Posts Made By: David Cotterell

Fuel for your fire.....

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/hundreds-libyan-women-report-being-raped-gadhafi-forces-163321305.html

Jack Day said:

I thought it would be fun to see what was up here. Now my brain hurts. I think I'll stick to a more civilized and relaxed forum like Politics from now on...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHw9K9yMots


Dave

This too.

""Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present - and is gravely to be regarded.

Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite. "

Bruce Karbal said:

Look what we found at a local Chicago Grocery store
and you thought this was a sirius post ? LOL

You know how I can tell you have no English relatives or visited England?

Dave

Doug Matulis said:

The followers of the religion with the book of love and peace have struck again!

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/07/22/explosion-damages-buildings-in-norwegian-capital/

FTFA: "Acting Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim won't give any details about the man, who was dressed in a police uniform when he opened fire Friday."

So, Doug, I must ask: if the Police haven't revealed any details about the suspect how do you know he is a Christian?

Dave

Poppycock. Balderdash. Bullfeathers.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/08/31/no-a-new-study-does-not-show-cosmic-rays-are-connected-to-global-warming/

Dave

Pinning the rich-poor gap in the USA on any particular president or party is simply incorrect. The trend began a couple of generations ago,

"Economic inequality can decline or increase over time. For example, inequality declined in the U.S. from 1890 to 1940 because the supply of skilled workers outpaced demand, as the high school movement generated skilled workers and border closure reduced the supply of low-skilled immigrants. Inequality increased in the U.S. from 1970 to 2000 with skill-biased technical change. Other factors that increased inequality after 1970 were: the decline of unions in the U.S. with the Taft-Hartley law; the rapid increase in salaries for the top 0.1 %;[3] the increase in business income with technological innovation;[4] the stasis in high school completion rates at about 70%; and successful changes in Republican political strategies to focus on cultural issues in elections and tax reduction in office, largely beginning with Ronald Reagan.[5]" Wikipedia

There have been a lot of Presidents since 1970 and none of them have been able to (or in some cases actively unwilling to) put a lid on rising corporate greed. If you really want to point the finger of blame for many of the world's woes look to the wage-suppressing, benefit-denying, no-profit-is-too-obscene, no-CEO-salary-is-too-large, cigar-smoking fat cat corporate executives.

As for unemployment and economic woes these are world-wide phenomena at the moment (still related to the above) and governments from left to right are struggling to 'right the ship'. American presidents and political parties just get dragged along with the rest of the world. Bush didn't cause the problem by himself any more than Obama can solve it all by himself.

Dave

[QUOTE]David Cotterell said:

Richard, leave the ad hominem argument aside for now. Comment on what he actually said. Pretend you just read these words and were not told who said them. What is your reaction to them?

[COLOR="Aqua"]They’re complaining that Wall Street wrecked the economy three years ago and nobody’s held responsible for that. Not a single person’s been indicted or convicted for destroying twenty percent of our national net worth accumulated over two centuries. They’re upset about the fact that Wall Street has iron control over the economic policies of this country, and that one party is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wall Street, and the other party caters to them as well.�[/COLOR]

and

[COLOR="Aqua"]if I am spokesman for all the people who think that we should not have 24 million people in this country who can’t find a full time job, that we should not have 50 million people in this country who can’t see a doctor when they’re sick, that we shouldn’t have 47 million people in this country who need government help to feed themselves, and we shouldn’t have 15 million families who owe more on their mortgage than the value of their home, okay, I’ll be that spokesman.�[/COLOR]

Dave.

Rod Kaufman said:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#/video/world/2012/01/25/pkg-newton-honor-killings-in-canada.cnn
Not guilty?

It is currently in the hands of the Jury.

Here in Toronto this sort of thing is not unheard of. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqsa_Parvez

In 2007 I taught one semester at a high school in Toronto where about 60% of the student body was of Afghani descent. (all either 1st or 2nd generation) It was relatively easy to notice girls arriving in traditional dress (head scarf, long dress) and go into a washroom coming out a few minutes later in shorter skirts or jeans and more 'modern' tops. At the end of the day the clothing was reversed for the journey home. I shudder to think what might happen at home if the parents found out....

The practice is NOT anywhere in the Quran or in any other religious text - it is a cultural phenomenon in certain south Asian countries.

From Wiki: "According to Dr. Shahrzad Mojab, a University of Toronto professor of women’s studies, followers of Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity have used their religions as a rationale to commit honour killings. However, Mojab stated that honor killings don't have "any definite connection with religion at all." She also pointed out that honor killings have been practised before any major religion came into existence.[23]
Widney Brown, the advocacy director of Human Rights Watch, said that the practice "goes across cultures and across religions." Human rights advocates have compared "honor killing" to "crimes of passion" in Latin America (which are sometimes treated extremely leniently) and also to the killing of women for lack of dowry in India.[24]
Tahira Shaid Khan, a professor of women’s issues at Aga Khan University, notes that there is nothing in the Qur'an that permits or sanctions honor killings.[24] The first and most basic right in the Qur'an that every Muslim is expected to follow is, in fact, the right to life. [25] As written in the Qur'an,
That if anyone slays a human being – unless it be [in punishment] for murder or for spreading corruption on earth – it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind. (5:32) .[26]
Khan instead blames it on attitudes (across different classes, ethnic and religious groups) that view women as property with no rights of their own as the motivation for honor killings.[24] Khan also argues that this view results in violence against women and their being turned “into a commodity which can be exchanged, bought and sold.” [27]
A survey by author, Ellen Sheeley revealed that 20% of Jordanites sampled, believe that Islam condones and even supports murder in the name of family honor.[28] Others note how religious meaning attached to terms such as virginity and bride-price help to reinforce social traditions and the control of women’s body and their sexuality. [29]
Some scholars believe that open interpretations by religious scholars of the Qur’an have also introduced problems, especially of the verse which states:
"Men are responsible for women... So virtuous women obey [their husbands]... Admonish those of them on whose part you apprehend disobedience, and keep them out of your bed, and beat them."
Many scholars and religious officials have offered their interpretation of what beatings should consist of and what the Qur’an deems appropriate. According to some, the open interpretation for verses such as these encourages interpretation for other aspects of Islamic law and the Qur’an.[30]

Dave

Well, colour me as one Canadian who thinks the pipeline should go to Texas and not to the Northern B.C. coast. As the article mentions, supertankers in those fjords is a recipe for an environmental disaster. A pipeline to Texas is environmentally safer.

I'm not comfortable with how we (U.S., Canada and the 'west') are falling all over ourselves to do business with China without some attempt to nudge China into better human rights etc.

Dave