American Nobels

I’ll wait for it to come out on video. I am not a big Chris Kyle fan and I’m sure the movie is as embellished, or more so, than the book. Time will tell for me.

It’ll be hard to watch knowing how big of a liar Chris Kyle was…

Since the depression is global, then I do believe it is hitting China as well as it is us.

The difference, IMHO, is that China has been building up a manufacturing infrastructure while America has been disassembling ours and replacing it with a service industry infrastructure.

It is my personal opinion that a country with a manufacturing base can grow it’s GDP.  In fact, the P in GDP stands for PRODUCT, it does not stand for SERVICE.  I also, personally, determine wealth by not only money, but products owned - but in any case, it is not services received that creates wealth.  I can hire an attorney all day long, but that attorney did not give me wealth, it may have given me knowledge, but not wealth.  If I were to take that knowledge and change raw materials into some PRODUCT then that PRODUCT would give me wealth.

It’s a fine line, and I’m sure some of you will attempt to disagree with me (some because they legitimately don’t understand what I am trying to say, some because they honestly think I am wrong, and some out of pure habit.)

That said, a nation with a manufacturing basis will be able to recover from depression and experience less impact from a depression than a nation who relies on services for it’s economy.

To put it into perspective:

If Nation A makes tanks then they have tanks.
If Nation B cleans Nation A’s tanks, then they have nothing.

Not to mention that there were more than 10, and they can be found in 2 different locations in the Bible (with various differences): http://members.cox.net/deleyd/religion/tencommandments.html

But if we want to discuss borrowing ideas, Jesus sounds damn near like Mithras.  A beautiful concept though…proselytizing through assimilation.  Has worked wonderfully.

One last: Jen made the point that to almost win is the same as losing. Not true. For example, if I punch someone in the face repeatedly, and ALMOST knock him out, did I somehow lose the fight? Meade’s forces were defeated on the first day… Meade was punched repeatedly on the 2nd, but stayed on his feet… Lee thought he could land the knock-out blow with Pickett, and failed.

That is basically Gettysberg, in one paragraph.

Edit:

Just to extend the metaphore further, Gettysberg was like a three-round fight:

Round 1: Lee cautiously approaches Meade. Lee lands several devastating blows. Meade staggers. Lee continues pummelling Meade, but Meade is saved by the bell. Meade retreats to his corner and regroups.
Lee wins the round.

Round 2: Meade assumes a defensive stance. Lee pummels Meade the entire round, opening up several cuts. Meade reels, staggers, drops to the ground twice, but Lee misses several knockout blows. Meade counters and bloodies Lee.
Lee narrowly wins the round on points.

Round 3: Meade keeps his defensive stance, knows Lee will go for the knockout blow to the center. Lee begins the round with a weak attack that Meade easily counters. Lee and Meade circle each other warily. Lee, unaware he is ahead on points, throws one last desperate haymaker. Meade guards his center. Lee breaks his hand on Meade’s forearm. Meade, barely conscious, has a chance to finish the fight, but is too battered, bruised and bloodied to do anything but wait for the bell.

Lee is unable to continue the fight. Meade wins a TKO.

Edited cause I like boxing.

@cystic:

Well for me it was odd as i went to typically touristic places - Disney, Harper’s Ferry and a few Civil War sites, Arches Park near Moab Utah, as well as various places in South Dakota.  Also i’m pretty chatty - i like meeting people, and i do everywhere i travel and make great friends.  Still - no non-USies did i meet while travelling in the US.  Just a weird coincidence.

You must of just had “bad” luck when going to Disney, I worked there for 2 semestesr and was just there over labor day - lots of Eurpeans.  Hell, go to EPCOT, all of the people there working the foriegn countries are straight from their original country.

I remember 15 years ago (god am I old) I was working and had to take a lost child to main street in the Magic Kingdom (that is where we take them).  It was so heart wrenching, this poor little french girl was so scared and I could say nothing to her because she did not speak English.  When they find a lost child that does not speak English they call a call center with people who are versed in all languages who told her to come with me.  She was holding my hand and I could feel her trembling.

I am getting off the point.  Just suprised you didn’t see any non Americans at Disney (there are a bunch).  Call it whatever you want, but since my Disney experience I have a dislike for Brazilian tourist (long story).

@Janus1:

i meant no disrespect to you, and sorry if i somehow offended you, but you know what, F*** off. you want to be offended by it, fine, go ahead

Boy Janus, you sure picked the right name (i.e. the two faced god of Graeco-Roman mythology). Are you bi-polar or what? “Sorry if I offended you, but f*** you!”. Double your dosage buddy, and don’t bust a blood-vessel being so FED-UP! :lol:

Now if you and your moronic buddy will excuse me, I’ve got to get back to hitting the bottle and shooting craps at my casino on your tax dollar. :wink:

Agent_Smith - Its a small college, but I won’t get into which one. Too many psychos on the internet! :roll: Sorry I didn’t specify, but I thought that “college” was implicit in my statement about the summer semester. And yes, I’m in the abd phase of the Phd. You are correct that I was taking an absolutist position, but I thought that this simplistic and addle-brained poll/thread lent itself to such. My first instinct was to steer clear of it, but at least some intelligent discourse was generated.

Sure, I’ll try and find the stats

Democrts

i dont vote for the guy in power or partys iv never herd about (in the us that is) :D