Evolution is two plus two. We can recreate it in a lab. We have entire museums of carefully preserved specimens and fossils showing the slow, plodding change of form from one ancestral species to the next. These people ignore the "four" of evolution, they choose to say, "No, evolution doesn't exist, two and two is five," to prop up their beliefs and stab at the heart of a much-loathed society of intellectuals who long ago came as close to proving evolution as is possible.
Intelligent design and creationism are no less stupid than geocentrism at this point in time. To argue evolution is to argue the nature of our reality insofar as we can perceive it.
That's what I was getting at. You can argue against evolution but you rapidly run out of plausible answers, as all of the questions that you are likely to ask have already been asked and been answered. From there, the choice simply becomes whether you accept the facts or disregard the facts.
Same as climate change. All the common questions have been answered. Many of the current deniers simply disregard those answers, choosing to believe that there is a second, unexplored side to the issue. When, in fact, scientists are constantly looking for those confounding variables and are finding none. Some skepticism is healthy, but once a large number of tests point to the same conclusion and all the reasonable doubts are answered, you're left with an accepted fact.
That's the difference between observable science, philosophy, and cultural morals.
Intelligent design and creationism are no less stupid than geocentrism at this point in time. To argue evolution is to argue the nature of our reality insofar as we can perceive it.
True. If you want to involve some supreme being in biology, at least go the route of theistic evolution (which is that Catholic Church's official stance) -- evolution as science describes it is the process used by the Creator to create life. Since science describes only the process and not the theological implications, then it can go on teaching the process all it wants and leave the theological implications to Sunday School or whatever.
Deniers are living in a god-of-the-gaps delusion. They won't concede; they'll just keep moving the goalposts. With as much evidence as is out there, the Chewbacca defense has as much chance of working as anything else.
I almost unfriended ScoJo because I can't deal with his idiot commenters. They strain my self control. I am training myself not to read the comments on any post by him.
You can keep him as a friend but block his comments from your popping up in your news feed. That may be worth investigating.
I like his posts. I just don't like his idiot friends who comment on his posts. (His smart friends are just fine.) I can deal with conversing with people who simply hold differing opinions or values from mine. When you get into people who are just plain willfully wrong about facts, how do you argue with that? Presenting them with the correct facts doesn't do anything because they have already dismissed them.
It's like when my Dad's girlfriend said, "Obama is a muslim and you can't argue with me because that's my opinion!" We all went " . . . " and couldn't respond because WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT?
It's like when my Dad's girlfriend said, "Obama is a muslim and you can't argue with me because that's my opinion!" We all went " . . . " and couldn't respond because WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT?
"Thank you for showing me why we will never, ever be friends."
I did that. I flat out told him she's a self-righteous idiot. And eventually after she pissed me off over email, I called him and told him I will no longer suffer through her company or communication. I literally will not talk to her or go someplace she is going to be. I won't go over to his house to visit anymore - I invite him to go out with us for lunch when we are in town. Thus far he has respected my wishes. I'm not looking forward to having the wedding invitation conversation if he's still dating her when I get married.
I was hoping Huntsman would stay in. WTF? Why should Iowa and New Hampshire have so much sway in the primaries?
By the time I get to vote the people I would have voted for have dropped out. I want a national same day primary.
Electoral reforms are never going to happen because the people with the power to enact them are too dependent on the present, broken system to keep them wealthy and in power.
I was hoping Huntsman would stay in. WTF? Why should Iowa and New Hampshire have so much sway in the primaries?
By the time I get to vote the people I would have voted for have dropped out. I want a national same day primary.
If it had been an Obama/Huntsman election I would have actually had to think quite a bit about my vote. Looks like it's going to be Romney/whoever versus Obama/whoever.
If it had been an Obama/Huntsman election I would have actually had to think quite a bit about my vote. Looks like it's going to be Romney/whoever versus Obama/whoever.
As the governor of Utah, Huntsman signed numerous bills restricting abortion. Huntsman has supported civil unions for years but not same-sex marriage. ... In addition, Huntsman has proposed reducing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%, eliminating corporate taxes on income earned overseas, and implementing a tax holiday for repatriation of corporate profits. He favors eliminating taxes on capital gains and dividends.
But let me tell you the real problem of what we're up against. If you want to build a facility in the US, you can't because of the EPA's regulatory reign of terror. We don't make things anymore in this country. We need to start making things in this country. And in order to do that, we need serious regulatory reform, [including] ending the EPA's regulatory reign of terror.
I hope he dies. No, that's it. No special circumstances, no fires, no pretzels. Fuck you, get off my planet. That is all.
You know what? No. This is a horrible thing to say. I will never wish anyone death for words, no matter the amount of vitriol and hate that people may spew. All I can say is that I hope he changes his mind one day.
I hope he dies. No, that's it. No special circumstances, no fires, no pretzels. Fuck you, get off my planet. That is all.
This is a horrible thing to say.
You're absolutely right, it's fucking awful of me to feel that way. But that's how I feel. I've never claimed to be a saint in that regard. But I genuinely feel as though someone who espouses such blind and hateful rhetoric is simply not human. I'm past the point where I think they can be "fixed" - though I'm going to keep trying anyway - and I'm simply waiting for them to go away.
Hey, you know, there was once a young man who was leader of media propaganda for the Taliban. He was made infamous by a video clip shot of a visit to the United States, used in Micheal Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, where he chided a feminist reporter who was speaking out against the Taliban by saying "I'm very sorry for your husband. He must have a difficult time with you" He helped one of the worst governments, and he was truly a terrible person for doing so. While he is not a wonderful person now, he has gotten quite a bit better. He left the Taliban and even took some non-degree courses at Yale (he could not matriculate, due to his, ahem, somewhat checkered past.) "I think the radicals were taking over and doing crazy stuff. I regret when people think of the Taliban and then think of me — that feeling people have after they know I was affiliated with them is painful to me. When I read that the neo-Taliban are burning girls' schools, I am ashamed." When I see a situation like this, I hope that most people can get better and hate less. I think that understanding can be taught a little bit. So while someone is still alive the is that slim chance that we might get to them and they will repent the horrible things they have said and done and try to begin anew.
It's debatable that one could call any film Moore has made a Documentary - in fact, I think the closest he ever came to a documentary was in Canadian Bacon - but that is quite interesting, and it is nice to see people start to turn around, and begin to move away from the hate of their past.
@gomi - See, that's an example of someone who came from ignorance and had the option to get more educated about the world, took the opportunity, and bettered themselves. The guy from Virginia has all the opportunity to better himself his entire existence, but instead took the "Fuck all y'all, 'cuz Jesus" path and insulted every disabled person and their family in existence ever. So I'm in Pete's corner on this one. That bitch can die in a fire. I'd watch on pay-per-view.
If it had been an Obama/Huntsman election I would have actually had to think quite a bit about my vote. Looks like it's going to be Romney/whoever versus Obama/whoever.
As the governor of Utah, Huntsman signed numerous bills restricting abortion. Huntsman has supported civil unions for years but not same-sex marriage. ... In addition, Huntsman has proposed reducing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%, eliminating corporate taxes on income earned overseas, and implementing a tax holiday for repatriation of corporate profits. He favors eliminating taxes on capital gains and dividends.
But let me tell you the real problem of what we're up against. If you want to build a facility in the US, you can't because of the EPA's regulatory reign of terror. We don't make things anymore in this country. We need to start making things in this country. And in order to do that, we need serious regulatory reform, [including] ending the EPA's regulatory reign of terror.
You'd consider him over Obama?
Consider, yes. I'd only ever really heard him speak about foreign policy issues, and compared to the rest of the front runners he seemed quite sane. Based on the information you just provided, likely I would continue to support Obama.
At this point, though, I can't see voting for anyone but Obama.
I just had a thought: It must be insanely easy to be a tea party speaker.
Seriously, all you have to do is use the following template:
"[Group of people not present] are the real problem with America. In fact, [random percentage that sounds large] are illegally taking our jobs and contributing to the decay of our morality. This, and the fact that [government agency] is stifling job creation is reason enough for us to want to tear down the [government agency], as they are supporting unemployment!
God created us to do one thing, be successful, and those who are not with us are against us. We have to take a stand against [politician] and [his/her] cronies, who are threatening to destroy your very way of life!"
Throw in some metaphors and random subtle threats of violence (stir up a nice frothy blood lust), wear a nice suit with a cross on your lapel (shows that you're God-fearing but not a crazy evangelical), smile and shake hands with the old people pulling oxygen tanks... and boom, you too could be governor of South Carolina.
Here's an interesting article pointing out many areas in which the Tea Party is clueless: Recognizing America
In a nutshell, despite claims to the contrary, taxes and union membership rates were significantly higher than they are now during the 20th century. The Republican party also used to have a progressive side in favor of living wages and massive spending projects, and so on... However, since the 80's, things have gone backwards and unless you were rich, you basically have been slowly getting screwed more and more.
Here's an interesting article pointing out many areas in which the Tea Party is clueless: Recognizing America
In a nutshell, despite claims to the contrary, taxes and union membership rates were significantly higher than they are now during the 20th century. The Republican party also used to have a progressive side in favor of living wages and massive spending projects, and so on... However, since the 80's, things have gone backwards and unless you were rich, you basically have been slowly getting screwed more and more.
You do realize that most Tea Partiers really think that they are temporarily embarrassed millionaires whose ship has simply not come in yet.
Comments
Same as climate change. All the common questions have been answered. Many of the current deniers simply disregard those answers, choosing to believe that there is a second, unexplored side to the issue. When, in fact, scientists are constantly looking for those confounding variables and are finding none. Some skepticism is healthy, but once a large number of tests point to the same conclusion and all the reasonable doubts are answered, you're left with an accepted fact.
That's the difference between observable science, philosophy, and cultural morals.
It's like when my Dad's girlfriend said, "Obama is a muslim and you can't argue with me because that's my opinion!" We all went " . . . " and couldn't respond because WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT?
ORRRR since it's your dad's girlfriend turn to him and say "I hope she's good in bed because damn she's dumb."
I have told her many times to her face. She is too indignant and stupid for it to matter.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jFYQqB4_Wa0bdz0zXxCFVKuQ4PsQ?docId=341beadca2db44749be246298684f47d
By the time I get to vote the people I would have voted for have dropped out. I want a national same day primary.
My hate...it burns like a thousand suns.
I hope he dies. No, that's it. No special circumstances, no fires, no pretzels. Fuck you, get off my planet. That is all.
Tea Party Speaker: 'Force These Mexicans' to Build Border Fence for $5/Day
While he is not a wonderful person now, he has gotten quite a bit better. He left the Taliban and even took some non-degree courses at Yale (he could not matriculate, due to his, ahem, somewhat checkered past.)
"I think the radicals were taking over and doing crazy stuff. I regret when people think of the Taliban and then think of me — that feeling people have after they know I was affiliated with them is painful to me. When I read that the neo-Taliban are burning girls' schools, I am ashamed."
When I see a situation like this, I hope that most people can get better and hate less. I think that understanding can be taught a little bit. So while someone is still alive the is that slim chance that we might get to them and they will repent the horrible things they have said and done and try to begin anew.
So I'm in Pete's corner on this one. That bitch can die in a fire. I'd watch on pay-per-view.
At this point, though, I can't see voting for anyone but Obama.
Seriously, all you have to do is use the following template:
"[Group of people not present] are the real problem with America. In fact, [random percentage that sounds large] are illegally taking our jobs and contributing to the decay of our morality. This, and the fact that [government agency] is stifling job creation is reason enough for us to want to tear down the [government agency], as they are supporting unemployment!
God created us to do one thing, be successful, and those who are not with us are against us. We have to take a stand against [politician] and [his/her] cronies, who are threatening to destroy your very way of life!"
Throw in some metaphors and random subtle threats of violence (stir up a nice frothy blood lust), wear a nice suit with a cross on your lapel (shows that you're God-fearing but not a crazy evangelical), smile and shake hands with the old people pulling oxygen tanks... and boom, you too could be governor of South Carolina.
Recognizing America
In a nutshell, despite claims to the contrary, taxes and union membership rates were significantly higher than they are now during the 20th century. The Republican party also used to have a progressive side in favor of living wages and massive spending projects, and so on... However, since the 80's, things have gone backwards and unless you were rich, you basically have been slowly getting screwed more and more.