I just put myself on the terror watch list...

[Sportsdude]

i don't know its just a political spectrum thing i guess.

[tenkani]

I agree, kits. There's nothing wrong with trying to understand the thought process of twisted, dangerous individuals. I have a serious problem with the typical American perspective that if we oppose an idea or group, we don't need to understand it/them, we just drop some napalm. It's the hubris that leads to believing that every complex problem has a simple solution.

[Sportsdude]

remember repression of any kind does not work. I thought the u.s. would have know that by now but I was wrong.

[kits]

How could anyone possibly form an inteligent opinion, without fully understanding all facets of the issue?

[Sportsdude]

thats what I tell my pro-life friends who call the pro-choice people PRO-DEATH. How crazy is that? I'm neither, yes neither. But I always tell them if you want to enter the political debate you have to see it from the other side or else you don't belong in it.

[tenkani]

Americans prefer simplicity when it comes to politics.[/DIV]And simplicity (speaking to emotion rather than intellect) is the forte of the Republican party.That's the delemma of course, and why I have little hope for our political system. Any politician who actually attempted to explain reality in an objective, factually consistent manner and make realistic demands of the American people would never make it past the primaries. So instead we end up either with an arrogant, simple-minded prick, or a coward who knows the kind of problems we face, but has no intention of pushing for any real change.

[Sportsdude]

Thats why if I ever ran for anything in politics I'd would end up becoming a protest rep. and in the two party system what ever party I would be in would distance themselves from me.  American Politicans are like sheep and when a wolf comes to shake things up in there party they run away like cowards.

[tenkani]

Or they call their friends in the media and have them broadcast the wolf howling at a rally 200 times an hour. Independant press my ass...

[Witch]

How could anyone possibly form an inteligent opinion, without fully understanding all facets of the issue?

One cannot form an intelligent opinion without understanding. Without understanding, one can only adopt the opinion one is given by powerful people for whom intelligent opinions are dangerous. Fortunatly for the weak minded, there are more than enough people willing to give you an opinion in exchange for your support at the trough.

[tenkani]

LOL, we're so used to being fed opinion and baseless assertions. These poor American kids, most of them never learn in school how to ask "why"?

I'm a big proponent of teaching philosophy (with an emphasis on the study of logic) beginning in the first grade. Most kids don't actually learn how to reason. They learn how to memorize and parrot what they're taught.

[Sportsdude]

How could anyone possibly form an inteligent opinion, without fully understanding all facets of the issue?

One cannot form an intelligent opinion without understanding. Without understanding, one can only adopt the opinion one is given by powerful people for whom intelligent opinions are dangerous.

Fortunatly for the weak minded, there are more than enough people willing to give you an opinion in exchange for your support at the trough.

Welcome to America. Be careful for what you say. Don't upset people. Or you might end up in a ditch.  

[kits]

Welcome to America. Be careful for what you say. Don't upset people. Or you might end up in a ditch.[/DIV] Why???