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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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#1
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold
In case anyone's interested in buying some pure gallium, there's some being
sold on eBay, auction number 140190533450. |
#2
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold
On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:31:37 -0600, Adam Corolla wrote:
In case anyone's interested in buying some pure gallium, there's some being sold on eBay, auction number 140190533450. Doesn't exist or has been removed. So what's spot on gallium? |
#3
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold
Dave Hinz wrote:
On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:31:37 -0600, Adam Corolla wrote: In case anyone's interested in buying some pure gallium, there's some being sold on eBay, auction number 140190533450. Doesn't exist or has been removed. So what's spot on gallium? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=300182719496 Probably the same seller, in Ireland. 50 g, $87 buy it now. Don't know what the spot is though. |
#4
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold
"Dave Hinz" wrote in message ... On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:31:37 -0600, Adam Corolla wrote: In case anyone's interested in buying some pure gallium, there's some being sold on eBay, auction number 140190533450. Doesn't exist or has been removed. So what's spot on gallium? It's on the US site. Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...romZR40QQfviZ1 Or try http://tinyurl.com/3695mx |
#5
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold
"Adam Corolla" wrote:
In case anyone's interested in buying some pure gallium, there's some being sold on eBay, auction number 140190533450. We got people making semiconductors at home now? Wes |
#6
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold
"Wes" wrote in message ... "Adam Corolla" wrote: In case anyone's interested in buying some pure gallium, there's some being sold on eBay, auction number 140190533450. We got people making semiconductors at home now? Wes Gallium is used in making semiconductors? I didn't know that. Anyway, its home uses include making custom mirrors, and also for science demonstrations and practical jokes. |
#7
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold
Adam Corolla wrote:
"Wes" wrote in message ... "Adam Corolla" wrote: In case anyone's interested in buying some pure gallium, there's some being sold on eBay, auction number 140190533450. We got people making semiconductors at home now? Wes Gallium is used in making semiconductors? I didn't know that. Yep, Gallium Arsenide is used extensively. Anyway, its home uses include making custom mirrors, and also for science demonstrations and practical jokes. |
#8
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold
"Todd Rich" wrote in message ... Adam Corolla wrote: "Wes" wrote in message ... "Adam Corolla" wrote: In case anyone's interested in buying some pure gallium, there's some being sold on eBay, auction number 140190533450. We got people making semiconductors at home now? Wes Gallium is used in making semiconductors? I didn't know that. Yep, Gallium Arsenide is used extensively. So, how much would be needed for the average chip? I'm guessing micrograms or picograms. 20 grams of gallium would make a lot of semiconductors! How do you make into gallium arsenide, though? Gallium arsenide is probably cheaper and easier to work with, by the way. |
#9
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold
Adam Corolla wrote:
"Todd Rich" wrote in message (snip) Yep, Gallium Arsenide is used extensively. So, how much would be needed for the average chip? I'm guessing micrograms or picograms. 20 grams of gallium would make a lot of semiconductors! How do you make into gallium arsenide, though? Gallium arsenide is probably cheaper and easier to work with, by the way. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallium_arsenide http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/semiconduct...roduction.html |
#10
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold (auction canceled by eBay)
FYI, eBay cancelled the auction, stating that Gallium is considered a "hazardous substance." |
#11
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold (auction canceled by eBay)
"Adam Corolla" wrote in message news FYI, eBay cancelled the auction, stating that Gallium is considered a "hazardous substance." Not he http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=300182719496 Just "ended". -- Jeff R. |
#12
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold (auction canceled by eBay)
"Jeff R." wrote in message u... "Adam Corolla" wrote in message news FYI, eBay cancelled the auction, stating that Gallium is considered a "hazardous substance." Not he http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=300182719496 Just "ended". -- Jeff R. ....and... (looks like he got sick of selling little lots) http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=300183863501 Still current, and maybe a little greedy... -- Jeff R. |
#13
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold (auction canceled by eBay)
"Jeff R." wrote in message u... "Adam Corolla" wrote in message news FYI, eBay cancelled the auction, stating that Gallium is considered a "hazardous substance." Not he http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=300182719496 Just "ended". I wish to hell I knew why eBay cancelled MY auction and not the other guy's, but their policies for sales from Ireland to Australia (the auction to which you linked) might not be the same as selling it from within the US to other points within the US (my auction) especially since the USPS will not transport gallium, period. I had no idea that gallium was on the USPS's banned list until eBay canceled my auction, then I looked it up because I couldn't believe it. Well, it makes sense I guess. If gallium comes in contact with two common substances, aluminum and water, it creates hydrogen gas which is extremely flammable. Also without even water, liquid gallium destroys other metals including aluminum, meaning it could create all kinds of havoc inside a vehicle. |
#14
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold (auction canceled by eBay)
On Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:39:34 -0600, "Adam Corolla"
wrote: "Jeff R." wrote in message . au... "Adam Corolla" wrote in message news FYI, eBay cancelled the auction, stating that Gallium is considered a "hazardous substance." Not he http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=300182719496 Just "ended". I wish to hell I knew why eBay cancelled MY auction and not the other guy's, but their policies for sales from Ireland to Australia (the auction to which you linked) might not be the same as selling it from within the US to other points within the US (my auction) especially since the USPS will not transport gallium, period. I had no idea that gallium was on the USPS's banned list until eBay canceled my auction, then I looked it up because I couldn't believe it. Well, it makes sense I guess. If gallium comes in contact with two common substances, aluminum and water, it creates hydrogen gas which is extremely flammable. Also without even water, liquid gallium destroys other metals including aluminum, meaning it could create all kinds of havoc inside a vehicle. Particularly inside an aircraft. Think of it rolling around inside the cargo hold, up against the skin of the aircraft and the bulkheads....at 35,000 feet Gunner "Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules. Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner |
#15
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold (auction canceled by eBay)
"Gunner Asch" wrote in message ... On Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:39:34 -0600, "Adam Corolla" wrote: "Jeff R." wrote in message .au... "Adam Corolla" wrote in message news FYI, eBay cancelled the auction, stating that Gallium is considered a "hazardous substance." Not he http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=300182719496 Just "ended". I wish to hell I knew why eBay cancelled MY auction and not the other guy's, but their policies for sales from Ireland to Australia (the auction to which you linked) might not be the same as selling it from within the US to other points within the US (my auction) especially since the USPS will not transport gallium, period. I had no idea that gallium was on the USPS's banned list until eBay canceled my auction, then I looked it up because I couldn't believe it. Well, it makes sense I guess. If gallium comes in contact with two common substances, aluminum and water, it creates hydrogen gas which is extremely flammable. Also without even water, liquid gallium destroys other metals including aluminum, meaning it could create all kinds of havoc inside a vehicle. Particularly inside an aircraft. Think of it rolling around inside the cargo hold, up against the skin of the aircraft and the bulkheads....at 35,000 feet Gunner Definitely a bad situation, I could easily understand why gallium would have to be transported by ground or water only. I wonder how the seller in Irelend plans to ship to Australia? "Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules. Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner So said every other empire that ever existed. "We're bringing civilization to those people and improving their lives, while protecting them from themselves and us from them." The fact that "those people" fight the empire-builders is simply seen as evidence that they don't know what's best for them and therefore *need* to be controlled by the empire or a government it sets up. The problem with the whole "We're going to attack your country and install the government of our choice" method of ensuring that everyone "plays nice" is that the powers that be are the ones that get to define what "playing nice" means, and they use their own values rather than the values of the people whose nations the PRBs dominate. In order to get to a point at which one can even enforce "play nice", one has to play *very nasty* for quite a while in order to gain total domination over the other players. In a way, the people of those countries are considered non-persons who are too uncivilized, ignorant and backward to see what's best for them. Also, they're considered to be an obvious a threat to us, because they fight back when we "enter" (invade) their country and/or "fix their government" (install one of our own creation), therefore they are violent and must be kept under control for the good of all. This has been the modus operandi of nearly every would-be world conqueror since the beginning of written history. Everyone thinks their own system is better than all the rest, unconsciously minimizing their own problems and exaggerating the problems of the others. Policing the world is a great idea, except for the fact that no force in the world is or ever will be objective enough to be trusted with the power required to do it. The US has repeatedly supported dictators who are known to have tortured and killed their own people over leaders favored by the people of their country but possibly antagonistic to US trade policies, and has by that and other methods showed a glaring lack of objectivity at least equal to that of the old USSR. "The greatest evils in the world are done in the name of fighting evil." |
#16
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold (auction canceled by eBay)
On Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:49:19 -0600, "Adam Corolla"
wrote: "Gunner Asch" wrote in message .. . On Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:39:34 -0600, "Adam Corolla" wrote: "Jeff R." wrote in message m.au... "Adam Corolla" wrote in message news FYI, eBay cancelled the auction, stating that Gallium is considered a "hazardous substance." Not he http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=300182719496 Just "ended". I wish to hell I knew why eBay cancelled MY auction and not the other guy's, but their policies for sales from Ireland to Australia (the auction to which you linked) might not be the same as selling it from within the US to other points within the US (my auction) especially since the USPS will not transport gallium, period. I had no idea that gallium was on the USPS's banned list until eBay canceled my auction, then I looked it up because I couldn't believe it. Well, it makes sense I guess. If gallium comes in contact with two common substances, aluminum and water, it creates hydrogen gas which is extremely flammable. Also without even water, liquid gallium destroys other metals including aluminum, meaning it could create all kinds of havoc inside a vehicle. Particularly inside an aircraft. Think of it rolling around inside the cargo hold, up against the skin of the aircraft and the bulkheads....at 35,000 feet Gunner Definitely a bad situation, I could easily understand why gallium would have to be transported by ground or water only. I wonder how the seller in Irelend plans to ship to Australia? "Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules. Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner So said every other empire that ever existed. "We're bringing civilization to those people and improving their lives, while protecting them from themselves and us from them." The fact that "those people" fight the empire-builders is simply seen as evidence that they don't know what's best for them and therefore *need* to be controlled by the empire or a government it sets up. The problem with the whole "We're going to attack your country and install the government of our choice" method of ensuring that everyone "plays nice" is that the powers that be are the ones that get to define what "playing nice" means, and they use their own values rather than the values of the people whose nations the PRBs dominate. In order to get to a point at which one can even enforce "play nice", one has to play *very nasty* for quite a while in order to gain total domination over the other players. In a way, the people of those countries are considered non-persons who are too uncivilized, ignorant and backward to see what's best for them. Also, they're considered to be an obvious a threat to us, because they fight back when we "enter" (invade) their country and/or "fix their government" (install one of our own creation), therefore they are violent and must be kept under control for the good of all. This has been the modus operandi of nearly every would-be world conqueror since the beginning of written history. Everyone thinks their own system is better than all the rest, unconsciously minimizing their own problems and exaggerating the problems of the others. Policing the world is a great idea, except for the fact that no force in the world is or ever will be objective enough to be trusted with the power required to do it. The US has repeatedly supported dictators who are known to have tortured and killed their own people over leaders favored by the people of their country but possibly antagonistic to US trade policies, and has by that and other methods showed a glaring lack of objectivity at least equal to that of the old USSR. "The greatest evils in the world are done in the name of fighting evil." All true indeed. Though we never went out and colonized half the world with the Maxim Gun. In fact..I dont know of any US colonies. We tend to go out, kick some ass, defend our friends, then go home again. As for supporting dictators, true enough at times. The rational being that better a US friendly dictator, than a puppet of the USSR who hates the US. And there is some validity to that outlook. Depending of course on who is looking from what direction. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend", at least until he becomes our enemy. On the other hand, we dont have a history of 400 yrs of colonial rule and when we pull out of an occupied and defeated enemy, we generally leave it in much better shape than we found it. Germany and Japan, South Korea etc are examples. The British empire left behind blood, mass murder and civil uprisings when they pulled out, with few exceptions. The fact of the matter, we could have simply sat on our hands and watched the rest of the planet murder and enslave us. And then 20 yrs down the road, have the now larger and unified enemy be a much much larger problem when they decided to take us on. Germany and Japan are prime examples, as is the USSR. In fact, the Third World War started in 1945 and didnt end until December 8th, 1991 Without the US playing Big Brother in 1918, 1942 and from 1945 to 1991..the geopolitical face of the planet would have looked vastly different, and none of us would likely be in any position to be discussing this issue, least of all in English. Its a dirty job, but someone has to play Big Brother. The alternative is unthinkable. Gunner "Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules. Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner |
#17
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold (auction canceled by eBay)
On Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:11:03 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote: The fact of the matter, we could have simply sat on our hands and watched the rest of the planet murder and enslave us. Addendum.,."enslave each other" "Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules. Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner |
#18
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold (auction canceled by eBay)
"Gunner Asch" wrote in message ... On Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:49:19 -0600, "Adam Corolla" wrote: "Gunner Asch" wrote in message . .. On Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:39:34 -0600, "Adam Corolla" wrote: "Jeff R." wrote in message om.au... "Adam Corolla" wrote in message news FYI, eBay cancelled the auction, stating that Gallium is considered a "hazardous substance." Not he http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=300182719496 Just "ended". I wish to hell I knew why eBay cancelled MY auction and not the other guy's, but their policies for sales from Ireland to Australia (the auction to which you linked) might not be the same as selling it from within the US to other points within the US (my auction) especially since the USPS will not transport gallium, period. I had no idea that gallium was on the USPS's banned list until eBay canceled my auction, then I looked it up because I couldn't believe it. Well, it makes sense I guess. If gallium comes in contact with two common substances, aluminum and water, it creates hydrogen gas which is extremely flammable. Also without even water, liquid gallium destroys other metals including aluminum, meaning it could create all kinds of havoc inside a vehicle. Particularly inside an aircraft. Think of it rolling around inside the cargo hold, up against the skin of the aircraft and the bulkheads....at 35,000 feet Gunner Definitely a bad situation, I could easily understand why gallium would have to be transported by ground or water only. I wonder how the seller in Irelend plans to ship to Australia? "Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules. Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner So said every other empire that ever existed. "We're bringing civilization to those people and improving their lives, while protecting them from themselves and us from them." The fact that "those people" fight the empire-builders is simply seen as evidence that they don't know what's best for them and therefore *need* to be controlled by the empire or a government it sets up. The problem with the whole "We're going to attack your country and install the government of our choice" method of ensuring that everyone "plays nice" is that the powers that be are the ones that get to define what "playing nice" means, and they use their own values rather than the values of the people whose nations the PRBs dominate. In order to get to a point at which one can even enforce "play nice", one has to play *very nasty* for quite a while in order to gain total domination over the other players. In a way, the people of those countries are considered non-persons who are too uncivilized, ignorant and backward to see what's best for them. Also, they're considered to be an obvious a threat to us, because they fight back when we "enter" (invade) their country and/or "fix their government" (install one of our own creation), therefore they are violent and must be kept under control for the good of all. This has been the modus operandi of nearly every would-be world conqueror since the beginning of written history. Everyone thinks their own system is better than all the rest, unconsciously minimizing their own problems and exaggerating the problems of the others. Policing the world is a great idea, except for the fact that no force in the world is or ever will be objective enough to be trusted with the power required to do it. The US has repeatedly supported dictators who are known to have tortured and killed their own people over leaders favored by the people of their country but possibly antagonistic to US trade policies, and has by that and other methods showed a glaring lack of objectivity at least equal to that of the old USSR. "The greatest evils in the world are done in the name of fighting evil." All true indeed. Though we never went out and colonized half the world with the Maxim Gun. In fact..I dont know of any US colonies. The US doesn't colonize, it hegemonizes. We tend to go out, kick some ass, defend our friends, then go home again. We go out, kill five thousand soldiers and a few hundred thousand civilians in a nation that poses no threat to us, and call that kicking ass. As for supporting dictators, true enough at times. The rational being that better a US friendly dictator, than a puppet of the USSR who hates the US. Hello? The USSR doesn't exist anymore, but the US is still supporting dictators. The REAL rationale is that if we had to choose between allowing a country to have a democracy which might be opposed to US policies in their country, or supporting a dictator who enslaves and kills his own people but can be bribed by the US to do what we want, the latter is the only option, because the brown people don't matter. Guess what? Some of the brown people have the unmitigated gall to dislike the US for this reason. And there is some validity to that outlook. Depending of course on who is looking from what direction. Of course it has validity, if you believe the US should put itself above all other countries even if it means a small financial gain for Americans in exchange for sacrificing the freedom or lives of millions of non-Americans. Unless you consider the fact that the short-term benefits are outweighed by the expense of higher taxes on account of the fact that we have to maintain a huge, bloated military to protect ourselves from all the enemies we've created. Oh, and the token wars to make it look like we're retaliating for the terrorist attacks. On the other hand, we dont have a history of 400 yrs of colonial rule and when we pull out of an occupied and defeated enemy, we generally leave it in much better shape than we found it. Germany and Japan, South Korea etc are examples. Yes, but they are in the minority. What about the other 25 countries we've attacked since WW2, none of which ever attacked us? The fact of the matter, we could have simply sat on our hands and watched the rest of the planet murder and enslave us. I can't believe you could be so brainwashed as to believe that. Try looking at the facts for once. Since WW2, no country has threatened the US. During the cold war, the US and the USSR/Red China fought each other indirectly by trying to take over smaller, weaker countries and keeping the fighting within them. However when the USSR collapsed and China stopped their military agression, the US continued to practice forced hegemony, especially in central and south America and the middle East. 9/11 was the first really big retalitory strike by the people of some of those countries. And then 20 yrs down the road, have the now larger and unified enemy be a much much larger problem when they decided to take us on. Germany and Japan are prime examples, as is the USSR. In fact, the Third World War started in 1945 and didnt end until December 8th, 1991 Yes, but how did it end? Did Ronnie Reagan end the cold war by driving Russia bankrupt with the arms buildup? He helped, I'll give him that! But the collapse of the USSR started ten years earlier when they invaded Afghanistan, an impoverished third-world country. The USSR, with the largest and most powerful military the world had ever seen, couldn't gain a decisive victory after ten years of fighting. Why? Because the US had learned from Vietnam that invasion is easy, but occupation of a hostile country is extremely expensive. Drawing on these lessons learned in Vietnam, the CIA trained Afghanis and Mideasterners from all over who came to Afghanistan on how to use guerrilla tactics to fight the Soviets: for example use $100 worth or moartar rounds to take out $1,000,000 worth of equipment and a few soldiers, repeat, repeat, etc. and during the day work your regular jobs so no one knows who you are. This was how and why al Qaeda formed at that time. After ten years of extremely expensive occupation, the USSR withdrew from Afghanistan, bankrupt. Bin Laden has stated that he was hoping to draw the US into a war in the Mideast with the 9/11 attacks. The US kindly obliged him with two wars. Now we are essentially in the same boat as the USSR was: we can't win, and if we withdraw it'll look bad. The Taliban still exists and is still fighting and killing our soldiers, and the "insurgents" in Iraq are doing the same. Without the US playing Big Brother in 1918, 1942 and from 1945 to 1991..the geopolitical face of the planet would have looked vastly different, and none of us would likely be in any position to be discussing this issue, least of all in English. The US didn't stop playing big brother in 1991, because the reason for doing it after 1945 was not solely to protect the US from being taken over; it was largely to gain power and influence in the world. Its a dirty job, but someone has to play Big Brother. The alternative is unthinkable. What a load of crap. Defending the country and our allies is one thing, but you can't seem to separate that from military action for the sake of hegemony. It's the same few tired old mantras of all invaders everywhe "We're saving them from themselves" "They were going to attack us so we had to strike first" "They're better off with our system, so we're improving their lives" Etc. It's the same thing throughout history. It's really easy to believe your nation is good and righteous when its ways have given you the opportunity to have a great life. |
#19
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Gallium, pure, 99.99% 20 gram being sold (auction canceled by eBay)
On Wed, 6 Feb 2008 16:27:14 -0600, "Adam Corolla"
wrote: All true indeed. Though we never went out and colonized half the world with the Maxim Gun. In fact..I dont know of any US colonies. The US doesn't colonize, it hegemonizes. Oh..like France, Germany, Japan, Vietnam, Cuba, Grenada and so forth? We tend to go out, kick some ass, defend our friends, then go home again. We go out, kill five thousand soldiers and a few hundred thousand civilians in a nation that poses no threat to us, and call that kicking ass. Oh, like Germany and Japan? As for supporting dictators, true enough at times. The rational being that better a US friendly dictator, than a puppet of the USSR who hates the US. Hello? The USSR doesn't exist anymore, but the US is still supporting dictators. The REAL rationale is that if we had to choose between allowing a country to have a democracy which might be opposed to US policies in their country, or supporting a dictator who enslaves and kills his own people but can be bribed by the US to do what we want, the latter is the only option, because the brown people don't matter. Guess what? Some of the brown people have the unmitigated gall to dislike the US for this reason. Why doesnt the USSR exist anymore? And there is some validity to that outlook. Depending of course on who is looking from what direction. Of course it has validity, if you believe the US should put itself above all other countries even if it means a small financial gain for Americans in exchange for sacrificing the freedom or lives of millions of non-Americans. Unless you consider the fact that the short-term benefits are outweighed by the expense of higher taxes on account of the fact that we have to maintain a huge, bloated military to protect ourselves from all the enemies we've created. Oh, and the token wars to make it look like we're retaliating for the terrorist attacks. On the other hand, we dont have a history of 400 yrs of colonial rule and when we pull out of an occupied and defeated enemy, we generally leave it in much better shape than we found it. Germany and Japan, South Korea etc are examples. Yes, but they are in the minority. What about the other 25 countries we've attacked since WW2, none of which ever attacked us? Name them. The fact of the matter, we could have simply sat on our hands and watched the rest of the planet murder and enslave us. I can't believe you could be so brainwashed as to believe that. Try looking at the facts for once. Since WW2, no country has threatened the US. During the cold war, the US and the USSR/Red China fought each other indirectly by trying to take over smaller, weaker countries and keeping the fighting within them. However when the USSR collapsed and China stopped their military agression, the US continued to practice forced hegemony, especially in central and south America and the middle East. 9/11 was the first really big retalitory strike by the people of some of those countries. Name them and which ones are under our authority. And then 20 yrs down the road, have the now larger and unified enemy be a much much larger problem when they decided to take us on. Germany and Japan are prime examples, as is the USSR. In fact, the Third World War started in 1945 and didnt end until December 8th, 1991 Yes, but how did it end? Did Ronnie Reagan end the cold war by driving Russia bankrupt with the arms buildup? He helped, I'll give him that! But the collapse of the USSR started ten years earlier when they invaded Afghanistan, an impoverished third-world country. The USSR, with the largest and most powerful military the world had ever seen, couldn't gain a decisive victory after ten years of fighting. Why? Because the US had learned from Vietnam that invasion is easy, but occupation of a hostile country is extremely expensive. Oh..you mean Afghanistan, where we trained the locals and gave them Stingers? Odd..that didnt impoverish the USSR, did it? Drawing on these lessons learned in Vietnam, the CIA trained Afghanis and Mideasterners from all over who came to Afghanistan on how to use guerrilla tactics to fight the Soviets: for example use $100 worth or moartar rounds to take out $1,000,000 worth of equipment and a few soldiers, repeat, repeat, etc. and during the day work your regular jobs so no one knows who you are. This was how and why al Qaeda formed at that time. After ten years of extremely expensive occupation, the USSR withdrew from Afghanistan, bankrupt. Afghanistan was paid for by Russian petty cash. Bin Laden has stated that he was hoping to draw the US into a war in the Mideast with the 9/11 attacks. The US kindly obliged him with two wars. Now we are essentially in the same boat as the USSR was: we can't win, and if we withdraw it'll look bad. The Taliban still exists and is still fighting and killing our soldiers, and the "insurgents" in Iraq are doing the same. Odd..even the Democrats say we are winning. You know more than Hillary and Co.? Without the US playing Big Brother in 1918, 1942 and from 1945 to 1991..the geopolitical face of the planet would have looked vastly different, and none of us would likely be in any position to be discussing this issue, least of all in English. The US didn't stop playing big brother in 1991, because the reason for doing it after 1945 was not solely to protect the US from being taken over; it was largely to gain power and influence in the world. We already had power and influence in the world as the sole remaining super power. Its a dirty job, but someone has to play Big Brother. The alternative is unthinkable. What a load of crap. Defending the country and our allies is one thing, but you can't seem to separate that from military action for the sake of hegemony. It's the same few tired old mantras of all invaders everywhe Those countries under our control are which ones again? "We're saving them from themselves" "They were going to attack us so we had to strike first" "They're better off with our system, so we're improving their lives" Etc. It's the same thing throughout history. It's really easy to believe your nation is good and righteous when its ways have given you the opportunity to have a great life. Read my sig Gunner |
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