Replies

No, sir, I should not do so at all. I despise General Noriega, and others of his kind. Had he appeared on the screen in Citizen Bush's place, I should have boo-ed just as loudly, if not more so.

You -- and many others -- appear to ascribe to the fallcy of alternate syllogism: If not A, then B. If not B, then A.

I condemn Citizen Bush's actions; you conclude that I must approve of General Noriega's. Not so; non sequitur. Your logic is invalid. I can -- and do -- have equal measures of contempt for General Noriega and for Citizen Bush in the matter.

I fail to see why you conclude that I dislike the United States. I criticised the first Bush Administration; how does that translate to general hatred for the Union as a whole? Must I implicitly approve of every action taken by them? Must I support every operation?

If I condemned the United States' involvement in the Balkans under Citizen Clinton, would you demand that I leave? If I remarked that I would boo the former President for the actions taken in Serbia, would you conclude that I would cheer wildly had former President Milosevic appeared in Citizen Clinton's place?

You -- and many others -- appear to ascribe to the fallcy of alternate syllogism: If not A, then B. If not B, then A.

There's no such thing. You seem to subscribe to the fallacy of bullshit.

Just Cause was indeed a just cause and I'm sorry more violence wasn't used to put down that vicious SOB whose regime you so obviously mourn.

Why did you come to this country (be honest)? To make bucks? Go home. You're no citizen.

You are discovering the joys of inadvertently offending the element of FR that will go after anyone who says or does things that can be construed as offensive or critical of the president and his party. They flame you, and in your case, suggest exile. In my case I was told clinton was my god, that I was clearly voting libertarian, and that failure to support the bush gang was proof of unpatriotism. Many of these likely support the new bush database that will log their internet posts as well.

FWIW, I think it is pitiful the u.s. didn't take MAN into custody during the oct-89 coup. Many posters here don't understand that the comandancia where noriega was held was literally down the road from quarry heights, and just a few miles from various bases containing thousands of soldiers (corozal, clayton, quarry heights, etc). Additionally, Noriega was pretty low-key compared to some of the folks the u.s. has supported elsewhere (el salvador, for example). What I have been told makes it clear that the drug stuff, while publicly embarrassing, wasn't the main reason he was put on the undesirable list.

I will note that today the respect of law exhibited by the police towards people is much higher than it was pre-invasion, and there is a fair amount of transparency that wasn't there before as long as you aren't dealing with china. Panama paid a high price to get it, though.