I read about this story in a different blog here . [quote] To summarize, a woman named Courteney Cook rationalizes why she left her military husband while he was away in Iraq, for an anti-war "blue-eyed Marxist". She also describes how she met other men, and actually goes through agonizing contortions to rationalize her behavior. It's both disgusting and painful to watch. She also gives her advice for other
[quote]Don’t have to? In a completely free society, you would not be forced to pay for services that you do not use. Now, I don’t happen to support a completely free society. I support a certain level of socialism because I do believe that individuals do owe an inherent debt to society. But I’m not going to say that something has to be a certain way. There’s no particular reason why the government must pay for schools – particularly the federal government.[/quo
[quote who="Rightwinger" reply="25" id="2537417"] or maybe it was big industry and their interests, was Hitler really in power or rather a weak dictator (thesis of Hans Mommsen) - there are many different interpretations of this very question.---utemia Now to me, this idea is historical revisionism at its most insidious and heinous. Adolf Hitler was worshipped virtually as a god; he somehow convinced Germany that his views were the correct ones, and an over
lol. Sorry about that. I was torn what to call the blogentry - my first choice had been "Americans are crazy" but that was a bit too harsh (even if its true ;)). I also didn't generalize americans as primitive. Primitivism and primitive do not have the same meaning. Primitivism is not per se negatively connotated. Check it out on Wikipedia The sheesh at the end was more out of bafflement than disdain.
I wasn't just referring to Dresden or war when I said that I found it difficult. I also said difficult and didn't use the word wrong or mistake or unjustified. Personally, I don't comprehend how regular normal everyday people were able to be so cruel and turn into hateful murderers. This radicalization that caused so much brutality and in the end almost total selfdestruction is hard to understand.
[quote]The people of Germany chose their side. They made their bed, and many died in it.[/quote] That is too simplistic. My father didn't chose, had he potentially had deserved to die in an airraid? (He was born 1940). It is a very complex problem to analyze. Who really chose the war - was it the people, or maybe it was big industry and their interests, was Hitler really in power or rather a weak dictator ( thesis of Hans Mommse n)
Here, the capitulation in Stalingrad in February 1943 is generally referred to as the turningpoint and not the airraids per se. The ongoing war increasingly demoralized the population, and especially after Stalingrad it became clear that Germany wasn't victorious at all eventhough the regime steadfastly declared otherwise. PS: If you want to read more about this from someone really qualified, I recommend Ian Kershaw. He is a renowned british historian on this issue. It is diifficult t
Spiegel is a respectable magazine in Germany. That doesn't mean their immune to hoaxes of course.. but this story isn't implausible just crazy
I find it difficult to reconcile acts of violence where innocent people are the victims with some greater good that was achieved because of it. The airraids killed tens of thousands inncoents as well, woman, children and elderly - I can't bring myself to not feel sorrow for the huge loss of life. This isn't me judging the allied bombings in general though or me negating the need for violence in certain situations. I am just a very mellow person, I guess that's why They often sho
I guess I gotta watch out next time I visit.. honestly. who comes up with ideas like this? From Spiegel Magazine http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,677121,00.html Modern Day Flintstones A Stone Age Subculture Takes Shape in the US By Philip Bethge A modern-day Stone Age subculture is developing in the United
[quote who="Nitro Cruiser" reply="35" id="2536953"] Not very surprising result really lol I'll take that as a compliment.[/quote] hihi stereotypes are always based on a truth after all. And you're welcome.
Thanks for the article, that was a interesting read. [quote who="Anthony R" reply="8" id="2536353"]Playing whack a mole with these rediculous drones is taking forever. The Afghan war is going on 10 years now with the Taliban unbroken and Al Qaeda still festering. We should probably go back in time and do what we've done in the past to actually WIN wars.[/quote] Hah, like that would work. The US doesn't actually fight against Afghanistan because that part was over when war was declared o
I don't like CFL bulbs becauses it takes about 2 minutes for them to become bright and the light is awful at that. The mercury is also an issue especially when children are involved. And low quality CFL's don't save money at all but cost considerably more than a normal lightbulb did. I wouldn't really mind the ban if there was a good, cheap nontoxic alternative around, but then you wouldn't need a government regulation at all. Instead they could have marketed the energy saving light b
You know, you're right with alot. I've heard the argument that the only way to actually help would be to stop humanitarian aid which makes people dependant. A great way to actually improve things are microcredits, and there are some organizations that make the whole thing possible. I just read this article about a successful german businessman who gave up all his money to build an organization that does exactly that. People who want to help can give a small credit to someone who seeks it, 20
Ain't that the truth about padded butts hehe They used that sort of punishment for a long time in german schools as well, but now corporal punishment by a teacher in school is a criminal offense and it is generally illegal even in private. I think a swat on a padded butt doesn't qualify as criminal offense though - but a paddle certainly does. Teachers aren't allowed to humiliate students as punishment either here, even when it happens in the principals office. It is legal in Missouri
Generally I am with you on those pinciples of what the government should do. It is just that I don't believe that a state would function like that Huh. So .. I stereotyed you.. (only a little bit) and you're a fairly typical american in the sense that individualism and self reliance are really really important and you got the frontier mentality of making it on your own. Not very surprising result really lol
[quote]"the GOP plan"[/quote] I just watched that.. americans are nuts. THAT is an official add?!? Aside from everything else, wanting the other party to fail and thus blocking decisions is something that both do when they have the opportunity. Ridiculous. As for this issue, I had wondered before how this would change elections. I think the american way of voting is totally overblown and outrageous and that you should get an election reform and have a direct vote. BUT I have been told
The circumstances 70 years ago were different than from today. The war was about conquering land and the people in it or respectively fighting off an invader. Hitler wanted to conquer an empire, and so did Japan. Dreseden is of course a tragedy - it happened 13th-15th February 1945.. But as you pointed out and many have argued before, it is difficult to isolate the bombing from its context of the war and the general atmosphere. It isn't very enlightening to judge Dresden just by the n
What exactly do you define as corporal punishment? and what would warrant it - my parents never used that.. well the occasional slap in the face or on the butt when we were insolent, but nothing with a paddle or cane or anything like that.
[quote]So we are not being overly sensitive to the fact that the War on Terror unleashed by President Bush and carried out with great alacrity by President Obama seems to carry on the glorious traditions of the last century.[/quote] I have to disagree with that as well. Everything possible is being done by the US military to prevent civilian casualties in Afghanistan and it had been also done in Iraq. But then the conflicts you mentioned weren't asymetrical as the war against terror but very
You never know what mating earthworms could do for you in the future, Nitro.. Because universities can make insane amounts of money with patents (and many do), there is enough incentive to do research in areas that could yield results that can be patented and sold for a lot of money. The universities and the private industry profit from each other in this. Private Industry gets government funding for research as well under the BD Act, you know, not just universities. At least
Universities are rarely run by stupid people, and they make millions of profit from licensing their patents. I think that was one intention of the act - to make the research results available quickly and to allow people who do the research to profit from it as well. It has been legistlature since 1980 after all. And your argument is what I read back then as well, especially regarding the pharmaceutical companies. Sometimes they pump millions into research and nothing comes off it, but the pro
[quote]The government invents nothing, so why do many put so much of their faith in government? The guy that invents sustainable cold fusion will be the worlds hero, even then something better will follow.[/quote] A lot of research in universities for example and other institutions is funded by the government. And the Bayh-Dole Act requires those who make a discovery with government funds to register it as a patent. Many US universities make alot of money with patents that way. I don't know a
Well the good thing was that my little relatives weren't paying that much attention because they wanted the movie to be over so they could finish watching Mary Poppins which they had started in the morning - for the 50th time. Now that is an amazing movie for kids (and grownups). New to that collection came "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" last christmas - maybe I should get them the Wizzard of OZ as a gift next time I see them.
It's not a bad movie at all, just not a movie for children. Cute little doves don't do much to mitigate the violence and humiliation that follow when Quasimodo joins the festivities and is elected king of fools for example. The plot stays relatively close to the original - of course the story is modified somewhat as it always happens when books are turned into movies and mainly concentrates on Quasimodo's storyline. It is always difficult to transform an epos to 90 minutes of film. I
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