Don't Read to Your Children

[Namutree]

 

 

I have to say I ****ing LOVE this post Iraq "forieign policy is hard and we shouldn't do it" philosophy.

 

What the giddy f*** do you think is going to happen if you don't shape events abroad?

You'll need to be more specific if you want to know what will happen in a given country. For the US though, we'll save a huge amount of money assuming we reduce our defense budget to reflect our more conservative defense strategy.

 

 

Because the rest of the World is like a sleepy friendly bear. It only causes trouble when you poke it. ...*sigh*

 

No. What's your point though? Is it that our constant meddling in the Middle East is making us safer? Because it isn't, and it drains an already strained budget.

[Rostere]

I think it can be said unequivocally that historical US meddling in the ME has created a worse security situation.

[BruceVC]

I think it can be said unequivocally that historical US meddling in the ME has created a worse security situation.

 

Broad statement that, so is preventing the the genocide of Yazidis  in Iraq by ISIS also considered meddling ?

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2014/0808/Obama-intervenes-in-Iraq-lessons-learned-from-Benghazi-and-Rwanda-video

[Namutree]

 

I think it can be said unequivocally that historical US meddling in the ME has created a worse security situation.

 

Broad statement that, so is preventing the the genocide of Yazidis  in Iraq by ISIS also considered meddling ?

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2014/0808/Obama-intervenes-in-Iraq-lessons-learned-from-Benghazi-and-Rwanda-video

 

I can't decide if fighting ISIS is meddling or just cleaning up our mess. At any rate I'd end all hostilities with Assad. 

[Namutree]

 

My grandmother read 'Animal Farm' as a bedtime-story when i was 9/10-ish. She thought that it had a good message for kids growing up.

I always considered Animal Farm a book for children, I find it interesting, that most people don't (?)

 

What kinda book for children has people being killed by a horse (boxer kills a person in the book IIRC)?

[Calax]

I don't know why, but something in this thread reminded me of a story I saw in one of those "10th grade Reader's" that schools have/had. The basic story premise was that Everyone in this ideal world was equal... but not by making people smarter or stronger etc. But instead by dragging everyone down to the lowest common denominator.

 

The strong had to wear bags that were equal in weight to the difference between their lifting power and "normal" peoples. Those with 20/20 vision had to wear glasses that would blur things to the "normal" vision level. Everyone who didn't have the attention span of a gnat would have hearing aids... that'd fire off a very loud sound every 8 seconds to make sure they'd lose their concentration.

 

The story shows this with a mother and father whose son was missing... then while the husband (who's smart, strong, and clear sighted) steps into the bathroom for 5 minutes and the son pops up on tv. The Son was the Ubermench to the point he was wearing tons of scrap metal, his glasses were 3 inches thick, and his hearing aid was actually a headphones set. On live television he stripped everything off giving a speech about how we should be who we were born to be and the guy ended up flying and stuff.... then the cops showed up and shot him.

 

His mom cries for about two seconds before her husband gets back... and totally forgets that her son was just shot on live tv.

[Namutree]

I don't know why, but something in this thread reminded me of a story I saw in one of those "10th grade Reader's" that schools have/had. The basic story premise was that Everyone in this ideal world was equal... but not by making people smarter or stronger etc. But instead by dragging everyone down to the lowest common denominator.

 

The strong had to wear bags that were equal in weight to the difference between their lifting power and "normal" peoples. Those with 20/20 vision had to wear glasses that would blur things to the "normal" vision level. Everyone who didn't have the attention span of a gnat would have hearing aids... that'd fire off a very loud sound every 8 seconds to make sure they'd lose their concentration.

 

The story shows this with a mother and father whose son was missing... then while the husband (who's smart, strong, and clear sighted) steps into the bathroom for 5 minutes and the son pops up on tv. The Son was the Ubermench to the point he was wearing tons of scrap metal, his glasses were 3 inches thick, and his hearing aid was actually a headphones set. On live television he stripped everything off giving a speech about how we should be who we were born to be and the guy ended up flying and stuff.... then the cops showed up and shot him.

 

His mom cries for about two seconds before her husband gets back... and totally forgets that her son was just shot on live tv.

I remember that story. He taught them the meaning of dance!

[aluminiumtrioxid]

I don't know why, but something in this thread reminded me of a story I saw in one of those "10th grade Reader's" that schools have/had. The basic story premise was that Everyone in this ideal world was equal... but not by making people smarter or stronger etc. But instead by dragging everyone down to the lowest common denominator.

 

 

Because that's the basic premise of the OP?

 

He's hilariously wrong, of course, but it does explain why this popped into your head.

Edited May 10, 2015 by aluminiumtrioxid

[sorophx]

What kinda book for children has people being killed by a horse (boxer kills a person in the book IIRC)?

have you heard of this guy?

[Namutree]

 

What kinda book for children has people being killed by a horse (boxer kills a person in the book IIRC)?

have you heard of this guy?

 

Kids' books in his time were screwed up. That's why Disney had to alter his work. No one in the 20th century+ want to let kids see Ariel be in agony when she walks and dissolve into sea foam after she fails to get her prince. Then again, they then had Erick impale Ursula with a ship so point withdrawn.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Namutree

[sorophx]

Kids' books in his time were screwed up. 

in our time they are as well

 

although, that's another kind of "screwed up"

[Walsingham]

I got read Victorian children's stories. And the original translation of the thousand and one Arabian nights.

[Namutree]

 

Kids' books in his time were screwed up. 

in our time they are as well

 

although, that's another kind of "screwed up"

 

I don't believe this was actually meant for kids.

[BruceVC]

 

 

I think it can be said unequivocally that historical US meddling in the ME has created a worse security situation.

 

Broad statement that, so is preventing the the genocide of Yazidis  in Iraq by ISIS also considered meddling ?

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2014/0808/Obama-intervenes-in-Iraq-lessons-learned-from-Benghazi-and-Rwanda-video

 

I can't decide if fighting ISIS is meddling or just cleaning up our mess. At any rate I'd end all hostilities with Assad. 

 

 

The issue I have with this view is everyone seems to be absolved of responsibility for the creation and impact of ISIS except for the West

 

• The Iraq government who marginalized the Iraq Sunni's get a pass
• Assad the brutal dictator of Syria who is responsible for the protracted civil war in Syria which allowed the actual creation of ISIS gets a pass
• The Russians and Chinese who also have vested interests in stability in the region get a pass
• The Middle East themselves gets a pass from having to meaningfully address ISIS 

 

But when the USA intervenes to stop genocide its seems to be meddling and or is seen as cleaning up a mess of it own creation...which I dispute 

 

So no pass for Western countries, just judgement

[Guard Dog]

 

 

 

I think it can be said unequivocally that historical US meddling in the ME has created a worse security situation.

 

Broad statement that, so is preventing the the genocide of Yazidis  in Iraq by ISIS also considered meddling ?

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2014/0808/Obama-intervenes-in-Iraq-lessons-learned-from-Benghazi-and-Rwanda-video

 

I can't decide if fighting ISIS is meddling or just cleaning up our mess. At any rate I'd end all hostilities with Assad. 

 

 

The issue I have with this view is everyone seems to be absolved of responsibility for the creation and impact of ISIS except for the West

 

• The Iraq government who marginalized the Iraq Sunni's get a pass
• Assad the brutal dictator of Syria who is responsible for the protracted civil war in Syria which allowed the actual creation of ISIS gets a pass
• The Russians and Chinese who also have vested interests in stability in the region get a pass
• The Middle East themselves gets a pass from having to meaningfully address ISIS 

 

But when the USA intervenes to stop genocide its seems to be meddling and or is seen as cleaning up a mess of it own creation...which I dispute 

 

So no pass for Western countries, just judgement

 

What we need is a modern day version of the Monroe Doctrine. Everything east of the Azores and west of Attu Island are not our problem. No aid, but also no intervention.

 

But we are getting off topic here a little bit.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Guard Dog

[Guard Dog]

I'm curious. The vast majority of the folks who post on this board are intelligent and well educated (sometimes even both  ). How many of your parents read to you? I'm not making a point or searching for anecdotal evidence of anything. I'm really curious. 

 

Both of my parents read to me, usually from the bible or some "classic" stories. My dad spent a year reading Treasure Island to me before I was old enough to read on my own. I vaguely remember that to this day. They did the same for my younger brother too. I can't ever remember a time since I was a kid when I wasn't reading a book.

[BruceVC]

I'm curious. The vast majority of the folks who post on this board are intelligent and well educated (sometimes even both  ). How many of your parents read to you? I'm not making a point or searching for anecdotal evidence of anything. I'm really curious. 

 

Both of my parents read to me, usually from the bible or some "classic" stories. My dad spent a year reading Treasure Island to me before I was old enough to read on my own. I vaguely remember that to this day. They did the same for my younger brother too. I can't ever remember a time since I was a kid when I wasn't reading a book.

 

Yeah I was read to extensively as a child, that's one of the reasons I am so clever .....

[Elerond]

 

 

 

I think it can be said unequivocally that historical US meddling in the ME has created a worse security situation.

 

Broad statement that, so is preventing the the genocide of Yazidis  in Iraq by ISIS also considered meddling ?

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2014/0808/Obama-intervenes-in-Iraq-lessons-learned-from-Benghazi-and-Rwanda-video

 

I can't decide if fighting ISIS is meddling or just cleaning up our mess. At any rate I'd end all hostilities with Assad. 

 

 

The issue I have with this view is everyone seems to be absolved of responsibility for the creation and impact of ISIS except for the West

 

• The Iraq government who marginalized the Iraq Sunni's get a pass
• Assad the brutal dictator of Syria who is responsible for the protracted civil war in Syria which allowed the actual creation of ISIS gets a pass
• The Russians and Chinese who also have vested interests in stability in the region get a pass
• The Middle East themselves gets a pass from having to meaningfully address ISIS 

 

But when the USA intervenes to stop genocide its seems to be meddling and or is seen as cleaning up a mess of it own creation...which I dispute 

 

So no pass for Western countries, just judgement

 

 

But one also could argue that Iraq would not had had government that marginalized Sunni Muslims if invasion by western armies leaded by USA wasn't happened. And that Saddam wouldn't never gained power in Iraq if USA wouldn't had supported him and his troops against Iran. Of course one can also argue that all blame don't go to western powers alone as lot of their meddling was reaction towards meddlings by Soviet Union, which were reactions by western actions in other places in world, which were caused by Soviet Unions/'Communist threat' in some other places in world and all was started by change of power in World War II which was caused by economical and social issues caused by World War I which was caused by social and economical issues of several previous wars and social and technological changes all around world, which was caused people getting tired on older social class systems that were born because dislike towards even social and economical systems and so on and so forth and end everything that is wrong in world is because of people that live thousands of years ago.

 

And now as we know who the blame, we should start to find solutions on these problems that are caused by them .  

[Darkpriest]

The F... i just read?!

 

 

Articles like this should be banned because they make the ones that read them getting stupid and thus putting at the disatvantage toward the ones who did not read...

[aluminiumtrioxid]

The F... i just read?!

 

 

Articles like this should be banned because they make the ones that read them getting stupid

 

Oh, I think the article is quite blameless on that front, buddy.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I don't know why, but something in this thread reminded me of a story I saw in one of those "10th grade Reader's" that schools have/had. The basic story premise was that Everyone in this ideal world was equal... but not by making people smarter or stronger etc. But instead by dragging everyone down to the lowest common denominator.

 

The strong had to wear bags that were equal in weight to the difference between their lifting power and "normal" peoples. Those with 20/20 vision had to wear glasses that would blur things to the "normal" vision level. Everyone who didn't have the attention span of a gnat would have hearing aids... that'd fire off a very loud sound every 8 seconds to make sure they'd lose their concentration.

 

The story shows this with a mother and father whose son was missing... then while the husband (who's smart, strong, and clear sighted) steps into the bathroom for 5 minutes and the son pops up on tv. The Son was the Ubermench to the point he was wearing tons of scrap metal, his glasses were 3 inches thick, and his hearing aid was actually a headphones set. On live television he stripped everything off giving a speech about how we should be who we were born to be and the guy ended up flying and stuff.... then the cops showed up and shot him.

 

His mom cries for about two seconds before her husband gets back... and totally forgets that her son was just shot on live tv.

Harrison Bergman. It was a satire of dystopian fiction of the time.

[Malcador]

Harrison Bergeron by Vonnegut. SJW dream world

 

Don't think I was read to more than my folks giving me books. Barely remember any of that though, guess old age is catching up to me

Edited May 10, 2015 by Malcador

[Malcador]

 

 

 

 

My grandmother read 'Animal Farm' as a bedtime-story when i was 9/10-ish. She thought that it had a good message for kids growing up.

I always considered Animal Farm a book for children, I find it interesting, that most people don't (?)

What kinda book for children has people being killed by a horse (boxer kills a person in the book IIRC)?

A good one. Kids need to be exposed to death, after all. Heh, these days I am sure most of them at reading age have already seen it on film or games.

[ravenshrike]

 

I don't know why, but something in this thread reminded me of a story I saw in one of those "10th grade Reader's" that schools have/had. The basic story premise was that Everyone in this ideal world was equal... but not by making people smarter or stronger etc. But instead by dragging everyone down to the lowest common denominator.

 

 

Because that's the basic premise of the OP?

 

He's hilariously wrong, of course, but it does explain why this popped into your head.

 

Except that IS the basic premise of the author of the article. Moreover, the asshat in the interview feels conflicted about coming up with the justification for the family. The idea of justifying something that gives someone an advantage over others actually causes him mental conflict.

[Hurlshort]

I can't think of many good children's stories where someone doesn't die.  It's like a prerequisite.  Old Yeller still makes me tear up.