Maines relished in watching her pic - she couldnt believe how beautiful she was, and she’d never known it.
See if they can airbrush this photo from 1983?
1983 - Wasnt that well before Saddam's regime posed a real threat to the world?
Iran vs Iraq was somewhere in 1988-1989.
Iraq vs Kuwait was somewhere in the early 1990s.
As far as I know, in 1983 Iraq had yet to show to the worl its intentions of conqering other countries.
It had yet to blatantly defy UN resolutions for a full decade regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, thereby posing a threat to World peace, and according to UN guidelines requiring use of force after all other methods have failed.
It had yet to receive military support from the US as help from us to defeat the REAL threat at the time, which was Iran.
diesel, when this pic was taken, the U.S. was well into supplying the Iraqis with military equipment, chemical weapons etc. The Iran Iraq war was 1980-88.
My history isnt all that good.
My point still stands. The US were supplying Iraq with military equipment so we could get rid of the REAL threat at the time.
Iraq was yet to invade Kuwait, or oust UN weapons inspectors, and ignore the whole world for 10 years.
I fully agree with you, diesel. I was just giving you some details. Personally, I think what the U.S. was doing at the time was the only thing they should have been doing. You’ll get no argument from me.
Why must everyone bash this chic just for one dumb statement? She’s a singer with 6 braincells in her head. Who cares what she says. I think we should be after her for the horrible horrible music she has made and not that she said an anti-bush comment. Ah well. Mob mentality. 
I vote for a celebrity boxing match between Stevie Nicks and the Dixie Chick for butchering her song - too much whining and banjoes.
Arcane - we dont care what she says. She's a dumb bitch - end of story.
Which is why we love to poke fun at the dumb bitch with a stick.
Besides...wouldnt you hit that fat ass?
Diesel:
I just think it’s like piling on. She’s an easy target right now and some people think to elevate themselves by pushing her further down. I don’t like that. I also don’t like when people bash someone just because they have different views than themselves. Isn’t that the idea of a free society? It seems like free speech is not a reall and tangible thing in the US. Sure you can say what you want but it’s almost like people want your blood if you don’t say what they want you to say. Yeah she’s not the brightest sparkler in the pack but sure I’d do her. Ciao. 
It looks like free speech is not that tangible in our society? Sure it is. Maines said whatever the hell she wanted and suffered no prosecution or persecution.
What you forget is that free speech is a responibility, not just a right. It's a two way street. She said what was on her mind. Now it's our turn to say what's on our minds. And some of us also had some fun trashing OUR dixie chicks CDs WE had PAID for. That was plenty fun, and another example of free speech.
Free speech is very tangible in our country. Some just can't deal with just how tangible that free speech is to everybody.
If anything, Maines and company wish the American public didnt have the right to boycott them, throw away their cds, and trash talk them, while they go prancing around naked preaching Bush embarasses them to spanish people who barely know who the fuck the guy is.
See? free speech is there. The problem is simply that people like the chicks dont want it to be there for EVERYBODY.
Remember, just because a law says you can say whatever the hell you want, as everybody should with no question, doesnt mean that each person's moral code will allow someone to break their code of conduct without serous backlash.
What you are witnessing is nothing more than backlash for what they said - not persecution
While I agree with diesel on this one - the free speech is a two way street - that doesn’t change the fact that bashing (and boycotting) the Dixie Chicks for having a different viewpoint is petty and frivolous and wreaks of reactionism. While it is certainly the right of the American people to do so, it doesn’t make it any less silly.
Diesel dude,
Just because the Dixie Chix say some shit in Spain or any other country doesn’t mean whomever will believe it- give them more credit than that. And believe me that many Europeans DO know what is going on, much more so perhaps than the chump workin’ at GAP.
Not only is it a free speech issue, but a respect issue. Shouting down someone before they have a chance to speak their mind (what happened at some awards show) shows a lack of respect but plenty of ignorance. Let them have their say, then if you don’t agree, respond.
I live in another ctry and I hear ALL the time that people think Americans are arrogant, rude, and stupid - for exactly the reasons above- lack of respect for others.
I do my best to prove them wrong
Alright, I’ll bite. Diesel is right. Being a dumb bitch does not excuse you from the repercussions of what you say, just as claiming ignorance of the law won’t get you off the hook when you’ve just broken one. The problem most people had with Natalie Maines was not merely with what she said, which was maddening enough to some (remember, it’s their RIGHT to be maddened by it and to respond acccordingly, just as it’s HER right to say it). The main problem was that she was overseas (in the UK, I believe), on foreign soil, speaking to foreigners, in a very public setting when she said this. This has ALWAYS been considered uncouth, and always WILL be considered uncouth.
If she thinks she’s got enough brain cells to comment publicly (on foreign soil, no less) about Bush and what she thinks of his policies, she cannot then tearfully claim, “Oh, I’m just a dumb bitch. Politics aren’t my forte, and I don’t have enough brain cells to know the basic rules of international etiquette, like you’re not supposed to publicly criticize your own president on foreign soil.”
With regard to freedom of speech in general, again Diesel is right; you can say whatever the hell you want to say – just don’t be shocked and cry persecution when others exercise THEIR freedom of speech (and purchasing power) by responding to you as they please. I guess if you’re a public figure who makes your living on the public’s wallets, then you’ve got a call to make: do I keep my political views to myself when in public so as not to alienate half my fans and therefore potentially send my career and earning potential down the tubes, or do I voice my political views publically and suffer the consequences, come what may? If you’re going to do what Natalie Maines, or Sean Penn or Danny Glover did, FINE – it’s their right to say what they feel if they so choose. It is ALSO everyone ELSE’S right in this country to (a.) shout them down, refute their points and call them idiots, and (b.) refuse to buy their CDs, tickets to their movies, or products and services for which they advertise. This freedom of speech thing works both ways. As Diesel pointed out, they have NOT been PROSECUTED, so NO ONE can claim that their rights to freedom of speech or expression have been threatened – they haven’t been. The whole Dixie Chicks episode is actually a SHINING EXAMPLE of freedom of speech/expression in action (coming from BOTH directions). Life is tough. Just another reason for people to consider engaging their brains before opening their mouths.
And, P.S., I IMMEDIATELY thought that picture of Maines MUST have been airbrushed when I saw it, or her head must’ve been pasted onto someone else’s body. If you’re going to claim to be “posing nude” when in actuality it’s not even your own friggin’ body being shown (as I’m 99.9% certain it’s not in this case), then you can expect to take heat for it. Dumb, lying, fat, laughingstock.
Damici, thanx. Nicely put.
To all others crying and whining about us bashing their hero - you better realize freedom speech IS a) responsibility, b) a 2 way street. No way around it. You say somthing stupid, you will get a reputation that matches you. Wanna be regarded as a person of integrity and smarts? Then keep your political views of our government at home, and refrain from saying something premature and ignorant.
You don't HAVE TO do any of the above and we certainly dont care which way you go. We WILL have fun with you though, and will make YOU the laughing stock. Probably because at this point you've demonstrated you have neither integrity, smarts, or self-control. You've showed loud and clearly you're a petty person. You've lost our respect and your dignity. You'll lose whatever is left of dignity by further posing naked in a ridiculous and hilarious attempt to win the public back.
I'd feel less offended if Maines had just called me stupid. It goes beyond my comprehension why in the world posing naked would change America's view of the Dixie Chicks. Am I going insane, or does it not make sense and it's behind all comprehension and common sense?
I'm not sharing a secret when I say Maines and company lost my respect and consideration of their musical abilities from the point the fat bitch opened her big mouth without consulting her brain. As far as Im concerned weith, she's good for nothing other than amusing myself and serving as laughinstock (and a damn good one at that too)
I agree with Damici - I highly doubt that's Maines naked body on the picture. God bless Photoshop and ignorance. Can it get any lower?
Hehehe. First of all, Maines if not my hero by any stretch of the imagination. But a few good points were brought up in some of the last posts. I agree it is your right to have your opinion of what she said and to voice it by words and action (eg: not buying her cds, calling her an idiot etc.). However, that doesn?t make it right. It?s somewhat immature to me. I believe Mackfactor and Kuri summed up my position rather well. I guess I just believe that you can disagree with someone?s political views and still like him or her. Friends disagree all the time but they can still be friends. And it?s not so much that, which bothers me. It?s that this attack is unrelenting. I mean we?ve all said stupid things in our lives. She said something dumb okay tell her she is an idiot and be done with it, until she says something else stupid. Many other people have said worse and escaped with no repercussions. It seems she?s an easy target that is basically defenceless so it?s risk free fun. It?s mob mentality, which bugs me. Let?s all attack her yay!!! I mean she is a musician or she claims to be hehehe. Now if she was a politician that would be different. I guess it?s just that I usually ignore what dumb clebs say. However there was one item of knowledge that was brought to light in Damici?s post. I had no idea she said it over seas. That does smack with particularly poor taste. So does the nude posing. Hmmmmm??? Diesel I couldn?t agree more with this statement by you ?You say something stupid, you will get a reputation that matches you. Wanna be regarded as a person of integrity and smarts? Then keep your political views of our government at home, and refrain from saying something premature and ignorant.?
So I guess our views are not the antithesis of each other?s. It?s just I believe in a more levelheaded response to her comments. 
I just think we are all wasting too much time on her. She is innocuous as far as I?m concerned. Diesel, Damici can we agree to disagree? Feel free to pm me. I would actually like to see a forum argument find a resolution. Ciao.
Arcane, it's not about disagreeing with Maines. It's about being disgusted about her rude comments outside this country's walls.
If you wanna compare it to something, compare it to being disgusted at your brother or sister for voicing an outrageous and stupid opinion such as 'rape is good for the females'- and do so outside your family circle. At that point it's not mere disagreement, it's about being outraged, disgusted, and feeling your name and stance have been somehow damaged by what the idiot said.
Who’s that Hot Chick in the center shot
Break me off a piece 0’ that
ArcaneCocaine,
We can agree to disagree, and I think we only disagree on about 40% of the issue, really. The fact that Maines said it abroad to a foreign audience was, I think, THE factor that made it into such a huge brouhaha. If she’d done it in Chicago it would’ve gotten some press coverage, but wouldn’t have caused NEARLY the stir that it did, IMHO. That (doing it on foreign soil, especially during a time of impending war, with our troops in harm’s way) is what makes it SO unforgivable to many. Are some people going overboard about it or not letting it lie? Maybe, but again, that’s not for us to decide – they’re allowed to exercise their freedom of speech (and action) as they like.
You may ask if that makes it RIGHT, and to that I say (just my opinion) that having the right to do it doesn’t make it right, but I also don’t see it as being very WRONG. Like I said, if you’re in the public eye, depending on the public’s wallets for your living, you ought to think long and hard before you decide to step into that territory, and if you DO so, remember that some people will NEVER forget, rightly or wrongly, because (a.) politics in general get people, especially those on the extreme ends of the political spectrums, VERY heated, and (b.) those in the armed forces, or with relatives in the armed forces who are in harm’s way, will understandably get VERY emotional about something like that. Think of it like this: your brother/son/father/sister/husband is only, as far as you know, “over there,” and very possibly fast-roping from a helicopter into very hostile territory in the middle of the night at this very moment, potentially getting half his body parts blown off, and then you hear this moon-faced idiot, on foreign soil, whine that she’s ashamed that the commander in chief – the one on whose orders your loved one is risked his or her life and limb – is from her state. Personally, I’d probably throw a brick at the damn TV if I were in that situation. “Sorry, honey, I’ve got MUCH bigger things on my mind right now than hearing your half-witted insults that make our nation look fractured, like a bunch of bickering yahoos, in front of the rest of the world.” And I WOULDN’T forget it after a few weeks and say, “OK, it’s been long enough now. Time to cut her some slack.” 'Fraid not. I also don’t agree with what someone said earlier (not sure if it was in this thread or the one on France) about Americans being too harsh, or crass, or unrelenting in how they use their freedom of speech. Personally, I LOVE that about this country – I think that no-bullshit, balls-out debating style that we have in this country is what makes us great, and has allowed our nation to evolve and accomplish so much in the relatively short history of our existence. This is not Belgium. And we should not strive to behave like Belgians.
Rant over. Sorry for going off on such lengthy tangents, but I think my point was that, yes, we can agree to disagree (even though I don’t think we disagree all that much). Now God restrain me from jumping into that thread on France . . . . 
Goodness me. Firstly Diesel you misinturpreted me. I believe what she did was wrong. I just ment that me and you can agree to disagree about our view points on how to voice our opinions. Now this next part is more for Damici. I just feel that the immature manner of this attack on her is not right. But again your choice. It reminds me of Jenny Jones(not that I watch it) where the whole gap toothed audience is yelling at fat people or hookers or gays or whatever. Mob mentality. Lets go back to the 1500’s and start a witch hunt. It’s like the degerenation of society. Can’t people rise above her and intelligently protest her. People seem they are to the point where they want to commit physical violence on this woman for a stupid remark. Yes it was stupid and rude etc. But it was just a word. It only hurts you if you let it. Again timing and geographical position made it even worse. We need more patience in this world not hotheads. Like I said in a previous post it was in poor taste. And again I comment on the fact that she is a muscian I don’t think anyone would think that is the typical american view of their leader. And again I will state that she is a safe target now for people to get their frustrations out on. I also have to say I agreed with much of you last post. And you said it yourself.
"but I think my point was that, yes, we can agree to disagree (even though I don’t think we disagree all that much). Now God restrain me from jumping into that thread on France . . . . "
So were almost eye to eye on this. Plus I’m super tired so excuse the spelling and convulted logic. Lets get back to talking about weights and hot chics.
Sincerly Maines…doh I mean nkeago. hehehe. Ciao.