You’re correct about the current world we live in. I went to war to help our economic trading partners whose economies affected our own. Kuwait’s occupation did not directly affect us and despite the peaceful embargo threats, Saddam continued to assert his claim of rightful conquest. It was also our military stance after the ceasefire that prevented Saddam’s expansion and the embargoes embittered the Iraqis against us when we finally decided to dethrone him. History does not only consist of WW2 as an example. the same thing has been happening for millenia. Tibet and Kosovo are polar opposites of bellicose decisions. Rome fell from internal dissension and civil war when those energies could have been better spent keeping the borders secure in offensive actions. The problems we face now have always plagued empires. We just happen to be lucky enough to be somewhat isolated an our economic empire is falling apart due to our society’s inability to adapt to the fact that the world is changing.
We have to protect that empire and a soft and weak military will cause that economic empire to be taken advantage of. You can use post war Germany and Japan as examples of weak military and economic growth but remember that their economies were heavily subsidized by our military might protecting their trade from others who would take it from them. I’ll just mention the Ukraine for a contemporary example and you can research the history, both economically and politically and come to your own conclusion.
Old News Re: Second Hand Smoking and a New Study,too…
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Just found this old webpage by stumbling across the title of the article…
Woo wooo! -
That was me…thought I was logged in!
Here’s the first article…http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=\ForeignBureaus\archive\200305\FOR20030516d.html
I smoke an occassional seegar…no inhaling and much better choice of aromas. I hate cheap cigars! Never had a Habana,though.
When I smoke It’s always outside or in a “smoking room” (not too many of those around here.) If others are around I ask If they mind and usually give them lots of space anyway…unless they light up, too!
A LITTLE OFF TOPIC…
I know some of you are “too young to smoke.”
I don’t advise starting using cigarettes or chewin’ 'baccy(I knew guys that did each.)
Chewing(and SPITTTING) is just NASTY! I’ve seen guys aciddentally drink from a can of spit. YUCK!
I remember going out with friends/family years ago and coming home smelling like an ashtray. Be it restaurant, bar, or church… -
I don’t smoke but it doesn’t bother me in the least if someone around me does. On occasion I enjoy the smell.
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- “Forces” is funded entirely by the Tobacco Industry. This is a propaganda machine generated by the industry, run by people with the time and the money-motive to convince other people to kill themselves with smoking.
- An unpublished study would have to be EXTREMELY good with high numbers and low “p” values in order to refute the British Medical Journal (IMO a better medical journal than The New England Journal of Medicine from a science perspective).
- Too many other studies document that children of smokers have predisposition to allergies and asthma.
Forces tries to put out these kinds of “findings” all the time. They also use terrible logic to refute good science. I have tried to consider honestly what they have to say in the past, but it all flies in the face of everything else i have read and seen.
(of course this may appear incredibly biased as my father made their “jackass” page, however i had realized the “Forces” shortcomings long before this happened)
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The results of the study seem to be a mixed bag. See the BJM editorial…
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/326/7398/1048
The fact that the study was authorized and sponsored by proponents of California Proposition 99(Anti-Smoking group)and then dropped because of the apparent survey outcome seems to balance the equation for me.
That’s akin to a district attorney gathering evidence that contradicts the outcome s/he wishes in a case. Then not turning the results of the investigation over to the defense attorney. The facts are hiden from the jury…
For a BJM overview and acces to a BJM abridged version of the survey, see…
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