Chakgogka

Reply to Some people like Sex more than others.......... in Humor JoeUser Forums

Some more vintage Wendy Cope: ""Bloody Christmas, here again, Let us raise a loving cup, Peace on earth, goodwill to men, And make them do the washing up".

Reply to Reid And Wrong in International JoeUser Forums

Another interesting and nicely written article. You might find this interesting . Link

Reply to Sacre' Bleu! in Politics JoeUser Forums

Mod is refering to Jacques Chirac, who was allegedly involved in some form of corrupt practices when he was Mayor of Paris. Apparently he is currently protected by immunity from investigation/prosecution while serving as President, but there is some talk of him being questioned once he leaves office.

Reply to A challenge to the 'Anti-Bush' crowd... in Politics JoeUser Forums

I think this is a 'good challenge' in a way. Although I disagree with the basic premise that all those that oppose Bush are motivated simply by hatred I still think its a useful question to ask. (Frankly I think the idea that " there is no such thing as a rational, logical, intelligent anti bush person. IMO its all about hate ", is the product of an immature mind). My own political position is based on the idea that no one side has a monopoly of truth. The most sophisticated

Reply to LETS GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT!!! in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

to be fair though you are right to point out that those on the far left who are allying themselves with islamic fundamentalism (something I really can't understand) are guilty of double standards.

Reply to LETS GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT!!! in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

terrorist destroy children and not a peep from the left, they torture and maim people, not a word, they cut off peoples heads publicly, not a word, I'm reluctant to speak for the Left from my own safe perch in the militantly moderate middle (MMM), but I don't think that this is entirely true. The left is sp

Reply to More Dangerous Stupidity From the Religious Right in Misc JoeUser Forums

This is why religion is dangerous. Indeed, religion is dangerous. As is snowboarding and eating blowfish. But what I think you mean is that religion only ever has bad effects and that these are always truly awful. Actually I have very little time for the 'religion is the cause of all the wars, divis

Reply to Social Darwinism: Why it is crap in Misc JoeUser Forums

If this is refering to my blog... Reading this, I think that latour was actually thinking of a recent posting by little whip, ("Eat for Darwin today and every day.") but he can correct me if I'm wrong. One of the (many) problems with Social Darwinism is that it automatically assumes a state of fierce evolutionary competition within<

Reply to More Dangerous Stupidity From the Religious Right in Misc JoeUser Forums

No offense intended, Chak, and I agree with what you are saying... None taken, and I agree with what you are saying Yes, it is chic to say such things about fundamentalist christians, and I think for two (main) reaso

Reply to More Dangerous Stupidity From the Religious Right in Misc JoeUser Forums

This is a very odd thread, to say the least. The comments that Senator Erwin made attibuting the devastation of Katrina to God's judgement, although distasteful (to me, anyway) do have a lot of Old Testament 'precedent' to them. Icon was clearly upset by this remark and suggests that anyone who agrees with this should "kill themselves". (This is unlikely to happen). Icon in turn has been accused of being even more intolerant than the apparentl

Reply to What is Tolerance? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

you just have to accept the fact they are different and not inherently evil for being different. Well said. But perhaps it's just enough to accept that they are . What is traditionally known as Liberalism evolved from European exhaustion after strenuous attempts to annihilate those who thought/lived/pr

Reply to What is Tolerance? in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

I like to think that twenty-first century Londoners are a tad more tolerant. Arsenal or Manchester United? Well, for a Londoner it would have to be Arsenal

Reply to Justices Rule Official's Worship Violates Constitution in Politics JoeUser Forums

Good point, kb, but the 80 years is the rub. I can imagine Baker and Dr Guy, for example, not liking a sunni leader's "visits to the mosque of the glorious martyrs of iraq", but maybe their great grandchildren won't have a problem with it. Who knows, maybe in a couple of centuries the Germans will build that little chapel to Hitler, once they've got over their "abject shame". Napoleon was a monster, hated and feared throughout Europe and beyond: he killed just about as many people - soldiers and

Reply to Justices Rule Official's Worship Violates Constitution in Politics JoeUser Forums

I don't think we should revoke our public respect for veterans based on wackos, though, however distasteful they are. I think that you are basically correct. However, what is being protested is not the existence of the shrine, but Koizumi's visits to it. A perusal of the Yasukuni website's English page includes comments that " Japan's dream

Reply to It will NEVER Happen in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I'm almost ready to advocate for gay marriage just to get them to STFU about it already. I wonder how many 'reforms' have actually come about that way!

Reply to Justices Rule Official's Worship Violates Constitution in Politics JoeUser Forums

There is a particular difficulty with the Yasukuni Jinja. On the one hand the Japanese have as much right as anyone else to honour their war dead and prime minister Koizumi should have the same rights of religious expression as anyone else (I am giving the benefit of the doubt here that he is a devout Shintoist and is not just playing to a particular political constituency). Both of these aims are served by his annual visits. Yasukuni, however, is also emblematic of a particular revisio

Reply to It will NEVER Happen in Current Events JoeUser Forums

There may be good arguments against gay marriage, but I still maintain that "opening the floodgates" and the "slippery slope" is not one of them. The problem with the slippery slope argument is that it fails to recognise that we can always choose where to draw the line. When women's suffrage was being fought for, some opponents actually claimed that if women were given the vote, we'd have to give it to children too. Well, a few generations later woman

Reply to Justices Rule Official's Worship Violates Constitution in Politics JoeUser Forums

'war crimes', like every other fantasy of so-called 'international law' ... is a fiction; in this case intended to vilify the defeated and further emphasise the 'justice' of the cause in which the victors fought. Correct. And...? I would argue that the Nazis deserved vilification and defeating them was a 'ju

Reply to Justices Rule Official's Worship Violates Constitution in Politics JoeUser Forums

I think one of the things that makes the other Asian nations so touchy is the presence of the war criminals at the Yasukuni shrine. Iris Chang in her book 'The Rape of Nanking' includes an analogy that it would be a bit like the current German President going annually to worship at a cathedral to Hitler. Whether or not that is really so, readers can make their own mind: the shrine's website has an English section. Link

Reply to Yet Another Crony in Politics JoeUser Forums

Sorry if I offended you Doc, but I think my point is a valid one. I'm not knocking your system, because I think that you've just about got it right, but there is a lack of (judicial) dignity in the over-politicisation of judicial appointments, especially when all sides are trying to prove or second guess the candidates' political opinions which ought, surely, to be a private matter. There are issues here of the separation of powers which the con

Reply to Yet Another Crony in Politics JoeUser Forums

There are times when I'm embarrassed that, in this day and age, senior British judges are still crown appointments, with candidates being discretely selected, discussed and vetted and the successful ones chosen by the Lord Chancellor's department, whereupon Her Majesty confirms the appointments, acting "on the advice of her ministers". Then I come and observe the extraordinary partisan ding dong of judicial appointments on the other side of t

Reply to Justices Rule Official's Worship Violates Constitution in Politics JoeUser Forums

What other country was interfering here, kb? Probably referring to China and South Korea who fiercely protest against the Yakasuni Shrine visit each year.

Reply to How long before europe is taken over by islamists? in Politics JoeUser Forums

The story sounds silly, but hold on a minute, did anyone check the source? (I know that that's the subject of a thread by Tex right now). Click on that link. This story is brought to you by The Sun "newspaper". For those who fondly imagine that the British press is only made up of august broadsheets thundering 'truth to power', a little background may be required. The Sun newspaper is 'edutainment' for those that the British education s

Reply to Oprostite. Ali govorite anglesko? in Vacations JoeUser Forums

Thanks for your reply. No humble apologies required as there are no time limits on responses. Chinese in British schools would be a great idea. Interestingly, 'Mandarin' Chinese (Putonghua) is grammatically closer to English (!) than to Korean, so it actually wouldn't be that hard. (The four tones are one difficulty, but Chinese people seem to understand quite well even if you don't use them). I think

Reply to My MSM Can Beat Up YOUR MSM! in Politics JoeUser Forums

Thanking for explaining to this foreigner what MSM actually stands for. Judging by the posts here I had assumed that it was some sort of left-wing tv station or news agency. Now I know that it just means 'main stream media' I have to read all those posts again in a new light. Do conservatives really think that the 'main stream media' in the US is against them and taken over by the left? Isn't it more likely that the main stream media just rep