Offering constructive criticism to the social cripples in our midst since early 2005.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Tony Blair has called for an international conference on stopping Islamic extremism.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050720/...itain_bombings


I don't know if this is the way to go about it, but in general I think Blair has the right idea -- engaging, and challenging, Muslims to speak out against terror.


A week or so ago I joined several of the more conservative folk here in criticizing the notion that terror naturally grows from poverty. It doesn't. Rich countries and rich individuals support terror, too. The cannon fodder may come from poor countries and communities, but even that is not always the case. And terror tactics never really found root in the poorest of the poor communities in Africa and elsewhere.

Ultimately, terror tactics are a matter of culture. Decades of talking about killing the infidel, all Americans/westerners/ whatever are mortal enemies, applauding Arafat for his high-profile terror tactics, and so forth -- and the end result is that Muslims, especially young male muslims who like the idea of a blaze of glory -- see terror as legitimate. (In a similar vein, after a few years of the right wing in this country ranting about the government's "jack-booted thugs," broadcasting the importance of "head shots," and generally painting government as the enemy of the people, some came to see bombing a federal building as a legitimate response.)

And, ultimately, terror won't stop unless the communities in which it grows reject it -- loudly and emphatically. And without any caveats ("Oh, what about all the children that Israel kills?" or "Oh, but you have to understand the frustration of muslim youth.")

One reason -- in my view, one key reason -- that the murder rate in this country dropped so precipitously was that black community leaders started speaking out against the violence in their communities. Without trying to justify or rationalize it, and without equivocating.

Until the imams do the same, the cannon fodder will keep on lining up. I long for the day when major cities see Islamic anti-violence or anti-terror marches.

2.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
You do realize you're offering a new Gordian Knot here. I've avoided the "when is it ok to abort due to birth defect" area because I think this one will really rub some nerves raw.

That said, when my wife has a kid, we're getting every test they can give to make sure its ok. If its not, even if we have to go to Switzerland, that kid ain't getting born.

Boy am I lucky to not be poor in a GOP revolution...

Fuel, fire, throwing.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
It's a wonderful "works great in theory, sorta" thing he and DS blather on about. And possibly Less. Something about the guy contractually opting out of responsibility for any child that results from sex he has.

I look forward to this discussion.

Nonsense. Contracts that violate public policy/seek to violate state law can't be enforced.

I favor a statute which forces the man doing the fucking to suffer as much as the knocked up woman. You can't write a contract to subvert a statute.

No opt out. You stick it in; you bear the consequences. Every last stinking late nite without sleep and dirty diaper's worth of them. Every college tuition payment and ride to and from little league. Every loss of promotion and every missed social event. You live it all, Mr. Reckless Dick, every goddamned shitty inch of it. Caveat fucking emptor.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Nonsense. Contracts that violate public policy/seek to violate state law can't be enforced.

I favor a statute which forces the man doing the fucking to suffer as much as the knocked up woman. You can't write a contract to subvert a statute.

No opt out. You stick it in; you bear the consequences. Every last stinking late nite without sleep and dirty diaper's worth of them. Every college tuition payment and ride to and from little league. Every loss of promotion and every missed social event. You live it all, Mr. Reckless Dick, every goddamned shitty inch of it. Caveat fucking emptor.

Slave? Comments?

[nononono]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
You do realize you're offering a new Gordian Knot here. I've avoided the "when is it ok to abort due to birth defect" area because I think this one will really rub some nerves raw.

That said, when my wife has a kid, we're getting every test they can give to make sure its ok. If its not, even if we have to go to Switzerland, that kid ain't getting born.

Boy am I lucky to not be poor in a GOP revolution...

And what are you going to do if the tests miss a problem?

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by ltl/fb

ETA I think a guy and I have a tacit understanding that if he doesn't yap about politics, I won't explicitly say that if I ever got pregnant, I would absolutely not have the kid. It's a much more satisfactory relationship.

I kept two grand in a slush fund in high school and never, ever fucked a chick who even suggested she was pro life. To me, that was a deal breaker. I knew how to get to the best closest out of town clinic from a buddy who once had to go there.

All you need to hear is one horror story from a high school pal who knocked a chick up to know how fucking dangerous drunken high school sex can be. Shit, I think I pulled out all the time even using condoms back in HS.

In college I was a little more reckless, but there weren't any pro lifers around worth fucking, and everybody was on the pill.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by nononono
And what are you going to do if the tests miss a problem?

Work my ass off to pay for a good goddamned nanny. And drink a lot.

Thats a shit gig. I'll obviously have to love and support the child. But I won't like the situation one goddamned bit, and it will probably destroy my life.

[SlaveNoMore]

Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Uh, the Senate has and has had rules requiring supermajorities to raise taxes, raise spending, raise spending without raising taxes, at various points. So, where's the turmoil?

Also, the Cal. legislature's rule is irrelevant to the U.S. constitutional discussion. Unless you're saying it violates the guarantee clause, and it makes Cal's gov't non-republican.

You have a point?

[nononono]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Work my ass off to pay for a good goddamned nanny. And drink a lot.

Thats a shit gig. I'll obviously have to love and support the child. But I won't like the situation one goddamned bit, and it will probably destroy my life.

I would suspect that if you found yourself in the situation, you would probably think less about how it will affect your own life and more about what you can do to improve the child's life.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by nononono
I would suspect that if you found yourself in the situation, you would probably think less about how it will affect your own life and more about what you can do to improve the child's life.

You don't know me. I am acutely aware that this life is the only one. I would be intensely resentful and bitter if I suffered such a horrible misfortune.

But, I have a relative who was, shall we say "slow" as a result of a birth issue. Em's been in a very nice care facility for a long time and its been very little trouble to anyone (except the cost - we chose to pay rather than try to fuck the govt into paying for em's care). So there are ways around it.

My life ain't stopping or slowing for shit. Its all you got.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by nononono
I would suspect that if you found yourself in the situation, you would probably think less about how it will affect your own life and more about what you can do to improve the child's life.

No doubt he would be, through the magical transformation of parenthood.

OK, you are coming off very condescending and irritating in this line. I'm just saying. Am I going to have to peg your grandpa?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Penske_Account
I agree with what most everything Slave said last night. I am 100% pro-personal responsibility.

There is some measure of irony in the fact that this "pro-personal responsibility" position leads to denying people choices.

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
All of the lies proffered by Ty and TurdShifter have come from blogs.

Ergo, it's only fair to point that out.

PS- You know I have no truck in your fight with Penske, so leave me the fuck out of it, for numerous reasons. Bitch, :-)

Thanks for getting my back on that one. Really makes me regret burning my insurgency member card.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
There is some measure of irony in the fact that this "pro-personal responsibility" position leads to denying people choices.

It's a big tent. Contradictions be damned. Mehlman's even throwing an olive branch to blacks, while out of the other side of his mouth his party ramps the Southern Strategy up harder than ever.

The "Compassionate" in Bush's Compassionate Conservativism just means we're getting a Reach Around.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
You have a point?

Yes. Was it not obvious in response to club's post?