Hey, Trina: Way to go, and well put. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, waging a personal attack against someone in an attempt to tear him/her down is just uncalled for. All that was needed was for each individual to address the issue at hand, and yet several have chosen to try and show their "Brain Pan" capacity by being mean spirited and nasty in their comments. I have taken the time to read most of the replies posted and find very enlightening views from everyone. This is a wonderful topic, and a wonderful community to share it with. Let's not turn it into something dark. Also, as for the whole "being older, and automatically knowing more" comment... well, having lived longer doesn't mean that you've been exposed to more, or that you've acquired more education. Thus, its not a "given" that you'll know more. An adult can learn from a child, under the right circumstances. Miracles & Blessings, Robin

Hi Trina, It seems to be becoming more obvious that I erred in my choice of words in the original post. It was never my intention to accuse President Clinton of being responsible for 9-11. The people responsible for 9-11 are most certainly not US citizens, including any president past or present. The intended focus of this thread was to point out that while the Democrats have been doing all that they can to cast the blame for the events of 9-11 on the present administration, the groundwork for the attack was being laid long before the GWB administration, and that the Clinton administration also had warning of impending attacks on US soil. To blame the Bush administration for allowing 9-11 to occur is just as ridiculous as blaming Clinton for allowing it to happen. As I stated earlier, perhaps I should have titled this thread, "Clinton Dropped the Ball, Too." God bless, Dave

Hi Robin, Thank you for your comment, "An adult can learn from a child, under the right circumstances." Yes, knowledge and life lessons can come from the most surprising sources. I have learned much from my children as they have grown up. I have learned to see the world sometimes in a much simpler form. I have learned to be softer and to experience childlike indignity at seeing others mistreated. I have noticed small details that might have been missed due to the hardening of my heart that comes from living in an imperfect world. As a tradesman, I have also learned simpler steps from those I am training as they have simply seen the steps, unencumbered by the knowledge of the "right way" that they have not yet been taught! There is much to learn from those whose life palette has yet to be covered in the paint of years and in the dryness of harsh reality. Sometimes their insight and answers make far more sense than the most educated of adults. God bless the child. God bless, Dave

Dear Leonard,

fascinating that you should quote a comment in a Rumanian newspaper. Boringly - one of the other countries I spent 5 years in - was Hungary, and for those with shakey Geography this is the country that borders Rumania on its Eastern frontier.

Rumania is probably one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and is ruled in an almost Fascist manner (in fact it was Fascist for a long time until the USSR stepped in).  The media there is TOTALLY discredited as it is purely the mouthpiece of the government - just check out any channels to see this is correct - and look at your own CIA channel, which I happen to use quite frequently when I am checking out countries in which to operate.

Of Course ANY thinking Rumanian would and does look to the West for hope, but this does not infer total agreement with everything it does or stands for. Look at the desperation with which the country is striving for entry into the EU - and all the doubts that is engendering here in Europe.  Qutoing one desperate individual may be interesting - but it does not prove a case.

As the talk has revolved onto President Bush, I will only say this - and I do not pretend to know much of the internal politics of the USA.  Whatever else he has done he most certainly has alienated a large proportion of the rest of the world by his attitude and actions.  Whether you agree with him or not I submit this to be a FACT (stress on the word you prefer).  Of course I admit that a mere 600,000,000 people in Europe - including Russia, can of course be clueless, another favoured word in these posts. I can honestly not remember this negativity with any other President - including Reagan at his most bellicose, or even Kennedy over the Cuban missiles crisis.

This is all the more staggering when America had the astonished sympathy of almost the entire world a mere 5 years ago - apart from the odd extremists. What was the only thing that happened to change that?  I submit is was the current President and his attitude and manner.

You can of course trot out names of those who disagree with my statement - and I can trot out names who agree with my statements.  Pretty much a waste of time on both sides.

You and Neil and I seem to share the same age bracket - give or take a few years.  It is interesting to see how different we are in our views and attitudes of the world.  We agree on bits and disagree on others.  That seems to me at least to indicate a healthy flow of discussion.

 

Well Robin, (I wonder it I got this "WELL" thing from Reagan? Tis one of life's mysteries.) It is too bad you either did not read where I said I had done more different types of things than most people even consider doing much less actually do. Here are a FEW of them. I have not only lived at higher altitudes (14,300 feet) than most people ever go (except than in an airplane) I lived in rain forests & swam with Piranha in the head waters of the Amazon. I have lived in 3 countries, 10 states and 20 cites. I have been a paratrooper, a deep sea diver, lifeguard & a top 500 Corporation member of management. Like I said, those ARE JUST A FEW of the MANY things I've done. So the odds are that I have a LOT more experience and knowledge than either you or Tina do. (And perhaps more than both of you do combined.) As far as "opinion" there is a HUGE difference between mere opinion and the DENIAL of FACTS, misinformation dissemination and/or LIE. I hardly ever attack someone who expresses a MERE "opinion" while I do respond to those who deny fact & either by intent or by lack knowledge relay false information. (IF they do it with intent, IT IS A LIE.) And more on "OPINIONS" will follow in my reply to Jo M. Please, Take Care! Neil PS. Telling the truth is NOT a personel attack. It is just the truth.