TIME IS UP! SINCE ONLY GALLERI RECITED "THE PHRASE THAT PAYS", ONLY IMAG WILL BE SPARED THE DOUBLING OF RIGHTEOUS DEFENSE ACTIONS FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE NON EXPLOSION PACT WHICH OCCUR ON A THURSDAY.
ALSO, DUE TO AN ABSOLUTELY BAFFLING LACK OF GROVELING, NO CLANS HAVE ATTAINED ANY MODIFICATION TO THE NEP. SINCE THE RESET HAS BEGUN, THE PACTS ARE NOW FINALIZED AS OUTLINED ABOVE.
You should join DANGER, I hear they are awesome at netting =P You can tell by the way they write everything in all caps on the boards.
SOMEONE IS ANGLING FOR A SPOT ON THE LIST OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT TO BE EXPLODED.
BE THAT AS IT MAY, LATC IS CORRECT. ONCE THE REST OF THE CLANS IN EARTH FINALLY COME TO REALIZE THE AWESOME POWER OF THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! OUR PLACE IN THE NETGAINING HALL OF FAME WILL BE INEVITABLE.
ALREADY THIS RESET - WITH ONLY TWO ACTIVE MEMBERS - WE OCCUPY TEN PERCENT OF THE TOP TEN. AND ONE OF US HAS NOT EVEN LEFT PROTECTION YET! LAST RESET, WE DOMINATED THE TOP 2 FOR THE FIRST TWO DAYS.
DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO JOIN SUCH A MIGHTY CLAN? WE DOUBT IT, BUT IF YOU WISH TO TAKE OUR RIGOROUS ENTRANCE EXAM, YOU MY ATTEMPT TO ASCEND TO A HIGHER CLASS OF PLAYERS.
THE FIRST PART OF YOUR EXAM IS TO FIND THE EXAM. GOOD LUCK!
HA!
SAM
HEAD RECRUITING OFFICER,
THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]!
AS FAR AS CRACKER AND CHEESE CENTERED SNACKS GO, NOTHING BEATS CHEDDAR N BACON EASY CHEESE ON CHICKEN IN A BISKET. THE REASONS ARE TOO MANY TO LIST HERE BUT HERE ARE JUST A FEW.
BACON. THIS IS A NO BRAINER.
NO MICROWAVE IS NECESSARY FOR THE PREPARATION OF EASY CHEESE SNACKS.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO DRAW A MUSHROOM CLOUD ON YOUR CRACKER WITH EASY CHEESE. IT IS NOT EASY USING A MEDIUM LIKE EASY CHEESE TO DRAW A MUSHROOM CLOUD ON SUCH A SMALL CANVAS, BUT NOTHING WORTH DOING IS EASY.
THANK YOU FOR DEDICATING A SONG TO US. UNFORTUNATELY I AM TYPING THIS FROM ATOP A MOUNTAIN WHERE I HOPE TO SHOOT AN ELK. MY PHONE SEEMS TO HAVE DEVELOPED AN IRRATIONAL FEAR OF STREAMS HERE, SO I WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I GET HOME TO TRULY APPRECIATE THIS
We have only one cheater? Since when? Highrock is a noob. I assume you are still butt hurt from a few resets ago, I can understand that. I am still unsure of the reason why you went from Viola to highrock, but to each their own.
Also, I've been playing this game long enough and well enough to know when a country is playing above the realm of possibility. Besides the free land that that country got from intra-clan farming, I wouldn't be surprised if he's been FAed a few. I'm good enough to know that 250M for a 50k farmer is a pretty big stretch.
NEITHER OF THE PRACTICES YOU CITED THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF CHEATING. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH THE PRACTICE OF DECLARING WAR ON TINY GDI COUNTRIES AND THEN FARMING THEM INTO THE GROUND, BUT THAT'S NOT CHEATING EITHER.. ALLIANCE WIDE MARKET BUYOUTS, NOT CHEATING.. ETC ETC
RD (AND OTHERS) HAVE FOUND WAYS TO WORK WORK WITHIN THE CURRENT SET OF RULES TO BENEFIT AS A TEAM. THOSE WHO DO NOT LIKE TEAMWORK PROBABLY DON'T BELONG ON THE ALLIANCE SERVER. IF YOUR ALLIANCE AS A WHOLE DISAGREES WITH ANOTHER ALLIANCE'S POLICIES, THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.
COMING HERE AND ACCUSING PEOPLE OF CHEATING FOR DOING THINGS WHICH ARE WITHIN THE RULES, ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING.
GALLERI: NO, IT IS NOT MANDATORY THAT YOU USE THE LETTERS OF POWER. HOWEVER, IT IS CERTAINLY ENCOURAGED.
INCIN: THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER] HAS NO PROBLEM WITH PLAGIARISM. WE THINK CONSENTING ADULTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MARRY AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE AS THEY LIKE. WE AGREE WITH YOU THAT SUCH A PRACTICE WOULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE PEACE IN A HOUSEHOLD, BUT TO EACH HIS OR HER OWN.
Just for wasting my time, I curse you with a lifetime of the kind of toilet paper that makes you think you have it...and you realize a split second later that you don't.
DID YOU EXPECT THAT A THREAD TITLED "I WAS POOPING" WOULD BE THOUGHT PROVOKING AND INSIGHTFUL?
THE COMMITTEE OF ONE HAS DECIDED TO EXTEND A NON EXPLOSION PACT - HEREAFTER REFERRED TO AS "NEP" - TO ALL OTHER CLANS FOR THE OCTOBER-NOVEMBER RESET. YOU'RE WELCOME! NOW, THIS BRINGS US TO OUR RIGHTEOUS DEFENSE POLICY:
ANY AND ALL UNPROVOKED ACTS OF AGGRESSION AGAINST MEMBERS OF THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! WILL BE TREATED AS A VIOLATION OF THE NEP. VIOLATORS OF THE NEP WILL FACE ONE OF TWO POSSIBLE RIGHTEOUS DEFENSE ACTIONS - HEREAFTER REFERRED TO AS "RDA" - TO BE CHOSEN BY THE COMMITTEE OF ONE.
RDA POSSIBILITY NUMBER ONE: THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! WILL REMOVE VIA ANY COMBINATION OF STANDARD STRIKES AND PLANNED STRIKES WHICH WE CHOOSE, TWICE THE NUMBER OF ACRES WHICH WERE GAINED BY THE AGGRESSOR, INCLUDING GHOST ACRES.
RDA POSSIBILITY NUMBER TWO: THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! WILL CONVERT TO SMOKING CRATERS VIA SPECIAL ATTACKS, EIGHT TIMES THE NUMBER OF ACRES GAINED BY THE AGGRESSOR, INCLUDING GHOST ACRES.
THE RIGHTEOUS DEFENSE WINDOW SEEMS TO HAVE A RUSTED HINGE, AND SO WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE RESET.
SECTION 2.3, SUBCLAUSE F - "DOUBLE SHOT THURSDAY": ANY VIOLATIONS OF THE NEP WHICH OCCUR ON A THURSDAY WILL FACE AN RDA AT TWICE THE NORMAL RATE. VIOLATORS MAY, AT THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]'S DISCRETION, BE SPARED THE DOUBLING OF THE RDA IF THEY RECITE "THE PHRASE THAT PAYS".
WE HAVE NOT YET COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON THE PROPER RDA FOR MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS OF THE NEP BY ONE COUNTRY, BUT WE ARE FAIRLY CERTAIN IT WILL INVOLVE SIGNIFICANT EXPLOSIONS.
WE HERE AT THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! ARE REASONABLE, AMIABLE AND IRASCIBLE. AS SUCH, WE ARE WILLING TO CONSIDER MODIFICATIONS TO THE NEP AND RDA ARRANGEMENTS. ANY CLAN OFFICERS WHO WISH TO BARTER DIFFERENT TERMS SHOULD CONTACT MYSELF OR BILL VIA PRIVATE MESSAGE HERE, PRIOR TO THE START OF NEXT RESET. WE WOULD OFFER TO MEET YOU IN OUR IRC CHANNEL, BUT REALLY, NEITHER OF US HAS THE TIME TO BE HANGING AROUND THERE ALL DAY.
AS ALWAYS, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OUR RDA POLICIES AT ANY TIME, WITH OR WITHOUT NOTICE.
HA!
SAM
HEAD OF FOREIGN ANTAGONISM,
THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]!
I HAVE JUST COME FROM AN ALL NIGHT MEETING WITH THE COMMITTEE OF ONE. DURING THIS MEETING IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE EXPLOSION SQUAD IS IN NEED OF A FEW MORE SUPPLICANTS.
AS SUCH, WE HAVE DECIDED TO OFFER MEMBERSHIP IN THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! TO FIVE WORTHY INDIVIDUALS. IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHO IS BEST SUITED FOR THIS HONOR, WE HAVE DEVISED THE FOLLOWING SCHEME: ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED SHOULD POST AN ESSAY IN THIS THREAD.
YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING THREE TOPICS TO CHOOSE FROM. CHOOSE WISELY!
"WHY THE PATH OF VIOLENT PACIFISM IS THE ONE TRUE WAY TO ENLIGHTENMENT."
"THESE THINGS ENFURIATE ME, AND HERE'S WHY."
OR,
"MY FAVORITE AND LEAST FAVORITE ITEMS ON THE TACO BELL MENU"
QUALIFIED ENTRIES WILL CONSIST OF NO LESS THAN 500 WORDS, AND WILL BE JUDGED ON ANGST, PROPER USE OF THE LETTERS OF POWER, AND PENMANSHIP.
THE TOP FIVE ENTRANTS WILL RECEIVE A COVETED MEMBERSHIP IN THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]!
VIC THE RESPLENDENT DRAGON, AND INCIN THE HAMMER OF HEROES: YOU HAVE BOTH BEEN GRANTED INVOLUNTARY HONORARY MEMBERSHIP, BUT YOU ARE WELCOME TO SUBMIT AN ESSAY IF YOU FEEL SO RECLINED.
I KNOW MOST OF YOU HAVE BEEN WONDERING WHAT THE MIGHTY CLAN DANGER'S POSITION IS ON THIS ISSUE. YOU CAN STOP WONDERING!
WE FIND THE HYPOCRISY HERE AMUSING, ALTHOUGH SADLY NOT SURPRISING. THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN AGGRESSION FORFEIT THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT BECOMING THE VICTIMS OF AGGRESSION. FOR THOSE WHO ARE MEMBERS OF CLANS WHICH ALLOW THE FARMING OF SMALL TAGS, IT SHOULD NOT ENRAGE YOU WHEN THEY FIND A WAY TO HIT BACK.
"BUT HE WASN'T TAGGED HERO WHEN WE WERE FARMING THEM!" IF THAT IS THE ACCEPTED CRITERIA FOR AGGRESSION, THEN WHAT DID HERO DO PRECEDING THEIR BECOMING FARMS, WHICH JUSTIFIES ATTACKING THEM DOZENS OF TIMES PER DAY?
"BUT HE IS JUST RUINING PEOPLE'S FINISHES! " AND WHAT CHANCE DID MEMBERS OF HERO HAVE FOR A DECENT FINISH WITH THE RELENTLESS FARMING THEY SUFFERED?
"THEN THEY SHOULD JOIN A BETTER TAG! " TRUE ENOUGH. TO AVOID FARMING THEY COULD JOIN A LARGER CLAN. LIKEWISE, ANYONE WHO IS WORRIED ABOUT GETTING ATTACKED BY INCIN COULD JUST JOIN HERO.
THIS SLOBBERING LOVEFEST SICKENS ME. THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! IS NOT INTERESTED IN CELEBRITY. WE ARE NOT FANS OF CHEVROLET.
I KNOW BILL PROMISED YOU ALL THAT I WOULD SAY SOMETHING FUNNY HERE, BUT I'M AFRAID THAT IS NOT TO BE. I'VE JUST COMPLETED A 21 HOUR WORK DAY - WITH ABOUT HALF OF THAT BEING DRIVING - AND JUST DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY.
I FEEL I MUST APOLOGIZE FOR SOME OF MY RECENT POSTS, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED SOME CONFUSION. HENCEFORTH, I WILL TRY WITH ALL MY MIGHT TO AVOID POSTING IN POLITICAL THREADS WHERE I MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO ABANDON THE LETTERS OF POWER.
AND DRINKS, JUST FOR THE RECORD, THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! DOES NOT USE THE CAPS LOCK KEY. WE BELIEVE THAT CAPS LOCK LEADS TO LAZINESS AND THE INEVITABLE COLLAPSE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION. WE INSTEAD HOLD DOWN THE SHIFT KEY WITH ONE OR BOTH PINKIES IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR WITS SHARP AND OUR LUMBRICALS BULGING.
HA!
SAM
KING OF SLUMBERVILLE,
THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]!
FROM THAT PICTURE, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE PACKERS PLAYER WAS CHEATING. HE IS OBVIOUSLY USING PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY ENOUGH, YOU CAN SEE THE TRAINER'S HAND, AS HE RUNS IN TO ADMINISTER ANOTHER INJECTION.
IF SOMEBODY HATED PDM ENOUGH TO DO THIS, THEN IF A BUNCH OF PDM MEMBERS QUIT OVER IT, IT WOULD BE JUST WHAT THE PDM-HATER WANTED. INSTEAD OF QUITTING, YOU SHOULD DOUBLE YOUR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS :)
ONE THING I DON'T UNDERSTAND: WHY WOULD ANYBODY QUIT THE GAME OVER THIS, EVEN IF IT WAS A MALICIOUS ATTACK BY SOMEONE?
IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY AFFECT YOUR COUNTRIES, RIGHT? JUST YOUR ABILITY TO USE ONE 3RD PARTY SITE. (I KNOW, NOT REALLY SEPARATE, WITH SOME OF THE ADMINS BEING THE SAME, BUT STILL)
SO YESTERDAY EVENING, MY STEP FATHER CALLED ME OUT OF THE BLUE TO ASK IF I WANTED TO COME OVER FOR A CIGAR AND SOME SCOTCH. A REAL NO BRAINER.
WHILE SITTING ON HIS DECK, WE TALKED ABOUT A VACATION MY WIFE AND I ARE HOPING TO TAKE TO THE ATLANTIC COAST OF MEXICO NEXT YEAR. I TOLD HIM THAT MY BROTHER AND SISTER IN LAW FROM ENGLAND ARE ALSO GOING, AND THAT THE RESORT THEY WANT TO STAY AT WAS AWFULLY EXPENSIVE FOR MY BUDGET..
TODAY, ONE OF THE BANNER ADS HERE IS FOR A VACATION PACKAGE TO CANCUN... AND THE PRICE LISTED IS IN GBP!
SO, WERE WE BEING EAVESDROPPED UPON VIA SATELLITE, OR IS THIS THE RESULT OF AN IPAD BEING ON THE DECK WITH US?
THERE ARE MORE CHOICES, IF AMERICANS WILL ONLY LOOK FOR THEMSELVES INSTEAD OF LETTING THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA AND OUR TWO "MAJOR" PARTIES DECIDE EVERYHING.
SINCE THERE WAS DISAGREEMENT HERE, WE TESTED IT LAST NIGHT. AFTER 6 DEMORALIZE OPS, OUR TARGET WAS AT 74% READINESS. THE 7TH OP DROPPED HIM TO 70%. ACCORDING TO THE TERRIBLE SPREADSHEET OF DEVESTATION, XINHUAN IS CORRECT.
THE CHURCH OF REAGAN, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! HEREBY DECLARES JIHAD. OUR REASONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
WE WARNED TAN THAT IF HE CONTINUED TO POST IN THE FREE SPEECH THREAD, WE WOULD EXPLODE ONE PDM MEMBER FOR EACH OF HIS POSTS.. HE HAS POSTED TWICE THERE SINCE THEN, BUT..
OH.. WAIT.. I'M RECEIVING A MESSAGE FROM BILL, OUR SECRETARY OF STATISM.
IT SEEMS NEW INTELLIGENCE SUGGESTS THAT OUR ATTACKS MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO PDM ATTACING THE THREE MEMBERS OF DANGER 18 TIMES IN THREE DAYS.. FURTHERMORE...
OH, HOLD ON. ANOTHER MESSAGE FROM BILL..
NO, OUR RIGHTEOUS ATTACKS ARE DEFINITELY DUE TO THE POSTINGS OF TAN. WHILE HE POSTED TWICE MORE IN THAT THREAD, WE ARE ONLY HOLDING ONE OF THOSE POSTS AGAINST HIM, SINCE ONE WAS AN ACCIDENT. YOU SEE, THE CHURCH OF REAGAN IS QUITE REASONABL....
OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. WHAT NOW?
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATISM NOW REPORTS THAT OUR ATTACKS ARE ALMOST CERTAINLY DUE TO THE VICTIM HAVING ATTACKED MEMBERS OF DANGER 9 TIMES IN THE SPACE OF A FEW HOURS, AND..
WHAT BILL?
*SIGH*.. THE WORDS OF TAN CAUSED THIS DISASTER.
LET'S SEE WHAT THE PROPHET HAS TO SAY. I WILL NOW CHANNEL REAGAN:
"WELL.. I DON'T RECALL".
OK THEN. THE CHURCH OF REAGAN, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! DECLARES JIHAD FOR REASONS UNKNOWN.
THANKS MARSHAL AND XINHUAN. SO IF I UNDERSTAND THE READINESS THING CORRECTLY, EACH DEMO OP REDUCES READINESS TO 95% OF CURRENT LEVEL? 1ST OP REDUCES TO 95%, THEN 2ND TO 95% OF 95.. ETC?
SPECIAL THANKS FOR THE TACO BELL ADVICE. YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD KNOW THESE THINGS BY NOW JUST FROM EXPERIENCE, BUT WHEN I'M CONSUMING TACO BELL, I AM ALSO USUALLY INEBRIATED.
if you believe in 1 god, does that mean you believe every other religions god exists also?
FOR MONOTHEISTS (THE VAST MAJORITY OF RELIGIOUS PEOPLE) WITH AN OPEN MIND (THE VAST MINORITY OF PEOPLE AS A WHOLE) THAT IS INDEED A POSSIBILITY.
RELIGIONS IN GENERAL SEEM TO HAVE ONE COMMON THEME: "HEY, JUST DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE". WHAT WE GET ALL HUNG UP ON ARE THE LESS IMPORTANT DETAILS. THE PROPHET SAID THIS, AND YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT, SO I HAVE TO KILL YOU. JESUS SAID THAT, AND YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT, SO I HAVE TO KILL YOU. ETC ETC
I THINK IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT THE GOD OF EACH RELIGION IS THE SAME BEING, AND PEOPLE JUST HAVE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF HIM, BECAUSE WE INSERT OUR OWN STUPID, SELFISH INTERESTS INTO EVERYTHING.
SO, I WAS JUST SITTING HERE WONDERING SOME THINGS FOR NO REAL REASON AT ALL, TOTALLY INNOCENTLY. IF ANYONE WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE IS BORED ENOUGH TO ANSWER, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. I KNOW I COULD PROBABLY FIND EACH OF THESE ANSWERS ELSEWHERE ON THIS BOARD, BUT I DON'T HAVE AN HOUR TO SIFT THROUGH ALL THE POSTS HERE.
HERE ARE THE SEVERAL TOTALLY INNOCENT QUESTIONS, WHICH ALSO ALL HAPPEN TO BE COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO EACH OTHER:
HOW MUCH DOES EACH SUCCESSFUL DEMORALIZE OP REDUCE THE READINESS OF THE TARGET?
HOW MUCH DOES EACH EM MISSILE REDUCE THE READINESS OF THE TARGET?
IN DEFENSE AGAINST SPECIAL ATTACKS, DOES READINESS CORRELATE DIRECTLY TO A WEAKENING OF THE TARGET'S POWER? IE, A TARGET WITH 100K TANKS AND READINESS OF 80% HAS AN EFFECTIVE STRENGTH OF 80K TANKS AGAINST ARTILLERY BARRAGES? OR DOES IT WORK DIFFERENTLY.
I HAVE HEARD THAT BEYOND 75%, READINESS CEASES TO AFFECT DEFENSIVE STRENGTH. IS THIS TRUE?
APPROXIMATELY WHAT PERCENTAGE OF A DEFENDER'S FORCES ARE LOST PER SUCCESSFUL SPECIAL ATTACK?
HOW MUCH TIME MUST BE SPENT ON A TREADMILL, AND AT WHAT SPEED, TO BURN OFF THE CALORIES FROM ONE TACO BELL VOLCANO BURRITO?
Lack of investment in education and lack of investment by parents in their kids are two causes of educationXfail and yet we'd rather blame everything else.
Since the creation of the Federal Department of Education in the 70's, k-12 inflation adjusted per pupil spending has increased threefold. Since that time, our students' performance vs the rest of the world has remained flat in most categories, declined in others. And dropout rates have increased.
I actually looked that up once, but don't have the time to do it again right now so I don't have a link. It's pretty easy to find via google though.
It doesn't look to me like throwing increasing piles of money at education improves it at all.
Dissi, I think you'd be hard pressed to find many unskilled jobs that pay upwards of $20 per hour as a starting rate. Whether the job sucks or not, if you've been unemployed for months or years and are capable of doing it, it's time to take it while you look for something better, IMO.
And BTW, the example I cited in my post was for a much less fluffty (pardon the pun) job at a vineyard. Even they can't find locals to work.
Personally, I think the govt should get out of the unemployment insurance business. That's a niche that could be much more effectively filled by the private sector, and to a certain extent it already exists. When I bought my house, I took mortgage insurance. Since I own a small business that is not guaranteed to survive, it was just the common sense thing to do. If I lose my company, I have some time to find other sources of income.
There's no reason the same thing couldn't be done with employment in general. But then of course, it wouldn't be possible to make the mean old employer pay for it (which the employee pays for in the end, but just doesn't see)
TAN, WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY REACHED AN IMPASSE, OR MORE ACCURATELY WE STARTED OUT AT ONE.
YOU WILL NEVER CONVINCE ME THAT THE EXISTENCE OF A. VIOLENT FACTION WITHIN A GROUP JUSTIFIES THE CRIMINALIZING OF SPEECH AGAINST THAT GROUP.
LIKEWISE, IT IS CLEAR THAT I WILL NEVER CONVINCE YOU THAT BOWING TO THE EXTREMISTS BY INFRINGING ON THE RIGHTS OF OUR CITIZENS WOULD BE WRONG.
I WILL ANSWER ONE LAST QUESTION FOR YOU BEFORE I BID THIS THREAD ADIEU. WE FOLLOWERS OF THE CHURCH OF REAGAN ARE NOT EXTREMISTS. WE ARE MORE EXTREME THAN EXTREMISTS! WE ARE EXTREMERISTS! TO PROVE OUR DEVOTION TO THE PROPHET, WE WILL EXPLODE ONE PDM COUNTRY FOR EACH COMMENT YOU MAKE HERE FROM THIS POINT FORWARD! GO AHEAD AND SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT THE RESULTANT EXPLOSIONS WILL BE ON YOUR HEAD!
TAN, first of all, I was not trying to get personal with my response, and I apologize that it came across that way. The phrase "In a world where TAN makes the rules", was intended to mean "By the reasoning you've put forth". I suppose I should have just used the latter phrase.
Now, I doubt we're ever going to agree, but I'll try one more time to explain - hopefully in a more refined way - what I'm getting at.
There is only one difference between the specific offensive acts which I've used as examples in this thread. That difference is the reaction of those who are offended by the acts. The approach you have suggested here punishes only those who speak out against a violent group, while leaving freedom of speech in tact if it is aimed at a less dangerous group. That approach protects the violent - by law - from any dissenting opinion.
I don't understand where you were trying to go with the hypothetical argument you expected me to make tying this to the conservative view on gay marriage. Some conservatives would indeed make the ridiculous arguments you attributed to them, but what does that have to do with the topic at hand? I just don't understand the connection you expected me to try to make.
You say that adopting a "free speech only against the non-violent" policy would not protect those who bomb abortion clinics from dissent, because in a contemporary world, women should have the right to kill their unborn children. Yes, that's currently the view of a slim majority of Americans. What if opinions shift, and the slim majority decides that abortion should not be legal? Does it then become illegal to speak out in favor of feticide, because you might tick off some nut and cause him to start making bombs?
In contemporary society, the vast majority of people think there's nothing wrong with drawing a cartoon of a religious figure... or writing a book that is critical of a religion's beliefs and practices. So why don't those fall under the "abortion rule", as accepted acts of free speech, whether or not they will result in violence? Why is it not "sheer nonsense to capitulate" in this case as well?
And finally, you say that my fictitious Church of Reagan would be classic domestic terrorism. How does it differ at all from the actions of Muslim Extremists? "Don't speak against us, or we'll start killing people". Both would be reprehesible, and neither should be protected by law from all dissenting opinions.
TAN, since I failed to get an answer from locket on this question, I'll pose it to you.
There could be no doubt that a piece of "art" which consists solely of a crucifix in urine would upset Christians. Do you think that making such "art" is acceptable, or should that "artist" be jailed? If it is acceptable, how does it differ from the stupid anti-Islam movie?
martian: Stop derailing the thread with truth.
If it meant Christians assassinating ambassadors, burning down consulates and making death threats with the very real intent of carrying them out, absolutely. Extremists are extremists no matter what God they believe in.
The first amendment doesn't protect all speech. For instance, if you yell fire in a crowded theater, you could create panic and the potential for death. The retard who made that film probably could have predicted what would happen if he made that film, which is why he lied to his cast and dubbed over their voices in post production . If you do fluff like that KNOWING it could lead to death, it should absolutely be stopped.
So then the first paragraph of my first post in this thread would be correct. In a world where TAN makes the rules on who can say what, any group which wishes to silence all dissent only needs to demonstrate a propensity for violence.
Do you really see nothing wrong with that position? It is fine to offend Christians, because they're mostly harmless. But it is not fine to offend members of a religion which has a small number of followers who are willing to commit murder in the name of God at the slightest provocation. That doesn't seem incredibly backwards to you? I honestly can't think of a more illogical position to take on the issue of free speech.
I'm going to start the Church of Reagan. Our doctrine is as follows: Ronald Reagan was a divine prophet, sent by God to save America. To speak ill of The Prophet is heresy, and we will react to such heresy by killing the diplomats of whatever country allows his name to be uttered in a negative way. If you persist in allowing the defamation of The Prophet, we will start killing tourists and blowing up restaurants. Since The Prophet loved America, it must follow that America is a flawless example of perfection. Anyone who says otherwise is a blasphemer and must be put to death.
Furthermore, The Prophet loved Jelly Belly brand jelly beans. All other brands of jelly beans are to be considered unclean. All nations must outlaw all non Jelly Belly jelly beans. If they do not, we will burn their factories.
Your country must enact laws to avoid our wrath. You may not speak out against the Church of Reagan, because you know in advance that we will react violently. Submit or face imprisonment.
TAN, since I failed to get an answer from locket on this question, I'll pose it to you.
There could be no doubt that a piece of "art" which consists solely of a crucifix in urine would upset Christians. Do you think that making such "art" is acceptable, or should that "artist" be jailed? If it is acceptable, how does it differ from the stupid anti-Islam movie?
Oh I agree, lostmonk. I don't blame those people who think of how they're going to pay the bills three weeks down the road before taking a temporary job.
But it highlights a giant flaw in the system. Unemployment assistance should not be a disinsentive to take any work available. If we're going to have publically funded unemployment insurance, it should allow people to take temporary work and then resume their benefits immediately when the job ends. It's just common sense. Forcing or encouraging people to turn down those jobs only costs us all more money.
Where I live, some large agricultural operations actually fly people in from Jamaica, build housing for them, and pay them 11 bucks an hour because they can't find Americans willing to do the job. If they could find Americans willing to work for 13 bucks an hour, I'm pretty certain they'd be hiring them instead. To a lot of people 13 bucks an hour may seem low, but around here it is at least a "living wage". I can't understand why we extend unemployment benefits up to and beyond two years while any job like this goes unfilled.
I'm with Servant on this one. It may be a lot harder to kill a country, but that just means strategies need to be adjusted. From what I understand, with the "attack again" button, if you were targetted in war, you were dead no matter what. Maybe that's overstated.. I don't know because I hadn't been around under that system before these changes.. but I've never been a fan of the virtually guaranteed kill. I always thought it would be better if there were more options in war besides just "do 300 GS or BR" on every target.
I don't know if anybody really cares about this kind of stuff, but the fact that buying up troops extends a kill run is a lot more in line with reality. One troop trying to defend 30,000 citizens should be disastrous. Two million troops defending those same 30,000 citizens should be an entirely different story.
If these changes stay as they are, perhaps the goals in war will change. Instead of just tallying up kills, maybe alliances will focus more on reducing the enemy to a point where they can't do much damage. I don't really see what's so wrong with that.
And BTW, against certain targets, I can think of some pretty easy ways around the big buy up of troops. Just requires some different strategies. Almost every country has some exploitable holes in its defenses, if people just take a breath and look for what they are. And those that don't have any holes should be very hard to kill indeed.
locket, while the number of 47% is incorrect, there is a growing segment of the US population which does exhibit exactly the behavior being described here. We have created a class of people here who literally do not take responsibility for their own lives... who live off the tax money provided by those who work. More and more, people discover that they can make more money taking unemployment, free or subsidized housing, free food, free medicine, even free or subsidized cellular phones.
It is disconcerting for me how often lately I'll be able to offer a former employee some temporary work, only to be told "Well, I'll have to see if that will screw up my unemployment."
It's just what happens when you allow a massive bureaucracy which oversees 300 million people to take money from some and give it to others. There will invariably be massive amounts of incompetence, fraud and waste.
As CKHustler pointed out.. insulting or not, it's reality.
Your *opinion* is that he was trying to incite violence and hate. You can't possibly know that to be true.
The man who made that video is by some accounts a Coptic Christian from Egypt. I don't know if you've ever been to Egypt, but I have. In 2003 I did jobs for the US military on several overseas bases. One of those jobs was at the embassy in Cairo. Since we were with the embassy, we had a driver and an armed bodyguard everywhere we went. Our driver seemed like the nicest guy in the world.. literally. That is, until the subject of Judaism came up.
Our driver decided he didn't like one of our crew members when he learned that his name was Abe. "Abraham is a Jewish name. Only a Jew would have that name". From that point forward, he refused to even speak to Abe, while he continued to be the nicest guy in the world to the rest of us. (Abe wasn't even Jewish BTW)
That same driver one day took us on a route that came near the Israeli embassy. There were police and military everywhere there, so we asked if something was going on. His response was, "No, they are always there to make sure nobody fires a rocket at the embassy. I wish somebody would".
Now, if the maker of the video in question did indeed come from that atmosphere, don't you think it might be possible that he might want to get his own views on Islam out? Not necessarily to provoke violence, but to show what he believes to be the true face of the religion? And if that is his motivation, what gives you or anyone else the right to tell him that he can't air his opinion?
And again, I'll come back to the crucifix in urine. There could be no doubt that such a piece of "art" would upset Christians. Do you think that is acceptable, or should that "artist" be jailed. If it is acceptable, how does it differ from the stupid anti-Islam movie?
While I would sooner stab myself in the belly button with a red hot poker than cast a vote for Mitt Romney, I have to agree with Klown here. Romney's numbers are off, but his point is valid. We are increasingly building the numbers of those who truly are dependent on government. For many of those people - those who do not realize that a much better life is possible if they break those shackles - voting against Romney would seem to be a vote for self preservation. As such, he automatically loses those votes, no matter what he says or does.
Aside from getting the numbers wrong, I really don't see what's so outlandish or outrageous about Romney's statement.
locket, you currently have the freedom to say what you want, because what you believe has not been deemed unacceptable... yet.
Here's the problem though. What you are talking about does indeed have everything to do with outlawing dissent. You think this man's dissenting opinion of Islam is disgusting, so you want him jailed. When you empower the government to stop people from saying or doing things with which you disagree, you are also empowering the government - should they ever decide to do so - to stop you or others from saying or doing things which you believe in.
I don't like what plenty of people have to say. But I recognize that in order to protect my own right to my own opinions, I must also defend the rights of others.. even if I find their opinions detestable. The crucifix in urine "artwork" I referenced in my first post was undeniably offensive to a huge segment of the US population. I find it disgusting and stupid. But it's not my job - or anyone's - to decide which opinions or expressions are allowed.
I never said you didn't have freedom. I said that you seem to care little about it. And I didn't realize my initial post here came across as a rant. It wasn't intended that way, which is why I didn't use THE LETTERS OF POWER. I simply provided several examples of how I thought your thinking was flawed on this issue. I can't help but notice that you addressed none of them in your response.
There's another advantage to freedom of speech. Here in the US, hateful, evil neo nazis are indeed allowed to spew whatever vile filth they want. That means that the thinking people of the US actually know who the idiots are, so we can choose not to associate with them. Naziism is illegal in Germany, but there are still nazis. They're just underground.
It's a fluffing movie. What happened to sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me?
Words hurt more than sticks and stones in the long run. The people who did this in the States should be put in jail for stupidity and trying to incite war tbh. What other thing will this do? Convince the general person that all Islams are evil? No. Piss off all Islamic people? Yes. Cause a small minority of them to perhaps go a bit crazy? Yes. Resulting in a reinforcement of the people who already think badly of Islam? Yep. fluff like this should not be allowed anywhere. If I made a video about how I am glad that Hitler killed tons of jews and it should happen again I am pretty sure it would not go over well and should not be allowed(If it is).
So if a group wants to make sure that no one is ever allowed to speak against them, anywhere in the world, all they have to do is demonstrate a propensity towards violence? Then those who speak out against them are responsible for the violence? And you say our laws are ridiculous?
Yes, the film seemed pretty stupid from what little I watched of the youtube video. But that's not the point. What you are talking about is outlawing dissent.
An "artist" a few years ago created an exhibit of a crucifix in a vat of urine. Should that person be jailed for intentionally hurting the feelings of Christians? To Christians like me, it was certainly offensive. But we're not going to go burning down embassies and murdering people over it, so offending us is OK?
It doesn't even take something egregious to get a riot started in the Middle East.
Somebody writes a book about Islam from a critical standpoint: Riots
US soldiers unkowningly dispose of copies of the Koran in the wrong way: Riots.
A Danish cartoonist.. Well anyway, you get the point (I hope)
And since you brought up Hitler.. there are plenty of idiotic, hateful, violent neo nazis in the world today. Making a documentary that told the true story of the holocaust, Hitler's drug addiction, etc, would surely be offensive and hurful to them. So since hate is their religion, should I be prohibited from making such a film?
You find our love of our freedoms disturbing. I find it disturbing that you care so little about yours. Are you offended by that? Should I be jailed for that statement?
WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT A PEACE ACCORD HAS BEEN REACHED BETWEEN LAF AND THE MIGHTY CLAN [DANGER]! IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THIS TEMPORARY CEASE FIRE CAN EVOLVE INTO A LASTING APATHY.
THE VICTORY PARTY IN OUR IRC CHANNEL HAS JUST WRAPPED UP, AND I THOUGHT SOME OF YOU MIGHT LIKE A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES. WHAT FOLLOWS IS ALMOST CERTAINLY REAL:
* Now talking in #DANGER
* Retrieving #DANGER modes...
* SAM_DANGER changes topic to 'WELCOME TO THE VICTORY PARTY!'
* DigTek () has joined #DANGER
* Nazar () has joined #DANGER
* fingolfin () has joined #DANGER
* Baron () has joined #DANGER
* Jackmin () has joined #DANGER
* ViLSE () has joined #DANGER
* Glitter () has joined #DANGER
* Rusty () has joined #DANGER
<@SAM_DANGER> WELCOME TO THE PARTY, EVERYBODY!
<DigTek> Glory to The Great Alliance!
<Nazar> Well actually DigTek, I think the glory is shared by all in this collaborative effort.
<fingolfin> You guys never could have pulled it off without UCN.
<Baron> Oh shut up, fin. You guys barely put out any hits
<Nazar> Come on guys. It was a great effort by everybody
<Jackmin> Yeah it was! The other guy.. I mean guys here in the internet cafe are ecstatic!
<Glitter> PRAISE THE LORD!
* ViLSE slaps Glitter around a bit with a large trout
<ViLSE> There is no god.
<Glitter> Hey, have you guys ever tried Utopia?
* SAM_DANGER sets mode: +b *!*@EE-7044DEE3.hfc.comcastbusiness.net
* Timer 1 activated
* Timer 1 halted
* Glitter was kicked by SAM_DANGER (BOOM!)
* SAM_DANGER sets mode: -b *!*@EE-7044DEE3.hfc.comcastbusiness.net
<Rusty> LOL
<Nazar> That seems a bit harsh, Sam
<@SAM_DANGER> THERE WILL BE NO TALK OF UTOPIA IN THIS CHANNEL!
* Glitter () has joined #DANGER
<Glitter> Sorry guys
<DigTek> Just don't let it happen again. Utopia sucks
<fingolfin> not as much as TGA
<DigTek> You wanna go, fin?
<Nazar> Guys.. This is supposed to be a victory party
<fingolfin> Hell yeah, I wanna go
* ViLSE pops the champagne. Let's get this party started!
<Jackmin> What the... my.. i mean our countries just got deleted
<Rusty> LOL
<Glitter> How sad. How many did you guys lose?
<Jackmin> All of them!!
<Rusty> LOL
* groton () has joined #DANGER
<groton> het gusy. wats goign on in hear?
<fingolfin> oh god
* ViLSE slaps fingolfin around a bit with a large trout
* fingolfin () has left #DANGER
<DigTek> Figures he'd run away
<Glitter> Hi Groton! It's a victory party!
<Rusty> LOL
ANYWAY, IT WENT ON PRETTY MUCH LIKE THAT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS, UNTIL DIGTEK HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK AND GOT INTO A KICK BOXING FIGHT WITH BARON, WHICH RUSTY FOUND HILARIOUS.
TITS ARE A GOOD START, BUT CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC? HOW MANY TITS ARE YOU OFFEREING, AND TO WHOM DO THEY CURRENTLY BELONG? I'M SURE YOU'LL AGREE THAT NOT ALL TITS ARE OF EQUAL VALUE.
ALSO, WE DO NOT KNOW YOU. ARE YOU AUTHORIZED TO DEAL WITH A MATTER OF SUCH MAGNITUDE? WE WOULD PREFER TO HEAR FROM IVAN.
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