Solitair

Reply to Political Machine: Interview questions in Politics JoeUser Forums

will these questions only be for Americans to answer? And will those Americans have to provide details of political affiliation and state of resisdence? I'd love to give my opinion on questions but I wouldn't want to skew the game from representing the American people's opinion. Also you mention that intelligent candidates can persuade the public. How would this work? For example lets say the Republican candidate makes a passionate ar

Reply to Some of you are on thin ice... in Blogging JoeUser Forums

Nice to see clear rules of behaviour. I hope it doesn't lead to you having to spend too many hours policing the joeuser site. Paul.

Reply to Appeasement alive and well on the continent of Europe? in Current Events JoeUser Forums

They plan to remove troops from Iraq because that was what they have been promising for the last 9 months of their campaign. I personally disagree with this action but it's what they have been telling the Spanish people they would do if elected. They have however promised to leave the troops there if the US gives control of the peace keeping force to the UN. France and Russia have both indicated that they would also send troops under this cond

Reply to Al Qaeda's Plan For Spain in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Just because it was what Al Qaeda wanted does not mean the Spanish withdrew troops to applease Al Qaeda. If the old Spanish government had not screwed up so badly in trying to immediately pin the blame on ETA they probably would have won the election. As for withdrawing troops from Iraq, Spain have offered to keep them there if the US agrees to allow a UN led peace keeping force. France and Russia have also offered troops. So if you

Reply to Why John Kerry's tax increase will cost jobs in Business JoeUser Forums

Thanks for the correction. Looks like US tax laws are very different to European tax laws. I knew they were different but did not realise this fundamental issue despite reading your comments on LLC, S and C corporations. I had assumed that the owner's taxes were taxed at the company rate not the personal rate. Therefore I had assummed Kerry's tax change would not affect them. Here personal tax and company tax are completely separate. As a smal

Reply to Should Turkey Join the EU? in International JoeUser Forums

I would agree that it has definitely benefitted Ireland. I think that it would benefit the EU as a whole NOT to be a Christian club. To have a large non Christian country within the EU would help integration of non Christian minorities within the EU. It would also greatly enhance EU diplomatic power abroard. Turkey still has some major barriers to cross though. Cyprus is being dealt with and Turkey has done well there. Secular government is al

Reply to Appeasement alive and well on the continent of Europe? in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Brilliant argument Brad. I don't really care what the Spanish think Maybe that is your entire problem. You just care what you think. If 20 million Spanish people all wrote a blob telling you why they changed their vote you'd probably still call them cowards. You'd still believe yourself and not

Reply to Anti-War or anti-action? in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Brad please check you facts. Resolution 1441 required the following deadlines paragraph 3 - within 30 days for Iraq to supply a list of weapon development programmes paragraph 5 - UN weapons inspectors to be readmitted with 45 days - UN weapons inspectors to report 60 days later All these deadlines were MET Brad. Iraq complied. Stop telling lies. 1441 is a publically available

Reply to US Foreign Policy in International JoeUser Forums

The question of what is best for the US needs to be overlapped with what is best for the people being affected. Within the US, what is best for the US is obviously the correct choice. But what about elsewhere? What about Columbia? Do they have a right to their own democracy or should US interests allow the US to destabilise the country and place people willing to give the US cheap oil in charge? What about Iraq? Do their have

Reply to Will Spanish cowardice cost lives? in Politics JoeUser Forums

Brad you can of course draw that conclusion. Of course there are links. The Spanish new government has been promising for months that they would withdraw their troops if elected. Just what Al Qaeda wants! But you are ignoring any information and facts you are not interested in. Why for example were nearly 1 million Spanairds protesting on the Saturday about the truth? Why were they chanting 'tell us t

Reply to Should Turkey Join the EU? in International JoeUser Forums

I am all for Turkey being allowed join the EU. I personally feel that the current EU institutions are not up to the task though. They are not really up to the task of 25 members. At the moment many important EU decisions require complete agreement. This becomes ever harded and particularly hard the wider the cultural pool. Turkey would take this cultural pool to a level when basic agreements on spending, immigration, policing would become hard

Reply to British Constitutional Changes in Politics JoeUser Forums

An elected upper house would eventualyl end up being a copy of an elected lower house with the same parties getting roughly equal shares of the two houses. Far more important is the basic question of WHY? Why is there an upper house? Why can't the lower house do that? Once these questions are answered you can look at how to appoint members of the upper house. If you elect them then, in reality they are identical to the lower hous

Reply to Why John Kerry's tax increase will cost jobs in Business JoeUser Forums

Brad there is a serious problem with your arguement. A tax increase would be on PERSONAL tax NOT company tax. This would encourage all these small business owners to re-invest profits into their businesses and not take it out. This would encourage further employment the very thing your blog says needs to be done. I have no problems with the givernment encouraging bosses to re-invest earnings in their company. Let's be honest here 200k i

Reply to Equal Starting Positions on Tiny/Rare? in Galactic Civilizations I Stardock Forums

Try using the cheat code to equally allocate any planets. You can't submit the score though. Paul ~SDC~

Reply to Appeasement alive and well on the continent of Europe? in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Brad, Spain has pushed for and achieved an immediate upgrading of Eu wide terrorist co-operation. Within 1 week it has already strengthen the war on terror. It has strengthen the political resolve to fight terrorists. Today the UK police are able to share information with the Spanish police and lcoate a link between the UK and the Spanish bombings. This is the war that Spain wants to fight. As for blaming Spain for abandoning the peopl

Reply to KERRY: NO FOREIGN ENDORSEMENTS, PLEASE in Current Events JoeUser Forums

While I agree that no candidate should ever be interested in or look for endorsements from another country, I disagree with your end statement. Why do you believe this? Do you have any indication that this would be the case or is it just a gut feeling? Paul.

Reply to IRAN SHOWS ANTI-U.S. COLORS in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Actually you could argue that conferences like this allow the intelligence agencies to get solid infiormation about terrorist threats. The farce that was their recent election is a worry though. Iran is a dictatorship and is unlikely to change until the natural death of it's leader. His grip is too strong. At least Iran is beginning to comply with the IAEA. Paul.

Reply to Anti-War or anti-action? in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Actually the rest of the world did take action. They endorsed article 1441. They sent back the weapon inspectors and waited for them to do their job. The US decided things were taking too long, WMD were there and invaded. Just because you don't agree with an action is no excuse to imply no action was taken. Could we please stop demonising anti-war countries and be honest about the actions that they did take.

Reply to Will Spanish cowardice cost lives? in Politics JoeUser Forums

Brad, since when is Spain against the US? The new Spanish government has stated that it hopes to maintain a close and cordial relationship with the US. Please stop vilifying them. As for population changing position, 90% of the population were against the Iraq war. THis hasn't changed. What changed was 48% support for the ruling party dropped to about 40%. This can be easily b

Reply to US Foreign Policy in International JoeUser Forums

Good article, I think you need to separate state interests from capital interests though. Fighting communism could at least be seen as a state interest and could possibly be used as an excuse for some actions where communism was seen as the greater evil. Trying to destabalise countries for commercial gain is wrong. Unfortunately the US seldom makes this dinction or at least this distinction is often blurred w

Reply to Will Spanish cowardice cost lives? in Politics JoeUser Forums

It is worth noting that Spain have said their troops WOULD stay under a UN led peace keeping force. Just not a US one. The Spanish are not cowards. It's time people look at their point of view. The population were against a US led Iraq war. The population are for a war on terror though. Just separate the two issues. I do agree that backing out on a commitment is bad, but it's not cowardice. No a real coward would have kept the

Reply to Appeasement alive and well on the continent of Europe? in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Why do people assume that Spain distancing itself from war in Iraq is distancing itself from war on Al Qaeda? Spain has strengthened it's commitment to the war on terror. Just not the war on Iraq. They are separate issues, unless someone wants to argue that Saddam and Al Qaeda were the same thing? This is not appeasement. Paul.

Reply to Campaign help (Mission 3) in Galactic Civilizations I Stardock Forums

repair the corvette? Don't bother. kill the transport and then send the corvette to the far corner of the map. His avatar will eventually chase it down. While he's doing this buy transports and invade another planet. Repeat as required! Economy is key here. You need income so that you can buy ships as required. Research straight for Battleships so that you can use combat transporters. They make things much easier. Paul. ~SDC~

Reply to AP Tips in Strategies Stardock Forums

I've won it a few times now on different difficulties. Only build the corvette when you see the transports coming. Use some scouts to divert the avatar, build the corvette, destroy the transports, watch the corvette be destroyed. Go for eyes of the universe as soon as possible as it makes the level much easier! I tend to be in it for the long slog. I seldom manage to defeat the enemy before dreadnaught stage. Because your planets are undefended I find the AI's constan

Reply to Spain....Political Terrorism's First Victim in Current Events JoeUser Forums

You need to be clear that Spain is NOT reducing it's commitment against the war on terror, only it's commitment to the war in iraq. Seprate these two issues and Al Qaeda is not a winner. Spain will spend more resources over the coming months cracking down on terrorism than before. Also, Spain have said that they may leave their troops IF it becomes a UN mission. Added to France, and Russia also saying that they would support a UN mission with troops ma