213374U

no u

Once Llyr goes all relativist, it's not really possible to win the argument, since morality, justice and other similar notions are not only arbitrary (and thus, easily reversible), but also full of double-standards and contradictions. Therefore, the only answer left to the question of "How do you justify killing those nice fellas?" that can't be contested is "Because we can".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm sure you think that sounded really deep, but in fact, it was quite lame. Anyway, it seems to me that you need to revise your definition of "civilized".

You are entitled to your opinion, but the massive participation in the last elections shows how marginal support for those groups is. So it's not just that li'l ol' me is happy with this guy's death, it's that a great many people in Iraq are going to be sleeping easier from now on. The man's only going to be a martyr for like-minded fellows, that with a bit of luck, will share his fate. And yeah, "there will always be a Hitler", but after Hitler (the one and only), there hasn't been anyone like him, thankfully. You've got to be kidding me, because you can't seriously expect me to believe that you see any similarities. I'm going to break one of those unwritten rules of teh intarwebs and make a "Hitler" kind of argument, seeing as you did it yourself. So, was it wrong for allied WWII soldiers to celebrate Hitler's death and the defeat of the Third Reich? If not, how is it wrong to celebrate this butcher's? On the other hand, people celebrating 9/11 is akin to SS officers celebrating the last batch of gassed prisoners. This guy brought it upon himself, it's that simple. It's not a matter of "an eye for an eye", either, as this entire business didn't stem from the need to bring him to justice, as much as it did from the need to stop him from doing his trade and cripple his operation as much as possible. I don't believe in "an eye for an eye", either. So now they can't be held responsible for their actions just because they are spoonfed propaganda consistently? Sorry, but being misinformed isn't the same as being children. The problem is that it's much easier to vent one's frustration in form of rage at some distant and very abstract Evil Empire, than to try and deal with one's own shortcomings. It's a sickening and rather pathetic case of collective victim complex. EDIT:I saw on the news that they tried to get him alive, but he was too entrenched and they feared he would escape so an airstrike was called in.

In other news, French team striker and a personal favorite of mine, Djibril Cisse suffered a rather ugly looking leg break in their last warm-up match against China. Second one for him in less than two years. Yup, he's gonna feel that one in the morning.

Get real.

I, on the other hand am quite happy that this bastard got splattered over several yards. He had it coming, you know, what with his hazardous job and all. He was not only a terrorist, but also one that seemed to enjoy his work a bit too much. And regardless of what you say, it'll be difficult to find a replacement that is as bad as he was. It doesn't matter if he's martyred, because that martyrdom only means something to a handful (yes, a handful) of radicals that are too stupid to integrate in society and learn to live with the new times. People like that deserve whatever they get, and what they get is often a cluster bomb. No, I'm not afraid like most of the others here to claim openly that I'm glad he's dead, and if I was stationed on Iraq, I'd probably celebrate (read: drink). The only thing I regret is that his family wasn't targeted as well. Maybe that would be a good incentive for those losers to find a real job. Hell, it worked for Saddam, didn't it? But what I find most appalling of all is that you accuse anyone of hypocrisy. In case you have forgotten (or perhaps you never stopped to think about it) it is the death of men like this that sustains your precious state of welfare, among other things. Yes, it's so very easy to promptly take the moral high horse when some human waste or another is blasted to kingdom come thousands of miles from the comfy chair from which you write. Sorry, but the world is neither fair not egalitarian, and I have to choose, I'd much rather not get the raw end of the deal. The human being is not a kind creature at heart. So you wallow all you want in your grief for the death of men that would first rape you, then rape you again, and then behead you without thinking twice. In the meantime, there are people out there willing to prevent that from happening, fortunately for you. I agree with you, though. It's a shame they didn't take him alive. I hear they have this leisure facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that is just a delight to spend time in. People kill to go there! EDIT: Good to have you back, Commie!

But you don't know that. That's the problem. That's why not every hetero couple is allowed to adopt. It's not about abuse, either.

Yeah, how about, Area 51?

Wha...?

No, I meant the familiar environment. Familiar conditioning can vary widely within a given society, and thus, I think it's independent from that. No, but the act of "deciding" doesn't really need to be a conscious one, and even when we think it is, to what extent are we actually choosing instead of acting reflexively due to the effect of our conditioning?

Notice the "rather" as opposed to "absolutely" in my original statement. The Middle Ages lasted for less than a thousand years, at most. At any rate, that period can only be considered a regression in Europe, as the Arab culture, for instance, flourished during that time. So, yeah, a rather steady rythm of progress. Up until WWII, that was actually the case. And ever since, military spending in R&D has been quite sizable due to the US' need to keep a technological edge. Most of the technologies invented for military use end up being converted in a way or another for civilian use. And yeah, I already conceded that the risk of total annihilation due to nuclear war exists, but there is also the risk that an asteroid will wipe all life from the face of the Earth. It's just no excuse not to go forward.

That's true. However, where does your perceived "free will" end, and chemical, social, and environmental conditioning begin?

Civilization predates recorded history, as the roots of civilization are usually assumed to be the discovery and spread of agriculture, about 11,000 years ago. We've enjoyed a rather steady rythm of progress ever since. I'd hardly call that "passing". And while nuclear warfare can most certainly set us back several hundred years (provided mankind is not outright annihilated) it is just not too likely. Fear of what the future may bring is no reason to halt or slow progress down, either. Yeah, yeah. And gravity isn't the reason why stuff falls down. It's Earth's mass that causes that effect. The point is that warfare has always been the most demanding factor for human creativity. War creates the greatest necessities, as failure to put up with those necessities means death.

A shame they didn't take him alive. He could have used a vacation... in Cuba.

Well, you don't see it as real progress, but billions of people do, including some folks much smarter than yourself. Chances are, you are just bitter.

You didn't even bother reading those, did you? The discussion part on the first and third links is quite interesting. You might want to read everything before you do a search and copy&paste the first result that comes up.The second link hardly offers anything solid, simply pointing to "links" and relying on other extremely unscientific statements. I asked for proof, not speculation. EDIT: Those studies also rely somewhat on the concept of human pheromones, which, by the way, isn't proven either. Also, I tend not to place much faith on studies published by an organization that subscribes the theory that mankind is behind the climatic change. Even if they "take one for the team" they are a minority. That sort of trait is, as per the Evolution Theory, lost over time. And Hades' links point more towards homosexuality being the result of chemical imbalances during pregnancy than genetic causes. I'm not even going to suggest the implications of that.

OWNED!!!

All you need to do is get the wheels of the media machine rolling, and you can pull just about anything. Declaring war on a nuclear power or isolating it economically is suicide either way, what with global economy and all. No nuclear power would start a nuclear war because a third party had been glassed, either. That's what the UN is for, you know. Also, what do you need nukes for? Thermobaric weapons can deliver similar yields to that of small nuclear devices without the nasty radiation and added negative publicity, so...

You are welcome to go live under a rock if you hate mankind and society so much. You wouldn't be the first. Denying progress is as realistic as denying gravity.

Proof, doctor?

Warfare has been one of the most important drives of progress throughout history, if not the single most important one. So, no. Sorry, but it's not self-defeating at all. Yeah, I know it's not pretty. But you know the alternative. Not really. The chances of a nuclear power using nuclear ordnance against another nuclear power have been diminishing steadily since the end of the Cold War... and that's all that matters.

You don't know that. I don't think anyone does for sure. For every "expert" that says something in that respect, two others pop up claiming the opposite. Therefore, if well being of the child is to be the primary consideration when choosing candidates for adoption, it just doesn't make sense to expose the child to circumstances whose effects nobody can't predict. Adoption isn't a right, it's a privilege, and a responsibility. As for marriage, meh. Marriage is stupid anyway... edited for typos

lol u cant pwn teh sawgal u n00b omg rofl