Menchise

quote: Blaming the US again, I see. The reason they are impoverished is because they have a DICTATOR in power that cares MORE about POWER than the needs of his people. Is there anything in the world that IS America's fault?! Maybe I have unknowingly stepped into a parallel universe where America is ruled by angels with golden rings above their heads. Get real! The trade block exists, and it's ruining the Cuban economy whether Castro likes power or not. quote: Oh? They said that they killed this person's family? They said that they support oppression? No. They said that they provided military aid to the government of El Salvador knowing what it was going to be used for. quote: What, we should allow any pissed off student the ability to RIOT? To put OTHERS in danger because they are out of control? Read the post again! "Riots: Numerous times in the past several years, in a city that has an outstandingly low crime rate (Columbus OH, my city). We have had riots. Almost yearly at this point. What do they all have in common? They all started the moment the police arrived in riot gear. There was no riot prior. There was a riot shortly after. You figure it out." Have you figured it out yet? The same thing happened in Brisbane on the 1st of May. A group of protesters blockaded the stock exchange just by standing in front of it. It was completely non-violent at first. Then the police arrived and started attacking the protesters, even the ones who weren't resisting arrest. quote: Oh yeah, because it disagrees with you, it is biased. I would think that the story would be biased towards the STUDENTS, if the police were actually at fault, thanks to the liberal media. Hold it right there! First you tell me that I am not American, therefore I don't have the knowledge and experience of what America is like, now you are implying that Gomez has no idea what's going on in his own hometown! Sounds like YOU are calling him biased because you disagree with him.

[/rp] quote: Don't listen to him... that's only propanganda. Anyway he's on our hitlist. Propanganda? Wow! I had no idea that the Code of Ethics was a can of gasoline and a male goose. Before you accuse me of spreading propaganda, I suggest you learn how to spell the word correctly. By the way, Destiny is spelled with a 'y'. [/rp] Hindot, in case you haven't been informed yet, the 'rp' brackets that encapsulate some posts refer to Role Playing. [ 06-01-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

quote: The free press (trust me, it's quite free) is our single most effective tool against corruption. They are the ones who are driven by cold, hard cash. Therefore, they are relatively difficult to corrupt. I disagree. The privately owned press is inherently corrupted by its own desire to make money rather than seek the truth. Stories that exaggerate and quote out of context are much more profitable for the media than the real facts. quote: Socialism and communism, both theoretical alternatives to capitalism, are doomed to failure on the large scale, since they require absolute consensus to function without eventually resorting to widespread oppresion, which inevitably leads to the downfall of government. Have you read Hayek's work? He writes quite a bit about the problems with Socialism, some of which are very true. One of these is the difficulty in achieving consensus for a planned economy in a democratic system. Marx wrote a lot of groundbreaking works on the flaws of Capitalism, it's a pity that his discussions on an alternative were mere speculation. It's up to today's Marxists to determine a proper one.

Guess who's going to contest it (among other things)? ISS is not a non-combat fleet. It's the first line of defense in Galcom star systems when Prime Fleet is pre-occupied. When they're not busy defending entire systems from attack, they provide tactical support to the other Galcom fleets. Prime Fleet is the biggest of them all. Basically, it's Galcom's main combat fleet. Not as specialized as Orion, but it still handles the majority of combat missions. Wraith Fleet has a charter that describes its objectives. You have probably seen it already. The Insurgency is not bad, bad, bad. Take a look at the Insurgent Code of Ethics (at the Spectre HQ website in the 'Join Spectre' page). If you agree with it, then the Insurgency is for you. If you don't, then Galcom is for you, or maybe one of the independant castes, or even one of the Alien Military castes. There are many possibilities.

quote: Would you like me to quote some of the old argument? Like I said, I conceded that debate long ago, therefore those arguments do not represent a clear indication of what I believe now (more on this another time, perhaps ). quote: Yes, you made a mistake. Yes, you MISTAKENLY played the race card. This shows a WILLINGNESS to play the race card. I deal it once at a misinterpreted quote, and you say I have a wlllingness? Since when did race cards become addictive? quote: Exactly. So why you would think that the assertion that Americans know more about America than the rest of the world is racist is beyond me. That was not what I was complaining about. I thought that the writer said that I had little understanding of American Unipolarity, which includes such factors as how the US is affecting other nations. My complaint had nothing to do with knowledge of domestic affairs. quote: Not quite. Change "America" to "United Nations". I was waiting for this one. First, the United Nations doesn't have much muscle at all. They can't even enforce the rulings of the International Court of Justice, and when a country violates international law, all they do is whinge. The UN is only as strong as the will of its members. Secondly, when the United Nations starts using some muscle, it's done with the support of a majority of its members, or at the very least the Security Council (of which America is also a member). Why do you think NATO bombed Kosovo instead of the UN? The action was vetoed at the Security Council, so America went elsewhere. Thirdly, one quarter of UN funding comes from the US. Therefore, if the UN tries to do anything that America disagrees with, then America will make sure that the UN can't do anything at all. That's why the US can violate international laws with impunity. Finally, before you start telling me about the 'evils' of international law, think about this. America is a UN member, and every member is expected to follow international law. Therefore, if America doesn't like it, why don't they leave? Because they know that the UN can't do anything about it. quote: Uhm, the DEFINITION of Marxism is the suppression of several freedoms for the supposed good of the people. I have a different definition of Marxism. It's from a DICTIONARY. Marxism: a system of thought developed by Karl Marx, together with Friedrich Engels, especially the doctrine that the state throughout history has been a device for the exploitation of the masses by a dominant class, that class struggle has been the main agency of historical change, and that the capitalist state contained from the first the 'seeds of its own decay' and will inevitably, after a transitional period known as the 'the dictatorship of the proletariat', be superseded by a socialist order and a classless society. Here is the dictionary's definition of Socialism. Socialism: a theory or system of social organisation which advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production, capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole. quote: If Castro's regime was so great, why are Cubans washing up on our shores with disturbing regularity? Because Cuba is a very poor country, the majority of the population lives in poverty. This problem is caused by America's trade block, which makes it illegal for Cuba to export anything that it produces. Without trade, the economy suffers. quote: Hmmm, and how do you know that the US was RESPONSIBLE for this? The US government said so. [ 06-01-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

Is there any particular reason why Memorial Day is on the 29th of May?

quote: Racism? excuse please? Racism is the last bastion of a liberal argument, you don't agree, therefore you must be racist.. Sorry BS, don't EVEN go there. The writer of the article said that I don't understand American Unipolarity just because I'm not American! That is racism!

Surprise, surprise. I was disgusted by a few sections of the article. quote: Oddly enough, the uniqueness of this structure is only dimly understood in the United States. It is the rest of the world that sees itÔÇöundoubtedly, because it feels itÔÇöacutely. That was the polite way of saying that my opinion is worthless unless I agree with America. It's called racism. quote: It is hard to understand the enthusiasm of so many for a diminished America and a world reverted to multipolarity. Multipolar international structures are inherently less stable, as the catastrophic collapse of the delicate alliance system of 1914 definitively demonstrated. The Alliance system of 1914 was not multipolar, it was bipolar (The Allied Powers and the Central Powers). That's why there were only two sides in the First World War. quote: Multipolarity, yes, when there is no alternative. But not when there is. Not when we have the unique imbalance of power that we enjoy todayÔÇöand that has given the international system a stability and essential tranquility it had not known for at least a century. Rome enjoyed that once, guess what happened. It rotted from the inside and fell into history. quote: The international environment is far more likely to enjoy peace under a single hegemon. Moreover, we are not just any hegemon. We run a uniquely benign imperium. This is not mere self-congratulation; it is a fact manifest in the way others welcome our power. It is the reason, for example, the Pacific Rim countries are loath to see our military presence diminished. I prefer self-determination to the umbrella of hegemony. Hegemons have a tendency to homogenize entire cultures, with invariably negative results. They also have a tendency to bully the smaller powers that disagree with them. quote: Unlike other hegemons and would-be hegemons, we do not entertain a grand vision of a new world. No Thousand Year Reich. No New Soviet Man. By position and nature, we are essentially a status quo power. In other words, America entertains a grand vision of a world that doesn't change.

Done.

When I was thinking about being part of the Paramedic caste, I came up with a motto that would make a great advertising slogan for a fictional spacefaring medical organization: "Whether you're GalCom or Insurgent, or somewhere in between, we will always be there to reunite you with your spleen."

quote: But a Nvidia billboard in the middle of nowhere could be funny. A 3Dfx billboard would be VERY funny. [ 05-29-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

quote: For now, report to Commodore Antilles (Eclipse) at Destiny Starstation. He's needs some quality commanders. I have already registered and reported on the Spectre HQ (website) forum. Is that what you're referring to, or does Destiny have its own site? quote: Also, as a result of this, your sig should be: Commander Nick Menchise ICV Lion's Mane, Destiny Starstation, (Nevuela) Spectre Fleet I'm confused. Gallion is telling me to use a different signature (earlier in the thread).

/rp I'd rather not waste the Radine, especially when it's my first day on the job. /rp off [ 05-28-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

/rp I just feel that I can do more than putting Raiders behind bars, although I will enjoy doing that too. Besides, I like the Insurgent Code of Ethics. /rp off [ 05-28-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

Thanks Gallion. /rp Thank you sir. The construction of the Lion's Mane is complete. I am ready for duty. /rp off What does TTFN mean? [ 05-28-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

Yep, I am now a member of Spectre Fleet! /rp Sorry Tac. I'm sure those Vagrants will be put to good use. /rp off Many thanks to everyone for your help. I appreciate it.

I'm going to apply for a fleet now. Which one, you ask? If I'm accepted, you'll find out soon enough. Some of you can probably guess which one I'm referring to.

Well then, I'm not so casual after all. However, considering the nature of Orion Fleet (the big gun fleet), I don't think I belong there. I believe in using a scalpel instead of a hammer. /rp As long as I am not disobeying orders, I will always do the following: When an enemy attack fails, I give them every opportunity to retreat if they're Terran/Military or Terran/Insurgent (depending on my allegiance). If the retreating force is Alien/Military, my actions will be determined by the size of the force. Carriers and heavy cap ships aren't going anywhere, but shuttles, transports, and single fighters are free to go. Raiders and other criminal indies are not going anywhere no matter how small their ships are. I prefer to capture instead of destroy, by disabling the ship if necessary. If capture is not possible, and I am under orders not to let the ship escape, I will destroy it. If I am under orders to destroy the ship, whether capture is possible or not, I will destroy it. /rp off

quote: This may not be policy, but Insurgents seem to be friendly toward anything thats not Galcom, Earthcom, Raider, or Gammulan. In fact, Gamms rate higher on the hitlist than Galcom does. It turns out that it is policy. The Code of Ethics guidelines state it clearly enough. Upon closer examination, I found the answer I was looking for. "6. Aid and support will be given to any and all Terran vessels under attack by alien nations with the exceptions of pirate, and criminal signature vessels." Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that means that if GALCOM is in the midst of battle with a hostile alien force and requires assistance, the Insurgents will provide it.

I have narrowed my choices down a bit. First of all, I'm a bit of a casual gamer, so Orion Fleet isn't for me. Sorry guys. /rp It was nice knowing you Hamblin /rp off Prime Fleet has more than enough commanders, so they're out. Earthcom has enough commanders to defend the homeworld, which is all they're capable of now, and their Counter-Insurgency Division, which requires 40 members to function adequately, only has one. They're out. This leaves me with four options. 1. Apply for an Insurgent fleet. I like the Code of Ethics, but I still have a question about their policy toward alien nations. That question is: What is their policy toward alien nations? 2. Apply for ISS. I like the Fleet Log system. 3. Apply for Wraith Fleet. I like their policy regarding the Falkyries. 4. Don't join a fleet and become an indie Paramedic. It fascinates me.

quote: He thought Nazi-oriented discussions were funny. Now I remember! Vaguely. As I recall, he wrote some kind of objectionable post in a thread. When visitors to the thread started replying with their objections all hell broke loose. A flamefest erupted that quickly turned ugly and lasted for a couple of days. Eventually, Derek had to step in and throw Junkari out. quote: This was Eclipse. I can't understand, I think it's the third time someone get confused and calls me Eclipse, or someone calls him Epsilon. And it's not Epsilon, it Epsilon 5!! Oops. Sorry about that. quote: [rp] "Ok, we're docking at Destiny today. I'm tired." "What! The Insurgent station! Are you crazy! And Orion is one gate away!" "No. They will surely get confused and think I'm their station commander." [/rp] LOL! I can just imagine a Sound-Alikes division of the CIA. /rp EPSILON 5: Centris Control, this is Epsilon 5 requesting landing clearance. BLADES: Red Alert! Red Alert! Incoming Insurgent! Lock all missiles on target! EPSILON 5: Say what? BLADES: Fire! EPSILON 5: NO! BLADES: Cease fire! Epsilon 5? Is that you? EPSILON 5: Of course it's me! Sir! BLADES: Then who is this guy standing next to me? ECLIPSE: Wait a minute! What's Commander Savage doing on the bridge?! Intruder Alert! Security to the bridge! ARAMIKE: Kyle, this is Mike in Launch Bay 1. When did we capture Deterrence Group? ECLIPSE: We didn't. ARAMIKE: Then what are their ships doing in the Launch Bay?! EPSILON 5: Oh, no! Not again! /rp off

Freelancer's cap ships do look kinda strange, but I think the fighters kick ass, especially the one with the folding wings (second screenshot from top).

quote: Antti Junkari was banned from forum and game. Command was passed on to Blades. That was the name I couldn't remember! Antti Junkari. I don't remember anything about the ban. When did it happen and why?