stutefish

Reply to Andy Card Claims Bush Has Done GREAT Things For America. in Politics JoeUser Forums

Most of the great things he has tried to do have failed due to lack of bipartisan support. Social Security reform, for example. But for my money, the greatest thing he's done has been to turn terrorism into the global clash of civilizations it should be. Nations can't pretend terrorism is a local problem with local law enforcement solutions anymore, as they did in the last century. In this century, they have to confront terrorists and state

Reply to Secret Memo Proves Bush Bent On Iraq War in Politics JoeUser Forums

Dude, Bush's intentions were obvious from the very beginning.

Reply to Scientology....What's the deal? in Religion JoeUser Forums

Best Scientology-debunking site ever: http://www.xenu.net/

Reply to What Is Your Default State? in Misc JoeUser Forums

California.

Reply to America Blew It In Iraq! in Politics JoeUser Forums

Ironically, while these factions are busy contesting with each other, they're not busy establishing a powerful oil-funded totalitarian regime that supports terrorism and keeps its citizens in line through the application of brutal violence. I figure Bush got it exactly right: break up a state sponsor of terror into several warring factions obsessed with their own internal conflicts. If possible, try to establish a liberal democracy in place o

Reply to If the UAE Is Such A Friend,,, in Politics JoeUser Forums

Of course! We already have one friendly, non-crazy, non-oppressive regime in the region! Why bother trying to get more? And we should especially not bother trying to bring regime change, stability, and liberal democracy to any of the worst nations in the region!

Reply to I am not a racist but...... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Yeah, she lost me at "I single out black conservatives for special dislike".

Reply to Who Was St. Patrick & Why Does He Get A Day? in Europe JoeUser Forums

You make a lot of factual claims about Saint Patrick. What are your sources?

Reply to Ricky Holland: Victim of state sponsored terrorism in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Gideon, while I respect your principled opposition to CPS, I think it's a mistake to describe what they do as "state-sponsored terrorism". Terrorism is essentially a military tactic to influence enemy morale and achieve political objectives in a state of war. Using the word "terrorism" to describe what is actually incompetence and wrongheadedness on the part of a government agency confuses the issue, misleads the inattentive and uninf

Reply to Ricky Holland: Victim of state sponsored terrorism in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Gideon, while I respect your principled opposition to CPS, I think it's a mistake to describe what they do as "state-sponsored terrorism". Terrorism is essentially a military tactic to influence enemy morale and achieve political objectives in a state of war. Using the word "terrorism" to describe what is actually incompetence and wrongheadedness on the part of a government agency confuses the issue, misleads the inattentive and uninf

Reply to Must be Bush and GOP's fault--More Americans losing homes in Politics JoeUser Forums

Gene, here in America we are free to take risks. We are free to accumulate wealth, and then wager that wealth on the potential to accumulate even more wealth in the future. This is a fundamental freedom, derived directly from our inalienable human rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Of course, sometimes these wagers lose instead of win, and the free people who risked their wealth must accept the consequence

Reply to When Democracy Died in Politics JoeUser Forums

Note that Bush claims his actions are entirely constitutional, entailed directly from the responsibilities imposed on him by the Constitution. The most you can honestly say is that the question is ambiguous and controversial, and that different experts--often with their own partisan bias--are arguing for different and conflicting interpretations.

Reply to Sen. Feingold's Bill to Censure Bush! in Politics JoeUser Forums

What is Bush being censured for? Is it something I would agree requires censure? What's Feingold's justification for proposing this bill? Have you read or heard his epxlanation? What did he say, that caused you to agree with him? What are you going to say, to convince the rest of us to agree with him?

Reply to Great Subliminal Message Photo in The Media JoeUser Forums

If only it were true that the media felt comfortable manipulating public opinion by framing events in ways that reveal and/or promote bias? Honey, take another look at that photo. It is true. If only it weren't...

Reply to Trying to start word-association in Humor JoeUser Forums

double post

Reply to Trying to start word-association in Humor JoeUser Forums

nerd Revenge

Reply to An Article full of Qualifiers in Current Events JoeUser Forums

While it's true that "acting like an ass" is part of "being human", it's not true that "being human" is a valid excuse for "acting like an ass". And like I said, I have little patience for people who try to make that excuse. Too bad that "taking responsibility for acting like an ass" and "accepting the consequences for acting like an ass" don't appear to be part of "being human". I guess my willingness to get royally flamed f

Reply to An Article full of Qualifiers in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I have little patience for people who use "having a moment" and "mistake in reading comprehension" as an excuse for being an ass on the Internet. If you are prone to "moments" that interfere with your good judgement, and you can't identify them and hold off acting until the moment passes , then you have some serious self-control and self-awareness issues that need to be addressed before you come out into the world and rant at people. Se

Reply to When the time is right, should Linux become mainstream? in Personal Computing JoeUser Forums

Linux should definitely become mainstream. But only when the time is right.

My Queen Keeps Dragons in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

So S has a fantasy. No, not that kind of fantasy. Well, she has that kind, too. But that's not important right now. What is important is, she gets depressed, sometimes. It's like her kryptonite. We all have our kryptonite: that little radioactive rock we carry around with us. Every so often the shielding slips, an

Reply to WHY do Some Americans continue to Support Bush? in Politics JoeUser Forums

Bush has pretty much been a single-issue president: focusing what insight and competence he has on the war on terror. All of the other long-standing structural and institutional problems that face this country, he's been letting them sort of just muddle along, same as it ever was.

Reply to I have to give up smoking. in Blogging JoeUser Forums

Take a two-week vacation. During that time, hang out with non-smokers. When you return, do not buy cigarrettes.

Reply to What Happens if I Call My Friend a Fag? in Misc JoeUser Forums

I call my friend a fag all the time. It's one of our favorite insults. He's totally straight, of course. We just enjoy savoring the delicious irony and the frisson of doing something bad. We also have no objections, socially or morally, to actual homosexuals.

Reply to And All God's People Said... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

And all God's people said... "piss off, Pat Robertson!" Amen.

Reply to Let Us Remember The Crusades in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

No significant amounts of Arabian land were grabbed, or held, during the Crusades. The vast wealth of the Templars, for example, came from European real estate and other holdings--donated to the cause by wealthy European lords, in order to fund their expeditions. The expeditions themselves were neither profitable nor successful in the long run. In the long run, far more European real estate was donated to fund the Crusades th