Thumping is when a jet flies beneath a slower airplane, then swoops up in front of it, causing a wake that rattles the slower airplane. During these exchanges, Rumsfeld said, it is common for the pilots to trade internationally recognized hand signals. I'm guessing from the laughter at Rumsfeld's press conference that he was talking about the upraised finger gesture with which ordinary motorists are familiar. It's certainly not the spy plane crew's fault that the jet pilot killed himself. Nor should anyone be sorry about it.
Tough talk is fine, but it seems appropriate for that to be accompanied by some tough actions.
If that means sacrificing short-term trade interests, then so be it. Everybody seems to be patting Bush on the back for his diplomacy. But if he doesn't do something to punish the Chinese government for its criminal behavior, then a lot of Americans are going to be disappointed with him. The information you receive online from The Macon Telegraph is protected by the copyright laws of the United States. The copyright laws prohibit any copying, redistributing, retransmitting or repurposing of any copyright-protected material.