Thanks Bush

[Darorinag]

Now how do you want to break the ties to Israel?

You don't. You can't. Not until communist China (& North Korea) attack USA thanks to the Advanced Warning and Control (AWACS) System, the Patriot Missile Defense System, the Tomahawk Missile, the Sidewinder Missile, the Battlefield Laser Gun, the F16 Fighter technologies (& secrets) sold to China by Israel. Add to that the ICBM Targeting Technology, which enables Chinese nuclear missiles to reach North America.

And even then, there might still be a cover-up, just like the USS Liberty cover-up...

Just as a sidenote, some stats:

$5,700 - That’s how much you would have if the government evenly divided the taxpayer money they’ve spent on economic and military aid to Israel among every U.S. citizen. That’s $1.6 trillion, $22,800 for every family of four.

Israel accounts for one third of all U.S. international aid even though they account for just .001% of the world population and are ranked as the sixteenth wealthiest nation on earth.

A country of approximately 6 million people, is currently receiving more U.S. aid than all of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean combined excluding Egypt and Colombia.

The House of Representatives has appropriated $2.04 billion in military aid to Israel for next year (up from $1.98 billion this year) in addition to $840 million in economic support funds. The total amount of US aid of this sort has been constant, at around $3 billion.

In addition to nearly $3 billion in direct aid, Israel usually gets another $3 billion or so in indirect aid: military support from the defense budget, forgiven loans, and special grants.

--

This money is spent to buy weapons and bulldozers.

Imagine how this money would've changed Armenia (without killing thousands of people)... It would've helped the population, created employment opportunities, built roads and highways, better living conditions, heating, electricity, water. It would've changed the whole country.

[patlajan]

Originally posted by Darorinag

This money is spent to buy weapons and bulldozers.

Imagine how this money would've changed Armenia (without killing thousands of people)... It would've helped the population, created employment opportunities, built roads and highways, better living conditions, heating, electricity, water. It would've changed the whole country.

Yeah Armenians don't start wars and are not hung up on ancient fueds. Oh wait......they do and so does everyone else hmmm....

[patlajan]

By the way. Alternative forms of energy are innevitable. Petrolium will become more and more scarce over time. The more scrace it becomes the more expensive it will become, eventualy making it inefficient. Someone will come up with something, it's innevitable. Why do you think the Iranians are in such a hurry to build a nuclear powerplant, when they're "oil rich". (The Russians are building the plant. I doubt the Iranians could build a proper tent. )

The bad news is that the poor nations of today will be the poor nations tomorrow. Whoever comes up with an efficient and SAFE form of energy will own the future. It'll probably come out of the U.S., Russia, or the E.U. or a combination of the three. And the rest of the world will fall hopelessly behind. Of course the Chinese will figure out a way to copy it and resell a cheaper version of it, so there is hope.

[violette829]

BUCK FUSH!!!! I want Clinton back everyone. Didn't we all seem happier? Ever since this honky came into office, I've been nothing but PISSED! Why did we go to war people? WHYYYY? For what? I know..it's for HIS DAD! DAMNIT SENIOR! Why doesn't he just croak with the rest of the 200 year old politicians who try to feed us this BULLxxxx on a daily basis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH!

[violette829]

Conan O'Brien for President!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[loseyourname]

Originally posted by Baron Dants And how will they get rid of this dependancy on oil? Even there, maybe they'll gradually bring some hydroelectric reforms or something. At least that has the sliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighteeeeeest chance of becoming reality. Now how do you want to break the ties to Israel?

Hydrogen fuel cells are probably the most realistic at the moment, although if anyone ever comes up with energy-efficient fusion, we're set for the rest of the earth's days.

And did you just call the Artsakh conflict a stupid ancient feud? Because it's still very, very recent and very very relevant to the survival of Armenia and Armenians.

It's still an ancient feud. If Artsakh had never been taken out of Armenian control in the first place, there would be no conflict. The simple fact is, you only see these things happening in parts of the world (the Balkans, middle east, southeast Asia) where each ethnic group insists on having its own nation. In the United States, a nation built on common ideology rather than ethnic purity, this doesn't happen. Mexicans don't insist on fighting for Texas and California, and Russians don't insist on fighting for Oregon and Washington. Azeris and Armenians, Palestinians and Israelis, Russians and Chechens, Irish and English may never get along because of their respective histories and because of current territorial disputes. In the US, citizens' primary concern is making the most of it, creating a living for themselves and their children, regardless of what the country calls itself and what language is spoken. Battles are fought in the media, not in the streets.

Don't forget that in just about any conflict, there are two people at fault. Armenians are a rarity in that they have almost always been the oppressed, rather than the oppressor. That doesn't change my stance that the United States should become more self-sufficient and not bother getting involved in territorial disputes that involve other nations. That's why there is a UN. When the US gets involved, it almost always becomes the oppressor, and that is not right.

[Darorinag]

Originally posted by patlajan Yeah Armenians don't start wars and are not hung up on ancient fueds. Oh wait......they do and so does everyone else hmmm....

I never said Armenians don't start wars. But in order to start wars, you must have the ability to sustain your soldiers and man/woman power at home, and have a good industry. You can't wage a war with starving, undernourished people. Armenians are at a different stage at this moment compared to Israelis. You can't have an army with multimillion dollar equipment while your people are dying of hunger, cold, unemployment, etc. In fact, if you do have a multimillion dollar army, then chances are, you've more or less (not necessarily completely though) solved the problem of poverty and starvation.

Comparing Armenia's political aspirations to those of Israel is like comparing an ant and an elephant...

[Darorinag]

Of course the Chinese will figure out a way to copy it and resell a cheaper version of it, so there is hope.

Copy it? Nah... More like "The Americans / Europeans will figure out a way to take their technologies to China and make use of their cheap labour to reduce their costs, at the same time knowing that the Chinese will not be able to advance that technology because they are lagging behind in terms of tech by 20 years or so."

God bless China.

More cheap labour!! Bring 'em to Canaduh!

[patlajan]

Originally posted by Darorinag Copy it? Nah... More like "The Americans / Europeans will figure out a way to take their technologies to China and make use of their cheap labour to reduce their costs, at the same time knowing that the Chinese will not be able to advance that technology because they are lagging behind in terms of tech by 20 years or so."

God bless China.

More cheap labour!! Bring 'em to Canaduh!

The Chinese have a long history of stealing technology, even from their allies. During the cold war the Soviets sold the first MIG 21's to the Chinese and the Chinese ended up making their own version and not buying any new planes. Today their theft is more modest. Golf clubs. designer clothes, DVD's and so on.

[Darorinag]

Like I said, Israel sells military secrets to China. Of course, let us not forget who was behind communism.