Comments on: Barroso blinks

By: kevin donoghue

kevin donoghue — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 20:02:24 +0000

Jet, I have been wondering where you get your information from on various topics – the Kurdish uprising in Turkey, the fatalities caused by mustard gas in WW1, the popularity of Muqtada al-Sadr, Japan’s level of development (industrial and educational) pre-1945. Judging by your comments in various threads your information on these subjects differs radically from that available on my planet. But if you are a reader of the Washington Times there is really nothing to wonder at. In time no doubt we will understand why, if the Russians were busily exporting munitions from Iraq to Syria prior to March 2003, they left such a quantity behind for American reporters to film in April and for Iraqis to loot soon afterwards. Perhaps it was one of those barter deals they were so fond of in the Soviet era? Explosives-for-explosives is a funny kind of swap, but I’m sure the Belmont Club will come up with a plausible way to weave it into a strategy. If not, then Fafblog or The Onion may supply the answer. BTW, on my planet the ROW is not ganging up on America nor do I expect to see that happen. I do expect Europe to take a more independent line than was the norm from Truman to Clinton; on balance I think this will be a good thing, but not all good by any means. Bush is likely to accelerate the process; from an EU perspective he is like one of those diseases that it is better to suffer when one is young. So once again I urge you to vote for that miserable excrescence.

By: jet

jet — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 17:52:31 +0000

Kevin, I look forward to this “realignment”. It is about time things were made clearer. You make it sound as if much of the world hasn’t already aligned itself against the US. France performing military excercises with China off the shores of Taiwan. Russia not only supplieing Iraq with weapons after the sanctions, but sending special forces to help them handle it. Besides actually shooting at US soldiers, how much farther can they align against us?

By: Uncle Kvetch

Uncle Kvetch — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 19:04:17 +0000

How come the mainstream media never point out that the famously homophobic Rocco Buttiglione’s name is very obviously that of a gay porn star? For the same reason they never said the same thing about Dick Armey.

By: Michael Mouse

Michael Mouse — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 16:10:29 +0000

How come the mainstream media never point out that the famously homophobic Rocco Buttiglione’s name is very obviously that of a gay porn star?

By: kevin donoghue

kevin donoghue — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 15:08:44 +0000

Recently Drezner requested advice from his readers on how he should cast his vote in the presidential election. I urged him to stick with Bush on the grounds that, by fostering contempt for America, Bush is bringing about a necessary realignment in international relations. (Sadly, Drezner does not seem to see the force of this argument.) One consequence I foresee from a second Bush term is a strengthening of the sense of a European identity. Whether I will really like the political consequences of this when they actually emerge is another question.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 14:42:16 +0000

[Barroso] will have to either secure Buttiglioni’s withdrawal or shunt him to a less controversial job Commissioner for Toilet Roll Acquisitions, perhaps?

By: kevin donoghue

kevin donoghue — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 14:34:59 +0000

Apologies for laziness, I have now read the link.

By: Angelo

Angelo — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 14:33:01 +0000

Correct spelling is Buttiglione.

By: kevin donoghue

kevin donoghue — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 13:56:49 +0000

Obviously I haven’t been paying sufficiently close attention – what was Henry disputing with Dan Drezner?