HOGTOF: Gun Toting Old Farts, Holy Order of

[MinnaCaroline]

estayland said:

Meatloaf played in some movie where Patrick Swazie was a truck driver. Does anyone remember that one?

You mean Black Dog?

Yeah I'll sing again... eventually. I need music to back up my singing... you all have got to be sick of just my voice! LOL!

[SovietPrussia]

lol

[Fleeb]

Estay, why is your British Union Jack the one from prior to 1801?

[SovietPrussia]

all hail HOGTOF

[Estayland]

idk why... it's just a cool bumper sticker I found.

[SovietPrussia]

yep

[Fleeb]

Actually, if Britain had the same attitudes now as it did toward Napoleonic France, I don't think anyone would be having much trouble with Iran.... (Just a guess, and not trying to turn this into a geo-political thread.)

[Estayland]

I agree. I've always heard that if you round up a bunch of rednecks and coon asses and tell them that the terrorists hate God, guns, and fried chicken, AND it's the first day of terrorist season, they'd get Osama shortly. Oh yeah... no limits!

[Sinn Féin's Ireland]

I'm glad it's the pre- act of union jack. The Ulster Irish are a bit above that now. They've just found a little thing called peace. And anyway, it just emphasises the imperialistic mindset that carries hand in hand with such sentiments. Liberal interventionism as a concept is a good idea, but there are better ways to do it than epitomised in a UK/US/Israel bumper sticker alliance.


Not very gun-toting or old fart-ish of me, i know. I guess i'll have to leave the club.

*fires off a few rounds in to the distance...floors another handful of UK troops in Afghanistan*

[Fleeb]

I'm curious, Sinn, about your read of the situation now in the former Yugoslavia. Did the interventions do well there, and are they wanting for more--one hears it's heating up there again.

There are those, apparently, who think peace is an imperialistic imposition by those who are minding someone else's own business. (Our confederates felt that way in 1865, too.)

[Estayland]

Interventionalism is very interesting. Here in America, liberals want us to go to Darfour, but want us out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Of course, Darfour is our fault because of George Bush's policies toward global warming and no-bid contracts to Halliburton... and maybe the tax cuts for the rich not sure.

[Sinn Féin's Ireland]

Well of course the international community was reticent regarding intervention in Bosnia for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Croatia's declaration of independence (and the EUs immediate recognition of said independence) prior to the Bosnian attempt, and the US's involvement in Iraq I both meant no-one wanted to get their hands dirty. This was wrong, and consequently we left it too late, by 1995 too many people had died. The UN has subsequently done a good job there though. Paddy Ashdown until recently was govenor of the protectorate. It's future remains in limbo, although that is another issue.

The ICs reaction to Kosovo was under different circumstances. We jumped right in to assuage our collective guilt over the Bosnian failure, wanted to prevent another Srebrenica from happening. Mostly NATO was a bit too useless really. They starting bombing everything, escalating the ethnic cleansing, increasing collateral damage (Chinese embassy, residential areas etc), and for a while, bolstering the support for Milosevic. Infact, it was the Russians, threatening to cut off his gas supply that made him cave in the end.

It was definitely right to intervene, and it proves Blair has often the right intention. The region has no resources or geographical importance to speak of so there can be no cynical arguments of usurious interest, and it demonstrated a general desire to do good in the name of human rights. Things were screwed up though. Kosovo too remains in legal limbo.

They are examples of where things could have been done better, although pale in comparison to the messes we've made of Iraq and Afghanistan. We need to learn our lessons a little better before all this talk of invading Iran.


Sorry, I'll leave the RL politics for another board. That's all from me.

[Fleeb]

Good and wise answers. Such are welcome on any thread any time. Not that I necessarily draw the same conclusions, but your observations are close to the bull's eye. One can see how, say an Israeli, or perhaps even a European looking at developing Iranian technical capacities could be less than eager to dismiss intervention there. My own hopes are for the Iranian people to deal with their own mullahs. If we have time.

[SovietPrussia]

mine too. Lets hope they do.

[bichons]

Can I be a young burp instead of an old fart? And carry a big stick?

[Fleeb]

great concept! send me a note and we can talk.

[SovietPrussia]

It's what's needed here

[Bletheropolis: the cat sleeps]

I guess for baby HOGTOF members, a big stick is all we can handle.
see what they gave me? *tosses her shiny, flaming baton*

when can I graduate to a "Noisy Cricket", Prior?
(in case you OLD people don't know, that's the little gun thingy that J was assigned in MIB)

[SovietPrussia]

Noisy cricket? cool

[Sinn Féin's Ireland]

I gotta watch that film again. MIB rocks.

[MinnaCaroline]

I love that movie! "Here come the men in black!" lol!! Now that's a great movie.

[SovietPrussia]

hell yeah

[Estayland]

I believe some of us are getting off track... so let's get back to what we're truly about.

Teddy Roosevelt said "Speak softly and carry a big stick." I believe, though, Yosemite Sam said, "Well, I speak LOUDLY, and carry an even BIGGER stick, and I use it to!" But, in the end, Yosemite Sam was always defeated by Bugs Bunny.

The purpose of the HOGTOFs is not to use the guns or sticks, but to carry or tote them. Only use the gun or stick when necessary... such as when Soviet-Prussia eats the last cookie in the bag or when he gets on his hyperactive mode.

[Fleeb]

Another mantra: "Root hog or die."

Anyone have an idea where that comes from?

[Bletheropolis: the cat sleeps]

estayland said:

The purpose of the HOGTOFs is not to use the guns or sticks, but to carry or tote them. Only use the gun or stick when necessary... such as when Soviet-Prussia eats the last cookie in the bag or when he gets on his hyperactive mode.

oh. darn. and here I was having so much fun USING my swiss-army batons (with tazer function)

*swipes the last cookie in the bag, crumbles part of it, and sprinkles the crumbs on SP's hands and clothes whilst no-one's looking*

PRIOR! Lookie what I found?! SP's eaten the last cookie!
*hopeful grin*

[Sinn Féin's Ireland]

*looks suspiciously at Blether, and proceeds to tote the HOGTOF ceremonial baton at SP, because, afterall, who can resist a good beating opportunity?*

[Twobagger]

Sister Bletheropolis, that is not amusing.
You should not attempt to deceive our Prior, that is of the utmost disgracefulness, as is trying to turn sentiment against your Brothers in the Order.
Don't think you can escape my all-seeing eye around here... it's not like I have anything else to do besides watching for someone to slip up, except sip lemonade and carve potatoes, and that gets old after three glasses and half a potato.
You have committed this injustice for one reason: you are restless. Therefore, your punishment will be thus:
Release your restlessness by flogging Soviet-Prussia for hours upon end in the jail.
Also, do a Hail Grub or hit yourself in the tummy or something when you're done, we can't have it all be fun... er... physical punishment.

[MinnaCaroline]

*MinnaCaroline hasn't been posting in HOGTOF because she's been in her room practicing her next song.*

[Fleeb]

Hallelujah! (as they say). I've been missing your cantorly crooning, Sister MC.

[SovietPrussia]

I hope she'll post more often here