UN AMBASSADOR BOLTON
 

The problem is that the religious right, in an effort to lighten the load of carrying those bibles around, has adopted a new version that removed the entire New Testament, with the exception of the Book of Revelations. While the new version is easier to carry, all that helping-the-poor stuff doesn't show up.

CAFTA
 

Momentum? CAFTA was a free trade agreement that was good for free trade. And no one really knows what deals Bush cut to get it passed. But I can say that if more supposedly "free trade" democrats had supported the bill then he wouldn't have had to cut any deals.

CAFTA
 

How was bombing Serbia in our self interest. The only real threats to our security are people that can attack us with WMDs or Canada and Mexico. What the hell does Serbia have to do with our national security?

Roe v. Wade promotes the Culture of life.
 

More clarification than comment:

(a) The Freakonomics chapter was a pretty cursory journalistic gloss of an much more involved article on that study. I'm merely quibbling with the idea that the chapter in Freakonomics "demonstrates" anything conclusively, though it describes and summarizes (and not entirely worthlessly) another work in which the dude did demonstrate some interesting facts pretty conclusively. I liked the book but, frankly, was somewhat disappointed that the underlying work was so heavily abridged. However, the full articles are more or less freely available for readers not afraid of academic writing.

(b) The economist himself points out at some point that, since the prevented deaths by murder/infanticide/neglect/execution are almost certainly fewer than the number of abortions, if you are of the opinion that (i) human/full "personhood"/whatever life begins at conception and (ii) the policy goal should be to maximize lives preserved, then crime reduction by abortion isn't very efficient. So the study doesn't really undermine core anti-abortion argument (the "abortion = a culture of death and leads to more lawlessness and high crime and death" BS isn't really the core objection, it is just meant to appeal to people who don't buy the primary premise but might be swayed by a more pragmatic argument). That said, the fact that he isn't quite making the argument you wish he was making doesn't lessen the pleasure of watching him destroy a crappy argument on the other side. His gleeful disregard of moral & cultural sensitivities in the face of facts is quite delightful.

(c) Perhaps of more interest to anyone who has considered buying a house in the last 5 years might be the chapter comparing real estate agents to the KKK.

I want a t-shirt that says "Free Gavrilo Princip"
 

"Instability in Europe" is the short answer.

Serbia v. Iraq
 

Why does it matter what excuse Bush used. Either it was the right move or it was not. Who cares what Bush said. Bush's use of WMDs was to gain political support. It was a political move. The only bad political move is one that causes you to have bad political consequences. Bush won reelection, and that is when his using if WMDs as an excuse ceased to be an issue.

CAFTA
 

If there were fewer evil traitorous Republicans, you wouldn't care at all about the democrats.

Serbia v. Iraq
 

Exactly the same way everyone stopped complaining about things Clinton did in his first term after he was re-elected, right?

CAFTA
 

Yes! We must liberate the Mojiots and Havenese puppies before Castro dies. He has six months, right?

Serbia v. Iraq
 

Because this is America, damnit, and it matters. This Republican pragmatic ends-justifying-the-means bullshit has got to stop. I was taught growing up that we are not a country that invades another on a pretense. We don't torture people, or come so close as to make it a question. We don't incarcerate people indefinitely without charging them. So please, Republicans, I'm begging you: STOP FUCKING UP ALL THAT IS AMERICA.

It matters because were the ones who saved the world from Nazis, and did so without torturing them. It matters because it is a mark of shame that we interned the Japanese. It matters because we melded postwar Europe and Japan in our own polical image and they believed what we told them about the fundamental rights of humanity. It matters because we inspired the people in Tianamen square to believe that the world could be better. It matters because we are the peace makers, not the war-mongering imperialists.

It just matters.

CAFTA
 

Have you heard of WWI?

CAFTA
 

Aristotle pointed out over 2,000 years ago that the Slippery Slope arguments is a Fallacy but morons keep trying to use it. Any policy can be critisized because it could lead to bad policy. If we lock up murderers eventually we will be locking up Jay walkers. We can't ban machine guns because eventually we will be banning squirt guns. You questions my legal ability and you are using the "Slippery Slope" argument?

Hitler said that Poland attacked him as an excuse to invade Poland. Does that mean that we should drop the idea that people can use force to defend themselves because it could be used as an excuse for other countrys to use agression against third partys? And you question my legal ability? You really need to think about what you say before you say it.

It is not dangerous and irresponsible. It is perfectly logical and makes sense. We do what is right and makes sense and expect other countrys to do the same. Is that such a hard concept to grasp.

UN AMBASSADOR BOLTON
 

Not to worry - haven't you heard there's an excess of available slots? Plus, if you're lucky they'll send you to Cuba, where the beaches are pure perfection, the drinks are strong, the fishing is terrific, the baseball is first-rate, and the women are young, lithe and desperate for an American male.

CAFTA
 

Fine. Quibble with semantics. Your argument can be more fairly characterized as driving off a cliff.

I'm unclear. Are you comparing your argument favorably to Hitler's actions? Is there a reverse Godwin's law?


If there's logic, you haven't expressed it. While we're on the topic of logic, please reconcile this:

with this:

Bonus points if you explain how this invasion worth it taking Castro's advanced years into account.

UN AMBASSADOR BOLTON
 

2. Basically an outhouse in the tenderloin.