I had a new member asking about this Orson Scott Card article....

[Damocles]

The Only Issue This Election Day
By Orson Scott Card

There is only one issue in this election that will matter five or ten years from now, and that's the War on Terror.

And the success of the War on Terror now teeters on the fulcrum of this election.

If control of the House passes into Democratic hands, there are enough withdraw-on-a-timetable Democrats in positions of prominence that it will not only seem to be a victory for our enemies, it will be one.

Link to the article... (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/11/the_only_issue_this_election_d.html)

[Damocles]

I wonder if she'll post now... I can only hope. :D

[Blackflag]

his ender series books are good but he is a psycho retard cultie mormon.

[Damocles]

his ender series books are good but he is a psycho retard cultie mormon.
Yeah, have you read any of the Seventh Son series?

The Ender books rock... Speaker for the Dead was the best.

[Gaffer]

well I don't know anything about him, haven't read his books. But I definately agree with what he says there. He's saying what I have been saying for quite a while, but in a much more articulate way. Though I think we are more likely to have to take on iran militarily than to wait for an over throw there.

Watch closely what the dems do now. Its going to effect all of our futures. The important factor will be the funding of the war.

[uscitizen]

but he wrote horrible stuff in his books like Webb.....

I have read the ender series.....
and his books don't rock to me, a bit slow a tedious to rock. He is a very good writer though.

[Onceler]

"If control of the House passes into Democratic hands, there are enough withdraw-on-a-timetable Democrats in positions of prominence that it will not only seem to be a victory for our enemies, it will be one."

Withdrawal is only a victory for our enemies if we portray it that way.

There are a lot of good ideas on the table, starting with partitioning Iraq. And what would be wrong with declaring victory & leaving? Iraq has something like 300,000 trained personnel now...at what point can we say with confidence that they can defend themselves?

If we don't pursue some sort of timeline for leaving, we'll be having this same conversation in 10 years. Who is ready for that?

[Damocles]

but he wrote horrible stuff in his books like Webb.....

I have read the ender series.....
and his books don't rock to me, a bit slow a tedious to rock. He is a very good writer though.
That was even more silly than attempting to make Kerry or Bush look bad for their experience during VN. It seems it also didn't work.

[OrnotBitwise]

but he wrote horrible stuff in his books like Webb.....

I have read the ender series.....
and his books don't rock to me, a bit slow a tedious to rock. He is a very good writer though.He's a competent but overrated writer, frankly. He's always reminded me of Jack Chalker in that regard: good imagination but only middling execution.

[Prakosh]

He's a competent but overrated writer, frankly. He's always reminded me of Jack Chalker in that regard: good imagination but only middling execution.

Maybe that is why I have never heard of him.

[Damocles]

Maybe that is why I have never heard of him.
It may also be that you are not into sci fi and fantasy as he writes in those genres.

[Prakosh]

It may also be that you are not into sci fi and fantasy as he writes in those genres.

You are quite right my ignorance of this man may well be multipli-determined.

[Damocles]

You are quite right my ignorance of this man may well be multipli-determined.
Which type of novel is your favorite genre?

[uscitizen]

He's a competent but overrated writer, frankly. He's always reminded me of Jack Chalker in that regard: good imagination but only middling execution.
Yep, I rate him about with Jack Chalker.
Good but sort of slow moving and tedious.

[uscitizen]

That was even more silly than attempting to make Kerry or Bush look bad for their experience during VN. It seems it also didn't work.

:) Yeah id didn't work did it, gives me a little hope for the people of
Virginia.

[Damocles]

Yep, I rate him about with Jack Chalker.
Good but sort of slow moving and tedious.
What you seem to consider "slow" I consider good character development. Unlike, say, Robert Jordan. Faster moving novels do not necessarily create the best developed characters.

[uscitizen]

What you seem to consider "slow" I consider good character development. Unlike, say, Robert Jordan. Faster moving novels do not necessarily create the best developed characters.

Oh I agree different strokes for different folks. I personally have not been able to complete a robert Jordan book, pretty poor imho.
How about David Webber ? Or Andre Norton ?

[Damocles]

Oh I agree different strokes for different folks. I personally have not been able to complete a robert Jordan book, pretty poor imho.
How about David Webber ? Or Andre Norton ?
I love Andre Norton... David Webber? I don't know if I read any of his stuff.

What do you think of David Brin? I like his Uplift Series...

[uscitizen]

Brin is ok. Webber is pretty much action/war genre. Very good if you like it. Try mutineers moon or the first of the honor Harrington series.
Norton rocks, I have about 95% of all her books, working on the rest.
My Sci fi book collection elclipses that of the local public library.

[Damocles]

Brin is ok. Webber is pretty much action/war genre. Very good if you like it. Try mutineers moon or the first of the honor Harrington series.
Norton rocks, I have about 95% of all her books, working on the rest.
My Sci fi book collection elclipses that of the local public library.
Easily. I have never thrown or given away any book I have ever owned. I have thousands, and most are sci fi. I also have quite a philosophy section.

[uscitizen]

Yep I only throw out badly outdated tech manuals, like for Win3.1 :)
All other books I keep.
I have about 20 file boxes full of paperback SCIFI sitting in my bedroom right now :)
Still got some moving debris around.

[Gaffer]

"If control of the House passes into Democratic hands, there are enough withdraw-on-a-timetable Democrats in positions of prominence that it will not only seem to be a victory for our enemies, it will be one."

Withdrawal is only a victory for our enemies if we portray it that way.

There are a lot of good ideas on the table, starting with partitioning Iraq. And what would be wrong with declaring victory & leaving? Iraq has something like 300,000 trained personnel now...at what point can we say with confidence that they can defend themselves?

If we don't pursue some sort of timeline for leaving, we'll be having this same conversation in 10 years. Who is ready for that?

withdrawl is a victory for our enemies no matter how you portray it. Can you say "peace with honor"?

If a democracy doesn't work in iraq we can look forward to some serious fighting the region within the next few years.

Did you read his entire article or just scan it?

[uscitizen]

The invasion and occupation was a victory for our enemies.....

[OrnotBitwise]

Yep, I rate him about with Jack Chalker.
Good but sort of slow moving and tedious.
Mind you, it's mostly a matter of taste. He's got a large enough following that I can't say he's bad per se. Well, I won't anyway. Popularity doesn't always mean anything. Consider John Norman, for example. ;)

Card's work doesn't do much for me, alas. I'm more of a David Brin, Gregory Benford -- run on sentences notwithstanding -- and Ray Bradbury sort of guy.

[uscitizen]

I go more for the concept and entertainment value in Sci fi.

Reasonable writing ability is a must though.

But then again I have read some of Bill Shatners Sci fi......