finishingcom

The home page of the finishing industry®

---

First, I am asking why the visitors from Cuba, Iran , North Korea , Sudan , and Syria cannot visit your site. Maybe because these countries, from the view of US Government it is terrorism peoples. What about Israel. What about what is happening in Iraq. I think it is terrorism also and what about the US freedom? It is not acceptable to mix between the politics and science. I am dealing with your site from two years ago and that's the last time I will do it because I am from Egypt, from an Arabic country before you add Egypt to your terrorism list.

Please try to stop dealing with the world as a world policeman and US government must try to forget the cowboy method. And they must stop the plunder of Iraq oil, and you must notice that our public opinion does not accept all these. Finally I am sure you will not publish my opinion but I have only my words; and you have my e-mail if you want.

aly gomaa
cairo - egypt

. . . and more from within the U.S.

This if fear based mis-information:

"due to steganography and other concerns we cannot print inquiries or responses from the five countries designated by the US government as state sponsors of terrorism"

You really don't have to worry about this on a site like yours. The inclusion of this text really just makes you look silly, paranoid, or both. Lighten up........ -- chuck brush, houston, texas, USA

Hello, Aly. You have helped others on this site for two years and we appreciate it. You are right that politics and science don't mix! Our readers have done well, posting 35,000 topics over a period of 10 years from around the world, with virtually no politics. We appreciate so many readers holding their tongue. Hopefully we can keep politics out and continue to concentrate on metal finishing :-)

According to today's news, 53 percent of Americans feel it was an error to go into Iraq, with that percentage rising. But in America, oil is much much more expensive than before the invasion of Iraq; so if there is plunder of oil, America is clearly not the beneficiary.

Readers from those 5 countries are welcome here. But we are not comfortable printing photos and letters from those countries because of steganography. It was widely reported that the four co-ordinated terror teams, which on 9-11-01 tried to destroy America, used steganography on public websites to exchange their plans. And it is also known that such steganography is virtually impossible for site operators like us to detect. Maybe it is paranoia though; we'll see what others say. -- Ted Mooney

"You really don't have to worry about this on a site like yours."

Keep in mind, that up until 4 years ago, we didn't have to worry about planes crashing into the WTC, either, Chuck. I, for one, applaud Finishing.Com for not allowing any members of those five countries to post here. The governments of these 5 countries, and yes, Egypt and Saudi-Arabia too, could do a lot to solve the problems between them and the USA. Yet, they do nothing, or very little.

I have mixed emotions about what's going on in Iraq, but you can be sure I support my President, and the decisions he has to make. Even if citizens of those 5 countries could post here, you can be sure they wouldn't get one iota of advice from me. I struggle with giving advice to many of the "foreign" writers on the letters page, as I see it as harmful to the USA economy. So many of our metal finishing jobs have been outsourced to countries where slave labor, and non-existent environmental regulations are commonplace. I recognize that there are several foreign posters here that contribute on a daily basis, and am appreciative of that. If I were to see that one of them had a question, I would reply if I had advice to solve their problem. Unfortunately, too many of these questions are hard to understand, vague, or they want entire processes. The latter of which, they will never get from me.

I could go on for a couple of more paragraphs, but will abide by Finishing.Com's wishes, and try to keep politics out of this great metal finishing site.

Just my 2 cents worth..and that's probably what its worth :)

P.S. Aly..answer me this, how comfortable do you REALLY feel with Iran possibly developing nuclear weapons?? (Sorry, I couldn't resist) -- Marc Green, Boise, Idaho

Thanks, Marc. I think the outsourcing culprit is that in a global economy the old saw "What's good for General Motors is good for America" outlived any truthfulness and became the big lie (I don't mean GM alone, I mean most of the Freeload 500). -- Ted Mooney

Sorry, I couldn't resist too Marc :)

I'm not comfortable knowing Israel got nuclear weapon. And I can t see ppl talk about that. We have to live in a balanced world of power. If not, an abuse of power will occur, e.g. Saddam s power on the ppl of Iraq, Israel s power on the Palestinians. and the result, every action got a reaction.

Why did terror come up?! Marc, I would like to know your answer.

I support Ted - "It was widely reported that the four co-ordinated terror teams, which on 9-11-01 tried to destroy America, used steganography on public websites to exchange their plans. And it is also known that such steganography is virtually impossible for site operators like us to detect."

However, I have a different opinion on "We are saying that we are not comfortable printing photos and letters from those countries because of steganography."

This states its not a rule, and its a personal judgment, doesn t represent all the parties. And I wonder if it (the statement) does push away those who are/will post in this forum for whatever purposes!

My vote goes for: Dont mix between the politics and science

a man got to do what a man got to do.

Funny it is, I was looking for anodizing car rims! and ended up writing this! -- Sameer Al-belushi, Muscat-Oman, Middle East

While I was looking for something on Roughness tolerancing I came across, 'Where is the USA Freedom?'. Ironically hardly any of the terrorists behind the 9-11 attacks came from the so-called 'Axis of Evil' countries. The same is true for 'Iraq'. What a waste of lives and billions of dollars in a useless fight in Iraq!!! It is also amazing to see the United States is successfully keeping her citizens ignorant of the above facts too.

& Environment, Isnt the USA the worst environmental polluter in the World?

Moreover i would like to ask (Marc Green, Boise, Idaho) if they really care for environment so much why is it that President Bush had reservations signing the Koyoto declaration when we press him on it? -- Signora Taylor, UK

Obviously, getting diverted into politics results in spoiling camaraderie and focusing on differences, Signora--relying on spite and exaggeration to make certain that common ground cannot be found,.

No one is keeping anyone ignorant in this information age -- didn't you just make a claim and see it published? But it is a universal human failing that "a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest" [The Boxer, Paul Simon].

Speaking of which, on what basis could anyone possibly claim that the USA is "the worst environmental polluter in the World" unless they are being willfully ignorant or engaging in spiteful exaggeration?

Yes, the USA should sign a global warming agreement. Now in return will you be even remotely fair and agree that such agreements always have a component of punishing the USA? Please take 10 minutes to take a quick glance at the Montreal Protocol (it's only 5 pages long) and then tell me I'm wrong. -- Ted Mooney

First: I am worried about Iran and a nuclear bomb because they are a dictatorship led by an apparant mad-man. I am not worried about Israel because they are a Democracy and so far that's the most effective form of government humans have come up with.

Second: The United States is at war with a philosophy that has vowed to destroy us at all cost. We must do what we can to protect ourselves and to shorten this war. If there is even the remotest chance this or any other website could be used against us then it is our duty to err on the side of caution. It is nothing personal against any individual or group. It is just being prudent.

We fail little by little; not all at once. Were I the webmaster I would not want any potential malicious use of my site to be perpetrated on my watch.

During the Second World war members of my family were unceremoniously and brutally killed by the Nazis for giving the slightest resistance to help the Allies. I am here thanks to them. There is no distinction for me between a professional website like this and the current politcal landscape. I would not risk the chance of abuse.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

You may ask the decendants of the deceased members of the Colaianni family from Abbruzzi to confirm that sentiment. -- FZ.

Letter 39994 sort of follows up on this editorial. With the president lobbying for the UAE to take control of our six Eastern ports . . . with Afghanistan, while under our rule, making plans to execute Christians for apostacy . . . with Iraq so divided that we can't possibly tell if an inquiry letter is from friend or foe . . . with huge rallies across America where Mexican flags are waved by the tens of thousands . . . with Toyota being a huge domestic employer, and Ford & GM having plants around the world and on the verge of bankruptcy . . . and a hundred other things -- I'm failing little by little, and have no confidence that this website administrator knows what's good for the USA :-) -- Ted

Dear Reader: please choose what you want to do--

 

I want to reply to or follow-up on this subject.

 

I want to start a new news item or editorial thread on a different subject.

 

I want to view the previous editorials and news items.