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Xl1200r
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 - 06:14 pm: | 
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I'll be frank. I don't like Obama one bit. I never have. He hasn't ever impressed me aside from his uncanny ability to woo and hypnotize an entire nation.
HOWEVER
What's done is done and it can't be changed. I WILL give him a chance, and I am looking forward to see how this goes. At the very least, I hope those who did vote this man in are happy with what he does, even if I am not.
But, like others, my support will come only after a quick reference to U.S. Constitution Footnotes regarding any decisions he makes.
To be honest, I'm more concerned about the seats in Congress and the House. It will be interesting to see this all play out. |
Tramp
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 - 06:46 pm: |
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The US Constitution....? that Ol' document that protects we the people from warrantless surveillance? |
Johnnylunchbox
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 - 06:58 pm: |
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When Western Europe is under Sharia law within the next 50 years, I wonder who they will look to, to lend a hand in stopping the inevitable madness? |
Xl1200r
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 - 07:13 pm: |
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Tramp - yup, that's the one.
Never said I was happy with how things are, but that doesn't mean I'll be happy with how things change. |
Buellerthanyou
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 - 07:37 pm: |
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The man is a public servant, hired to do a job by the people (or at least the electoral colleges) of this great nation. If he performs that job adequately, I've got no complaint. If he doesn't, let him go in four years and hire someone who will. If he's really f-ing up, fire him immediately (impeachment) and see if that gets the attention of his successor.
The President of the United States' (very basic) job description, from Wikipedia:
The United States Constitution mandates that the President make the following oath or affirmation before he or she can "enter on the Execution" of the office of the presidency:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The last guy should have been fired long ago, based on these few criteria. 
Hellbuelly J
"Patriotism is easy to understand in America; it means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country."
--President Calvin Coolidge |
Johnnymceldoo
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 - 09:02 pm: |
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"The US Constitution....? that Ol' document that protects we the people from warrantless surveillance?"
It makes me angry to no end how grown men who call themselves Americans and even patriotic bitch and complain about the patriot act but say nothing and support candidates who work to destroy the 1st and 2nd amendment. |
Blake
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 - 10:35 pm: |
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How cool is this! I can give people satisfaction merely by being wrong. Who knew? I might be able to make a living at that if I put a little bit more effort into it.
Ferris von Bueller,
Your miserable little "You would have fit-in well in the Wehrmacht." comment is way out of line and extremely poor form. That is absolutely the kind of hateful insulting personal commentary that BadWeB will will never tolerate, especially when directed at one who served genuinely on our behalf in defense of freedom and justice.
Congrats to Obama and all his supporters. I hope and pray that he has a successful and easy peaceful time as our President. |
Ft_bstrd
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 - 10:40 pm: |
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Posted elsewhere by me:
He is our President. If called to do so, we will fight to the death to defend him. Secret Service men and women will pledge their lives to protect him.
My hope is that the worst fears of the Right will not come to fruition. My hope is that the gravity of the oath to protect the Constitution of the United States will weigh upon him, and that he will comply with his oath. My hope is that he truly is a uniter and will work across the aisle and draw everyone under the tent with him. My hope is that we, as Americans, can get back to viewing each other as fellow members if this experiment in self governance rather than enemies of the state.
I am willing to give him the benefit of time.
At this point, he is starting with a clean slate. I don't want to hear that he is encumbered by the legacy of Bush any more than Democrats wanted to hear that Bush was encumbered by the legacy of Clinton. It's the Democrats ball to run with. We will see if the ideas of Democrats are really best for the United States.
We shall see. I will work to be fair in my judgment and evaluation.
As one of the leading participants in political threads here on BW, I move that we have a moratorium on political threads for a little while. I know I am tired of them, and I can guarantee those less interested in politics are.
In all of the fun that has been the political threads over the last two years, if I have offended or angered anyone by my positions or passion, I beg your forgiveness.
I'm honestly a really nice guy in person. You can hardly see my horns and tail.
No really.
God Bless America and protect and guide the heart and mind of OUR President, Barack Obama.
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Court
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 - 10:44 pm: |
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>>>>How cool is this! I can give people satisfaction merely by being wrong.
I liked you even back in the good old days when you were right!
 |
Cochise
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 12:52 am: |
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A Irish bartender friend of mine - who is only 1st generation American I think - went to Ireland a few years ago, and someone there actually threw food at him, calling him a fat American.
An Irishman, an Englishman and a Scotsman go to a pub together (amazingly they don't get into a brawl). All three order pints of Guinness, and wouldn't you know it--as soon as the pints arrive, three flies come in the open window and land on the beers.
Well, the Englishman is disgusted that this filthy creature would land on his beer, and with a grunt he pushes the pint away.
The Scotsman is more frugal. He deftly flicks the fly off his beer and proceeds to enjoy the rest.
The Irishman turns beet-red, and then he carefully picks up the fly by its wings, holds it over the top of the glass and shouts, "Spit it out, you bosstard! Spit it out!!" |
Indy_bueller
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 07:51 am: |
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Ferris_von_Bueller said: You would have fit-in well in the Wehrmacht.
I tried to get BACK IN the Army in September 2001, does that make me a Nazi? That's one of the most offensive things I have ever seen posted on this board. Who the hell do you think you are? Have you ever worn a uniform? |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 08:47 am: |
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While I don't condone in any way the insult, for the sake off exactitude lets be clear about this.
The Wehrmacht was the German Army & as such not the Nazi party, there were undoubtedly Nazis in the Wehrmacht but the overwhelming majority were just common soldiers fighting for their country. As would you or I.
So it wasn't really an insult even though it was supposed to be one.
All it does is make the poster look stupid for getting his facts wrong, as well as cheap.
Time to grow up FvB. Go read some history, world history, proper history, not just the crap you see between commercials.
Mostly it's better than fiction too. |
Hammeroid
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 12:19 pm: |
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"Ireland's citizens are just pissed offf because we have way more Irish here than they have, there."
haha, you got that right, Tramp. I think Pearl River has more bars than the county Cork. Not sure everyone was able to make it to the coast to go fishing though. I would have probably tried to make it to a bar on the coast. F the potatoes, I'll have fish and a guinness. The english won't starve me out.
I also enjoy the benefit of dual citizenship. It speeds up having to go through immigration over there.
(Message edited by hammeroid on November 06, 2008) |
Bill0351
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 01:41 pm: |
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"You would have fit-in well in the Wehrmacht."
When I was in boot camp at MCRD SanDiego, my Senior Drill Instructor Sgt. Wilson told me this:
"A Marine doesn't need to be a patriot. He doesn't need to agree with the conflict. All a Marine needs to know is that if there is a Marine fighting anywhere in the world, another Marine should feel the overwhelming urge to fight next to him."
I'm sure that lesson would have been just as germane in the Wehrmacht as in the Roman Army or the American Revolution. It served me well both in the USMC and the US Army.
I wouldn't expect civilian to understand that code. In fact, I couldn't care less if he did.
All that intended insult warranted was a patronizing pat on his little civilian head.
Semper Fidelis means everything to me.
Bill |
Wolfridgerider
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 02:03 pm: |
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MCRD SanDiego  ....
What kind of sunglasses did you get issued with your beach towel?? Ya BOOT!!!
Just mess'n with ya....
SEMPER FI!! |
P_squared
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 02:03 pm: |
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"You would have fit-in well in the Wehrmacht." - FvB
For those who have never experienced it, attempting to explain the true meaning of ‘Esprit de Corps’ is a nearly fruitless pursuit.
Unless you have been in a position to question the orders you have been given by your commander, your 'observation' is nothing short of a completely uninformed INSULT.
I've protected your right to express your views, which I may not agree with.
I've protected your right to burn a flag that is a symbol of a nation I've fought for.
I've protected your right to free speech, freedom to assemble, freedom to vote, etc.
When you publicly impugn the honor of a servicemember, you have lost any & all respect I may have ever held for you. You still have your rights which I have protected. You no longer have my respect. |
2008xb12scg
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 02:21 pm: |
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I've protected your right to express your views, which I may not agree with.
I've protected your right to burn a flag that is a symbol of a nation I've fought for.
I've protected your right to free speech, freedom to assemble, freedom to vote, etc.
Just seemed like a good time to thank you guys for that! |
2008xb12scg
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 02:28 pm: |
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My son (thinking of joining) was given these words from an uncle in the military - "When you sign up you lose the right to question your superiors, to bad mouth the Commander in chief, to protest, to not agree with a war, to think of family before duty. You give all these rights up, to fight for the rest to keep those rights..." So like I said before thanks... |
Tramp
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 03:14 pm: |
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I took FVB's comment to mean something entirely different- I actually thought he was saying that, despite being regarded as Nazis, the wehrmacht was comprised of decent men who loved their country and would fight for it without asking questions.
I initially responded by saying that this condition is not singular to the wehrmacht, but to any national fighting force, essentially.
While I wasn't thinking that fvb meant this as an insult, at first, I removed my rebuttal (which was meant to simply back up all soldiers as being unquestioning in their duties, lest their effectiveness should suffer), as I'd rather not, on second thought, speak to such a comment, now that I've considered the viewpoint that Blake has pointed out as having been likely.
A huge problem with this, and probably many other boards (this is about the only one I visit) is that too many folks who've never served in a nation's military comment far too much on the subject, and usually with far too much faux-thority.
(you know- the Walter Mitty's I've cited, in the past)
Bill0351 represents, through what he posts on this site, a multitude of qualities that make me very proud to be a part of this nation.
I look forward to riding with you someday, Bill.
Jay |
Tramp
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 03:16 pm: |
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Ps- Blake- good lookin' out. |
Bigdaddy
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 11:26 pm: |
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There's no more shame attached to being a member of the Wehrmacht than the 3rd Army -- they both fought valiantly in Die Eifel (and many other places.)
Mr. Grumpy for the win on the subject -- many thanks Grumpy!
You can never explain the brotherhood of arms to those that haven't served. That's not good or bad it just is. You can read about it and study it and watch the military channel, but you won't really get it unless you do it.
Military service isn't for everyone, but for some it's everything. Speaking for myself I'd of done it forever had I been able to beat the whole getting old thing -- money sucked, hours sucked, locations often sucked, and I loved all of it. |
Old_man
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 12:04 am: |
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It's a sad day for all the comedians. |
Disposabuell
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 01:54 am: |
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yes you can explain the "brotherhood" to those who have not served in the military. it is your willingness to stand with your fellow service members through all that may come at you. the same feelings can be found outside of the military...say motorcyclists who often go out of their way to help other riders for no other reason that they are riders.
the key difference is that you can't explain what it means to stand with someone while being shot at, mortared, eating sand or mud and keeping your wits about you. that can only be experienced, never learned, which is why recruits fresh out of boot don't yet know what it is like until they get their firs assignment in combat zone.
i respect anyone who chooses service, military or otherwise, to this country. in the same way i respect the office of the president and the various documents our nation is founded on, even when the person in the office fails in my eyes (iran/contra, infidelity, warrant-less wiretapping come to mind) or the document does not effectively spell out an answer for us in these modern and changed times (second amendment is a good one -- well written for the times but never written with our modern and current world, as well as fully automatic weapons, in mind). no person or document (or motorcycle) is perfect so we have to just make due with this fallibility and be rational and pleasant when we disagree with how to deal with these shortfalls.
its fanboys that ruin everything in my opinion, be they the rude harley riders who sneer at my buell or the partisan nutters who are incapeable of working with others to solve problems.
i call them neoconhippys, and i am very happy few of them ride buells.
on a lighter note, since obama is so straight-laced i wonder how comedians are going to parody him. good thing they can use biden then...he says the funniest stuff like every third day. |
Tramp
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 04:20 am: |
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Disposabuell sez:
"yes you can explain the "brotherhood" to those who have not served in the military. it is your willingness to stand with your fellow service members through all that may come at you. the same feelings can be found outside of the military...say motorcyclists who often go out of their way to help other riders for no other reason that they are riders. "
While that's a poignant thought, I disagree.
That being said, however, I agree with the much of rest of your post, and I really respect and admire your intellect and thoughtfulness.
...can always use more of that. |
Indy_bueller
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 07:17 am: |
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I've been reading "Tigers in the mud" by Otto Carius, one of Germanys most famous WWII tank commanders. He goes to great lengths in the book many times to describe how few of the soldiers in the Wehrmacht were Nazi. Most of the Nazis joined the Waffen SS, which was separate from the Wehrmacht. He also illustrated how it was possible for a German soldier to disobey an order if he thought it was illegal or foolish. That calls into question the "I was following orders" defense many of the Nazi leaders used. |
Tramp
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 07:50 am: |
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You'll find that most WW II accounts penned by German commanders go to great lengths to perpetrate the self-serving myth that they were not down with the Nazis.
The sheer socioeconomic hell of the post-Weimar republic made it all-too-simple for the average unemployed (redundancy) to lean toward Nazism. |
Brumbear
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 08:13 am: |
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I read that book its pretty good. The best war book ever written is by far is the FORGOTTEN SOLDIER but Guy Sajer. My wifes uncle was a tanker in WW2 and was killed on the Russian front. The other was captured by the Russians and was not returned to Germany until 1955. They belonged to the Nazi party as did everyone you really had no choice. To be a common person I believe up until 1943 there was no reason to doubt being a Nazi things were going well for the common guy.The world was a different place and it was much easier to keep people in the dark to what was actually going on |
Court
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 09:34 am: |
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I have this vision of a pale white faced Obama as he walks out of The White House yesterday having had his very first top level security briefing (along with 100 of his staffers who were, in a first time move given the risks we face, pre-approved) about the world situation.
I'm waiting for a "holy cow, I didn't sign on for this" resignation speech today.
I'd wager his eyes were like saucers as he heard how many folks are actively plotting ill will for us. |
Court
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 10:02 am: |
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I just got this . . . likely old . . . but oh how true. . .
quote:
The Heaviest Element Known to Science
Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are
surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of morons promotion leads some scientists to believe
that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical
morass.
When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons
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Hootowl
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 10:34 am: |
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If Governmentium has no electrons, doesn't that make it extremely positive and reactive? Sounds fishy to me. |
Bill0351
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 10:58 am: |
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Hey Tramp,
Any time you are ever in the Green Bay area, look me up. If I am ever in your neck of the woods I will do the same.
I'm not the fastest rider out there, but what I lack in skill, I make up for in enthusiasm.
Thanks again for the Tahoe advice.
Bill |
Bill0351
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 11:18 am: |
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"FORGOTTEN SOLDIER but Guy Sajer"
That may well be the best war book ever written from a first-person perspective.
"Dog Company Six" by: Edwin Simmons is another great book that looks at the Korean War from a Marine reserve company commander's perspective.
"The Thin Red Line" by: James Jones was a terrible movie, but the book is an incredible look at the intensity or WWII in the Pacific theater. (My great uncle Corporal Edward Recka was killed on Saipan so I have been fascinated with that part of the conflict.)
I think kids should read these books before they join any combat oriented branch of the military.
Bill |
Reindog
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 11:38 am: |
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Obama was overheard saying, "I demand a recount". |
Indy_bueller
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 12:40 pm: |
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"We were soldiers once, and young" is an extremely good book. If you want to understand the movie "We were soldiers" better, read it.
You'll find that most WW II accounts penned by German commanders go to great lengths to perpetrate the self-serving myth that they were not down with the Nazis.
I think what I probably should have said was "hardcore Nazis". |
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