Anyone who thinks the US will simply comply with a WTO ruling simply for good faith reasons is completely on crack.

The US has a long history of not complying - Soft Lumber etc. - and has even refused to Pay United Nations dues when it does not suit them.

This is most likely going to result in a decade of negotiations, unless someone can link it to oil money.

As a Christian, I resent the implication that "faith-based" equals idiocy or logical inconsistencies. Just because the current US administration is logically inconsistent shouldn't be a slur on Christianity. Every administration is inconsistent at some point and the current administration is full of non-Christians (which might explain some of the inconsistencies as Christians and non-Christians move in opposite directions). As a believer, I strive to be logical in every decision I make (not always successful, but I do try).

Secondly, while I am opposed to gambling or moral grounds, it is wrong for the US to reject the rulings of a court to which they willingly subjected themselves. It is very wrong for the US to take China to the WTO while the US rejects the WTO rulings. The US should either play by the rules or leave the WTO. They should insist on others obeying while refusing to obey themselves.

> As a Christian, I resent the implication that "faith-based" equals idiocy or logical inconsistencies.

I guess you've never heard of creationism then... to the rest of the planet, christianity equals anti-science, anti-intellectualism and intolerance.

'I guess you've never heard of creationism then... to the rest of the planet, christianity equals anti-science, anti-intellectualism and intolerance.'

Looks like a Pastafaari brother got in before me :)

Seriously, although the world is populated with a large number of reasonable 'live and let live' Christians it does seem that the narrow minded ones are the ones who gain power. Actually that accusation could be levelled at almost all faiths ( except Pastafarians of course).

Faith implies the concious withdrawal of rational thought, this is pretty much the definition of idiocy, or perhaps insanity, depending what kind of doctor you ask.

At least, that's what I used to think, before I was touched by His Noodly Appendage :-)

WTF is the Christian problem with gambling anyway ? Was it not Jesus himself who invented bingo ?

OTOH if the "faith based" administration is so dogmatically correct, where do they get off ignoring the commandments about stealing, killing, and so on ?

> Was it not Jesus himself who invented bingo ?

If Jesus could hear you say that, he would be rolling in his grave.

Come on, do you really Jesus would be rolling over in his grave when he has shown in the past that he can RISE from the grave? Nah, he'd rise from the grave and bitchslap* the guy :)

* For those easily offended (then what the hell are you doing here?), in no way did I intend to imply that Jesus was gay.