utemia

Reply to Strange english vocabulary (that I learned today) in Misc JoeUser Forums

salt cellar is the same as salt shaker

Reply to The Huston Statement in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]You have to look at it this way, a religious person will believe that everything has divine intervention in it because it's their belief that God created everything and everyone and therefor God was responsible for the creation of these documents and the freedoms it gives to the US citizens. Why? Because many if not all of those responsible for creating these documents were religious people.[/quote] That looks like circular reasoning to me. I don't know the biographical background of t

Reply to The Huston Statement in Politics JoeUser Forums

Thanks for the explanations. I could probably research most of what I want to know by myself but it is much more interesting to get a more personal answer.

Reply to Global Warming - A Comedy of Errors in Politics JoeUser Forums

Well. This is one area where new research could help alot. I mean, incandescent lightbulbs "waste" most of the energy as heat which isn't used in anyway. It does make sense to find an alternative that is more efficient. But using toxic materials isn't maybe the preferred solution - cost benefit analysis might show which method costs more in the end if one factors in the waste disposal and production of CFL's and compares it to the "wasted" energy of incandescent lightbulbs and their productio

Reply to The Huston Statement in Politics JoeUser Forums

You're right, I never meant to say that one is not allowed to view the DoI that way. But I think it is a very simplistic way that neglects the history of ideas that surrounds the formation of it, namely the new concepts of state and person and individualism, natural law etc. that were tossed around by the great thinkers of that time. What exactly is commonly meant with "freedeom of religion, not freedom from it"? It must be an important catchphrase, and I would like to know more

Reply to The Huston Statement in Politics JoeUser Forums

I associate inalienable rights more with Emanuel Kant.

Reply to The Huston Statement in Politics JoeUser Forums

Lula, I am just not used to that sort of patriotism and it appears that way to me as I already said - a bit over the top. I prefer a more toned down rhetoric. Generally, germans are sort of wary of too much display of patriotic sentiment, it always paints you in a farright white power corner if you do - unless there are sports events involved like the FIFA worldcup or the Olympics etc. Otherwise you never hear nor see it here.

Reply to The Huston Statement in Politics JoeUser Forums

no no nitpicking is good.. the details matter almost all of the time in issues as this. So which document do you think is more important or relevant, the Declaration of Indipendance because it was well, the birth certificate of an independant new republic, or the constitution where that republic defined its political structure and how the government was to work etc. ? I agree with your analysis, very succinct. It's untrue to state that the authors disregarded any religious bel

Reply to The Huston Statement in Politics JoeUser Forums

I didn't reference the DoI - and I just checked with the link from DrGuy again just to be sure: in the US constitution, the document that is the basis of the US government, neither God nor Creator are mentioned. I don't disagree with what Brad said about what the government should do or "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="widows: 2; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-style:

Reply to The Huston Statement in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote who="Dr Guy" reply="9" id="2548365"]Utemia, Why carry around something when you have the internet? Go to this site for both the Constitution and Declaration: http://www.usconstitution.net/ And you are right, the music would add pizazz. [/quote] I think my friend always carries one with him at all times. I mostly have mine in a deskdrawer. I prefer reading real paper to reading of a screen. Add to the music one of those really baritone narrator

Reply to The Huston Statement in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]I'm curious, why do you feel this way?[/quote] I find the style too melodramatic and in a way too cheesy/sappy. [quote]Taking your comment into consideration I would say you are just as passionate about pointing out that God is not mentioned in the Constitution. I would conclude that your comment has too much pathos as well, for me.[/quote] Touché. In fact I am a bit passionate about the secular principles of the Englightenment philosophy. I think

Reply to The Huston Statement in Politics JoeUser Forums

All that was missing was a dramatic music score and the american flag flying in the background.. Way too much pathos for me. God is not mentioned once in the constitution, I checked. I have an american friend who sent me a pocket version "of the best document that was ever written" (his words), and godgiven rights and liberties are not mentioned anywhere in it. Why do you insist that it was god that grants civil liberties when it is infact a secular concept of philosophy that puts the

Reply to Strange english vocabulary (that I learned today) in Misc JoeUser Forums

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teaching_grandmother_to_suck_eggs

Reply to US DRONE ATTACKS ON CIVILIAN TARGETS in Current Events JoeUser Forums

[quote]Apart from the sheer scale of the drone attacks and tney are becoming more and more frequent by the week, the widespread use of drone raises questions about US commitment to the conventions it has signed.[/quote] I don't remember reading about very frequent drone attacks. But I do know what they write about Operation Moshtarak in Afghanistan right now. After all, embedded reporters might not be objective and slightly sensationalize their reporting, but they probably get an accurate pul

Reply to Strange english vocabulary (that I learned today) in Misc JoeUser Forums

double Dutch - nonsense, gobbledygook etc. If you ever heard dutch it is quite easy to imagine I must see a man about a dog - use the bathroom to teach someone to suck eggs - to give advice to someone about a subject that they already know more about than you

Reply to US DRONE ATTACKS ON CIVILIAN TARGETS in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I got miffed and wanted to explain/prove my arguments after they had been rejected as either evil or too easy and also to refute the claim that history is straightforward or simple. A debate like that can quickly turn into a roundabout affair though, you're right. It's quite a challenge to keep it interesting.

Reply to Homesick for dictatorship in Misc JoeUser Forums

The same way topics change when you go out with friends and have few drinks in a bar - you brought up the indians and *bam* now we're talking about the indians. Your fault, this! lol [e digicons]:rofl:[/e] Other than the fact that it doesn't really fit in with the OP, it is an interesting part of US history which doesn't get much recognition in the public outside of melodramatic movies and books. But I could be wrong about that, it just appeared that way to me.

Reply to US DRONE ATTACKS ON CIVILIAN TARGETS in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Sorry for the lenghty debate, know that it's quite the turnoff. As it is, I read the same debates (mostly about religious themes or a mix of politics and morals like the gay marriage thing or abortion etc) between the same people on many different threads. It can get a little tiring as often, nothing new is contributed. And I have the vague feeling that I already argued similarly about this topics regarding the nazis somewhere on JU as well. Nobody can be asked to read len

Reply to When art might kill you in Off-Topic JoeUser Forums

Well. Imagine YOU were to recieve a small cardboard black coffin with a bullet and a threatening note inside which said that someone was going to kill you (because "A hitman will visit you" pretty much means that) - would you care that it was a prop and not a real lifesize coffin? It's a deaththreat and I wouldn't be surprised if that same stunt would be viewed as a felony in the US, even if it was meant as a PR campaign. The recipient didn't know that it wasn't a serious death threat. <

Reply to Homesick for dictatorship in Misc JoeUser Forums

[quote]Do you think it is a good idea to let some families go hungry without land while others own more than they can farm, just because the first group was there "first"? Forget about skin colours and think about the relative importance, for the morality of it, of being "first" as opposed to being "more people".[/quote] It could have had happened differently if they had treated the Indians as equals that also had a right to stay on their lands. Killing someone or driving someone into poverty

Reply to Homesick for dictatorship in Misc JoeUser Forums

You forgot to mention the consequences that went along with the "redistribution", namely the poverty and dismal conditions that followed in its wake on the reservations. So now they went hungry and had no land - explain to me how that is positive? There is no way to spin it that would show this in a positive light. The US government had granted titles to the indians (the land west of the Mississippi was to be theirs to live there unbothered under Jackson) but simply disregarded that fac

Reply to Strange english vocabulary (that I learned today) in Misc JoeUser Forums

lol. I am signed up with a nifty little service called One Word a Day - I get a vocabulary every day with 3 different definitions and then I can guess which one is correct. I know 99% of the words and idioms or guess the meaning correctly, but sometimes I get one that I really didn't know like putpocket.

Reply to Homesick for dictatorship in Misc JoeUser Forums

[quote]Exactly. They owned quite a bit of land and were not a large group. When we see the same scenario in other places, it is usually thought that the people who want to redistrubute the land from the few to the many are the good guys.[/quote] It was theft, pure and simple, which resulted in 4000 deaths (as mentioned by you above in regards to the trail of tears). They were there first. It would be the same if I went into a large house with a group of friends where only a few people lived i

Reply to Homesick for dictatorship in Misc JoeUser Forums

I never said that Columbus was the villain. But the celebrations centered around his discovery and accomplishment. The criticism by the protesters wasn't about him but generally on colonialization. I don't really remember many details about it, it was 18 years ago. If you were to take the net benefit that natives gained in total and weighed it against the total negative impact I think the negative would win by far. I said that the 5 civilzed tribes went along ok with the w

Reply to Homesick for dictatorship in Misc JoeUser Forums

I remember in 1992 - 500 years celebration of the discovery of the american continent by Columbus - that many native first nation tribes were sort of pissed off at the celebration because it hadn't been any good news for them. I think some even went to Europe and declared it as their territory to mirror what happened in the wake of Columbus. The worst US president for native american tribes was Andrew Jackson in the 1830ies. He was quite the little dictator and forced the tribes to mo