush administration and Bush put into nutshell in his brain fart "You're either with us or against us".

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Originally Posted by Eki

I have no problem with working together WITH America, as long as it doesn't mean working FOR America where America makes all the decisions and others do as America tells them to do. That was the attitude of the Bush administration and Bush put into nutshell in his brain fart "You're either with us or against us".

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Absolutely right. The 'with us or against us' statement remains one of the most outrageous things said by the leader of a Western democracy in recent times.

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Originally Posted by Eki

I have no problem with working together WITH America, as long as it doesn't mean working FOR America where America makes all the decisions and others do as America tells them to do. That was the attitude of the Bush administration and Bush put into nutshell in his brain fart "You're either with us or against us".

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Your definitions of the words "with" and "for" seem to be quite fluid depending upon who the other party is. Soviets or Americans appear to have different motives in your eyes somehow.

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Originally Posted by chuck34

Your definitions of the words "with" and "for" seem to be quite fluid depending upon who the other party is. Soviets or Americans appear to have different motives in your eyes somehow.

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Not at all. I'm also willing to work with the Russians (or the Soviets in the past) but not work for them. I expect mutual benefits in any cooperation.

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Originally Posted by Eki

Not at all. I'm also willing to work with the Russians (or the Soviets in the past) but not work for them. I expect mutual benefits in any cooperation.

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See that's just it Eki. Some would say that the Russians (or Soviets) were dictating to Finland. Yet you seem to think you were working for them. It's the oposite with the US. For someone that is always talking about "seeing both sides" you sure don't seem to.