Comments for JKD Abroad

Comment on Sportsnet – Day 5 by Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:50:36 +0000

Hey, I happened to find this blog doing a google search, and I was just wondering who you had to contact to get a gig at Rogers Sportsnet? I have been trying to search for a number or even an e-mail of someone I can get a hold of, but I can’t find anything. Just to let you know i’m a TV Broadcasting student at Seneca College. I have to do 100 hours work placement. If you can help i’d really appreciate it! If you can, please get back to me at scruffz@hotmail.com. Thanks!

Comment on Missile Defense To Change Poland’s Colors by Socialist Jew

Socialist Jew — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:37:56 +0000

“[Poles] like the [American] style of life; rags to riches and zero to hero,” Wisniewski says. “The United States has never let us down. ”

What a strange statement. He doesn’t remember Yalta? Or 1938?

He’s probably also unaware that in America, the stereotype of Polish people are that they are stupid (see “Polish jokes”).

Comment on Q&A: Premysl Sobotka, President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Parliament by troy

troy — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:22:30 +0000

“On top of that the Democrats do not even doubt the project. The very basic foreign policy trend does not change after any elections in the USA.”

I think, unfortunately, that this is a correct assessment. I’m sure others would disagree, but ultimately the differences between republicans and democrats are not as varied as some would hope.

Comment on Flipping Scripts by jkdabroad

jkdabroad — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:20:19 +0000

That is definitely a good point. I have read in other articles that some Obama campaign officials have turned away Muslim volunteers because they didn’t want the Republicans to use that against them. “Use that against them.” I know how awful and ultimately disgusting that sounds, but that’s the political atmosphere we are presently living in.

And while writing “SMEAR: Barack Obama is a Muslim” does indeed make a negative connotation, I feel that it is merely reflecting how his opponents are using a link between Obama and Islam negatively. I sincerely doubt that Obama views Islam negatively – how could he, having spent parts of his childhood in Indonesia, being biracial himself, etc – but I do think that in this case, he knows he must deter his opponents from THEIR smear campaigns. And it is these campaigns that, unfortunately, have turned religion into a divisive, fear-mongering tool.

Comment on Flipping Scripts by Muslims Against Sharia

Muslims Against Sharia — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:48:02 +0000

Senator Obama is NOT a Dirty Muslim!

“What you won’t hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge,” says Mr. Obama, while denouncing statements of him being a Muslim as a smear. Why is the presidential candidate who claims to be religiously inclusive is treating the word “Muslim” as an insult? Apparently, it is OK for Mr. Obama to be associated with terrorists like William Ayers or racists like Jeremiah Wright, but God forbid somebody would call him a Muslim! No, he won’t stand for that kind of smear! We admit that most terrorists are Muslims, but most Muslims are not terrorists and the statement on Mr. Obama’s website is insulting to hundreds of millions of people.

How could a man who discards his family heritage in favor of political expediency be even considered for presidency of the United States? Where are all the so-called “Islamic civil rights groups” like CAIR, MPAC, ISNA, MAS, etc. who are quick to defend every Islamic terrorist, but are silent when Muslims in general are being denigrated? Would Mr. Obama have the same reaction if someone claimed that he was raised as a Jew? We sincerely doubt that.

“In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific reassurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.” Barack Obama, “The Audacity of Hope”, page 261.

Well, the political winds did shift in an ugly direction. Is equating “Muslim” with “smear” Obama’s idea of “stand[ing] with [Muslims]?

Muslims Against Sharia demand immediate removal of “SMEAR: Barack Obama is a Muslim” statement from the official Barack Obama’s website as well as an apology for giving the word “Muslim” a negative connotation.

http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/06/senator-obama-is-not-dirty-muslim.html

Comment on Big Red Republican Machine by Flipping Scripts « JKD Abroad

Flipping Scripts « JKD Abroad — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:39:22 +0000

[...] With our discussion still fresh in my mind, I smiled when I read a recent TIME magazine article describing how Obama is fighting to right the false rumors spreading about him. You’ve probably heard most of them by now, and if you haven’t, check out my previous post, Big Red Republic Machine. [...]

Comment on A Continuing Saga by bieksia

bieksia — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:01:54 +0000

The former countries which were forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union do not neccessarily have to agree with U.S, foreign policy in all areas. Like other U.S. allies they are free to support those policies which agree with their own objectives. If such cooperation provides additional benifits such as closer relations with the U.S. and any measure of additional security then they would be foolish not to persue such relations.
Russian officials have made very arrogant statements regarding their percieved decline of these countries and others should they choose to move further away from the Russian ’sphere of INFLUENCE’. (This is also good evidence of their selfish intentions) Russia always attempts to gain the upper hand with a ‘Big Stick” and threatening words. The U.S, welcomes closer allies, yet they do not resort to such tactics. Russia also fails to remember that countries such as Lithuania have lived under their rule for hundreds of years and are used to being deprived and threatened. Their determination in the face of insurmountable odds never waivered. For them and perhaps for others there is nothing to loose by moving closer to the U.S.
Moving toward Russia or trying to appease them would be no different than showing up at their (Russia’s) door step and handing them a stick and asking Russia to ‘Please beat us with this”

Comment on Missile Defense To Change Poland’s Colors by jkdabroad

jkdabroad — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:18:22 +0000

That is definitely one way of looking at it.

Comment on A Continuing Saga by jkdabroad

jkdabroad — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:53:38 +0000

You make valid arguments regarding Russia and its actions in the past. Still, the purpose of my post was to signal that the possibility of US missile defense systems in Lithuania would “poke the bear” that is Russia. But perhaps like you stated, poking Russia is exactly what needs to be done. That is a debate my post didn’t touch upon.

I’m not saying that United States missile defense systems in Lithuania are necessarily a bad thing – I was merely alluding to my feeling that US officials should no longer be surprised, as they had been when I broached the subject during my interviews in Central Europe, that parallels are being drawn between today’s situation and their former Cold War mentality.

Moreover, an interesting question remains: why are these countries so willing to side with the United States? Are countries that suffered under Soviet occupation truly agreeing with US foreign policy (and in this case, missile defense as a defensive strategy), or are they instead blindly equating anti-Russian sentiment with a pro-American one?

Comment on Missile Defense To Change Poland’s Colors by bieksia

bieksia — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:26:59 +0000

Poles should feel comfortable with any U.S. Military presence on PL soil.
I would remind your visitors that Millions of hard working and dedicated Polish immigrants and their descendents have contributed greatly to the building of America.
They did so without having abandoned their love for Poland and their conscern for Polands security.If they did not trust in ‘America’ this invaluable contribution would never have taken place.

It has become popular for everyone to condemn America and it’s Allies for every conceivable problem that exists in the world today. Yet MILLIONS of people from all over the world still seek to find residence and employment in the U.S.
At the first sign of natural disaster or potential aggression from a neighbooring state, they immediatley ask America to come to their rescue. Why not place missle defence
installations on Polish or Lithuanian soil.