JCC Derp. DERP. Derpitus Maximus. Derpity deeeeeeeerp!

The folks responsible for lying their way in have been out talking about being right all along even though they of course lied their way in. Even pretending for a moment that they did not lie but just messed up and were wrong it is still not worth it and they should be put on trial for a multi trillion dollar screw up and the deaths of hundreds of thousands. 42%?? Well look at the voting numbers, almost have the country voted Romney and they will make up the bulk of this 42%.

I don't think they lied. I just think we were jumpy after 9/11 and Saddam was acting suspiciously by not allowing the inspections...

Do I detect a bit of sarcasm here?

And now Congress is passing more sanctions on Iran by the day, even as the P5+1 had and are having more negotiations this month. Now, I make no secret of the fact that I'm against sanctions. Understandably so, you might say. But even if you think sanctions are brilliant, sanctions are the greatest thing since sliced bread and sanctions are a ******* strawberry-chocolate orgasmic explosion of awesomesauce™ (lol, btw) , at least be just a liiiiiiitle bit smart about how you use them. You lay on new additional sanctions while you're negotiating? Do you want to fail? Sanctions are supposed to be a punitive measure. When your negotiating partner fails to inspire confidence, then you lay on new sanctions. But this time, they'd actually made some little progress, with some small concessions made, and they still voted on new sanctions. They're laying them on just for fun at this point. What was that, to make up for the things you conceded? That's gonna inspire a lot of hope in the other side, isn't it? Like a never-ending ladder. For each concession, a new measure takes its place.

Candidly, sanctions are a bargaining chip to gain leverage when wanting to change a regime's behavior. That's why you have to have a plan when using them. You apply pressure, your opponent is hurt and finds itself more willing to compromise. This is where you negotiate tit for tat. If you do what I want, I'll stop punishing you. If you're unwilling to offer that, then sanctions have no effect. The other guy has no incentive to do as you want if you're not going to stop hurting him. If he goes along, he'd be in an even worse position than he started. Not only would he no longer be doing what he wanted in the first place, but he'd now be punished for no reason as well, because you didn't offer to stop. Of course he's not gonna go along with that! This is common sense. A child understands this. But apparently some morons in Congress don't.

The point of sanctions is not to punish, but to apply pressure.

Not exactly. The point of sanctions is to apply pressure on a country's leadership by punishing the masses.

What's the difference?

But you agree that in order for them to have effect, you have to offer relief in return for compliance, no? There has to be a way out of the tunnel. Otherwise, what is there to negotiate?

the point of sanctions is to apply pressure. punishing the masses is the means whereby this is achieved. But punishing the masses is not the point.. so...ummm.....yeah...

I'll give an example. A doctor gives medicine to cure a disease. it has terrible side-effects. the point of the medicine is to cure the disease, not to give terrible side-effects.

I think this is clear enough.

Thought I should include this here: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/iraq-war-vet-letter-bush-cheney-tomas-young-154541674.html

Of course.

Or a doctor wants her patient to lose weight. She gives him medicine that produces painful symptoms of various kinds as an incentive to diet and exercise. When the patient loses a little weight, the doctor ups the dose to make the painful symptoms worse. That's the sanction model VVM likes so much.

I didn't even mention the masses here. What are you on about? What I'm saying is, it doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in you as a negotiating partner when you're moving the goal posts as we speak. In this case, they had negotiations earlier this month that for the first time actually went somewhere, even if with small steps. And your response to that is to lay on new sanctions on the same day? And more are passing the Senate as well, even as another negotiation is scheduled already at the end of the month. Normally, the next session would take place months later. This time, it's happening at the end of the month. This would be a good opportunity to continue on a good note and try to keep the ball rolling. ---> It would be a good time to take a step back and wait before laying on new sanctions.

1) I mentioned the masses because I was responding to someone else.
2) What you said was that "sanctions were supposed to be a punitive measure", and that is what I disputed.
3) I didn't say we should add new sanctions.

I'm using "you" in the general sense in the post above to refer to the actions of Congress, not you specifically. Except in the second sentence. There I was asking you. Sorry for the confusion.

Lawyer: Urinating on Taliban bodies not desecration.

My thoughts exactly Gary.

Popular Columbian model says hormonal chickens are turning kids gay

Sometimes it's nice to know that there is crazy everywhere.

Aren't there studies linking homosexuality to the balance of hormone levels in the infant during key periods of the pregnancy? And there also have been studies very recently about drinking water polluted with certain chemicals making the body's hormonal balance off kilter, because the molecular structure of those chemicals resemble those of hormones, or trigger an excessive hormone release in the brain, something to that effect... So there could be correlation, but not in the way that she describes. I wouldn't discount this right off the bat.

Yep. Hormones are known to cause permanent biological changes if played with willy-nilly. For instance, synthetic hormones found in birth control pills actualy pass out through urine, wind up in our wastewater, and cause intergender mutations in male fish, rendering them sterile.

All the more reason to go certified organic and/or raise your own foods....hormones will really **** you up.

Trying to feed 7 billion people comes at a horrific price. Not everyone can eat organics or raise their own chickens.

Bill O'Reilly; secularism; the Easter Bunny; Santa; drugs; abortions; all rolle dup in to one giant batch of nonsense.

Bachmann claims Christian 'duty' to repeal Obamacare before 'it literally kills'

Bachmann went on to say, "Repeal Obamacare and create universal single payer healthcare."