Actually, Brazil is the eighth largest economy in the world and is a debt-free nation at the moment having repaid all of their IMF & World Bank loans in the last few years. They have abundant natural resources (oil & minerals). They have a huge agricultural sector. They have a thriving ethanol industry that keeps their transportation running cheaply.

Lula isn't looking for a handout.
In fact, Brazil just donated $10 billion to the IMF. While Brazil still has a high poverty rate the country has been on the right track economically for the past 20+ years. You underestimate our neighbors to the south, and it is precisely this "gringo" arrogance which gives them they're reasoning for using our misfortune as an opportunity to bolster their own standing in the world, along with the rest of the BRIC nations.

Brazil could be an excellent ally and partner for the USA - if only we'd treat them as such instead of so many of you wrongly confusing them with Mexico & Venezuela. Who knows; in the near future we may need them more than they need us.

The only thing you "salute" Steven for is saying something you couldn't put into words if you tried.
You merely "agree" with him, you don't care about his courage. Because if next week he says something you despise; you'll "salute" him with an F.U. for his cowardice.

Everything else in your post was pot=kettle B.S., hyperbole, pompous self-righteousness, and blatantly obvious asinine patronizing.

Personally, I was much more offended at the conservative women "Hate F**k" list. Now that little piece of work was no doubt intended to be funny, but it wasn't. Instead it came very close to portraying extreme sadism and angry misogyny. I didn't find it funny, and if it had been reversed and aimed at liberal women the feeling would've been exactly the same - disgust. Disgust that not only could a man write such a vile diatribe and have it published by a major magazine, but that our society has degenerated to such a degree that something like that could be proclaimed so widely & publicly as opposed to the backrooms of men's clubs and male locker rooms where it belongs (if it even belongs there).

The far-left seems to take great joy in highly offensive sexual jokes lately purely for the shock value and the cheap laughs. They've also acquired a severe fetish for the silliest of stereotypes when commenting about anyone who is white, conservative and/or Christian.

There's a Republican hack in S.C. taking all kinds of heat this week for a "joke" comparing Michelle Obama to a gorilla on his Facebook profile. And, rightfully so; he deserves the heat and all of the backlash he's receiving for his insensitivity. But the left conveniently forgets all the "Bush/Chimp" jokes that they dished out for eight years. That's a HUGE double-standard, despite any long-time cultural stereotypes associated with blacks and apes.
The left always wants it both ways, especially when it comes to insulting and degrading their opponents.

---- Steven, your #1 & #2 I can agree with, except for the "double-standard" by the left already mentioned. But #3 goes right along with the Playboy piece, in my opinion, and is below contempt, bordering on hateful bullying - something the left can dish out in heaping piles but gets offended at in a heartbeat if the target is one of their protected groups or one of their cult of personality heroes.

Gotta agree with betterred. You come across as an over-educated child trapped in an adult body. The constant chest-puffing and faux egotism is also quite telling about your state of emotional and intellectual development.

1. No, the argument does not fail in court. Instead, the court fails to acknowledge the obvious inconsistencies of their application of the laws for homicide in favor of abortion.
2. The Supreme Court rules that abortion is a private matter between a woman and her doctor. Therefore it is in the public interest to protect the woman's privacy. However, if the woman in question is a resident of a state with a "medical marijuana" law, that same Supreme Court does not recognize her privacy and deems her smoking a joint to be more harmful to the public good than murdering her unborn offspring.
6. In many states and through the federal system it is entirely lawful to dispose of anybody who has been judged guilty of a horrendous crime and sentences them to death.
3-10. All law is a matter of personal & combined opinion about morality & ethics based on cultural norms and enacted for the good of society.

Your case is weak, as all illogical, immoral, and inconsistent arguments are.

One word Mr. Winecoff: Brilliant.

You are talking about a nation that thinks "Reality Shows" are actually reality, and you expect the sheeple to determine the difference between an adapted work of fiction and documentary? That line was blurred to the point of non-recognition when Moore did Fahrenheit 9/11 - and won an Oscar for it.

Says it all about the American public school system doesn't it? Don't worry, we'll just pay the teachers more, spend more money for technology to teach the kids, let the TV and MySpace teach them everything the teacher missed..... and everything will work out just fine.

And Al Gore is the new Pope selling "indulgences" against "sin" to the highest bidder.

Where's all of that OIL we were supposed to be getting, man?!??!?!!!!! And since the IRAQI's themselves (along with various Saudis, Yemenis, Egyptians, Syrians, Jordanians, and Iranians) killed most of the Iraqis who's going to put them before a War Crimes Tribunal?!?!?!?!!! And to be honest with you, I can't wait for some TRUTH to finally arrive in this world FILLED with PROPAGANDA and marketing LIES....... man!!! Power to the people my brutha! (does high-five, hand-jive, and throws out a V-sign thinking it means "Peace," when it actually means "Victory" - all good tho, I'm cool!!! toke... cough... PEACE!!!)