it is. not everything in the world needs to make sense, in fact, very little actually does. I think that is why nerds get into math in a big way.

Besides war is not illegal, nor is it murder, collateral damage is not a war crime. If the allies had your attitude in WWII we'd all be pretty screwed right now.

yea sure I like the one about education reform anyway

On top of all that, when governments subsidize higher education, universities simply raise their tuition rates because they know that they will get their money no matter what. As this has happened in America, college tuition rates have risen FAR higher than the rate of inflation over the last 30 years. Now that our government controls all student loans instead of just some, we can expect to see tuition rates rise dramatically.

I would have hoped for a much more valuable contribution coming from someone purportedly in Palestine.

Quote from 5haz :

So you think they're evenly distributed among all subjects? Again a very simple way of looking at it.

what are you trying to say here? Does it really matter what the distribution is? The fact is many students who have very different degrees can apply for and get the same job, the employer only cares that the prospective had enough work ethic to get through school. The company my mother works for has a top level sales executive that earned his degree in Mexican-American relations, something that has almost nothing to do with sales of DNA sequencing machines. Again it doesn't matter what degrees graduates have, there are too many of them diluting the job market.

either you honestly don't believe that someone else is being forced to help pay for your education or are you just being difficult for the sake of it. I suspect the latter.

Also the answer to the virgin atlantic puzzle was "Richard Branson" who dropped out of formal schooling at 16 adn hsa dysxalie

edit; you guys are quick that was for 5haz

You're wasting your breath intrepid, they'll figure it out how hyperinflation starts about, say, 3 hours after we do here in the US.

I found the job on Craigslist and when I applied in person I was given a sample story to proofread. I don't have a degree either, but correct grammar and the fact that I offered to work for a little more than half of what they were offering the more "experienced" applicants landed me the job.

I believe they call that trolling, with the intent to light this thread on fire and then piss off like you always do.

ON topic: I'm with TVE. It's the 21st century, this treatment of women NEEDS to stop now. They are absolutely no ways for women to avoid this kind of treatment in Islamic, male dominated societies except to be slaves to their husbands and even that obviously doesn't work. You would think that things are shitty enough living in Sudan, but it looks like to me there is just so much anger about things that will never change that it gets channeled to women. In short they can't stop warlords from exterminating whole villages and forcing survivors into slavery for the rest of their very short lives, BUT they sure as hell can control their women.

btw this is the Sharia law that even non-radical Muslims want recognized in civilized countries.

Quote :

In S.D. v. M.J.R., the plaintiff, a Moroccan Muslim woman, lived with her Moroccan Muslim husband in New Jersey. She was repeatedly beaten and raped by her husband over the course of several weeks. While the plaintiff was being treated for her injuries at a hospital, a police detective interviewed her and took photographs of her injuries. Those photographs depicted injuries to plaintiff’s breasts, thighs and arm, bruised lips, eyes and right check. Further investigation established there were blood stains on the pillow and sheets of plaintiff’s bed.

The wife sought a permanent restraining order, and a New Jersey trial judge held a hearing in order to decide whether to issue the order. Evidence at trial established, among other things, that the husband told his wife, “You must do whatever I tell you to do. I want to hurt your flesh” and “this is according to our religion. You are my wife, I c[an] do anything to you.” The police detective testified about her findings, and some of the photographs were entered into evidence.

The defendant’s Imam testified that a wife must comply with her husband’s sexual demands and he refused to answer whether, under Islamic law, a husband must stop his sexual advances on his wife if she says “no.”

The trial judge found that most of the criminal acts were indeed proved, but nonetheless denied the permanent retraining order. This judge held that the defendant could not be held responsible for the violent sexual assaults of his wife because he did not have the specific intent to sexually assault his wife, and because his actions were “consistent with his [religious] practices.” In other words, the judge refused to issue the permanent restraining order because under Sharia law, this Muslim husband had a “right” to rape his wife.

http://blog.heritage.org/?p=42257

Last edited by flymike91, Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:04.

Thats really cool that you want to write a novel. I proofread as a summer job this year, so if you want to send me a piece when you've got around 60 or so pages just PM me.

i'm burnt out lol. I don't get any good debating since I moved from san francisco to texas so I have to get it here.

the US has a unique talent pool in that we take the greatest minds from all countries and give them an opportunity that they don't have in their own country: the ability to make massive amounts of money, buy a luxury car, pay less personal and business taxes, pay less for consumer goods, get a smoking hot trophy wife, an even hotter mistress...the list goes on. If you have a billion dollar idea, you're better off coming to America to develop it than anywhere else in the world because you will be able to keep more of your money for yourself. That is how we make our money now.

If you buy chinese goods (basically if you buy things) you are just as guilty of oppressing the poor people of other nations as Americans are. If you buy gasoline you are complicit in the continued violence in the Middle East. If you happen to like fruits and vegitables then you are devouring the bloody tears of the picker's penniless children....do you see where I'm going? No need to feel guilty kev, thats just how the world works.

I'd have to agree, religion is the radical muslim's smokescreen for solely political acts of violence like suicide bombings and such. Hiding behind their religion makes it easier for them to escape prosecution and deportation especially in places like the UK where it is so politically incorrect to tell them they're doing anything wrong because as a minority "asylum seeker" they can do no wrong.

Here I thought our power came from either inventing or mass producing almost every major scientific advancement for the last 100 years. And slavery for the hundred before that.

I have to agree that the US republic is not long for this world. Democracies usually don't last this long and turn sour quickly once the citizens start voting to destroy the very delicate balance between Makers and Takers. We are getting to the point in the US there will be more people taking money out of the economy than contributing to it, and our economy will collapse. Get ready to ignite but Beck did a very interesting historical comparison between the fall of Rome and the decline of the US. It always astounds me how history is not linear at all but cyclical.

Christ Amp have a heart I respect you even though we don't agree on anything. I thank you for the grammar lesson but what I thought heard in your statement was how you personally feel about conservatives.
I DO understand, btw, the Western World (not just America) has screwed over the Middle East for a very long time. I have said that the US shouldnt be there, and should never have been there, but if even our left-wing president believes that there is something worth fighting for over there, then perhaps there is.

Shottie I was being a bit facetious. Reading that again I only said that to be politically incorrect. And to get you a little worked up.

Kev I know its not what you mean, but sometimes it sounds like you think the Jews are always in the wrong. They've been shuffled around and beaten since biblical times and now the Western world has turned on them yet again just for protecting themselves! When it comes down to it the arabs and jews will never coexist, and neither will ever win, so all they can do is protect themselves and live life as best as they can under the circumstances.

As for the media, unbiased reporting died with Walter Conkrite. Neither MSNBC or FOX are fair and balanced but they balance themselves out and thats why they are both important. I don't like that the left tries to throw it off with things like the "fairness" doctrine and organizations like Media Matters.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

You've been conditioned to care more about people who share your nationality - what other logic is there behind it? And it's easy to condition Americans to think like that because most of them never leave the USA and never see other cultures first hand.

Thats true enough, but its not as terrible and ignorant as you think. Americans care more for their neighbors in town than their neighbors across the border. I've spent a year and a half in total in Switzerland, France, and Spain, which is more than most Americans will experience and while I enjoyed experiencing new cultures in those places as much as I do on this forum, I still care about Americans more because they are....my people! jeez its not that bad to say.

Quote :

We're also not required to pledge allegiance to a flag every day in school throughout our entire childhood like you are, so we're not as brainwashed as you.

What has caused Europeans to despise their national identities so much that simply pledging allegiance to your country sounds like a Hitler youth rally to you?

Quote :

The four men who carried out the attacks were from Beeston in Leeds, which is only a couple of miles from where I grew up. The people they killed were mostly from London, which is a couple of hundred miles from where I grew up. By your logic I should be supporting the bombers because they are "my people".

Don't split hairs with me. It's not witty.

Quote from Shotglass :

how many civilian lives have islamistic terrorist attacks claimed over the past 10 years and how many civilian lives have bushs crusades in afghanistan and iraq claimed?

they hate us for our freedom? do you actually beleive that bullshit?
the message that the us sends to the world and any state it doesnt agree with in particular is that it can do whatever the hell it pleases with its political system its inhabitants its surrounding states etc (eg palestine vietnam iraq afghanistan iran and plenty smaller examples)

denmark... some education might help but im afraid its a lost cause in your case

which is their bloody right to do

I don't feel like messing with quotes so: in order

1. War isn't a numbers game, and if it is, we're winning.

2. I'm sure you've read at least one post of mine that goes beyond "they hate us for bein' free" Its not just the US that tries to hold the rudder of world politics towards order and a semblance of decency (which is pretty much all humans are capable of achieving) it is everyone in every nation that doesn't want to die in a suicide bombing. We're just the biggest target and can take whatever they dish out because, well, we are the most powerful nation in the world. I get the feeling your idea of a free and fair world would be one where all the power and money of the developed world is simply averaged out to every person on the planet so we can all live in equally deep piles of shit somewhere in Somalia.

3.

Quote :

At the heart of Sweden's unwanted new-found status: cartoons. Three years ago, Lars Vilks published an image of the Prophet Mohammed in a Swedish newspaper. Sweden became an object of jihadist hate, just as Denmark did in 2005 after the publication in a newspaper there of caricatures of the Prophet.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WO ... /sweden.terror/index.html

4. I suppose it is. Why do they always choose tyrannical dictators though, of all things?

Sorry for not being a globalist. When I say 'my people' I mean American citizens and while you may feel it is wrong to have your own country and fellow citizen's best interests at heart, I care about my country more than other countries. Its not even about dehumanization. When the people of my country prosper, my world is better.

What do you care about more, the 50 UK citizens who died and the 700 injured in the train bombings, or the four Pakistani men who killed themselves that day? If you say you care for them equally, I say you might actually be inhuman and I pity the people around you.

No blind eyes here. They are our greatest allies in the Middle East, of course we are going to help them defend whats theirs. If we didn't give them money and weapons all the Jews there would be dead by now. As for nuclear weapons, when you join the USA buddy club that's one of the perks. Iran, for instance, is not in the club.

Quote from amp88 :

Of course they did, but to people who do hold conservative views (which in this context can mean xenophobia, racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, jingoism and more) FOX works to legitimise and re-enforce those views.

That is very offensive. To paint all conservatives with the most detestable words you could find is just...what a dick you are.
The proof that you've never actually watched FOX news is that you call them anti-semites. I contend that the European media outlets are RIDICULOUSLY anti-semetic. Everything that is presented to you about Israel is about the horrors of zionism, how the poor depraved Palestinians are forced to bomb the shit out of the jews on a daily basis, but Israelis are evil war criminals for setting up checkpoints and very very tight security to protect their people. They bomb the people who bomb them, they just happen to be a hell of a lot better at it. Britain gave that stretch of worthless desert to the Jews (among other groups they promised it to, see; Arab-Israeli Conflict). Israel won the 6 day war. Everyone was against them and they kicked all asses involved. They have occupied Israel for almost a century. It is theirs and I say they've earned it in blood and have earned the right to defend it at all costs.

Quote :

The problem is that understanding the issues is all about nuance. To understand extremists and their actions you need to know their motivations and aims. To be informed about this takes a lot of time and effort to look at historical events and other literature. The average news viewer (and, it seems, especially the average FOX 'News' viewer) won't (or can't) put in the required time, so the news producers need to try and simplify or dumb everything down so the average Joe can understand it. This often means totally missing the nuance that you need to actually understand any of it.

By the time you have taken the time effort into studying the nuances of how and why Extremist Muslims want to kill you, you're already dead. I do understand the nuances. I have done more research than you would ever give me credit for. I understand why they do what they do. I don't sympathize with them at all. I don't give two shits about their nuances. If they want to destroy western civilization because we won't accept sharia law, or for events that happened more than 30 years ago, they will be studying the nuances of being carpet bombed.

Another thing, FOX news doesn't need to be balanced. It is the right of Americans to express whatever views they want. Just like MSNBC fills their news shows with evidence about how terrible America and the Right is, FOX can show the opposite opinion. The fact that leftists hate it so much suggests to me that they want to stifle debate and control the media.

"asylum seekers"

I'm definitely not the only one in the world who is worried about jihadist terrorist attacks, even if the attack isn't on myself personally, but on my people, who I value above all others.

I don't think radical muslims and socialism are related except that socialist countries are overly tolerant of their intolerant ways. Furthermore modern progressivism is designed to give retribution to the oppressed people of the world which often is perceived to include Middle Eastern countries and radicalized populations within. That ticks me off because if radicalized Muslims ruled the world, you would be the oppressed one, and they wouldn't give you shit tbh.

getting a little worked up there my friend. Running away from a death that you caused is irreprehensible. Also the maximum sentence for vehicular manslaughter or causing death by dangerous driving is 14 years in the UK, so that is what you would have given him.

Ok I'll play. If you were the judge what punishment would you mete out for a man killing a girl and fleeing from the scene?

For me, hitting someone with a car honestly happens all the time and is usually an accident. The fact that he fled the scene and he never cared anough about the law to get a license in the first place makes it cold-blooded murder. For murder the minimum sentence should be 25 years to life in prison, so thats what I would give him.

They hate America in large part because of events that happened almost 100 years ago. What message does America give to the Middle East? That you shouldn't systematically kill your wives or daughters in the name of "honor"? Shouldn't all first world countries give them that message? Is the message that you should be free to decide how to live your life and who you allow to govern the people?

Honestly I'm torn about our continued involvement in the middle east. For one it is futile because no matter what, Middle Eastern politics will always be fueled by hate. It is the most simple kind of politics that dates back 2000 years or more and it is all they understand. If they can't hate America they will hate Israel. or Britain. or frickin Sweden of all places (over cartoons? seriously..). If we succeed in developing a democracy and leave, they will vote for a dictator. Its very frustrating.

On the other hand another reason the Middle East hates America so much is because of the aftermath of Cold War and all the devastating proxy fighting that happened in Afghanistan. We left them destroyed without any democracy or education systems then and it created Osama Bin Laden and Al Quada. We can't make the same mistakes again so we're stuck trying to build a house of cards.

I honestly don't know where to stand. I would like to see the military industrial complex dismantled and our involvement in the UN and the world bank/IMF ceased. I would like to see all of our troops home protecting us where we actually need them. That seems to be what Europe wants from us as well until they realize that the US won't be seen helping end genocide in Darfur, or death camps in Somalia, or the extermination of the Jews (again). Our intelligence agencies don't only protect America, they investigate terror threats world wide. The US would be condemned for no longer providing the VAST majority of the money in global monetary systems, which would ultimately foil the end goal of global socialism and a "fair" world. In protecting our own self-interests we shouldn't involve ourselves with global cap and trade/carbon credit schemes which are designed to bleed off money first world nations and distribute it amongst the third world. I think if the rest of the world doesn't want capitalism anymore than so be it, we'll keep it for ourselves be even richer (and our consumer products will cost even less) than ever before while Europe, in its quest for a fair world lowers its standard of living while trying to raise others, and so begin the bread lines. In short, America should expand the freedom and pursue the best interests of its people, and nothing else.

sorry for the rant but thats how I feel and obviously its a very confusing and disappointing time to be a human.