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I'M NOT a city official, so I felt a bit wronged the other day when given a tongue-lashing for the apparent fact that Cape Girardeau has not yet applied for federal designation as a "Preserve America" community. The rant was one-sided, so I didn't get a chance to respond. But I understood the upset citizen to mean that if Cape Girardeau received such a designation, it would be in line for all kinds of federal and other goodies.
REGARDING HIGHWAY 34/72 construction: The lanes are not meant to be driven at NASCAR speeds. Slow down to the posted speed limits for safe passage. Please think of the workers as well. They have families. Drive safe and arrive alive.
I AGREE that the war monuments should be placed at Capaha Park right behind Freedom Corner. There is a sidewalk and a place for sitting that could be used by viewers. There is plenty of room in that shaded area.
IF RESTAURANTS don't want our business, we can go elsewhere. Last week we went to a restaurant at 8:30 p.m., and the restaurant closes at 9 p.m. Two girls at the desk rolled their eyes when we said we needed a table for 10, and they made it clear when they closed. I don't get this mentality.
EAST PRAIRIE police burn gasoline writing tickets for speeding on Main Street and Highway 105 when we have children and babies riding in front seats with no seat belts. We don't see officers on other streets where trouble areas are. Is this all they know? How to write speeding tickets? Workers are only as good as their boss.
I NEVER thought I would say this, but it's time for a second revolution. Everyone in Congress has got to go. Federal legislators are bickering like children over a toy and have only made themselves look like idiots. And they're taking us with them. We need term limits.
I AM currently in Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi troops have been working to secure the borders between Iraq and her neighbors. There have been many seizures of arms, and many foreign interlopers have been arrested or killed, but it is still a work in progress. To date, we calculate we have reduced foreign intervention by around 30 percent, and we're getting better at it every day. By the way: It's not a civil war. Al-Qaida is fully engaged in Iraq.
I HAVE a few comments about the subject of people arriving at restaurants right at closing time and expecting superior service. I work at a movie theater where this happens frequently. The last show will have started 10 to 15 minutes ago, and people are still showing up to buy tickets. At this point, most everything has been shut down and cleaned for the night. In addition, most people are ready to go home and see their families and friends. However, we open back up and take the sale. This creates more paperwork and delays. The next time you arrive late for something, consider the employees' and feelings and not just your own greedy intentions. Arriving late is disrespectful to the person providing you the service.
IT HAS been several weeks now since I issued a challenge to Bush haters to produce evidence of one instance in which the Bush administration, or President Bush himself, has violated our Constitution. I'm getting gray waiting.
REGARDING THE comment about servers should be happy to have customers come in at any time. Do you want to stay an hour or two later than you are supposed to after work?
WHY DO people continue to denigrate our soldiers in Iraq by insisting we have lost? Stop believing what the politicos say or what you read in the papers. Ask a soldier who has been there. You will get your eyes opened. It's like Vietnam. We never lost a battle, but the peaceniks forced us to walk away from victory. Never again.
No. 1 piglet
I RESENT a recent editorial cartoon. It portrayed a mother pig (the federal government) and her little piglets (the states) lining up to be get "federal farm subsidies." The piglet representing Missouri was shown as second to last in line for the subsidy feeding. That's what got my goat. I have reason to believe that when it comes to federal farm subsidies, Missouri ranks a lot higher on the hog than the other states. Missouri should have been portrayed as the No. 1 or close to the No. 1 piglet.
WHEN READING that the government is considering giving teachers pay incentives for high test scores as part of the No Child Left Behind changes, I have to wonder if anyone debating this change understands the impact that parenting has on test scores. If the education system is one in which the parents are involved, teach their students self-discipline with school work and pass on the intrinsic value of education, the test scores are more likely to reflect that. If you are involved in an district where the current culture does not pass on those characteristics to the majority of the attending families, the test scores are more likely to be low. Let's look at the whole picture and not just the teacher in the classroom.
SO IT'S OK to pollute the air so long as you pay a fee for it. I didn't realize that before the article about increasing the fees for air pollution. How interesting.
U.S. handouts
IF CANADA, Britain and Cuba have such great health care, why is it Mexican citizens are trying to come into the United States at record numbers to get our welfare and other handouts?
Comments
No. 1 piglet:
Iowa is #1 in federal farm subsidies, followed by Texas & Illinois. Missouri doesn't even get a third of what Iowa gets.
http://farm.ewg.org/sites/farmbill2007/
Besides viewing state level subsidies you can also look up up all your friends and neighbors who farm and see exactly how much federal money each of them get.
MJB sounds like a neighbor of mine: Rants, raves, screams, & certainly does not want to hear or consider anyone else's opinions, & in fact does not believe anyone else should even have an opinion, if it does not agree with his. Same thing has happened to him that surely has happened to MJB: people avoid him like the plague. Fortunately, my neighbor has no access to the internet on which to satisfy his maniacal ravings, like MJB does.
Term limits, for the most part, will never happen. Politicians, for obvious reasons, do not want them; voters do not want them because they might have to actually THINK before they vote.
Our Presidents have term limits: all our political positions should have the same. They justify their opposition to limits with the Jetton statement, that by the time they really "learn their way around," they have to quit. If it takes 6 years to figure out what they're doing, maybe they should not be on our payroll in the first place.
MJB, Have you A clue? You talk about war as if you have been there. Have you? If not, Shut the h#!! up. Give our real heros some respect.
coming in late
IF people are able to get in and OUT before closing they should be welcomed. If you come in 10 minutes before closing how do you expect to get served and eat by closing?
Servers on the other hand should not expect to be able to start cleaning and locking up before Closing time.
As for the movies, if the movie is open, the concessions should be open! That is good for the public and the theatre. Popcorn and a soda is part of the fun of going to the movies and I'm sure the manager knows it's MOST of the profit for the theatres.
Re: Table for 10
How hard is it to understand that restaurant workers work for minimum wage and less. Servers generally work for $2 to $3 per hour, and must use their tips to supplement their wages (hint: the average patron tips less than one dollar per person at the table). The worker, who is tired from running all night, is now forced to deal with 10 patrons who don't have an ounce of empathy for the poor server. They will probably take their time ordering, and will probably tip very poorly. Meanwhile, the server has many other jobs to finish before they can go home after the 10 people (who act as though the server is put on the earth to take care of their every need) leave. Not to mention the fact that the server gets riduculed from the kitchen staff for such a big order so close to closing time (if the patrons get their entree decisions made before closing that is). So YES, it is difficult to roll out the red carpet for everyone who comes to a restaurant 30, 15, or even 10 minutes before they close.
"Lou Dobbs" for President.
There is a difference between servers wanting to serve customers until closing and the owners stating an opening and closing time. The owners should be made aware of the eye rolling and comments. The closed time is the time that customers should be able to come in and order, if not lock the door at 8:30.
I've said it before, Ballou - you're an idiot, so caught up in your own hate and propaganda you can't see past your own nose. What's this crap about the caller from Iraq not sounding very military like? Sounding too "college"? You obviously operate under the goofball belief that all our Soldiers are uneducated morons who just could not find anything better to do with their lives. First of all, many Soldiers have college degrees. All officers, for example, are required to have degrees amd many are professionals. There are engineers, doctors, nurses, dentists. Many have earned their degrees while in the military. By the way, the news about our forces and the Iraqi army capturing foreign supporters crossing the borders was on CNN a while back; and, even Al Quaeda on their web sites places a great deal of importance on their operations in Iraq. As for there being no good news from Iraq - when did you get back? What was your experience there? I agree with the caller - ask someone who HAS been there. It will not make any difference to you; you're mind is already made up and you want us to fail. If you want to give up and wave a white flag, go ahead - but do not do it in the name of our heroes. The vast majority of them are smarter than you will ever be.
Get the impression that nothing P%@@#s me off worse than dumb-arses like you denigrating our troops? Give him a gold star - he got one right!
dmb
MJB:
Just suppose that the poster is in Iraq and is telling us what he/she is waking up to every day. Your point of view would gain ground by defeating him/her in debate rather than calling them a plant/liar. Don't you agree? Now you know how most of us feel about your rants.
The fact of the matter is that if you work in an eating establishment you can expect to stay an hour later than closing time to clean up. If your business is open until 9pm then you should be prepared to serve until 9pm. You choose your own tip - if you give bad service, you get a bad tip. I went to a place just last night that closes at 9pm; it was 8:20pm. My food was cold and the servers acted like we invaded them. If you don't like working in this type of environment - get another job!! I worked fast food while going to college. Did I like it?? No, but I didn't take it out on the customers!!
Restaurant owners: Post a time for when the actual RESTAURANT closes, then also post a time (normally about 30-45 minutes earlier) for when the KITCHEN closes. End of story. Case solved. And please don't start vacuuming around my feet an hour before closing time - wait till everone's gone (Applebee's!)
Movie theater manager: the concession stand should be open until the final credits start rolling of the last scheduled movie!
I think everyone is expecting 4-star service out of a McDonald's/Applebee's bugdet. Coming in 30 minutes prior to close is not a big deal. But patrons who come in 10 minutes before the restaurant closes and then expect to have their dining experience to be the same as those that came in one hour prior, are asking too much. Like I said, let's have some empathy for those who are working for small wages (and no, most of them don't have the choice). I worked my way through undergrad and a graduate degree as a waiter so I am speaking from tried-and-true experience. And if you are expecting 4-star service up to closing time, spend the money and go to a 4-star restaurant. And please tip more then 10%!
It gets to the point (when MB says things like, "Go Sunnis!" and seems opposed to any progress in Iraq [progress being defined as moving toward an end to Shiite and Sunni fighting while destroying or neutrailzing the al-Qaeda presence in Iraq]) when one must legitmately wonder what Mr. Ballou's reaction would be if Iraq became a stable, democratic country. I don't think this will happen and I don't think Mr. Ballou wants it to but it would be a great thing. Some of Ballou's rants are (in my view) beyond constitutionally protected free speech.
As a veteran, I too firmly believe the story was a scripted plant. I know exactly how and why actual folks in the desert talk and that is not it. During the first go round in Iraq, no one talked of 'fighting the good fight' etc. Most everyone there wanted to turn the place into a parking lot and get the hell outta there. And the first one was a total vacation compared to what they are going through now. Our servicemen (and women) really really just want to come home and not be killed. They are tired, fried, hungry and horny. That is how it really is.
Quote from PK
Some of Ballou's rants are (in my view) beyond constitutionally protected free speech.
Sorta sums up the whole meaning of the First Amendment doesn't it?
Just how many of the Amendments would you like to get rid of? Or if not get rid of, decide what it applies to?
Par for the course with Bush and his cult.
I think it's obvious that "table for 10" has never worked in the food industry. I believe everyone should work in a restaurant at some point in their life in order to appreciate how difficult it really is. It is extremely trying to put on a happy face when customers treat you like their servant. I'm sorry, but your two dollar tip is not worth it. If you treat people with respect, you will receive good service in return.
Having been a part of or around military personnel the majority of my life. Enlisted personnel don't talk about fighting the good fight, they tell war stories, talk about the women in their lives {yes, am making a politically incorrect statement}, and wanting to get home and drive their new cars. Officers never in public talk about anything they don't agree with for obvious reasons, their careers. After they are released from duty they then tell it like it is. These are the ones to listen to. And yes most of the military is made up of high school or GED volunteers. The recruiters glorify war, being a man, and the amount of money you can make with the bonuses. If the people of this country are so for this "war", why do we have to pay $30,000 to even $50,000 bonuses to keep or recruit people? Or why do we need to have people up to 42 yrs of age being able to enlist? A poll of enlisted personnel will show 70% or above think this is a losing cause and want to come home. During Viet Nam as a young man, I too was hell bend on destroying Communism until I learned the war was escalated on a lie {Tonkin Gulf incident}. Read history and you will see how both these Texans helped their friends.
RE: Table for 10
You're an @$$ if you're coming in 30 minutes before a restaurant closes and asking for a table for 10. Get a clue buddy. It's apparent that you never had to work as a server in your life. It's a demanding and thank-less job. Have some consideration for those who are serving you.
working late
When I worked at McDonald's in High School, we always closed at 11. It was always 11:30 when we got out of there. I always worked the drive thru that late at night and I was always able to get my cleaning and closing stuff done on time and I was always helpful and courteous to my customers. So don't tell me that you don't get your the opportunity to begin your closing duties before you close.
So what if there is a customer (or group of customers) that come in at 15 or 30 min before closing. I would think that if you get paid so crappy, then you would welcome any opportunity to earn some more money.
And as for the eye rolling and sarcasm, if you keep my drink full and are even aware that we are sitting there and are civil to us, then you will get a much worthy tip!!!!
If you want a tip, then you have got to earn it and not just expect one!!!!!!
A common propaganda technique is referred to as "appeal to authority." For example, if Michael Jordan says Nike shoes are the best, then they must be the best. Has Michael Ballou established such credibility on this site that many accept what he says (i.e.; that there's no U.S. military progress in Iraq) just because Ballou so ordains. If so, this site has succumbed to perceiving paranoid rantings and ravings as truthful because they come from what is wrongly believed to be a preeminent authority; Mr. Ballou. How sad.
This has nothing to do with the credibility of any poster on this site. I am perfectly certain of facts reguardless of anyone else's posts.
MJB did not and can not make the Twin Towers fall down at free fall speed. But at least he and I both can see that and understand what it means instead of burying my head in the sand and taking it as a personal attack by suggesting something you don't like or want to know.
I know it's hard to accept but you cannot fight the facts forever.
In reference to the posts about the military and the planting of comments and that's not how military people speak blah, blah, blah. I am currently stationed in Hawaii with my active duty husband. I read the seMissourian everyday online. Being as we are both from the area a little bit of "home" is what this provides us. He also can access this website from the computers in Iraq. So as far as the comments being plants, I suppose it's possible but our military have the resources available to them to make comments just as I am now.
In reference to "that's not how military people talk" (which should not be in quotes as it's not a direct quote I was just trying to seperate it from the rest. I know how people on here can be very judgemental), unless you are in the military how do you know how they talk? Things have changed. Even if you were in 5 or 10 years ago, our culture is changing and our young people are changing. How do you know how they "sound" now?
To conclude, unless you are living the life, or are active duty, please don't attempt to answer for us or say how we talk or that we don't know what we're talking about. Yes I say us because even though I am not the active duty person I live the life and keep the home fires burning.
Sorry I realized my reply was not totally to your statement.
Do you think that we (The US) are making positive gains in Iraq? Have you seen the numbers of deaths and injuries recently? Are they going down? Is the area any safer? Are they any closer to being able to take care of themselves?
Really?
The only thing that our continued presence does and proves is that we do not belong there.
Following the rationale of the Bush administration, Muslims hate us. At least the militant groups like Al Qaida hate us. That sucks! What should our response be?
Deal with the militant groups?
No let's go in and kill hundreds of thousands of Muslims and occupy a country even though it has been proven over and over again that every justification was not true? Iraq did not attack us on 9/11. Even if you think it was Al Qaida, it still wasn't Iraq. Bin Laden and Hussein HATED each other. Bin laden saw Hussein as a secular warlord that was puppeted by the US (he was!)
Did they have WMDs? Nope. Were they planning to attack us? Nope.
So here we are now. Killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqi people and yes now insurgents from other countries. Thousands of our people are dying and being maimed for life.
Do you think more or less Muslims now hate us?
Our actions have been totally counter-productive to our goals that were stated.
Bottom line is the Bush administration has done loads more for terrorist recruiting than any Bin laden ever could!
Is that progress?
Sorry if I offended you MarineWife. I was indeed active (USAF) all through the first Gulf War so I do know how actual deployed military people talk. In Iraq even. Indeed there may be a bit of a generational gap now, but I'd bet anything that the general overall feeling is still the same for those folks there. My point is less that 'this story is a plant' and more to do with how , realistically, the troops on the ground actually feel. You know, if their comments aren't filtered by the PR officer.
I have no option left than to "plant" Speak Out comments designed to counteract the MJB and Co. comments on this site. I hate to do it but, though MJB and his allies reach a relatively small audience while published SO comments reach thousands, it is my duty.
Come on Philo! Why not actually debate on points of fact rather than muddy the waters with more rubbish?
I'd think you were a member of the media or something!
Oh come on Jumpinjehova,
You bet those folks hate us over there.What?,
you think that hatred has only been around
since 9/11.Thats bull and you know it.They have hated us becuase we support Israel and because we have everything they don't!You of all people know the reason for the Gulf War back in the 90s.It was the fact that Iraq stormed into kuwait to sieze their oil and ports.You make the claim that we were in bed with Bin laden and he was our puppet.Don't you know your history?We were in bed with Hussein as well years ago.Remember the Irag/Iran War?There is absolutely no way to please these people.They hate us and look at us as an enemy(satan)!I do not know what you were trained to do in the military but I was trained to protect us from all enemies.The problems in the mideast go way back to early 1900s when the British split up the geography and tribes.You know,the days of lawrence of Arabia.We will always support Israel period!Therefore they will always hate us.Its not so much about oil and money
(not that it isn't a big part)but as much, if not more about religion!Now we all know that religion does nothing but divide people.
The Muslims do not like us and I don't care what these muslims here in this Country tell us!They won't ever pull the wool over this old man eyes.The time will come when we have to deal with them in a BIG way and it is not too far off in the future.
They wont be as much of problem as the tree hugging whiner peaceniks That keep telling us that the war is lost. Plain truth is that the world has gone to hell in a hand basket. Keep your friends close and you enemies closer, Hell is coming and you better be ready.
Mr Greywolf,
All Muslims do not hate "US". Granted it was 25 years ago, but I lived in Saudi Arabia at the time of the hostage crisis in Iran and the Mosque take over/hostage situation in Mecca. The Saudi Government and the local population (I lived in Khamis Mushayt just above they Yeman border) took great pains to make sure we 'foreigners' were protected. They posted guards around our compound and made arrangements, if need be, for a quick exidus for the women and children living there. People who "hate you" do not safe guard you and your family.
The Koran is the only religious "guide" that I know of that acknowleges the other religions. They do not see Christ as the Son of God, but they do recognize him as a profit for the Christian religion. And the Muslims I know honor that belief.
And, yes I know that as with all religous fantatics, they believe they are the only ones that are correct in their beliefs. But they do not represent all Muslims. Just as Rev. Phelps does not represent all christians when he and his 'flock' protest at a serviceman's funeral.
Wow, I hope I didn't just ramble but made a point. Thank you for your time Mr. Greywolf. Have a great evening!
Those same Muslims that don't like us are crossing the northern borders as thick as cock roaches in Joe's apartment. Ballou keeps yelping about the southern boarder and he is right to do so if he is worried about somebody taking his job. Take a trip to Detroit and check out how many men of mid eastern decent are freely crossing our borders in trucks that are not being checked.
They are here just waiting to pull the trigger on you me and all of our loved ones
maybe sooner than later.
mpreszler: I'm not sorry to say that I disagree with you as much as Ballou disagrees with me. Most Muslim's do hate us and Britain as well. Any society that lets a woman vote or show her face in public, or gives the citizens the right of free speech, or the right to keep and bare arms. Drink alcohol in a public place ect. ect. They hate everything about us most of all us Christians. The fact that we believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God burns deep in their hate. This is a holy war as far as they are concerned and they won't quit as long as there is one of us left breathing.
Sooner or later the rest of the America haters (China) will jump on board and then North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, should I keep going?
You cant kiss and make up with these people.
War is here to stay for a long while. Now we just need to figure out how to WIN and you know what that means.
GREYWOLF: Check your facts on the Gulf War I stuff. Iraq actually consulted with the US State Department prior to invading Kuwait. They were told that the US would merely consider it a "regional conflict" (i.e. we would not get involved). Of course it turned out the Kuwaiti royal family had some friends in even higher places so our assurances didn't end up meaning much. It was only then that Hussein went from a US lapdog to enemy #1 in spite of the fact that he would have never invaded in the first place without our consent.
Muslims don't hate us for religious differences but primarily due to our actions. Consider the United States from the viewpoint of an Iranian. We overthrew their democratically elected government (google "Operation Ajax") installed a brutal dictator to be our puppet, then later provided their biggest enemy with the weapons (including chemical weapons) that lead to more than half a million casualties. Tack on sponsoring terrorism against them (look up the PMOI), & directly shooting down a commercial flight. Given the facts it's quite apparent to me why the average Iranian citizen would view the US as pure evil and it has almost nothing to do with religion.
Hey Marine Wife, thanks to you and especially your husband for your service to our country. You both must know that the conspiracy dorks that post here don't represent the feelings of the folks from this area. You have our support, respect and gratitude.
This is not a site for those in touch with reality. It generally allows the delusional and audio/visual hallucinatory types to share views that unfortunately reinforce their conditions by giving credence to their psychotic world views. For further information, consult DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Volume 4), published by the American Psychiatric Association. Offering to help would be viewed with unwarranted suspicion. Attempts to offer rational and reasonable input on the issues being discussed would also be dismissed out of hand. The best course of action for the empathetic would be to monitor the site for any signs of threats to oneself or society and immediately contact the webmaster and/or the authorities.
Only have one question: If this Administration leaves Iraq without a democratic government in place, a free market system, and a region which is stable, will they be "cut and run" liberals. Cause gentlemen and ladies it will happen very soon.
Sorry me bad: One other question. How do you define victory in Iraq?
Thought I would get at least some spin. Guess will try to get on tomorrow and see what the topic of interest will be. Victory in Iraq will be same as victory in Viet Nam, and we will say the same things. Never again let us go to war on a lie.
Why is it in SEMO that to disagree with the Bush doctrine is being non supportive of our troops. When did this rational take place. Thats like saying I don't like green beans so I must not like corn either.
MJB - you will never have an credibility and be viewed as a cook as long as you claim that 911 was an inside job. Get a clue and get in the game. I don't think I could be as negative and pessimistic as you if I tried. I really feel sorry for you.
Mr Ballou,
I must, disagree with you on a few items.
"My friends the Saudi's" are just that my friends. I am not implying that the Saudi Royal family is my friend. Though I did have the pleasure of meeting and talking with a few of the minor Royals. But it was purely on non-political matters. And I have friends that are Muslim that are not Saudi.
Yes, their laws are a bit on the harsh side, but I can tell you that crime was a non issue. My mother, who respected thier wishes that her arms and legs be covered when downtown, loved her time in Saudi Arabia. She was respectful and respected by the local merchants. They would ask about her well being when they had not seen her in a week or so. I refuse to believe that just because a person is Muslim or Saudi that they want me dead.
As to their laws for women. In a way they are very comparable to our own not so long ago. Heck, even today people will not elect a Woman President not because she may not be qualified, but just because she is female. Women in our country have only known equal rights for a very short time. A husband could beat his wife at will and it was his right to do so according to our thoughts of a woman's value back then. Women were thrown in jail just for talking about the right to vote, or birth control.
My personal feeling about this whole soldier-in-Iraq/planted post controversy is that I wouldn't put it past MJB to have planted the remarks himself so that he could have a "legitimate" reason to bring up his anti-Bush diatribes under the Speak Out blogs.
Thanks for throwing that in for me Nil, I was just about to bring that up. The US did indeed 'sign off' on the whole first Gulf War. We did it to justify our actions then. The whole part of Iraqis breaking in to a hospital and throwing babies onto the ground to die? Totally fabricated and publically ackowledged. Much like our intelligence leading to this war.
Indeed, Hussein was a US lackey going way back, we helped him get into power. Bin Laden was our asset as well, all from fighting the evil Communists in Afghanistan. It's not secret, it's not fable, its cold hard FACT. It's not just MJB or myself or 'tin foil hats' saying this. It has been investigated and proven on public record.
How is it that no one sees that all of the goings on in the Middle East are being handled on both sides by the US and Israel?
Indeed, Muslims don't like other religious groups. Just like Christians, Jews, Hindus etc... don't like anyone else. Even in this country, sects of Christianity are vehemtly opposed to each other. But the events of the past 10-15 years have really sold the general populace of all sides that 'This is a Holy War!'
Your rank and file people, average people, in any given country are not bloodthirsty maniacs willing to die for their cause. But with the ways things are being driven now, that is starting to change.
Extremism is running rampant, all being fostered by the government and it's mouthpiece, mainstream media. Division is good! We want more radical Muslims just waiting to blow up Americans to serve Allah. We want more Christians to bomb abortion clinics to please God. We want to remind people how the Jews were persecuted
so they should have global rights to come in and freely kill anyone else in any country with no questions asked.
If some of you that spend so much time calling other's points of view wrong and attacking people would spend half that time objectively reading actual news, maybe you'd start to see things differently.
Probably not, but it's nice to think so anyway.
Mr Ballou,
Again I must politely disagree with you. Saudi Arabia is not a Dictatorship. It is a Monarchy. The ruling family are direct descendents of King Ibn Saud. He being the first king under the united nomadic tribes of Saudi Arabia. And as much as you voice your objections to our current Adminitration, I would think that a sovereign nation such as Saudi Arabia would be allowed to be ruled how they choice to be.
And,yes, they do believe in beheading criminals for the things that you have listed. But, in case of murder, for example, the family of the victim has the choice of monitary or death. Many, many times while I was there the family of the victim chose monitary.
I am not saying that I agree with all their forms of justice. And I do believe that they are extremely sexist when it come to comparable judgement in case such as adultery. (Woman stoned in such a case, Man not.) Just trying to point out that it is understood there that if you do the crime you do the time so to speak.
Thanks.
mpreszler: Saudi Arabi is not ruled the way most Saudis would like to see. Roughly 7,000 individuals benefit enormously from the oppression of 27 million others(not including the millions of additional foreign laborers toiling there). The House of Saud crushes any and all opposition to their rule. The citizens have zero political freedoms, and our country provides with most of the tools & intelligence they need to quickly snuff out any dissidents(thus taking away any choice in the matter). Talk privately to some Saudis who are NOT in the House of Saud and see what words they'd pick to describe their government.
US foreign policy always favors the dictators and absolute monarchs and seeks to overthrow most popularly electing governments. Particularly in the Middle East where very first thing any legitimate government is going to do is question why foreign companies are taking their natural resources for pennies on the dollar. That is part of the reason that no matter how long we stay in Iraq their citizens will never have a real voice in whatever phony parliamentary system we rig. The first whiff of citizens demanding sovereignty over the nations resources and we'll have to foot the bill for another "regime change" to install a better patsy.
Nil,
I understand that not all the people of Saudi Arabia support the Royal family. I was not implying that they are perfect. Just pointing out to Mr Ballou that Saudi Arabia was a Monarchy not a dictatorship.