IMHO as a degreed and published expert :-) the crucial issue in what makes something stressful is the sense of control one has over the situation. If you have the power to stop something negative, it is much less stressful than if you don't. The idiot argument Kangjie parrots is that because volunteers, who KNOW that the waterboarding WILL stop, aren’t driven insane, then doing it to a poor schlub who has every reason to believe that either a) the agony and terror will go on indefinitely, or b) it will stop-with death… isn’t being tortured. The volunteer has control, the torture victim does not. No comparison whatsoever.

A metaphor I suggest is as follows: tell a right wing authoritarian that “bad guys” torture by tying you up and playing Russian Roulette- a bullet in a revolver. Spin, aim at head, pull trigger. To help you prepare, we’ll practice with an empty gun. Now you know what it’s like, right? So if I were to change your training slightly and insert a live round, it can’t be torture…You’re fine to do it to raise money for charity, right, Mr. Hannity?

If more data is desired, I’ll be pleased to demonstrate on Kangjie…

• President Bush (I) Also Used the Word "Empathy" . . .

. . . when announcing Clarence Thomas' nomination.

-- wbgonne

Credit must be given where credit is due. Wbgone, thanks for seeing the light and pointing out the utter hypocrisy of those who so unfairly are criticizing Judge Sotomayor-a great talking point to slap down the next (utterly un-self-aware) RWA I needst destroy! Don’t suppose you have a link, do you? Not to seem distrustful, but back when you had gone over to the dark side, you had a history of presenting matter pulled out of your hiney as though it were verifiable fact…

That's the RINGPOST you're punching!

By the way, it's ahead on points on all 3 judges' scorecards...

with Unlovely, he's a pure contrarian troll (and an unmitigated asshole BTW). He would eat a bucket of shit if Rush told him it was beef with bean sauce...

On a more reality-based level, only an idiot (or a neocon) could fail to appreciate how much we humans have affected the O2-CO2 balance of teh globe. On one hand, we burn massive amounts of hydrocarbons and breed more CO2-exhaling people. At the same time, we massively deforest the globe and, even worse, pollute the oceans, killing off plankton. So we produce more and more CO2 while at the same time decreasing the mechanisms that the earth uses to break it down into oxygen. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has thus been rising steadily over the past century- the polar ice core studies prove that conclusively. As CO2 rises, so does average global temperature. The increased thermal energy also causes more atmospheric movement, hence more powerful storm systems and arctic systems being pulled further south at times causing those cold snaps.

As to the estimates of how many more people will die, that is a VERY complex model that is obviously prone to its assumptions. However, I feel "a lot more" is certainly a safe prediction...

Rush wannabees, minus the wit, charm, and looks.

Why does anyone even bother with their brainless spew?

On a serious note, free speech can be an uncomfortable thing, but IMHO censorship is worse. As long as 45% of the US population are dumber than the box the rocks came in, Rush will have an audience. He is free to be a flatulent hatemonger (and I am free to turn him off...)

I fear that you are right. Are you OK with me hoping that you are wrong?

"Damn it, I had to try!"

Robert A. Heinlein

Fair enough. I'm working on it, when and where I can :-)

Dave

Some excellent points here- but Glenn, when I have wanted to discuss the right in terms of personality disorders, you’ve been pretty negative. Of course, one sign of a healthy person is the ability to admit one is wrong :-)

One point I wanted to add is the “true believer”- the aggressive, in-your-face proselytizer of politics and/or religion is so often seen in the population that Glenn describes here. IMH (and professional)O, these folks are actually projecting their emptiness, insecurity, and LACK of core values onto the “others”. I have known truly devout Christians, who dedicate their lives to helping others. They NEVER evangelize or push their beliefs on you- if you have questions, they are happy to share their beliefs, but they have no need to criticize or push anything. (come to think of it, sociopaths and narcissists never share anything…). It was obvious that these folks are truly secure in their faith, and hence are not “threatened” by someone else not agreeing with them. I see the same thing in political discussions- conservatives who are fine that you disagree, vs. those who take it as a personal attack (and get aggressive and angry, while blaming YOU). The latter are the ones who reject reason and critical argument- again, way too much like the personality disorders that are treatment resistant.

On a lighter note, am interesting definition of fundamentalism:

“The desperate, knowing fear that somewhere, someone might be enjoying themselves…”

make that "gnawing" fear. Spell-checkers have their limits...

I checked out your blog. Both literally and metaphorically it is as comprehensive, researched, and documented, and shows as much scholarship and critical thinking, as do your postings here. Good show!

In the spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship, as a well trained and extensively published behavioral scientist, I'll be happy to review your manuscript when you are ready to submit it for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. (No, the Proceedings of Focus on the Family doesn't qualify...)