Hey fellow Third Wayers... Am I right? Or am I right?

A rope-a-dope strategy, I guess.

Ok, how would *you* answer the question you linked to?

I will admit that my disgusting use of the word etc. in that thread was not my finest moment.

a civil war in Europe, and who sponsored and armed the goons who shot down that airliner.

But, since that is a question involving Obama, we know how you would answer as to which you prefer/feel is more reckless etc.

Still-hasn't 't-backed-Obama-in-a-disagreement-with-Putin-way Manny?

The US has probably droned more wedding guests alone into Freedom Mist than Russia's been involved in killing.

The US and Russia are both responsible for the Ukraine situation.

Oh, and there's the unnecessary extensions of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. And Spy on Everyone.

to Obama, including the laughable suggestion that Obama and Putin are equally to blame for Putin's military invasion of his own neighbor.

Now that you've finally gone on the record.

You've had quite a day!

Right on cue!

shot down the plane.

Fly paper is sticky ...ain't it.

Very telling.

"Site search" function and "the google."

now that you mention it.

Here's your chance. Please offer your non-coy, non-evasive opinion on this:



https://mobile.twitter.com/Catherina_News/status/484479784228257792


You keep on complaining about getting lumped in with such folks, but never stare your disagreement.

Why so coy?

Wow.

Of course not.

would be Obama 's defeat of McCain, and you've expressed a general preference for Putin's approach to foreign policy over Obama's, so yes thank you for clarifying.

Because in the morning, you'll be better.

Have a good night!

where the conservatives try to dig up people's info. It's like, get a puppy or start a collection for goodness sake.

it won't get read?

to scout through months of posts to find something to use against other DUers. That's MUCH better. Nice hobby there.

Creepy.

'What say you about this thing you didn't even write, hmmmm?'

For example, type in the words "Manny 2008 election" and see the first link that pops up...

It's powered by Google...

Quit bludgeoning me!

Okie dokie...



BTW, you also said McCain's policies would be different than Obama's. The same crazy McCain that wants to bomb every country.

I love that you will never be able to escape your post.

Manny said McCain's policies wouldn't be different from Obama's.

Sid

Go with that. Go big. It'll be great.

And keeping an open mind? Did you know keeping an open mind can mean your brains will fall out? Guess that's just a dis-ease the Left has.

Not to worry, Manny, there are many here among us who feel the left is but a joke.

They say:
""They never stop trying to destroy our freedom and neither will we. "'
Wait, where did i hear that before? OMG, they are like bushes!! Hiding behind bushes!! Run, Manny, run!!

that you're a Putinista.

Myself, fuck it, I joined the neocons like the third-way did. It's totally cool, except we DO need another war, Manny. Another war, this time against Russia if possible, would make our day.

- And then one more:

4. And if RT broadcasts a report that some DUers might claim is ''slanted,'' then you must hate ''Democracy'' if you then ask them to link to an alternative American version of the story that tells the truth the ''correct way'' (when they know the American press sucks balls!).

seem to be the one putting people into pigeonholes and questioning our loyalty if we don't believe exactly as you do.

So where would I fall?

I do not totally trust the USG or ANY government, for that matter, but I am certainly no libertarian and know that we need government, although that government needs improvement. I actually worked for the USG at a fairly senior career level pre-Bush II. I left to take an international career opportunity some years before the heart-breaking 2000 "selection" and no, I do not think that I will EVER get over that or the rigged 2004 "election."

I staunchly support this President, even as I am heartsick over and question some of his actions/omissions.

I lived through Nixon-Ford, Raygun, Bush I and Bush II (in fact, my experience actually goes back to FDR's waning years). NO Democratic President was EVER as bad for this country as a whole as ANY GOP President in my experience (Ike was more like a Dem). EVER. And no Dem President ever will be. But there has not been one since FDR who did everything I wanted him to and every single one of them had their failings. After all, they were/are human.

There are many - in fact, the overwhelming majority of USG career civil servants (as well as state and international civil servants, btw) - who work to serve people all over the globe in so many heroic ways that most will never hear of - but there are also some few, especially those who are political appointees and their toadies, who tarnish the reputation of all by working for an agenda that is basically self-serving. Such people are literal scabs on the a** of humanity.

I do not trust ANY US M$M corporate media, although some cable commenters and OpEd writers (and our wonderful "comedians" are worthy of trust if for no reason other than they question the mainstream narrative. I do believe that we are being fed a M$M corporate narrative on Ukraine and we need more objective views. RT is not the only alternative source, btw, but if we are truly to be objective, we should actually know what RT says and not automatically dismiss it. The "truth" is likely somewhere in between. As I live primarily in Europe and speak other languages, I hear/read a lot of discussion that I do NOT see/hear in US news sources.

I do think that there is an unseemly rush to fix blame in this case for whatever reason, and that we should ALL be healthily skeptical and actually seek facts before making judgments. The US certainly does not have a good track record generally in finding/using/accepting facts. After all, it is certainly US-manufactured missiles that are currently killing people in Gaza, so by the logic currently in vogue, President Obama is every bit as responsible for those deaths as Putin is for a Russian-made missile being used (if it actually was Russian-made) to kill people in the Malaysian Airlines jet - more so in that separatist forces are non-State actors who are not under State control. Israel is a State actor that should be abiding by international law. I would actually LOL here since that is a seemingly preposterous prospect, given the consistent US backing for whatever actions it takes.

I do believe, however, that Obama has demonstrated time and again, whatever his public rhetoric, that he is a thoughtful person who does not make hasty decisions and he does have access to a LOT more facts than any of us here at DU do.

Does any of this mean that I am a Putin lover? No, it doesn't. Does it mean that I don't question my government's actions? Absolutely not. I have every right to according to my Constitution.

It does mean that I am a typical DU'er who really tries to understand what is happening and what it means. Things are never just black and white.

I don't appreciate being lumped into ANY pigeonhole by you or anyone else. I LOVE your passion, but please don't alienate those of us with whom you likely have more in common than not.

because I believe that many of us are like-minded. Litmus tests are the tools of division and I am deeply suspicious of those who wield them.

My point, probably made poorly, is that people should *absolutely* question stuff, and should not be attacked as Putinistas or whatever just because they do.

Praising Putin is praising Putin.

Questioning authority is *not* praising Putin. But *calling* it "praising Putin" is a great way to try to stifle dissent.

But you may need to use the thing-y for satire-challenged folks like me.

It's hard to do satire.

and it appears- I challenged it, I was wrong- there are a number of people who if not separatist sympathizers and Putin lovers, are so myopically invested in the U.S. being the greatest evil doer, that they reflexively defend the separatists and post defenses and even praise of Putin- and freak over criticism of him.

It's stupid.

to me. What a shame not everybody thinks your last couple of posts were wonderful.

of your universe.

About anything.

Sid

That was funny.

Putin by himself is a piece of work.

Obama by himself seems like a truly decent person who has lost
his way, sucked into the corporate-fascist vortex economically
and militarily, but still relatively decent socially.

That comment is beyond absurd. You do not have to have diametrically opposed viewpoints of the US Government and Putin because they are not equivalent. You can assess each one separately and come up with your own conclusion.

Actually, your entire post is absurd because it is predicated upon living in a world where everything is black and white when, in reality, there is a lot of gray.

voices, but you get them all wrong, sadly. In the process, you seem to have lost track of your actual opinions on things. Perhaps, rather than attempting and failing at representing other points of view, you might consider just sticking with your natural beliefs and stating them clearly and consistently. That might help with the confusion you appear to be feeling.

Helpful Advice-Way MineralManny

Not only for the reasons you mention but for his off the mark calling out of some DUers thinly disguised as satire. Up thread where he's challenged by Geek Tragedy and Manny's only response is to ridicule him for knowing how to use Google is a classic fail.

is a lot like comedy. If you have to explain it repeatedly, you're doing it wrong.

Way to go, Third-Way Manny.

Someone needs to complain about my halitosis or this thread will be incomplete.

we can work on other subjects as we go but I figured I would start with the basics!

Another day, another attempt to divide Democrats.

Genius Manny, just genius.

...and it's your fault

... and hate wanting security for America too!

republicans (particularly the far-right) are infamous for supporting a policy (global warming doesn't exist, tax cuts for the rich are good for everyone, cutting the safety net actually helps the poor, etc.) then rejecting any facts/history that does not support their policy choice. I don't want to be like them.