I'm ashamed of my country

"Benjamin Turek" wrote in message
news:GVlUf.9004$vy.6853@trnddc01...
so are you to br the champion of the spineless.

Hm.....you got a better candidate in mind?

why don't we pander to whom ever is selling something good today?

Well, I suppose I might patronize someone who had something good to sell
today.....if it was something I wanted or needed.....and if the price was
right.....but I'll be jiggered if I'd know how to pander to him or
her.....or why.....or what any of this has to do with what we're talking
about here.....or what the hell you ARE talking about, for that
matter....which, if you think about it, makes us about even.

I guess that is just another difference in our opinions.

You got me stumped, Bennie.....I didn't know one had been offerred.

not standing up for what you believe is just as wrong, flexibility is the
key.

No. Thinking is the key. And it can result in either flexibility or
rigidity, depending on circumstances....and how good (or not) you are at it.

and until someone can show the horrific damage caused by a dog lunging at
you or licking peanut butter off of you, having your picture taken naked,
and witnessing an ugly American have sex is some great evil when American
soldiers lives can be on the line I will gladly stand by my opinion.

I know a dog would have you standing in a warm puddle of your opinion in ten
seconds or less.

maybe the biggest problem I have is that the information that could have
been potentially gathered could have helped to save my life, while I was
in a foreign country with people shooting at me.

No, that is by no means your biggest problem. You have a few greater ones,
not the least of which is that dead men write poorly.

So it has given me a different look at the situation.

Yeah, that much appears to be true.

I didn't have the opportunity to sit in front of my computer and ponder
the morality of psychological torture.

And now, here you are with the opportunity......and no tools. Life just
isn't fair, is it?

I am sure you'll get a big kick of breaking this down and writing snappy
responses to the individual sentences I wrote.

It's not much of a kick, really. But I've found that dealing with arguments
one at a time makes it a lot easier for me to keep track of them and to do
them all the justice they deserve. Besides, it makes it easier for readers.
I find the usual hash of selective editing followed by a dull-witted mush at
the end very unhelpful.

Maybe you'll call me an idiot,

Maybe not. Mmmmmm.....aaarggghhhh.....groan......Oh, alright!

Idiot.

although I am sure you won't stoop to using an insult containing less than
four syllables.

Hah! Fooled ya!

And that's just fine.

Well, FINE!

Some people need to do stuff like that to boost their self image, provide
themselves with a sense of accomplishment.

Indeed....and we've certainly got our share of them. But I'm working on
that.

And that's fantastic,

No, that's bad.....and not a little sad......um....well, sometimes it's
funny.

I am glad I was able to help you.

Well there, as they say, is the rub, Bennie. You haven't. You haven't
helped anyone......least of all yourself. A stew of self-pity, rage,
ignorance, nationalism, and bigotry is just something to sit in till you get
eaten, and whether it's someone else who partakes of the repast or yourself
is immaterial in the end.

Wolfgang