Patting the wrists, rolling the eyes. - Page 120

notcasesensitive · 03-31-2005, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
the pope has received last rites.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe...pe1/index.html

YES!!!! I knew that non-fucker would kick it at some point!!!

Oh, did I say that out loud? Sorry. I'll take it to the Celebrity Death Pool board.

Sexual Harassment Panda · 03-31-2005, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
YES!!!! I knew that non-fucker would kick it at some point!!!

Oh, did I say that out loud? Sorry. I'll take it to the Celebrity Death Pool board.

Like he's not on everybody's list. It's a nonevent over there.

notcasesensitive · 03-31-2005, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
Like he's not on everybody's list. It's a nonevent over there.

Hank probably didn't pick him. Too obvious.

Spanky · 03-31-2005, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Serious question -- not intended to be a vote on one side or the other of this debate:

Do you think that Palestine would have had elections but for Arafat's death? And if he had died five years ago, would there have been an election to replace him? If not, what?

I will note that, while I certainly supported the war in Afghanistan it's very hard to say that the county is functioning very well as a democracy -- our attention has been drawn elsewhere, among other things -- and a lot harder to say that it's part of the "Arab spring." (Cue Hank to point out "different towels.")

I think Democracy is a highly contagious and almost incurable disease. I think it is contagious, because people are bascially egotistical and selfish. Everyone thinks they should have a say in how the government should run (no matter how little they really understand government). I don't think people necessarily think other people should have a say on how the government is run. Hence, who every runs the government and anyone who has a say usually don't want to add to the number of decision makers. However, what happens is that a large swath of the population figures out that the only way they are going to have a say in how the government is run is if there is a democracy. So they push for Democracy. When a citizen of a country sees that a citizen half way around the globe gets to vote it does not mean much because they cannot relate to that person. But when there cousin, or friend in the neighboring country gets to vote, they think "hey why not me". The other problem is once a people get the right to vote they are going to want to keep it. They get spoiled. In the middle east many Arabs in neighboring countrys of Iraq are saying, hey if they get to vote why not me?

1) While Yassir Arafat was alive a palestininian democracy was relly a joke. Now that he is dead Democracy can happen. But I don't think Israel would allow such elections without pressure from the US. So the Palestinian thing adds to the pressure - but since they are really occupied by Israel, it doesn't mean much. But Iraqi elections really puts on the pressure. It will be even worse once US forces leave.

2) Afghanistan did not have that much influence, and yes their democracy is shakey, but I think it just supplements the pressure created by Iraq. I think Afghanistan and Iraq together are putting a lot of pressure on the Iranians. Not only did the Iranians used to have a democracy, but now they see that those dirty backward Arabs have a democracy and so do those peasant uneducated and uncultured Afghans.

Gattigap · 03-31-2005, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Spanky
I think Democracy is a highly contagious and almost incurable disease.

I know you chose this wording for its adjectives, but let's not forget the connotations of the noun at the end, OK?

Secret_Agent_Man · 03-31-2005, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
You want to compare your academic record and your career to mine? That should be fun.

No, I think that he -- like Hank -- will go straight for height.

S_A_M

(P.S. -- Maybe penis size, if he's feeling bold. But we should all remember that during a discussion with Not Me, it was established that Bilmore probably wins that one.)

bilmore · 03-31-2005, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
(P.S. -- Maybe penis size, if he's feeling bold. But we should all remember that during a discussion with Not Me, it was established that Bilmore probably wins that one.)

I doubt that one poster calling me a big prick is dispositive of anything.

Spanky · 03-31-2005, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gattigap
I know you chose this wording for its adjectives, but let's not forget the connotations of the noun at the end, OK?

I think disease was a good word. Viruses take over cells, change those cells, and then use those cells to help change more cells. Democratic activists will take over a country, overthrow the dictatorshp, and then produce activists to go to other countries and get them to over turn over the neighboring dictatorship. All the cells in a certain area become infected, just like all the countries in a certain area become infected.

In 1780 there were very few infected countries (including the United States) and now over half the worlds population lives in democracies. Authoritarian governments have tried all sorts of stuff to try and stop the spread of democracy, and for a while it looked as thought they came up with a cure - communism, fascimns, but in the end democracy beat back all these antibodies. If somebody doesn't do something soon, every country in the world is going to get infected. The Free Market disease has also been pretty effective.

Shape Shifter · 03-31-2005, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Spanky
I think disease was a good word. Viruses take over cells, change those cells, and then use those cells to help change more cells. Democratic activists will take over a country, overthrow the dictatorshp, and then produce activists to go to other countries and get them to over turn over the neighboring dictatorship. All the cells in a certain area become infected, just like all the countries in a certain area become infected.

In 1780 there were very few infected countries (including the United States) and now over half the worlds population lives in democracies. Authoritarian governments have tried all sorts of stuff to try and stop the spread of democracy, and for a while it looked as thought they came up with a cure - communism, fascimns, but in the end democracy beat back all these antibodies. If somebody doesn't do something soon, every country in the world is going to get infected. The Free Market disease has also been pretty effective.

Bees, cows, and now viruses. Is this the biology board?

Say_hello_for_me · 03-31-2005, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
No, I think that he -- like Hank -- will go straight for height.

S_A_M

(P.S. -- Maybe penis size, if he's feeling bold. But we should all remember that during a discussion with Not Me, it was established that Bilmore probably wins that one.)

Nope. Far be it from me to discourage anyone from bragging about their special public school.

Sidd Finch · 03-31-2005, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bilmore
I doubt that one poster calling me a big prick is dispositive of anything.

Depends on the poster. If it'd been Deuce, it would've mattered to everyone.

taxwonk · 03-31-2005, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Spanky
I think disease was a good word. Viruses take over cells, change those cells, and then use those cells to help change more cells. Democratic activists will take over a country, overthrow the dictatorshp, and then produce activists to go to other countries and get them to over turn over the neighboring dictatorship. All the cells in a certain area become infected, just like all the countries in a certain area become infected.

In 1780 there were very few infected countries (including the United States) and now over half the worlds population lives in democracies. Authoritarian governments have tried all sorts of stuff to try and stop the spread of democracy, and for a while it looked as thought they came up with a cure - communism, fascimns, but in the end democracy beat back all these antibodies. If somebody doesn't do something soon, every country in the world is going to get infected. The Free Market disease has also been pretty effective.

With such an abnormal rate of growth, perhaps cancer would be a more apt analogy?

taxwonk · 03-31-2005, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Depends on the poster. If it'd been Deuce, it would've mattered to everyone.

Is there some Paigow/Slave type history here that was, until now, a quieter affair?

And of course the pun was intended, you twit.

Sidd Finch · 03-31-2005, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Nope. Far be it from me to discourage anyone from bragging about their special public school.

I know you folks in gated communities look down on anyone who doesn't go to prep school, but there are places in this country where public school is pretty damn good.

Shape Shifter · 03-31-2005, 06:31 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/31/la...ion=cnn_latest

Findlaw article on the Shiavo case(s).