Hugo Chavez & Citgo gas...

[Forever Free]

CITGO is in the proces of renaming itself. It will soon be called PETRO. Money goes to te same dictator. We lived there for a year and a half in the mid 80's when the government was trying to ressurect the beauty, history and culture of the country in order to bring in tourism. It is a very beautiful country that offers everything from mountains to beaches to jungles. Then the likes of Chavez took over by overthrow and now the country is another Cuba. The majority of the population live in sub- poverty levels and are kept in line by heavy hand of the government. This is why we do not buy CITGO products.

[lightkeeper]

I thought we already had "Petro?" Isn't this what Good Sam members get a fuel discount when showing their membership?

[Romer1]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Forever Free:
CITGO is in the proces of renaming itself. It will soon be called PETRO. Money goes to te same dictator. We lived there for a year and a half in the mid 80's when the government was trying to ressurect the beauty, history and culture of the country in order to bring in tourism. It is a very beautiful country that offers everything from mountains to beaches to jungles. Then the likes of Chavez took over by overthrow and now the country is another Cuba. The majority of the population live in sub- poverty levels and are kept in line by heavy hand of the government. This is why we do not buy CITGO products. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Funny, I remember visiting there in the early 80's before Chavez. Abject poverty, armed soldiers walking every where you looked. We were with a tour group, warned to not stray away from the group. If one person wanted to look at a store, we all had to. Two purses stolen from group while standing in center of Caracas.

Can't speak for current conditions, since we've never gone back, but they can't be much worse.

[apackof2]

FYI

Here is a German who must have missed your "survey"

Mathias Dapfner, Chief Executive of the huge German publisher Axel Springer AG, has written a blistering attack in DIE WELT, Germany 's largest daily paper, against the timid reaction of Europe in the face of the Islamic threat.

This is a must-read by all Americans. History may well certify its correctness.

EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE

(Commentary by Mathias Dapfner CEO, Axel Springer, AG)

A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, " Europe - your family name is appeasement." It's a phrase you can't get out of your head because it's so terribly true.

Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives, as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements.

Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany , then all the rest of Eastern Europe , where for decades, inhuman suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.

Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and even though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us.

Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European Appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word "equidistance," now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.

Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly 500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush... Even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U.N. Oil-for-Food program.

And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement. How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic Fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a "Muslim Holiday" in Germany ?

I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our (German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State "Muslim Holiday" will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists. One cannot help but recall Britain 's Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolph Hitler and declaring European "Peace in our time".

What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an especially perfidious crusade consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction.

It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by "tolerance" and "accommodation" but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness. Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for Anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush.

His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against Democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.

In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great powers, America and China .

On the contrary - we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those "arrogant Americans", as the World Champions of "tolerance", which even ( Germany 's Interior Minister) Otto Schily justifiably criticizes. Why? Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass.

For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy - because unlike almost all of Europe , Bush realizes what is at stake - literally everything.

While we criticize the "capitalistic robber barons" of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation... Or listen to TV pastors preach about the need to "reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive".

These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor's house.

Appeasement?

Europe, thy name is Cowardice.



<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dockqueen:
You asked me to define arrogance of the americans. cnbc posted a survey that was done in germany. Who are you more afraid of to damage world peace. USA or Iran. Ans. USA.
People in the world do not like us like you think. Go beyond your borders and quit hiding out. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Gary Krieg]

I have to agree with Joanie. I feel it is a real shame when people forget what this county stands for especially we Americans. Here are a couple of non-Americans who might help us remember. Shame on us!

----------------------------------------------

This is from a Canadian newspaper. Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, Canadian television commentator. What follows is the full text of his trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record:

America: The Good Neighbor.

"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it. When earthquakes hit distant cities,
it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped.

The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans. I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines except Russia fly American Planes?

Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times - and safely home again.

You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke.

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is ****** tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those." Stand proud, Americans!

---------------------------------------------

To Kill an American

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American . . . any American.

So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is. So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)

"An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navajo, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as Native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.

When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan. Americans welcome the best of everything...the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least.

The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler tried... So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

[Dav5942]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by apackof2:
Your time could be productively spend if you sat down and wrote 10 reasons why America is a great country instead of quoting some biased, "survey" pandering to and gleefully voted on by some of the brainwashed "hate America" European kool aid drinkers

As long as you are hated, it's better to be feared
By James Lewis

Tehran isn't interested in loving the West, or even in tolerating us. If you doubt it, just listen to the Khomeini gang. Since the 1979 they've been yelling "Death to America! Death to Israel!" Have we not heard?

Even while the Brit Left is busily trying to figure out a way to blame America for Tehran's barefaced kidnapping of 15 UK Service personnel, The Telegraph is rediscovering common sense. In an editorial entitled, "If they hate us, let them also fear us" they are drawing the obvious conclusions.

No doubt a lot of Europeans were secretly glad that they were not the target of all that mass hatred. But of course that's simple self delusion. Khomeini and his followers were taught to hate the whole West, including Europe and America --- for its wealth, power,...freedoms, capitalism, Christianity, its free press,... and for conquering Andaluz in 1495. (If you forgot how we conquered Andaluz and drove out the Muslims, Ahmadinejad hasn't. Nor has Osama Bin Laden.)

In fact, Europe has very conveniently blacked out its own history. Europe as a unifying idea arose to resist numerous Muslim invasions --- in Spain, France, Eastern Europe, even in the British Isles, which were the subject of slave raiding well into the 18th century. That's what the Song of Roland is all about, the first European epic poem. That's what Charlemagne was all about, the hero of today's European Union. You can try to imagine that's all past, but Ahmadinejad lives in the past. That's what "Islam" means to the radicals: Surrender to the 7th century, or get your head chopped off.
Short of running up the white flag the West has only one strategic option: To show its real mettle. This will upset the fantasy-prone Left to no end, but it's so obvious that only a fool or a professor could think otherwise.

The West is far more powerful than the madcap mullahs. What they have over us is sheer pig-headed fanaticism. But if you pit two speedboats with armed IRGC zealots against a couple of boatloads of oh-so-polite Brits, the zealots will win every time.

Now politeness is a very good thing. Queen Victoria, as far as we can tell, was extremely polite every day of her long reign. But she was no fool. The Victorians understood that civilized behavior only works with civilized countries. They would have very politely come to an instant conclusion: "If they hate us, let them also fear us" --- and taken the necessary action. That's not cruel, mean, or imperialistic. It's elementary common sense.

Just one warning shot from HMS Cornwall would have stopped the kidnappers in their tracks, because they were conducting a carefully planned provocation. It was a test of British resolve, courage and power. They still are doing it today to squeeze every drop of advantage out of their mischief.

Ahmadinejad understands that game very well. He's run his whole career on the principle of inspiring fear. That's how the mullahs stay in power and keep the people of Iran in abject misery.

In a decade or so, London will be within easy range of Iranian weapons of mass destruction, along with Paris and Berlin. The purpose of Tehran's rush to nukes is to inspire a **** of a lot more fear than today's exercise in intimidation. Turn tail now, and they will gain more confidence that Europe will turn tail when they get the Big Bomb.

Does the British government understand the obvious? Or will Prime Minister Blair try to buy off the mullahs --- like Roman Prodi just bought off the Taliban --- hoping that the crocodile will eat him last?

James Lewis is a frequent contributor to American Thinker. He blogs at [URL=http://www.dangeroustimes.wordpress.com/]http://www.dangeroustimes.wordpress.com/

What in the world are you talking about? Obviously you are living in a glass tube!

[Tom and Patty]

If people of the world do not like our country, why do they still want to come to the United states of America?

[apackof2]

Heck, if some "Americans" do not like their own why do they stay??

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom and Patty:
If people of the world do not like our country, why do they still want to come to the United states of America? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[apackof2]

What in the world are you talking about? Obviously you are living in a glass tube!

I am not sure you are directing this to me and if you are, I don't get your drift?