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Da Boss wrote:I'm sorry guys, but from this observers position, Shuma is wiping the floor with you guys.

And he's dead on about Al Jazera's offices being targeted.

Yea...ok....

It's posts like that that are losing you the War-Against-ShumaGorath Frazzled!

I sometimes watch Fox for a bit of a laugh. Geoff Beck was just so totally outrageous, so completely removed from reality, it moved the whole show firmly in comedy territory. You couldn't even make satire about it because it fulfilled that function all by itself.

I agree that here in the UK the BBC isn't what it once was, following that 'sexed up dossier' travesty (where the government lied, got called out on it, then responded by forcing the registration of the director of the BBC). However, there are degrees of impartiality, and at least the BBC doesn't remind me of the news reports that you see in the Robocop movies.

There is no crisis in Gaza = Red Cross even agrees

Erm... don't know where to start with that one! Other than it's not somewhere I would choose to go on vacation.

Pacific wrote: and at least the BBC doesn't remind me of the news reports that you see in the Robocop movies.

But it would be so much more entertaining if it did!

Yea... Just watching Shuma is giving much higher quality posts.

Example of AJ being killed

A US soldier shot dead an Afghan journalist working for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in July after mistaking him for a suicide bomber, the NATO-led military force in Afghanistan has said.
"After a thorough investigation, it was determined the reporter was killed in a case of mistaken identity," International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement on Thursday concerning the death of Ahmed Omed Khpulwak.
"Mr Khpulwak was shot by an ISAF member who believed he was an insurgent that posed a threat and was about to detonate a suicide vest improvised explosive device."
It said the US soldier who shot Khpulwak, 25, had "complied with the laws of armed conflict and rules of engagement and acted reasonably under the circumstances".
The soldier is not facing any disciplinary action in connection with the incident, ISAF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jimmie Cummings, said.
Cummings could not confirm whether the soldier was still on active duty in Afghanistan.
Khpulwak died on July 28, shortly after two suicide bombers struck at the offices of state broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan in the troubled southern Uruzgan province, an area regarded as the Taliban's heartland.
He had joined the broadcaster in 2008 and was working for the BBC on a freelance basis when he died in the attack that also killed eighteen other people.

Another

Moments later, Abu Dhabi TV staff on the roof came under machine gun fire from a U.S. tank on the Jumhuriyya Bridge, and one of their three unmanned cameras was struck by a shell, staff told CPJ. The three-story building was marked with a large banner labeled "Abu Dhabi TV."

In a statement issued hours after the incident, Centcom in Doha said that, "According to commanders on the ground, Coalition forces came under significant enemy fire from the building where the Al-Jazeera journalists were working and consistent with the right of self-defense, Coalition forces returned fire. Sadly an Al-Jazeera correspondent was killed in this exchange."

Here's two. Now what factors caused them to be fired on.

Edit
Damn I should have corrected the AJ part

Jihadin wrote:Mythbuster

Death Panels = One point there to draw attention to a possible loophole insurance company can get away with

Marxist President = Obama Health Care bill influence that title. Think though its "Socialist" in connection with that.

Obama Birth certificate = Common freaking sense. Have to have a birth certificate to go into politics GWB Bush showed his DD214 to halt the military service bit news agency were doing on him

Is he a muslim? = His name influence that route of discussion.

There is no crisis in Gaza = Red Cross even agrees

Ground Zero Mosque is a terrorist front = Been known mosque that supported terrorist groups in the state.

Can't sell our ports to foreigners = Sea Ports or goods?

Flat taxes benefit everyone = Fox news already played both sides on that. I watched it

The gold standard is viable = I see that to

Global Warming is a liberal scam = As a whole or some aspect of it

The Poverty line is a lie = Never seen this one. Clarify please

Obama hates Christmas trees = I hate Xmas trees to

Obama is ignoring his generals and pulling our troops our early = You lack experience in that to bring it up. Its true. Hence he had to pull everyone out due to a SOFA agreement not being met

Although this is a well thought out and attempt at debate. I want to see where this goes

Death Panels = One point there to draw attention to a possible loophole insurance company can get away with

But what was reported was the end of life tribunals wherein doctors were given the right to decide to kill your grandparents. Was there possible nuance? Certainly. Was that nuance reported? Likely less then 5% of the time.

Marxist President = Obama Health Care bill influence that title. Think though its "Socialist" in connection with that.

Claiming it's specially socialist implies a direct lack of understanding of what socialism is and isn't. Is the law socialist? Yeah. So is what we had before. So is our highway system. Our country has had socialist programs for a very long time. The claim is a valueless jab at a faux enemy of capitalism and freedom.

Obama Birth certificate = Common freaking sense. Have to have a birth certificate to go into politics GWB Bush showed his DD214 to halt the military service bit news agency were doing on him

Did he show he birth certificate? Oh wait, he's white and a republican. The same standards don't apply.

Is he a muslim? = His name influence that route of discussion.

That makes it a legitimate topic of a major news network to cover for more then a year? With the extreme amount of evidence showing otherwise?

There is no crisis in Gaza = Red Cross even agrees

The WHO disagrees, especially concerning malnutrition in children.

Ground Zero Mosque is a terrorist front = Been known mosque that supported terrorist groups in the state.

That sentence didn't make sense.

Can't sell our ports to foreigners = Sea Ports or goods?

Land ownership.

Flat taxes benefit everyone = Fox news already played both sides on that. I watched it

They're not supposed to play sides.

The gold standard is viable = I see that to

That its on there or that you agree with it?

Global Warming is a liberal scam = As a whole or some aspect of it

Both.

The Poverty line is a lie = Never seen this one. Clarify please

It's been a recent boondoggle coinciding with the effort to get the poverty line reassessed since it's out of date and innacurate.

Obama hates Christmas trees = I hate Xmas trees to

Monster.

Then the generals should of brokered an agreement to stay (are you one of them?). Those talks failed on their own, not due to white house pressure for them to do so. The pullout date was set years ago.

Da Boss wrote:I'm sorry guys, but from this observers position, Shuma is wiping the floor with you guys.

And he's dead on about Al Jazera's offices being targeted.

Discounting British Editorial opinion since 1776

Jihadin wrote:
Here's two. Now what factors caused them to be fired on.

Well, I think it simply comes down to foreign troops being in Afghanistan.

Red Cross official: There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza


20 April 2011 , 18:03


Mathilde Redmatn is the deputy director of the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip. Redmatn has had the opportunity to see with her eyes what most of us only see on television screens.

On previous assignments, Redmatn has lived in Congo and Colombia. Her activities in Gaza are completely different, she says.

"Of course the work is different everywhere, but here the fabric of life is problematic," she says. "There are two peoples, one living under closure and one living under daily rocket fire, which violates international law.

Redmatn has a lot to say about problems related to the closure Israel has placed on Gaza but she also talks about the surprising normalcy in one of the most explosive regions of the world that receives extensive media attention.

"There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza," she explains. "If you go to the supermarket, there are products. There are restaurants and a nice beach. The problem is mainly in maintenance of infrastructure and in access to goods, concrete for example. Israel has the legitimate right to protect the civilan population, this right should be balanced with the rights of 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip. Despite the easing of the closure and the partial lifting of export bans in the wake of the flotilla incident, continued restrictions on the movement of people and difficulties in importing building materials hampered sustainable economic recovery and dashed any hope of leading a normal and dignified life".

The Red Cross is an international organization founded in 1863. It promotes laws that protect the victims of war and provides humanitarian aid to people living in conflict zones. Red Cross representatives have worked in Gaza since 1967. Their goal, says Redmatn, is twofold.

"We are documenting human rights violations according to international law and we speak with relevant parties on how to take care of the issue," Redmatn says. "We are talking about captives , soldiers, the wounded, and in fact anyone defined by the Geneva Convention. Additionally, in the area of humanitarian assistance, we are mainly engaged in the areas of water and sanitation. We are talking about a highly dense population. Most of the infrastructure cannot be improved due to the closure so we try to improve the situation with existing tools. One example of this is a factory we helped establish in order to clean sewage water that spills into the sea."

The Marmara, Hamas and the Arab world

It is important to remember that the Red Cross is not a political organization by definition. It operates through reports and two-sided dialogue, without expressing its own positions, maintaining complete neutrality.

"Our goal is not to negotiate peace, but to ensure the well-being of the civilian population," Redmatn says. "We understand and recognize Israel's right to security but it needs to maintain the balance between that and the right of Palestinians living in Gaza to a living and to proper medical care. Of course this is also the responsibility of Hamas to its citizens and therefore we also have relations with them."

The Red Cross played a role in the Gaza flotilla incident last year.

"We offered our assistance to Israeli authorities in regards to people who were arrested who were from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel," Redmatn says. On the question of whether the flotilla was peaceful, she answers neutrally "this is a matter we discuss with the responsible parties." According to her, the flotilla led to changes in Israeli policy on Gaza but those changes are not yet complete.

"More goods enter, but there is still room for improvement" in regards to exports and the passage of people, she says.

A clear goal, but is it possible in light of the current threat? The subject, Redmatn says, is sensitive.

"Rocket fire from the Gaza Strip is against international law because it is directed at civilians," she says. "We conduct confidential or bilateral dialouge with Hamas on the matter. As time passes, the dialogue also develops."

On recent events in the Arab world, Redmatn says: "The new wind blowing in the Arab world doesn’t change the current activities of the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip. It's still too early to tell what will happen and how needs will change. In any case, we will respond quickly to changes and we will see what the future holds."

"We will continue to ask to monitor Gilad Shalit but we do not have the capability to force anything on Hamas"

Operating in the Gaza Strip requires the Red Cross to work on an ongoing basis with the IDF.

"The relationship with the IDF has developed over the years," Redmatn says. "The army understands our mandate. We are in daily contact with each other to coordinate the entry of goods into Gaza and the entry and exit of people, sometimes our personnel and sometimes patients who are going to Israel to receive medical care. The second matter still needs improvement as the time required to cross the border is still long. We hope to augment the medical equipment in Gaza itself in order to reduce the number of people who need to go outside [of Gaza]."

These days, she says, the organization has the goal of strengthening the relationship with IDF soldiers.

"Not everyone understands what we are doing," she says. "Therefore, we talk about our work to soldiers who serve at the Erez crossing. The intention is to expand this to the entire area around Gaza."

But working with the IDF does not only regard the civilian population living in Gaza; it also touches on captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

Repeated requests by the Red Cross to monitor Shalit's condition have so far been met with persistent refusal by Hamas.

"When a person's freedom is taken away, he deserves at least contact with his family," Redmatn says. "We will continue to ask but we do not have the capability to force anything on Hamas. Hamas' refusal is based on security reasons. Hamas is afraid of the IDF's advanced technological capabilities and believes that allowing contact will lead to the location of Gilad."

Redmatn called on all sides to abide by international law.

"It is important that organizations and countries respect international law," she said. "Only thus will the situation get better."

AustonT wrote:

Da Boss wrote:I'm sorry guys, but from this observers position, Shuma is wiping the floor with you guys.

And he's dead on about Al Jazera's offices being targeted.

Discounting British Editorial opinion since 1776

Pssst, don't let the flag fool you. I'm a two fisted Oirishman.

Jihadin wrote:
Is he a muslim? = His name influence that route of discussion.

Lol. Even if he was a muslim that shouldb't prevent him being a good president. Secondly, it's fething obvious he isn't a muslim. A lot of the opposition from the birthers bringing up his birth certificate and religion seems grounded in plain racism to me. "Yee-haw, he's a darkie and got a name like Bin Laden, he has to be one o' them gawd-damn mus-lims."

I even recall seeing footage of John McCain trying to tell republican supporters at a rally that Obama was a decent american and that these claims were basically nuts - he obviously felt that the frothing conspiracy theorists looked damaging to his campaign for the middle ground.

Da Boss wrote:

AustonT wrote:

Da Boss wrote:I'm sorry guys, but from this observers position, Shuma is wiping the floor with you guys.

And he's dead on about Al Jazera's offices being targeted.

Discounting British Editorial opinion since 1776

Pssst, don't let the flag fool you. I'm a two fisted Oirishman.

Northern?

I wonder if voters in predominantly muslim democracies get panicky about their leaders being secret christians?

Really, it's the secret wiccans you've got to watch out for. Tricksy!

Edit: Nah, from the Republic. Had to emigrate to the UK with all this recession business. Time honoured tradition, that.

Da Boss wrote:I'm sorry guys, but from this observers position, Shuma is wiping the floor with you guys.

The reason not to argue with Shuma on this is easy.

He's trying to portray Fox News as the worst info-tainment outlet with strong Republican ass-kissing leanings without admitting that MSNBC, CNN, and other stations are also horrible info-tainment outlets with strong Democratic ass-kissing leanings.

I have no respect for anyone that throws crap at other people without admitting to other's valid points.

So, let him shout to the heavens all he wants. Just the same-old, same-old Shuma.

He's saying that Fox News is the worst. I think there is much evidence that they are the worst. I don't recall him saying the others were a whole lot better.

Da Boss wrote:I wonder if voters in predominantly muslim democracies get panicky about their leaders being secret christians?

Really, it's the secret wiccans you've got to watch out for. Tricksy!

Edit: Nah, from the Republic. Had to emigrate to the UK with all this recession business. Time honoured tradition, that.

Ahh then you can't be all bad.

Da Boss wrote:I wonder if voters in predominantly muslim democracies get panicky about their leaders being secret christians?

Name 5 such countries. Democracies, mind you.

Kronk I'd probably leave CNN out of it, they aren't innocent it's just easier to keep it spy vs spy with MSNBC and Fox.

Then the generals should of brokered an agreement to stay (are you one of them?). Those talks failed on their own, not due to white house pressure for them to do so. The pullout date was set years ago.

Military does not play a role in brokering a SOFA agreement. Obama was pulling out majority of troops leaving only 3000 troops in placed to continue the mission. Since the SOFA agreement was not reached then the 3000 had to deploy back to. You cannot leave a force of three thousand in a country to continue mission. He went against the general advices but he's the POTUS. Commander in Chief.

Did he show he birth certificate? Oh wait, he's white and a republican. The same standards don't apply.

Nope but the news were harping the draft dodging bit on him till he did. Obama certificate deal is the same as Bush. Obama showed his certificate and did the issue die after that?

kronk wrote:

Da Boss wrote:I wonder if voters in predominantly muslim democracies get panicky about their leaders being secret christians?

Name 5 such countries. Democracies, mind you.

Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Indonesia, Pakistan

Jihadin wrote:

Did he show he birth certificate? Oh wait, he's white and a republican. The same standards don't apply.

Nope but the news were harping the draft dodging bit on him till he did. Obama certificate deal is the same as Bush. Obama showed his certificate and did the issue die after that?

No. The wingnut birthers decided that it's not a real birth certificate.

Da Boss wrote:It's posts like that that are losing you the War-Against-ShumaGorath Frazzled!

Not really. At a certain point the only way to win is "not to play the game." ala Wargames.

Would you like to play a game of chess?

ShumaGorath wrote:

Same be could be said for other news agency for democrats and their platform

To a small extent but it's delusional to pretend that MSNBC is even remotely on the level of demagoguery and political bias that fox is.

That, to me, seems to read as "MSNBC does the same things as Fox--but on a smaller scale".

Which is fairly true. The same thing goes for CNN.

Georgia is 9.9% muslim.

Armenia is 97% christian.

Egypt, Turkey, (Arguably) Palestine, Indonesia,
Tunisia, Malaysia, Iran(technically), Morocco...I could go on but I'll stop there.

Da Boss wrote:

AustonT wrote:

Da Boss wrote:I'm sorry guys, but from this observers position, Shuma is wiping the floor with you guys.

And he's dead on about Al Jazera's offices being targeted.

Discounting British Editorial opinion since 1776

Pssst, don't let the flag fool you. I'm a two fisted Oirishman.

Hate to tell you, all you Brits look alike to us.

You mexicans are pretty similar from where I'm sitting, too!

Da Boss wrote:You mexicans are pretty similar from where I'm sitting, too!

gracias!