Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As for "sticking our nose where it doesn't belong," should we have left Hitler alone?
Perhaps human rights are not something that interest you and you think the rights of people other than yourself are not important. But I don't think that's what has been the reason for our longevity as a free nation.
Funny how liberals will talk about "compassion" one minute, and the next their saying "none of our business." Evil thrives and expands when good people turn their backs on it.
Human Rights..........Saddam was a secular administration. Iraq was a fairly modern country compared to others. Yes, he had to do some pretty ugly things to beat back those who wished to depose him BUT we are now fighting these very same people. We are not fighting the Iraqi army. We are not fighting the people who put Saddam in place.
We are fighting the same people Saddam was. Why was it a human rights violation for him to do so but it's OK for us to do so?
I thought we were no longer dependent on Saudi for oil. WHY are we still kissing the ring and arming them to the teeth?
Something I found from the Chair of Petroleum and Geosystem engineering at UT Austin interview about importing oil
Quote:
Q: So why do we still import so much oil?
A: We have built a very large refining capacity especially on the Gulf Coast, and refineries cannot run at half time. They have to run full-time, at 100% capacity. So, we are importing oil, we are exporting oil, and we certainly are exporting finished products. You know, gasoline, lubricants and so on, so that the refineries are running all the time.
Q: But the situation conjures up this image of two tankers ships passing each other. One is heading toward the U.S., and one is heading away. It’s like we’re bringing in the same product as we’re sending out.
A: Well, not necessarily. We’re not bringing in the same product. The light crude oil or the condensate we are exporting is actually much different stuff than your classical medium gravity, API gravity dense crude oil that we are using in our refineries.
In popular opinion, they’re all rolled into “crude oil.” But they have different compositions and they can not be processed by the same refineries. So, we are trying to export some of the light stuff, so to speak, while we are importing much heavier stuff to process in our refineries.
Many of our refinieries have been specialized to process much heavier crudes from Venezuela, from Mexico, so you can’t change them overnight. That’s why we’re importing oil and we’re exporting gasoline, lubricants, and other products and at the same time, we’re exporting condensate and light crude.
A: We have built a very large refining capacity especially on the Gulf Coast, and refineries cannot run at half time. They have to run full-time, at 100% capacity. So, we are importing oil, we are exporting oil, and we certainly are exporting finished products. You know, gasoline, lubricants and so on, so that the refineries are running all the time.
B.S.
The BP Whiting Refinery in northern Indiana shut down the largest of three crude distillation units Saturday for what the company in a statement called "unscheduled repair work." BP says that the rest of the refinery is operating at reduced production.
I am surprised that the USA-Saudi arms deal has not gotten more attention here in CD.
Obviously, I am not aware of the 'fine print' of the deal, just what is generally reported on the news.
For instance, it has been widely reported that President Trump's son-in-law, Mr. Kushner, had personally called the CEO for Lockheed-Martin, to get them to lower the price for some missile-detection system.
My question: if Lockheed and Saudi Arabia had already reached a 'deal', why ask Lockheed to lower their negotiated price? How does that benefit Lockheed?
U.S. President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner personally asked the chief executive of Lockheed Martin to lower the price of a radar system so Saudi Arabia could afford to include it in an arms deal, according to a report by The New York Times. Apparently, from what I have read - the original "Lockheed deal" was for planes and helicopters - the THADD defense system was not a part of that until Marillyn Hewson (CEO of Lockheed) agreed to lower the price of a THADD missile defense system so it could be included. Part of the deal for Lockheed is that they will begin to build some helicopters in Saudi Arabia in the new plant that the Saudis will build for them. Good for Lockheed and good for the Saudis - 70% of the Saudi population is UNDER the age of 30. Think about that - they are going to have to reform and they know it. Many of these under 30 were educated in the USA - they are demanding reforms. For those that were upset about Trump not talking about Social Issues/Human Rights issues -- it's because he didn't need to talk publicly about them. The point of the trip was to get their cooperation and to gain some Leverage for the USA in dealing with Muslim Extremist Terrorism and to hopefully gain cooperation on the Palestinian issues. The Palestinians will do what they are told by the other Arab Nations - they have no choice because that is where their money comes from.
Reports are that the Saudi Defense Minister (deputy crown prince) was in the office with Kushner and his jaw dropped when Kushner made the personal call to Hewson.
For those who are not aware - Saudi Arabia & Egypt are the two most powerful Arab Nations and the two
Arab Nations that really control the Arab League. The Arab League (22 members) is mostly worthless, they fight for stability and for their own greed and power -- BUT, without their cooperation - the USA (and UN for that matter) has ZERO leverage to do anything. It is the Arab League proposal for "peace" that is the only plan that the Palestinians will even talk about. It is the Arab League that is so heavily involved in Syria and essentially fighting proxy wars in Syria, Yemen & Lebanon. This was the entire point of Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia - a summit with the Gulf Coast Cooperation Council and Muslim leaders from over 50 Nations.
These Nations have to agree to work together to solve their problems - Trump made that clear and he also made it clear that the USA can't and won't do it for them. King Salman's speech was as important or even more important than Donald Trump's speech. He basically said they were going to track the terrorist financing and there would be severe consequences to those who financed Terrorists like ISIS & the growing Al-qaeda.
i.e. "see you in head chop square" and he is well aware that he is talking to the 20,000 members of his own tribe/family.
Human Rights..........Saddam was a secular administration. Iraq was a fairly modern country compared to others. Yes, he had to do some pretty ugly things to beat back those who wished to depose him BUT we are now fighting these very same people. We are not fighting the Iraqi army. We are not fighting the people who put Saddam in place.
We are fighting the same people Saddam was. Why was it a human rights violation for him to do so but it's OK for us to do so?
It doesn't look like you are up to date on what Saddam and his sons were doing for decades. They killed Olympians who didn't win, the raped and tortured anyone they wanted to, the starved their people while they built lavish houses and castles for themselves, etc. OH, and he GASSED his own people!
It doesn't look like you are up to date on what Saddam and his sons were doing for decades. They killed Olympians who didn't win, the raped and tortured anyone they wanted to, the starved their people while they built lavish houses and castles for themselves, etc. OH, and he GASSED his own people!
We raped and killed those we invaded also.......that's what the Japanese jumped off cliffs to keep from being captured.
(there is a point there)
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
