Al Gore, what a loser.

[chicoazul]

They dont pay National Insurance in Cuba pal.

Get your point but this Socialism thing does have some virtues, which shouldnt be dismissed.

grows beard*

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Problem with nuclear energy aside from the possibility of disaster (though I'll give you that we've learnt from Chernobyl) is what to do with the waste. The stuff is incredibly difficult to store safely and, sadly, there's no nice, clean option available.

Yet, there's no safe and clean option available yet. I probably shouldn't support nuclear what with running an environmental website and all, but the anti-nuclear brigade always mention that the waste will be around for thousands of years. Now that may be true but lets face it, the likely advancements we will make technologically in that time are simply beyond comprehension. The Russians are already talking about a mineral that absorbs liquid nuclear waste. Now sure, you might not want to take the Russkies word on that but even so, it seems likely that a solution to the waste problem will come in the future, especially if it becomes a seriously pressing issue.

For me the prime reason that nuclear remains a doubt is the economics of it as it remains an industry largely supported by the tax-payer, at least in Britain. I'm sure that with the latest reactor designs and a more friendly planning system that it could run at a profit but I won't hold my breath on the government sorting themselves out on the latter.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

They dont pay National Insurance in Cuba pal.

Get your point but this Socialism thing does have some virtues, which shouldnt be dismissed.

grows beard*

Someone must pay for it somewhere though

 

[loosecranks]

Now, now Chico, nothing is ever free The NHS is 'free', providing you overlook the several thousand pounds we each pay towards it in national insurance each year

The NHS is still considerably more effective than the free market system used in the USA, Bruce, the one you seemed to be advocating yesterday, and produces it better considerably results, and the Cuban healthcare system really is something to be admired.

Hey, Chico - isn't it the Che Cup Final today, or somesuch?

 

[chicoazul]

The government covers the bill.

Didnt M Moore esq come to Cuba in his latest thing?

 

[loosecranks]

The Russians are already talking about a mineral that absorbs liquid nuclear waste.

Yes, I got a bottle of that from Bargain Booze last night. I can't see properly now. :blink:

 

[chicoazul]

Dont know about the cup chief, is it baseball or something. Seen nothing advertised here, not that things get advertised in fairness.

They will be remembering Che in schools and stuff like that, the local TV had an interestng thing on about him last night.

Top fella like, been to his resting place and the museum there is ace.

 

[TX Bill]

He's kept it together and defied the world biggest Superpower for nearly fifty years. I reckon he's done well.

Great healthcare, education (both free), safe enough to walk around after dark, very low unemployment.

Its a shame you guys dont get on, you would like him.

Wow. Sounds great. I can't imagine why people are trying to get out of there by the boatloads, literally.

 

[SuitsBlue]

The problem now is that you cannot "deter" terrorism. If a terrorist somehow manages to get a nuclear device into the USA (however unlikely) and detonate it, who do you retaliate against? Worse, say you find someone who's responsible and hit 'em back, they probably think they're going to spend eternity in paradise with 72 virgins so to them, that's a good thing. So they have no concern about that. Scary but that's how it is right now.

Its not the nicest thing to think about, but if terrorists dont care about their own lives, find lives they do care about and 'pressure' them.

 

[SuitsBlue]

This is the thing though isn't it? I mean who wants to blow up pacifist countries like Belgium or Japan?

Mankind has been blowing the crap out of each other for as long we've been on this planet. Perhaps it's time we looked at alternatives?

In many ways this is a big reason why I dislike governments because by their very nature they have to generalise in a huge way. Wars aren't fought between nations are they, lets face it, they're fought between politicians, yet they're always classed as nation vs nation to whip up political support. It's crap.

Look at the situation at the moment. You'll get people saying all 300 million Americans are tossers because Bush is. You'll get suggestions that all Muslims are terrorists, all Poles are welfare sponges and so on. It's garbage but it happens because governments, and the media, generalise because society is worked around this so called democratic majority, hence they're thought to speak for us all, represent us all.

I'm inclined to think that until we get away from this mass generalisation that we'll forever have conflict because misunderstanding is at the heart of conflict.

''war is the continuation of politics by other means''

 

[chicoazul]

Wow. Sounds great. I can't imagine why people are trying to get out of there by the boatloads, literally.

Not entirely true pal, dont believe all you're told. I have been astounded by how the Cuba presented by the western media differs from what Ive found.

 

[TX Bill]

Its not the nicest thing to think about, but if terrorists dont care about their own lives, find lives they do care about and 'pressure' them.

Agreed.

Unfortunately they don't value life as we do (those in Western societies).

They'll put all else (including anything they might possibly hold dear to themselves) underneath the sole goal of advancing their radical agenda.

 

[TX Bill]

Not entirely true pal, dont believe all you're told. I have been astounded by how the Cuba presented by the western media differs from what Ive found.

Don't need to. And I sure wouldn't believe it if it was presented by the media here.

I've seen how communism has worked out around the globe throughout history and newsflash !!!! It hasn't. Not in one instance did communist rule benefit the people living under it.

Nice that they let people travel over there and don't give 'em any trouble but I'm just curious how things might be over there if they allowed free elections and a democracy to take place.

 

[chicoazul]

I would say it has benefited Cuba greatly mate, has brought stability to the country (relative to its Caribbean neighbours) and a lot of benefits.

We'be been brought up to believe the C word is dirty and an evil. We only have to look to see how our Governments are failing us now to see that, speaking in relative terms, in this instance communist rule has benefited some people. Do you not wish you had the foreign policy of Cuba, and the healthcare for all, the community spirit and family values, the safety?

Im a complete neutral when it comes to political beliefs, so I write this from what I have seen.

 

[SuitsBlue]

Agreed.

Unfortunately they don't value life as we do (those in Western societies).

They'll put all else (including anything they might possibly hold dear to themselves) underneath the sole goal of advancing their radical agenda.

"pressurise" the lives they do care about, brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles, parents, grandparents, wives, children.

i did say it wasnt nice, but 'needs of the many' and all that.