Family & friends ask: Why would you want to go THERE?

not marmite again

I guess we just have to face it. Some people are just not prepared to visit a place where it is customary to shit on the pavement.

We can do our best to dispel some of the complete myths, but there are negative aspects about India that none of us can deny, and that we either tolerate or love the place for in spite of.

Which makes me think of a new approach. If you get really fed up with this 'why would you want to' attitude, try replying: because I want the freedom to shit on the pavement!

Just an idea...

Good one!!

Nope. It was Pres. George W. Bush who made those travels. You can look it up, I did.

This is a strange board. I point out one person's lie and another comes along to try to affirm the original lie.

Portie

I grew up in the second largest American city and have never been spit on, sworn at, robbed, mugged, shot at, stabbed (although I saw two cab drivers go at each other with butcher knives), or car-jacked, and I've lived in various areas of the city and suburbs most of my life.

The stereotyped notion that half of Americans are nothing more than gun-toting crack-head hooligans ready to rape and pillage while the other half are locked away in their houses afraid to come out at night only wishing they had guns to protect themselves is so far off base that it would be laughable if it weren't disgusting. One of the questions I was asked during my first trip to India was (as an American) "do you own a gun?"
Uh, no...and I'm not obese either......

While I am certainly no supporter of the NRA or in favor of the right to carry concealed weapons, both sides on ANY issue (whether it's guns, abortion, whatever) can always use statistics to skew their spin.

Who was it that said something about lies, damn lies, and statistics?

Frankly, I'm terrified to go to Europe because I might get caught up in the middle of a soccer riot.....
and a rugby match I saw on TV scared the out of me!

S&M Clubs.

A Scandanavian-style work ethic (which probably doesn't exist anymore in Scandanavia either).

An efficient and/or courteous bureaucracy.

Driver's license by mail. Passport by mail. Etc.

Why don't they ever ask me that? I have a whole album of photos I can show them!

Portie

Your post reminded me of something I overheard once in Washington DC. I was at a small party thrown by some of the Indian diplomats in town and a senior person (maybe second in command of the embassy?) said that Indian diplomats like to be posted to the US because it was the least racist of all the western countries. This statement surprised even me but I think he was serious since his audience was nearly entirely Indian.

then please provide sources for your statement. i cant find anything in the internet that say bush jr travelled across the world prior to his presidency. maybe my internet search skills are bad. maybe they dont report anything that the rich and famous do when they travel aboard...maybe the ritz is not doing a good job~~..damn the ritz...

For this information you need to consult the government's "Crime in India" report. In 2004 there were 481 murders in the National Capital Terriroty of New Delhi in 2004. Another article suggests as many as 150 of those murders were dowry-related.

http://ncrb.nic.in/crime2004/home.htm

http://www.southasiatimes.com.au/newsarticle256.aspx

http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl19...0003004200.htm

http://www.economist.com/surveys/Pri...tory_id=205868

In debate it is typically the duty of the person making the assertion in the first place to back it up with evidence. But apparently I am the only person here capable of gathering evidence.

Since you asked nicely, here are links to two articles in left-wing blogs (they call themselves a "news service") which discuss this as well as a short CNN report. They also first fell for the "Bush never travelled overseas" lie that some of our members here did and in their followup report seem to try to tie Pres. Bush to Guatemalan death squads in the 1970s. You lefties must consume a lot of tinfoil and koolaid!

http://consortiumnews.com/2000/102900a.html

http://consortiumnews.com/2001/061501a.html

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLI...orld.traveler/

Good example of what Goebbels said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

Portie

thank you Portie.

the articles indicate bush travelled to three countries.

gambia, china and somewhere in middleeast with a state delegation. he stopped enroute there to visit his daughter in italy. his longest was one month in china in 1975....25 years before his presidency....and it will be a fair guess he didnt stay in extended stay in gambia. and middleeast...and italy was enroute....so 3 days maybe?

so four countries just to be fair and accurate. (states of mexico and canada..lets not count...)...mexico is neighbouring state of texas where he was governor as well. in contrast his brother married a hispanic gal columba....

the rest all of the sources is from bush's spokesman...and we have seen some legendary lies and manipulations from those...(much like saddams former iraqi information minister )..spin machine results of mr.rove et. al.

I would have agreed more wholeheartedly a couple of years ago. Now, with all the paranoia, sometimes its hard to tell.

I don't care how many countries Georgie Boy has been to, or even if he can write his own speeches and debate without some diplomats hand up his ass.

The man is a numpty..............nuff said!!

As for guns, well the biggest drawback I can see in a heavily armed populace, is the way your police force is forced to act because of this stark reality!!

I'm from a violent society too and I'm sure glad that guns are hard to come by!! Why, because that would only make the acts of violence more likely to result in death!!

i had to look up numpty.

now i agree.