The Sam Spade Memorial Good Post Gallery

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

But, what about "xyz?"  How can you be upset about "xyz" when nobody cares that much about "abc?"

This instinct to diminish tragedies is really crappy overall.  If each of us took on all the sadness of entire world, in all of history we'd all be crying for the rest of our lives.  There's too much tragedy, too much violence and senseless hatred all around.  This so much about keeping score and portraying America as the permanent victim or permanent bad guy. 

Are you going to tell a Syrian refugee, "pipe down with your sob stories, there were more casualties in the Second Congo War!" ?  And, that's the point.  These all human beings, and yet, most of us here are Americans and most of us remember 9/11 2001 vividly.  You care more about the tragedies closest to you.

Just don't try to diminish people's normal emotions.  You don't have to care yourself.  But, for many of us, this was like a death in the family.  I'm from New York, my dad worked at the World Trade Center on a high floor until the late 90s, these were my people.  The type of people I work with, and ride the subway with and they could have been my friends and my family in those towers or on those planes. 

Do I feel the same way about Salvador Allende's bodyguards?  Frankly I don't.  I don't begrudge you for caring about Chile, or about your grandparent who died, or your dog who died.  So, if you don't have anything nice to say, just cram it up your butt.  These threads are pointless.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

As far as becoming like Bushie, I'm not in danger of failing out of school or becoming morbidly obese at the moment, so I don't think that's a huge concern.


I admit my logic may be hard-line; I'm definitely pretty fundamentalist, though I do respect more liberal Christianity, as espoused by BRTD and Madeline.  The approach others are suggesting to reading the Bible (at equal weight with science or alongside history) is an approach that I just have to reject.  Another thing covered during Bible study was not succumbing to "false neutrality" - i.e., looking at historical issues outside the lens of the Bible.  If you cede a "neutral territory," then you've already lost.  Instead, we should just take the Bible at face value as the #1 authority and then scientific findings can be re-interpreted in light of that.

But which parts ought we take at face value? Are we to assume, for instance (to give a really crazy example), that the master of the vinyard in Mark 12 was a real person? How about the sower? What about Christ's words in John 6 when he declares "Amen, Amen I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you"?

In the New Testament, apart from Revelation, it is usually fairly straightforward what is written to be taken literally and what isn't. But what about the Old Testament? What about the Book of Job? Did God and the devil really have that conversation? How about Esther? Most scholars seem to think that one is allegorical (and the Protestant version of it doesn't even mention God). Why should we assume all of Genesis ought to be taken literally?

St. Augustine wrote 1600 years ago:

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[FEMA Camp Administrator]

This whole thread is good posts, especially RINO Tom's long one: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=225730.msg4846144

One of the best informational threads in awhile. Some of that should be bookmarked for disproving myths that pop up every month. Wow.

Wow, thanks, bro.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Pro-business and 'pro-well-to-do' =/= free market fundamentalism. After all business and the well-off voted for Charles De Gaulle didn't they?

One of the issues that is key is infrastructure. For some reason (well, idealogy) the infrastructure that is begging to be built by business has been poo-poohed by the GOP in a way that is really unique to American rightists. In fact, I've often thought that the Person To Save The GOP would market themselves as a builder: a new wave of megastructures that would promote America as a brand to the nationalist wing (look under any article about China building high speed rail or hugr towers to see angsting about 'why aren't we doing this). It would push itself to the business wing who would win lucrative government contracts and also get a push back against environmental laws/working standards laws/ anti-eminent domain-idealogues. It would provide employment for skilled and unskilled workers. And it would satisfy the Freudian machismo desire forthat is the lynchpin of conservatism

This primary with the main campaigner promising a Huge (Yuge) beautiful new piece of national pride in the form of a Wall confirmed this idea.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

As a moderator, I'm torn between non-interference in what are, formally, non-administrative matters, and the desire to maintain proper forum culture and etiquette (such as deleting ineligible posts from the GPG, for example).

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

As a moderator, I'm torn between non-interference in what are, formally, non-administrative matters, and the desire to maintain proper forum culture and etiquette (such as deleting ineligible posts from the GPG, for example).

Realistically, none of these post galleries should exist because they will just descend into either petty trench war or petty circle-jerk.

Such is the point of an Internet forum.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I would think this describes my attitude toward social issues, but I am not sure if questioning such a fundamental position bars me from being a true Scotsman.

Depends on how you define social conservative.  I'm pro-choice and I consider myself socially conservative.  I think there should be at least two categories of social conservative a mean one and a nice one.  The nice ones leave other people alone as long as those people leave them alone.  The mean ones want to run everyone's lives.

I don't like abortion but I realize clamping down on it does more harm than good.  I would much rather have good sex ed and free contraception.  There is nothing "conservative" about lying to teenagers and restricting their access to contraception.

Honestly we would have a much calmer well ordered society if better sex ed and free contraception was available.  I simply don't see how having a bunch of broke uneducated people spitting out babies in tumultuous relationships makes society more "conservative".

"I consider myself X, but only the socially acceptable form of X!" We could play this game all day, but that doesn't make it a good post. How surprising that you prefer "social conservatives" that actually agree with you!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The perceived rise of libertarianism is proof that Conservatism as a mainstream became flabby minded and short-sighted as communism rapidly careened downhill. Suddenly, all the mechanisms built up to ensure the Reds weren't in control became suspect. An active foreign policy, to ensure domestic companies have a leg-up and aren't trodden on by foreign populists? A large public sector, in particular the military, that ensures that a lucky portion of the population could find stable and honourable employment? A strong and armed police to dispel internal dissent? A powerful welfare state? Powerful paternalistic organisations with a higher causr than worshipping Mammon? Why have any of them?

Of course this is nonsense. I am a capitalist in the sense that it seems to be the most effective way we have yet discovered for running an advanced economy; but I fully acknowledge that it would rapidly collapse if libertarians start abolishing foundations of Capitalism Inc in tbe hopes it would fly upwards.

And if they were in power and started dismembering all the fail safes we have, well all that idealistic libertarianism stuff would crumble; and the old roght allies (thr church, the police) would step in as useful allies. And libertarianism would accept itself as a rightist movement.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

May I please remind you all that for that sort of posts, there's this thread?

I'm confused about what the delineating line between those two threads is supposed to be.

Reservoir posts are short, simple yet clever. Gallery posts are thoughtful, articulate, complex, and take effort.

Brevity can be scintillating.

Kneejerk contrarianism spurred on by your lack of fulfillment in the real world, however, is not.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

How about we keep this thread open but change name for someone more deserving than a racist asshole?

How about Santander? I think we could all agree on that.