In other news: Israel to recieve $10bn economic bailout

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-03-20 05:45pm

You people do realize that you can't just "use the stick" on a country with two hundred atomic bombs?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-03-20 06:57pm

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:You people do realize that you can't just "use the stick" on a country with two hundred atomic bombs?

Marina, I find it unlikely that Israel would really do anything to the US if we used the economic stick on them, certainly nothing relating to their 200 "nonexistant" bombs.

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-20 07:35pm

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:You people do realize that you can't just "use the stick" on a country with two hundred atomic bombs?

Oh, so Israel is going to nuke the US if it cuts off Israel's economic and military aid?

That's 200 nukes verses 3,000. The Israelis are violent expansionist zealots but they're not stupid.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2003-03-20 07:44pm

Darth Wong wrote:Where the fuck is all this money coming from? Every fiscal estimate I've seen on this war in Iraq indicates that it will cost a goddamned fortune: tens of billions of dollars at the very least, with a budget that could potentially skyrocket from peacekeeping costs. Does Shrubby think it's wise to send another ten fucking billion dollars to Israel?

First, $10 billion is a drop in the bucket, although I think it's bizarre that we support what sounds like an already heavily government subsidized college education system in Isreal when it will cost me 3 times as much to go to a public university next year.

Second, it's called deficit spending, and there are people who believe that it's a good thing for the economy. (I can't really say, as I lack the needed background information in economics) The US Government can spend more than it takes in taxes. It pretty much does so at will, and doesn't even need to have a balanced budget. (which is good, given the massive amount of deadlock last year at the STATE level when Oregon tried to get a budget passed)

You people do realize that you can't just "use the stick" on a country with two hundred atomic bombs?

You can when they don't have a way to get those bombs to your soil. Unless you'd care to show me some documents discussing the existance of Isreali ICBMs...?

And if they did nuke us for not giving them money (can we say "extortion"?) I daresay we'd be justified in completely dismantling the Isreali government.

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-20 10:04pm

Uraniun235 wrote:Second, it's called deficit spending, and there are people who believe that it's a good thing for the economy. (I can't really say, as I lack the needed background information in economics)

There are circumstances where deficit spending can be good for an economy but in general a belief that deficit spending is always good for an economy is about as well founded as a belief in creationism.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » 2003-03-20 10:21pm

It is so nice to live in a country where we can follow our three fundamental rights:

-life

-liberty

-and totally supporting Israel, no matter what they do.

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-21 03:30am

Latest news on this is that Israel has requested ten billion in aid but the US hasn't actually made a decision yet. According to the US State Department the request is still under consideration.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-03-21 03:47am

Enlightenment wrote:Latest news on this is that Israel has requested ten billion in aid but the US hasn't actually made a decision yet. According to the US State Department the request is still under consideration.

Now that I actually bothered to read the orginal article.......

BBC News wrote: But, several hours after Israel announced the deal, the US said it had not made a decision about the aid package.
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters at a briefing: "We don't have any new decisions on that.
"The request has been made by the Israelis. The status today is the same as yesterday. We are looking at it. We are considering it."

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-21 04:04am

Nice try.

The BBC alters its web news pages in-place as stories progress. Each story has a fixed url but the content of the page will change as the story develops. What's on the BBC page now is not what was there when I first posted the link.

You're going to have to try harder if you're looking for evidence that I'm some kind of unspeakably dishonest illiterate from Soviet Canuckistan.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-03-21 04:14am

Enlightenment wrote:Nice try.

The BBC alters its web news pages in-place as stories progress. Each story has a fixed url but the content of the page will change as the story develops. What's on the BBC page now is not what was there when I first posted the link.

You're going to have to try harder if you're looking for evidence that I'm some kind of unspeakably dishonest illiterate from Soviet Canuckistan.

Notice how I specifically said I, in referance to me rather then referring to you or anyone else in my statement. I'm fucking aware that they change there articles.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-03-21 05:10am

Enlightenment wrote: Oh, so Israel is going to nuke the US if it cuts off Israel's economic and military aid?

That's 200 nukes verses 3,000. The Israelis are violent expansionist zealots but they're not stupid.

Military power equates to regional diplomatic influence. Israel is the most important country in the Mid-East because it has the greatest military power. We cannot risk offending them, or dictating to them, because of this. They must be engaged.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-21 05:17am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote: Military power equates to regional diplomatic influence. Israel is the most important country in the Mid-East because it has the greatest military power. We cannot risk offending them, or dictating to them, because of this. They must be engaged.

Sounds a lot like "detente" in the 1970s with the USSR

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2003-03-21 05:53am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:You people do realize that you can't just "use the stick" on a country with two hundred atomic bombs?

Well so long as its an economic stick you can.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-03-21 06:06am

MKSheppard wrote:
Sounds a lot like "detente" in the 1970s with the USSR

Which would have made sense if the USSR had the economy to support its military - which it didn't - and the willingness to uphold international agreements - which it didn't. The first case left a vulnerability for another route, which Reagan exploited, and the second made the process unfeasable regardless.

Israel does have an economy commiserate to its military power, and does uphold international agreements. The UN resolutions don't count - All but one of the resolutions against Israel in the UN were of the type which are non-binding.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2003-03-21 10:38am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
MKSheppard wrote:
Sounds a lot like "detente" in the 1970s with the USSR
Which would have made sense if the USSR had the economy to support its military - which it didn't - and the willingness to uphold international agreements - which it didn't. The first case left a vulnerability for another route, which Reagan exploited, and the second made the process unfeasable regardless.

Israel does have an economy commiserate to its military power, and does uphold international agreements. The UN resolutions don't count - All but one of the resolutions against Israel in the UN were of the type which are non-binding.

Am I the only one that finds this line disturbing and yet funny?