Olympians: You didn't make it. Somebody else made that happen.

[editec]

Nobody controls their fate.

At best they control how they deal with their fate.

Did Romney make it on his own? Hell no.

How about Ryan? No, of course not.

Obama? Nope.

Their fate and their actions dealing with that fate put them where they are today.


And so it is with every one of us.

We deal with circumstances beyond our control, and we control at best, only how we react to those circumstances.

Now who on earth doesn't really know that?

 

[Saigon]

And he was given the presidency..

Ah, ok. So there wasn't an election where a hundred million Americans chose to vote for him?

Staggeringly stupid.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

And he was given the presidency..

Ah, ok. So there wasn't an election where a hundred million Americans chose to vote for him?

Staggeringly stupid.

Again, if he were white he would not have even made it out of Iowa. I can go to Egypt and be the hardest working white man; but I'd lose an election to the laziest black man you could find. I think you're staggeringly stupid for assuming that an election translates into hard work. You clearly don't know how America operates and has operated in recent times.

 

[Saigon]

Gatsby -

I work enough with politicians to know politicians work hard, and do a job which few of us would actually have the stomach for.

Most politicians I know routinely work 10 - 14 hour days across a half-dozen times zones, stagger from committee meeting to fundraiser to TV station to ministerial meetings and are expected to speak at each. Many are exhausted for weeks on end, working around the clock.

Any politician who wins a seat in congress or senate has worked hard to get there, and whether or not we like them or their politics shouldn't mask that fact.

 

[High_Gravity]

And he was given the presidency..

Ah, ok. So there wasn't an election where a hundred million Americans chose to vote for him?

Staggeringly stupid.

Again, if he were white he would not have even made it out of Iowa. I can go to Egypt and be the hardest working white man; but I'd lose an election to the laziest black man you could find. I think you're staggeringly stupid for assuming that an election translates into hard work. You clearly don't know how America operates and has operated in recent times.

Actually they hate Blacks in Egypt, you would probably win an election over a Black man there but if you ran against an Arab Muslim you would get smoked.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

Gatsby -

I work enough with politicians to know politicians work hard, and do a job which few of us would actually have the stomach for.

Most politicians I know routinely work 10 - 14 hour days across a half-dozen times zones, stagger from committee meeting to fundraiser to TV station to ministerial meetings and are expected to speak at each. Many are exhausted for weeks on end, working around the clock.

Any politician who wins a seat in congress or senate has worked hard to get there, and whether or not we like them or their politics shouldn't mask that fact.

That was the old school politicians and Bono has said the same shit. But the reality is we're paying for a bunch of staffers and for them to shovel us shit. They're not working that hard. They're playing games nowadays. Dude__ the Senate hasn't even passed a budget in 3 years. Don't tell me how hard they work just b/c you think you know some hard working politicians.

And there are plenty of accounts regarding how hard Obama works too. Have you seen the vid on the same shit he pedals to any dignitary? Come on dude. Stop selling me generic nonsense. I'm smarter than that.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

Ah, ok. So there wasn't an election where a hundred million Americans chose to vote for him?

Staggeringly stupid.

Again, if he were white he would not have even made it out of Iowa. I can go to Egypt and be the hardest working white man; but I'd lose an election to the laziest black man you could find. I think you're staggeringly stupid for assuming that an election translates into hard work. You clearly don't know how America operates and has operated in recent times.

Actually they hate Blacks in Egypt, you would probably win an election over a Black man there but if you ran against an Arab Muslim you would get smoked.

Ah__ well that's about the half of what I meant. The majority of countries do vote on a skin color. In America I wouldn't say it's our default everywhere, every time; but clearly in the 2008 presidential election this was the case. Maybe this guy lives in Britain or wherever and he doesn't get it. But we as Americans saw it up close on the streets and the television shows, all of the lame racial rhetoric.

 

[High_Gravity]

Again, if he were white he would not have even made it out of Iowa. I can go to Egypt and be the hardest working white man; but I'd lose an election to the laziest black man you could find. I think you're staggeringly stupid for assuming that an election translates into hard work. You clearly don't know how America operates and has operated in recent times.

Actually they hate Blacks in Egypt, you would probably win an election over a Black man there but if you ran against an Arab Muslim you would get smoked.

Ah__ well that's about the half of what I meant. The majority of countries do vote on a skin color. In America I wouldn't say it's our default everywhere, every time; but clearly in the 2008 presidential election this was the case. Maybe this guy lives in Britain or wherever and he doesn't get it. But we as Americans saw it up close on the streets and the television shows, all of the lame racial rhetoric.

Some countries they vote on color, some religion, some politics, etc its different everywhere, I get what you mean though.

 

[candycorn]

Again, if he were white he would not have even made it out of Iowa. I can go to Egypt and be the hardest working white man; but I'd lose an election to the laziest black man you could find. I think you're staggeringly stupid for assuming that an election translates into hard work. You clearly don't know how America operates and has operated in recent times.

Actually they hate Blacks in Egypt, you would probably win an election over a Black man there but if you ran against an Arab Muslim you would get smoked.

Ah__ well that's about the half of what I meant. The majority of countries do vote on a skin color. In America I wouldn't say it's our default everywhere, every time; but clearly in the 2008 presidential election this was the case. Maybe this guy lives in Britain or wherever and he doesn't get it. But we as Americans saw it up close on the streets and the television shows, all of the lame racial rhetoric.

McCain said that he wouldn't care if the troops were in Iraq for 100 years

RealClearPolitics - Articles - The Real Controversy Behind McCain's '100 Years'

Obviously the "100 years" is an exaggeration but he wasn't in any hurry to get the troops home. Most Americans wanted (and still want) the troops out of the middle east. Obama's race played a factor but he would have beat McCain soundly with no race factor whatsoever.

 

[candycorn]

You're subscribing unfair motives to a person(s) based on their outlook(s). Your logic would dictate that if I'm an Obama supporter then I have to love what he says and if I'm an Obama opponent then I have to hate what he says. That's ridiculous and as a reasonably intelligent person, you know that.

For myself, his comments validated my feelings of him; but that does not mean that he could not have stated discourse that I would have favored.

I don't care what Obama says, he's a communist.

Alright. If you're going to troll then I don't care. IGNORED. I come on here for people that want real dialogue. Don't worry, you'll find more than enough people that'll feed you your troll crumbs though.

Yeah...sure.....we've heard that before. Birther scum doesn't know how to use the "ignore" function.

 

[candycorn]

And he was given the presidency..

Ah, ok. So there wasn't an election where a hundred million Americans chose to vote for him?

Staggeringly stupid.

Again, if he were white he would not have even made it out of Iowa. I can go to Egypt and be the hardest working white man; but I'd lose an election to the laziest black man you could find. I think you're staggeringly stupid for assuming that an election translates into hard work. You clearly don't know how America operates and has operated in recent times.

Glad to see you're now embracing your inner-Klansman. We knew it was there all along.

 

[Saigon]

Actually they hate Blacks in Egypt, .

Not that you are posting generalisations, or anything.

There is a very significant Nubian population in Egypt, living largely in the south, close to the Sudanese border.

I'm sure Egypt has many racists as any other country, but the nubians have been in Egypt for a millenium, and I hear few complaints that they are being oppressed.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

Actually they hate Blacks in Egypt, .

Not that you are posting generalisations, or anything.

There is a very significant Nubian population in Egypt, living largely in the south, close to the Sudanese border.

I'm sure Egypt has many racists as any other country, but the nubians have been in Egypt for a millenium, and I hear few complaints that they are being oppressed.

Perhaps because the entire nation is being oppressed LOL. But I don't know enough about Egyptian demographics and politics to pretend that I'm an expert. I do know that the Muslim Brotherhood is bad, bad, bad news for freedoms and liberties.

 

[Saigon]

Gatsby -

I would agree that under Mubarak, most of the population were being oppressed!

But thus far the new Egyptian goverment is doing very, very well, and I'm disappointed more posters aren't commenting on that.

The new government has:

- used force against Islamic militants
- promoted the rights of women
- promoted the rights of minorities

It may not last, but right now the Arab Spring is looking very warm and pleasant in Egypt.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

Gatsby -

I would agree that under Mubarak, most of the population were being oppressed!

But thus far the new Egyptian goverment is doing very, very well, and I'm disappointed more posters aren't commenting on that.

The new government has:

- used force against Islamic militants
- promoted the rights of women
- promoted the rights of minorities

It may not last, but right now the Arab Spring is looking very warm and pleasant in Egypt.

Do you have anything to support these claims? Because I have not read anything about that. I have read about ratcheted up attacks and lack of civility to Israel. And I have read about democracy groups being prosecuted.

 

[Saigon]

Gatsby -

Yes, sure...actually I'll start a new thread on it later, but here is the story about militants...

The move comes as Egyptian troops mass in the area in an operation to contain Islamist militants who have built up a presence there.

The militants are suspected of killing 16 Egyptian border guards on Sunday.

Egypt has deployed extra troops, tanks and other armoured vehicles.

It also closed the Rafah border with the Gaza Strip following the killings. The border - the only way in or out of the enclave without passing through Israel - was reopened on Friday, but only for Palestinians wishing to return to Gaza.

BBC News - Egypt tribes back offensive against militants in Sinai

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

Gatsby -

Yes, sure...actually I'll start a new thread on it later, but here is the story about militants...

The move comes as Egyptian troops mass in the area in an operation to contain Islamist militants who have built up a presence there.

The militants are suspected of killing 16 Egyptian border guards on Sunday.

Egypt has deployed extra troops, tanks and other armoured vehicles.

It also closed the Rafah border with the Gaza Strip following the killings. The border - the only way in or out of the enclave without passing through Israel - was reopened on Friday, but only for Palestinians wishing to return to Gaza.

BBC News - Egypt tribes back offensive against militants in Sinai

Thanks. I scanned it. That does show that Israel can breathe somewhat easier. And I'm sure the move is b/c attacks detract from tourism. But again, the Muslim Brootherhood is consolidating power and quelling opposition. The signs are there.

 

[Saigon]

My feeling is that Morsi is a lot more pragmatic than anyone realised.

If he is a smart man, he will realise that the only real future for Egypt is tourism, and tourism means getting along well with western countries. It means stability, not clashing with Israel, and I'm sure he also realises the militants can attack him just as they do other governments they don't like. So he needs to bring them into line, too.

He has also quite the MB.

It all looks positive to me.