Chia Obama not embraced by Walgreens

I remember reading about this. :shakes head: Society...it's messed up.

I guess Obama will have to do something about that. Ohh, how about:

Ch-Ch-Ch-Change!

Woah, talk about a total jump in logic. I wouldn't say Obama has, so much as society has. We've all fallen for it; you, me, joe down the street. Obama is just another part of the whole shebang.

~Alderic

How so?  Did Obama personally complain?

Society has this politically correct stick up its ass for the time being.  Everyone's afraid of offending someone and some people set out to be offended.  Just another iteration of latent fear and mistrust of other people that are different.

Also, who the hell even buys chia pets?

~Zoo

Thank you Zoo - you put into words what I've been thinking for a looong time, kudos.

No problem.  I'm pretty good with words.  It comes from years of BSing school papers.

~Zoo

Like what my rhetorics instructor says, "You can usually say what you want to say in any college level research paper with a single paragraph all the way up to two pages; the rest is just fluf, BS."

~Alderic

Never had a chia pet but I'd like one of these. Might be one of the few ways he can directly stimulate the economy.

Yeah, and they're taking away that opportunity. >_>

LOL, Bush was accused of dividing the country but Obama is just a part of the problem? I continue to be amazed as to how Obama gets a pass on everything Bush was accused of. Obama can do no wrong, best way to describe this.

LOL, yea people can put this next to the commemorative plate and coin.

Oh, he can do wrong.  That DVD gift was a bad move.  I mean, Bush had secret offshore prisons where people were tortured, but yeah...DVDs are a pretty bad gift.

Actually, my comment was on society as a whole.  I don't see how Obama is contributing to the sort of behavior you described.  I see people around him acting that way because they're afraid they might piss him (or some other black person) off.  If Obama held a press conference about the afro chia pets...then perhaps I could see the connection.

~Zoo

Not necessarily. I love film/movies, and DVD's would be a great gift; now, about my wish list....

It's torture when you don't get sliced bananas in your cornflakes, right? Being coddled in a tropical paradise is the pits (I've been there). Where your concern for captured US soldiers? Oh that's right there aren't any, they are killed and mutilated if time permits. But that's OK, we should be more worried that the Gitmo detainees TV is working properly. God forbid we treat them like prisoners, that would be immoral for people that want you dead.

We just need Obama to go down there, bow to each one of them and tell them how bad America is in case they missed it on the evening news.

I was thinking more like razor blading people's genitals.

~Zoo

:Shudders: Oooooouch!

Or waterboarding, etc. Yup, it's all so much fun for them. This doesn't account for the fact that some, if not a majority of them were never terrorists. (And don't give me the crap of, "Oh well we don't know, so it's better to..." That's an excuse, not a reason.)

~Alderic

I'd need more proof then those "poor, tortured innocents" word, that just woke up in Cuba for no good reason. How upset were you when those two captured US soldiers had their genitals removed (among other things) and their bodies booby trapped in an attempt to kill some others? I would prefer our worse treatment to their "kindness". Yeah, yeah, you say we should be better than them... well we are...they are not tortured to death. How many of them have been returned to the battlefield now? Sixty? Wonder how many more deaths they incurred. In one thing I do agree with you, most of them should never have been brought to Gitmo, they should have been left rotting, the same fate any of their prisoners can expect. I don't want my tax dollars keeping these bastards on the catch and release program. You can prove me wrong by taking your next vacation in the Swat valley of Pakistan. I'll admit I was wrong upon your return. 

Yeah, I always vacation at battlefields. How unlucky can you get. Must have thought those soldiers they were shooting at were mountain goats or the terrorist camp was a bed and breakfast. Explain to me what reason would it be to anyones benefit to pick up someone for no reason whatsoever? So quick to believe. What is the first thing most every criminal says? I wasn't me, I didn't do it! We must really enjoy the expense of keeping these poor unfortunates clothed, sheltered and fed.

US special forces under go waterbaording "torture" as part of their training. Are you saying we should treat the enemy better than our troops? Maybe if you lost someone to terrorism you'd have a sightly different outlook. Or, better yet if you knew a family member would die unless information was extracted. Hard to see what is really going on from the top of the ivory tower isn't it? Be glad someone is able to do what your kind sensibilities are unable to do, for all our families sake, or don't liberals die at the hands of terrorists? Nobody is forcing them to commit these acts, they can stop any time they want to.

It must be wonderful living in the ?buy the world a coke" world. Just realize some people out there want US citizens dead, they don't care if you're liberal or conservative. If you want to be a useful fool for their cause, that's your right. They like that, until your services are no longer needed. You know, the thoughts are probably the same in most peoples mind just before the blade slices through their neck. I bet one thing that victim won't be thinking..."I hope these guys are treated with dignity if they are ever captured".

Where do we draw the line?  Once you open the floodgates to that kind of treatment...it won't stop.  We shouldn't allow the government to torture the shit out of people...even if they're sick fucks.  Kill them at least, but torturing using the justification that they're our enemy and not Americans is fucked.  I get the rationalization for it...I'd probably torture the hell out of somoene who hurt the people around me...but that's because I'm a cold hearted bastard in circumstances like that.  I do not, however, think it should be a government policy. Just because extremist groups do some crazy shit doesn't give us validation for similar behavior. 

We have a thing about cruel and unusual punishment, don't we?  Should we just cast aside whatever values and laws the country has for convience's sake?  Because we're pissed off?  Is that how a government should work? 

~Zoo 

Zoo, I'm with you about the idea of us lowering ourselves to terrorist standards. Tourture should not be an alternative. But I can't help but wonder how we could ever survive an enemy that does not see thru the same eyes we do, that would take a plane full of innocent men, women and children and crash it into a building full of innocent men, women and children just because they believe that our people should should suffer the consiquences of our Gov't actions, if we have to wait for them to make the first move so as to have an excuse to fight back and even then we will defend ourselves based on a set of rules that the enemy will never follow and lives will be lost in the process because we follow these rules but then if we do nothing the death toll will likely be larger. The Iraq war took a long time to reach the 3000 death mark, it took the 9/11 terrorist less than a day to do it.

If you were aware that someone was going to kill you or a family member, would you wait till the deed was done before you do something about it? Would you question those you believe might now information that can save you or your families lives? What would you do to obtain this information? How far would you go?

Ever notice how the people of this country change their tune the moment after a disaster happens? I'm sure most people disagreed with the idea of using any kind of tourture no matter the reason on anyone but as soon as a major disaster hit and hundreds or thousands or maybe even millions die, people quickly wonder why, if tourture could have prevented it, was it not done regardless? I am of the beliefe that people do not like certain things so long as these certain things do not affect them, but once it does, even a person who loves and values life might find themselves capable of taking a life if their own or someone they love's life is on the line. I know I would.

We can be "moral" all we want, we can request or even demand to have a Gov't that is "moral" and "fair" but when faced with the realities of life, I am willing to bet that all bets are off at that point.

Well your honest about it and that's what I like about you Zoo.

Let me say I don't think it should be a government policy either. I do think the military or special agencies need to determine if it is necessary at all. Your average foot soldier may have little to offer, but the mastermind behind a big event or a leader involved in planning? I say do what is necessary to get the information, no need to pull out your best trick first, if the information can be extracted without it.

You look at things a bit different when you consider each man and woman in uniform to be your brother or sister, or son and daughter.

Admittedly, I am staunchly against killing in any form, and against torture; however, I don't want to see our nation lower itself to their standards, otherwise we're no better than them.I care about our nation's image and standing. How do we gain any favor or respect if we're assumed to be war mongerers, or worse? We try to ignore what others say, we try to claim we're taking the high ground and doing what needs to be done, but the world tends to disagree. What then? Do we continue and lose any sort of ground in the international community? That's my concern, that's why I would rather not see us torture - besides my general bias against it.

~Alderic

And Al Quiada, murderers, rapists, and pedophiles everywhere thank you. (sorry for those I left out)

Wonder how much of the world is losing sleep tonight, wondering if the US likes them or not. Dear diary the US likes me, they like me not, they like me, they really really like me. Here's a flash: they all like is our money, or what we can do for them and don't give a rats @ss about anything else. I bet the recent Obama/Clinton apology tour is making you giddy with joy. We'll see how much respect that gets us. North Korea didn't seem too impressed...what shall we do.

>_> I seriously hope that was all in jest. What I meant by losing ground in the international community is that we could lose any sort of credibility or integrity. What then? Would we have the clout to get done what we need done? What if the time came when we needed to ask for international support? That's what I'm trying to say.

To each their own.

You give a passionate plea to be liked....then, in the same post say "To each their own".

What was that about credibility and integrity???

France treats its minorities like second class citizens (hundreds of cars set ablaze two years ago). Their "Unions" are permitted to take corporate officials hostage (without repercussions) and your worried what they think about us? Please! I told you they love our money, that;s what it boils down to. As for their support on any issue in the future, I want their support because they realize it's the right thing to do, no because they owe us one (in some circles that's call extortion your Chicago politicians know all about it, Barry included). If they don;t support us for that reason, I don't want them. Sending troops to watch you get beat up, does not constitute support in my eyes. 

>_> I'm concerned about our nation's image, but... (and re-read this if needed), I would not be hesitant to agree with a show of force. It would be unfortunate, because I do not like violence or other aggressive acts, but I realize that not always can we communicate with other nations, etc.

You get what I'm saying? It's pretty damn simple.

Where do I get my damn Chia Obama? I want to sprinkle some ideas on it's head and see if anything meaningful grows.