Twin Bombings in Town Near Syrian Border Not Dragging Turkey Into "Quagmire," Prime Minister Says

Reason 24/7

Yesterday, two car bombs set off near the post office and town hall in Reyhanli, a town near the Turkish border with Syria, killed at least 40 and injured at least 100. Today, the Turkish prime minister, Recep Erdogan, responded.

From Voice of America:

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to stay out of Syria's civil war, a day after a double car bombing struck a Turkish town near the Syrian border, killing at least 46 people. 
Speaking Sunday in Istanbul, Mr. Erdogan said Turkey will remain level-headed in the face of provocations aimed at dragging it into what he called the "Syrian quagmire." 

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Comments

[Dweebston]

I think you've your killed:injured numbers backward. At least, I hope so.

[Ed]

I did. Thanks!

[Dweebston]

Bitte.

[oliversebastian101]

my co-worker's aunt makes $62 hourly on the laptop. She has been fired from work for ten months but last month her payment was $17764 just working on the laptop for a few hours. Go to this web site and read mor..... http://www.mojo55.com

[LTC(ret) John]

Was she fired for bombings along the Syrian-Turkish border?!

[WomSom]

Why does anyone care whats going on in Syria?

http://www.Secure-Web.tk

[Hugh Akston]

Jesus AnOnbOt. It's one thing not to get involved in foreign wars, but it's another not to care about the suffering of the people who live there.

[SIV]

I nominate anonobot for secretary of state and head of the police internal affairs division.

[Dweebston]

What, at this point, does it secure-web.tk?

[The Late P Brooks]

Smear campaign? Us?

A red-on-black poster ? "No Koch Hate in LA: Stop the Koch takeover of the L.A. Times" ? went out on Wednesday urging people to turn out for a rally next Tuesday in front of Mr. Karsh's office here.

"The Koch brothers would use the newspaper in an extremist and ideological way," said Mar?a Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, A.F.L.-C.I.O. "And I'm saying that even though I believe the current L.A. Times is not particularly labor-friendly."

Should the Koch brothers proceed with their efforts, and draw on their considerable financial assets to try to push rivals off the field, shareholders in the Tribune Company, including Oaktree and JPMorgan Chase & Company, might be hard-pressed to refuse a deal that would be seen as in the best financial interest of the company. The union leaders, in their letter to Oaktree, argued that the cost of selling to the Kochs, in the form of losing the investments of the pension funds, would be fiscally irresponsible.

Outbidding other potential buyers? Perfidious bastards!

[cavalier973]

You know who else tried to drag Turkey into the Syrian quagmire?

[Acosmist]

TE Lawrence?

[Ray]

Selim I?

[Hugh Akston]

Paula Deen?

[Ray]

General Petain?

[LTC(ret) John]

The Fourth Crusade(ers)?

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Turk fools! They've just shown that if you want to keep them out of a quagmire all you have to do is make it unwise to enter it.

[Sevo]

OT:
SF gov't is allowing some development without 'planning' it! Busybody horrified!
"But as I say in today's critique, there's a problem. Developers are the players framing the debate about San Francisco's future waterfront, not City Hall."
http://blog.sfgate.com/johnkin.....in-charge/
BTW, this same paper, two days ago, ran a long article on how 'city planning' and 'redevelopment' turned what had been a middle-class area of Victorian homes into an instant slum.

[Irish]

OT: Walmart launches mobile food testing labs to make sure their brand isn't associated with food contaminants that remain a problem in China. This is impossible. I have it on good authority that companies will never try to make their product safe unless the government orders them to do so.

[Libertarian]

Wimpy Turkey. If the US of A could trace a paper cut to Syria, we'd be bombing the hell out of them within 24 hours.

[Capt. Ace Rimmer]

If the US of A could imagine the possibility of tracing a paper cut to Syria, we'd have the moral responsibility to bomb the hell out of them.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Happy Mother's Day!

Oh yeah, make sure you all say hi to your mothers for me!

[Mike M.]

I'm surprised the name hasn't officially been changed to Susan G. Komen Day yet.

[Ken Shultz]

Happy Mother's Day!

And tell your mom to stop calling me in the middle of the night.

[2ndClassProle]

http://www.marketwatch.com/sto.....eid=yhoof2

The problem isn't that the occasional journalist makes a mistake on deadline. We're human, folks. The problem isn't big business, or corporate control. It isn't even the Koch brothers. If you're a liberal, you should probably want them to blow $600 million on a loss-making newspaper company.

Problem is you cannot follow news like the chase between Boston Police and the bombers. I was following it on Twitter with actual pics from households in the vicinity, and Police scanner.

[cavalier973]

Well, if you can't do Turkey, at least you can do peacock.

[2ndClassProle]

Peacock was asking for it, with those colorful feathers.

[Libertarian]

That George Carlin is one crazy dude.

[SIV]

Maryland has no statute of limitations for dog fucking School employee is mounting a dog Fourth Amendment defense.

[2ndClassProle]

Maybe, it was a service dog,and AMA could apply. Orgasimically challenged.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Oh Geez, Thanks Radley

radleybalko
?@radleybalko
The Bakersfield story just gets worse and worse. Cops held witnesses for 10 hours until they turned over cell videos.

[Dweebston]

The deeper I read into this story the greater my sense of bewilderment. I don't expect much by way of civility from police, however much Dunphy protests their innocence overall, but even by their jaded, rights-abusive SOP the Bakersfield pigs' conduct betrays a complete lack of common sense. As if detaining witnesses for hours won't bite them in the ass, qualified immunity be damned. I'm thrilled to see this play out.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Banned.

[General Butt Naked]

"We made a judgment error," league president Susan Osborne said in an interview Saturday...

See, sometimes bureaucrats realize how dumb a rule is and change things.

..."We, as an executive, went back and checked the Softball Canada rules again and made a decision not to wear the red (40th anniversary) bracelets."

NOOOO, you're doing it wrong. Jesus Fucking Christ, you stupid fucking whore.

"In our enthusiasm about the celebration of this important milestone in our history and wanting our players to have a keepsake from their years at Topham, we misinterpreted a jewelry rule set down by Softball Canada," Osborne wrote.

"We strongly believe that your child's safety is our primary concern, so effective immediately, all jewelry including silicone bands of any kind are not permitted to be worn on the field. The only exception is a Medic Alert bracelet."

AAAARRRRGGHHH! Fucking cunt-whore motherfucker, just fucking go fucking choke yourself on some Tim Horton's now. Please. Jesus.

[Rhywun]

If it saves ONE CHILD from a case of mild skin abrasion...

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I will say this one night only: Go Bruins (and tomorrow if necessary)

[General Butt Naked]

You watch the pens game last night?

They had no fucking business winning that game. I'm glad they did, but jesus how lazing can you be?

I did't catch any of the Sens' games, how are they looking?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

The Sens are ornery

[General Butt Naked]

"but, but, uhhh MATTE COOKE!"

I know they're probably still pissed off about Karlsson. If the pens are smart, they'll goad them into taking a bunch of stoopid penalties.

Word around the hockey-o-sphere is that the Sens are in beast mode and are gonna pummel the pens. Did they play that well against le team?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

They did play them hard. Softened them up.

[Ted S.]

I'm not a fan of either team, but after the way Boston and the media had a shit fit over the "Toronto Stronger" poster, I wouldn't mind seeing the Maple Leaves win the series.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

But the Leafs have a player named Joffrey.

[Sevo]

This "leafs" you post about; is this a raking competition?

[Gene]

Yes it is but in Ontario we must rake our "Leafs" up in the Spring.

[sticks]

OT. SC H 4074 will tax ecigs, require a license to sell them and criminalize anyone with the gumption to buy out of state untaxed ecigs. Well if any fellow South Carolinians see this please email or call your reps. Sorry for the spammy nature of this post.

http://blog.casaa.org/2013/05/.....ll-to.html

[Ted S.]

If Ed can spam three 24/7 links in his post, you can "spam" a comment about a piece of legislation with libertarian repercussions.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

OH NO

Follow

Art Bell
?@artbellradio
I'm coming back soon! Stay tuned #dreamland

[General Butt Naked]

I'm sure the lizard people are quaking in their lizard shoes.

When I lived in AZ all that me and my roommate had was a tiny little am/fm radio, and the only damn station that came in was the one that played Art Bell. I listened to that dumbass shit every night for 6 months straight. Never did send away for the healing crystals though. They did have G. Edward Griffin once, but he was talking about Noah's ark or some other crazy shit.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

He unleashed Richard Hoagland and his face on mars BS upon the world.

That's reason enough to be banished to the deepest pits of nowhere.

[Sevo]

Archduke Pantsfan| 5.12.13 @ 8:53PM |#
"He unleashed Richard Hoagland and his face on mars BS upon the world."

I'd forgotten that! Up there with 'corpse near a body of water'!

[Archduke Pantsfan]

anyone remember Mel's Hole?

[Sevo]

Had to googly it; I missed that one entirely!
To be honest, I thought you were hinting at a Cole's Law analogy.

[Sevo]

Well, look there! "American" has disappeared along with all his/her posts.
If there was a trigger post, I missed it. Just the standard racist crap.

[Virginian]

Yeah I'm gonna go ahead and say it: why do they keep banning him? His ideas suck, but so do Tony's and he's still here. I find socialism and racism to be equally repugnant, but they let the socialists spew their stupidity.

Is it the multiple accounts? Or am I missing something?

[Heroic Mulatto]

Yeah, it's the multiple accounts that he uses to spam up the threads. No one wants to read one guy posting under 5 different handles write the same shit again and again.

[Virginian]

I assume they can use IPs or something to prove it's the same guy and not just fellow travelers with the same talking points?

[SIV]

American is a sockpuppet.

[SweatingGin]

I'm imagining a Glenn Beck-esque chalkboard with "American" and "White Indian" emanating out from the "Mary Stack" circle, with all of American's socks coming off of those, as well as the various WI ones (Godesky and such). Then another circle with Tony and Shriek. The big question is if those nodes are connected.

[Sevo]

SIV| 5.12.13 @ 9:36PM |#
"American is a sockpuppet."

Not to beat on you SIV, since Epi claims every non-libertarian poster is a sock, but do you have an evidence?
Seemed to me that 'Murcan was a run-of-the-mill xenophobe.

[SweatingGin]

I figured American is here to get people to agree with him. Start with something small, slightly racially insensitive, but not off the wall, and then work his way up. Then post links to it on all manner of progressive blogs. "Look! This is what Libertarians actually believe! See them agreeing with this obvious racist!"

So I wouldn't figure it was a sock for a regular, but more like a troll from somewhere else.

Just my hunch, though.

[VG Zaytsev]

An elaborate Moby, that's my take on him too.

[Episiarch]

American has been banned. When he comes back, he does so with a changed IP address. If you ran a website and took the time to ban someone, you might get pissed when they subsequently tried to get back on your property that you specifically banned them from. You might throw them off said property every time you came across them. You might even delete all their comments so that they had nothing to show for sneaking back on your property.

[Sevo]

I can understand that logic, but it would be informative if deleted posts had a reference to the 'rule' that had been contravened.

[SweatingGin]

"User was banned for this post"

[Sevo]

Doesn't tell anyone why.

[Virginian]

Eh, it's just I've seen a few online news/commentary/politics communities tighten up more and more with their admissions/commenting policies.

I just always think that erring on the side of an open forum is a good idea. Even when that means tolerating less then savory opinions. Maybe even especially then.

[Episiarch]

American is not being deleted for being a douchebag, he is being deleted for not respecting the fact that the property owners do not want him here. Unsavory opinions like the Tony sockpuppet are, as you can see, allowed to stand. But if a property owner says "get lost" and you keep sneaking back on, you can't be surprised when they get pissed.

Open has always been the goal. I supported that myself. But when extreme griefing occurs, priorities change.

[Virginian]

True, but this now makes two people who are being banned for their opinions. The Big Troll spammed hundreds of comments per thread. American doesn't spam, he simply posts things most people find repugnant.

And I do notice the socialists are still welcome, despite socialism being on a par with racism when it comes to ideologies which advance nothing but human misery. So I just find it a bit of a double standard.

I don't claim Reason doesn't have the right to regulate use of their property, I just think that they've gone from banning an obnoxious spammer to banning someone for their opinions.

[SIV]

American doesn't hold the opinions he's expressing. He is doing a crude, dumbed down imitation of Slappy.

[SweatingGin]

Agreed. I'm reluctant to even agree with removing posts from Mary and American. Every place that introduces a bit of censorship seems to end up like Fark or Reddit in group think.

I kind of miss the days before registration. I don't miss Mary/WI, though.

[Virginian]

The problem with Reddit is how it's composed almost entirely of fucking college students who think they know how the world works, with a smattering of SWPL types. They value democracy over liberty, so as long as the majority is downvoting something, they don't see anything wrong with it.

[2ndClassProle]

What is SWPL types? Single White Progressive Leech

[Virginian]

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/

These people. Surprisingly, that blog is written by one of them. One of the rare people who can skewer his own culture/social scene.

[2ndClassProle]

Thanks for the clarification. I have seen the acronym a lot around here.

[SweatingGin]

The average demographic of reddit is College Sophomore, I'm pretty sure. ooh, that means a new crowd is just finishing their first year of college, and ready for reddit!

Don't get me wrong, I fucking hate reddit. The only parts I find tolerable are r/guns, r/ccw, and r/anarcho_capitalism

[Sevo]

"I don't miss Mary/WI, though."

I still don't "know" that WI was Mary, but losing WI was and is a positive. I'll also agree it's a positive considering the requirement of registration. MNG left at that time, which is somewhat negative, but the asshole seemed to view this as a site to sharpen his sophistry skills.
So maybe as Epi claims, Murcan was a banned trespasser who got caught again. It is Reason property, so they can toss whom they please.
But we're getting close to an echo chamber and that's not good.

[Heroic Mulatto]

If being an "echo chamber" means we don't have the threads derailed by the obnoxious ravings of an uneducated, gravy-sweating racist yokel, then ECHO....Echo.....echo......

[Ted S.]

I for one found HERCULES TRIATHLON SAVINEN almost humorous in his nutjobbery.

[Sevo]

HERC is missed!

[2ndClassProle]

Yes, the [HERC] was the best.

[TRIATHLON REPLYS]
We are not pleased with the results of the late election [2/5/2011] Second of May [2011] Twenty-Eleven, for though yes we voted for the NDP [JACK LAYTON], nevertheless the Tories [IMPERIAL ANNEXATIONIST EMPIRE STOOGES] won election and will continue to push [CC] The Canadian Confederationv closer to being fully annexed by the [EMPIRE] Israeli-American Empire though we must also say down with the Bloc Quebecois [THE BLOCK], Quebec Sepratism is an [EMPIRE] Plot.
HERCULE TRIATHLON SAVINIEN

[Archduke Pantsfan]

*sheds a tear for Herc

[2ndClassProle]

and I am cussing out the wrong people. Hope, Irish and Agammamon, do not mind.

[SweatingGin]

That's the best part:

Irish| 5.12.13 @ 5:32PM |#|?|filternamelinkcustom

No, it's actually the total murder rate. The overall gun murder rate is about 3.4, with 1.6 being non-gun homicides.

Our homicide rate is approximately 2.5 per 100,000 worse than CANADA. That's how minor our murder rate is, yet liberals seem to have difficulty with the math.
reply to this

2ndClassProle| 5.12.13 @ 5:45PM |#|?|filternamelinkcustom

Fuck off, Racist!!!

Also why a "Yea, someone posted something less acceptable at H&R than accusing someone of carnal relations with a goat" message on deletes would be nice.

[2ndClassProle]

Poor potato-headed bastard probably thinks I was "othering" him.

[Irish]

Fuck you guys. I haven't been potato-headed since the blight came and ruined our crop.

[2ndClassProle]

Sorry, brother. I just got through watching Archer. Blame it on Epi.

[Sevo]

"No dogs or Irishmen"

[Irish]

For the record, I'm more than willing to kill you all. My racial handicap tends to make me both violent and lacking in self-control.

[2ndClassProle]

What are you Spartacus, now?

Argon: What is your plan?

Spartacus: We shall kill them, we shall kill them all!

[SweatingGin]

When I came in here tonight, and first realized that a bunch of comments were missing, I was pissed, and about to start complaining. Then I realized it was American's comments, and, well, that happens a lot, and somehow I don't mind as much about American getting zapped.

That said, a brief "We zap American because of multiple sockpuppet accounts" or "We ban American 'cause it's really Mary" or even "Tony is grandfathered in" would be nice.

Meh. American goes on weekend binges occasionally, so does Mary. Mary and the caucasian aboriginal are the only ones I remember being zapped entirely from threads, though.

[2ndClassProle]

Hahaha... White Indian. The bastard would make every thread just unreadable. Every time this song plays. I think of him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stdqPT8LvTg

[Mike M.]

"diabla4ever" on an earlier thread is just Mary Stack's latest account.

[Sevo]

Mike M.| 5.12.13 @ 9:43PM |#
"diabla4ever" on an earlier thread is just Mary Stack's latest account."

Knowledge or conjecture?

[SIV]

Ever wonder what a guy who fucks peacocks looks like?
About like you'd expect

[SweatingGin]

Woof. Finally looked.

In his defense, that peacock was wearing all those pretty feathers and patterns, just asking for it.

[Sevo]

"In his defense, that peacock was wearing all those pretty feathers and patterns, just asking for it."

Sorta like the Tea Party folks and the IRS?

[2ndClassProle]

325,000 dollar burger. Does it come with cheese?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05.....anted=all&

[SweatingGin]

Better be american cheese, am I right?

[2ndClassProle]

Yeah, here in America we kill our meat.

But seriously, this is cool. We will be able to print meat and guns. I just heard the cry of a thousand proglodytes.

[SweatingGin]

... Meat... gun... Meat Gun. Leave aside the juvenile snickering.

That would kind of change Terminator, too.

Use it to commit a crime, then go home and toss it on the grill. Sorry, prosecutor, evidence was encased in a bun with american cheese, mayonaise, mustard, and onion, and washed down with a few beers.

[Sevo]

"american cheese"
Watch out, there...

[Agile Cyborg]

Turkey should at LEAST allow its law enforcement types to masturbate bloody jizzms to several killings in their massive squads o'er dis shiat.

[JeremyR]

I think Turkey has its hands busy with it's own war against the Kurds to get involved in another one.

[SIV]

Go Kurds!
Fuck the Turks.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Al Gore Dear Diary: 'Choke on a beaver tail, Canada'

[2ndClassProle]

This is awesome!! LOL

My aides tell me the PowerPoint presentation is starting to feel a bit out of date, so I've replaced it with a 20-minute animation of a polar bear slowly tearing apart a family of five in Maine. Oh, you didn't hear that melting sea ice was forcing man-eating bears into heavily-populated southern hunting grounds? How about that.

[cavalier973]

Missouri legislature just voted to nullify Federal gun laws.

[cavalier973]

^^^

HB436, introduced by Representative Doug Funderburk in February, was initially passed by the House in April by a vote of 115-42. Last week, the State Senate approved the bill with an amendment which did not change any of its nullification aspects. The vote there was 26-6. The bill then needed one final vote in the house which happened just before 10pm local time this evening.

The votes in both the House and Senate are by a strong veto-proof majority. Local activist Matt Radcliffe acknowledged as much when he said,
"Governor Nixon can do nothing and it will automatically become law July 1st. Or he can sign it into law. Or he can veto it then his veto will be overridden in the house and it will become law anyway!"

[cavalier973]

All federal acts, laws, orders, rules, and regulations, whether past, present, or future, which infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 23 of the Missouri Constitution shall be invalid in this state, shall not be recognized by this state, shall be specifically rejected by this state, and shall be considered null and void and of no effect in this state.

[Some call me Tim?]

I am fairly certain that THIS will run into supremacy clause issues in ways that CO and WA did not.

[cavalier973]

TSA dog bites woman.

[2ndClassProle]

Must have had bomb in her stomach. Procedures were followed, and the canine is on paid administrative leave.

[VG Zaytsev]

Did someone's posts get deleted?

Cause, these threads are harder to follow than epi on a trek bender.

[Irish]

There was a Murican sighting.

[widget]

...Reyhanli, a town near the Turkish border...

I had never heard Reyhanli before. So I took a look at google maps and some climate data. The region is sparsely populated, has adequate rainfall, and a temperate Mediterranean climate.

The town on the Turkish side is larger than the town on the Syrian side. But both towns are far from their nearest national neighboring town. Take a look for yourself. These towns are exurban and seem to be middle class (even by US standards).

[Irish]

I agree. 4.6 deaths per 100,000 isn't worth the removal of the right to self-defense.

[General Butt Naked]

We discussed it, and decided that it wasn't what we wanted.

[General Butt Naked]

I thought you just wanted a discussion.

[Irish]

And Sweden had 77 children gunned down by a crazed madman who got a gun despite their best efforts.

THEY HAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLCHILDREN SHOT UP! 3 TIMES AS MANY AS NEWTOWN! WILL NO ONE TAKE AWAY SWEDEN'S PRECIOUS MURDER TOYS!

Your tears are delicious though.

[Mike M.]

In the immortal words of Elijah Cummings, death is a part of life, bitch!

[Virginian]

We've had *elementary schoolchildren* shot up and made precisely zero progress in taking your precious murdertoys away

Haha murder toys?

Mine must be defective then. How many should they be killing a year?

[2ndClassProle]

Is this including suicides? Over 50% of gun violence is suicides, and I have the right to die by any means I choose. Take out the Drug War violence, and America is safer than any European nation with strict gun controls.

[Irish]

No, it's actually the total murder rate. The overall gun murder rate is about 3.4, with 1.6 being non-gun homicides.

Our homicide rate is approximately 2.5 per 100,000 worse than CANADA. That's how minor our murder rate is, yet liberals seem to have difficulty with the math.

[Irish]

Sorry, 1.2 being non gun homicides.

[2ndClassProle]

Fuck off, Racist!!!

[Agammamon]

Uh, where do you get your numbers, your arse?

Europes drug war is not more successfull than the US', at best its just not as destructive but drugs are freely available and just as potent and cheap as over here.

And the last time we banned alcohol didn't have suck a good record on reducing alcohol related murders - remeber that Prohibition thing back in the olden times, that's when we already tried that idiot.

[Agammamon]

Possibly, and this is reaaally farfetched, but maybe we could, I don't know, limit the power of elected officials to specific and enumerated roles so that it realy doesn't matter what firebrand gets elected, he can't do much damage?

[MJGreen]

So convince them that freedom of religion, capitalism, etc., are valuable principles and worth respecting.

[Ken Shultz]

"How do you prevent extremists from winning elections?"

It may take a generation to go by before there's a critical mass of people who want better. I think we should try to remember that a free Syria could fail miserably as a government that protects minorities--and still do far better than we did.

We won our revolution, and we established our current form of government in 1789--and we were still keeping a huge chunk of one of our minorities enslaved until 1865. Ever taken a close look at the Dred Scott decision? Talk about extremists!

...we only got past formally enslaving most of the people in that minority after a bloody civil war.

Meanwhile, we didn't stop our state governments from formally discriminating against that minority until the 1960s. So, what, you want to go to 1964 as a nice round number?

So, in answer to your question, we went from 1789 to 1964, and that means if the Syrians elect extremists and only stop discriminating against Christians thirty years from now, they'll have beat us to the finish line by 145 years.

A better question to ask is why so many Syrians support extremists--IF IF IF that's what they do.

[Ken Shultz]

"It has been well documented that these rebels are motivated mainly by religious hatred of the Shia and Christian minorities."

Just because you say so?

When everyday Syrians were protesting in the streets for their rights, I don't think it was out of hatred for Shia and Christians.

I don't think Assad had his thugs sniping unarmed protestors down because they were Sunnis either. He just wanted them to stay home and stop agitating for reform and then, eventually, his resignation.

It's a fact that a huge chunk of the pro-Assad forces fighting the Syrian resistance in Syria are actually Hezbollah, which really is a radical Shia terrorist group.

If our country were run by a vicious dictator, and he was protected by a foreign, radical Islamist, Shia terrorist organization like Hezbollah--financed by the Shia mullahs of Iran--I think I'd resent the hell out of Shia Muslims, too.

Anyway, we certainly don't want to end up in a position where we're effectively arguing that a vicious dictator using government oppression is the solution, here. I think it sometimes behooves the United States to ally itself with a vicious dictator if doing so is in America's best security interests, short term, but I've never had any illusions about dictators and oppression being the long term solution to anything.

[2ndClassProle]

Yeah, people try to kill me all the time when purchasing alcohol down at the local mart. Fuck off, racist!!

[Irish]

In terms of the percentage of people who use the drugs, Europe is undoubtedly better.

Not necessarily true.

Europe has lower rates of pot use and a few other hard drugs, but Europe has much higher alcohol and cigarette use. Their drugs of choice are different. That's the only difference.

[MJGreen]

Quit talking to yourself.

[Mike M.]

Yeah, that's pretty disappointing coming from Heritage, because he obviously got fired due to that study. Not good for honesty and academic freedom.

[Virginian]

Democracy is the best of all the bad options, but it can't survive a nation opposed to it

But that's true for all political systems.

The US is no longer a constitutional republic, because people don't want that anymore.

[Irish]

What war on drugs is happening in Europe? Honestly, they have much less harsh sentences on drug use than we do. They don't spend as much money going after drug offenders. Some countries flat out legalized weed, or at least decriminalized it.

You haven't even shown that the 'drug war' in Europe is comparable to the United States.

Knowing you though, you probably just assumed they have the same sort of drug war, and the reason it doesn't work here is because the filthy Negroes can't be taught. Right, Murican?

By way of comparison, according to Rick Steves, American and European drug policy bear very little in common.

[MWG]

"I do believe that the lower drug use in Europe is a result of a better quality citizenry, not just in terms of less minorities, but also a less culturally corrupted white underclass."

Lol... You've never actually been to Europe, have you?

[Irish]

Trying to help people with their drug problems instead of throwing them in a jail cell and not treating pot heads like hard drug users could very easily result in less drug addiction.

@Merican:

It would be hard to argue that having less harsh sentences for offenders, less resources dedicated to enforcement, would lead to less drug dealing and use.

Your initial argument was that Europe's drug war is equivalent to America's drug war. That's how you were able to claim that violence can't be caused by the drug war, since Europe supposedly has one too. I showed you that Europe's drug war has nothing in common with America's and you changed the subject from violent crime to rates of drug abuse. You were wrong about the similarity between the drug wars, so you moved the goalposts. Fly goalposts, fly!

@MWG:

Lol... You've never actually been to Europe, have you?

Clearly not. Racistmerican should go see the alcohol abuse in England or Russia then come back and try to claim they are 'culturally superior.'

[Sevo]

American| 5.12.13 @ 6:52PM |#
..."Yes, I do believe that the lower drug use in Europe is a result of a better quality citizenry, not just in terms of less minorities,"...

Yeah, well, you're an ignoramus, 'murcan, so your bleefs are so much horseshit.

[Virginian]

Citation fucking needed. Go out in London Saturday night and see just how numerous they are.

[Sevo]

American| 5.12.13 @ 7:19PM |#
"I know they have their trash types, but they aren't as numerous as ours."

Real shame you stay here; you could help equalize things real quick.

[2ndClassProle]

Is it wrong for me to think, we should not get involved unless we are helping countries like Jordan with humanitarian aide.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Why the fuck does Jordan need my money? If there are Jordanians who need humanitarian aide, let their king sell some of his Star Trek toys.

[Sevo]

General Butt Naked| 5.12.13 @ 5:29PM |#
"I thought you just wanted a discussion."

Nando delivers stupid by the full car load. Discussion isn't what is offered.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I thought Nando was outed as a sockpuppet???

[Sevo]

American| 5.12.13 @ 5:58PM |#
"What are the chances that the perpetrators:
-are racial minorities?
-are drug(legal or illegal) users?
-come from "modern" families?
-are repeat offenders?
-are members of a gang?"

What's chances 'murcan can pose a question that isn't pre-loaded with stupidity?
(not much)

[2ndClassProle]

I meant the Syrian refugees coming into Jordan, but we can make them work for their aide. My monocle needs to be polished.

OMG.. the king was in my favorite Star Trek series. Voyager is the best.

[Irish]

Jordan has embarked on an aggressive economic liberalization program under King Abdullah II in an effort to stimulate the economy and raise the standard of living. Jordan's economic growth peaked at 8 percent in 2004 and has been averaging at 7 percent. King Abdullah II has liberalized the telecommunications sector and has implemented an ICT curriculum into Jordan's education system. This has made Jordan's telecommunications sector the most competitive in the region.

Dude, King Abdullah II of Jordan for president. I'd vote for that guy.

[VG Zaytsev]

King Abdullah enjoys sky diving, rally racing, scuba diving, and science fiction, pina coladas and getting caught in the rain

[Heroic Mulatto]

It's all sockpuppets!

[Sevo]

Don't recall that; I just recall that bucket-loads of stupid.

[Heroic Mulatto]

By "Voyager is the best," clearly you meant "Deep Space Nine is the best," as you seem to be intelligent enough that what you wrote was obviously a typo. Right?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

DON'T TALK SHIT ABOUT CAPTAIN QUANTUM

[2ndClassProle]

Deep Space Nine was good. It really showed the Federation was not perfect. The Defiant was a kick-ass ship. All citizens should have one. I know if I was a shape-shifter I could get some major tail.

[Heroic Mulatto]

No, this is why you should vote for King Abdullah II.

[2ndClassProle]

Got my vote, and haven't voted for president in two decades.

[Irish]

Motherfucker, why can't he be president? A Star Trek loving dude who liberalized their economy and fucks with comedians? Let's amend the constitution allowing foreigners to hold the office of the presidency and invite that guy over here for 2016.

[Ted S.]

And Sweden had 77 children gunned down by a crazed madman who got a gun despite their best efforts.

Technically, they were Norwegian and not Swedish.

[Capt. Ace Rimmer]

What shrill-voiced suppliant makes this eager cry?

[LTC(ret) John]

Maybe he doesn't recognize the old 1905 split?