[056]

Boy, do you guys miss the point!!!

It's so easy to be fearful of global regulations and relinquishing local control when it's motorcycles, but where were you when the WTO was busy making decisions that effect us every day? Nobody railing against that, and trust me, a lot of stuff the WTO does is definately against the interests of working folks like you and me. So why villify the UN, which is a much more accountable organization than the WTO?

Stop assuming the worst- global trade, economics and government are the wave of the future, good or bad, like it or not. All we can do is accept it and make our voices heard so we have a hand at shaping it.

And that's the good news. As members of the world's largest economy, we 'Mericuns will have a collosal voice in how these regulations take form, especially if we keep buying bikes at the rate we have been over the last 10 years. And as long as we let it be known that we WON'T buy restricted motorcycles with leg protectors, the manufacturers will push hard to kill such regulation. Note that european HP limits are voluntary- for the most part, the consumers in those countries tolerate them.

Think of the advantages of all motorcycles being "world" models. Want a Raptor, Varadero, or RS250? Just order it from your local dealer! Since it's approved for every market, there's no reason why we couldn't have any bike we wanted. Great for production racing, as well.

 

[056]

Hey, Jackass!

Wow, I guess this is how educated critical thinkers argue their points- by insulting a perfect stranger's inteligence and patriotism. Which library do you go to? The WWF study room?

First off, I fail to see what either fearing God or toting guns has to do with any of this. All the article was about (you did READ it, right?) was using the UN as an international arbiter of vehicle standards, so manufacturers can simplify regulations and cut costs. Nobody's threatening Zog's gun, so calm down.

I really don't see what "rights" are being threatened, but then again, I'm not nearly as clever (or paranoid) as you, what with my stupidity problem and all.

What are you and your little gun collection going to do about globalization, anyway? Were you protesting the WTO in Quebec city? Do you know anything about the IMF and the world bank? Do you know about international corporations privatizing local utilities in South America and other places? But hey, if the gun magazines don't talk about those things, I guess they're not concerns.

"Fight BS like this all I can." What a joke. Please tell us all about your one-man struggle against globalization, you are clearly a great leader and patriot, ready to spill your blood at the tiniest threat to your valued (but mysterious) "Liberties."

BTW, I fought as a combat infantryman in the Persian Gulf, defending your "right" to cheap gas. Did you?

D*ickhead.

 

[056]

Re: Touche

Man, ya'll read a lot into what I post. All of a sudden I'm Mr. UN? All I said was that if you rank the sinister-ness of all the international organizations, the UN would be pretty far down the list.

As far as your list of grievences, well, those are your opinions. And as far as your rejection of the commerce clause, well, the emperor has no clothes. There's case law supporting federal regulation of interstate commerce going back a long time- even before that evil usurper FDR. So stop presenting your (bizzare and fringe-belief)opinions as fact.

And how does my service in the gulf make me less willing to "prostrate" myself before the UN? Tim McVeigh aside, all us veterans are not murderous wing-nut loonies filled with paranoia. I'm a thinking member of a democracy, and my opinions are just as valuable as anybodies, and I won't lock-step to the corporate controlled media.

If you truly think the UN has enslaved our country and desires only world domination, you need to stop watching James Bond movies. This si the real world, a world with 6 billion hungry, teeming souls, all people who feel their lives and needs are just as important as yours. global organizations are inevitable and neccessary if we ever want to evolve past the point we are in now.

If we isolate ourselves, we run the risk of becoming a staganant, backward culture. Anthropologists will tell you that the result of geographic isolation is to revert a culture to impoverished savegery. We have to participate in world government and make sure it is a just, democratic, and accountable institution.

If you can't fight it, (and trust me, you can't.) you have to make it work for you. It's up to us. We can either stockpile 5.56 ammo and canned goods, or we can act like responsible, informed citizens. The choice is ours.

 

[056]

Re: Woodrow is back

Again, nobody really reads my posts. How sad.

When one country takes it on itself to mold the word to it's image, that's imperialism. We've been practising that in various hemispheres for about 160 years. I don't advocate that at all.

Like I said, since world organizations are inevitable, we have to spend our energy making sure they are democratic and accountable, rather than pretending we can "fight" them.

A lot of people tell me they are against the UN, but nobody says what to do about it. We haven't paid our dues for years, and aside from declaring war on the UN, what more can you do?

 

[056]

Nice sentiment. I'll give you $1 for it.

Well, it's too bad Madison isn't on the supreme court,

huh? He'd set us straight!

Unfortunately for him, he's doing what Beethoven is

doing right now- decomposing! He has no say in how we

run our modern world.

What you want is to kneel before a small cabal of men

long since turned to dust. Ordinary guys, no smarter

than you and me, who happened to write a good (but not

perfect) that still works, somewhat.

So we should supine ourselves before this

patriarchical clatch, and ignore the needs and desires

of millions of people for justice, equality and

freedom.

I don't go for your strict interpretation arguments

because they are used by neo-conservatives to strip

the people of the only power they have- the right to

use government to foster equality and justice for

everybody, not just a priveliged minority. If we

elevate the Constitution to some kind of holy

, we place our trust in the hands of corpses

and turn our backs on the great achivemnts made last

century by thousands of activists, like Mother Jones,

Susan B. Anthony, Thurgood Marshall, Malcolm X, Martin

Luther King jr., and many others.

And I don't see how the Commerce Clause "usurps the

freedom of the people" by regulating interstate

commerce. As decided by many a Supreme Court

decision, "Commerce" starts and ends way outside the

process of transporting it somewhere. It includes

manufacture, distribution, raw materials, and

sometimes even usage.

As far as freedom goes, I agree with you. But we can

have all of those things and still be free. We just

need a voice in globalization, so why don't

conservatives protest the WTO and the world bank? Why

is it all about the UN? We actually don't live under

UN rule, but the WTO CAN and will tell local

governments what to do. That's scary. I guess the UN

could get out of hand, but I have to prioritize. I

fear the WTO, and you should too.