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#62
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separation of powers (was F-14 being destroyed instead of...)
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:19:57 GMT, (Henry Spencer)
wrote: The North and South disagreed on various things, but slavery was invariably either the root cause of the clash, or the reason why it couldn't be resolved quietly. ....More of the latter than the former, although if you replaced "root cause" with "convenient excuse", you'd be closer to what was really going on back then. The true "root cause"(*) still resides more in the conflict between the industrial-based Yankees and the agricultural-based South over economic power. (*) One other thing that many people tend to forget is that most of the Southern states that were part of the original 13 colonies were, unlike their Northern counterparts, founded as penal colonies. By the time of the Revolution, many protoYankees looked down on the Southern colonies due to the fact that their inhabitants either were criminals and/or debt exiles, and/or descendents of said, and thereby were "lower-class". The converse was also true, as the Southerners viewed the Northerners as the same sort of sods that sent them over to the Colonies in the first place, as they behaved just like the aristos they'd been ostracized from in Englandland. This same sort of discrimination still prevails today, OM -- ]=====================================[ ] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [ ] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [ ] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [ ]=====================================[ |
#63
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separation of powers (was F-14 being destroyed instead of...)
OM wrote: That's why the militias during the Revolution weren't anywhere near as effective as they should have been. It's one thing to know how to shoot game, but when the game can shoot back *and* has pretty damn good aim, The whole concept of the British and their "Brown Bess" muskets _wasn't_ to aim at specific targets; just line up neatly and fire straight forward knowing that even as inaccurate as the fire was, enough musket balls flying in the same direction would hit the opposing line with considerable force. Which works fine as long as your enemy lines up neatly like you and plays by your rules in best European tradition. Speaking of grand Europeans tradition, everyone's favorite Revolutionary War Prussian drill sergeant had a considerably less prestigious military pedigree than he claimed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_von_Steuben The "At the age of 33, in 1763, Steuben was discharged as a captain from the army, for reasons that are only speculative." part is interesting, as rumor had it that it was an inordinate fondness for the company of young boys. then that tends to break up a forward advance by those who've got no real understanding of what war is about and what it entails. ...On the other hand, you can argue that maybe it was a good thing that a "2.5th Amendment" wasn't incorporated that would have called for state militas to be permanent and well-trained. I think we call this The National Guard these days; another good name at the present time would be IED fodder. Nixon, Carter and Clinton would have been hanging from the nearest oak tree! Sooner or later, one of those guys that was maimed in Iraq is going to come back home, get treated like **** by the military's medical service, and decide he's had quite enough of that; then the president is going to be glad that his limo is basically an armored car, because that's what it's going to take to give him a chance to make it to sundown. Pat |
#64
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politics (was F-14 being destroyed instead of...)
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:41:33 -0700, Hyper
wrote: Didn't Larry Ellison try to buy a Mig-29? ....Yep. And this despite the fact that the Russians offered to sell him at least *four* MiG-17's or two MiG-21's surplus. Those they sell to anyone with the cash, and IIRC there's at least three dozen 17's on US soil owned by US owners. Granted, they've had the hardpoints removed, but it wouldn't be too much of a trick to rig up a few deer rifles under the wings for a strafing run :-) OM -- ]=====================================[ ] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [ ] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [ ] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [ ]=====================================[ |
#65
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separation of powers (was F-14 being destroyed instead of...)
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 03:35:04 GMT, "Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)"
wrote: Interesting trivia, the US has now gone the longest period ever between adding states to the Union. ....That's because Pueter Rico didn't want to become a state, and we didn't want another *welfare* state. We're losing momentum here. ....Hey, we're just waiting for Stogie Castro to finally kick the bucket. Be patient! OM -- ]=====================================[ ] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [ ] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [ ] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [ ]=====================================[ |
#66
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separation of powers (was F-14 being destroyed instead of...)
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:22:35 -0700, wrote:
Thanks heavens! We were worried you'd return Celine Dion. ....Hey, we want to send back Neil Young and Loverboy. If there was a reason for nuking Canada, it's those two *and* Celine! Q: How is showing "Strange Brew" different in Canada than anywhere else? A: In Canada, it's a humorless documentary. Anywhere else, it's a comedy based on reality. OM -- ]=====================================[ ] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [ ] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [ ] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [ ]=====================================[ |
#67
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separation of powers (was F-14 being destroyed instead of...)
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:22:35 -0700, wrote:
Isn't that how Putin just claimed the north pole? ....Except that Santa Claus has disputed the claim, and it's expected to be taken to The Hague before next Chrisnukkah. OM -- ]=====================================[ ] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [ ] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [ ] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [ ]=====================================[ |
#68
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separation of powers (was F-14 being destroyed instead of...)
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:29:42 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote: The whole concept of the British and their "Brown Bess" muskets _wasn't_ to aim at specific targets; just line up neatly and fire straight forward knowing that even as inaccurate as the fire was, enough musket balls flying in the same direction would hit the opposing line with considerable force. ....Which, four score and seven years later, was purty much the same tactic used on the battlefields during the WoNA. Just put a wall of lead out there, and let the DamnYankees run plum inter'em! OM -- ]=====================================[ ] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [ ] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [ ] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [ ]=====================================[ |
#69
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separation of powers (was F-14 being destroyed instead of...)
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:29:42 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote: ...On the other hand, you can argue that maybe it was a good thing that a "2.5th Amendment" wasn't incorporated that would have called for state militas to be permanent and well-trained. I think we call this The National Guard these days; another good name at the present time would be IED fodder. ....There's been some argument that the Guard is the evolutionary "next step" of the Militia. I firmly believe this is false, as the "weekend warriors" are really more of the "minor league" of the US Arrrrmy. When a Militia was called up to the front, they weren't broken up and absorbed into regular regiments. The Guardsmen usually are reassigned to units based on their training and not retained as a unit. OM -- ]=====================================[ ] OMBlog - http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld [ ] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [ ] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [ ]=====================================[ |
#70
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politics (was F-14 being destroyed instead of...)
OM wrote: ...Yep. And this despite the fact that the Russians offered to sell him at least *four* MiG-17's or two MiG-21's surplus. Those they sell to anyone with the cash, and IIRC there's at least three dozen 17's on US soil owned by US owners. Granted, they've had the hardpoints removed, but it wouldn't be too much of a trick to rig up a few deer rifles under the wings for a strafing run :-) Back just as the Soviet Union collapsed, I saw an interview with the commander of a Soviet airbase who was willing to sell Su-15 "Flagon" fighters at around $600 each, provided you picked them up yourself for transport. Pat OM |
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