{OT} constitution

"They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't
we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys,
it's worked for over 200 years, and hell, we're not using it anymore."

---I don't know who said this

--
"I do not belong to any organised political party: I'm a democrat." ~
Will Rogers

On 07 Apr 2006 18:55:57 GMT, "badgolferman"
<REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>"They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't
>we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys,
>it's worked for over 200 years, and hell, we're not using it anymore."
>
> ---I don't know who said this[/color]

They obviously can't use the United States Constitution verbatim
(and the Bill Of Rights and following amendments), but it would make
decent reference material and a very good framework or starting point.
It's not perfect by any means, but it works.

They might have to do something smart and follow another of our
ideas, like break the country up into several smaller "states" to
provide definable areas for the Shia, the Sunni, the Kurds, and any
other groups. Separate areas for the separate constituencies, but one
common master government for the country as a whole to get and keep
them cooperating with each other.

If you think the US Civil War was a mess, consider the weaponry of
the period... If the radicals on both sides manage to get a civil war
started in Iraq, the religious based factions on the various sides
will get a lot of outside help - it could well go nuclear.

And as to the "We're not using it..." crack, that's not a normal
occurrence - and before you try to turn it into a Democrat or
Republican slur, zealots from BOTH political parties try to ignore
parts of the Constitution whenever it proves "inconvenient" for them,
and they all need to be called on it whenever they try.

--<< Bruce >>--

--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.

badgolferman wrote:[color=blue]
> "They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't
> we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys,
> it's worked for over 200 years, and hell, we're not using it anymore."
>
> ---I don't know who said this[/color]

I would think, having the seven years of experience that you have in
the middle east, that you would be able to answer that question
handily.
[color=blue]
>
> --
> "I do not belong to any organised political party: I'm a democrat." ~
> Will Rogers[/color]

You should be more like Will.

Bruce L. Bergman, 4/8/2006,1:28:01 AM, wrote:
[color=blue]
> On 07 Apr 2006 18:55:57 GMT, "badgolferman"
> <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> > "They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why
> > don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really
> > smart guys, it's worked for over 200 years, and hell, we're not
> > using it anymore."
> >
> > ---I don't know who said this[/color]
>
> They obviously can't use the United States Constitution verbatim
> (and the Bill Of Rights and following amendments), but it would make
> decent reference material and a very good framework or starting point.
> It's not perfect by any means, but it works.
>
> They might have to do something smart and follow another of our
> ideas, like break the country up into several smaller "states" to
> provide definable areas for the Shia, the Sunni, the Kurds, and any
> other groups. Separate areas for the separate constituencies, but one
> common master government for the country as a whole to get and keep
> them cooperating with each other.
>
> If you think the US Civil War was a mess, consider the weaponry of
> the period... If the radicals on both sides manage to get a civil war
> started in Iraq, the religious based factions on the various sides
> will get a lot of outside help - it could well go nuclear.
>
> And as to the "We're not using it..." crack, that's not a normal
> occurrence - and before you try to turn it into a Democrat or
> Republican slur, zealots from BOTH political parties try to ignore
> parts of the Constitution whenever it proves "inconvenient" for them,
> and they all need to be called on it whenever they try.
>
> --<< Bruce >>--[/color]

Nice way to take a quip and turn it into something intelligible. I
like your arguments.

On 08 Apr 2006 11:47:58 GMT, "badgolferman"
<REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Bruce L. Bergman, 4/8/2006,1:28:01 AM, wrote:
>[color=green]
>> On 07 Apr 2006 18:55:57 GMT, "badgolferman"
>> <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>> > "They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why
>> > don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really
>> > smart guys, it's worked for over 200 years, and hell, we're not
>> > using it anymore."
>> >
>> > ---I don't know who said this[/color]
>>
>> They obviously can't use the United States Constitution verbatim
>> (and the Bill Of Rights and following amendments), but it would make
>> decent reference material and a very good framework or starting point.
>> It's not perfect by any means, but it works.
>>
>> They might have to do something smart and follow another of our
>> ideas, like break the country up into several smaller "states" to
>> provide definable areas for the Shia, the Sunni, the Kurds, and any
>> other groups. Separate areas for the separate constituencies, but one
>> common master government for the country as a whole to get and keep
>> them cooperating with each other.[/color][/color]
<Snip>
[color=blue]
>Nice way to take a quip and turn it into something intelligible. I
>like your arguments.[/color]

And now I get to use another one of my copyrighted stock lines:

"Yeah, but it'll never happen - it would make too much sense."

Coming up with a clean and slick solution to a big problem is one
thing, getting a bunch of people to implement it is something else
entirely.

Especially when they're fighting to the death over stupid crap like
who gets to pick the color of the tablecloth on the truce talks
table... (Jeez guys, it's a tablecloth, not a battle flag.)

The sooner everybody stuck together on this 'Third Rock from the
Sun' figures out that Allah, Mohammed, Buddha and God are only
different names for the same basic concept, and "My God" and my ways
of worshipping him are not necessarily better or worse than "Your God"
or your ways, only different, the sooner we can all get along.

--<< Bruce >>--

--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.