EVERY GOVERNMENT IS A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY TO CONCENTRATE WEALTH AND POWER IN THE HANDS OF A FEW AND TO SUPPRESS DISSENT AMONG THE REST.

Course the Declaration doesn't simply make it so.. People around the world need to develop the same understanding and regard for human rights - that's the tough part.

I recommend John Stuart Mill.

Quit talkin out yer a&&.

Furthermore, how do you know that people have basic freedoms?

Our rights are given to us by government

You're Canadian so you know who Marc Lepine is, the whole thing is a scam and basically when they have those "white ribbon" feasts they are practising hate speech rallies.

Exactly what I have addressed, you did a lot of googling, how much do you trust what people type on the internet?

you were calling me a liar ..

Quit being a baby.

This is a good thread, and I'd rather not see it zorched by the Mods because it turned into a bash-fest. (Those who've derided me, well, you're entitled to your own opinion, and I encourage you to express it in other ways that won't result in termination of the thread...)

This year marks the fortieth anniversary of what the Chinese Government calls its "peaceful liberation" of Tibet. However, the consequences of that event the mass exodus of the Dalai Lama and 80,000 Tibetans from their ancestral homeland are hardly what one would expect to result from a "peaceful liberation." Moreover, after forty years of absolute rule by China, the cross-border flow of Tibetans continues: last year alone more than 3,000 Tibetans crossed the Himalayas to gain political and religious freedom and to pursue a modern education in India, home of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

perhaps the most well know in the arena of Christianity contributing to the down fall of the Roman Empire is Edward Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire."

A. That is patently untrue. Cite a source, or link to information.

A United Nations survey released earlier this month found that Iraqi living standards had been plummeting with only just over half of the population having access to safe drinking water

More than two years since the war, Iraqis still suffer from daily power cuts, and - in some areas - from contamination of drinking water by sewage.

But expectations for betterment have turned out to be an illusion, as unemployment, according to official data, is at 70% of the population, and the absence of basic services, like running water or electricity, is a problem for most of the populace.

Most of the country is arid desert. are you suggesting we need to run water lines through thousands of miles of lifeless sand dunes?

90% of all "infrastructure" damage was repaired 6 months after the initial invasion.

The Saddam regime tended to neglect areas of the country, where the oppressed majority of people were not given running water, electricity, etc. in the first place.

Regardless, I'd say that 2 years might not be enough time to makeover an entire country.

Yes, well, I need to listen more closely to the words of wisdom that can be imparted to me from the same people who wrote "Girls" and "Fight for You Right (To Party)".

However, if you think that Iraq was leveled, or if you're ignorant of the fact that most of the country was not even fazed by the invasion

So, this now makes me an expert on Tibet. Right, Coati?

Actually some of my friends are learning mandarin and they are going to Tibet this summer, because they have heard and seen so many things about China from people who've been there.

Christianity had a lot to do with the downfall of the Roman Empire

why then, does most modern day first-world nations include some type of separation of Church and State within its governing constitution?

Looks like you missed World Religion 101...

ultimate aim of Buddhism is for everyone to leave the material world to achieve spiritual enlightment in nothingness...which would effectively eliminate the existence of any governments or nations. Elimination of governments or nations is by definition a threat to national security/welfare.

Once again, your expertise in such matters astound me.

Are YOU the Candian GOvernment then? Why do you even talk here? You never make any sense!! "I" am closer to being a part of the Canadian Government than YOU are dude!! (Ever work for any politicians? Ever study poli Sci? Ever get involved, other than voting, in any elections or major social policy changes? *shrugs* Didn't think so.

Are you tryingt to tell me that you DID acknowledge any of our skeletons dude?

You should think a little more critically, whether looking at the Americans, the Chinese and yes, even the Canadian government....

Some examples of our mistreatment to our own people:
-Natives
-Japanese internments in prison camps during WW2
-Muslims being persecuted and given more of a hard time than other in every respect currently (not saying it is right or wrong..just fact)

I totally agree with this, which is why I said that we had to think critically about our own government too.

I so must disagree. Maybe you will alter your point now until it sort of fits with any logic? The above statement..simply...is not true.

Any religion that endorses Polygomy is forbidden and illegal in Canada. Try again Sherlock.

I don't recall ever mentioning the teachings of the Dalai Lama...but I guess you are projecting again.

For example: a suicidal cult? Afterall, the roots of Buddhism is for everyone to leave the material world to achieve spiritual enlightment in nothingness...

What? All talk and no show? I've been there...I speak from a lived experience...

Perhaps you should pay China a visit, learn a little about the place.

Before you start spouting off on religious freedom...consider this, would the government of any country allow a religion/practice of a religion to exist, if the government precieved it as a threat to national security? A suicidal cult?

Wasn't there a story about a male prostitute being "allowed" access to the White House?

You dismiss the 9/11 Commission. You dismiss the Iraq Survey Group. You dismiss the Downing Street Memos. You dismiss former Bush administration officials like O'Neill and Clarke. You dismiss leaked, secret CIA documents. So just where do you get your facts from? What do you base your conclusions on? And please be specific.

I didn't see any mention of the Canadian Government in that persons posts

Tiannamen Square event has nothing to with your own deeds, it does NOT give you any Excuses to invade people's land, torture and murder their people.. europeans/americans invaded Asia, how they complete 'industrilization' you think? I feel shamed for you.

Both Canada and the States have far worse records of abuse documented than China anyways. Many in Quebec will also tell many that Canada is forcefully keeping them in our country; just as your friend from Tibet may be saying.

Some examples of our mistreatment to our own people:

-Natives
-Japanese internments in prison camps during WW2
-Muslims being persecuted and given more of a hard time than other in every respect currently (not saying it is right or wrong..just fact)

Have you ever spoken to one single tibetian

China is continuing to peg its currency to the US dollar AGAINST the wishes of the United States.

China also has been in the news as traders speculate that Asia's No. 2 economy may pull the plug on dollar-denominated debt. Such a move by the second-biggest holder of U.S. Treasuries after Japan could send shockwaves through global markets.

Coati, and I may disagree on alot, but he at least put soemthing up there as a solution. So, good for him.

Regarding that economic restrictions on China, though, wouldn't the Chinese ultimately be the ones to pay the price for that?

I thought we were hated the most by every country on earth! Why would anyone look up to us? It seems like I've heard that we are a warmongering, capitalist, selfish society that no other country trusts. Why look up to us? I don't understand that at all.

why isn't everyone condemning China for the exact same things they are condemning Bush? Why not write to the Chinese embassy in your closest major city, and ask them to stop building weapons?

For the freedom of the Iraqi people

So our society is deemed as declining because of something that happened years ago has come to light.

Government has many more infinitely important things to do than to pass a law you can't scratch your butt on Wednesday or you can't lynch someone.

hope he does ALOT more damage to Al Qaeda, and terrorist organizations. He's a little too soft, imo. He's not fully utilizing our military to clean house like he needs to, only enough to appease us.

paddler said this

"After the Gore/Bush fiasco I don't think your in a position to tell others how to run an election."

Which leaves me to believe that he is implying that the US is trying to dictate the election. Who rules you know?

We really aren't purposely setting out to destroy our way of life?

The US isn't. Furnish some type of proof that The US is running their elections.

At this late date, the United States also has no viable options or alternatives other than trying to go forward with the Jan. 30 elections, analysts say.

For months, the administration has promoted the elections as a major milestone in its efforts to bring democracy to Iraq

The administration is working with Iraqis to maximize turnout with final modifications, such as allowing voters to cast their ballots at any regional polling station, U.S. officials say.

I'm glad to know now that we didn't supply Saddam with WMD in previous years. Because hey there weren't any to be found.

No where in the DSM does it say that, or even hint at that. You're completely fabricating information, and dismissing known facts, and I won't feed into it anymore.

But even the best survey of Iraq's WMD programmes will not show much advance in recent years on the nuclear, missile or CW/BW (chemical or biological weapon) fronts

US scrambling to establish a link between Iraq and Al Qaida is so far frankly unconvincing. To get public and Parliamentary support for military operations, we have to be convincing that the threat is so serious/imminent that it is worth sending our troops to die for

We can make the case on qualitative difference (only Iraq has attacked a neighbour, used CW and fired missiles against Israel) .... But we are still left with a problem of bringing public opinion to accept the imminence of a threat from Iraq

...there is no greater threat now than in recent years that Saddam will use WMD

A legal justification for invasion would be needed. Subject to Law Officers advice, none currently exists.

Of course, REGIME CHANGE has no basis in international law.

In addition, there has been no credible evidence to link Iraq with UBL (Osama bin Laden) and Al Qaida. Objectively, the threat from Iraq has not worsened as a result of 11 September.

It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action, even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbors, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran.

This is why we sent in inspectors and intelligence.

He refused to let inspectors in.

Intelligence was telling Bush yes he has WMD.

It was a known fact that Saddam had links to AL Qaeda.

Great, then you accept the truth as I presented it

let's not be blind to the intent of this article...it was not to compare Patriotism and Nationalism...

So the international community had a little private meeting one day and decided to fabricate documents identifying the number of weapons Saddam had, made up stories during and after the first Gulf war, and they went even further and fabricated the intelligence that indicated he not only had the means and the desire to create additional WMD's, but also was actually in the process of doing so.

I hate to bust your bubble but just because Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon say something doesn't mean it's true/

Perhaps you should find a news program that actually reports the news rather than interprets it, you seem to be unusually susceptible to spin.