STP

Rush has been complaining about this for years. Hillary stole my penis! I think the steam engine reference in Conrad's Heart of Darkness points more to the current stage of development, eg, scientific illiteracy due to lack of schools, learning time, resources, etc. I don't believe it is a racial thing like some would present it as. For instance, some have suggested that the constant warfare and toil faced in Africa is unique thus suggesting that it is rooted in biology.

I guess I don't have the same question ( I could care less about how Obama lines up with Carter). But I does make me wonder how honest Obama has been in his campaign speak (well he is a politician, so he must not be honest, right). I thought he was campaigning with the "Speak to our enemies" platform, and I thought Hamas was in power because of a democratic process? His statements in this case don't line up. Is the process of voting all that matters, or do the nature of the regime voted into office and the institutional framework it subsequently establishes for governing the country and exercising power over the population who cast the votes factor into the analysis of regimes that come into power via popular elections? what are you talking about? the process of voting? isn't that paramount to what "regime" takes power? (i.e. they don't if they aren't voted in). if you aren't voted in then it doesn't really matter what the regimes agenda is. *edit* lol, i now understand you were actually talking about Hamas, not the US pres. elections. Well, I wasn't speaking to the legitimacy of their election. I was talking more about that idea of engaging in a dialogs with our enemies. This was something that Obama said he would do, or so I thought. I would definitely include Hamas in the "enemy of the US" group, and didn't know that there was the condition that they had to be recognized as a country by the US and Isreal before any negotiations could take place (not that they might be fruitful anyway). What I'm wondering is: -What makes a regime "democratic" in your eyes? Is the act of holding elections sufficient, or is there something more to it? -Is the democracy primarily valuable as an exercise in mass-rule, or as a means of establishing a set of institutional protections for a particular set of rights and liberties? For me personally, the "democratic process" is valuable when it occurs in an institutional framework that establishes mass participation as a mechanism for preserving individual rights and liberties; not for limiting, revoking, or destroying them under the auspices of a popular vote. - I always find it difficult to disagree with your logic but my contrarian side still keeps at it. I agree with you on face value when we look at cases such as Iraq, for instance. But... Maybe these people have an answer to your question: about the International Republican Institute “Can Democracy Be Exported?” Democracy in the Middle East:

I don't agree with FW on some things but he's right on the October Surprise thing. CREATING A TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE CERTAIN ALLEGATIONS CONCERNING THE HOLDING OF AMERICANS AS HOSTAGES BY IRAN IN 1980 (House of Representatives - February 05, 1992 House Inquiry Finds No Evidence of Deal On Hostages in 1980 . The OS incident has never been proven. After Watergate, who could not believe in a plot to influence an election? However, Iran-Contra is right on the mark. This is where Ollie uttered his line--"covert actions are necessary to maintain a viable democracy".

I could be wrong here, FW, but the President does not set monetary policy by limiting or expanding money supply. He can support a strong dollar policy but essentially the Federal Reserve system (which BTW is as federal as Federal Express) that actually controls money supply. If I understand correctly, the inflation was largely due to the deficit spending by the gov't brought on by the Vietnam War. Maybe someone with a less muddled economic view as me can clarify this issue.

x5idyptK15w

wait a minute, isn't this the type of service that snagged Eliot Spitzer?

It doesn't matter. Yoo laid out the legal groundwork for this. Permissible Assaults Cited in Graphic Detail Memo: Laws Didn't Apply to Interrogators The Green Light

Here's an interesting twist to the story: Local Woman's Fake Call May Have Led to Polygamist Raid ; With Texas Rangers present, Springs police arrest a 33-year-old on false-reporting charges. ; Woman arrested for Colorado hoax calls said her name was 'Sarah' Polygamy notwithstanding, a bigger issue is how far the state can go in seizing children from their parents and keeping them in state custody. FLDS case raises questions of religious and parental rights, and child protection --not my words, but words of another For their part, the FDLS did not try to resist or thwart the actions of the state. This is going to be an interesting case.

What is this primary right you speak of? Are you talking about some kind of 'manifest destiny'? There was another time and place that spoke to the concept of blood and soil (Blut und Boden). Historically, the Middle East has seen a succession of powers ( http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/imperial-history.html) , Israel only one of many.

Eh, what was that, Lech Walesa?

Perhaps this Israeli should lose his passport: Uri Avnery, a former member of the Israeli Knesset has been one of the few Israelis, if not the only one, to publicly show his appreciation to the peace efforts promoted by Jimmy Carter. The following is an Open Letter which he sent to the President…. Mr. Jimmy Carter Former President of the United States Dear Mr. President I am writing to you on behalf of Gush Shalom, The Israeli Peace Bloc, to congratulate you on your wise and courageous decision to meet in Damascus with Hamas leaders and talk with them on the ways to promote peace in our region. I believe this is an act whose time had come - or rather, is already long overdue - and I would have liked the Government of Israel to avail itself of your position, your prestige and your tireless energy, in order to help end the suffering and bloodshed among both peoples. As an increasing number of people are coming to realize, the policy of boycotting Hamas, starting on the day that the movement won the democratic elections held among the Palestinians, has failed utterly and caused terrible suffering and bloodshed to both peoples. The Government of Israel, with the support of the present US Administration, has undertaken large and small military operations; constantly sought to foment civil war among Palestinians; and imposed an inhuman economic boycott of the Gaza Strip, which exactly today reaches a cruel new peak with the denial of fuel to a million and half people. Not only did all these acts fail to break Hamas’ power; on the contrary, they resulted in increasing its popular support and severely weakening Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) who is more and more perceived as a collaborator, unable to bring his people any real achievement. The time has come to turn a new page, based on recognition of reality: Hamas is a significant force among Palestinians, and will continue to be such, for better or worse, in the foreseeable future. It is impossible to reach an Israeli-Palestinian Agreement - and actually implement it - without Hamas being a party to that agreement. Your visit to our region, Mr. President, has the potential of imparting an enormous momentum to removing the obstacles presently hindering serious negotiations aimed at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands conquered in 1967. To the mind of myself the my fellow activists, what is most urgently needed at present includes: * A full ceasefire, between all Israelis and all Palestinians, which will proved a safe daily life to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip as to those of the Israeli communities near to it; * Removal of the shameful economic siege, which is a terrible collective punishment for Gaza inhabitants of Gaza; * Achieving at last an exchange of prisoners which would restore to their homes and families the captured Israeli soldier Gil’ead Shalit as well as a significant number of Palestinian prisoners * Encouraging the creation of a Palestinian National Unity Government, representing all important factions and able to negotiate on behalf of the entire Palestinian people - instead of the complete veto which the governments of Israel and the US at present impose on the creation of such a government among Palestinians. It would have been best for all of us, Mr. President, were you able to go to Damascus with a full mandate from the Government of Israel and from you successor in the White House, to promote to the best of your ability the solution to the conflict in our region and the end to both peoples’ suffering. But even in the absence of an official government mandate, know that you are going to Damascus with the warm regards and full support of the peace seekers in Israel. Most Sincerely Yours Uri Avnery Former Member of the Knesset On behalf of Gush Shalom (The Israeli Peace Bloc) -- source

So, only if a criminal law is broken, prohibiting bigamy, fraud committed to obtain welfare, child abuse, or domestic violence

Uh yeah, but aren't the only dissenters also Republican?

I'm feeling a bit tense.

If polygamy produces a situation where the children cannot be supported without welfare or other government programs, then wouldn't the state have a stake in insuring that this situation is discouraged if not outright prohibited? Thus, wouldn't the state have a compelling interest in denying the protection affored by the Free Exercise Clause of the 1st Amendment? Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment

Scalia Raises Eyebrows on Talk Circuit With Sex Orgy Jokes -snip

Some animals eat their young, too. Because it has a genetic and/or hormonal basis shouldn't justify the actions as socially conducive behavior. For arguments sake, I'm just saying...

It's interesting to see how this pattern-process dialectic is shaping up. In addition to the climate models we should be able to look at earth history and see how things were then. We know that there were sea-level/climate fluctuations on different spatial-temporal scales in geological time. For instance we can look at the Ordovician Period and even though the continental landmasses may have been in different positions, scientists should be able to filter out useful information from the sedimentary record for storm events. Thought this question was interesting: "Can democracy survive complexity?"

If it's digital then in lieu of DNA, biometrics could be performed.

don't smoke up at the Muir hut

Uh...samsara (cyclic existence) and nirvana? That's not central to Buddhism regardless of what part of the spectrum you're talking about? Your understanding sounds more like New Age adaptations of Buddhism. So you are a practioner? Did you take a vow to save all sentient beings? As far as cult of personality, Shakyamuni expressed his belief that 'this' cannot be taught, only the way pointed. Even so, the figures have taken mythic significance. It's similar to the Jeffersonian Bible, if you take away the mysticism, the miracles, the supernatural and are left with the just the historical personage and the ethics then what do you have?

Well, we're talking about Buddhism as it exists today so Nararjuna is just as revelant as Shakyamuni. Some of the ideas predate Gautama, ideas such as karma and rebirth. I'm not sure you can get back to the bare essence to what was originally propagated apart from the community or sangha any more than you can realistically get back to a Christianity that has only what Jesus said apart from the establishment of the Church. Even people with a rudimentary understanding of Buddhism know that the story of Siddharta's journey to enlightenment is a central part of the religion. As Siddharta sat under the Bodhi tree his mind experienced remembrance of countless rebirths (anamnesis).

Its underpinning of faith. For instance, the belief in multiple rebirths, the continuity of the subtle body. I realize that philosophers such as Nagarjuna logically developed the system but on what ultimate basis? Observations of existence which crystallized into a root system of thought? Can you really call it Buddhism if it sheds those bases if we no longer take it as truth? In other words, strip the religious garb from the ethics?

where do you get this? a bit of a strange position to take, considering the dl's views on one changing their religion (as in "don't do it"). Overtly no. I'm taking the position that nearly any time a religious figure speaks publicly in this manner then it is a subtle plug through example as opposed to the proselytization most people dislike. i've personally seen some early polling results: over 75% of the kids who went are now converting to buddhism! For their part, they have an interfaith component in the Seeds of Compassion event. Some religious leaders including the Pope believe that secular humanism (atheism, materialism) is the greater threat to our values than a competing religion. these charges might, for the thinking person, require some sort of factual underpinning; care to provide? My bad, I'm not as precise as some others but on the other hand, maybe it's the nascent aspect of my writing. i think when buddhism traveled to tibet and was incorporated into the existing animistic bon religion, many aspects of it changed. And, also it's incorporation of the pantheistic aspect of Hinduism perhaps if you had said "tibetan buddhism has "superstitious" aspects", you might have been a bit more accurate than simply making ungrounded generalizations. just a thought. I mean superstitious in its basis of supernaturalism. I don't mean it in the sense of it being false. Also, as CG Jung put it, to paraphrase, even if something doesn't have concrete reality something by virtue of having conceptual existence can be as real as something material. Is it true? Does it exist? Does it have impact on your reality?