wipeout's past comments

  • 0

    wipeout

    @molenir

    As you want to question my memory, here's a timeline:

    USS Stark attack - 17 May 1987

    Halabja attack - March 1988

    Kuwait invasion - August 1990

    You're trying to sell the idea that the US pulled their support because of WMDs. Iraq possessed and used WMDs in 1987, on its own people, and the Reagan (and later Bush) administration was fully aware of this. In October 1989, Bush signed a national security directive in which it was stated that "Normal relations between the United States and Iraq would serve our longer term interests and promote stability in both the Persian Gulf and the Middle East." The Bush administration was still trying to maintain a relationship with Saddam's Iraq, and it was the Kuwait invasion that forced that to an abrupt end.

    There's a lot of scandalous behaviour from Republican presidents since Nixon all the way to Bush junior. If Benghazi is the best Republicans can do after nearly 5 years of Obama, they'd better milk it for all its worth. And if people really believe this is an impeachment issue, they should be wondering what's going to happen with the next Democrat president. Are they intending to impeach them all from now on?

    Posted in: White House: Obama is no Nixon

  • 0

    wipeout

    The US pulling their support had nothing to do with Kuwait, and everything to do with WMDs. I'm kind of surprised that someone who remembers the Stark, doesn't remember this.

    Then it should be a simple matter for you to cite the criticisms Reagan and Bush (Sr) made - publicly - about Saddam Hussein long before the invasion of Kuwait. We can compare them to those made by Bush afterwards, which came thick and fast.

    I do remember the chemical attack on Halabja. The US government of the time wanted to pin it on Iran. Bit dishonest really.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/17/opinion/17iht-edjoosted3.html

    Posted in: White House: Obama is no Nixon

  • 0

    wipeout

    It is pathetic and insulting when Republicans imply that these events would be treated the same way by them if one of their own was in the White House.

    There should be enough precedents to form an opinion on that. People have already mentioned Iran-Contra - that's the sale of weapons by the Reagan administration both in violation of an arms embargo and directly to an enemy power - and the killing of the Marines in Lebanon has also been mentioned.

    There was also the unprovoked (and allegedly accidental) attack by an Iraqi jet on the USS Stark, in which 37 sailors were killed. (For the young 'uns out there, Saddam was once considered useful to the US until his unwise invasion of Kuwait presented a problem that could not be swept under the carpet.)

    The attack on the Stark seems to be barely remembered today - it may be instructive to see what Republicans (and Democrats for that matter) did with it at the time, so we can decide whether getting steamed up about four dead in Benghazi is really worth the effort.

    Posted in: White House: Obama is no Nixon

  • 0

    wipeout

    Idiot knee jerk liberal reaction: Outlaw guns and hunting!!

    Talking of idiotic reactions, not one comment above yours suggested outlawing guns, and despite the distaste for hunting expressed a couple of commenters, no one called for that to be banned either.

    Posted in: 64-year-old deer hunter shot dead by fellow hunter in Miyagi

  • 1

    wipeout

    No, I was taking issue with your absurd assertions that this is "an American problem" and that "griping doesn't sell cars."

    If their cars have a crappy image here, and they do, the Americans need to do something about that. If Japanese have a prejudice against US cars, that is in fact their right as consumers, but if the US wants to sell cars to them, they have to work out how to turn that around. People buy VW but not Ford or Chevrolet.

    Is there something about this you don't understand? The Americans aren't even selling a tenth of the cars that the Europeans are. Their cars, to put it in language that you cannot pretend to misunderstand, are not as popular.

    So it's an American problem. Obviously so. They can either accept it and give up, or do what it takes to equal European sales in this country. Right now, they're not even in the same league.

    Posted in: Every increase in the yen results in fewer American exports and jobs and is a further reason why Japan should not be included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

  • 1

    wipeout

    But I guess what you see in your own little neighborhood trumps all, eh?

    In this case it does, because what I said is that European cars sell in far greater numbers in this country than American cars. It's blindingly obvious. Are you suggesting they don't?

    Posted in: Every increase in the yen results in fewer American exports and jobs and is a further reason why Japan should not be included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

  • 3

    wipeout

    100 yards of galvanised wire mesh = $300 20 steel fencing posts = $75 10 electromagnetic locks (300lbs) = $410 Total cost = < $1 000

    Yeah, yards dollars and lbs. Great calculation.

    Posted in: Woman hit by bullet train at Sendai station

  • 0

    wipeout

    Hey guys why don't we let a French or a Italian person make the comment.

    Is anyone not letting them?

    Posted in: What do you think of the quality of French and Italian restaurants in Japan?

  • 0

    wipeout

    They make up a paltry 4% of the market, and they also complain about Japan incessantly.

    Nonetheless, they are quite a visible presence here, and American vehicles are much less so. I see European cars every day, and some of my neighbours own one. There are no American cars at all in my neighbourhood, and I can easily go a week without seeing one on the road. But there are the occasional masochists who equip themselves with a Hummer or even an RV. Regular old driving-around cars from the US? Hardly ever see them. People are buying VWs though, and BMWs, Mercedes, Citroens, Audis, Alfa Romeos...the list could go on.

    So yes, there's an American problem there, regardless of how dissatisfied Euro manufacturers may be. The problem is that it seems most Japanese wouldn't be seen dead in an American car.

    Posted in: Every increase in the yen results in fewer American exports and jobs and is a further reason why Japan should not be included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

  • 1

    wipeout

    800 or 900 yen for a lunchtime plate of carbs whose ingredients costs less then 100 yen? Criminal.

    You can always buy the ingredients yourself and cook it yourself.

    900 yen represents having it cooked by a professional, providing the place where you can eat it (including air conditioning or heating), a toilet for you to crap into, waiting staff to bring the food to you and take care of your needs while you're having a meal, and taking the plates and utensils away when you're done with them.

    The 100 yen ingredients - assuming your calculation is correct and not wishful thinking - will never translate to a 100 yen plate of pasta, and people who cost their meals in this way should probably consider cooking at home.

    Posted in: What do you think of the quality of French and Italian restaurants in Japan?

  • 1

    wipeout

    Japanese car manufacturers have blocked blocked American manufacturers (and European manufacturers) from importing cars into Japan through limitng the number of imports.

    Well whatever they're doing, European cars are selling here, while American ones are a rare sight. That is an American problem, and they should either do what it takes to match the Europeans, or give up and shut up. Griping doesn't sell cars.

    Posted in: Every increase in the yen results in fewer American exports and jobs and is a further reason why Japan should not be included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

  • 2

    wipeout

    But come to think of it, half of China's pollution seems to blow over to Japan, so maybe there isn't much difference.

    There's a huge difference. Hong Kong - not by a long shot the worst major Chinese city for air pollution - sees smog return to chronic levels every October or thereabouts, and from then to April or May, clear days are few and far between. The other months aren't necessarily great either, and it causes a serious degradation in the quality of life in a city that otherwise has quite a lot to offer. I've seen nowhere in Japan that has pollution on that level, and once you head into China proper, it's even worse than Hong Kong.

    Posted in: China career boost can come with health risks for expats

  • 0

    wipeout

    I can see buying a child sized rifle and holding it with your child at the firing range to teach them early to help prevent accidents like this but I would never let them handle it at those young ages without having my hands on the weapon and or the child at all times and the child better have safety gear; Ear plugs + ear muffs and eye protection.

    You said that the company's not at fault. So how is it that the company in question marketed rifles for children, and kept a gallery on its website - unsurprisingly, no longer accessible* - of young children posing with rifles? Most of those pictures were of children standing without an adult in sight - presumably the adult was taking the photo. No adult in shot means no adult with, in your words, "hands on the weapon and or the child at all times". The company had no problem with posting such pictures on its website.

    (*except via the Wayback machine: http://web.archive.org/web/20120925065030/http://www.crickett.com/crickett_kidscorner.php)

    Posted in: Kentucky boy, 5, fatally shoots 2-year-old sister with rifle given to him as gift

  • 0

    wipeout

    Recall China Airlines flight 120 at Okinawa a few years back

    Good old China Airlines, the pride of Taiwan. They do have a knack for racking up hull losses.

    Posted in: Plane's engine catches fire after landing at Osaka

  • -1

    wipeout

    we buy tumeric from the import shop, tumeric tablets would be better but haven't found them.

    You can buy Nature's Way tablets on Amazon Japan (don't take that as an endorsement - if someone gave me some I'd flush them down the crapper where they belong). Compared to actual turmeric, they are expensive, and unlike powdered turmeric, have no real use, because you can't cook with them.

    A small point, perhaps, but it's "turmeric", and pronounced that way.

    Posted in: Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia

  • 0

    wipeout

    Strangely absent: any South East Asian city. Strangely present: Fukuoka. Although I have never been to Fukuoka...

    Fukuoka does actually have street food. It's an exception to the general rule in Japan.

    I agree on the Southeast Asian cities though. I'd also put Taiwan (pick a city) ahead of Hong Kong for street food, on the grounds that there are far more street stalls - Hong Kong has very few - and the food is better, cleaner, fresher, and vastly more varied.

    Posted in: Travel picks: Top 10 street-food cities

  • 7

    wipeout

    If "Hanan, China" is supposed to refer to a province, it's a toss-up between Henan, Hunan, and Hainan.

    Posted in: Report on potentially infected Chinese poultry used in Japanese fast food sparks fears

  • 2

    wipeout

    Vegans will have hard time in Japan.

    True, but vegans have a hard time everywhere. It's practically what being vegan is about.

    Posted in: The fresh, mainstream look of vegetarian cooking

  • 1

    wipeout

    They're parents are to blame for not teaching the kid proper gun safety. Hard to teach a 5 year old though.

    No really? I prefer to think of 5 year olds as young adults.

    Posted in: Kentucky boy, 5, fatally shoots 2-year-old sister with rifle given to him as gift

  • 1

    wipeout

    This is not a gun control issue. This is a nauseatingly stupid parents issue for leaving the gun in their kid's hands, unsupervised.

    That's one opinion. I'd call it a gun control issue myself, as there are firearms companies that clearly think it's okay to market lethal weapons on the basis of them being used by children.

    http://www.crickett.com/

    http://www.crickett.com/crickett_kidscorner.php

    Very young children, it would seem, because at a certain age (though probably several years later in Kentucky), kids start to reject products called "My First" anything.

    Posted in: Kentucky boy, 5, fatally shoots 2-year-old sister with rifle given to him as gift

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