General Zinni on Sixty Minutes

"Paul J. Adam" wrote in message
...
In message , Kevin Brooks
writes

snip


No, I'd even be willing to meet you halfway (to NYC, that is); do you
have a
suitable alternative in mind?

Not immediately to hand, given that it seems I must pursue you in this
matter (doesn't *that* indicate your honesty and conviction!). But if
opportunity offers, then I'll give you another chance to demonstrate
your cowardice.

Offer stands.


Indeed, and I note with amusement your efforts to avoid it - while
loudly trumpeting your enthusiasm.

I have offered to meet you halfway now.

"Halfway" is mid-Atlantic, Kevin.

It's worth remembering that this "halfway" offer (halfway between NYC
and DC, not the US and UK... funny how Kevin's claiming to be the brave
and determined one here) came only after Kevin heard I was pressed for
time on the 5th.

Sounds like you are the one making the excuses here. DC was unacceptable to
you; now I guess Philadelphia or thereabouts is equally and conveniently
also unacceptable. Figures.


If I'm taking a three-thousand mile trip, can't you match even a
fraction of that?

See above.

In other words, "No, I'm too scared" (in a Brooksian 'accurate
paraphrase')

The offer still stands.


As I said, it's a working visit so I'm constrained for time. (Fly in on
the 5th and the ship leaves on the 6th, and time and carriers wait for
no man). So, no long drives, but I'm willing to fit you in.

Oh, so now you have already started building your newest excuse.

If you want to call it an excuse, *you* persuade a carrier task group to
delay sailing.

And doubtless if i had offered to meet you at the airport gate you'd have
found some other excuse.


Halfway?

Halfway is about thirty-five degrees West, and rather damp.


I'm going very considerably further than that and you're still evading.
If I'm covering thousands of miles, you can manage a few hundred if your
honour is so wounded and your confidence so high.

That it is evidently not... allows obvious conclusions to be drawn.

Yeah--that you really never had any intent whatsoever of following through.
Again, that is about par for the course with you.


And you've indicated that you lack the means or the will to visit the
UK
(or, perhaps, just the courage).

Just never had any plans to do so, now or in the past--but you already
knew
that, didn't you?

I didn't know anything about your travel habits (unlike you, who yet
again made seriously erroneous claims and passed them off as truth), but
I had a suspicion that your challenge was completely insincere and
looked forward to testing it - and I had some tiny hope that you
actually meant what you said.

Phily is not such a long trip from NYC, now is it?


Which is whaty that whole Fort whatever on 19 June was
just your psing for the stage?

No, the old tradition that the challenged party chooses the ground. I am
quite confident that you would never honour your challenge, but that
doesn't change the fact that I'll do so. Shall I wait there for you?

And choosing ground that you know I have never visited, and have never
indicated I would visit, was oh-so-convenient. Yeah, right.


By tradition, you issued the challenge, you've been told when, where and
how: attend, or forfeit. (Of course, this applied to men of honour,
which is why I know you will not attend)

Can't drag yourself on to Phily; too bad.



But, it's a long trip, so I offered you something closer to home. And
again it's too difficult for you.

So, now we just have to wait until I find myself in the DC area to
discover what your next reason why you can't follow your bluster through
might be.

Anytime.



Again, halfway?

Okay, "halfway", but that'll be rather later - probably around the 10th
at a very rough guess - and I presume you'll be swimming unless you find
a mail buoy to cling to.

Of course: on current form, I could knock at your door and you'd claim
it was "too far" to meet me.

No, not as I have offered to meet you halfway to NYC.

After making sure you knew I lacked the time to do so. And yet *you*
claim I'm making insincere offers? I'm sticking to what I can do: you're
large on claims, but short on substance.

You have plenty of time. Getting from NYC to Phily and back by train on the
same day is no problemo.


I'll see you at Fort Widley on the 19th, or I'll see you in NYC on the
5th, or we'll wait to be amused by your next evasion.

Yeah, right.

Brooks

In message , Kevin Brooks
writes
"Paul J. Adam" wrote in message
...
Not immediately to hand, given that it seems I must pursue you in this
matter (doesn't *that* indicate your honesty and conviction!). But if
opportunity offers, then I'll give you another chance to demonstrate
your cowardice.

Offer stands.

Until I close the range again, whereupon "halfway" will be redefined
(again) and more reasons why you can't present yourself will be
extracted.

Unless, of course, you simply cut it completely and "accurately
paraphrase" it as a refusal.


"Halfway" is mid-Atlantic, Kevin.

It's worth remembering that this "halfway" offer (halfway between NYC
and DC, not the US and UK... funny how Kevin's claiming to be the brave
and determined one here) came only after Kevin heard I was pressed for
time on the 5th.

Sounds like you are the one making the excuses here. DC was unacceptable to
you;

Indeed, since I don't go there regularly - though at least I've visited
a few years ago. However, if I have opportunity I'll seek you out.


I compare with amusement the difference in travel required: I'm "a
coward" for crossing the Atlantic, you're bravely refusing to manage a
relatively short hop.

Just cut and "accurately paraphrase" as you see fit, of course.

now I guess Philadelphia or thereabouts is equally and conveniently
also unacceptable. Figures.

I'm travelling on taxpayer's money, Kevin - unlike you, who appears to
be unwilling to travel at all.

In other words, "No, I'm too scared" (in a Brooksian 'accurate
paraphrase')

The offer still stands.

No, it doesn't, because every time I make it you run away. You
challenged, I gave you time and place, you cried off (hardly
unexpected). I gave you another time and place much closer to home, and
you cried off again.

Now, apparently, nothing less than Philadelphia will do. Okay, but it
wasn't in my travel plans.


(There's a question to be asked about someone whose bravado is in
inverse proportion to range... time will tell how it plays. So far I see
one person trying to accommodate and the challenger making excuse after
excuse)

If you want to call it an excuse, *you* persuade a carrier task group to
delay sailing.

And doubtless if i had offered to meet you at the airport gate you'd have
found some other excuse.

No, I'd have wondered how you'd persuade the bystanders to ignore the
debate that followed. (Why do you think I chose the original location?
Easy to find and reach, yet not too busy at the appointed time, and also
open and flat with good footing)

I'm going very considerably further than that and you're still evading.
If I'm covering thousands of miles, you can manage a few hundred if your
honour is so wounded and your confidence so high.

That it is evidently not... allows obvious conclusions to be drawn.

Yeah--that you really never had any intent whatsoever of following through.

Quite. Is that another "accurate paraphrase"?

Again, that is about par for the course with you.

Indeed. I return your challenge and you either ignore it unanswered or
find reasons why you can travel shorter and shorter distances to honour
your words.

I didn't know anything about your travel habits (unlike you, who yet
again made seriously erroneous claims and passed them off as truth), but
I had a suspicion that your challenge was completely insincere and
looked forward to testing it - and I had some tiny hope that you
actually meant what you said.

Phily is not such a long trip from NYC, now is it?

I've got a ship to catch, which is why I'm required to keep it close
this time.

Never fear: there'll be a third chance to run away.


No, the old tradition that the challenged party chooses the ground. I am
quite confident that you would never honour your challenge, but that
doesn't change the fact that I'll do so. Shall I wait there for you?

And choosing ground that you know I have never visited, and have never
indicated I would visit was oh-so-convenient. Yeah, right.

I've never been to NYC either, and never indicated any willingness to do
so (because I never wanted to) but I'll meet you there.

I've never been to Philadelphia, but apparently I'm meant to leap into
the unknown there as well. Can't make it on this trip, but there may be
other opportunities.


Kevin, do you ever read what you write? I'm offering to meet you on
unfamiliar ground of your choosing, since you refuse to travel. If I
were minded to withdraw rather than enjoy your writhings, I'd point out
that you just proved that I could not trust *your* choice of ground -
yet I'm chasing you through your evasions.

You want to prove *your* sincerity? Come to the UK and we'll fight. Oh,
I forgot, you can't come here and that's not debatable, so I have to
come to the US. Except not just to the US but to the right part of the
US. No, *really* close.

Sounds like you're making claims you can't back up. (I'd offer evidence,
but you'd just cut it and pretend it didn't exist)

By tradition, you issued the challenge, you've been told when, where and
how: attend, or forfeit. (Of course, this applied to men of honour,
which is why I know you will not attend)

Can't drag yourself on to Phily; too bad.

Indeed - on this trip. However, at least I'm planning to drag myself to
your country and have witnessed your evasions: while your boasts become
increasingly desperate and limited as geographical proximity is eroded.


Out of interest, and since you claimed it, why is "ground that you know
I have never visited, and have never indicated I would visit" meant to
be any more acceptable to me than it should be to you? (Find me evidence
that I've ever been to either New York City or Philedelphia or anywhere
in between)


Or are you just lying through your teeth yet again?

Again, by the Old Ways of these matters there's a few centuries of
tradition that left the challenged party to choose the ground: the
challenger then decided whether to pursue the matter or not once the
details were known.

Seems we have *your* answer...


But, it's a long trip, so I offered you something closer to home. And
again it's too difficult for you.

So, now we just have to wait until I find myself in the DC area to
discover what your next reason why you can't follow your bluster through
might be.

Anytime.

No, just until you get offered Philadelphia - and then we find what the
*next* problem is. (Note that I'm less troubled by "ground that you know
I have never visited, and have never indicated I would visit" than you;
perhaps to simplify matters you should simply provide a list of those
places you *would* be willing to make yourself available?)

After making sure you knew I lacked the time to do so. And yet *you*
claim I'm making insincere offers? I'm sticking to what I can do: you're
large on claims, but short on substance.

You have plenty of time.

I do? Arrive around three in the afternoon, need to be on ship by end of
working day.

Getting from NYC to Phily and back by train on the
same day is no problemo.

My map says differently.

(Or I could fly out on the 4th. Yeah, right, that'll be a money-saving
exercise with no cheaper alternative.)

I'll see you at Fort Widley on the 19th, or I'll see you in NYC on the
5th, or we'll wait to be amused by your next evasion.

Yeah, right.

Indeed.

It seems amusement is in order.

--
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.
Julius Caesar I:2

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk