Obama's speech....

[DarkArtist81]

LOL. Regardless of size of the population, Palin herself has more political experience than Obama.

I'd rather have an inexperienced VP then an inexperienced Pres!

I don't care about experience... To me, I'd rather believe in a possible President that shares my views and belief structure than a possible VP that stands as my fundamental opposite.

It's her hardcore stance that bothers me. She just seems like one of those people that would make Church a legal obligation for every citizen, schools couldn't teach evolution and Women who were raped by diseased degenerates would not be allowed to terminate their unwanted and potentially diseased fetuses. She's scary to me in every conceivable way, even more than McCain.

 

[wofford29]

Just out of curiosity why does everyone default Obama to being black? He is just as much white is he not? Did he have his white side surgically removed?

 

[El Roranous]

Just out of curiosity why does everyone default Obama to being black? He is just as much white is he not? Did he have his white side surgically removed?

It's just what they see I guess.

 

[automaton]

Just out of curiosity why does everyone default Obama to being black? He is just as much white is he not? Did he have his white side surgically removed?

it sells more papers.

 

[ProgMatinee]

I don't care about experience... To me, I'd rather believe in a possible President that shares my views and belief structure than a possible VP that stands as my fundamental opposite.

It's her hardcore stance that bothers me. She just seems like one of those people that would make Church a legal obligation for every citizen, schools couldn't teach evolution and Women who were raped by diseased degenerates would not be allowed to terminate their unwanted and potentially diseased fetuses. She's scary to me in every conceivable way, even more than McCain.

Well. I think you're letting fears get you too much. IMO despite the dem's line of "liberty and liberalism" they're the ones forcing people to accept abortion, accept unions, accept gay marriage, accept drug use, etc.

I personally think conservatives are truly the most accepting of other ideas. Libertarians often bully minority opinions (I mean minority ideas not race) into accepting other minority opinions to form a greater group.

The Church idea is just absurd. If anything religion is being torn down by democrats faster than its being built by repubs.

Your opinion of mainstream conservatism is like my example of democrats wanting to kill babies.

 

[barbelith]

LOL. Regardless of size of the population, Palin herself has more political experience than Obama.

Now that's a nice play with words! Palin didn't hit the state level until November 2006 while Obama was there in 1997. It's true she had a small amount of experience sitting on the city council before becoming mayor of a tiny town (immediately outsourcing daily responsibility). I'm not really holding on to that in hopes it means she can carry her own at a table with Putin.

Just out of curiosity why does everyone default Obama to being black?

Historically any amount of black blood = black. There was actually a legal formula for drinking from the black water fountain and sitting at the back of the bus, but I can't remember what it was.

I think you're letting fears get you too much. IMO despite the dem's line of "liberty and liberalism" they're the ones forcing people to accept abortion, accept unions, accept gay marriage, accept drug use, etc.

Total nonsense. You don't have to have an abortion. You don't have to join a union. You don't have to marry someone of the same sex. You don't have to use drugs. Nobody is forcing you to accept anything. It's just that you obviously hate freedom and want to remove others' freedom to decide for themselves on abortion, join a union, marry someone of the same sex or use drugs that fit on the socially acceptable list like cigarettes and alcohol.

I personally think conservatives are truly the most accepting of other ideas.

That must be why it's notoriously full of old white men with dodgy ideas about race.

 

[devilof76]

Historically any amount of black blood = black. There was actually a legal formula for drinking from the black water fountain and sitting at the back of the bus, but I can't remember what it was.

And this is your excuse for giving a damn that Obama has an African heritage? Because the most primitive mentalities in American history believed it was so?

That must be why it's notoriously full of old white men with dodgy ideas about race.

Which must be why some of the most accomplished and rational black scholars in this country choose to support conservative ideas.

For someone who drops charges of racism, and then runs, you certainly seem to have few quaalms about pigeonholing ideas opposed to your own on the basis of the race of those who hold them.

 

[Bonehead15]

Just out of curiosity why does everyone default Obama to being black? He is just as much white is he not? Did he have his white side surgically removed?

Well it did work for Michael Jackson.

 

[barbelith]

And this is your excuse for giving a damn that Obama has an African heritage?

I didn't say I give a damn about his heritage. You made that up right here. I was explaining why he's usually described as a black man, because like it or not we're the product of a cultural context.

Which must be why some of the most accomplished and rational black scholars in this country choose to support conservative ideas.

Sure. And again, we're the product of a cultural context. It's no coincidence minorities overwhelmingly vote Democrat and it's no coincidence the Klan votes Republican. Patterns don't speak for individuals and I never said they did.

For someone who drops charges of racism, and then runs, you certainly seem to have few quaalms about pigeonholing ideas opposed to your own on the basis of the race of those who hold them.

Whatever. I'm not going to take a Holocaust denier seriously either.

 

[devilof76]

And who are you levelling unsubstantiated charges against this time?

And you may be the product of a cultural context. Some of us think without consulting opinion polls.

 

[barbelith]

And you may be the product of a cultural context. Some of us think without consulting opinion polls.

I want to live on this planet where history has no impact and nothing exists in a context. Maybe that's the planet where Objectivism makes sense.

 

[devilof76]

Didn't you say something about people not being ciphers? But, they're deterministic products their environments, huh?

 

[barbelith]

Didn't you say something about people not being ciphers? But, they're deterministic products their environments, huh?

Nice straw man there.

 

[devilof76]

Hardly. You can't have it both ways. I'm not denying that history is causal, I'm saying is that no one is bound to it. If humans as individuals are not ciphers (and they're not--unless they choose to be) then humans in aggregate are not either.

Straw man yourself.

 

[barbelith]

Hardly. You can't have it both ways.

I'm not trying to. You presented a straw man above. It's not an either/or choice, as you admit below.

I'm not denying that history is causal, I'm saying is that no one is bound to it.

Obviously.

 

[devilof76]

And obviously, no one is bound--never mind produced--by the culture in which they are located.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Okay kids - let's not make it personal. We may just have to shut this down afterall.

 

[barbelith]

And obviously, no one is bound--never mind produced--by the culture in which they are located.

Obviously, which is why I never claimed otherwise. I have no idea why you've pulled us into this cul-de-sac because you're not actually arguing with me.

 

[devilof76]

You claimed that we were a product of our cultural context.

 

[barbelith]

You claimed that we were a product of our cultural context.

I'm talking about us as a society; you're talking about us as individuals.