quote:

ORIGINAL: Politesub53

quote:

ORIGINAL: vincentML

"After the Chinese defeat in the First Opium War (1839-42), Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842 under the Treaty of Nanking. Britain was granted a perpetual lease on the Kowloon Peninsula under the 1860 Convention of Beijing, which formally ended hostilities in the Second Opium War (1856-58). The United Kingdom, concerned that Hong Kong could not be defended unless surrounding areas also were under British control, executed a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898, significantly expanding the size of the Hong Kong colony."

Under what stretch of imagination was a lease imposed on Britain by China in 1898? You held it in perpetuity by force of arms in the Opium Wars. I am surprised that you so easily deny the colonial conquests of the Empire. But then there are many Americans who deny we are a world empire today. Amazing how people can turn a blind eye to the adventures of their own country.

I am not denying anything, just pointing out the facts which you prefer to ignore. Your own post includes the word lease and the events of 1898 were not the same as those of 40 years earlier.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Fightdirecto

Actors, musicians and professional athletes get better press coverage for their statements outside their area of professional expertise than a non-celebrity who might actually be an expert on the subject. But who's to blame? IMO, the general public who seems to think that if you record a song or play a role in a film or TV show or score the winning goal in a World Cup soccer game, you're somehow special and somehow better than the average person. I've spent most of my life in the performing arts and have seen it often. My celebrity co-workers are often treated like oracles and possessors of great universal knowledge by their fans and the media.

It's a sad fact of life.

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I do agree that there is a celebrity effect that goes on. But I believe it really only effects how much media coverage an issue gets. I don't believe it has a huge impact on creating a completely blind following on the part of the fan base.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Fightdirecto

Actors, musicians and professional athletes get better press coverage for their statements outside their area of professional expertise than a non-celebrity who might actually be an expert on the subject. But who's to blame? IMO, the general public who seems to think that if you record a song or play a role in a film or TV show or score the winning goal in a World Cup soccer game, you're somehow special and somehow better than the average person. I've spent most of my life in the performing arts and have seen it often. My celebrity co-workers are often treated like oracles and possessors of great universal knowledge by their fans and the media.

It's a sad fact of life.

quote:

ORIGINAL: vincentML

quote:

I do agree that there is a celebrity effect that goes on. But I believe it really only effects how much media coverage an issue gets. I don't believe it has a huge impact on creating a completely blind following on the part of the fan base.

I think you're quite right, ftp.

May a suggest a different dynamic? What I observed between Penn and the Media in 2003 (in retrospect sadly) and now with his support for Argentina and additionally for Chavez? IMO, Penn is a man of conscience who feels compelled to take unpopular causes and speak out against the received wisdom, against the orthodoxy. The Media storm is of a nature to assault his character and consequently rally the populous to the side of Authority, pointing out another lefty celebrity trying to turn us common folk away from the 'truth' and righteousness of our nation's actions. OMG! The cajones he displayed in the face of the runup to the attack against Iraq. Penn's great crime is that he dares to shout out the lack of clothing on the Emperor.

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ORIGINAL: Hillwilliam

quote:

ORIGINAL: thompsonx
With the exception of alaska which part of the u.s. did we acquire without the force of arms or the threat there of?

Louisiana purchase.

Owned by spain but purchased from france?????
U.S. sends a military expedition into a soverign nation...spain sends military expedition to intercept lewis and clark.
Looks like force of arms to me.

Gadsden purchase.

The u.s. just finished the mexican american war and needed this piece of land for the completion of the southern pacific railroad. It was foisted onto mexico at the point of a gun and caused the president of mexico to loose his job.

Purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark.

Correct

Red river Basin acquired by treaty from the UK in 1818
This resolution of land claims stems from the treaty of paris which ended the revolutionary war...so this was land taken in the revolutionary war. The boundries of which were set by the treaty of 1818.


Midway atoll, Kingman Reef, Jarvis Island.

Appropriated by the u.s. military.

Wake Island, 1899

Appropriated by the u.s. military

Northern Mariana Islands.

Taken from japan in ww2 at the point of a gun.

quote:

ORIGINAL: thompsonx

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hillwilliam

quote:

ORIGINAL: thompsonx
With the exception of alaska which part of the u.s. did we acquire without the force of arms or the threat there of?

Louisiana purchase.

Owned by spain but purchased from france?????
U.S. sends a military expedition into a soverign nation...spain sends military expedition to intercept lewis and clark.
Looks like force of arms to me.

Gadsden purchase.

The u.s. just finished the mexican american war and needed this piece of land for the completion of the southern pacific railroad. It was foisted onto mexico at the point of a gun and caused the president of mexico to loose his job.

Purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark.

Correct

Red river Basin acquired by treaty from the UK in 1818
This resolution of land claims stems from the treaty of paris which ended the revolutionary war...so this was land taken in the revolutionary war. The boundries of which were set by the treaty of 1818.


Midway atoll, Kingman Reef, Jarvis Island.

Appropriated by the u.s. military.

Wake Island, 1899

Appropriated by the u.s. military

Northern Mariana Islands.

Taken from japan in ww2 at the point of a gun.

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Sean Penn was never the same after Madonna sat on his face for 5 years.

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I guess only "polititians" can voice an opinion....

God forbid Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte should have helped out when MLK asked them to....... they should have butted out.

Or Gandhi.......he wasn`t a "politician"..............how dare he mind other people`s business......

There are a lot of actors who try to bring public attention to problems,George Clooney and his dad doing documentaries about Darfar......I bet money there`s some in folks in Sudan who think he should butt-out of their business....



http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/07/how-george-clooneys-satellite-group-identifying-mass-graves-sudan/39989/

"How George Clooney's Satellite Group Is Identifying Mass Graves in Sudan"

Such a do-gooder..........

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ORIGINAL: SternSkipper
Dude... Mosta these cons are all frigged up cause they started boycotting Penn when they found out he wasn't really Jeff Spicoli.
   So anytime anybody hip does anything good they gotta have a cross burning on his lawn.

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I wonder what Sean Penn would say on the issue of Shaker Aamer, a Brit who has been held without trial in Guantanamo Bay since mid-February 2002.

quote:

ORIGINAL: slvemike4u

I'm not reading this whole thread,so if this has been said before,forgive me
The issue isn't with actors using their fame to push their agendas,the issue is with fools who allow someone whose only talent is to hit a mark and read their lines exert an out sized influence on their own positions.
becoming famous does not in any way shape or form mean someone needs to muzzle themselves....but I can,and should lend their opinion only the weight that opinion merits based on the validity of said opinion ...not how good his last song or last movie was.
should I use the latter criteria...I am an idiot,not the actor/singer

quote:

ORIGINAL: stellauk

I wonder what Sean Penn would say on the issue of Shaker Aamer, a Brit who has been held without trial in Guantanamo Bay since mid-February 2002.

quote:

ORIGINAL: slvemike4u

I'm not reading this whole thread,so if this has been said before,forgive me
The issue isn't with actors using their fame to push their agendas,the issue is with fools who allow someone whose only talent is to hit a mark and read their lines exert an out sized influence on their own positions.
becoming famous does not in any way shape or form mean someone needs to muzzle themselves....but I can,and should lend their opinion only the weight that opinion merits based on the validity of said opinion ...not how good his last song or last movie was.
should I use the latter criteria...I am an idiot,not the actor/singer