The Tsarnaev brothers were Islamic refugees. Their family came on a tourist visa, but then his father applied for asylum here. I suppose that application process could be called "vetting". Nidal Hasan's parents immigrated from Palestine. He was born here. You could say Nidal was "vetted" any number of ways in his ascent to army major. I have here somewhere a copy of Mohammed Atta's student visa, issued by the INS six months after his suicide flight into the tower, duly signed, sealed, and mailed to the flight school where learned how.
Vetting the Fifth Column.
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
For that matter, come to think of it, last time I mailed a package I was asked to punch a button on the card swipe attesting that I had not packed a bomb in there. Spose I was thereby vetted too.
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
If you really want to understand ISIS here is a great article from The Atlantic that gives a clear view of the background behind ISIS, what it is they want, and how they are going about achieving it.
I tend to consider myself pretty knowledgeable and realistic about the middle east and all the players, and It was a really eye opening article that completely changed how i think we should handle them.
That was a very interesting read. Much of it, I pretty much knew, and more of it, I have feared. So, how to deal with it? Seems to indicate that containment and awaiting it's eventual implosion is what's suggested in the article.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Let's all take a deep cleansing breath. Now, let me say this, state your case, by all means. But, on this forum, I don't see how anyone would declare themselves the "winner" of any argument by directly calling someone else's statement of opinion entirely merit-less. Save that shtick for some other forum. Here, among this small group of friends, it seems like a personal attack.
Sadly, Bob, there are no winners in politics. There aren't enough elected officials that are concerned about doing what is right for the American people instead of what will advance their own, or their party's agenda. This is aimed at Democrats and Republicans.
Sadly, Bob, there are no winners in politics. There aren't enough elected officials that are concerned about doing what is right for the American people instead of what will advance their own, or their party's agenda. This is aimed at Democrats and Republicans.
Amen.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Sadly, Bob, there are no winners in politics. There aren't enough elected officials that are concerned about doing what is right for the American people instead of what will advance their own, or their party's agenda. This is aimed at Democrats and Republicans.
Eggs Ackley.
You cannot have good government. You can only have less government.
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
“Apparently they are scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America,”
Barak Hussein Obama
How about a compromise? How about we let the widows and orphans in but leave the fifth column out?
“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)
Sadly, Bob, there are no winners in politics. There aren't enough elected officials that are concerned about doing what is right for the American people instead of what will advance their own, or their party's agenda. This is aimed at Democrats and Republicans.
Amen.
Thanks guys but, I wasn't talking about politics, I was talking about the WAY we talk about politics on this forum. I appreciate it when people on this forum express their opinion. I do not appreciate it when people on this forum get even the slightest bit personal with other members of this forum. No, I am not so naive that I do not expect this sort of thing to ever happen here, but I felt like pointing it out.
Maybe I'm wasting my time saying it but, on this forum, among us BOTLs, I think we should always be a little kinder in our approach to each other's positions on political disagreements than we might be in other places of the mean ol' interwebs.
There has been, I believe, a long-standing American (as well as others) tradition of smoking cigars and discussing politics and current events. I also believe that we here should carry on that tradition, as well as the accompanying comraderie implied within it.
What Bob is pointing out, I think, is a reflection of what's happening in our society today. Today's Americans have become the biggest bunch of rank-and-file-politically-correct-weenies that the country has ever seen. Good grief, when did we become so entrenched in our vaguely thought out political beliefs that anyone who dares disagree in any way shape form or fashion must be demonized and shunned?
We here should be able to share thoughts and ideas, agree or disagree on the basis of facts and or likely provable hypotheses, accept when conditions change or new information arises, the way we share cigars. Just a thought.
For instance, the original question was why is France using our intelligence to strike back at ISIS, and we haven't? (Paraphrased)
Did anyone notice that within a few hours of the question being posted we are informed that the US, under the leadership of that horrible Muslim B. Hussein Obama, struck a number of ISIS targets rather effectively?
That's the reality.
What I wonder is, what will effectively stop these monsters? ISIS, not Obama and Trump. Also, how far should we go in assisting those who are fleeing Syria and Northern Iraq? I'm torn on this, as a Christian it is my first instinct to help those in need. On the other hand, maybe these people should be encouraged to stay in their countries and fight the menace that is destroying their countries.
So, hopefully, we can discuss reality, as in what's really happening and not some sort of TV / Kardashian version of reality, in a way that produces some thoughts and ideas as to how our nation and others should go about dealing with things.
Why? Because we are supposed to be representative democracies, and how can our representatives do their jobs if we citizens don't pay some real attention to events in the world?
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Comments
Vetting the Fifth Column.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
You cannot have good government.
You can only have less government.
How about a compromise? How about we let the widows and orphans in but leave the fifth column out?
Maybe I'm wasting my time saying it but, on this forum, among us BOTLs, I think we should always be a little kinder in our approach to each other's positions on political disagreements than we might be in other places of the mean ol' interwebs.
What Bob is pointing out, I think, is a reflection of what's happening in our society today. Today's Americans have become the biggest bunch of rank-and-file-politically-correct-weenies that the country has ever seen. Good grief, when did we become so entrenched in our vaguely thought out political beliefs that anyone who dares disagree in any way shape form or fashion must be demonized and shunned?
We here should be able to share thoughts and ideas, agree or disagree on the basis of facts and or likely provable hypotheses, accept when conditions change or new information arises, the way we share cigars. Just a thought.
For instance, the original question was why is France using our intelligence to strike back at ISIS, and we haven't? (Paraphrased)
Did anyone notice that within a few hours of the question being posted we are informed that the US, under the leadership of that horrible Muslim B. Hussein Obama, struck a number of ISIS targets rather effectively?
That's the reality.
What I wonder is, what will effectively stop these monsters? ISIS, not Obama and Trump. Also, how far should we go in assisting those who are fleeing Syria and Northern Iraq? I'm torn on this, as a Christian it is my first instinct to help those in need. On the other hand, maybe these people should be encouraged to stay in their countries and fight the menace that is destroying their countries.
So, hopefully, we can discuss reality, as in what's really happening and not some sort of TV / Kardashian version of reality, in a way that produces some thoughts and ideas as to how our nation and others should go about dealing with things.
Why? Because we are supposed to be representative democracies, and how can our representatives do their jobs if we citizens don't pay some real attention to events in the world?
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain