[net.columbia] Challenger eulogies?

miller@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU (02/18/86)

A few comments from various slime around the world:


Col. Qaddafi said he was "deeply saddened ... Those who died were victims of
imperialist impatience ... to control space for the purposes of war".

Radio Venceremos, speaking for El Salvador's communist guerrillas called the
dead astronauts "war criminals" and said, "We share the happiness felt by those
who reject and condemn US imperialism's warmongering policies".

Gus Hall, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the US, claimed the loss
of the Challenger was due to "a new secret explosive material carried aboard to
test under conditions of weightlessness".


A. Ray Miller
Univ Illinois

bzs@bu-cs.UUCP (Barry Shein) (02/19/86)

I realize 50s nostalgia has reached new heights given a president who
was a popular film star around then, but must we continue with all this
cold war drivel on this list? Fine, you don't like the Russians, Khaddaffi,
the Nicaraguans and probably 95% of the rest of the world as far as I
can tell (the entire muslim world, most of Europe, Canada, need I go on?)

These issues are more complex than these little right-wing propaganda
statements ever recognize and are almost contentless (it doesn't take
a genius to realize that some of those people don't love america because
we mercilessly shit all over them and their countries to protect our right
to unending supplies of elbow deodorants and other things we consider
essential to our lives, you think I exaggerate? How about things like
the US sponsored population control programs in a relatively lightly
populated country like Columbia so they stop trying to take up arable
land which grows our precious coffee? Great way to get a predominately
Catholic country to love you. need I go on? ehhhh.)

Touche', done, finished I hope. I also think that this constant quoting
of Gus Hall is pathetic, the guy is about 90 years old and isn't
exactly a major figure in US or any other politics but as far as I
can tell has been the most quoted individual on this list in recent
weeks.

If you have something to say, say it, otherwise could you please stop
trying to use this list like some Orwellian brain-washing device
repeating over and over again every stupid rightist tidbit you can
find. You're probably doing your cause more harm than good. You're not
patriots, you're a bunch of drunken football fans blindly defending
the home team, and a big boor at that. Go find another soapbox.

We continue with our regularly scheduled program....

	-Barry Shein, Boston University

cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (02/22/86)

> 
> [several screens of leftist blather utterly unrelated to this group]
> If you have something to say, say it, otherwise could you please stop
> trying to use this list like some Orwellian brain-washing device
> repeating over and over again every stupid rightist tidbit you can
> find. You're probably doing your cause more harm than good. You're not
> patriots, you're a bunch of drunken football fans blindly defending
> the home team, and a big boor at that. Go find another soapbox.
> 
> We continue with our regularly scheduled program....
> 
> 	-Barry Shein, Boston University

Hurts to be reminded you are in the minority?

wdm@ecn-pc.UUCP (Tex) (02/23/86)

In article <181@bu-cs.UUCP> bzs@bu-cs.UUCP writes:
>
>I realize 50s nostalgia has reached new heights given a president who
>was a popular film star around then, but must we continue with all this
>cold war drivel on this list? 
> [Some stuff deleted]
>(it doesn't take
>a genius to realize that some of those people don't love america because
>we mercilessly shit all over them and their countries to protect our right
>to unending supplies of elbow deodorants and other things we consider
>essential to our lives, you think I exaggerate? How about things like
>the US sponsored population control programs in a relatively lightly
>populated country like Columbia so they stop trying to take up arable
>land which grows our precious coffee? 
>[Some stuff deleted]
>Touche', done, finished I hope. 
>[Some stuff deleted].
>If you have something to say, say it, otherwise could you please stop
>trying to use this list like some Orwellian brain-washing device
>repeating over and over again every stupid rightist tidbit you can
>find. You're probably doing your cause more harm than good. You're not
>patriots, you're a bunch of drunken football fans blindly defending
>the home team, and a big boor at that. Go find another soapbox.

   Can anyone make any sense out of this?  I asked a guy from Columbia about
   the imperialist American conspiracy to save coffee for democracy and he
   didn't know anything about it (He did laugh, though).  He mentioned that
   there is an effort to limit the population in some areas due to widespread
   hunger and poverty.  The citizens are behind it.  We sure are tricky,
   convincing those stupid Columbians we are doing them a favor when in fact
   we are just trying to save our coffee supply.  Coffee consumption is 
   rapidly decreasing in this country, but you never know when people are 
   going to demand coffee, and if they don't get the riots are bound to
   dwarf anything the Civil Rights Movement ever brought about.  Another
   thing:  Who is defending their home football team now, in the off season?
   Oh sure, I hear the occasional "wait 'till next year," but I don't think
   that counts.  And then he calls us all a "big boor."  Why does he think
   that we are a large peasant with clumsy manners?  That comment really
   throws me.  

   Quick, somebody throw this guy a few Valium and find him a place to 
   sleep for a while.  What ever you do, don't let him write code!  His
   facility for logical thought is malfunctioning.  Let him write manuals
   for a while instead. 

   Followups to net.politics, because it doesn't belong on net.columbia, and
   net.bizarre no longer exists.

   Bill

   "I'm telling you, Striker, TAX FREE BONDS..."

bzs@bu-cs.UUCP (Barry Shein) (02/24/86)

Obviously everyone who wishes to defend their right to continue this
constant political rhetoric on this group is going to attempt to take
exception with me on some irrelevant point (note the cracks about
"you're in the minority" and "your team is off-season" and references
to valium in a cheap-shot attempt to question a person's rationality
rather than deal with the issue.)

OK, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS REAL SIMPLE FOR YOU:

It seems to me that several people are using this group to spout right-wing
rhetoric, like constantly quoting Gus Hall (head of the American Communist
Party and generally unimportant person), READ THE DAMN MESSAGE I REPLIED TO
IF YOU NEED AN EXAMPLE. GREP GUS /usr/spool/net/columbia/* for more examples.

I was only asking that we try to stick a little closer to the subject of
the shuttle rather than using it as an opportunity to smear Hall, Pravda
and the Nicaraguans which I cannot believe people do not notice some
opportunists on this list are doing. And don't immediately assume that
I agree with the opposite of your views just because I dared to complain,
I certainly don't believe Hall or a word I ever hear from Pravda (sorry,
but they seem to love to stoop to red-baiting to defend their point of view.)

Thank you, does that clear it up, sorry I credited all of you with
being able to make the connection for yourself, I am sure most of you
did, but a few here are quite blinded by their ideologies.

If it were one or two messages I would have restrained myself, but it
isn't, it's dozens of messages many of them very similar (am I really
the only one to have noticed this? no, unfortunately those that agreed
with me sent private mail, only the self-made idealogues and defenders
of the one true faith posted to the net with their slander.) Look, there's
a lot of jerks out there in the world, and there are a lot of rational
folks who just have a different point of view, just don't try to make
it all sound simple, cause it isn't.

	-Barry Shein, Boston University

Gee, I didn't know how right I was about 50's nostalgia, look at some
of these attacks in reply to my complaint and compare to McCarthyism
and *their* tactics (red-baiting, questioning a person's sanity and
job credentials.) I don't know about you folks, but I think we may be
in for quite ride if this represents more than a tiny fringe view.

ins_ajls@jhunix.UUCP (Judith Lynne Schmidt) (02/26/86)

> 
> 
> I was only asking that we try to stick a little closer to the subject of
> the shuttle rather than using it as an opportunity to smear Hall, Pravda
> and the Nicaraguans which I cannot believe people do not notice some
> opportunists on this list are doing. 
> 
> 
> If it were one or two messages I would have restrained myself, but it
> isn't, it's dozens of messages many of them very similar (am I really
> the only one to have noticed this? no, unfortunately those that agreed
> with me sent private mail, only the self-made idealogues and defenders
> of the one true faith posted to the net with their slander.) 
               -Barry Shein, Boston University

I agree totally!  I'm amazed at some of the letters that have been posted.
A newcomer to the net might assume this newsgroup was discussing 
free press in Canada, or some equally irrelevant subject.
I subscribed to listen to an intelligent discussion of the shuttle
program, and instead listened to people berating each other because
of nationality, political belief, etc.  That's not what this group
is for.  (or is it, and I'm subscribed to the wrong one?)

<<flame off>>

Most of the letters have been an honest effort to spread news/feelings
about the shuttle.  I've enjoyed reading these letters.  The people
using the group to advance their political opinions do not belong here.

Feel free to flame away.