Some interesting Rankings that weren't shown:
Canada 12th
Australia 14th
United States 21st

Brazil 49th
Mexico 66th
Saudi Arabia 92nd
Qatar 111th
Iraq 123rd
Lybia 125th


Some interesting Stats:

#1 Science & Technology = United Kingdom
#1 Culture = Belgium
#1 Int'l Peace and Security = Egypt
#1 World Order = Germany
#1 Planet & Climate = Iceland
#1 Prosperity & Equality = Ireland
#1 Health & Well Being = Spain

http://www.goodcountry.org/overall

*in-a-borat-voice* "IM FROM LYBIA NOW"

And then... the west attacks Lybia and continues its support for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen. Giving Al-Qaeda's violent philosophy another shot at success.

Thanks man, that's the plan. And yeah, fuck breaking bones.
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
Very awesome. Good luck with that. And pursue it doggedly! If you stay at it, you will find others opening the doors for you.

Breaking bones sucks.

In reply to this comment by JAPR:
I think it's more about the terminology (just saying "military industrial complex" triggers reactions, despite the fact that it's really just a convenient term for describing a complex issue because of the negative meaning that has been put on the word), personal ideas of what is good/bad, and a whole lot of ignorance on the issue of America's (and other nations') acts abroad and the facts/results behind them as opposed to just the surface reasons and the outwards political debate. I mean, hey, you can get away with a lot of questionable acts (I consider forcing other nations into your web of "influence" and basically stripping them of the ability to control their own destiny via CIA and other such methods wrong, but since morals are human constructs, unless enough of us agree that it's wrong and force our government to change its ways, those who make their own reasoning as to why it's okay will continue to do so) if you do them within the framework of an generally accepted "good" act. Different paradigms paint different realities, all you can do for people is try to point them to literature and info that can help them get over misinformation and hope their personal views do in fact align more with yours once they know more.

I still don't use a smartphone, but that app looks like it could be pretty amusing to play with for sure.

As for music, I've got a broken finger on my left hand that's gotta be in a cast for three more weeks, so it's somewhat on hold, but I need a reliable lead guitarist eventually and this gives me more time to look for one before i start trying to play shows. Got a short 30 minute set scheduled for mid-late May on campus, so that's something I'm really looking forward to. I've finally settled completely on trying to go for it with music, so after I graduate things will be pretty busy with that, but that's what I love doing, so hopefully I can find a decent-paying job that won't interfere too much. We'll see, lol.
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
Ha. You know me, always against the wars and the military industrial complex. I guess I cannot say the same for everyone on here.

I've been good. Just finished an app for the android market. None too shabby. https://market.android.com/details?id=air.plinty.mulletizerfull

How's the music going?

In reply to this comment by JAPR:
Ahoy there sir. I saw your discussion with dft on Lybia and it reminded me of why I like you two, lol. How's life been going?

Very awesome. Good luck with that. And pursue it doggedly! If you stay at it, you will find others opening the doors for you.

Breaking bones sucks.

In reply to this comment by JAPR:
I think it's more about the terminology (just saying "military industrial complex" triggers reactions, despite the fact that it's really just a convenient term for describing a complex issue because of the negative meaning that has been put on the word), personal ideas of what is good/bad, and a whole lot of ignorance on the issue of America's (and other nations') acts abroad and the facts/results behind them as opposed to just the surface reasons and the outwards political debate. I mean, hey, you can get away with a lot of questionable acts (I consider forcing other nations into your web of "influence" and basically stripping them of the ability to control their own destiny via CIA and other such methods wrong, but since morals are human constructs, unless enough of us agree that it's wrong and force our government to change its ways, those who make their own reasoning as to why it's okay will continue to do so) if you do them within the framework of an generally accepted "good" act. Different paradigms paint different realities, all you can do for people is try to point them to literature and info that can help them get over misinformation and hope their personal views do in fact align more with yours once they know more.

I still don't use a smartphone, but that app looks like it could be pretty amusing to play with for sure.

As for music, I've got a broken finger on my left hand that's gotta be in a cast for three more weeks, so it's somewhat on hold, but I need a reliable lead guitarist eventually and this gives me more time to look for one before i start trying to play shows. Got a short 30 minute set scheduled for mid-late May on campus, so that's something I'm really looking forward to. I've finally settled completely on trying to go for it with music, so after I graduate things will be pretty busy with that, but that's what I love doing, so hopefully I can find a decent-paying job that won't interfere too much. We'll see, lol.
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
Ha. You know me, always against the wars and the military industrial complex. I guess I cannot say the same for everyone on here.

I've been good. Just finished an app for the android market. None too shabby. https://market.android.com/details?id=air.plinty.mulletizerfull

How's the music going?

In reply to this comment by JAPR:
Ahoy there sir. I saw your discussion with dft on Lybia and it reminded me of why I like you two, lol. How's life been going?

It may be right for intervention to occur in Lybia, but as we are bound to turn it to our own ends, it shouldn't have been us, is what I mean, I guess. I hate seeing people do some measure of good in order to take advantage of others.

I think it's more about the terminology (just saying "military industrial complex" triggers reactions, despite the fact that it's really just a convenient term for describing a complex issue because of the negative meaning that has been put on the word), personal ideas of what is good/bad, and a whole lot of ignorance on the issue of America's (and other nations') acts abroad and the facts/results behind them as opposed to just the surface reasons and the outwards political debate. I mean, hey, you can get away with a lot of questionable acts (I consider forcing other nations into your web of "influence" and basically stripping them of the ability to control their own destiny via CIA and other such methods wrong, but since morals are human constructs, unless enough of us agree that it's wrong and force our government to change its ways, those who make their own reasoning as to why it's okay will continue to do so) if you do them within the framework of an generally accepted "good" act. Different paradigms paint different realities, all you can do for people is try to point them to literature and info that can help them get over misinformation and hope their personal views do in fact align more with yours once they know more.

I still don't use a smartphone, but that app looks like it could be pretty amusing to play with for sure.

As for music, I've got a broken finger on my left hand that's gotta be in a cast for three more weeks, so it's somewhat on hold, but I need a reliable lead guitarist eventually and this gives me more time to look for one before i start trying to play shows. Got a short 30 minute set scheduled for mid-late May on campus, so that's something I'm really looking forward to. I've finally settled completely on trying to go for it with music, so after I graduate things will be pretty busy with that, but that's what I love doing, so hopefully I can find a decent-paying job that won't interfere too much. We'll see, lol.
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
Ha. You know me, always against the wars and the military industrial complex. I guess I cannot say the same for everyone on here.

I've been good. Just finished an app for the android market. None too shabby. https://market.android.com/details?id=air.plinty.mulletizerfull

How's the music going?

In reply to this comment by JAPR:
Ahoy there sir. I saw your discussion with dft on Lybia and it reminded me of why I like you two, lol. How's life been going?

Ha. You know me, always against the wars and the military industrial complex. I guess I cannot say the same for everyone on here.

I've been good. Just finished an app for the android market. None too shabby. https://market.android.com/details?id=air.plinty.mulletizerfull

How's the music going?

In reply to this comment by JAPR:
Ahoy there sir. I saw your discussion with dft on Lybia and it reminded me of why I like you two, lol. How's life been going?

Ahoy there sir. I saw your discussion with dft on Lybia and it reminded me of why I like you two, lol. How's life been going?

So that would mean that Obama should also explain his actions concerning the war on Lybia on "The Jersey Shore", since that gets a lot of viewers, too.

This funny dancing bear is now the biggest topic in the German News. Far outranked boring topics like war in lybia, catastrophe in Japan or 180° degree turn and complete inconsistency of our chancellor...ette's government on the nuclear energy matter. Love it.

You may be right, it does seem like every time "we" get involved it turns to shit faster - it could be that it's shit already and the media exposure makes it apparent to us. I dunno. I'm not a politician, general or intelligence officer, I can only work on the evidence in front of me.

It's basically one big shit storm either way.
>> ^radx:

Well, we are sitting and watching as civilians are butchered, aren't we? Jemen and Bahrain are right nextdoor, but those dictatorships are still backed up. Not to mention the Saudis, who sent troops to gun down the protest in Bahrain.
And who are "the people" in Lybia? I still haven't heard any clear information about the rebels in Libya. From where I'm standing, it still looks very much like a fight between different clans, a civil war. Egypt in particular can't be compared, almost the entire people were rebelling against Mubarak. That's clearly not the case in Libya.
We know jack shit about the domestic context of all the non-Gaddafi actors on the ground, so the kind of intervention currently taking place, an external intervention for mixed motivations, is likely to backfire. Mixed motivations, because I don't believe for a second that oil and particularly the refugee issue are not taken into account in any decision making process.
I'm not saying the UN resolution is right or wrong, I'm simply saying it's a fucking hypocrisy to start a "humanitarian intervention" while supporting the same behaviour next door. Not that I believe in any reasonable chance of success of such an intervention by NATO powers without strong support from at least Turkey and the Arab nations anyway. The Arab League already condemned the airstrikes, so their support is not as strong as it was claimed to be. And why would it, both the Arab League and the CCASG consist of oppressive regimes themselves. If the Arab nations were serious about ending Gaddafi's rule over his people, they would have to take the lead on this one. The track record of NATO/EU intervention is one catastrophe after another, so it has to be them.
There is an obligation to help the civilians currently being slaughtered, but the current plan appears to have risks for the Libyan people outweighing the humanitarian benefit. The best use of the UNSC Resolution seems to use it as little as possible. Any form of escalation will only make things worse. It's up to the opposition now to demonstrate that they have the backing of the people, then their political and popular weight could cause the regime to implode.
Still, it just feels like Kosovo all over again, UÇK and everything, but worse.
>> ^gwiz665:
The people are trying to stand up to him, and he's committing outright genocide. Of course, we must do what we can to help the people liberate themselves. Unlike Iraq, this is not just for the hell of it - we are helping the people free themselves, when they do not have the strength themselves, as opposed to Egypt, Tunesia and so on.
If we sit and watch as the civilians are butchered, we are no better (or at least very little better) than the butchers ourselves.

Sarkozy might have reasons of his own, domestic ones. And let's not forget that just last year, France backed Morocco against the civil uprise in Western Sahara by blocking the UN.
>> ^GeeSussFreeK:
even though I think it is France (lol?) leading the charge on this one.

Well, we are sitting and watching as civilians are butchered, aren't we? Jemen and Bahrain are right nextdoor, but those dictatorships are still backed up. Not to mention the Saudis, who sent troops to gun down the protest in Bahrain.

And who are "the people" in Lybia? I still haven't heard any clear information about the rebels in Libya. From where I'm standing, it still looks very much like a fight between different clans, a civil war. Egypt in particular can't be compared, almost the entire people were rebelling against Mubarak. That's clearly not the case in Libya.

We know jack shit about the domestic context of all the non-Gaddafi actors on the ground, so the kind of intervention currently taking place, an external intervention for mixed motivations, is likely to backfire. Mixed motivations, because I don't believe for a second that oil and particularly the refugee issue are not taken into account in any decision making process.

I'm not saying the UN resolution is right or wrong, I'm simply saying it's a fucking hypocrisy to start a "humanitarian intervention" while supporting the same behaviour next door. Not that I believe in any reasonable chance of success of such an intervention by NATO powers without strong support from at least Turkey and the Arab nations anyway. The Arab League already condemned the airstrikes, so their support is not as strong as it was claimed to be. And why would it, both the Arab League and the CCASG consist of oppressive regimes themselves. If the Arab nations were serious about ending Gaddafi's rule over his people, they would have to take the lead on this one. The track record of NATO/EU intervention is one catastrophe after another, so it has to be them.

There is an obligation to help the civilians currently being slaughtered, but the current plan appears to have risks for the Libyan people outweighing the humanitarian benefit. The best use of the UNSC Resolution seems to use it as little as possible. Any form of escalation will only make things worse. It's up to the opposition now to demonstrate that they have the backing of the people, then their political and popular weight could cause the regime to implode.

Still, it just feels like Kosovo all over again, UÇK and everything, but worse.
>> ^gwiz665:

The people are trying to stand up to him, and he's committing outright genocide. Of course, we must do what we can to help the people liberate themselves. Unlike Iraq, this is not just for the hell of it - we are helping the people free themselves, when they do not have the strength themselves, as opposed to Egypt, Tunesia and so on.
If we sit and watch as the civilians are butchered, we are no better (or at least very little better) than the butchers ourselves.


Sarkozy might have reasons of his own, domestic ones. And let's not forget that just last year, France backed Morocco against the civil uprise in Western Sahara by blocking the UN.
>> ^GeeSussFreeK:

even though I think it is France (lol?) leading the charge on this one.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Jon Stewart, TDS, MessOPotamia, Lybia, Iran' to 'Jon Stewart, TDS, MessOPotamia, Libya, Iran, Muammar Gaddafi' - edited by SlipperyPete

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Jon Stewart, MessOPotamia, Labia, Iran' to 'Jon Stewart, TDS, MessOPotamia, Lybia, Iran' - edited by calvados