May 2, 2001

8:41 AM

Hit back at ChinaMove number one: order black berets for the entire army and toss the one they had. Move two: have the new ones made in China. Move three: We are pissed at China so we now destroy all the berets. Is this a government or what?
posted by Postroad (17 comments total)

This whole thing is getting quite ridiculous.
posted by Wizzle at 9:02 AM on May 2, 2001

If I didn't know better, I'd say that this administration was trying to destroy relations with China. But that's silly, why would they do something like that?
posted by jpoulos at 9:07 AM on May 2, 2001

Thank God it's only the taxpayers' money.
posted by dhartung at 9:14 AM on May 2, 2001

jpoulos - that seems to be the trend. Talk one way and act in another. China, Headstart, tax relief for everyone, uniter not a divider, etc... He talks, many Americans believe his "good intentions." When he does the opposite and is questioned on it, he just repeats his good intentions and ignores the obvious. Unfortunately, it seems to be working.
posted by quirked at 9:19 AM on May 2, 2001

Bush pushes for a National Missile Defense system to protect the US, a Theater Missile Defense system to protect our allies, and vows to defend Taiwan against anyone who threatens it... and China replies with threats of a breakdown of world peace... because missile defense systems decrease their ability to obliterate Japan and Taiwan? What? I fail to see how Bush is playing the role of bully here, and I don't even like the man.
posted by techgnollogic at 9:24 AM on May 2, 2001

Shouldn't all berets be made in France?
posted by ParisParamus at 9:26 AM on May 2, 2001

My thoughts on Missile Defense can be summed up by this.
posted by quirked at 9:29 AM on May 2, 2001

"Sixty-three percent of the American people approve of the job Bush is doing. Then again, 98 percent of the American people are fucking morons."

[from the Onion's What do you think?]

Hrm. We threw out the old berets, got new ones, and destroyed them. Does this mean the brave men of our armed forces are now forced to go hatless? I surely hope that's not the case. And if so, the situation should be fixed immediately.
posted by dogmatic at 9:33 AM on May 2, 2001

ParisParamus, meet Dick Paris.

Shouldn't all bérets be made in the Basque region?
posted by Dick Paris at 9:36 AM on May 2, 2001

<off topic>

Postroad, if you had an e-mail address on your profile, I'd be able to say this privately, but since you don't, I have a suggestion. Why don't you get a blog of your own? You've got a lot of great links and intriguing comments, and I for one would read your weblog. But you've been averaging about a post a day for the last two months. Why don't you save your better posts for MetaFilter and put the rest on your own site?

</off topic>
posted by Avogadro at 9:42 AM on May 2, 2001

First off, the defense system doesnt even work and if it did there are way too many ways to plant a nuclear/biological weapon without a missle. How deep in the defense industry can one be?
posted by skallas at 9:49 AM on May 2, 2001

Avogadro: That discussion ought to take place in MetaTalk.
posted by rcade at 10:00 AM on May 2, 2001

Hey, what kind of other stuff can we buy from China and then destroy? That'll show 'em!
posted by owen at 10:23 AM on May 2, 2001

I imagine there are countless other products employed by the US military that were made in China. Little plastic gizmos essential for the operation of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and whatnot.

You know, I'd wager that our entire military industrial complex would fall apart were it not for certain products and services available cheaply from the yellow hordes of China.

God, this is so unbelievably rediculous . . . soon there'll be public burnings of all things "made in China".

In a slightly tangential way, it reminds me of that Simpsons episode where the citizens of Springfield decide that they've had enough of science, and go about destroying all of their scientific institutions - including the Christian Science Reading Room.
posted by aladfar at 10:46 AM on May 2, 2001

Avogadr! that is very sweet. I am married but I play around so if you are not busy etcetc
Thanks...check out Booknotes site and Reutlog...I post there too. Because I am very wealthy thanks to capitalism and illegal alien help, I have lots of free time and so can find some stuff. I am: [e-mail]. But don't tell anyone cause this is an unlisted address
posted by Postroad at 11:03 AM on May 2, 2001

I agree that a missile defense system does nothing to protect the US from attack. I seriously doubt it could EVER even protect from missile attack. Follow the money. As for the recent controversy with China, a convenient smoke screen for the Hainan/Bush Technology Transfer progarm and a great excuse to restart the Cold War military industrial defense industry overspending. Remember the recent old days of a "peace dividend" for the citizens of the world seeing as how the Cold War was over?
posted by nofundy at 12:28 PM on May 2, 2001

Step 4. Repair relations with China
Step 5. Buy new berets, from China, for the hatless army...
posted by slackbash at 5:27 PM on May 2, 2001