Michael Rudd

Hi Hugo. I have lived in both countries that have and do not have welfare systems, SA had the policy ''dont work dont eat'' a bit hard in a country where unemployment is in the order of 40% but on the other hand where would you get the monby to pay for a welfare state,In the UK we have a system that does try to look after the weeker members of our society, as well as universal medical coverage, I would say the checks and ballances do not work properly here and there is major abuse by the bone idle, But I do believe one of the good measures of a society is how they look after their weekest members. The system in Sweden is incredibly expensive, but the population do not complain about the cost, their system works well, but there again they are a germanic type of people and like to be regimented,and frown on any one abuseing their system. That funding such a state can have a bad effect on GDP growth cant be denied, I am not sure which system in the long run is best for the population as a whole

Thanks for making my point

I see, do you know why I am wrong? or in what way I am wrong?? When I asked if I was wrong, I expected a bit more of an explaination, what you have given leads me to think I have been communicating with a fool.

I think I heard some time back that the older Bush was in the navy during the war and that he had a respectable record, which means that you must be going back to his grand parents at least, which is over 60years ago. So you think that a person can be guilty for things that were done by his forbearers, just when would you put a limit on this?? To do business with the Nazi's does not necssarily make a person a sympathiser, but rather greedy for money, and I suspect that any dealings stoped on the declareation of war by the US. If my treading of the situation is wrong please let me know.

Hi daddybear, I am looking at his father, and while he may not have been the best president, he gave no indication of being a Nazi, or infact even close. I am not aware of any dealings between the Bush family and the Nazi regime, but even if they had business connections before the US declared war on it, so what!!!

daddybear, That there is a huge waste of life in Iraq cant be denied, but to put that waste at Bushes feet, is to deny the realities of just what has been going on there, the main internal killing is done mainly by either the Sunni or Shia factions, and it is almost at civil war levels (some would say it is already there) the main group attacking the US and it's allies troops are foreign insurgents. That Rumsfeld (not sure of the spelling) was not up to the task of advising Bush can also not be denied, and indeed his misreading of the situation has led in good measure to what is happening now.But to put Bush next to Hitler shows how little you know about Hitler and his group, and their sadistic attitude towards non Ayran peoples. I do find it anoying how people bring Hitler out in totaly unwarrented situations, it debases the horror of his regime. And stops me taking their argument seriously.

daddybear, The UK was in your position during the 18th century, we also made mistakes, but we are for the most part still here. In a world that has the problems of this one, needs a policeman, how else are rogue countries to be delt with, the Korea's and Iran's have to be kept in line, In the case of Korea, the US was asked by both Russia and China to act unilateraly while condeming their doing so in Iraq, Fortunately the US said no, and forced those two countries to face up to their obligations in their area, There was no major force in the middle east to help out. So you did the best you could by getting as many countries to join you. If you do nothing about Iran, Then Israel will not sit on their hands and wait to be annihilated, I personaly think it would be better if the US did it,

daddybear.Unfortunately, Your President is chosen by you not us, and no matter what you say your country does lead the world, that you may not be up to it is all our problem. As I said in a different post, from over here you do not seem to put up the most able people for election. But be that as it may we have to live with what you elect. As for Saddam, I believe that we all have a duty of care towards each other, and the sooner we make it impossible for Malevolent dictators to operate in this world the sooner most problems can be sorted out by talking.

daddybear.>>WHO died and made him (or us) the world overseer and police?<< That is the mantel you got when you became to worlds only super power, It is a responsibility that every paramount nation has hd since at least the time of the Romans, there are good things that go with it such as your $ is the unit that dominates world trade, and becomes the main storer ov value for the rest of us, it also means that if you borrow money it is in your currency, not the lenders which means that you do not have any currency movement risk. So for better or worse it is up to your leaders to say yes or no,What the world is like when you hand over the responsibility to the next country and there will be a next country is up to how you project your morality.

daddybear. I for one suported the war agaunst Saddam, not on the grounds that he had WMDs (which could not possibly reach us ) but because of the despotic way he was going about terroriseing his own people, and the destableising effect he had on the whole region, That the US and its allies have made a total mess of the peace does not mean that Saddam should have been left alone to continue his bloodthirsty reign.

It is not that she is doing just what ever she wants on her own, She insists that she is reported in the media and so invites critisim, If she liked to fuck dogs, ( I am not saying she does not) or even you, as far as I am concerned that is fine so long as she does it in private

Hi Tori Allen.>>I feel like a very boring person now...<< Dont, a fulfilled life is not only one of great diversity, but rather one that has been filled with love and doing for your children,True Success is not measured by how much you own but rather what you leave behind, I am lucky in that both my children are very close to me even though my son lives in Sweden with his family, and my daughter in Australia with hers, I see my son a couple of times a year, and we go camping mainly in a two man kayak, I like Sweden very much it is clean and the population is very small, only the size of London in a country twice the size of the UK. But yes it has been a good life so far and it is not finished yet!!!

Hi Hugo.>>Been trying to get my wife to leave for 25 years. How did you do it?<< Carefull what you ask for. For when the gods want to punish you, they grant you your wish. I was married for almost 29 yrs, the last couple not good, but when she up and left, the stress it caused I could not believe, and it lasted for a year untill my first stroke. After 25 yrs you are entwined, and it will take a lot more effort than you believe to break it, It took me about 2yrs work to get better after the strokes, I had a speach defect (still there although a bit better) and weakness in my left side, I got manual work in the UK and cycled to and from work a 11 mile each way trip. and am almost fine now.

Hi again ToriAllen.>>What is your home country and what possessed you to pick up everything and move to South Africa?<< Actually I am a product of the old UK colonial age, and was bourn in India the 8th generation in my mothers side, my was sent over with the RAF during the war, I was born in 1946 came to the UK in 48 then emigrated to South Africa in 1957 when I was 11 yrs old, returned to the UK in 69 became a money broker got married had 2 children, returned with family to SA in 1982,as a fund manager joined the stock exchange as a stock broker. Bought a farm in 1989 wife was suffering from panic attacks , left Johannesburg in 1990 to try farming, it is not so much a job as a way of life, there was a lot of wild life on the farm from Leopards down, bush pig, bush buck, and a load of lesser animals, Lion sometimes broke out of Kruger and went walk about, this was not good news as all the Kruger lions are man eater, Kruger park formed part of the boundary between Mozambique and SA and as getting into SA was not allowed, the people often tried to cross the park, the lion soon found out that humans could not run anything like as fast as antelope , and also did not fight back. Anyway I returned to the UK in 2000 after suffering a couple of strokes, my wife had left me in 98,The first year was not a good one but I am quite happy about it now