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Getbig Misc Discussion Boards => Religious Debates & Threads => Topic started by: 24KT on August 04, 2006, 09:56:03 PM
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An Evolution that Would Blow Darwin’s Mind:
Of Moral Regression, Heartland Extremism, and Solidarity against the Wicked Witch
(http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2665/919/400/empire.0.jpg)
by Jason Miller
August 4, 2006
Forget the exploits of John Brown and Carrie Nation. Their violent efforts for virtuous causes are but distant memories in the Land of Oz. Here in contemporary Kansas, many socially conservative uber-patriots fastidiously and "peacefully" adhere to an American sociopolitical system which is becoming increasingly hostile to science, peace, human rights, the environment, and minorities. Yes, the "American Way" has become rife with many of the truly vulgar and destructive aspects of humanity.
Since 1998, pro-Evolutionary forces have been grappling with anti-Evolutionary forces for control of the Kansas State School Board. In the recent election, power changed hands for the fourth time in eight years as Darwinists reclaimed a 6-4 advantage on the board. It is virtually a foregone conclusion that the board will again re-write the science standards to restore Evolution to its proper stature. Thankfully, reason will again prevail in science classes from Overland Park to Dodge City.
Those of us who believe in the validity of scientific inquiry, draw a distinction between faith and science, and recognize the dangers of state-validated religion are celebrating progress.
Yet as I pondered the situation more deeply, I realized that Evolution represents but a minor skirmish in a much broader conflict. And at the same time, reflecting on the notions of evolution and change conjured thoughts of how, in many ways, the United States has followed a plummeting moral trajectory as it has evolved over the years.
While it is reassuring to know that our Kansas public school children will learn one of the most widely held and accepted theories in the biological sciences (and at least for now, their spiritual education will be left to their parents and clergy), there are much larger stakes to consider. Stepping back and examining human existence from a global perspective reveals countless disturbing images of unmitigated suffering thrust upon a majority of the Earth’s inhabitants.
Ohio, Georgia, and Pennsylvania are still struggling to inject religion into their science classes under the clever guise of the "theory" of Intelligent Design. Recent legislative initiatives, amendments to state constitutions, and actions by a variety of activist groups (like the Minutemen) clearly demonstrate that many of the Western European immigrants to Turtle Island still suffer the spiritual diseases of homophobia, xenophobia, hubris, and racism.
Preying upon these spiritual maladies, the opportunists in DC and on Wall Street (who reside at the peak of the capitalist pyramid) blitz us with propaganda readily disseminated by their partners in the corporate media to fuel "culture wars". Like a blacksmith with bellows, they super heat raw emotion to a white hot state that leaves human reason in cinders.
As we wage slaves run the rat race, fighting over the scraps so "charitably" tossed our way in America’s "ownership society", we claw each others’ eyes out over issues like Evolution, homosexual rights, and abortion, enabling those leading our depraved social and political institutions to plunder the world’s wealth with little or no constraint. Aside from the numerous seductive distractions they provide through television and consumerism, what better way to manipulate the masses than by perpetually thrusting contentious issues into their faces that splinter them into warring factions?
Remember December? When Iraqi and American body bags were filling up faster than Santa’s elves could pack his sacks of toys? And Christians in the United States were beside themselves because some stores weren’t saying "Merry Christmas" to customers? It boggles the mind!
It is widely known that the Bush Regime has heavily courted radical Christian elements in the United States to garner much of its political support. Ostensibly bearing the cross of the Christian God who blesses only America, George Bush is on a sacred mission to fulfill Manifest Destiny around the globe.
With the backing of Diebold, Katherine Harris, the Supreme Court, and a heavily mobilized base of extremist Christians who stampeded to the polls to support Bush’s eagerness to fulfill their apocryphal prophecies in the Holy Land, elect a degenerate individual many apparently believed was an Evangelical who manifested the virtues of Christ, and to empower a group willing to proclaim that Christianity is the official state religion, George Bush and his cronies blatantly subverted our Constitutional Republic by taking office twice without winning the electoral or the popular vote.
Astoundingly, now that Mephistopheles has revealed his true identity, he and his fellow Neocons, Zionists, Fundamentalist Christian leaders, and plutocrats still garner support from amongst their subjugated masses. Admittedly, he has been on shaky ground lately, but Bush still has enough adherents that he has avoided impeachment and prosecution for his crimes against humanity.
Through its denial of civil rights to Gays, opposition to abortion and stem cell research, unwavering support for Israel (and its heinous ethnic cleansing and war crimes), dedication to preserving the dominant role of White America, and creation of a nationalist furor that is beyond being obscene, the Bush Regime has garnered the support of enough Americans to empower them to unleash Hell upon millions of human beings to further the interests of US multinationals, the military industrial complex, Israel, and the rest of its cohorts.
Strauss’s disciples learned their art well as they are clearly demonstrating with their virtuoso performance. And Kansas is a microcosm of the stratum of American society that is entranced by the Neocons’ euphonious symphony. A symphony they brilliantly composed to drown out the sounds of their abuse of power, exploitation and murder.
As 60 Minutes revealed this week, the Bush administration heavily edits the findings of its own scientists to minimize public awareness of the dangers of phenomena like Climate Change. Employing lawyers to water down admonitions drafted by NASA and EPA scientists, the Bush Regime seriously limits what would be well-founded citizen and Congressional concern about abusive environmental practices by the amoral profit seekers of corporate America.
Capitalizing on their paranoid belief that they are somehow facing persecution by evil secular humanists, the wealthy elites are steering Dominionists and other Christian extremists down a path to the tyranny each group craves. Removing prayer from public schools was not about abolishing Christianity. Eliminating mandatory prayer was to prevent our government from endorsing and potentially mandating a specific religion. State-imposed religion is a powerful element of virtually any despotic regime worth its salt.
In blaming Hispanic immigrants for "stealing" benefits from tax-supported social programs while providing "nothing" in return; perpetuating Black American poverty, under-education, and crime by isolating many of them in inner-city ghettos or warehousing them in the prison industrial complex; and vilifying Gays for "destroying the moral fabric" of the United States, our de facto oligarchs abuse vulnerable populations already despised by many other Americans and scapegoat them for the ills plaguing our nation. Another block in the foundation of a "successful" fascist state.
[Note: Fascist states are generally characterized by authoritarian rule, extreme nationalism, corporate domination, anti-liberalism, and militarism. Starting to look and sound awfully familiar, eh USA?]
In granting federal money to tax-exempt religious entities for "faith based initiatives" to aid the growing numbers of impoverished in the Twenty First Century Gilded Age, the plutocracy gains the dual advantage of currying the favor of its Fundamentalist Christian base amongst the "commoners" and creating a subterfuge for eliminating "wasteful" federal spending on public social programs to benefit the poor. Many of those resting comfortably atop the financial summit, whose wealth exists thanks to a deeply corrupt system which impoverishes billions of human beings, despise the elements of "liberalism" which serve to limit their boundless greed and visions of unrestrained, Dickensonian Capitalism.
Reducing taxes and privatizing have become the mantras of the Bush Regime’s economic policy. At the end of the day, who doesn’t want to pay less in taxes and see a reduction in poorly managed government bureaucracies? The problem is that the tax cuts are providing massive benefit to the super-rich (like the Walton and Mars families) while putting very little money back into the pockets of the working class. Meanwhile, military expenditures continue to rise to more insane levels as programs to benefit children, the elderly, the sick, and the impoverished are reduced or slashed rather than redesigned or improved.
What was that definition of fascism again?
Not even public education escapes the rapacious attacks of the ruthless wolves at the top of the food chain. The No Child Left Behind Act furthers their goal of strengthening the Fourth Purpose. John Taylor Gatto defined the Fourth Purpose in an interview about his book, Dumbing us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling:
Throughout the 19th century, a new Fourth Purpose began to emerge, tested thoroughly in the military state of Prussia in northern Europe. The Fourth Purpose made the point of mass schooling to serve big business and big government by extending childhood, replacing thinking with drill and memorization while fashioning incomplete people unable to protect themselves from exhortation, advertising and other forms of indirect command. In this fashion, poor Prussia with a small population became one of the great powers of the earth. Its new schooling method was imitated far and wide, from Japan to the United States.
Some conjecture that the ultimate goal of social conservatives is to eliminate public education. I disagree. The ruling class realizes what a sacred cow they would be slaughtering. Besides, as Gatto’s insight indicates, the most effective way to control human beings is through their psyches. And what better time to capture human minds than when they are young and malleable?
Profits, property, and power trump humanity in the sociopathic value systems of the vicious malefactors at the helm of the United States. Witness the willful neglect leading to the tragic death and diaspora of tens of thousands of Black Americans in New Orleans. Consider the slaughter of over 100,000 Iraqi civilians, the liberal distribution of depleted uranium throughout Iraq’s countryside, the wanton destruction of much of Iraqi infrastructure, the death of over 2600 American military personnel in Iraq, the sacrifice of almost 3,000 American civilians in the Neocon’s Pearl Harbor on 9/11, the torture of human beings, and the suspension of basic justice for those suspected of "terrorism".
Their willful refusal to employ the power the United States clearly has to enforce an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon provides yet another overt example of Neocon moral bankruptcy. The United States has deliberately stymied UN intervention efforts to give Israel time to finish destroying Lebanon with funding and equipment we furnished. Israel has displaced a million people, killed over 600 innocent civilians, and destroyed over $2 billion worth of infrastructure through its invasion of a sovereign nation. This in retaliation for the capture of two of its soldiers by Hezbollah, a powerful group of militants over which Lebanon has virtually no control. In contrast, Israel has suffered the loss of 26 of its civilians. While tragic, these losses pale in comparison to the devastating horror the Israeli war machine has inflicted upon Lebanon
A sane government concerned with human welfare and justice would have put a stop to these blatant crimes against humanity long before the situation escalated to this point. But the Bush Regime has justified and encouraged the Israeli atrocities. They obfuscate well, but it does not take much critical thinking to see the true agenda of our malevolent leaders.
Virtually all citizens of the United States have been deceived by their government to some extent. While I remain a tenacious dissident against many of the United States’ political and social institutions because of my passion for social justice and human rights, my choice to manifest my dissent through writing and publishing burdens me with a degree of complicity in the schemes of the Bush Regime. As I research, analyze, write, and publish, I serve humanity as writers have throughout history. I educate, inspire both support and opposition, amuse, comfort, provoke thought, agitate, anger, and in some cases, win hearts and minds. Yet at the same time, by asserting intellectual arguments which are mostly opposed to the American Empire because of my personal beliefs, I participate in the intellectual civil war the ruling elites love to perpetuate to keep those of us in the "lower classes" from achieving solidarity against them.
Contrary to our patriotic programming, dissidents in the United States are not free to exercise their First Amendment rights because millions of poor wretches fought and died in wars of imperial conquest under the pretext of "protecting" or "spreading freedom." For now, our leaders allow domestic dissent because they want to keep their populace at odds with one another, they know that their strangle-hold on the psyches of many of their citizens is virtually unbreakable (if people start to see through the Reagans and Bushes, the ruling elite come up with a "liberal" Democrat like Bill Clinton to pacify the "Soccer Moms" yet still maintain the status quo of de facto plutocratic rule), and they are not ready to shed the thinning veneer that they govern according to the Constitution.
Yet despite my unintended contribution to the intellectual wars our overlords use to distract us, if I stop writing and publishing, I will surrender a significant means to contribute to the struggle for social justice and human rights and to counter the lies of the corporate media, government propagandists and history revisionists.
The answer is not to stop thinking, debating, or writing. Regardless of how we contribute to the struggle or how much we differ in opinion, we of the poor and working classes need to "agree to disagree" and unite against those who prey upon us.
230 years ago, the United States was founded by valiant rebels who shattered the manacles of colonialism. Sadly, the nation they predicated on Constitutional limitations of government power with significant emphases on the rights of individual humans (admittedly marred by the denial of rights to Blacks, women, and Native Americans), has evolved into one of the most violent, narcissistic, and oppressive empires in the history of humanity.
Sorry Dorothy, but the Wicked Witch of the West is alive and well. But don’t despair. Human beings possess an uncanny ability to Evolve, especially for the better.
Jason Miller is a 39 year old sociopolitical essayist with a degree in liberal arts and an extensive self-education (derived from an insatiable appetite for reading). He is a member of Amnesty International and an avid supporter of Oxfam International and Human Rights Watch.
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[Note: Fascist states are generally characterized by authoritarian rule, extreme nationalism, corporate domination, anti-liberalism, and militarism. Starting to look and sound awfully familiar, eh USA?][/b]
No. But I think I understand why some accuse you of being anti-American.
I'm just finishing up a book that a friend recommended ("Barbarians At The Gate" - about the fall of RJR Nabisco) and I just dug a book out of my room that has been sitting for years: "Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution" by Michael J. Behe. I'm going to try and tackle it (even though reading two detail-laden books in succession will be hard). I typically alternate between fiction (my brain dead reading) and nonfiction. But the book should give me information on the scientific problems with evolution so I can try and educate lost souls like you. ;D
On the school issue, I think religious conservatives should have focused more of their time and effort on evolution instead of prayer in public schools. It's a much easier (and far more accurate) target IMO. Intelligent design doesn't have to be a religious issue. There are enormous logical and scientific problems with the theory of evolution. It's a ripe issue.
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No. But I think I understand why some accuse you of being anti-American.
{LOL} Funny you should say that... just before I posted that, i thought to myself, ...if they're gonna accuse me of it, the least I can do is endeavor to not make liars out of them" ;)
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{LOL} Funny you should say that... just before I posted that, i thought to myself, ...if they're gonna accuse me of it, the least I can do is endeavor to not make liars out of them" ;)
Well Jag the shoe appears to fit. I'm just making an unbiased observation. I don't if you're anti-American, but you sure sound that way.
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I'm just finishing up a book that a friend recommended ("Barbarians At The Gate" - about the fall of RJR Nabisco) and I just dug
Ah.... Goof for you they had cliff notes on that one. ::)
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I'm just finishing up a book that a friend recommended ("Barbarians At The Gate" - about the fall of RJR Nabisco)
just watch the movie . . .
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Well Jag the shoe appears to fit. I'm just making an unbiased observation. I don't if you're anti-American, but you sure sound that way.
Nah, ...not Anti-American, ...but I absolutely detest the wool that's been pulled over the eyes of many Americans, ...and I sometimes struggle to keep from having utter contempt for those who buy into the lies lock stock & barrel.
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just watch the movie . . .
Dude. I wish I would have. My friend oversold how entertaining the story would be, so my expectations were (too) high.
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Nah, ...not Anti-American, ...but I absolutely detest the wool that's been pulled over the eyes of many Americans, ...and I sometimes struggle to keep from having utter contempt for those who buy into the lies lock stock & barrel.
Well, when you call America an "evil cabal" and essentially call America a "fascist state" it's difficult not to conclude that you're anti-American.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't buy into lies. I'm a cynic when it comes to government. Having worked in politics I know it is a dirty business. But I don't put blinders on when it comes to all of the tremendous things our country offers and does around the world.
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Dude. I wish I would have. My friend oversold how entertaining the story would be, so my expectations were (too) high.
seems like it would be entertaining if you get off on large sums of money and terms like leveraged buyout. the movie was pretty unmemorable too.
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seems like it would be entertaining if you get off on large sums of money and terms like leveraged buyout. the movie was pretty unmemorable too.
Actually the funniest part of the book may have been how a Canadian ruined one of the largest companies in the country. ;D
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Well, when you call America an "evil cabal" and essentially call America a "fascist state" it's difficult not to conclude that you're anti-American.
Ahhh, ...but did I call America an "evil cabal", or the psychopaths at her helm?
As for the "fascism" part, ...forget the nasty connotations and look simply at the definition.
Based on the definition alone, ...wouldn't you agree that America is looking more fascist everyday?
I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't buy into lies.
...umm... not counting the virgin birth ya mean? ;)
I'm a cynic when it comes to government. Having worked in politics I know it is a dirty business. But I don't put blinders on when it comes to all of the tremendous things our country offers and does around the world.
no, ...just for all the other stuff huh? ;) :-*
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going to try and tackle it (even though reading two detail-laden books in succession will be hard). I typically alternate between fiction (my brain dead reading) and nonfiction. But the book should give me information on the scientific problems with evolution so I can try and
BEACH BUM!!!
You of all people, saying that fiction is brain dead reading! You're an educator of young minds. Shame on thou!
You deserve to wear a hairshirt for at least a day. :)
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Ahhh, ...but did I call America an "evil cabal", or the psychopaths at her helm?
As for the "fascism" part, ...forget the nasty connotations and look simply at the definition.
Based on the definition alone, ...wouldn't you agree that America is looking more fascist everyday?
...umm... not counting the virgin birth ya mean? ;)
no, ...just for all the other stuff huh? ;) :-*
If you're calling the "psychopaths" running America an "evil cabal," then yes you are talking about America. I could be mistaken, but I think you've also attacked Americans in general. I wouldn't be surprised if you've also attacked American religious institutions and the court system. What's left?
Fascism: "a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc. and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism."
No, America does not have a dictator. We have a terrific, but imperfect, system, a separation of powers that gives no one person total control of the country. We have community associations, city and county boards and representatives, mayors, governors, state legislatures, Congress, and courts at all levels. The president is hardly a dictator. He can't pass any laws. He can only sign or veto. He can't tell state governments what to do. He can't overturn court decisions. So, no I don't agree America is becoming more like a dictatorship every day.
Yes I believe in a virgin birth, along with billions of others. I guess we're all weird.
I have acknowledged the bad things we have done throughout history, e.g., exterminating Native Americans, slavery, Jim Crow, Japanese internment, exclusion of Chinese immigrants, etc. But we're also the place that welcomes people from all over the world, turns penniless immigrants into millionaires, have an enormous network of social programs that help poor people, are first in line handing out food and financial assistance when there is a disaster anywhere in the world. You can worship anyway you chose, or not worship at all. You can criticize the president (unless you're in the military) without going to jail or running for your life like Salman Rushdie. You can own a gun (even though I don't like them). You can live and work anywhere you want. You can move as often as you like. It's a wonderful country. Too bad you hate it. Sucks for you. :)
I'm not wearing blinders just because I support the war and disagree with you about American government.
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BEACH BUM!!!
You of all people, saying that fiction is brain dead reading! You're an educator of young minds. Shame on thou!
You deserve to wear a hairshirt for at least a day. :)
LOL. ;D Deedee, I'm not criticizing fiction at all. I love fiction. It's just that nonfiction is so difficult sometimes. When you're reading something like "Emotional Intelligence" that requires you (or me anyway) to read some passages repeatedly to understand them, reading fiction is a relief. I don't have to remember much. I breeze through it. Reading fiction is pure fun for me. My kids and I talk about how we figuratively get to travel to the locations in the novels we read. I absolutely love it. My kids are book worms too. They had over 7,000 books in their little private library before we moved. :)
What is a hairshirt?
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You criticize the president (unless you're in the military) without going to jail or running for you life like Salmon Rushdie.
I know salmon run, but i thought it was to spawn . . . ;) ;D
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I know salmon run, but i thought it was to spawn . . . ;) ;D
LOL. ;D Oops. "Salman." So I can't spell. So what. ;D
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LOL. ;D Deedee, I'm not criticizing fiction at all. I love fiction.
.....
What is a hairshirt?
Well, you redeemed yourself eloquently so perhaps the hairshirt isn't necessary after all. ;D
Hairshirt
(Latin cilicium; French cilice).
A garment of rough cloth made from goats' hair and worn in the form of a shirt or as a girdle around the loins, by way of mortification and penance. The Latin name is said to be derived from Cilicia, where this cloth was made, but the thing itself was probably known and used long before this name was given to it. The sackcloth, for instance, so often mentioned in Holy Scripture as a symbol of mourning and penance, was probably the same thing; and the garment of camels' hair worn by St. John the Baptist was no doubt somewhat similar. The earliest Scriptural use of the word in its Latin form occurs in the Vulgate version of Psalm 34:13, "Ego autem, cum mihi molesti essent, induebar cilicio." This is translated hair-cloth in the Douay Bible, and sackcloth in the Anglican Authorized Version and the Book of Common Prayer.
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Well, you redeemed yourself eloquently so perhaps the hairshirt isn't necessary after all. ;D
Hairshirt
(Latin cilicium; French cilice).
A garment of rough cloth made from goats' hair and worn in the form of a shirt or as a girdle around the loins, by way of mortification and penance. The Latin name is said to be derived from Cilicia, where this cloth was made, but the thing itself was probably known and used long before this name was given to it. The sackcloth, for instance, so often mentioned in Holy Scripture as a symbol of mourning and penance, was probably the same thing; and the garment of camels' hair worn by St. John the Baptist was no doubt somewhat similar. The earliest Scriptural use of the word in its Latin form occurs in the Vulgate version of Psalm 34:13, "Ego autem, cum mihi molesti essent, induebar cilicio." This is translated hair-cloth in the Douay Bible, and sackcloth in the Anglican Authorized Version and the Book of Common Prayer.
Thanks. Hope my wife never learns about this. My closet will be full of hairshirts. :)
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If you're calling the "psychopaths" running America an "evil cabal," then yes you are talking about America.
No, I am talking about the "evil cabal" at her helm.
I could be mistaken, but I think you've also attacked Americans in general.
You ARE mistaken. I have NOT attacked Americans in general at all. One man, or one small group of men is NOT America.
I wouldn't be surprised if you've also attacked American religious institutions and the court system. What's left?
::)
Fascism: "a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc. and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism."
No, America does not have a dictator.
You sure about that?
We have a terrific, but imperfect, system, a separation of powers that gives no one person total control of the country. We have community associations, city and county boards and representatives, mayors, governors, state legislatures, Congress, and courts at all levels. The president is hardly a dictator. He can't pass any laws. He can only sign or veto. He can't tell state governments what to do. He can't overturn court decisions. So, no I don't agree America is becoming more like a dictatorship every day.
The original question posed was "...don't you agree that America is looking more fascist? I didn't ask if she was becoming more like a dictatorship every day? Stop reading something other than what was actually written. When someone reads something, but sees something altogether differently than what was actually there, ...that's one of the biggest indicators of brainwashing. ;)
Yes I believe in a virgin birth, along with billions of others. I guess we're all weird.
Now who called you wierd? I didn't call you wierd.
I have acknowledged the bad things we have done throughout history, e.g., exterminating Native Americans, slavery, Jim Crow, Japanese internment, exclusion of Chinese immigrants, etc. But we're also the place that welcomes people from all over the world, turns penniless immigrants into millionaires, have an enormous network of social programs that help poor people, are first in line handing out food and financial assistance when there is a disaster anywhere in the world. You can worship anyway you chose, or not worship at all. You can criticize the president (unless you're in the military) without going to jail or running for your life like Salman Rushdie. You can own a gun (even though I don't like them). You can live and work anywhere you want. You can move as often as you like. It's a wonderful country. Too bad you hate it. Sucks for you. :)
There ya go again... who said I hated America. I don't.
Man I can't wait til 2008 rolls around. All I can say is Thank God for term limits. I don't know who will be running on the Republican platform, hopefully it won't be Cheney or Rice, ...but whoever it is, ...even if they are not thoroughly trounced by the Liberals, ...they have to be better for both America and the world, than this current regime.
I'm not wearing blinders just because I support the war and disagree with you about American government.
You were the one to first use the term 'blinders'. I didn't object to your use of it because... well, imo it comes down to either one of two things. Either the eyes aren't working, ...or the brain isn't. Allowing you the excuse of wearing blinders was simply my polite way of acknowledging that perhaps all your faculities were still intact, albeit slightly impeded, ...but alas, it appears that you're even willing to throw off this last morsel of convenient deniability. What's a poor gal left to think then huh? :P ;)
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No, I am talking about the "evil cabal" at her helm.
You ARE mistaken. I have NOT attacked Americans in general at all. One man, or one small group of men is NOT America.
::)
You sure about that?
The original question posed was "...don't you agree that America is looking more fascist? I didn't ask if she was becoming more like a dictatorship every day? Stop reading something other than what was actually written. When someone reads something, but sees something altogether differently than what was actually there, ...that's one of the biggest indicators of brainwashing. ;)
Now who called you wierd? I didn't call you wierd.
There ya go again... who said I hated America. I don't.
Man I can't wait til 2008 rolls around. All I can say is Thank God for term limits. I don't know who will be running on the Republican platform, hopefully it won't be Cheney or Rice, ...but whoever it is, ...even if they are not thoroughly trounced by the Liberals, ...they have to be better for both America and the world, than this current regime.
You were the one to first use the term 'blinders'. I didn't object to your use of it because... well, imo it comes down to either one of two things. Either the eyes aren't working, ...or the brain isn't. Allowing you the excuse of wearing blinders was simply my polite way of acknowledging that perhaps all your faculities were still intact, albeit slightly impeded, ...but alas, it appears that you're even willing to throw off this last morsel of convenient deniability. What's a poor gal left to think then huh? :P ;)
Okay. America is not an "evil cabal"; it's just the "psychopaths" who run the country. ::) And I posted the definition of fascism. It's a dictatorship. I read precisely what you wrote and responded accordingly. You simply don't like how the actual definition of the word makes your comments sound pretty bizarre. I guess you are free to use words in whatever context you choose, but I tend to stick to denotative and connotative meanings, not those that people invent to fit an argument.
I doubt the Democrat nominee, which might be Hillary, will be good for the country. I certainly wouldn't vote for her. Both parties need to do a much better job of fielding good candidates.
My eyes work fine and my brain is okay too (depending on who you talk to). That's how I'm able to highlight the nonsense in some of your posts, like the comment I originally responded to: "[Note: Fascist states are generally characterized by authoritarian rule, extreme nationalism, corporate domination, anti-liberalism, and militarism. Starting to look and sound awfully familiar, eh USA?]."
You don't have to be brainwashed or dumb to disagree with your claim that America is starting to look and sound like a dictatorship. I already pointed out why that comment makes absolutely no sense.
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Well, you redeemed yourself eloquently so perhaps the hairshirt isn't necessary after all. ;D
Hairshirt
(Latin cilicium; French cilice).
A garment of rough cloth made from goats' hair and worn in the form of a shirt or as a girdle around the loins, by way of mortification and penance. The Latin name is said to be derived from Cilicia, where this cloth was made, but the thing itself was probably known and used long before this name was given to it. The sackcloth, for instance, so often mentioned in Holy Scripture as a symbol of mourning and penance, was probably the same thing; and the garment of camels' hair worn by St. John the Baptist was no doubt somewhat similar. The earliest Scriptural use of the word in its Latin form occurs in the Vulgate version of Psalm 34:13, "Ego autem, cum mihi molesti essent, induebar cilicio." This is translated hair-cloth in the Douay Bible, and sackcloth in the Anglican Authorized Version and the Book of Common Prayer.
Forgot to mention that I incorporate a novel into my undergrad class as required reading. They have to write essays on several short stories. They love it.
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LOL. ;D Deedee, I'm not criticizing fiction at all. I love fiction.
Ya Deedee, what were you thinking?
It's pretty obvious by the way he has embraced the official Bush dogma that BeachBum LOVES fiction ;)
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Okay. America is not an "evil cabal"; it's just the "psychopaths" who run the country.
I had to quote this for posterity. There's no telling when I might be able to get you to utter those words again ;)
I doubt the Democrat nominee, which might be Hillary, will be good for the country.
Now how can you doubt the Democrat nominee, when s/he hasn't even been announced yet?
That sounds like mindless partisan politics to me. Even I'm willing to concede that a Republican could be good,
...so long as it's not Cheney, Rice, or any supporter of PNAC. Look at all the crap their warmongering has created.
Both parties need to do a much better job of fielding good candidates.
Kewl! I knew if we kept at it long enough, ...we'd find something be both agreed on. :)
My eyes work fine and my brain is okay too (depending on who you talk to).
{giggle}
"[Note: Fascist states are generally characterized by authoritarian rule, extreme nationalism, corporate domination, anti-liberalism, and militarism. Starting to look and sound awfully familiar, eh USA?]."
Again, quoted for posterity.
Wow, that's twice in one post. I must really be chipping away at the Republican veneer. :P
You don't have to be brainwashed or dumb to disagree with your claim that America is starting to look and sound like a dictatorship.
{sigh} No, ...but it helps! :P ;D ;) :-*
ps - I said fascist not dictatorship. Stop trying to slip in bits 'n' pieces of your programming.
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Ya Deedee, what were you thinking?
It's pretty obvious by the way he has embraced the official Bush dogma that BeachBum LOVES fiction ;)
And precisely what "Bush dogma" have I embraced? [bracing for the bob and weave]
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Now how can you doubt the Democrat nominee, when s/he hasn't even been announced yet?
That sounds like mindless partisan politics to me. Even I'm willing to concede that a Republican could be good,
...so long as it's not Cheney, Rice, or any supporter of PNAC. Look at all the crap their warmongering has created.
ps - I said fascist not dictatorship. Stop trying to slip in bits 'n' pieces of your programming.
How can I doubt the potential Democrat nominee? It might have something to do with this: Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, Kerry. A string of simply awful nominees. Looks like they will be true to form and nominate another dud in Hillary.
And I voted for Clinton twice, which really shows how ridiculous your Repbulican assertions are. I vote for the best candidate, regardless of party.
Let me try posting this again:
Fascism: "a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc. and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism."
That's from Webster's. So, yes you did say "dictatorship" by saying "fascist." The words are synonymous. Just fyi.
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Fascism: "a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc. and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism."
I might be wrong for saying this, but....this is the precise definition I would use for the MEDIA! >:( They are the ones who drive much of the opinions that we hear and see on this board and amongst the general public.
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I might be wrong for saying this, but....this is the precise definition I would use for the MEDIA! >:( They are the ones who drive much of the opinions that we hear and see on this board and amongst the general public.
I see someone is beginning to get it.
And when you have an administration with numerous "journalists" on the payroll, controlling not only what is "reported", but also the spin to give it... who then is really in charge?
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I might be wrong for saying this, but....this is the precise definition I would use for the MEDIA! >:( They are the ones who drive much of the opinions that we hear and see on this board and amongst the general public.
I really hate the media. They have an enormous amount of power and abuse it quite liberally (no pun intended). They dictate what we talk about and how we view certain segments of society. They constantly fan race flames by continually playing the race card. For instance, why is it we know the racial makeup of juries in some cases, but not others?
If you ever want to get a real understanding of just how powerful and abusive the media can be, read "The Right to Privacy" by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy. Very well written. Scary stuff.
I really started to hate the media after reading Arthur Ashe's autobiography "Days of Grace." Essentially written from his death bed. Wonderful and tragic story. The man contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. He didn't tell his young daughter, and wasn't going to tell her. A reporter discovered Ashe had the disease and called Ashe to let him know he was going to run the story. Ashe begged him not to, citing his privacy and his daughter. The reporter refused, claiming Ashe was a public figure and the public had a right to know (even though Ashe had been retired for years). Ashe then held a hastily prepared press conference to make the announcement before the reporter could run the story. Truly heartless. Ashe was a class act.
Don't even get me started on the media. :)
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I see someone is beginning to get it.
And when you have an administration with numerous "journalists" on the payroll, controlling not only what is "reported", but also the spin to give it... who then is really in charge?
Jag, I would say you're 100% onboard with the cause of the "Media" party. I would even go so far as to say you're one of their top lobbyist.
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I really hate the media. They have an enormous amount of power and abuse it quite liberally (no pun intended). They dictate what we talk about and how we view certain segments of society. They constantly fan race flames by continually playing the race card. For instance, why is it we know the racial makeup of juries in some cases, but not others?
If you ever want to get a real understanding of just how powerful and abusive the media can be, read "The Right to Privacy" by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy. Very well written. Scary stuff.
I really started to hate the media after reading Arthur Ashe's autobiography "Days of Grace." Essentially written from his death bed. Wonderful and tragic story. The man contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. He didn't tell his young daughter, and wasn't going to tell her. A reporter discovered Ashe had the disease and called Ashe to let him know he was going to run the story. Ashe begged him not to, citing his privacy and his daughter. The reporter refused, claiming Ashe was a public figure and the public had a right to know (even though Ashe had been retired for years). Ashe then held a hastily prepared press conference to make the announcement before the reporter could run the story. Truly heartless. Ashe was a class act.
Don't even get me started on the media. :)
I remember that, Beach. >:( I was infuriated with that.
Sadly, I have to admit that I didn't see through the smoke screen of the media until after September 11.
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Sadly, I have to admit that I didn't see through the smoke screen of the media until after September 11.
are you another conspiracy theorist?
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are you another conspiracy theorist?
Definitely NOT!!!! I don't think 911 was an inside job. And I can't believe people are falling for this conspiracy theory stuff. ::)You know, there was alot of talk that FDR and his administration conjuring up the Pearl Harbor attacks. ::) Yes, let's blow up our own people for the sole benefit of money and power. ::)
Please!!!! Gimme a break. I'm with you Al-Gebra. No conspiracies...Just evil-minded people in this world.
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Definitely NOT!!!! I don't think 911 was an inside job. And I can't believe people are falling for this conspiracy theory stuff. ::)You know, there was alot of talk that FDR and his administration conjuring up the Pearl Harbor attacks. ::) Yes, let's blow up our own people for the sole benefit of money and power. ::)
Please!!!! Gimme a break. I'm with you Al-Gebra. No conspiracies...Just evil-minded people in this world.
Researching why people want to believe that an "invisible hand" is out to screw them at every turn would be an interesting project.
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Researching why people want to believe that an "invisible hand" is out to screw them at every turn would be an interesting project.
lol
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Definitely NOT!!!! I don't think 911 was an inside job. And I can't believe people are falling for this conspiracy theory stuff. ::)You know, there was alot of talk that FDR and his administration conjuring up the Pearl Harbor attacks. ::) Yes, let's blow up our own people for the sole benefit of money and power. ::)
Please!!!! Gimme a break. I'm with you Al-Gebra. No conspiracies...Just evil-minded people in this world.
umm... Colossus, I hate to break it to you, but the US government has long admitted to not only knowing in advance about Pearl Harbour, but doing everything to ensure the attack came off. That is a matter of public record. They wanted it as the impetus to rouse the support of the American public to back the idea of America joining the war. While the rest of the world, Canadians included, were fighting WWII, American troops sat on the sidelines, and didn't join in until AFTER Pearl Harbor.
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Definitely NOT!!!! I don't think 911 was an inside job. And I can't believe people are falling for this conspiracy theory stuff. ::)You know, there was alot of talk that FDR and his administration conjuring up the Pearl Harbor attacks. ::) Yes, let's blow up our own people for the sole benefit of money and power. ::)
Please!!!! Gimme a break. I'm with you Al-Gebra. No conspiracies...Just evil-minded people in this world.
I agree.
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umm... all crimes involving one or more peoples = a conspiracy. ...carry on. :D
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umm... all crimes involving one or more peoples = a conspiracy. ...carry on. :D
Umm . . . no. Conspiracy is an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, plus some overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.
I don't believe unnamed members of the government conspired with terrorists, including Bin Laden, to murder innocent civilians, and that unnamed members of the government are now covering up this plot, with Bin Laden's help. There is no proof of any such conspiracy. No one even knows who the purported players are. I can't believe people are actually even talking about it. What a waste of time. I get bored during the dog days of summer too, before football season starts, but not THAT bored.
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Umm . . . no. Conspiracy is an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, plus some overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.
The agreement to commit the crime in the first place is sufficient to create a conspiracy.
There need not be any overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy, the mere agreement is enough.
I don't believe unnamed members of the government conspired with terrorists, including Bin Laden, to murder innocent civilians, and that unnamed members of the government are now covering up this plot, with Bin Laden's help. There is no proof of any such conspiracy. No one even knows who the purported players are. I can't believe people are actually even talking about it. What a waste of time. I get bored during the dog days of summer too, before football season starts, but not THAT bored.
Just bored enough to be co-dependent huh? ...wait a minute... I resemble that remark. :-\ gotta go :-*
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The agreement to commit the crime in the first place is sufficient to create a conspiracy.
There need not be any overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy, the mere agreement is enough.
Just bored enough to be co-dependent huh? ...wait a minute... I resemble that remark. :-\ gotta go :-*
I give up.
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umm... Colossus, I hate to break it to you, but the US government has long admitted to not only knowing in advance about Pearl Harbour, but doing everything to ensure the attack came off. That is a matter of public record. They wanted it as the impetus to rouse the support of the American public to back the idea of America joining the war. While the rest of the world, Canadians included, were fighting WWII, American troops sat on the sidelines, and didn't join in until AFTER Pearl Harbor.
Please show me the documentation? I'll be honest, Jag. Considering the source that this information will be coming from, I'm already untrusting.
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Nah, ...not Anti-American, ...but I absolutely detest the wool that's been pulled over the eyes of many Americans, ...and I sometimes struggle to keep from having utter contempt for those who buy into the lies lock stock & barrel.
I would dare say many Americans on this board detest much of the crap that you post Jag. Is that your aim? Why not try and be constructive once in a while? It seems like your whole being is posting stuff that someone else created. At least if you are going to bash America you could come up with an original thought of your own for once instead of posting something that comes from another source.
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umm... Colossus, I hate to break it to you, but the US government has long admitted to not only knowing in advance about Pearl Harbour, but doing everything to ensure the attack came off.
That is utter and pure nonsense. The government has NEVER admitted this. That is one of the biggest lies you have ever told. Do you think people on this board were born yesterday? ::)
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Please show me the documentation? I'll be honest, Jag. Considering the source that this information will be coming from, I'm already untrusting.
That just proves she will say ANYTHING to portray the USA in a bad light. It has to be one of the dumbest posts ever on Getbig and thats saying a lot.
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Please show me the documentation? I'll be honest, Jag. Considering the source that this information will be coming from, I'm already untrusting.
Of course you are Colossus. To even entertain such a thought as a possibility strikes deep at the heart of everything you've always believed. To see such notions that we've long held dear shattered before our very eyes, can cause you to question what others things you may have believed that were in fact false. Of course you're going to be skeptical, at best, ...but most probably hostile to it. However, if you disregard the messenger, ...the message remains the same.
That is utter and pure nonsense. The government has NEVER admitted this.
So now you're doubting de-classified documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act? ::)
I really feel sorry for you bmacsys, ...as well as all other Americans who have been so skillfully, so successfully, and so thoroughly deceived by her own government.
That is one of the biggest lies you have ever told. Do you think people on this board were born yesterday? ::)
No, ...but based on the level of ignorance YOU display, ...I wouldn't at all be surprised if you were.
That just proves she will say ANYTHING to portray the USA in a bad light. It has to be one of the dumbest posts ever on Getbig and thats saying a lot.
If the TRUTH portrays the USA in a bad light, ...then Americans need to examine their government.
Freedom is NOT free, ...there is a price for it, ...and that price is eternal vigilance.
Too many of you have been asleep at the wheel for far too long. It's time to WAKE UP!
The scriptures say "You shall know the truth, ...and the truth shall set you free", ...but as long as you persist in clinging to the lie, you will forever be captive to those that would lie to you, and kill you without blinking an eye or losing any sleep.
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That just proves she will say ANYTHING to portray the USA in a bad light. It has to be one of the dumbest posts ever on Getbig and thats saying a lot.
I have to agree. It would make my top ten list. :) Let me get this straight: the United States government admitted to doing everything it could to ensure Japan bombed Pearl Harbor? ??? Pretty wild stuff.