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Post by RobertGraves on Jan 23, 2006 15:35:49 GMT -5
Predictions for 2006 - political, environmental, technological or whatever - welcome at this thread.
What will happen in Iraq?
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Post by Aravis on Jan 24, 2006 2:29:42 GMT -5
I would guess more of the same for now. However this is election year for our legislators, and that could have an impact for next year at least...
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Post by Tenarke on Jan 24, 2006 12:53:58 GMT -5
To quote Will Rogers; “All I know is what I read in the papers.” Speaking of which:- www.nytimes.com/2006/01/22/international/middleeast/22iraq.html?_r=1&th&emc=thWhether or not the Iraqis will be able to form a stable and effective self government is too close to call. In any case it looks as though it will not be any time soon. On the flip side, our continued presence in Iraq is getting to be less and less tenable politically and our mid term elections are a’coming. We just can’t stay on indefinitely. If we don’t get out in time Iraq will do to us what Afghanistan did to the USSR. Yes, we’re rich and powerful – but there are limits. With the US sponsored Iraq police and military being primarily Shiia and the insurgency primarily Sunni, the prototype for a civil war is already in place. If the Sunni minority is not included in the new Iraq government they will in effect be cut off from the petroleum business; just about the only thing Iraq has to sell. Their choice would be to fight or settle for being Iraq’s poor folks and their insurgency is already up and running. Some choice! I hope that I’m wrong, but probably we’ll pull out some time before 2008 and more than likely leave a considerable mess behind. By the way; what the hell has all this to do with Al Qaeda? Remember them?
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Post by RobertGraves on Jan 24, 2006 16:02:54 GMT -5
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
Ahh, memory Tenarke - very dangerous and will only make you unhappy. You only 'think' you remember the reason for the invasion. You can be cured. Mr Orwell can explain the rest:
'I am taking trouble with you, Winston,' he said, 'because you are worth trouble. You know perfectly well what is the matter with you. You have known it for years, though you have fought against the knowledge. You are mentally deranged. You suffer from a defective memory. You are unable to remember real events and you persuade yourself that you remember other events which never happened. Fortunately it is curable. You have never cured yourself of it, because you did not choose to. There was a small effort of the will that you were not ready to make. Even now, I am well aware, you are clinging to your disease under the impression that it is a virtue. Now we will take an example. At this moment, which power is Oceania at war with?'
'When I was arrested, Oceania was at war with Eastasia.'
'With Eastasia. Good. And Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia, has it not?'
Winston drew in his breath. He opened his mouth to speak and then did not speak. He could not take his eyes away from the dial.
'The truth, please, Winston. Your truth. Tell me what you think you remember.'
'I remember that until only a week before I was arrested, we were not at war with Eastasia at all. We were in alliance with them. The war was against Eurasia. That had lasted for four years. Before that --'
O'Brien stopped him with a movement of the hand.
'Then where does the past exist, if at all?'
'In records. It is written down.'
'In records. And --?'
'In the mind. In human memories.'
'In memory. Very well, then. We, the Party, control all records, and we control all memories. Then we control the past, do we not?'
'But how can you stop people remembering things?' cried Winston again momentarily forgetting the dial. 'It is involuntary. It is outside oneself. How can you control memory? You have not controlled mine!'
O'Brien's manner grew stern again. He laid his hand on the dial.
1984
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Post by Tenarke on Jan 29, 2006 11:25:32 GMT -5
Ah yes – I remember that book. I read it way back when 1984 was still way off in the very distant future. They hadn’t even made the movie yet.
Haven’t read it in ages.
Wait a minute; I can’t find it on my bookshelves any more. Am I sure that such a book actually was written? That I actually read it?
My wife reminds me that I am getting older and perhaps a bit dotty. How do I know that there ever was such a book?
Maybe Orwell was right?
Or did he ever exist?
I have to go now. The Warder is coming back with his little cage full of rats.
Ugh!
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Post by Aravis on Jan 29, 2006 19:01:54 GMT -5
Which is precisely why I never finished reading that book. I have a phobic fear of rats. :0P
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Post by RobertGraves on Jan 30, 2006 3:11:35 GMT -5
The USA is Room 101 - and soon Canada it seems.
Predictions re: what WL said in CE about 'the bomb' Iraq and Israel?
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Post by Tenarke on Feb 3, 2006 18:27:24 GMT -5
Ok; I'll admit defeat. Who is "WL" and what is this "CE" in which he spake?
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Post by Wyndham on Feb 3, 2006 22:16:53 GMT -5
I think me Tenarke -- Wyndham Lewis. I think Robert's reference is to a post in Current Affairs regarding current events in the Middle East. Recap: things are moving in disquieting directions in Israel/Palestine (Sharon finished & Hamas in); Iran is next on the list, but might have the bomb; US is committed in Iraq, and therefore part of the equation rather than a restraining factor.
Robert: we aren't room 101. We're sitting in the anteroom. I don't think we'll let the government take us in there. If Steven Harper tries, he's done, instantly. Remember: he has a narrow minority. The Bloc and the Libs could bring him down without even looking for NDP support. Both are way, way left of the Alberta neo-cons who call the shots in CRAP. There would be another election in a heartbeat, and once the Libs have their house in order, they'll be back in with a majority, you watch.
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Post by RobertGraves on Feb 13, 2006 1:01:12 GMT -5
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Post by RobertGraves on Apr 17, 2007 4:18:49 GMT -5
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Post by Tenarke on Jun 4, 2009 16:04:02 GMT -5
I’m having a hard time figuring out where to put this, but I suppose that Crystal Ball Gazing will be as good as any: www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/opinion/04leyner.html?th&emc=thWhat sort of conversation and with which beast do you imagine? Think of the punter on the paddock, or the dog track for that matter
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Post by Wyndham on Jun 4, 2009 20:08:42 GMT -5
I don't know Tenarke. I've got alot of pets. I wish they could talk but don't have much hope that there would be surprises. Alice (a lab) always wants to be helpful, but just does't know how. She'd vaccum the floor, and paint the house if you could teach her how to do it, with just one mouth. Best of all: she'd work for cookies! Cats would pretty much just give orders or answer all questions 'tell me why I should care'?
This is just to say, that I'm pretty confident that they already do talk, and if they could say it in words they would't much surprise.
Alice: can I? Can I? CAN I? Three stooging about: AWESOME! The park: OMG! You're the smartest man ever! . . . OH SWEET JESUS: Its Lisa! She's home! etc.
Cats: FY, a-hole. Now, let's have some food and some patting, in that order, chop chop.
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