No Minds Are Changed By This Debate

[Thaiquila]

It occurs to me after over-participating in this pit, that:

-- the vast majority of the heat is over the issue of America being perceived as world bully, and whether that has justification, or not

-- not one person has admitted to changing their minds politically

-- the left calls the right fascists, and the right calls the left terrorist sympathizers, and both sides appear to believe these charges

--the pit is like a bunch of unruly boys throwing stuff at each other on a playground

I am inclined to conclude these things now:

--the use of American power and terrorism are the most important issues in the world (in these I am including the political ramifications of the majority of countries who do not have the wealth and power of America, many of these being Islamic nations)

-- this pit is mental masturbation

-- no minds will be changed in the pit

-- the upcoming US election may be one of the most important in world history, and it will be decided by a very tiny percentage of people; those not yet firmly for one side or the other

--even so, whoever wins the election, the likelihood still continues that the this new century will be a century of horrible wars, just like the last century, and mankind will be lucky to make it to the next century

So, enjoy yourself while you can!

[Membrane]

Be the first to change her mind Thaiquila. We'll forgive you!

[Jeepz]

Thaiquila~

I don't completely agree with your assesment of no one changing their opinions here. And to be honest, who realistically expects to come out of a debate with the other side saying, "Yeah, we see the light! You were right after all."

If my views are fundamentally unchanged, they have at least been reconsidered. And differing views have been aired that I normally would not have spent time thinking about.

Now, I am a bit saddened by the amount of name calling that goes on by both sides. Ad hominem attacks are rarely inlightening, regardless of the height of the flames. But I have gotten to see some interesting connections and facts about various individuals, the companies they worked for or were associated with, and so forth.

Sometimes the attacks (excuse me, discussions) were so shrill that it was hard to sift out good info from the excess and that is too bad. When it gets that heated, it is easy to disregard everything the other side is saying.

The new gay forum is a good example of where I did actually change some of my attitude and during the discussions there ended up with a much stronger view on something (marriage/civil union) than I had ever had before.

Jeepz

[Boon Mee]

Be the first to change her mind Thaiquila. We'll forgive you!

Taiquila - are you a chick???

[britmaveric]

I'll take the optimistic route, no point being negative! The world is in good shape, just need to sort out a few nutters and all will be well. Simplistic and to the point.

[Thaiquila]

Be the first to change her mind Thaiquila. We'll forgive you!

In possession of cajones last time I checked. Never said anything different. Just another example of boys pissing contest. Call the guy you don't like a girl.

Pathetic.

[Membrane]

It wasn't an insult. Don't Go Away offended. Just thought you were... sheesh!

[Boon Mee]

There's only one chick that's posted to the Bear Pit recently, sbk & I think Georgie's managed to piss her off some 'cause she's not been back for a few...

[Georgie-Porgie]

When I first read this post, I had in my mind that it had been written by Membrane (He was the last poster, but I had just noticed his name out of the corner of my eye).

Anyway, Thaiqulla, I agreed with you pretty close to 100%.

The bad news is that I'd started thinking of you as a girl also. I didn't in the beginning, but, to my way of thinking, the stubborn irrationality of your thought processes, seemed more like a girl.

Sorry about that!

I've never thought of the gent as a girl. It is pretty obvious that he doesn't believe much of what he posts. His agenda from the beginning has been to hurt and piss off Americans .

[Boon Mee]

I've never thought of the gent as a girl. It is pretty obvious that he doesn't believe much of what he posts. His agenda from the beginning has been to hurt and piss off Americans .

Georgie,

He isn't in possession of an agenda other than to be completely irrational.

[Georgie-Porgie]

the gentleman= agenda = wack job

[Guest IT Manager]

I am getting a lot of flack about the goings on here.

I have said it before, and now say it again, the bear pit is a "your choice to be here" forum. If you are here, it is by choice, you aren't being dragged in kicking and screaming.

Slag off at each other fine, don't be too personal, though what GP and the Gent are into seems pretty personal.

I am interested in the views in this thread, because I haven't changed any opinions either, but I still come in to deliver clean towels and check blood flowing under the door.

I will say this though, if GP and The Gent want to rip into each other thats fine, they are both old enough to cope. If either of you insult another member, I will give you a big holiday. That is specifically directed at The Gent, but intended for GP as reference.

[the gentleman]

Boys/girls and Georgie - post something!, Give me some evidence of the tripe you post (not that you have much to say other than - did not, did to) - Quote something from one of your books, come up with something interesting and plausable, shed any kind of light into this forum, that isnt the normal "censored news", that we all see on TV - Give us a post about something other than slurs on other peoples thoughts -yes I am also at fault, BUT, I also have something to post, that I am also passionate about - that is Anti Bush political facts/fiction - Although you think you are the educated one around here - you seem to make yourself look far from it!

Jeepz, I agree with you!

Thaiquila. I also agree with you!

[Boon Mee]

Gent,

You wouldn't have been the recipient of all the attention if you hadn't posted all that inflamatory anti-American stuff again.

[the gentleman]

Gent,

You wouldn't have been the recipient of all the attention if you hadn't posted all that inflamatory anti-American stuff again.

Boon Mee,

The attention I can handle , an educated person would post something other than PUD or racist blah blah

Is there a conspiracy or isnt there - back it up with something worthwhile!

The great word smiths of this forum , can only write 3 or 4 lines.

Yes I cut and paste, why change the facts in my own writings, when the author has written it so well - If I changed some of the wording to suit myself, I could end up with the King James version of the Bible!

[Bluecat]

If my views are fundamentally unchanged, they have at least been reconsidered.

Now, I am a bit saddened by the amount of name calling that goes on by both sides. Ad hominem attacks are rarely inlightening, regardless of the height of the flames.

Sometimes the attacks (excuse me, discussions) were so shrill that it was hard to sift out good info from the excess and that is too bad. When it gets that heated, it is easy to disregard everything the other side is saying.

I agree with Jeepz. It is impossible for anybody to change his opinion if the opinions presented are just attacks with little or no facts to back them up,...

But if the views are well presented (which is not very often,... ), they will help me reconsider my position, if not change it.

[Georgie-Porgie]

Boys/girls and Georgie - post something!, Give me some evidence of the tripe you post (not that you have much to say other than - did not, did to) - Quote something from one of your books, come up with something interesting and plausable, shed any kind of light into this forum, that isnt the normal "censored news", that we all see on TV - Give us a post about something other than slurs on other peoples thoughts -yes I am also at fault, BUT, I also have something to post, that I am also passionate about - that is Anti Bush political facts/fiction - Although you think you are the educated one around here - you seem to make yourself look far from it!

You have, unwittingly, hit the nail on the head.

Because we are educated, we realize that, what you call, the "censored" TV news, is the best source of the truth about Iraq, about the War on Terrorism, about George W. Bush.

"Censored", in this case, means something more like verified.

Cutting and pasting a bunch of fairy tales from conspiracy sites makes you feel better, because, its different from what everyone else is hearing and finally someone agrees with you, but it doesn't prove anything to anyone else, at all.

If CNN says that George W. Bush admits knowing that there were no WMBs, that might be proof. If the National Enquirer says it, no one will believe it but you (and maybe Thaiquila and adjan jb).

You say that you, at least have something to post, to "prove" your position, that you "are passionate" about, while we flail around helplessly, reduced to calling you names. However, you have been told over and over, that we can do the same thing as you do, post opinion pieces, except we accept the fact that it is a waste of everyone's time. We call you names because you are asking for it with this constant barrage of unproven attack literature. You are wasting everyone's time with worthless garbage.

White Supremacists "are passionate" about their message too, but that doesn't mean that that it deserves to be heard, yet you are constantly re-distributing their literature to readers of this forum. It is offensive to educated people, and it is insulting to our intelligence.

Before he quit the forum, davidm gave me a bunch of right-wing web-sites that I could cut and past from, to my heart's content. Rush Limbaugh's site is one of them. I put one article on every once in a while to generate responses, but you swamp the Bear-Pit with worthless opinion pieces almost every day.

Despite what you think, I get no great pleasure out of abusing you every day. Whether you like it or not, it is just too easy, but if you won't back down, why should I? I'm not the one who ends up looking like a fool, over and over.

I'm not being nice about this because it's gone on too long and I've stopped feeling sorry for you, but you are wasting your time here, and everyone else's. You are just another Butterfly.

Either admit that you don't know sh1t about the world, that you have a lot to learn, and start acting like it, or join some neo-Nazi site where everyone is so half-witted that they will agree with you.

You could be King. King of the ding-bats!

[Thaiquila]

You guys continue to prove my point (see first post).

For the record, I have never read the National Enquirer, do not consider CNN tv news to be an objective, credible source, and get my news from different sources.

The source I personally put the most credibility on are the Washington Post and the BBC.

[britmaveric]

Washington Post?

BBC?

Washington Post is clearly an anti-Republican Rag while the Washington Times is Anti-Democaratic rubbish.

BBC- well another slanted media source, might as well be AL Jazera these days!

If you actually think you are getting news from these two sources, than you are mistaken-more opinionated sh**e.

[Boon Mee]

For fair & unbalanced check out The Christian Science Monitor.

[Georgie-Porgie]

You guys continue to prove my point (see first post).

For the record, I have never read the National Enquirer, do not consider CNN tv news to be an objective, credible source, and get my news from different sources.

The source I personally put the most credibility on are the Washington Post and the BBC.

Me thinks that some people like to argue just for the sense of arguing. It's quite obvious that I am talking about the gentleman's anti-Semetic postings here, and they sure as he11 didn't come from the BBC or Washington Post (maybe from the "liberal" reporter's personal e-mail stash however ).

[Boon Mee]

Agree, and he never identifys the "other sources"

[englishoak]

I enjoy the banter in the bear pit a whole lot. Beats reading the local rag anyday, plus where else can you find such a "cross" section of people

[adjan jb]

Thanks to Membrane, Boon Mee and, last but not least, the Great Georgie-Porgie, I'm beginning to see the light.

I was so wrong all those years.

Will you ever forgive me ?

[Boon Mee]

Adjan jb~

Welcome to the fold! Since you're now one of us, I'm sure you'll agree to the following:

Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin was the Osama bin Laden of Palestinian terrorism. By assassinating Yassin, the Israelis just applied the Bush Doctrine to one of the most deadly terrorist leaders on the planet. In the winner-take-all war on terror, countries are either with us or against us. They either take decisive action — even preemptive military action — to bring terrorists to justice, or they are guilty of aiding and abetting the enemy.

The best defense is a strong offense, right? Did you ever play football?

Boon Mee

[Georgie-Porgie]

Thanks to Membrane, Boon Mee and, last but not least, the Great Georgie-Porgie, I'm beginning to see the light.

I was so wrong all those years.

Will you ever forgive me ?

My mother used to use that sarcastic tone right before she'd call in the police to send me off to reform school, or other simular adventures, so I'll tell you the same thing that I used to tell her. Mr. adjan jb, don't make me bitch-slap you!

[Georgie-Porgie]

Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin was the Osama bin Laden of Palestinian terrorism. By assassinating Yassin, the Israelis just applied the Bush Doctrine to one of the most deadly terrorist leaders on the planet.

Georgie-Porgie was most in favor of this particular rendering of justice!

Kick ass and take names.

[Boon Mee]

One more GWB quote for Adjan jb:

In his State of the Union address on January 29, 2002, President Bush said: "My hope is that all nations will heed our call, and eliminate the terrorist parasites who threaten their countries and our own. Many nations are acting forcefully. But some governments will be timid in the face of terror. And make no mistake about it: If they do not act, America will."

It doesn't get any more plain than that...

[Membrane]

Thanks to Membrane, Boon Mee and, last but not least, the Great Georgie-Porgie, I'm beginning to see the light.

I was so wrong all those years.

Will you ever forgive me ?

Yes, we will. But your avatar needs to see an orthodontist first. Yeesh!