Europe should help USA for a cause that is actually and legally is not even a cause. Even our beloved president is pulled into the horray and lies of punishment and revenge of 9/11.

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/laden.htm

Can you see anywhere on the charges that 9/11 was ever mentioned.

Everytime FBI was contacted they repeatedly said that they have absolutely no evidence that there is a connection between Usama Bin Ladin and 9/11.

Additionally FBI agents repeatedly testified [in court, under oath] that some of the crutial events that are publicly known as “facts” are just not true and never happened on 9/11.

Wonder what those false facts are?
send me a note Lilya@EconoGreenProducts.com

Hi Tom et al.!

Congratulations on such a fine show. I always look forward to listening (and usually stick around to hear.)

I wonder what you all make of the possibility of charges being leveled against Israel in her latest campaign in Gaza. I heard an Israeli spokesperson, interviewed on NPR, dismiss the idea completely.

From what I understand of the world view in the Middle East, the situation in Palestine is possibly THE major issue. Solving it, of course, is in everyone’s interest.

In my opinion it seems the US needs to extricate herself from being seen as one sided. We may have a chance at it– we should stand up for what’s right, and let the dust settle where it may.

An intelligent conversation, where everyone can separate criticism against Israel from accusations of Anti-Semitism is needed. Where everyone can be honest about shared interests. “Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” as Supreme Court Justice (I forget who) said.

Thanks again. JGD in Providence.

P.S. An idea for a show: Mugabe (or did I miss that one?)

Those so-called pirates are volunteer Somalie coast guard. After the Somalie gov’t collapsed in the early ’90’s, European environmental rapists dumped nuclear waste and ravaged the fish populations off the Somalie coast. It’s just another garden variety case of western consumption fueling environmental destruction. Our language has been corrupted to the point where we lack the ability to proper;y discuss or understand issues.

Did the pirates go after an American ship on purpose? I thought that I heard that the ship was not flagged as a US ship?

Vermont rarely makes national headlines, but this week there is a buzz about Vermont with the legalization of gay marriage and the capture of a captain from Vermont by Somali pirates.

One good thing is that the pirates are in it for the money so they probably have a well developed a sense of self preservation which bode well for the safe recovery of Captain Phillips.

What Somali piracy has in common with terrorism is that when you negotiate with them and pay ransoms they are motivated to continue with their piracy.

One good thing is that the pirates are in it for the money so they probably have a well developed a sense of self preservation which bodes well for the safe recovery of Captain Phillips.

What Somali piracy has in common with terrorism is that when you negotiate with them and pay ransoms they are motivated to continue with their piracy.

Obama made Americans proud, while Silvio Berlusconi on cell phone ’stiffed’ Angela Merkel by the bridge between Germany and France. That fact was not covered by US press.

I live in Iowa and I was surprised and disappointed about Iowa’s actions on what ‘marriage’ means. This is part of the Democrating Party we don’t want. The Democratic Party is quickly loosing my support when they block attempts to let the people vote on the issue.

Somali is a failed state so what do we expect.

It’s almost impossible to keep every ship safe in the area these pirates are active.

One note the ship did not try to out maneuver the pirates, which is recommended. A simple turn to starboard or port would have created a wake large enough to have swamped the small pirate craft.

Fire hoses are also a good deterrent.

Arming ships could be a disaster, and you can’t arm oil tankers due to the fire hazard.

Marcus be my guest, I’ll hold the door for you.

The Somali pirates don’t want to die anymore than their hostage. They know if they kill the captain, they die. Hoist the pirate lifeboat (draped with bullet proof resistant materials) onboard the USS Bainbridge and sail back to the U.S. The flotilla of Somali pirates and their captives coming out to provide a human shield for their comrades on the lifeboat provides a perfect opportunity to capture all the pirates and liberate their hostages. A couple hundred miles out on those stormy seas make the Somalis very vulnerable.

I am a woman and an atheist, but I was allowed to marry a man by a justice of the peace. Wouldn’t people of faith wish to remove that right from me as well?

As a Massachusetts (really, Brooklyn, NY native) transplant to Brentwood, NH, I really resent the previous caller denigrating those in Vermont who “moved there” and exercised their legislative right to vote for gay marriage! The minute I assumed residency, I’m as equal a New Hampsherite as anyone here since the Mayflower!

Same-sex marriage is a human, civil right!

And that silly argument about what next, polygamy! Well, polygamy is condoned by the Bible, and if we reject some outmoded biblical rules, we can reject any others too. Morality is quite separate from any religious belief; in fact, secular humanist ethics judge religion, not the other way around!

I am an Iowa that’s proud of Iowa Supreme court’s decision to uphold our constitution. Whether each of us believes in gay marriage or not, is beside the point. Additionally, people need to remember that our United States Constitution was NOT built on upholding Christian beliefs–most of our country’s founders were agnostic, and they were upholding religious freedom, not Christianity. We certainly need to be able to separate Christian theology from civil law. I am a Christian, but I do not believe it is right to impose that religion on all through the laws and constitution that we uphold.

There should be a little creativity here.

Ease in a sub below visibility depth.

Release some seals to swim up beneath the lifeboat.

Puncture a hole in the lifeboat.

As it sinks and the Somalis get concerned about their lives and gets lower, surface and secure the captain.

Then decide as to whether or not to save the Pirates.

By that time the Destroyer should be easing on in to pick them up.

Mimimal confrontation.

Bill

Just a note to let your webmasters know that some attempts to “Leave a comment” result in the error:

“Server Error 500 – Internal server error.
There is a problem with the resource you are looking for, and it cannot be displayed.”

with the message sometimes posting and sometimes not (you’ll notice duplicate posts from people because of this).

As a former sailor, one of the first things we learned in basic training was the “Mission of the Navy”

The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.

Maintaining freedom of the seas in its expansive definition means that navigible waterways are to be maintained to allow for free trade.

It may not be the mission of the United States to do something about the Somali pirates, but it’s definitely in the books for the US Navy to deal with, forcefully if necessary.

Hi Tom,
There is no silent pole that says 65% of Vermonters oppose gay marriage. The state is split down the middle 50/50. By the way…our own Governor is from Springfield, Massachusettes. Facts, not fear.

I never could understand the argument about same sex marriage being a “civil rights” issue. Marriage, like driving a car,like practicing medicine, etc. has always been a privilege, which is granted by a state authority to those persons who meet the qualifications for the license. There are laws which state the qualification which must be met. The laws in all states clearly state that there are specific tests which must be met in order for a marriage license to be granted, such as age, kinship relation, singlehood, etc. The issue of who is clearly qualified to be granted a marriage license has to do with the nature of these tests. Throughout history, marriage has always been defined as a union between a man and a woman. If the body politic wishes to change this definition, that is one thing. It is NOT a civil rights issue. Gay and lesbians have the same right as anyone else to marry a person of the opposite sex. They are not required to have sex with that person if they wish to have sex with a person of the same sex.
I consider myself to be a socially liberal person who is not religious. But, PLEASE, will someone explain to me why same sex marriage is a “civil right”.

Marty, I agree completely with your characterization of that caller. The idea that long-time residents of an area somehow have more rights or are more important than those who move there is insidious. By that logic, I suppose recent transplants should only get three-fifths of a vote. The caller’s derisive tone was disturbingly reminiscent of the mocking attitude that underlies many acts of discrimination and even brutality. We should all at least give our fellow citizens the respect of a thoughtful debate.

I am disgusted by peoples opinions about this gay marriage issue. How is there any debate at ALL that denying equal rights is ok!? You can hear these people scrambling for a guise of a response when you push them, Tom. I don’t care that 60% of Vermonters did not want this. I don’t care that this country was supposedly founded on “Christian Principals” and that “sodomy is immoral”. Hearing these christians use these arguments is so amazingly hypocritical and hateful I am livid. You ask that we be civil on this board but where is the civility in the ignorant, myopic garbage that your callers today spewed.
Your precious church can still reserve not to marry homosexuals. Chill out. This isn’t a religious issue, it is about civil rights.
Sincerely,
Ryan Hebert
A proud Vermonter

The real question of gay marriage is whether you can accept that a gay person is born gay. The fact is that people have no more control over gender preference than skin color. In that light, the answer to the question of whether preventing a gay person marrying the one whom they love is wrongful discrimination becomes obvious. Of course a gay couple should be allowed to marry.

When is the false assertion that the US is a country founded on “Xtian Principles” going to die? The Founders, though they argued over the point, were very careful to avoid the poisonous effect of incorporating religious ideology in the founding documents. I for one subscribe to the proposition of Denis Diderot – “Man will not be free until the last king is strangled by the entrails of the last priest.”

I wish that I could have gotten a comment in prior to the show going off the air. I am a heterosexual male who is against the concept of “Gay Marriage”, as well as the host of “gay” related concepts and positions that have been pushed on society under the guise of “equal rights”.
I first want to state that I have known people who are interested in same-sex involvement, and I have had friends who have advocated that life-style. I respected those folk and their prerogative to sexually relate to other people who share their views. What I find to be appalling is the breakneck effort to FORCE the idea of one persons sexual mores on another person. There is a vast difference in respecting something that I neither agree with, nor like and acquiescing to accept the concept for the sake of peaceful existence.
I resent with every fiber in my being when I hear someone attempt to make the comparison of gays and blacks (in particular). In a nutshell, or minute response if you will; the government of this country has never attempted to establish that so-called “gay people” represent a “different race, gender, species, or even alien race. Doing so would open the door for all the positions that so-called “gay people” represent. It would also put both parties in a “show cause mode”. The legal authorities realize this as well as some of the more astute leaders of the movement.
All of my life I have heard the same type of argument used to describe something that has NOT been defined. I will be the first in line to vote for rights(which are written by the way) for entities that are legitimately defined.
Until we do this, we will continue to confuse children, alienate other citizens, and create confusion regarding the sexual orientation of another creature.

Sincerely,
Bill R.

God Help Us

Yesterday David Rubinstain, President of Economic Club of Washington had an interview with Lawrance Summers, where 2-3 pink protestors have joined the action on stage asking Summers to resign.

David Rubinstein is also the Founder of Carlyle Group with a net worth of $2.5 billion.

Here is a comment he made:
We put [Bush] on the board and [he] spent three years. Came to all the meetings. Told a lot of jokes. Not that many clean ones. And after a while I kind of said to him, after about three years – you know, I’m not sure this is really for you. Maybe you should do something else. Because I don’t think you’re adding that much value to the board. You don’t know that much about the company. He said, well I think I’m getting out of this business anyway. And I don’t really like it that much. So I’m probably going to resign from the board. And I said, thanks – didn’t think I’d ever see him again. His name is George W. Bush. He became President of the United States. So you know if you said to me, name 25 million people who would maybe be President of the United States, he wouldn’t have been in that category. So you never know. Anyway, I haven’t been invited to the White House for anythings.”

Happy Passoever to everybody

To Bill R:
You do NOT respect the prerogative of the gay lifestyle. Simply stating that you do does not negate the rest of your post, which is completely against that statement. How do you connect the dots from gay marriage being legalized to the lifestyle being crammed down our “confused children’s” throats? Gay people are here. Gays are in our media, in our schools, in your children’s teachers, in our military, in our political leaders and in your church. Some are just too scared of being perceived as abnormal by the culture that you embodying to come out.
I also do not like the comparison of gay marriage to the struggle of blacks, only because it is missing the point. Gays may be born into it, they may choose it, but it is an individuals choice and it should make no difference. A man is completely free to bounce from wife to wife, with no regard for the “sanctity of marriage”, when a long committed gay couple does not have that same right. You are confusing a “legitimate definition” from a definition people (you) are not comfortable with because of their own close-mindedness, paranoia and homophobia.
Ryan Hebert
A proud Vermonter

I am tired of the “slippery slope” argument against gay marriage. I live in Utah and you can bet the wording in our Defensive Marraige act was “A” man and “A” woman. The polygomist lobby made sure it didn’t say “ONE” man and “ONE” woman, so here, the true public outrage is over the act of gay sex and not the protection of children from the influences of the “gay lifestyle”.

I listened to the first hour of your program. the only call in comment that resinated with me was the one from a women in made the observation that our health care system is immoral. Unfortunately you did not pick up on this comment and develope it further. I’ve been a nurse for 40 years and agree with her. She is one of the first persons I’ve heard make this observation. I would like to connect with her to establish a dialogue. I’m sure you have a record of callers. You could send her my e-mail address and she could decide if she wants to respond.I graduated from st. Francis School og Nursing in Pittsburgh, worked at University Hospital,Cleveland and Yale in New Haven. Thank you Bernadette Callister

I was interested in how quickly Tom moved the conversation away from the caller who brought up the roots of Somali piracy. The caller brought up the history of western exploitation of Somali waters with the collapse of the Somali government in the late 80s, and the attempt by Somali fishermen to protect their traditional fishing grounds from overfishing and toxic dumping. Since they have been unable to maintain the fishing grounds, they have turned to fishing for money in the same waters.

We wouldn’t want anyone challenging the notion that the West is an unalloyed force for good, even on a “liberal” talk show.

Listened online today and found myself nodding in agreement while listening to Jack Beatty express pride in our new President.

I am so happy that the past eight years is over!

Real Christians Unite!

I’m a married, Catholic male who is sick and tired of the issue of gay marriage and so-called Christians continually droning on about the sanctity of marriage.

Give me a break—50% of all marriages, secular and religious, end in divorce—where is the sanctity?

Why are so-called Christians so afraid of gay marriage? Is it the sanctity of marriage or the fear that business interests will have to pay fair compensation for health and death!

So called Christians love to use the phrade “What Would Jesus Do?” Here’s a guy who hung out with women, poor, and gentiles — three strikes from Old Testament Jews and a slap in the face to current Old testament Christians!

Jesus offers one message — LOVE!

Christopher T. Wood

Note to the Old Vermonters:

We are New Vermonters. We don’t go back 8 generations here, but we pay our taxes and buy our food and gas here, and partake of the joys of living in Vermont. So, we’re going to call ourselves Vermonters.

For us, a heterosexual couple with several children, one of those joys is knowing that if any of our kids turns out to be gay, there is both a legal and a social system in place to support them. After living in the bible belt for way too long, we are thrilled to have friends who are gay to canoe and ski with, to dance with, to sing with and shop from and celebrate with.

Yes, there are New Vermonters and we live here, too.

(And Tom, we are good friends with your sister in IL!)

Annelies in Vermont

Jack B. is love struck. Hearing Obama degrade the US to foreigners made me wonder his purpose. After living in Europe for years, I can tell you that the folks there just love to shove the US to the forefront of all the problems. I was more impressed when I visited the 10,000 US graves at Normandy, France. I would have preferred that he remind others of our contribution. When can we be proud to be a US citizen? Why must the libs prefer to downgrade us to the world as we are fighting even now? I would have preferred a more balanced show but I have come to expect this from NPR.

Just wondering, as a blue water sailor of long standing, why the US can’t send in twilight 007 style equipment with an underwater seals crew to bore a hole into the lifeboat to sink it or brake it up, weapons, pirates and all, and spirit off the captain they were holding in the confusion with a mask and diving equipment! M.D.

Was pretty shocked at Jack’s comments to the effect that piracy is just an irritant that can be tolerated. Should we also tolerate armed burglary in the United States?

The reason that this is a big issue in the US is that we as a people fundamentally believe in rule by law. People are waiting to see if the US or other countries will live up to that principle.

On the subject of Piracy

There are about 25-30 countries near Shipping Lanes which are equally poor and are equally capable of doing exactly what Somali Pirates are doing.

Why Somalia? Can we look at the “recent” history of Somalia?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somalia#2000.E2.80.93Present

Somalia was very stable under Islamic Court Union… until some outside influence (one of our allies in the Middle East and Pentagon) poked their fingers into the internal affairs of Somalia. Outside forces enabled Ethiopia illegaly overpower occupy Somalia.

Under ICU, Somalia was on its way to law and order. ICU was loved by average people citizens. The only ones who were against ICU were to Warlords in Mogadishu. And of course, our government and the Ally from the middle east were on the wrong side and caused this inexcusably hatret against the west after thousands of civilians were killed with indiscriminate shelling (made in USA) by the Warlords and Ethiopian forces.

Look for Ted Copell’s report about 2000 US Military personel helping Ethiopian soldiers (weapon shipments), paid with our tax dollars.

So, can we take some blame?

Good golly.

Please tell Jack Beatty to tone it down a bit or give us an occasional break from his views, by not consistently inviting him on the Friday news roundup segment. His opinions are predictable and his uber-liberalism is just too much at times. The terrorism and bathtubs comments is one of many examples.

On Point’s credibility as an objective news program is drastically reduced by maintaining Beatty’s every-Friday appearance.

Thanks,
Ben

I have to agree with Ben. Although Jack is clearly an intelligent man, his opinions and views have become so predictable that they really aren’t offering any new perspectives. Perhaps a conservative contributor could be brought in on Friday’s to provide some useful debate with Jack. Overall the show is great, but on the Week Roundup show a check to Jack’s views could yield some very interesting perspectives and help listeners better understand the topics.

We think, Jack is always right on the money.

He is a true populist; and always on the right side of the issues.

How can you beat his comment on “Why did we not invade Hamburg”?

We all support Jack; and if you look at the history of postings by people who have issues with Jack’s ideas; you will see that those people have issues and historic/ethnic ties with the subjects discuessed here.

I love On Point’s regular “Week in the News” segment and look forward to Jack’s contributions as well as the other informed & intelligent guests which are always invited to participate. Great job, Tom, Jack, On Point’s Guests and Crew!