Hawaiian

Let Danderman speak for himself. And if he meant Yemen, then I got news for both of you. Israel has never set foot in the country. Say what you mean and mean what you say applies here.

A "brilliant" strategy. One to be expected, judging from your other comments. If someone is shooting at you would you continue dodging their bullets or would you fire back in an attempt to stop the shooter? Destroying Houthi missile launch sites should not entail "bombing thousands of Yemenis to death." More of your hyperbole.

Houthia? Never heard of it. Houthis? National resistance group in Yemen.

"alienating the whole world"? Really? https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle/east/which-side-countries-that-back-israel-and-those-that-oppose-it-20231011-p5ebiz.html

"Biden team wary of retaliating against Houthi attacks at sea". These are the headlines for an article I just read. More classic stupidity. What's the purpose of deploying 2 carrier groups to discourage the Hamas/Israeli conflict from spreading if they sit and watch. While I don't want to see an escalation, it makes no sense not to eliminate the source of these missiles and drone launching sites. Since 1945 the U.S. has been fighting with one hand tied their backs. Disgusting. It's no wonder why the U.S. gets no respect.

I am not implying that the U.S. won the war. Some of my close friends fought there and some even lost their lives. I was very upset the U.S. blew it after all the valiant effort by our troops and the South Korean Army. Since 1945, the U.S. military has been hampered by rules written by the politicians in DC all against the advice of seasoned veterans. In other words we were not "allowed" to win. Viet Nam was no exception. In Korea the politicians were afraid of the Chinese. Same thing with Viet Nam. The disaster we call Iraq would have a lot simpler if the U.S. was allowed to destroy Saddam's retreating forces. Afghanistan is a classic lesson of plain stupidity. We were fighting the Taliban which we helped to create years earlier. What I was alluding to was while we lost to the communist forces of Ho Chi Minh, we have a fairly good relationship with Hanoi today.

Viet Nam is not the only SE Asian country challenging China's claim to the South China Sea. Just this past June, the nuclear powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan along with two guided missile cruisers visited the port of Da Nang. I would think that is a tacit sign of cooperation or collaboration. You tell me what you think that signals. A formal signed agreement is not always necessary for cooperation. Besides, how do you know what both sides have talked about behind closed doors? Have you been following stepped up Philippine push back against Chinese territorial claims, now that the U.S. had gotten involved? Even Canada has voiced their support of the Philippines. Lately Japan has been more vocal in their dispute over the Senkaku Islands. China has attempted to sideline U.S. support which so far is not written in stone. If this is not cooperation or collaboration, then what is it?

I like what you wrote. Catholicism did to the Italians (and other Europeans) what Islam did to the Arabs. Think Galileo and Copernicus and the persecution of Jews.

They are convenience stores. Customers shop there as a matter of convenience and usually not because they are looking for healthy food or bargains. Similar to patronizing a fast food outlet. Think speed and convenience and not a gourmet dish.

7-Eleven has become the automatic place to go to for so many shoppers it will be difficult to successfully compete against them. As long as 7-Eleven keeps prices stable and continues their present policies they will continue their dominance.

Although there is some room for argument, most Iranians were considered to be middle class before the Revolution. Prices were fairly stable. Today the majority of the population are poor and inflation is a serious problem for them. One reason the U.S. supported the Shah and his repressive policies was the fear of communism. Similar to the backing of Marcos until the Filipinos had enough of his brutal tactics. The toppling of the mullahs caused by foreign intervention and/or military action wouldn't necessarily be followed by a ground invasion and occupying forces. A spontaneous peoples rebellion could happen with anti-government forces taking over and eventually calling for free and open elections. I would venture to say a more secular oriented government would be the result. Wishful thinking? Maybe, maybe not.

Sorry, I missed that point. The people I mentioned evidently were schooled by American native-speaker instructors. I know my girl's niece was.

Funny that you mention that. I have a friend from the UK that jokes around with me as to what English accent he was going to use for the day. I though he was pretty good in his imitations.

You forgot you're and your.

I tend to agree with you. Americans also have various regional dialects which can also make a difference. People in Thailand have commented that my English is easy to understand. I can converse in the local Hawaiian pidgin English, but have chosen not to. So truthfully, I don't if I speak in any discernible dialect.

Not sure where you are coming from, and I am not referring to the country you were born in. First of all, I have some fairly interesting conversations with my Thai-born girlfriend. We have been together for many years and I have seen her English speaking skills improve greatly over the years, including an expanded vocabulary. She only finished high school and never took English lessons. Her parents only spoke Thai. Her brother and his wife both earned their doctorates at USC and were also on the faculty there. Today, he is prominent physician at a well known Bangkok hospital. He also does research on MRI brain scans. His wife now teaches at a major Thai university. She speaks impeccable English and I always look forward to talking with her. My girl's niece attended English language school after graduating from business school. Her English is also near perfect. We are very close and talk about all sorts of subjects, especially about food since I have been giving her lessons in Japanese cooking and a few American dishes. A few times she brought over a Thai Chinese guy who helped her set up her online business. He is another excellent English speaker and quite an interesting person to talk to about politics, Thai and international. My point is you have been talking to wrong people and maybe the right people don't want to talk to you.

Do you consider the Viet Nam Conflict a regional war? The U.S. along with South Korean forces failed to stop Ho Chi Minh's communist forces from overrunning the south. When was the last Vietnamese terrorist attack on the U.S. or anyone else for that matter. Today, American companies are very active in the country and Viet Nam has been cooperating with the U.S. in opposing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. You win some, you lose some.

If the mullahs were overthrown there is a good possibility of democratic reforms coming back, maybe not overnight like you say, but quicker than many think possible. Iran has a sizable population of well educated people that are not religious fanatics, especially the younger generation. Lately there have been frequent anti-government demonstrations demanding reforms and women's rights. The pro-government demonstrations you see are government sponsored and instigated. If really fair and free elections were held tomorrow, a pro-democracy government would most likely be voted in.

The Saudi's maybe looking to the day when they join the U.S. in confronting Iran. They have a sizable and capable air force and are now modernizing their navy with more advanced ships of varying types.

I know how it is supposed to work. Only Congress can declare war and the president is the one to wage war. Right now Congress is almost dysfunctional with the House passing a bill and the Senate shooting it down and visa versa. The President says one thing and his aides turn around and say just the opposite. As far as defense issues go, it seems most of the statements are coming from Austin or his spokespeople. This is why I have inferred he is calling the shots even though he officially lacks the authority to do so. This ambiguity is sending a signal to our enemies that the right hand may not know what the right hand is doing. They are testing the waters to see how far they can go before the we act.

I think it is Lloyd Austin who is calling the shots, is waiting for more American blood to be spilled. So far no deaths reported, so no real push back. Waiting for outrage from the American public when lives are lost to actually retaliate is the coward's way out. The Houthis in Yemen and the insurgents in Iraq are not one bit deterred by warning shots.

Disastrous for who? I would say it depends who sides with Iran and what kind of support is given. Most Arab countries don't want to see another potential nuclear power in the Middle East, especially a Persian one governed by religious fanatics. Both Russia and China do not want to see a nuclear armed Iran. Besides, Russia is fully engaged in Ukraine and China is busy repairing its economy. While the U.S. may have bases in the surrounding area within range of Iranian missiles, Diego Garcia is not. The U.S. already has formidable air power in the area. I don't think boots on the ground would be necessary to cripple Iran's military and severely damage its already weak economy. Personally, I think there are safer and better ways to contain Iran's belligerence without resorting to an all out war.

Wikipedia also describes the Hamas Charter or Covenant and its revisions which you failed to furnish. Most of is just a bunch of convoluted nonsense promoting the sovereignty of Islam.

Here in Hawaii the sovereignty activists want to restore the monarchy. The last heir to the crown recently past away. There are so many different activist groups with opposing agendas they would never come to an agreement to select the next king or queen. Good!

My Thai girlfriend paid for her niece's English School after she graduated from business school. Her English is pretty close to perfect along with her business skills. She has her own online business doing consulting and making purchases for clients. She is the ideal student when I share my knowledge of Japanese cooking. Very innovative and a quick learner.