Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

[Latrinsorm]

Methais, what do you think motivates people to become terrorists, in general?

[Parkbandit]

Methais, what do you think motivates people to become terrorists, in general?

George W. Bush?

[Stanley Burrell]

Stanley, what do you think motivates people to become terrorists, in general?

Keystone Light and PBR.

[Revalos]

Revalos, what do you think motivates people to become terrorists, in general?

Boredom probably. Depression. Maybe sexual repression. I'd bet religious fanaticism is pretty far down on the reasons for terrorism list. Real religious fanatics have too much fun talking to actually do terrorism stuff.

[Methais]

Methais, what do you think motivates people to become terrorists, in general?

The fact that we support Israel (assuming you're talking about Muslim terrorists), with 72 virgins coming in a close second.

What do you think motivates people to become terrorists?

[Latrinsorm]

What do you think motivates people to become terrorists?

Despair and rhetoric. The more we behave like barbarians, the easier it is to target us with rhetoric - nobody bombs Jamaica, and the prophet never mentioned America. Hence, there are at least two sides to issues such as "do whatever is necessary to keep our country safe because they don't want to offend the people who want to kill us."; specifically, beyond torture's efficacy as an information-gathering method, does torturing current terrorists help foster future terrorists? If so, to what extent?

[Methais]

As far as I know, Jamaica doesn't support Israel either.

What do you think motivated terrorists to attack England (or was it Spain? Or both? I remember Spain getting hit anyway.)? Or Egypt? Or any other country they hit after 9/11 not called America?

Does playing patty cake with current terrorists make them say, "Golly, those Americans and that Obama guy sure are nice people. We had them wrong all along. Let's stop attacking them."? If so, to what extent?

[TheEschaton]

Yeah, having a problem with someone being forced to take down American flags in America because some random immigrant found it offensive is really retarded. You're also bad at using life, lol.

I was actually agreeing with you, forcing someone to take down the flag because it causes offense is ridiculously retarded.

As for this whole "good done in the world vs. bad", I think one only needs to look at the history of colonialism, development, and globalization from the 16th century to the present day. Yes, Europe commited lots of atrocities, especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Guess what? The main culprit these days is the U.S. and Britain. If we lived in 1750, it would be more relevant to criticize the Spanish empire. We don't.

The following might make good for a reasonable debate: Globalization, imo, has not been beneficial for the majority of the world, from a development standpoint. The beneficiaries of the globalization process have largely (but not entirely) been countries that were already industrialized and developed.

If you divide the "life" of the world into three distinct spheres, social, political, and economic, I'd argue the United States has had a negative impact on the majority of the world for at least two of these (political and economic spheres), with the third being at best, a push. It has especially been these two disasterous spheres that have fostered and fomented terrorism. Hussein was armed and equipped by the U.S. and Britain in a political attempt to isolate Iran. The U.S.'s unwavering and often irrational support of Israel in face of violation of THE MOST U.N. resolutions of the past 50 years has fostered resentment in Palestine. Bin Laden was trained and equipped by the CIA to fight the Russians because of an erroneous belief in some sort of ridiculous domino theory, and then abandoned. The U.S. then decided to put a huge military presence in Saudi Arabia, a country considered sacred by the world's Muslims, which was the initial trigger of organizations like al Qaeda. All over the world, we speak a rhetoric of peace and freedom and economic liberty, but our actions have spoken to our hypocrisy: peace at the end of a gun, and only if you agree with us, freedom, as long as the people choose the leaders we want, economic liberty, as long as it favors our American companies.

We can keep going, if you wish.

Oh, and I live here because when my parents immigrated here in 1984, they decided to take their 3 year old with them. Now that I'm finished with my formal education (to be sure, the U.S. still has one of the best university systems in the world), I am at a crossroads about whether to stay or go. Most activists believe in the idea of fixing things from the inside out, but honestly, I'm pretty tired of all that.

If it makes you feel better, I'm interviewing for a job with the Clinton Global Initiative for a job based in Nigeria, and pursuing some contacts at the U.N.

-TheE-

[Daniel]

For my own personal edification, what exactly are you willing to do, to "keep our country safe"?

So since you obviously can't answer this question I'll just assume you aren't willing to do a whole lot besides talk shit on a message board.

For what it's worth, I find it really annoying when people who have never lifted a finger for this country try and tell me what it takes to keep it safe and then try and tell me that I'm not American because I don't believe the same bullshit they do.

You come tell me what it means to be American when you've actually done something for it besides leach off those others who have fought to protect your rights and privledges for you.

As for being a pussy? I'll respectfully disagree. Anytime you want to prove that, let me know.

[Methais]

So since you obviously can't answer this question I'll just assume you aren't willing to do a whole lot besides talk shit on a message board.

For what it's worth, I find it really annoying when people who have never lifted a finger for this country try and tell me what it takes to keep it safe and then try and tell me that I'm not American because I don't believe the same bullshit they do.

You come tell me what it means to be American when you've actually done something for it besides leach off those others who have fought to protect your rights and privledges for you.

As for being a pussy? I'll respectfully disagree. Anytime you want to prove that, let me know.

Similar to your response to me earlier on the questions you didn't answer, I don't owe you any personal edification. But I'll do it anyway, because I'm just cool like that.

Contrary to what you think, joining the military isn't a requirement to "be American" which is what you seem to be implying. I also don't recall saying you're not American. While I respect the fact that you're in the military, that doesn't change the fact that you're a retarded douchebag previously used by Emislity. But you're still American, for better or worse.

And I'm leeching off others now? Awesome. I'm sure if I was the exact same person as I am now but with political views that agreed with yours, you wouldn't think I was leeching anything at all. Unlike most of the people that Obama wants to redistribute wealth to, I don't ask for handouts. Instead I go out and work for a living and pay my bills with the money I earned myself.

What exactly am I leeching anyway? And who am I leeching it from?

Are you sure you're not referring to these people?

0:26:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCJz9sNLShw

I'll even transcript the relevant part of it it for you since you'll probably just dismiss it and close it 1 second in because it's Rush playing the clip:

NEWS GUY: "Why are you here?"
LEECH: "To get some money!"
NEWS GUY: "What kind of money?"
LEECH: "Obama money!"
NEWS GUY: "Where's it coming from?"
LEECH: "Obama!"
NEWS GUY: "And where did Obama get it?"
LEECH: "I don't know, his stash. I don't know. I don't know where he got it from. But he givin it to us, to help us. We love him that's why we voted for him! OBAMA! OBAMA! AH-HA-HA-HA!"

Here's another one, starting at 0:56. Keep in mind that despite the fact that Rush played the clip, it still happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKb78kJhaMw

NEWS GUY: Did you get an application to fill out?
LEECH: I sure did and I filled it out and I am waiting to see what the results are gonna be.
NEWS GUY: Do you know today how much money you're getting?
LEECH: No I won't but I'm waiting for a phone call.
NEWS GUY: Where's the money coming from?
LEECH: I believe it's coming from the city of Detroit, or the state.
NEWS GUY: Where do they get it from?
LEECH: Some funds that was given by Obama.
NEWS GUY: And where did Obama get the funds?
LEECH: Obama gettin' the funds from....I have no idea to tell you the truth, he's the President.

And then there's the epic facepalm "I won't have to worry about paying for my gas/mortgage" lady:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI

But all that is perfectly ok because they're Obama supporters right? And I'm the leech here?

While I don't have any hard numbers to back it up, I'd say it's far more likely that the majority of non-disabled people leeching welfare and whatever else off the government are more liberal than conservative. But I'm the leech, right? Or is it just because I don't believe the same bullshit as you do?

As for keeping the country safe, that statement was mainly in reference to people in power. You know, those who have the authority and resources to do things like extract crucial information from terrorists that are plotting attacks on our country and people, secure our borders, etc. -- like our President, who, for what is apparently purely based around politics of not wanting to piss off his liberal base anymore so he can pass health care, is all but ignoring his general's request for more troops in Afghanistan and facing total loss in that region according to said general. Then there are things like letting his attorney general try to prosecute our own intelligence, aborting missile defenses, and wanting to disarm our country while Iran and N. Korea build nukes, etc., for example. Please explain what any of that does to keep our country safe.

Then please inform me what a private citizen should be doing to keep the country safe from foreign threats. Should I start patrolling airports and train stations and making citizens arrests? Should I build my own private CTU in my basement? As a private non-military citizen, the only (legal) thing one can really do in that respect is vote people like Obama and Pelosi out of office, and to a lesser extent, inform the ignorant about what people like Obama and Pelosi are doing to our country, so that they might help vote them out. Or is the only answer to "zomg join the military or stfu and stop having an opinion!!1!!!"?

Working for a living helps too, since that would mean you're (you in general) not leeching off the government to pay your bills and putting even more strain on our economy because you're too lazy to peel your fat ass away from the couch watching Oprah and blaming your situation on everyone but yourself, and go get a job and earn a living. How much do we spend on welfare and entitlements for lazy assholes (most of which are probably Obama supporters) again?

On another topic, here's Robert Reich, an Obama economic adviser flat out saying they're gonna let old people die:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT7Y0TOBuG4

Again, transcripting the relevant part in case you decide to not watch it:

"We are going to have to, if you're very old, we're not going to give you all that technology and all those drugs for the last couple years of your life to keep you maybe going for the next couple of months. It's too expensive, so we're gonna let you die. [applause ensues]

I'm also going to use the bargaining leverage of the federal government in terms of medicare, medicaid, we already have a lot of bargaining leverage, to force drug companies and insurance companies and medical suppliers to reduce their cost. But that means less innovation, and that means less new products and less new drugs on the market, which means you are probably not going to live that much longer than your parents. [applause] Thank you."

Never thought people could be that fucking stupid to applaud not only letting old people die, but the fact that their own lives are going to be cut short. But they're Obama supporters, so it's all good, right? Is this the health care system that's "for our own good"?

As for being a pussy? I'll respectfully disagree. Anytime you want to prove that, let me know.

Ok sure. When did you and TheE become such internet tough guys?