Posts by InternationalObserver

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  • Island Life: This just in: incumbent…,

    Neil, I take your points about Europe and China, but the picture of a smiling Rumsfield (in Iraq to seal the deal on chemical agents) shaking hands with Saddam is pretty damning.

    Also, it is well known that the US were big supporters of the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, who later morphed into the Taliban. It's also documented fact that Condi was doing deals with the Taleban in the months prior to 9/11 - hence their (US) shock when the attack came.

    For anyone wanting a chuckle, rent Rambo III

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Hard News: TVNZ: The Sub's Pencil Strikes,

    Fear not Craig, I do not sit thru six minutes of ads. I have PIP (picture-in-picture) so I surf the other channels (usually music) while waiting for a programme to resume. But six minutes is ridiculous for a Pay TV service so I made a stand.

    As I result on one person's actions (mine) the Sky TV share price dropped .000002¢ that day.

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Island Life: This just in: incumbent…,

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Radiation: Sensational,

    Danielle: buy some shares in CanWest, then go to their next shareholders meeting - and raise bloody Hell!!

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Island Life: This just in: incumbent…,

    Apparently, like me, now Time Magazine is spouting Republican talking points. Must be contagious I guess.

    Anyone with any basic training in marketing knows that "repition sells". If you play an ad repeatedly it get into peoples subconscious and they can't help but think 'Coke is the real thing', 'everyone gets a bargain at the Warehouse', or 'Fox News is fair and balanced'.

    The Republicans have had a grip on the Whitehouse that until recently meant they determined the talking points and US media, not wishing to seem unpatriotic, followed. The GOP shrewdly kept talking up a 'liberal bias' in the media to the point that media outlets started appointing conservatives to key positions to ensure 'balance'.

    The people who own the media mega-corps like Time/Warner, Fox, et al don't tend to be Lefties. Rupert Murdoch is a smart c#nt who knows that if you gently turn up the heat the lobster doesn't know it's being boiled alive. His continued acquisition of media outlets on a global scale means one day he really will (if not already) determine who gets elected, anywhere.

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Hard News: Don't Panic,

    My friends hated Noriega and were pleased that the Yanks booted him out; they thought he was just a cheap little thug.

    Yes, but he was the US' cheap little thug. As was Saddam, Marcos, and every other tinpot dictator that suited the US' interests aboard. That's the freakin' point. America is a great country, but it's also a great hypocrite some (alot) of the times.

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Hard News: TVNZ: The Sub's Pencil Strikes,

    anyone with a bit of disposable income pays in one way or another to avoid having some half-wit insult their intelligence suggesting they would be interested in processed food or feminine hygiene products.

    Yeah, right. That explains why Sky runs ads does it? You pay for subscriber TV but they run ads anyway. But since they can't sell as many ads they fill it with promos. When Sky started running six minute breaks I finally gave up in disgust, and cancelled.

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Island Life: This just in: incumbent…,

    Yup, and Grenada was the training exercise for Panama ...

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Hard News: TVNZ: The Sub's Pencil Strikes,

    Yes, the Freeview decoders seem awfully expensive for the number of channels you get with it. In the UK I particularly enjoyed the + 1 Hour delayed channels eg TV1+1 Hour ie the 6pm News screens at 7pm and so on. One would think there would be a lot more capacity available on the Freeview decoder now.
    And yes, this week's Extras episode was mind blowing. Very cutting.

    As for The Charter ... well, I'm over it, and have no faith in their "public consultation". Call me cynical or jaded but these things are always already pre-determined. When Auckland City ratepayers said they were in favour of clean harbours I don't think they meant they were in favour of hiking the cost of water by 9+% each year for the next ten years, but that is how Council have defined their responses.

    Whatever we say we want The Charter to be will be used to validate what they are making it anyway.

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Island Life: This just in: incumbent…,

    In a nutshell:

    The US backed Saddam because he was at war with Iran. The Saudi's had been telling the US that they wanted to get the US airbases out of Saudi Arabia, so they needed somewhere new to go. When Saddam tried to annex Kuwait (for drilling diagonally under the border and into Iraqi oil fields) the US had its chance. Nevermind that Iraq told the US consulate of their plans, Saddam was now the enemy (his reward for not defating Iran).

    The plan was to 'defend' Kuwait by invading Iraq. Install a puppet administration and start a new 'muslim' 'democracy' to serve as a beacon for the entire Mid East.

    It took them two tries (Bush the Elder seemingly lacked the nerve of his neo-con buddies, and Powell certainly did) but they finally got what they were after. Oh, except for the last bit. Kinda stuft that up big time.

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

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