Manc

I don't understand this point?

governments in spending aid, are spending their peoples money. They have a duty of care to be fiscally responsible with it. If the Saudi's felt that their $10 million was right for them and their people, I am not going to bash them for it.
Private citizens can also privately donate if they so wish. whether the donation comes out of treasury coffers or private individuals then it is still the peoples money at the end of the day.
Why is no-one bashing the Indonesian/Thai governments for being able to afford to massacre millions (East Timor), human rights abuses all round, buying weapons left right and center. Yet found it wanting when it came to natural sea defences.

Franklin

Isn't that the point ... what people or governments send is up to them. Yeah, I think you are right on that score; I withdraw my statement about the pathetic Saudi government's contribution!

Yeah, East Timor is a big issue. Indonesia has spent a countless fortune killing their own citizens. Much of their equipment obtained from the same countries that are now giving them aid! It's a funny old world sometimes. I am just waiting for the big-yin ... that yellow flavored supervolcano ... a ticking time bomb which will likely turn our prophesized global warming into a nuclear like winter of doom and gloom with around 100,000 Americans wiped and maybe a billion or so world wide. I was going to write a book on it, but never got a "roundtuit".

It's a dog's life sometimes ... then you find ...

Manc

wait until half of Gran Canaria slips into the Sea, you'll wish you were still in Chicago instead of the Eastern Seaboard.

Franklin

Manc, I have thought long and hard about this. Many an hour, much rumination, lots of sparks and lightning ... then I read about that Nostra-dude who predicted that a great lake would be impacted by a great flying rock (meteorite?) and will cause a calamity so large that all around will die and be drenched (tidal wave?). So Manc, I would move if I was you ... out here ... you and your other 'alf and the kids plus the kitchen sink .. out here to DC land ... on the east coast ... you said you would like to live in any city ... here's your excuse ... catch that plane, flag down that boat, get the movers in, but get here. You hear.

Manc

the great lake could also be the atlantic...........

but yes, I wouldn't be adversed to moving to a city, any city.
(even Liverpool)

Franklin

This might hurt. Take a seat ... but I much prefer Liverpool over Manchester. I lived for a while about half way between both cities ... and boy did I get to hate Manchester but fell in love with Liverpool. Liverpool has a great historic area downtown, and I can vouch for its YMCA - in fact I have a few funny stories about visiting that YMCA. Everything is so cheap in Liverpool. I had a friend who was doing part of his masters degree in biotechnology at Liverpool's School of Tropical Medicine. I tell ya like a Yak, "if I had my time again" I would do my undergrad at Liverpool University.

Franklin

"... and the great lake was in a great country" ... start packing dude ... you have heard it from a bro.

doctor scrumpy

As opposed to the Bush regime from 2000-2004 then ?

Celtic_Angel

Liverpool's great! my Aunty & family lives there so i went often as a child and then spent 2 yrs there at University....it's a really cool place ,everything within walking distance and you don't have the Uni set up so you only end up mingling with boring students
After being in the States so long the last time i went to Liverpool i could have just sat down on a bench in the city center and soaked up the atmosphere

Franklin

Well let's see ... we just had another ballot; if the people thought Bush did not deserve getting to be President in 2000, the people sure didn't vote that way in 2004 did they? Bush is now a two term president who on information and belief got more votes in absolute terms in 2004 than any other US President in history ... even more than the "great communicator". The real issue has more to do with the Democratic Party - what does the Democratic Party have to change to get back in power?

Franklin

That's one of the main things I loved about Liverpool ... everything is so close by and so cheap. I could not get over how cheap one could live in Liverpool and it is a GREAT CITY! I loved visiting Liverpool. I loved its downtown buildings. It was like a smaller version of Glasgow, great atmosphere. You know you are in Glasgow like you know you are in Liverpool, both cities are full of atmosphere and character and much underrated, imho. I grew up in London, but marveled at Liverpool and Glasgow.

fatbrit

Don't worry! If you post anything that even hints GWB is a total wanker, PA assumes you are a Democrat. IMVHO, it just shows other posters that your brain is still working.

Franklin

And you don't think the issue has been politicized? Yet you remouth the political angle like a good 'un. I think the figure is over 40 million Americans without health insurance and I agree this is a bigger issue than the recent disaster. One is natural, the other is man made. It is a HUGE issue and should be resolved. I think it is a scandal that it has not been resolved and I fully support health care for all, but I also recognize that it has to be paid for and so I support doubling the cost of gas to help pay for it, taxing cigarettes to the hilt, adding tariffs to imported luxury goods, cutting back on unnecessary expenditures, pulling out of the WTO so we can set tariffs on luxury goods, returning to full employment (will help if we quit the WTO), collecting more taxes in lieu of full employment, giving tax breaks to companies that do their R&D in the USA to give the USA a greater edge (under WTO rules we can't do that), removing all drugs costs to retirees, moving all non-national security federal assets out of the DC/MD/VA metro area including the NSF (decamp to Iowa), NIH (to Utah), USPTO to SD etc.

Franklin

Oh Fatbrit, me thinks you do me too much honor!

Jess5377

His clothes are in all likelihood free. And as President he is only earning $200k p/yr before taxes.