Originally Posted By Labuda Thank you for the perspective you have provided in post 77, Dave. And big hugs to you for all that you do for the UK in your current role, and all that you did in your previous job. And, of course, big hugs for being a great husband and daddy.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***Thanks to Mr. X and others who seem to have an understanding of this.*** I didn't used to. In fact, there was a time I'd probably have written something similar to KooRoots or Barboy (well, maybe not Barboy). I have come to see things differently in my old age. What really surprises ME is that women, by and large, don't rise up and fight this issue en-masse. I mean, even with it being legal the right wingers do pretty much anything they can to make it difficult, embarrassing and humiliating for women to obtain. That, alone, is something I would think nearly every woman would bristle against, but strangely many do not (not even talking about devoutly religious women who are opposed on principle, either...just "everyday" women).
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Would you say that a husband who loses his would be son or daughter through abortion is not directly affected?? I say he would be directly affected.>> Men aren't the ones who are carrying the fetus to term and delivering and immediately caring for the newborn. Their role in this process is minor, whether or not that sits well with you. Men are simply sperm factories. The women are the true creators of life. If men had the absolute last word on whether the women they impregnate should be forced to carry "their" progeny, women would forever remain second class citizens with zero human rights. For many countries on the planet, this is still the norm. Women MUST be the final arbiter for reproduction. It's their bodies being affected, it's their lives being affected. I am absolutely 1000% convinced that if men not women were the baby factories, abortion would be safe, legal, and basically free for all. You really can never understand the impact that unwanted pregnancy has on your entire being until you're in that position. And yes... I speak from experience.
Originally Posted By barboy ///Men are simply sperm factories. The women are the true creators of life./// What a bunch of flagrant sexist nonsense. You must really hate men to make statements like those above.
Originally Posted By Princessjenn5795 "I am absolutely 1000% convinced that if men not women were the baby factories, abortion would be safe, legal, and basically free for all. " If men were the baby factories the human race would have out long ago Even when you have family support and money and a are in a loving, committed relationship there is nothing more terrifying than being pregnant. Even when you are over the moon happy that you are having a baby it is incredibly scary knowing that every decision you make will affect the baby you are growing. It is physically, mentally, and emotionally overwhelming. If you do not have that support that fear would increase exponentially. A man will never, can never, know what that feels like. Therefore, they should probably stop judging the women that face that and make incredibly hard choices about how they will handle things.
Originally Posted By onlyme Oh C'mon, I wanted to hear more about the antichrist. Instead, I get a page of red ink then moving on to the same old topics. I'm very disappointed. I thought the antichrist was supossed to come from the middle east. Anyway, carry on...
Originally Posted By alexbook I thought Bill Clinton was supposed to be the Antichrist? That's what we were told in the 1990's. Or maybe it was Ronald Reagan? "Ronald Wilson Reagan" has 6 letters in each name. I had this pointed out to me, circa 1979, as evidence of the End Times. Then again, I just read about the campaign of 1800, when a leading Federalist (a dean at Yale, I think?) announced that Napoleon was the Antichrist and Thomas Jefferson was his agent. Yep, politics sure used to be civilized in this country. ;-)
Originally Posted By mele I thought nearly everyone was supposed to be in love with the Antichrist. By that definition alone, Obama ain't him.
Originally Posted By dshyates "I thought nearly everyone was supposed to be in love with the Antichrist." Bruce Springsteen?
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<What a bunch of flagrant sexist nonsense.>> Sorry if you can't handle the truth, but women make the babies. Science can now do it through cloning without the need for sperm. Men are no longer an essential component here. <<You must really hate men to make statements like those above.>> I don't hate men per se. But I do hate men who treat women as property, who believe they have every right to tell a woman what she can or cannot do with her body. Face reality for once in your life. Men are typically bigger and stronger than most women. They can force themselves physically on women and rape them against their will, and impregnate them. FACT. Hearing men whine about their so-called "rights" regarding the embryo created from their sperm and how they have should have the final say in whether or not that embryo is carried to full term and delivered is hubris beyond measure. Such attitudes relegate women to baby factory status and put them on a level footing with the family dog. If you want to view this as sexist, there's nothing I can do to stop you. But since you've never been in a position where someone physically forced themselves on you and the sexual assault resulted in an unwanted pregnancy, who the hell are you to tell someone else who's been through that what they can or cannot do with that pregnancy? Men desperately want to believe that they control the universe. Sorry to disappoint you, but that position has already been filled.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Back OT, the 25% antichrist figure, while freaky, doesn't freak me out as much as the 38% "say that Obama is doing many of the things that Hitler did" stat. I mean, there's pretty much no reasoning with fundamentalists of any religion, by definition. If they think (probably because they've been told) that Obama or anyone else is the antichrist, there's not a lot you can do to talk them out of it. But 38 of Republicans "say that Obama is doing many of the things that Hitler did?" Wow. Are we really that ignorant of recent history? Do these people have no idea what Hitler actually did? And do they not understand that the health care reform they're getting themselves all worked up about and even (some of them) threatening violence about is actually pretty similar to what Richard Nixon once proposed?
Originally Posted By Mr X ***But 38 of Republicans "say that Obama is doing many of the things that Hitler did?" Wow.*** I'm just surprised the figure isn't higher. President Obama has been hated by some since the moment they learned his name (or very shortly thereafter). Never have I seen such a thing in my 30+ years on this planet, there is an incredibly unjustified anger towards the guy for, WHAT exactly? They don't even know. But they hated him from day one with a passion, and in the face of that kind of unsubstantiated loathing which makes their dislike of Clinton seem downright mild...I can only blame blatant racism. Now, I'm not speaking to ALL Obama detractors of course (there are plenty on the left these days), but the ones that really think he's like Hitler?? They thought so before he ever became President, and no set of facts will change their minds because it's not about Hitler at all, it's about their hatred (and utter disbelief) of having a negro President. ***Are we really that ignorant of recent history? Do these people have no idea what Hitler actually did?*** Doesn't matter. It's totally beside the point. Some say Hitler. Beck says "Mao" (I guess that makes him smarter, or so his listeners think). I read a recent post on a right wing sight that blamed Atheism for giving us the likes of Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao, and Obama. I'm sorry, but I know the other guys have a certain history of evil deeds behind them...what exactly has Obama DONE to deserve top billing along the worst evildoers of the 20th Century? They don't care. Doesn't matter. He's black, and we don't like him. ***And do they not understand that the health care reform they're getting themselves all worked up about and even (some of them) threatening violence about is actually pretty similar to what Richard Nixon once proposed?*** They don't care. It's not about health care reform (except to the extent that they can tell lies about how the bill is designed to kill people...they want people to believe that President Obama is killing people, doncha know!?). It's about racism. And it sucks.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo That's ok, one teabagger I know is riled up government is taking contraol because the tax is going up on tanning salons. When I said I approved and why, boy the tirade kept a coming.
Originally Posted By DAR I'm just wondering if you polled people five years ago about President Bush you may have seen similar responses from liberals and Democrats. Point is whoever is in office, a portion of the country is going to think he is taking us to some type of armageddon.
Originally Posted By alexbook >>It's about racism.<< Yes and no. I think any Democrat would be facing unprecedented amounts of hatred. (Look at how Reid and Pelosi are treated, for example.) The fact that Obama's half-black and has a "foreign" name amps it up even more.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Point is whoever is in office, a portion of the country is going to think he is taking us to some type of armageddon.>> But Bush and the Republicans actually took us there, DAR, with unfunded wars, tax cuts for the very wealthy, and giveaway programs for businesses aka corporate welfare. Now we're all paying for it, big time.
Originally Posted By gadzuux I think these poll results show that they're polling stupid fearful people - the GOP 'base'. If the poll asked any ridiculous thing about Obama (like "is he the anti-christ"), they'd agree. The fear and loathing in this crowd is deep but unfocused and not based on any reality. They don't really listen and they don't really process information in a coherent way. But they do respond to cynical tactics designed to manipulate their emotions. The result is what we see in this poll. The larger lesson here is that the republican party of today is a very scary thing - they have literally millions of lizard brain people supporting anything they say or do, and a leadership so bereft of integrity and honor that they'll stoop to gutter tactics to regain power. That's a dangerous combination.
Originally Posted By barboy ///Face reality for once in your life/// OK, I'll start now because before your very wise post I was in a fog of confusion and living my life in some make believe world. After second thought I don't want to wake up to your reality-----your reality is just too boring for me. I will continue to do my liquid drugs like San Mig and Red Horse beers daily on the white sands in SE Asia, hang with my smoking hot ladies who model and act in films(who love to not only touch me but buy me drinks and dinners and drive me in my own car around the Metro), do my workouts, get my alternate daily 2 hr. massage and travel. LOL!!!! ///Men desperately want to believe that they control the universe/// Is that a follow up to the Tears for Fears song "Everybody wants to rule the world"? hehehehehe I now understand why you chose "skinnerbox" as a name......I especially appreciate the suffix like 'box'..... so very fitting. Oh you meant that other one named after Skinner of rat fame--- never mind.
Originally Posted By pecos bill These guys have the redeeming qualities of Imperial Wizards leading a lynch mob. Strong and boisterous in numbers, but delusional cowards as individuals. Still, the threats of violence should be taken very seriously.
