Charlie Marlow

I read Joe's posts in order to chortle at the nitwit.

The crew did crap their digital pants if that makes you feel any better.

Stukie, first of all, the only Blues supporter that I know of in this forum is that little weasel Stoat. You are talking about a team that plays real sport aren't you? Second of all, as King and supreme potentate of America, I demand that you do somefink about that monster weed in NYC. Like encourage it to eat the entire place.

Yes, yes, Joe. I was trying to be helpful to the SSN and give some clue to what such a battle would be about. Blood Hamster really isn't very descriptive, now is it? In any event, I have learned my lesson. It appears that the cranium of our Antipodean SSN is thicker than a Tiger tanks mantlet, and he didn't get it anyway.

Boo Boo, you and annoying yappy Aussie bird should settle this the traditional Cesspool way. PBEM sig line battle.

Not a fair comparison at all. I think Aunt Mabel would have known better than to order Operation Lüttich.

What is it with you? This discussion had nothing to do with Afghanistan, and then you come in here and throw out a gratuitous insult about the wisdom of those posting, drag politics into it (in blatant disregard for the wishes of Battlefront), and post NOTHING useful to the conversation. Please take it somewhere else.

And since it is still the Fourth of July, I suppose it is time to educate the Goobernationals amongst the gathered throng. To those that matter (i.e. Americans), we lump you assorted Scotts, Irish, English, and Ozzies into the general category of nations that speak American, but with really bad accents. Aside from that it really isn't all that necessary to distinguish between you. Except that the English were the ones that lost the draft lottery in the 1775-1776 season, and then on top of that, let a number of key draft picks slip through your fingers. Some went so low, and would have been easy pick ups. Nathanial Greene went in the last round, and still wound up as MVP in the Southern Conference championships. And your high taxes, but limited rights lockout really killed your chances at a number of quality players. And as far as Mel Gibson goes, I have it on the best of Hollywood authority that he is the Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandson of the Francis Marion Gibson, who kicked noted Goobernational Banastre Tarleton's mom in the face, and stole the ears off of General Cornwallis' dogs. As an interesting MBT side note, General Cornwallis is the ancestor of Cesspooler dalem who also had trouble keeping track of his dog's ears. Of somefink.

Thank goodness. Now we know where to mail the bill for the 13 trillion dollar debt. Thanks ever so much. Please have it paid by the end of the month, or interest will accrue.

The moldy oldie returns. rune, memory is the second thing to go. Buzzy has not been knighted by you or by anyone else. He is a lowely serf to the House of Ruin, and can therefore be BOOTed by any and all. That is not to say my game play has not been typically brilliant. And speaking of play, do YOU currently have any games going on, Brave Sir rune? Or is it like the old days where you hid behind the mythical NDA to avoid losing to ... er, excuse me, ... playing jdmorse? Just like old times.

Give me a break. There was plenty o' blame to go around for the failure at Arnhem, including among the 1 Abn.

Does that imply that he is actually returning files? I haven't seen one in a couple of days. The fact that he is out of armor, stuck in a town, and in a crossfire from 6 assault guns might have something to do with it. Buzzy [bOOT] Where is my turn? [bOOT] I am not finished shelling your troops [bOOT].

OK. It did until last year. So, to vote you need to serve (in the military or some other capacity) is more of a restriction on your rights than serve or go to prison? If that is Fascism, I can tell you that a lot of folks during Vietnam would have preferred it to what they got under the draft.

Yes, found it overrated. I couldn't finish the follow-up. Your arguments are not persuasive. I don't see the society in SST exalting the military at all. In fact, it seems that much of the society looks down on the military. (witness Johney's father's view of the military, and Johney's own view of the MI prior to joining. Also the view of the bar patrons in Seatle). I think you are operating under the movie version.

To my mind, what irks a lot of folks about SST is Heinlein's views on individual responsibility. Fascism is all to often tossed around as an attack against "something we don't like, but are too lazy to clearly articulate. We will call it Fascism, because everyone knows that Fascism is bad." Sort of like the way many people toss the word Communism around.

Your definition leaves out the economic component of Fascism (which was significant component), but we can work with what you provided. SST has a society that absent the right to vote gives full rights to its members who don't choose service. IIRC there was no suggestion of suppression of opposition to the state, and that all (voting citizens and no voting folks) had full human rights including free speech. Also, war for control was not an issue. In SST it was war against a hostile alien species that had attacked humanity. More of US v. Japan after Pearl Harbor. Now on to service to gain the vote. Is that in your mind more or less Fascist than countries that require manditory military service or have a draft system? In those systems you have no choice but to serve. In SST, you get a choice. Sweden has manditory service I believe. Does Sweden have Fascist tendencies?

Not seeing it. Perhaps your definition of Fascism would help me out.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is not really a conservative book. Much more libertarian leaning than conservative.

And Buzzy, if by some miracle you manage to win, you can turn in your piss bucket for a squire's tunic. You still clean the latrines though.

That is the part I am having trouble with. Not that you may not be right, but more is needed. Limited franchise based on service is not fascism.

Well, The US at least had already broken out prior to Falaise. But no matter.

Falase for one. Bradley should never have put the brakes on the Southern Arm, and Monty should have stepped on the gas on the Northern arm. Netting 10s of thousands of more Germans in August would have spared much pain the rest of the year. Not to say that the Allies let the Germans retreat in an orderly fashion, but more could have been done.

I've seen the comparison of SST to Fascism a number of times, but I don't understand the link. I do understand the idea that a limited franchise may be in conflict with full democratic principles, but how does that make such a system the equivalent of Fascism generally and Nazism in particular?

If this wasn't a politics free zone, and if you and DT weren't ignoring the rules, I could point out that Joe Biden and Maxine Waters do just fine in the role of making other people look smart by comparison.

It is the hat that is making me queasy.