France!

[BADDOG]

War is also about coming home and looking into your best friends wifes eyes and trying to tell her why he died and you didn't......something that will haunt me for the rest of my days....

Regards

[Matt]

Originally posted by KU43
A real wake up. I know the U.S. went to Iraq for all the wrong reasons. But on the other hand I don,t want to see another 9/11 and haven't since we took the war to them. The old saying "Nothing is solved with violence." is pure bunk. I suppose if some liberals went to Hitler and said please stop gasing thousands of Jews he would have stopped.The money we have spent, and the troops we have lost is a high price to pay.but freedom don't come cheap.All the freedoms we have wer'nt given us by a president , or the congress, or judges, or lawers, or bleeding heart liberals. They were given to us by the four branches of our armed forces since the revolutionary war. No one wants war but you have to draw the line.

how war is? it's eating your k-rations wondering if the flys on it had been on the bodys of the friends laying around you. its crying like a baby in the bottom of a fox-hole all night while motors rounds hit all around you.Its seeing your best friend's head explode less than 10 feet from you. it's using dead bodys as sandbags. It't wondering for the rest of your life how you came out alive.

i agree, no one wants to see another 9/11, and i doubt we ever will. 9/11 happened because america has the attitude that nothing will ever happen to us on our home soil. no Hitler wasnt gonna stop if someone told him to, but that situation is when NATO should step in. the thing is the US went against our allies and against NATO to go to Iraq. yes the US should have intervined earlier in the halocaust, yes the US should have intervined in somolia, no we should have no gotten involved in iraq.

[SilentTrigger]

Originally posted by KU43
So now is Australia a Friend or Foe?

After China floods your country with their cheap, next to worthless, goods, start threatening your aiiies of invasion, or tryes to ship into your country full auto AK-47s to Asain gangs ran by the Red Guard will your good friends be friends or foes?

I think you have a mind on the bit extreem imagniery side

China is developing faster then basicly any country in the world has ever done, they are very smart people and awsome craftmens people same as the japanese people. You shouldn't underestimate those you know nothing of

Just look as the japanese samuri swards, there is still no stronger metal then the alloy of the Samuri sward, which is quite unbeliveble as when it was first crafter. The chinese people is in comparense to the japanese people. They are absolutley awsome people and have amazing craftmenskills. Craftmenskills that we can't even compeete with

And you shouldn't forget that 9/11 had nothing to do with Saddam, Saddam and bin laden hated each other, they had compleetly different views on islam and religion which made them hate each other.

[JonM]

if people like aus want to trade with china cool with me...if china ever declares war on america for a reason other than us doing something dumb, i'm pretty sure aus wouldn't side with them

[-live-wire-]

Originally posted by atholon
I think it is funny

I didn't even think the french had rifles. I thought all they did was slap eachouther with gloves.

Now that is funny...Ath!
(pats Ath on the back)
<:{{{}}}><

[Trojan]

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN

SHANGHAI, China (AP) - The European Union's trade chief urged China on Saturday to rethink its currency's exclusive peg to the U.S. dollar, a day after helping settle a potentially damaging dispute over surging Chinese textile exports.

On Friday, Peter Mandelson and Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai agreed to limit the growth of Chinese textile exports to Europe, which have increased massively since quotas were lifted Jan. 1. Under the deal, all limits will be done away with in 2008.

Mandelson said China should consider linking the value of the yuan to a basket of foreign currencies, saying that could ward off accusations from Washington and elsewhere that Beijing deliberately keeps its currency cheap.

``I happen to believe that a more flexible exchange rate, one that's pegged not just to the dollar but to other currencies, including the euro, will be better for China,'' Mandelson said in an interview with Associated Press Television News.

``I think it would ward off some of the protectionist responses and attitudes to China.''

However, Mandelson did not indicate any urgency by the EU to get Beijing to reform its currency regime. In contrast, Washington has recently intensified the pressure on China to stop linking the yuan at a fixed rate to the dollar, a practice that American manufacturers say has undervalued the yuan and given China a huge trade advantage.

Friday's agreement, announced after 10 hours of talks in Shanghai, calls for gradually rising caps on Chinese textile exports to Europe over the next three years. The caps then expire. No details of the amounts of the limits or the categories of textiles affected were immediately announced.

China is embroiled in a similar dispute with Washington, which already has announced a 7.5 percent cap on the increase in Chinese textile exports this year.

Mandelson praised the agreement as helping eliminate the uncertainty that had roiled the industry and ensuring a healthy long-term trade relationship with China.

``I think it would appeal to people of different opinions in Europe because if will give predictability or certainty for traders,'' Mandelson said.

``It is a breathing space, creating space for European industries to accept to restructure to develop into different parts of the market in order to fend off Chinese competition.''

The EU had threatened to take the dispute before the World Trade Organization if a settlement was not reached by Saturday.

Europe's textile industry says China's cheap products are threatening some 2.5 million jobs.

The EU has blamed China for a drop of up to 50 percent in Portugal's production of T-shirts. Flax yarn imports from China have surged 56 percent in the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2004.

Despite the successful negotiations, Mandelson did not say whether a similar formula could be applied to a brewing dispute over Chinese shoe exports that European producers complain are flooding their markets.

Future disputes would be handled on an individual basis, he said.

[KU43]

I think you have a mind on the bit extreem imagniery side

For the last 10 years China has flooded the U. S. with goods. Everything from heavy machinery to bobby pins. It was'nt that long ago they were threating Taiwan with an invasion.In a port in Oakland, California durn clinton's first term Polytek and Norinco, both owned and ran by Chine's government, were caught red handed trying to unload 2,000 full auto AK-47's off a Cosco ship also owned by the China's government. Only the higest officals in our government knew this bust was going down A.K.A. SLICK WILLIE. One of these officals tipped off China and the ring leaders were able to hop planes back to China. Six months before that on the California side of the Mexican border a simi trailer was found full of full auto M-2 carbines with serial numbers matching the ones we left behind in Viet Nam. But don't take my extream imganiery word for it, cheak it out. I don't do fiction.

[Trojan]

*looks over both shoulders and behind the guy that just mumbled something*

Trojan says, "Are you talking to me?"

[Lakie]

ST, more to the point it was the Chinese that Taught the Japanese how to make swords, its just one of those things that are overlooked because swords are such a japanese thing.

China flooding the world market with good only illustrates our points, every country wishes that its good would be accepted the world over, and just like everywhere else on the planet, china produced quality and crap.

For example, i collect bladed weapons (that i keep in my house, with no license and no government interference by the way). I have a set of cheap samurai sword that i bought off ebay very cheaply. Their crap, only made of 440 stainless steele they would shatter if i hit it against anything stronger than a carboard box, they cant cut through anything more than a sheet of paper.

I also own a Paul Chen Katana and Wakishashi that i paid hundreds of dollars each for. These a handmade, differentially tempered fully functioning sword that will slice through anything, it has genuine rayskin on the tsuka and quality iron Tsuba, you could quite litterally go into battle with these.....

Also you have to remeber that china isa pseudo-democratic communist country so alot of the shipping out of the country will be done on government ships, it dosent mean they codone what happens....

[-live-wire-]

Originally posted by BB/Mike*MFA*
ST, more to the point it was the Chinese that Taught the Japanese how to make swords, its just one of those things that are overlooked because swords are such a japanese thing.

China flooding the world market with good only illustrates our points, every country wishes that its good would be accepted the world over, and just like everywhere else on the planet, china produced quality and crap.

For example, i collect bladed weapons (that i keep in my house, with no license and no government interference by the way). I have a set of cheap samurai sword that i bought off ebay very cheaply. Their crap, only made of 440 stainless steele they would shatter if i hit it against anything stronger than a carboard box.

I also own a Paul Chen Katana and Wakishashi that i paid hundreds of dollars each for. These a handmade, differentially tempered fully functioning sword that will slice through anything, it has genuine rayskin on the tsuka and quality iron Tsuba, you could quite litterally go into battle with these.....

Also you have to remeber that china isa pseudo-democratic communist country so alot of the shipping out of the country will be done on government ships, it dosent mean they codone what happens....

Awesome collection Highlander! I have a 40 caliber with a 10 round clip I bought from some guy in Memphis at McDonalds..
I always thought it would be kinda neat to take an old hickory baseball bat and nail some tack strip all around it...call it an "ugly stick" prolly a 36 incher...(things for home security)

[SilentTrigger]

Originally posted by KU43
I think you have a mind on the bit extreem imagniery side

For the last 10 years China has flooded the U. S. with goods. Everything from heavy machinery to bobby pins. It was'nt that long ago they were threating Taiwan with an invasion.In a port in Oakland, California durn clinton's first term Polytek and Norinco, both owned and ran by Chine's government, were caught red handed trying to unload 2,000 full auto AK-47's off a Cosco ship also owned by the China's government. Only the higest officals in our government knew this bust was going down A.K.A. SLICK WILLIE. One of these officals tipped off China and the ring leaders were able to hop planes back to China. Six months before that on the California side of the Mexican border a simi trailer was found full of full auto M-2 carbines with serial numbers matching the ones we left behind in Viet Nam. But don't take my extream imganiery word for it, cheak it out. I don't do fiction.

And what has this to do with craftmenship? Thats what I comented on

[SilentTrigger]

Originally posted by BB/Mike*MFA*
ST, more to the point it was the Chinese that Taught the Japanese how to make swords, its just one of those things that are overlooked because swords are such a japanese thing.

China flooding the world market with good only illustrates our points, every country wishes that its good would be accepted the world over, and just like everywhere else on the planet, china produced quality and crap.

For example, i collect bladed weapons (that i keep in my house, with no license and no government interference by the way). I have a set of cheap samurai sword that i bought off ebay very cheaply. Their crap, only made of 440 stainless steele they would shatter if i hit it against anything stronger than a carboard box, they cant cut through anything more than a sheet of paper.

I also own a Paul Chen Katana and Wakishashi that i paid hundreds of dollars each for. These a handmade, differentially tempered fully functioning sword that will slice through anything, it has genuine rayskin on the tsuka and quality iron Tsuba, you could quite litterally go into battle with these.....

Also you have to remeber that china isa pseudo-democratic communist country so alot of the shipping out of the country will be done on government ships, it dosent mean they codone what happens....

Yeah of course theres quality (thanks for the head up on where the swords came from, had no idea about that. Thank you!) and crap, theres real swards and there are fake once, and the stainless steel has nothing to do with the history of those swards. Thats present in all countrys. Its like comparing a Swiss watch to a cheap copy.

Always wanted to have a real samuri sward, would be even cooler to be able to replicate the metal they "make" its made of 10 000s of layers of different types of alloys which is just awsome!

[Lakie]

the cheap ones on ebay are good if you want them because they look good, everyone that sees them loves them, but there no good to swing around. The stainless steel remark was just about the quality or chonese made stuff, not about the hostroy of swords....

If you want a quality samurai sword, you can go past the Hanwei Paul Chen Range. If you looking for something cheap, the Practical Plus Range is for you.
Pratical Plus Katana
PP Wak
PP Tanto

Your looking at about 300 USD for the Katana. Very good for what youre getting....

If your looking for something more expensive then i personally like the Bushido and the Tiger Range, but your looking at about $1200 USD for a Katana alone....

[atholon]

This thread is soo long...and I am going to make it longer.

I honestly had been expecting the US to go into Iraq eventually, though not as fast as we did. Iraq was a big threat with the terrorists that they have there. I think we should have done more inside work with intelligence before we went in....but saying there was no reason to go there and the US was not prepared is a bunch of BS. Wonder why it seems like we have no intelligence or reason? Maybe it is because it is classified and can't be released yet.

I honestly think france needs to pull its weight if it is going to call itsself a member of the UN (which sucks anyway). France whines about this and that yet they never seem to do anything very productive in the mean-time.

[BADDOG]

Hey why don't we all meet up in France sometime lol? We could have a real debate with the locals and drink some of their superb wine at the same time!!!!

Regards with tongue firmly in cheek

[SilentTrigger]

hehe to bad that i dont drink whine, but a nice milkshake is never wrong!

The porblem was the intelligense, they used rather poor judgement when taking the word from another countries intelligence rather then look into it futher. What I'm talking is when a leged meeting took place with a so called representetive from binladin met up with a said representetive from saddam, but the link was never proven and could have been to ordinary people. The fact that Bin laden hates Saddam and has nothing against him being captured, he does however have connections to the area at present time (as seen by the wave of terrorists storming into Iraq) to fight the west. But I won't think bin laden would put this hate aside just to fight a common enemy, bin laden is the man of hate. I'm sure he won't mind doing his thing in iraq now that saddam is gone though, which he is doing.

Mike 300 USD is a bit too much for me Too bad, and for 1200 i would almost get a driverslicense heh Any photos of your swords? Would be awsome to have a look at them

[Lakie]

the cameras with a family member whos interstate, but ill post photos of the ronin range when i get it back.

My Chen swords are off being tweaked a bit, im changing the tsuba and probably the menuki depending whats in stock, just to add a little personal touch to them, ill post some photos of the swords (and some of the targets ) when i get them back

Anyway, maybe then some will believe me that aussies can own swords

[SilentTrigger]

Haha yes i think that will be a great evidence and a lovley sight aswell!

Looking forward to it!

[atholon]

Their intelligence is sooo horrible.

That is why they found Saddam in a hole in the middle of no where. hmmm...

Doubt that.

[SilentTrigger]

Originally posted by atholon
Their intelligence is sooo horrible.

That is why they found Saddam in a hole in the middle of no where. hmmm...

Doubt that.

Its one thing to actually do something on their own then to trust blindley on another countrys intelligence agancy without checking if theres any truth in it. It was a bad excuse to get a reason to capture him after those reasons that failed.

CIA has done alot of lousy misstakes over the years.