Say it ain't so...


Concerned about the current negative image of the American military in many countries, Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, the toy manufacturer, have decided that in their forthcoming film featuring comic-book patriot G.I. Joe, the character will become part of a multinational force (http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/gi%20joe%20gets%20a%20makeover%20for%20movie_10483 68), the London Daily Telegraph reported today (Tuesday). Even the character's name has become an acronym for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, the newspaper said. Word of the makeover is likely to anger U.S. conservatives, the Telegraph noted. The film is due to open in 2009.

And to add insult to injury, rumor has it that George Clooney has been offered the lead role (http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/artman2/publish/movie_news/Clooney_the_new_G_I_Joe_18301007.php). Any idea why the makeover might anger U.S. conservatives??

Who knows? Both sides strain at what they will get offended over. What does ones political affiliation have to do with their acting ability?

Say it ain't so...



And to add insult to injury, rumor has it that George Clooney has been offered the lead role (http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/artman2/publish/movie_news/Clooney_the_new_G_I_Joe_18301007.php). Any idea why the makeover might anger U.S. conservatives???
Speaking about the Iraq war: "You can't beat your enemy anymore through wars; instead you create an entire generation of people seeking revenge. These days it only matters who's in charge. Right now that's us — for a while at least. Our opponents are going to resort to car bombs and suicide attacks because they have no other way to win.... I believe (Rumsfeld) thinks this is a war that can be won, but there is no such thing anymore. We can't beat anyone anymore."

Hell- of -a philosophy for a GI Joe:D

**FASCISTS** might be concerned about what uniforms a TOY SOLDIER wears, but not a conservative.

Here is point *one* of fourteen on how to find out if one is dealing with a person who supports a fascist regime or fascism::


1.) Powerful and Continuing Nationalism: Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, uniforms and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

Who knows? Both sides strain at what they will get offended over. What does ones political affiliation have to do with their acting ability?

Who said anything about ability? What they're doing with GI Joe and the possibility of putting Clooney in the lead role are just a couple more sticks in the eye of conservative Americans by the Hollywood left. If they want to continue offending their customers they will only have themselves to blame when they fail.

Hello Steve:

They're changing GI Joe?? Things are a changing... I don't like it much. I don't know. The world passed me by when getting beat up turned into getting beat down.

excon

GI Joe a blue helmet ? Now there is a genuine reason for Feminist outrage !

PEACEKEEPERS IN AFRICA AND GENDER VIOLENCE (http://programs.ssrc.org/gsc/gsc_quarterly/newsletter5/content/graybill/)


April 21, 2005 - (The Economist) THE UNECO children's centre looks like any other Liberian school. Its pupils wear smartish uniforms and are eager, after 14 years of civil war and not much schooling, to learn. What is unusual is that every child at UNECO has been fathered by a foreign peacekeeper and then abandoned. The centre was founded by Dr Abraham Cole, a local teacher, "to show our gratitude to peacekeepers by taking care of their children."

Despite its name, the school receives no UN support besides food from the World Food Programme. Most of the 136 children at UNECO and a similar centre further north were conceived during the 1990s, when both the UN and Liberia's West African neighbours sent troops to Liberia. The number of abandoned babies is now set to surge, however. For the past 18 months, Liberia has hosted one of the largest and most successful UN peacekeeping missions, whose 15,000 blue helmets have now been around long enough to make more babies. A UN staffer said he expected 1,500 UN babies by the end of next year.

These children are not orphans. Their fathers are mostly alive, but have finished their tour of duty and gone home, often to waiting wives. Their
Liberian mothers abandon them either because they are poor, or because they have married a Liberian man who does not want a half-Nigerian child in his home.

In a broken state like Liberia, where 80% of the population live on less than 50 cents a day and women can be seduced by the promise of a
Mobile-phone scratch card, it is not easy to keep well-paid soldiers chaste. But it would be nice if the UN tried a bit harder. After a scandal in Congo last year, when Moroccan UN peacekeepers were charged with raping 13-year-olds, Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, proclaimed a policy of "zero tolerance" for sexual exploitation. A report by Jordan's UN ambassador called for deductions from absentee fathers' salaries and
Courts martial in the country where any sexual offence takes place. But in practice, erring peacekeepers are rarely punished. Absentee fathers,
Rapists and even murderers simply disappear back home.

Some UN contingents in Liberia ban their members from bars. Some offer distractions such as gyms and movies, but the monthly budget for fun is only $8 per peacekeeper, and the thrills of table-tennis must eventually pall.

About 8% of Liberian adults are estimated to be infected with HIV, though the true figure may be higher—the recent civil war brought an epidemic of rape. Dr Cole visits barracks to persuade peacekeepers and their "camp girlfriends" to use condoms (the UN issues five per man per week), but it is not an easy task. Soldiers are inured to risk. And though Dr Cole has written to the UN asking for help with his school, he has yet to receive a reply. From: Liberia | Daddy wore a blue helmet | Economist.com (http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displayStory.cfm?subjectid=526356&story_id=3892222)

GI Joe a blue helmet ? Now there is a genuine reason for Feminist outrage !

PEACEKEEPERS IN AFRICA AND GENDER VIOLENCE (http://programs.ssrc.org/gsc/gsc_quarterly/newsletter5/content/graybill/)

From: Liberia | Daddy wore a blue helmet | Economist.com (http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displayStory.cfm?subjectid=526356&story_id=3892222)

Hadn't thought about that tom, Hollywood and Hasbro placing ol' Joe in the realm of rapists and other perverts.

I say send Barbie with a PINK helmet THAT should get ALL sides of everything going!
Politically correct feminists LOOK OUT!

Hehe, keep your helmet's camo and your shirt's on...
I heard Clooney get's airsick!

B-52, I see you... too late!

5117

GI JOE IS A ******TOY******.

Only a **fascist** would be insulting me and calling me a wacko over the uniform a toy wears.

Only a **fascist** would know what a toy soldier wears! ROFLMAO!!

Second sign that you may be dealing with a supporter of fascism:

2. Supremacy of the Military: Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

Yeah, fascist boys, make sure your **toys** have the uniform you really, really like!! Dem toys have to be glamorous!!

ROFLMAF!!

First off their concept is all wrong. We, US male citizens (Americans), when traveling are still "Joe" to the Asians, especially in the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. I have a second home in the Mindanao and every time I go back for vacations, business, etc... I'm still singled out as "Joe." Secondly, although often mistaken for Europeans or from Australian or New Zealand, when an Asian person sees a non-Asian, usually Caucasian male in their country, they automatically assume he is American "Joe." Lastly, when Hendrix sung the line "Hey Joe! where you going with that gun in your hand," he wasn't identifying the United Nations, nor was he appealing to the Geneva convention.:)


Bobby

I say send Barbie with a PINK helmet THAT should get ALL sides of everything going!
Politically correct feminists LOOK OUT!

After they change GI Joe we can look forward to

"code pink" Barbie, then

Transgender Ted, then

Pacifist Pete, then

Appeasement Al, then

Conspiracy Carla, then

Liberal Larry,

The possibilities are endless... ;)







Grace and Peace

"Skell agrees: Ive been to Asia countless times and never once been called Joe! Im Australian by the way!"

Skell- I've seen it on numerous occasions when your fellow country men were temporary confused for Americans, my wife vouches for this as fact. She, herself, has been guilty of such misidentification. I had this conversation with her and when she started seeing more Caucasians in American society she was able to identify better when going back the Philippines. Technically speaking you're correct though, in that you should never be called "Joe," simply because you are not American. However many of your cohorts pleasure the islands for diving and snorkeling, and many of your fellow country men have Scotch-Irish roots just like one out of six Americans do, but of course, the Aussie accent is a give away and different from an Irish brogue and obviously different then the American accent. I'm not talking necessarily metro Manila or often advertised Cebu, although misidentification happens there as well. Where I go you're one speck of touristy white under cross examination and from a distant rice field to them, until they know you, you are assumed "Joe."

BTW my father-in-law owns a rice farm so we are never short on rice. Personally, myself on the other hand, usually I can point you guys out on sight. I've seen a few Australians in Davao City, however just two hours away and even deeper south, very few in Mawab or Tagum (small communities). For those that don't know, it's southern and western Mindanao where many of the kidnappings, rebels confrontations with the govt occur, and heavier Muslims populations reside; go trekking alone into the mountains, if you dare. I get the benefit of personal protection. Besides my wife's family having been involved in politics in the Philippines, my brother-in-law is one of Davao City's "Mayor Duarte's" body guards. I've ate at some the best restaurants in Davao City, population two million with only eight red lights! As an American with partial Jewish heritage I'm fortunate enough to be confused with the German businessmen. In fact, I've had the Germans themselves came up to me and start speaking their native language thinking I was one of them. But I'm still "Joe," and ironically never confused for Australian.



Bobby

GI JOE IS A ******TOY******.

Only a **fascist** would be insulting me and calling me a wacko over the uniform a toy wears.

Only a **fascist** would know what a toy soldier wears!! ROFLMAO!!!!!

I didn't call you a wacko, just gave a clue as to how to recognize one. I guess there must be a lot of little 8 year old **fascists** running around out there, and I'm sorry, but I don't recall being a fascist myself when I was a 3rd grader - but I do remember my G.I. Joe wore green US fatigues. But leave it to you to put kids in the category of fascists.

Second sign that you may be dealing with a supporter of fascism:

2. Supremacy of the Military: Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

Yeah, fascist boys, make sure your **toys** have the uniform you really, really like!!! Dem toys have to be glamorous!!!

ROFLMAF!!!!!

Second sign you may be a liberal wacko, you refer to fascism 4 or more times a day.

OK, I got it now:

If Clooney is going to be GI Joe, then we need:

Martin Sheen as the Commanding Officer

Michael Moore as the head of the UN Security Council

Alec Baldwin can be the Director of Central Intelligence

Barbara Streisand, Rosie O'Donnell, Sheryl Crow, and "San Fran Nan" as the JCS.



As long as we're going this way, why don't we just resurrect John Wayne and cast him as Sister Maria in a remake of "The Sound of Music?"

Hehe, keep your helmet's camo and your shirt's on...
I heard Clooney get's airsick!

B-52, I see you... too late!!

5117

Here's my favorite on that theme...

OK, I got it now:

If Clooney is going to be GI Joe, then we need:

Martin Sheen as the Commanding Officer

Michael Moore as the head of the UN Security Council

Alec Baldwin can be the Director of Central Intelligence

Barbara Streisand, Rosie O'Donnell, Sheryl Crow, and "San Fran Nan" as the JCS.

Ex, Sean Penn would be better suited for UN Sec-Gen. I say Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon as the first couple.


As long as we're going this way, why don't we just resurrect John Wayne and cast him as Sister Maria in a remake of "The Sound of Music?"

Now that's blasphemy, lol.

A few years back, Nissan ran a commercial in which GI Joe steals Babie from Ken.

Since then we have seen Barbie's bust size reduced in order to keep from hurting the feelings of children who might not live up to the Barbie beauty standards, and Ken has become a metrosexual to teach "All-American" kids to be open to other social values than their own. Why should we be surprised to see that GI Joe is going multi-national.

It's all part of the same thing... an attempt to reduce any symbols of American superiority and nationality, even our toys, to ridicule.

Elliot

A few years back, Nissan ran a commercial in which GI Joe steals Babie from Ken.

Since then we have seen Barbie's bust size reduced in order to keep from hurting the feelings of children who might not live up to the Barbie beauty standards, and Ken has become a metrosexual to teach "All-American" kids to be open to other social values than their own. Why should we be surprised to see that GI Joe is going multi-national.

It's all part of the same thing... an attempt to reduce any symbols of American superiority and nationality, even our toys, to ridicule.

Elliot
Yeah, that’s an example of the propaganda model of Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman, which supports the 'big lie' thesis… which states that an outrageous untruth is easier to convince people of than a less outrageous truth.:D

Yeah, that’s an example of the propaganda model of Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman, which supports the 'big lie' thesis… which states that an outrageous untruth is easier to convince people of than a less outrageous truth.:D

"A lie told often enough becomes the truth."
--Vladimir Lenin

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

Joseph Goebbels

"A lie told often enough becomes the truth."
--Vladimir Lenin"A lie told often enough becomes the truth."
Fox News :D

"A lie told often enough becomes the truth."
Fox News :D

You sure have an obsession with Fox News.

"A lie told often enough becomes the truth."
Fox News :D

See, you've heard this lie so often, that you actually believe it.

I seem to remember news scandals associated with CBS news, the NY Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, CNN, and other major news outlets. Stories have actually been made up by these major news organizations. CBS and the NY Times are still apologizing over the false documentation associated with Bush's military records.

Have you ever heard of a single news scandal from FOX News, wherein they reported a story that wasn't true? I can't remember a single one.

So much for FOX as liars.

Dear Elliot,
You drank the koolaid:

NO QUARTER: FOX NEWS, Crazy Right Wing Propaganda (http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/03/fox_news_crazy_.html)

News Hounds: We watch FOX so you don't have to. (http://www.newshounds.us/)

Dear Elliot,
You drank the koolaid:

NO QUARTER: FOX NEWS, Crazy Right Wing Propaganda (http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/03/fox_news_crazy_.html)

News Hounds: We watch FOX so you don't have to. (http://www.newshounds.us/)

Answer the question karma. Have you ever heard of a FOX News scandal in which FOX reported a story that wasn't true?

The links above are to bloggers that dislike FOX's political and editorial stance. Fine. You can dislike how they slant something. But nobody is saying that FOX is reporting stories that are not true. That IS the case with all of the news outlets that I mentioned above.

Elliot

Dear Elliot,
You drank the koolaid:

NO QUARTER: FOX NEWS, Crazy Right Wing Propaganda (http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/03/fox_news_crazy_.html)

NK, this is amusing, Fox is a crazy right wing propaganda machine for asking a bunch of questions, typos (my paper spelled "who" with two o's today, so what?) a geographical mistake and having a short reporter. ROFLMAO!


News Hounds: We watch FOX so you don't have to. (http://www.newshounds.us/)

Do you not see the irony in complaining about FNC (and by extension those who watch it) and their 'lies' while telling us we don't need to check it out for ourselves because you'll keep us informed? I love it - don't watch Fox and their propaganda, you'll feed us your own.

Almost forgot this, the study on campaign coverage (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/politics/media-coverage-147059.html) that shows "Fox News stories about a Republican candidate were most likely to be neutral," when it came to coverage of Democrats "neutral stories had a slight edge," and that "any sense here that the news channel was uniformly positive about Republicans or negative about Democrats is not manifest in the data."

Ain't it irritating when the facts don't support your complaint?

Fox is a crazy right wing propaganda machine That's it! Cheers mate.

That's it! Cheers mate.

Ah, if only you guys could actually make your point with facts and entire sentences...

Karma doesn't need facts. She creates her own.

Karma doesn't need facts. She creates her own.Oh honey, did I hurt your little girlie feelings? I'm sorry. Sometimes you ladies shouldn't debate with us men.

I've never known Elliot to dismiss a debate when he considers the opposing view's subject matter legitimate or a cause worthy for public consumption. I don't know that he'd waste his time on dissecting opinions from blogs. Personally it wouldn't be deemed of high importance on my list, but that's me. I'd like to challenge anyone on this site to go through the recent political posts and threads and find another expert that has taken more time to go into detail, if you agree with his views or not.


Bobby

... find another expert that has taken more time to go into detail, if you agree with his views or not.
BobbyThere is no denying that he seems to have a lot of time devoted to it, that goes without saying. Many of us do not have that luxury.

There is no denying that he seems to have a lot of time devoted to it, that goes without saying. Many of us do not have that luxury.

Actually Elliot has to make time in between his bank clients and his window for sharing his views on this site are limited. He just makes better with his time than most, as opposed to some that do have the luxury, but would be better served to rid themselves of their computers in a garage sale.

Bobby

Actually Elliot has to make time in between his bank clients and his window for sharing his views on this site are limited. He just makes better with his time than most, as opposed to some that do have the luxury, but would be better served to rid themselves of their computers in a garage sale.
BobbyI post 90% of the time from work as well but I don't have the same free time as I'd rather talk to people here when not working on tasks. Other than work I have a wife and 2 kids and all the activities that go with that. Plus hockey season has started (playing not watching) :). I makes a difference between real life friends and interactions and the online ones, I prefer the former.

How do you know so much about him to able to speak as to how he spends his time and whether he has 'clients' or not? You live a thousand miles apart.

I post 90% of the time from work as well but I don't have the same free time as I'd rather talk to people here when not working on tasks. Other than work I have a wife and 2 kids and all the activities that go with that. Plus hockey season has started (playing not watching) :). I makes a difference between real life friends and interactions and the online ones, I prefer the former.

How do you know so much about him to able to speak as to how he spends his time and whether he has 'clients' or not? You live a thousand miles apart.

Hi, Karma,

It could have something to do with the fact that Bobby and I have been communicating together for nearly 10 years on this and other sites. I started with the original ASKEME back in 1997 or 1998, and I've been doing this sort of thing ever since then. When ASKME went corporate, a whole bunch of us moved over the ANSWERWAY, which worked fine until the moderators there stopped doing their jobs. Then we migrated as a group over to this site. So I've been talking to Bobby for years. We have some similar interests as well, because we both answer questions about Judaism. And his carer path and mine are similar... we are both credit analysts, though he tends to deal more with the retail side and I do commercial lending.

I don't deal with clients very often. But I do have to meet client needs and get credits approved quickly. As well as various other tasks I have during the day. I am able to do this sort of thing between my various tasks because I'm a speed-reader and a fast typist. I also have very good analytical skills and can crunch data quickly. (When that's what you do all day long you become FAST.) So I have an advantage over others when it comes to that sort of thing. But I don't think that I have any more spare time than any other person on this website. I also have a wife and two kids and not enough hours in the day.

Oh, by the way, sorry about referring to you as "she"... I was under the impression that you were female. Don't know why that is... I apologize for it.

As for my feelings... nah, it takes a lot more than anything that you have said to get me riled up. You should take a look at some of the arguments that I've had with excon. THOSE are some real knock-down drag-out donnybrooks. Ahhhh the good old days...

But I just think that when confronted with actual facts, you have a tendency to ignore them, and counter them with opinions.

For instance, when I confront you with the facts that CBS, the NY Times, Newsweek, the Washington Post and other news agencies have been caught with their pants down for telling stories that were completely untrue, but FOX has not, you counter that with opinions from bloggers. You try to counter fact with opinion.

Now... giving away a small trade secret, I'm going to tell you how to counter my argument in this case.

FOX News is only a few years old. Unlike CBS, Newsweek, the NY Times, the WA Post, and other news outlets, they have not been aound long enough to be involved in a major scandal yet. Therefore, while these other news media have had time to become dinged by various scandals, FOX News has not.

The age of FOX is a fact. The age of FOX is one good reason that they have not yet gotten burned in scandal. Just as a matter of odds, when a news agency covers thousands of stories every year, they will eventually get SOMETHING wrong. FOX just hasn't been hit with that bad luck yet. So you could counter my factual argument with a fact of your own. Instead you went to opinion without a basis in fact.

That is the difference between how the two of us argue. I lay down facts and based on those facts I give an opinion. You just go straight o the opinion, and when anyone asks you for facts to back up that opinion, you get snide and accuse them of insults, bigotry, or dismissiveness. Instead, you could try doing some research and providing facts to back up your opinion.

That's where I have a great deal of respect for excon and Skell, even though I disagree with them more often than not. Both of them provide REASONS that they believe what they believe, based on facts. The gun-control discussion Skell and I have been having is a good example. He's providing statistics and I am countering with other statistics. We are interpreting what the statistics mean. We are having an argument with a basis in facts, not just opinions without any basis. I would love to have that sort of discussion with you, Karma. You're a smart cookie, and I think it would be a fun and enjoyable discussion.

Elliot

Hi Elliot,

I guess the difference may lie in how we view this site. I view it as a lark from work and pop in to help with the folks who have computer problems, try to protect people from getting scammed and other quick and dirty fixes. I really am not inclined to write up up 300 word retorts and search for sources to back them up. I'm a point-form kind of guy. You may have noticed that since you guys move in here hardly any new members ever venture to stick around for fear of getting gang-raped by you guys. I absolutely understand their feeling. I don't care about that stuff because, well, this is just another internet discussion board, no big woop. I try to offer a different opinion now and then to counter the almost fanatical neo-conservative slant this whole forum has taken. It's fun to get you guys riled up. :)

Hi Elliot,

I guess the difference may lie in how we view this site. I view it as a lark from work and pop in to help with the folks who have computer problems, try to protect people from getting scammed and other quick and dirty fixes. I really am not inclined to write up up 300 word retorts and search for sources to back them up. I'm a point-form kinda guy. You may have noticed that since you guys move in here hardly any new members ever venture to stick around for fear of getting gang-raped by you guys. I absolutely understand their feeling. I don't care about that stuff because, well, this is just another internet discussion board, no big woop. I try to offer a different opinion now and then to counter the almost fanatical neo-conservative slant this whole forum has taken. It's fun to get you guys riled up. :)

"since you guys move in here hardly any new members ever venture to stick around for fear of getting gang-raped by you guys."

Poor babies. With all due respect you seem to have the same problem as those poor, gang-raped babies. You drop in and try to get us "riled up" then avoid the facts presented. Sure it's a place to waste a little time, have a little fun and maybe help someone in the process - but it's also a place to discuss serious issues.

I think it's telling though - a little sad and even a little funny - that so many people love to "rile up" conservatives then whine when they're put in their place. If you can't stand the heat... don't fuel the fire.

You may have noticed that since you guys move in here hardly any new members ever venture to stick around for fear of getting gang-raped by you guys. I absolutely understand their feeling. Hello again, Need:

You're great. I think you personify the liberals of today.

Did you read the thing about Barry Manilow?? You know it's true. Liberals would rather check their feelings out first. Look, I understand. You know that I'm a screaming lib (sometimes). I HAVE feelings, whereas my right wing friends obviously DON'T.

But, I know how to fight a knock down. I actually love it - and it doesn't hurt that I'm RIGHT. So, no - I don't understand why new members DON'T stick around. This is the most stimulating political discussion I've EVER had. Most wingers, call names. These guys cite facts. I can deal with facts. I can't deal with names. Before these guys showed up, this board was BORING!!

What's great about these wingers though, is they fight fair. They don't resort to name calling and sniveling. Well, some of them do, and you know who I'm talking about. When the arguments get personal, I leave too.

AND, if the lilly livered libs in congress acted more like ME instead of like YOU, Bush would be toast by now.

excon

PS> (edited) Something else that blows me away about these guys. After having been corrected for going on 10 years now, I'm still waiting for one of them to say - yeah, I get it... It ain't never happened. But, I'm still hoping.

Hello again, Need:

You're great. I think you personify the liberals of today.

Did you read the thing about Barry Manilow??? You know it's true. Liberals would rather check their feelings out first. Look, I understand. You know that I'm a screaming lib (sometimes). I HAVE feelings, whereas my right wings friends obviously DON'T.

But, I know how to fight a knock down. I actually love it - and it doesn't hurt that I'm RIGHT. So, no - I don't understand why new members DON'T stick around. This is the most stimulating political discussion I’ve EVER had. Most wingers, call names. These guys cite facts. I can deal with facts. I can’t deal with names. Before these guys showed up, this board was BORING!!!

What's great about these wingers though, is they fight fair. They don't resort to name calling and sniveling. Well, some of them do, and you know who I'm talking about. When the arguments get personal, I leave too.

AND, if the lilly livered libs in congress acted more like ME instead of like YOU, Bush would be toast by now.

excon

Ah ex, you're a hoot. We have "no feelings" because they've been seared by years of written and verbal abuse by flaming libs (other than you). Actually I do have feelings though, I still miss my dog remember? I even feel a little bad sometimes for being harsh with one or two of those flaming libs - but then I usually come to my senses. :D

I'd wager you're probably right, though (but not always like you think) that if more libs acted like you Bush would be toast by now. You, we respect. It's difficult to respect screaming hit and run libs that wouldn't acknowledge something that contradicts them if their life depended on it.

Steve

Well I guess that explains me: a bastard with feelings (makes me a great dad of course). But how does that explain the total lack of excon's type here?

Well I guess that explains me: a bastard with feelings (makes me a great dad of course). But how does that explain the total lack of excon's type here?

Good question.

I've stopped trying to figure out how liberals think, though. Maybe you can explain it a little better. There are some smart ones out there, like ScottGem, who cite facts and stick around for an argument. I like Scott, even though I don't think I've ever agreed with him on any issue except support for Israel. He cites facts and uses logic to make a point rather than hit & run insulting. In that sense, he and Excon are two of a kind.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Chou, who puts forth opinion as if it were facts, ignores data, insults anything conservative, does nothing BUT name calling, and when called on it all, threatens to no longer accept posts from us or tries to report us for "abuse". She provides no facts of her own, and when confronted with facts, she resorts to insult and simply shouting the same thing over and over again.

Most people are somewhere in the middle. Skell (a liberal) falls within that spectrum as does Dark Crow (a moderate). DC is also great at "devils advocate" arguments, which are a lot of fun.

Frankly, I've been having fun here. I don't see what I do as "hijacking" the board or "raping" the other side. I call it communication. I call it discussion. And I call it educational.

Elliot

After having been corrected for going on 10 years now, I'm still waiting for one of them to say - yeah, I get it...... It ain't never happened. But, I'm still hoping.

After you have been corrected for 10 years why would we say we were wrong? :cool:

Elliot

Well I guess that explains me: a bastard with feelings (makes me a great dad of course). But how does that explain the total lack of excon's type here?Hello again, Need:

I'm sure you're a great dad.

But we got Choux. She makes a lotta sense sometimes. We got Skell, he's great. We got you, and you're great too. We got Ash, he's a newbie who's kicking the Wolverine's butt. We got ScottGem. He's good. We got the ordinary fellow. We got the Wonderchick - she kicks butt. I have no idea what DC is saying half the time. We got RubyPitbull, although I think she's a closet righty. We got others. I don't know. I think we got 'em outnumbered.

They're just louder, and they're rich and don't have to go to work like most libs.

excon

I think we got 'em outnumbered.

So what else is new?

Hello again, Need:

I'm sure you're a great dad.

But we got Choux. She makes a lotta sense sometimes.

Calling us fascists 6 times a day makes sense? That hurts, bro. :D


They're just louder, and they're rich and don't have to go to work like most libs.

'Bout choked when I read that one. I work most of the day at the computer, and I'm certainly rich - just not financially :)

Bout choked when I read that one. I work most of the day at the computer, and I'm certainly rich - just not financially :)Hello again, Steve:

Yeah, that was just to soothe my base.

excon

I HAVE feelings, whereas my right wing friends obviously DON'T.



Yeah, we have feelings. We just don't lead with them most of the time. But they're there.

My dad left the ranching bidness to become an accountant. He can be the most cold, analytical, and logical person I know. He has feelings, but he just doesn't apply them to situations where feelings don't contribute to solutions.

My mom, on the other hand, typically leads with her feelings. I guess that's what made her such a, well, a mom.

I kind of got a mix of both of them, I guess. It's hard to harmonize emotions with logic so much of the time, so it's easy to fall back on the "dad" side of me and stick with logic if emotions don't contribute anything useful.

Then again, pure logic with ZERO emotion makes for a rather Orwellian society, so I try to avoid the extremes of both.

I love your "hang-on-like-a-pitbull" style, though. You make me actually think, unlike some others I've encountered in my lifetime.

Most people are somewhere in the middle. Skell (a liberal) falls within that spectrum as does Dark Crow (a moderate).

Elliot

Funny you should say that. Down under here I'm a Labor man, not Liberal. But our Liberal party is centre-right and Labor is centre-left. Id have to to say I swing to the right side of the left too. Even so much as I have swung to the right and voted for the Liberal party, despite my misgiving about Howard.

Im a swinging voter with swinging opinions on all matters. I vote according to who I think will do best for my electorate and most times that isn't the left wing Labor candidate. I may seem a little more left than I actually am. I do have a problem with some policies of the current administration in the US and I am against guns and the death penalty. However 95% of Australians share this opinion, left or right!

Im dizzy!!

And for the record the politics board is the first place I come these days. I enjoy it. I stay out of a lot of the threads because they are understandably dominated by US political discussions that I am uninformed on. Even those I get involved in I'm probably uninformed in :), but I find it a board full of very intelligent people and I have learnt a lot despite how biased some of these blokes are :) It has encouraged me to broaden my horizon and study more. And despite how hard I try I can't get these other guys to broaden there horizons though but ill keep trying :)

I tell you it beats listening to the women sleeping with married men over on the Relationships board where I used to hang out all the time!

Funny you should say that. Down under here I'm a Labor man, not Liberal. But our Liberal party is centre-right and Labor is centre-left. Id have to to say I swing to the right side of the left too. Even so much as I have swung to the right and voted for the Liberal party, despite my misgiving about Howard.

That's why I used "liberal" with a lowercase "L"... to denote political philosophy, not a specific party.


Im a swinging voter with swinging opinions on all matters. I vote according to who I think will do best for my electorate and most times that isn't the left wing Labor candidate.

As any politically astute person should. Good for you.


I may seem a little more left than I actually am. I do have a problem with some policies of the current administration in the US and I am against guns and the death penalty. However 95% of Australians share this opinion, left or right!

Im dizzy!!

I never said that one must share a majority opinion. As I said to ITB, I am aware that many of my opinions do not share popular support. That's no reason to shy away from them.



And for the record the politics board is the first place I come these days. I enjoy it. I stay out of a lot of the threads because they are understandably dominated by US political discussions that I am uninformed on. Even those I get involved in I'm probably uninformed in :), but I find it a board full of very intelligent people and I have learnt a lot despite how biased some of these blokes are :) It has encouraged me to broaden my horizon and study more. And despite how hard I try I can't get these other guys to broaden there horizons though but ill keep trying :)

I tell you it beats listening to the women sleeping with married men over on the Relationships board where I used to hang out all the time!


Thank you for the compliments, Skell.

And yes, it does beat people whining about relationships that they shouldn't be in in the first place getting questionable advice from people who are not relationship counselors or experts about how to maintain these relationships they shouldn't be in in the first place. I spent a week one day on the relationship board. (Yes, I wrote that as I meant it... it was a day that felt like a week.) I'll take the politics board any day.

Elliot

Good question.



Most people are somewhere in the middle. Skell (a liberal) falls within that spectrum as does Dark Crow (a moderate). DC is also great at "devils advocate" arguments, which are a lot of fun.

Frankly, I've been having fun here. I don't see what I do as "hijacking" the board or "raping" the other side. I call it communication. I call it discussion. And I call it educational.

Elliot
It’s always good to hear an opinion on my perspective. I thought of myself as a moderate Republican who believes in personal responsibility, self-reliance, capitalism, and the power of free markets. As opposed to social conservatives; that is, the religious right who believe in nation-building enterprises, is against individual choices, for deficits, and rejects scientific research that holds promise for mitigating diseases.

Hope this clarifies my position. :)


I've been having fun here too, although that's not my purpose here.