U.S. pays $688 million in jizya to Pakistan for "war on terror expenses"

Be prepared to be laughed at in China. That we in the West are borrowing money from the Chinese to give to our enemies must seem hugely comical to them.

well said.
m

Referencing, David, extra specifically (young voters who voted for Obama in 2012), one would be hard pressed to come up with a better example in all of history of any group who voted against their own long term interests so comprehensibly.

Makes one wonder if democracy is doomed eventually when so many can vote so stupidily so eagerly. Perhaps Plato and Aristotle (no mean judges of things) were right after all to cast aspersions on the democratic experiment, though I still stand by Churchill's assessment, to wit, that democracy is the worst form of government with the exception of all other forms of government. But I'm sorely tested at times to consider that the Great Man (and the Founding Fathers of America and Cleisthenes and Themistocles and...) may have been wrong.

Hope you and yours have a fine New Year (in spite of the world and certainly not because of it). Take care, my friend.

PJG said:

"Be prepared to be laughed at in China. That we in the West are borrowing money from the Chinese to give to our enemies must seem hugely comical to them."
______________________

Yes. But there is another, very curious side to this. I write this reply to you from Las Vegas, Nevada, in a Day's Inn Motel. I just lost 13.85 USD on nickel slot machines.

It was well worth it.

I was immediately struck by the many CHINESE GAMBLERS (many seemed like transplants from Macau). There were multiple Maidong tables.
Parking lots full of new cars.

I asked my brother at the craps table, "Recession? What recession?".

Then it hit me. Much of that borrowed Chinese Yuan is being funnelled right back into the "American" economy! That doesn't address the issue of, then, handing all those "kwai" over to the nutjobs in Pakistan...but still - very curious.

Yes, PJG - I'm prepared to be laughed at.

Much more likely to be stared at, though, as I was in Beijing in 2005-2007. The Diamond-skinned White Man is still a bit of the odd bird in the Far East, I suspect, even on the verge of 2013...

He sure was 5 years ago. We'll see...

Well, as someone who was married to a mainland Chinese for many years, I can only say, "Good luck!" It's a battle of wills, in my opinion; it doesn't have to end badly.
And it hasn't, for me.

Oh...that doesn't sound good. I mean we get along now.

"Referencing, David, extra specifically (young voters who voted for Obama in 2012), one would be hard pressed to come up with a better example in all of history of any group who voted against their own long term interests so comprehensibly."

Partner I'm not so sure of that.

I'm sure if I look in my Great Books I'll find a few examples, starting with; "If we don't learn from history, we're bound to repeat it."

You are quite correct but the American sheep people have been brainwashed to believe in there being only two choices, like as in football. Only thing is both the repubs and libs have much more in common than any differences. Otherwise you would have the other party objecting to any sending of jiyza to these 3rd world hellholes that hate America and it's people.

Even in the foreign policy debate Romanay was careful not to bring up Bangazi and the Obama lies. He was tripping over himself in agreeing with Obama on foreign policies. Romanay could have taken Obama to task for his many failures and won over many people, but he didn't and the American people didn't support him as a result of that.

Interesting you should say that. Here's a part of a comment I made elsewhere:

Every aspect of our lives is either taxed, fined, levied or otherwise over-regulated and we have both the Democrats and the Republicans to thank for this. It's almost as if it's some kind of Satanic Tag-Team going back and forth seeing who can screw over the American people the worst.

I use to listen to Michael Medved. But his vile, vicious slander of third parties to the exclusion of a significant segment of the American population is nothing short of support for the dictatorship that we now have under the two party system. Indeed; no others need apply.

Interesting you should say that. Here's a part of a comment I made elsewhere:

Every aspect of our lives is either taxed, fined, levied or otherwise over-regulated and we have both the Democrats and the Republicans to thank for this. It's almost as if it's some kind of Satanic Tag-Team going back and forth seeing who can screw over the American people the worst.

I use to listen to Michael Medved. But his vile, vicious slander of third parties to the exclusion of a significant segment of the American population is nothing short of support for the dictatorship that we now have under the two party system. Indeed; no others need apply.

Interesting you should say that. Here's a part of a comment I made elsewhere:

Every aspect of our lives is either taxed, fined, levied or otherwise over-regulated and we have both the Democrats and the Republicans to thank for this. It's almost as if it's some kind of Satanic Tag-Team going back and forth seeing who can screw over the American people the worst.

I use to listen to Michael Medved. But his vile, vicious slander of third parties to the exclusion of a significant segment of the American population is nothing short of support for the dictatorship that we now have under the two party system. Indeed; no others need apply.

Interesting you should say that. Here's a part of a comment I made elsewhere:

Every aspect of our lives is either taxed, fined, levied or otherwise over-regulated and we have both the Democrats and the Republicans to thank for this. It's almost as if it's some kind of Satanic Tag-Team going back and forth seeing who can screw over the American people the worst.

I use to listen to Michael Medved. But his vile, vicious slander of third parties to the exclusion of a significant segment of the American population is nothing short of support for the dictatorship that we now have under the two party system. Indeed; no others need apply.