A Challenge for Oliver: This is America

[The Atheist]

I am confused about your objection here.

Haven't got one at all, I'm just taking the piss.

Luke's arguing that most people say "X".

I'm pointing out to him that [in USA, where he lives] most people are christians.

 

[skeptifem]

wow, does jref have a pissing contest emoticon?

way to miss the point, jeez.

 

[Zep]

I think we might be missing the point here. Let me just take one quote from you, and adjust it for accuracy. Then go on.

So, if I understand you, your consumption of information is high in celebrity crap and this somehow justifies your perception AND it is our fault

...and thus influences how your country is perceived by the less perceptive and educated people in the world.

Seriously, they take that sort of stuff to heart. Truly. Their depth of immediate and unquestioned belief in what they see and hear via the mass media is far greater than yours or mine. We are skeptics at best, cynics at worst, and liable to question and discard media views as a matter of course. They accept this stuff at best, absorb it as instant gospel at worst. Often it confirms their prejudices. And many of these "believers" are the people who run the countries... It's a different mind-set to our own that we need to be aware of.

So of course it is not a US-only problem. Nor are the solutions.

 

[Elizabeth I]

To reiterate a previously-asked question, where is Oliver?

<searching>

 

[Luke T.]

My word. I didn't think you were that stupid, but here's a lesson for you:

"Hypocrisy" is not being simply incorrect, which is what you are indicating. You are suggesting that I'm wrong, because the majority of people answered the quoted, irrelevant, poll in the affirmative. Even if your premise were true, that would make me WRONG, not HYPOCRITICAL.

Lukey, "hypocrisy" is saying one thing, then doing the opposite.

So let me explain it at the kindergarten level so you can understand.

"The rest of the world" is a majority when compared to America. You used "the rest of the world" in a completely unsupported assertion.

So not only are you hypocritical, but your assertion was completely off the mark. Two for the price of one.

Additionally, the numbers I provided were not an argument from majority on my part, dumbass. They were a rebuttal of your claim. "The rest of the world" is not laughing as you claimed.

Three strikes. And you are out of there with your tail between your legs. I've never seen such cowardice on a forum before.

 

[Luke T.]

A: Spinach sucks! And anyone who likes spinach is an idiot. The rest of the world hates spinach!

B: Here is evidence the rest of the world loves spinach.

A: Argument from majority! Going to church on Sunday?

 

[Tricky]

Personally I kind of favor Woodie Guthrie's anthem:

Chorus:
This land is your land, this land is my land
From California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
<snip>

According to some of my folkie friends, that song was written by Guthrie as a protest song for the way Americans have been denied access to America by Big Biz and Big Ag. These last two verses, which son Arlo says are authentic, sort of support that contention. Also, Woody did have a tendency towards sarcasm.

In the squares of the city, In the shadow of a steeple;
By the relief office, I'd seen my people.
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking,
Is this land made for you and me?

As I went walking, I saw a sign there;
And on the sign there, it said, 'No Trespassing.'
But on the other side; it didn't say nothing!
That side was made for you and me.

 

[The Atheist]

So let me explain it at the kindergarten level so you can understand.

"The rest of the world" is a majority when compared to America. You used "the rest of the world" in a completely unsupported assertion.

I really do get quite a kick out of being wrong and there have been few times I've been as wrong as when I was briefly encouraged to think that you weren't just another brainless ex-grunt.

No matter, I'll gladly keep helping you with where, why and how you're so wrong here.

This is how it works:

I made an assertion, oh yes indeed! Mea culpa! You attempted - and failed - to refute that assertion with a poll which asked a question almost related to my assertion. Wowee!!

You need to buy firstly, a dictionary, to learn and understand what a "hypocrite" is. You are, at the moment, your own best example. "I will never go back to TOP!" swears LukeT.

Hello, LukeT.

QED

So not only are you hypocritical, but your assertion was completely off the mark. Two for the price of one.

Alas, you've shown neither. I'm certainly open to my assertion being proven incorrect, but quoting an irrlevant poll isn't going to do it, and even if you did, as I said, Wowee! Big deal, even. Given the style of that particular argument, all you're doing here is proving that I am, in the end, 100% right, because that's a pathetically tiny point you're arguing, but it's all you've got, so keep going for it!

On the other hand, you're parlaying your hypocrisy nicely. Showcasing even.

Additionally, the numbers I provided were not an argument from majority on my part, dumbass. They were a rebuttal of your claim. "The rest of the world" is not laughing as you claimed.

Ah. Along with the "wouldn't know hypocrisy from my own name" syndrome, you also suffer from the delusion that repeating something over and over makes it true.

Hint: doesn't.

Three strikes. And you are out of there with your tail between your legs. I've never seen such cowardice on a forum before.

Boy, if you had even a quarter of the brain I thought you had, I think you'd see the irony in that comment. "Cowardice on an internet forum"?

Gosh, I'm just shamed.

But not so shamed that I will become a hypocrite and go back to read or post at SC. Feel free to check the records, but you will not find me or my IP at SC, ever.

Some of us stick to our word, Luke. That's how grown-ups act.

If you want to talk to me, feel free to come on by anytime.

 

[The Atheist]

Going to church on Sunday?

Thanks to the time difference, you miss the deliciously funny fact that was posted at 9.28 NZT, just as the church services are starting!

Let me see, you'd probably be RCC? They're the largest religion, so they must be right. That's how it works, eh?

In nomine Patri, filis, et...


God bless.

 

[The Painter]

How come everyone except Oliver has posted in this thread?

 

[Solus]

The atheist, what is with you and derailing threads? This could have been a slightly productive thread but you show up and make it another mini flamewar. Start your own threads if you want to change to change the topic so fully.

 

[The Atheist]

The atheist, what is with you and derailing threads? This could have been a slightly productive thread but you show up and make it another mini flamewar. Start your own threads if you want to change to change the topic so fully.

Despite my "train wreck" status, I can't take too much credit for derailing this one, sorry. I haven't changed the topic at all, I'm just responding to others, just as I'm responding to you. This is hardly on topic, either.

In case you hadn't noticed, the thread was fairly well dead a day or two ago anyway.

You're most welcome to ask Luke and his buddies to take it elsewhere. I may even join them.

 

[The Atheist]

How come everyone except Oliver has posted in this thread?

I think he has his hands full with a couple of other threads right now!

 

[RandFan]

I wish.

Unfortunately, my belief in the "good" of mankind evaporated many years since.

Doesn't matter, you set your position out fairly below, so the past is irrelevant>>>

Seems we aren't very far apart on many issues here. The only serious disagreement I have is with moving to Scandinavia. Can't say they attract me at all. They beat us in social issues I'd swap our weather for.

As to socialism, I have a different perspective on that, having been brought up in probably the most socialist democratic regime among English-speaking countries. (And more than most non-English speaking ones.) I class myself as a socialist [drum-roll for Abdul...] because I see the benefits of it as I also see the downsides it has created. I think there are more of the former than latter.

"Let he who is without sin..."

You get my vote for Pres, mate and I hope our joint favourite for real Pres shares a lot of that!

Nothing like an atheist to quote Christ.

Good post.

 

[The Atheist]

Nothing like an atheist to quote Christ.

Good post.

Cheers.

That Jesus bloke had lots of good stuff to say, pity all those twats try to build him up as some god-thing.

 

[RandFan]

Cheers.

That Jesus bloke had lots of good stuff to say, pity all those twats try to build him up as some god-thing.

I agree.

 

[Hokulele]

Ah well, maybe this thread has completely diverged from the OP, but I may have invented Oliver Bane in the process.

Just for the record, I am still hoping he will log back in and read the OP someday, so the bumps due to bickering aren't entirely useless IMHO.

 

[RandFan]

Ah well, maybe this thread has completely diverged from the OP, but I may have invented Oliver Bane in the process.

Just for the record, I am still hoping he will log back in and read the OP someday, so the bumps due to bickering aren't entirely useless IMHO.

Speaking of diverged, what on earth are you putting in your mouth and why do I feel cheap and dirty looking at it?

 

[The Atheist]

Just for the record, I am still hoping he will log back in and read the OP someday, so the bumps due to bickering aren't entirely useless IMHO.

Cloud/silver lining - pig's ear/silk purse?

One or t'other!

 

[Hokulele]

Speaking of diverged, what on earth are you putting in your mouth and why do I feel cheap and dirty looking at it?

It is a boudin, and I have no idea why you would feel cheap and dirty looking at it. Haven't you ever eaten one?


ETA: TA, all of the above.