cactoblasta

Reply to Sorry is on my behalf in Politics JoeUser Forums

I'm with you on this, and your comments about Keith and Andrew. Keith in particular is a loathsome little toad who doesn't even manipulate facts; what he manipulates is unmentionable on a blog with a general readership. I can't say I really feel 'sorry' in the conventional sense of the word - I don't feel guilty and a sense that I should atone for the hideous things various people like me did in the past - but I do think saying sorry is a good first step, because I think it's unlikely K

Reply to You tell me - why are rich people Rich? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]This has been shown time and time again to be false (it may be in a Monarchial society filled with Dukes and Lords, but not in a meritocracy.[/quote] So you don't think the way you were raised has any effect on you? I guess it's an interesting opinion, but it doesn't explain why most middle class people have middle class children, poor people have poor children and the rich have rich or middle class children. Surely if parental influence wasn't important we'd see a more even spre

Reply to Viewpoints & Arguments in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

[quote] It might be but it's the only one that seems to make sense. I've heard that human emotions are hard to explain from any other belief system. Where do they come from? How did we receive our conscience? We all know deep down whether we chose to follow or not that murder is wrong. We don't need to be told this. [/quote] Interesting fact - we don't know that murder is wrong from birth. Entire cultures have been built around that fact. The Mongols conquered Asia and Eastern Europ

Reply to Viewpoints & Arguments in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

[quote]1. Atheistic- Atheism says that everything comes from nothing. There is no God. There is no purpose in life. Might makes right as Hitler believed. There is no absolute rule as there is no God to dictate such rules. [/quote] Atheists often have a very strong sense of purpose. This (so far as they believe) is their only existence; wasting even a moment is senseless. If anything you could say a Christian would lack purpose, because once they've done enough to get to heaven nothing e

Reply to People who do things and people who don't in Politics JoeUser Forums

I'd agree with most of what you're saying here. The only points I'd differ circle around where you say that the public sector should be reduced because the monopoly of force is ripe for manipulation by evil people. Surely the only conclusion to make, once you've assumed that most people are good and that evil people are attracted to the public sector, is to make the public sector as big as possible to minimise the effects of evil people. Make it too small and the influence of good peopl

Reply to You tell me - why are rich people Rich? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]What does this have to do with what we're discussing. We're not talking about hoarding wealth. We're talking about money being exchanged for goods and services.[/quote] The original post merely asked why wealth should be shared. I was answering that question. [quote]The bottom 10% tile on the other hand, aren't going to revolt. They aren't going to do anything. You can barely get them to get off their asses and vote. The bottom 40% tile are largely in that category too.

Reply to You tell me - why are rich people Rich? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]The end result is: People who do stuff matter in a society. People who don't do stuff don't matter. I don't mean that in a moral or philosophical way, I mean it in a literal social evolution way. The people who don't do stuff are as relevant as any other form of dead wood.[/quote] That's unwise. The poor matter because they are numerous and because their numbers grow quickly when not attended to appropriately. The poor roused will topple any nation. You shouldn't fall into th

Reply to You tell me - why are rich people Rich? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[B]Why are people wealthy?[/B] Here's a few reasons. 1. Born into wealth. This is the traditional method. Most wealthy people are the children of wealthy people or born into a family which has regularly thrown up wealthy people. You could subdivide it into trust fund rich people and hereditary skills/attitudes rich people, but the difference is arbitrary for the question - they're both rich/wealthy because of their folks rather than a solely personal struggle against the univer

Reply to I've had to pack my bags half a dozen times. in Blogging JoeUser Forums

Looking good Tex! I can't imagine what it would be like to have snow around and not be on a ski trip.

Reply to UN: Still Relevant? in International JoeUser Forums

[quote]The war didn't give the US any more territory nor improved access to strategic resources (the same access could have been obtained by making a deal with Saddam, the US had more to offer than France and Russia).[/quote] Australia entered the war not so much for morality but to get in good with the Americans. Britain probably did it as much out of pride as anything else. On the US front the bases have fairly effectively replaced the Saudi ones, which is one reason put for

Reply to UN: Still Relevant? in International JoeUser Forums

[quote]THEIR intelligent service (besides not existing) never told them that.[/quote] The French, Russians and Chinese have traditionally had quite effective intelligence services. I'd be surprised if they are much less well informed than the US. Certainly their cynicism towards the WMD argument suggests they were better informed or at least better listeners in that case than the US was. [quote]As for the "agencies", I would say that is a matter of perspective. Show me how they

Reply to A Rose by Any Other Name in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]Each path can't lead to God becasue it's for God to say which path we will come to Him and not for man to tell God to be content with whatever men choose to do.[/quote] The worrying thing for me about true believer Christians is that they often assume God is a straightforward, 'I say what I mean' and sadly rather dull-witted individual. I've never seen any evidence to suggest that God isn't the subtlest, most manipulative (in a positive way) mind in existence. I

Reply to UN: Still Relevant? in International JoeUser Forums

[quote]Just think, if the UN had of approved of the war in Iraq, many who protest it now would consider it a just war. The only reason some nations on the Security Counsel voted against it was, their UN representatives were accepting blood money from Hussein.[/quote] That or perhaps they listened to their intelligence services when they said there were no WMDs. I don't think it's surprising for major powers to be against supporting a war when it only seems to give their rival new terri

Reply to UN: Still Relevant? in International JoeUser Forums

[quote]I would also add that the UN is very impotent on the Human Rights front. [/quote] As singrdave and the icecream man mentioned, the UN is a forum for discussion. Its best use is as a place for rulers and ambassadors from anywhere in the world to meet and discuss issues. That purpose alone is justification for its existence, as understanding is the key to preventing or limiting conflict. You mention that the UN is a waste because it can't stop crazies, b

Reply to Capitalism run Amok in Business JoeUser Forums

[quote]How did they get the people who owned them to just give them up? [/quote] I'm pretty sure they were leased and GM refused to continue the contracts.

Reply to *Sigh* Mormons are Christians in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]That's what's so great about the LDS church - there's been a prophet (14 soon to be 15, actually) since Joseph Smith.[/quote] Catholicism has that too. Nothing like believing your leaders are divinely inspired to make the world more messed up than it was before. [quote]Interesting comment, considering we believe that "the House of Israel" refers to all followers of "The God of Ambraham, Isaac and Jacob". In the Old Testament, the Lord called Israel "mine elect". So al

Reply to *Sigh* Mormons are Christians in Religion JoeUser Forums

[quote]Because being called "non Christian" implies that we don't believe in Christ. It misrepresents everything we believe in and the very premise of our faith. We do, in fact, believe in Jesus Christ, just like I said in my article. That's why we want to be called Christian, because we are.[/quote] It's a part of your beliefs, sure, but you also believe in Joseph Smith the prophet, although believe may be too strong a word. His teachings, anyway. Muslims believe that Jesus wa

Reply to *Sigh* Mormons are Christians in Religion JoeUser Forums

I don't really understand why Mormons want to be called Christians. Sure, they share many of the same holy books, but they've got extras that 'Christians' don't believe in. Why not consider your beliefs a new religion rather than trying to say that it's the same as the one yours is built off? Christians don't call themselves Jews, yet they kept their old Jewish books and just added some more and a new 'prophet', much like Mormons added a new set of books and a new 'prophet' in

Reply to HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDIE! in Blog Communities JoeUser Forums

Happy birthday Tex!

Reply to How much socialism do you want? in Blogging JoeUser Forums

[quote]If they made anything that anyone wanted, it would find a way around trade sanctions (Oil for Food anyone?????). The simple fact is they dont make anything that anyone wants. Or even grow enough food to feed their people! (How do you explain that one?)[/quote] Don't forget trade goes both ways. Cuba makes sugar, medical and tobacco products and services which are popular on international markets. But due to trade sanctions they can't import much in the way of tech

Reply to How much socialism do you want? in Blogging JoeUser Forums

[quote]Oh yes, if North Korea had access to materials it would be a paradise. Sure, it's right next to China, but let's ignore that.[/quote] I'm not trying to say it was a paradise, but it's unfair to say that it was 'free to pursue its own destiny'. It was free within quite set limits, firstly that it not piss off its patron, China, and secondly that it trade with no one else but China. Socialism isn't all about loving your brother - China exploited the hell out of North Kore

Reply to How much socialism do you want? in Blogging JoeUser Forums

[quote]So next time you're asked whether you support government run health care or other centrally planned initiatives, ask yourself how dark you want it to get? A little bit of socialism is like a little bit of death.[/quote] That's very melodramatic, but there aren't many countries considering a little bit of socialism who are likely to become international pariahs unable to trade outside the communist bloc. Who knows how North Korea would have ended up if it wasn't locked do

Reply to U.S.faking video footage - Iranian speedboats in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]Come on cacto, even you have to admit that a lie has to sound real for a while before someone figures it out.[/quote] I don't think we've seen a PR specialist as good as Goebbels - I don't think we've seen one who had to be as good - and he was the one who said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." So no, I don't think it has to sound all that real, you just to force people to think about it regularly enough that they st

Reply to U.S.faking video footage - Iranian speedboats in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]or anyone to swallow the idea that the US would purposely make a video that looks fake and then put it out there hoping no one will notice needs to take the next ship off this planet cause they may as well join their minds on another planet.[/quote] Why? You're defending it. I'm pretty sure that at this point the US government could still release almost anything and have defenders among the public regardless of how fake it looked. How long that ability to sow confusion w

Reply to Games Women Play 101 in Personal Relationships JoeUser Forums

I'm not a woman and not much of a metro, so maybe this won't work. But from the sounds of it she obsesses with her appearance because there's so little else of meaning in her life. Does she give you useful gifts or impractical things? Try mentioning every time you see her how jealous you are that she can be so ornamental, so pretty, so impractical. From my experience no woman likes to be called pretty. Beautiful, yes, but dolls and children are pretty, not people. It also neatl