Posts by restlessstag14

Look, just like the Iraq War wasn't fueled by the actions of some lone American, we can't pin the whole conflict on just one single factor.

Plus, those motivations kept shifting even while the fighting was actually going down.

If you really sit down and count everything—especially when you factor in all the reasons why the American opposition fought back—you’re probably looking at about twenty different major drivers.

I mean, seriously, what kind of idiots on this planet would've thought Americans wouldn't go out and accomplish most of what they set out to do? They've been pushing back and firing right back for years now.

But honestly, who on this entire forum would actually prefer living in Iraq back in '89 over being in West Germany?

Honestly, what Madoff pulled off wasn't even that difficult if you've got a reputation like his to lean on while you're busy peddling smoke and mirrors. It's not like everyone just handed him cash on a silver platter, either—there were plenty of foundations that didn't just swallow everything he said; they actually walked away when they couldn't wrap their heads around how his "investment strategy" could somehow outpace everyone else using the exact same methods.

Great flick. Just a hair below Syriana for my money.

Zachary Thompson2 said:Honestly, I found *Syriana* pretty much impossible to follow. It took me basically half the movie just to figure out who was actually working for whom, and even then, the ending didn't really leave me feeling anything. There was way too much stylistic fluff and unnecessary complexity; they could have definitely handled the whole thing with a lot more grace.

I honestly think that was the whole point of the movie—that this "conflict" isn't some black-and-white, easy-to-digest situation.

There were some pretty hilarious little details, too—like how those guys basically shoved a rocket straight into the hull of the ship, which would’ve blown the whole thing to kingdom come if they'd actually tried to fire it. Or that convoy ambush that looked like it was pulled off by a goddamn clone.

Elizabeth Lopez16 said:The United Kingdom’s decision to knight Salman Rushdie is nothing more than a reflection of the specific cultural and political values the UK holds dear—much like how Pakistan maintains its own set of values that those in the UK might view as equally blasphemous or unjustified.

Rushdie is an author of Indian descent whose work fits perfectly within the British literary tradition, which is precisely why he received this honor. It’s a matter of alignment. To use a dark analogy: just as Osama bin Laden "contributed" to the cultural landscape of Pakistan through his "work" (according to the Pakistani value system), he was met with a corresponding level of recognition there.

The tiny little detail that makes this comparison hit different is that Rushdie was honored for his work with a pen, while bin Laden did his "work" with a sword. Thank god the pen actually turned out to be mightier than the sword, lol.

The movie was killer—2.5 hours of pure entertainment that never felt sluggish or overstuffed. Every character actually feels human, with their own specific strengths and flaws. The action sequences were great too; the hand-to-hand combat felt gritty and real without being ridiculous. My only real gripes are that I missed that epic, rhythmic flow you get from a classic Walt Whitman poem, and honestly, they could've shown a little more skin.

btw, Achilles definitely played a part in the downfall of the Three—he basically took out the only commander worth a damn.