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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
You: "Russia has almost all the remaining stockpile, measured in a few kilograms"
Me: "Russia has an estimated stockpile of "
Do you have reading comprehension problems? How much more of an idiot can you be, neocon?
Tell us black is white. Maybe that will work.
@JoeyTranchina "Well there is the problem Joey? Did you see what you did there? You managed to used negatives and pejoratives to describe the other guys religions but not Joe Lieberman's."
Dear Rupert;
You're right. I did not ridicule Judaism, which is Joe Lieberman's religion and mine, I was making the point that historically, because Judaism was for thousands of years, until 1948, always & everywhere a minority religion, people have had no trouble ridiculing Jews or Judaism.
To be fair, there is much in contemporary Judaism to ridicule and for many of the same reasons that I distrust Sarah Palin's relationship to religion. Because of Israel's parliamentary system, a minority of ultra-orthodox (i.e. absolute Fundamentalist) Jews have a strangle-hold on Israel's Knesset and exert what is, in my view, a disproportionate, destructive & anti-democratic influence on Israeli domestic politics and foreign policy, in very much the same manner that Fundamentalist Christians misdirect America.
My objection is not to religion; it is to political manipulation of the people by religion. The quotation I liked best, among all the posts on this article is from Pascal, who wrote: "Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions." Blaise Pascal was a devoutly religious man; his statement was not irreligious; it was simply an honest observation of the temptation to injustice that comes with profound religious conviction.
@ Rupert: "Everyone thinks their own brand is sweet and the other guy's brand stinks." The same stinks that annoy you about the other guys religions are also characteristics of or derived from or predated by Lieberman's.
If you read my post that it the opposite of what I have to say; I have found beauty and inspiration in all religions; conversely, zealotry makes all religions ugly and dangerous. It is easy to teach enough religion to get people to judge one another; it is far more difficult to teach them to love one another. As I wrote over 20 years ago: "God is a reason to love; religion an excuse to hate. Religion is the god of bigots." I wrote that about all religions, including my own.
Sarah Palin's religion, per se, is none of our business. Our legitimate concern is as to the potential impact of Governor Palin's religious convictions on civil society in her role as, Allah-forbid, the vice president of the United States. This is especially important when we consider the fact that - were they to be elected - John McCain would be the oldest man ever to be inaugurated for a first term as president. The obvious question is: Is this woman suited to be President of the United States? The obvious answer is...(fill-in the blank)?
@ Rupert: Anti abortion - from "thou shalt not kill" the pope is just trying to enforce the law.
First, I never mentioned the word "abortion." Those comments were in reference to the pope's insane sermon to poor people in the Caribbean & Latin America explicitly ordering them not to use birth-control. Second, the pope's opinion has no power to "enforce" any law in my home or my country... or in fact any country on earth, except Vatican City - the world's only exclusively homosexual nation. He is welcome to be the absolute authority in his boy's club.
@ Rupert: Phony stories made up by a con man who was in trouble with the authorities - Moses
Moses... maybe. The stories in Torah have been discussed and debated for thousands of years. The Rabbinic Tradition in Jewish culture has sorted out the wisdom and winnowed out the rest in an ongoing dialogue. The original 'literal truth" of the stories is of less importance to most of us than the enduring wisdom that can be derived from them. On the other hand, Mormonism suffers from proximity to us in time & place. The literal truth of their tales face greater vulnerability to close examination and, frankly, they don't hold up very well. However, as I said in my original post, that does not undermine the obvious reality that whatever factual defects exist in 'The Book of Mormon," the Mormon people have used the inspiration derived therefrom to build a stable and in many ways admirable culture, as have the Jewish people.
I believe two quotes from other people's posts deserve attention here, since they point out what is genuinely at issue and explains why Sarah Palin's religious orientation is a legitimate avenue of inquiry:
"...Today's hard right seeks total dominion. It's packing the courts and rigging the rules. The target is not the Democrats but democracy itself..."
Many careful observers have documented this threat. I believe it is real; in fact, I believe that, in many ways, it is too late to protect basic liberties which have been lost to all Americans... probably forever.
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful." <<< Seneca the Younger 4BC-65AD
Whether religion is true or false is not at question here. What is at stake is our obligation to make ourselves aware of the ways that political forces use religion for their ends; then for us to carefully consider if their goals are our goals.
That would be where you wooden head dick-phawks come from . . .
I shake my head wearily, and ponder, where do these miserable phawks come from, and why do they plague us: "Hiroshima was hardly taken out, about 1 in 4 people died, and that includes a four month post bombing period where people died from lack of health care access. Sure, most buildings were damage, estimates up to 90%, but the actual death percentage is much lower than is in the popular mind."
Yesterday, I saw that sorry 9/11 spectacle, and the sad, twisted tee-vee stage managed POS from "Ground Zero". Damn you and your freekin' "Ground Zero". There is only ONE ground zero, and it ain't in New York. The shame. The shame.
You: "Russia has almost all the remaining stockpile, measured in a few kilograms
Me: "Russia has an estimated stockpile of 120-170 metric tons
Were you aware that 170 tons is more than a 'few kilograms', neocon?
Were you really?
I can't see that you have actually made a point.
All the Bushite liars say that.
Next.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
