U.S.'s New "Nightmare"...

[IllustriousPotentate]

...Bolivia. Yes, Bolivia, that plucky, landlocked South American nation.

CACOCHABAMBA, Bolivia (AP) -- Bolivia's Socialist presidential candidate Evo Morales, who has promised to become Washington's "nightmare," held an unexpectedly strong lead over his conservative rival in Sunday's election, according to two independent exit polls.

The wide margin means Morales, a coca farmer who has said he will end a U.S.-backed anti-drug campaign aimed at eradicating the crop used to make cocaine, will likely be declared president in January.

"If (the U.S.) wants relations, welcome," Morales said after voting, holding a news conference where piles of coca leaves were spread atop a Bolivian flag. "But no to a relationship of submission."

What's your take on this? Is Bolivia really significant enough to worry about? What effect do you think this will have on the drug trade and war on drugs?

[Elfer]

Drugs is drugs. Can't get rid of them anyway, so it's not worth taking military action against a country that wants to make a source product of them legal.

[Redbob86]

I say we send all of our coke-heads and crack-heads to Boliva, then they can have even more customers, just don't leave their customers waiting, they tend to get a little crabby, actually it's more like "crazy", especially if they've got something sharp.

[Raptorman]

At 12/18/05 09:17 PM, Elfer wrote: Drugs is drugs. Can't get rid of them anyway, so it's not worth taking military action against a country that wants to make a source product of them legal.

I think you misjudge the threshold for which America will take military action.

At any rate, old school solcialism as espoused by Morales and Chavez, et. al. is a surefire way to paralyze your business infrastructure. Watch what happens in Venezuela over the next few years (assuming that Columbia doesn't attack them for suppling the FARC rebels).

[HockeyMitch]

At 12/18/05 10:20 PM, Redbob86 wrote: I say we send all of our coke-heads and crack-heads to Boliva, then they can have even more customers, just don't leave their customers waiting, they tend to get a little crabby, actually it's more like "crazy", especially if they've got something sharp.

lol ahem that

[DaRKNeZz1]

Cool, i'm glad they'l bring stress and tears to washington.

[RedSkunk]

I don't think the current difficulty is finding enough coco. The hard part is getting the product to the markets -- ie., the US, Europe, other industrialized nations.

Which Bolivia really doesn't have much say in.

I predict minimal effects.

[Samuel-HALL]

At 12/19/05 07:22 PM, darknezz1 wrote: Cool, i'm glad they'l bring stress and tears to washington.

Good to know what an anti-American you are.

[RedSkunk]

At 12/20/05 06:45 AM, Samuel_HALL wrote:

At 12/19/05 07:22 PM, darknezz1 wrote: Cool, i'm glad they'l bring stress and tears to washington.

Good to know what an anti-American you are.

lmao. OMG, TEH ANTI-AMERICAN! BURN HIM AT TEH STAKE!

[Havock-Master5000]

Well... worst case scenario is that the U.S. will place an embargo (if one isn't already made) against Bolivia. They'll probably deploy Green Berets down there and get a few Bolivian rebels to wage yet another "righteous war" against their "oppressors".

Possibly the only affect it'll have back home is that our gas prices will be jacked up about one more cent and we'll find a newspaper article on it if we look REALLY hard.

[lapis]

It looks like South America is starting to turn leftist. Rosas in Uruguay, Lula da Silva in Brazil, Kirchner in Argentina, Chavez in Venezuela, Palacio in Ecuador (with a lot of ministers from the Izquierda Democrática) and now Morales in Bolivia. If Chile, Peru and Colombia elect a socialist or social-democratic government then we can really call it a red continent.

[Redbob86]

This isn't something to worry about. The new leader of Iran has been making himself noticed though. He recently banned all Western music, and has publically claimed that the Holocaust was fake. Keep in mind that he said there was no Hollocaust only a few months after Israel made threats that if Iran doesn't shut down it's nuclear program, they will send bomber jets and take out the facilities themselves.

Clearly this new guy isn't particularly concerned about his safety, and likes to get himself noticed.

[EnragedSephiroth]

At 12/21/05 05:37 AM, Redbob86 wrote: He recently banned all Western music,

Wait... you can do that?! Kill reggaeton, pop, and new-age hip hop PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALLAH! >.<

Anyway. The Bolivian president-to-be's behavior doesn't surprise me at all. It isn't the first time a small group of indigenous hispanic people have suffered either directly or indirectly because of the U.S.'s "relations" take the guerilla folks of the southern region of Mexico for example, known as the Zapatistas, I deeply admire their courage to rebel against abusive regimes.

[Samuel-HALL]

At 12/20/05 10:25 AM, red_skunk wrote:

At 12/20/05 06:45 AM, Samuel_HALL wrote:

At 12/19/05 07:22 PM, darknezz1 wrote: Cool, i'm glad they'l bring stress and tears to washington.

Good to know what an anti-American you are.

lmao. OMG, TEH ANTI-AMERICAN! BURN HIM AT TEH STAKE!

*shrugs*
He's the one who said he hopes that our government will have a hard time running things.

Who the fuck wishes for a government to have hard times? Besides you, I mean, Red.

[IllustriousPotentate]

At 12/21/05 06:24 AM, Samuel_HALL wrote: Who the fuck wishes for a government to have hard times? Besides you, I mean, Red.

If you wish for an administration to have problems and issues it can't take care of, in hopes that they lose favor with the voting public and a better administration is voted in, where's the harm in that?

[SolInvictus]

i dont think anyone here has yet realized that even though coca is USED to make cocaine it still is not cocaine, chewing coca leaves has been an important part of sum pre-columbian religious rituals that continue to this day. though it is the main part of cocaine production banning the cultivation of a plant that is so important to a country's culture is absolutley ridiculous, and i dont believe it is the US's job to patrol the globe to stop drugs.

[LordXanthus]

At 12/18/05 08:54 PM, IllustriousPotentate wrote: "If (the U.S.) wants relations, welcome," Morales said after voting, holding a news conference where piles of coca leaves were spread atop a Bolivian flag. "But no to a relationship of submission."

That says it right there. I love this man. As a free nation, we should be able to get along well with him. His statement embodies the American spirit, or at least the spirit we once had. Freedom isn't too high on our priority list these days.

[Samuel-HALL]

At 12/21/05 04:50 PM, IllustriousPotentate wrote:

At 12/21/05 06:24 AM, Samuel_HALL wrote: Who the fuck wishes for a government to have hard times? Besides you, I mean, Red.

If you wish for an administration to have problems and issues it can't take care of, in hopes that they lose favor with the voting public and a better administration is voted in, where's the harm in that?

Oh, alright.

Then I wish for the imminent deaths of Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, and every other democrat in the senate. I hope they die.
And then I hope that Hillary Clinton comes down with aids, so the public won't accept her as a nomination for president. I hope that Barack Obama turns out to be crack dealer. I hope Ralph Nader gets arrested for selling marijuana.

Afterall, what's some unfavorable wishes, if I'm wishing it for political reasons?

Right?

[LordXanthus]

At 12/22/05 02:31 AM, Samuel_HALL wrote: And then I hope that Hillary Clinton comes down with aids, so the public won't accept her as a nomination for president.

I must say, that one makes me chuckle. My reasons for despising Hillary Clinton are a bit unorthodox, though.

[Samuel-HALL]

At 12/22/05 03:07 AM, LordXanthus wrote:

At 12/22/05 02:31 AM, Samuel_HALL wrote: And then I hope that Hillary Clinton comes down with aids, so the public won't accept her as a nomination for president.

I must say, that one makes me chuckle. My reasons for despising Hillary Clinton are a bit unorthodox, though.

It doesn't matter why you hate her, brother.

It's the thought that counts.

[Swaaarm]

It'll probably be laughed out of court but hey, who's gonna stop the angry hippes?

[JohnGoody]

At 12/21/05 09:43 PM, LordXanthus wrote: That says it right there. I love this man. As a free nation, we should be able to get along well with him. His statement embodies the American spirit, or at least the spirit we once had. Freedom isn't too high on our priority list these days.

I'm curious. Could you elaborate on this? How does that simple statement embodies American spirit?

[IllustriousPotentate]

At 12/22/05 02:31 AM, Samuel_HALL wrote: Then I wish for the imminent deaths of Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, and every other democrat in the senate. I hope they die.

There's a difference between wishing for a bumbling administration and wishing for the imminent deaths of people, you know.

[Samuel-HALL]

At 12/22/05 05:55 AM, IllustriousPotentate wrote: There's a difference between wishing for a bumbling administration and wishing for the imminent deaths of people, you know.

Hey now.

I just want them to 'have some issues they can't take care of'.
Like the loss of the entire democratic party.

But don't worry. I only say that, because I want 'better' senators and congressman to take their place.