They are called "randroids" for a reason. I've found that a lot of Paul-bots are also randroids. (And computer-specialists -- there's a lot of technophilia in the Paul camp.)
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They are called "randroids" for a reason. I've found that a lot of Paul-bots are also randroids. (And computer-specialists -- there's a lot of technophilia in the Paul camp.)
Corsair 115
Penultimate Amazing
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- Apr 18, 2007
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- 14,519
Don't forget, it also apparently makes him an expert on constitutional law matters.
dudalb
Penultimate Amazing
JEROME DA GNOME
Banned
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- Oct 7, 2007
- Messages
- 8,837
I am amazed by the opinions exposed by those that have not the expertise.
I shall use this line in the future. Wait...but...then there will be not be anyone at this forum!
People, reason upon what you are saying. You are denying yourself thought!
I shall use this line in the future. Wait...but...then there will be not be anyone at this forum!
People, reason upon what you are saying. You are denying yourself thought!
Jerome, when someone tries to strengthen their argument by referencing their own qualifications, rather than the strength of their argument and/or the evidence they can muster in support of it, they will be rightly ridiculed.
Plus, it turns into a battle of experts, with people competing not for the most logical and supported agument, but the person who is the most qualified to opine on a subject. Which, in essence also baits people into revealing their own personal info, a violation of Rule 8 which cautions people: "You will not post a person's private information that is not otherwise publicly available." That should (but apparently doesn't) include people posting their own personal info, in a manner designed to encourage others to reciprocate.
Moreover, an argument from self-referential authority is inherently unreliable. After all, as Peter Steiner stated in page 61 of the JUly 5, 1993 issue of the New Yorker:
(Reprinting allowed for academic discussion, as set forth here.)
Plus, it turns into a battle of experts, with people competing not for the most logical and supported agument, but the person who is the most qualified to opine on a subject. Which, in essence also baits people into revealing their own personal info, a violation of Rule 8 which cautions people: "You will not post a person's private information that is not otherwise publicly available." That should (but apparently doesn't) include people posting their own personal info, in a manner designed to encourage others to reciprocate.
Moreover, an argument from self-referential authority is inherently unreliable. After all, as Peter Steiner stated in page 61 of the JUly 5, 1993 issue of the New Yorker:
(Reprinting allowed for academic discussion, as set forth here.)
JEROME DA GNOME
Banned
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- 8,837
Elizabeth I
Philosopher
Just think about it.
And don't tell me you're not one of the "OMG!!!11eleventyone GW Bush's sister's brother-in-law's cousins nanny supported the Nazis!" type.
JEROME DA GNOME
Banned
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- 8,837
It was his grandfather. Although this was not uncommon at that point in history, Prescott was among a multitude.
dash
Critical Thinker
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
- Messages
- 278
No, I'd really like to hear your thoughts on the subject. You claim something I've done or intend to do is immoral. I want you to explain that. "Just think about it" is not an acceptable response. I've thought about it immensely, and I'm convinced I'm acting morally (even assuming this is a moral question).
So please, explain what I'm missing.
-Dave
Suddenly
No Punting
The 1936 Olympics were sort of like a big potemkin village with regard to the Nazi government at the time. Lots of prisoners were freed before hand, the atmosphere was loosened. Many Germans even believed maybe a corner was turned and the regime was becoming more moderate, foolish in hindsight of course.
Lots of people were fooled at that particular point in history.
Lots of people were fooled at that particular point in history.
JEROME DA GNOME
Banned
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- 8,837
Jesse Owens was not fooled.
Suddenly
No Punting
I don't see it either.
If you were on here spouting disinformation about it trying to get people to do something so you can profit from it, that is a different story. No evidence of this. You advocate others do as you do.
You have silly ideas as to economic and political reality, and a wildly inflated sense of self, but you at least seem honest about it....
Suddenly
No Punting
Dr. Seuss wasn't either. Beyond the point. Actually, I don't know what Owens thought. He's a nice symbol looking back and ignoring that in many places in the south, murdering a black man was more or less legal by any practical measurement. The Nazis were worse, and turned out to be absurdly worse, but that isn't the point... Lost to history is that there were Jews on that German team, including a medal winner, so one must be careful when implying that somehow Owens being on the team proved anything about race in the US.
Mainly it was rich guys who saw the abolishment of unions and the law and order fascism allowed and thought they were seeing The Big Rock Candy Mountain. The ugly side of national socialism wasn't there to stare them in the face, and as is typical of humans, when someone shows you a paradise you want to believe in, you don't want to ask questions you don't want to know the answer to.
I don't excuse it, but I understand.
The 1936 games are often cited as a reason some future victims of the regime decided to stay a little longer.... It fooled a lot of people.
dash
Critical Thinker
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
- Messages
- 278
Wow, what a day...
http://www.kitco.com/market/
Silver is up 2.39% ($.43) per ounce at the moment.
One US $ buys .9873 Canadian dollars. That's a fall of about 2% in 1 day.
The gold/silver ratio is 51.09:1, when I bought in it was around 56:1 back in October.
This ride is only just beginning. It's too bad the government is incapable of actually fixing the problems. The situation is like this:
1) Doing X has gotten us to the brink of disaster, what should we do?
2) Let's do more X!
I'll start worrying about my silver and gold investments when all of these happen:
1) US pulls out of Iraq
2) US empire starts pulling out of the rest of the world
3) US starts massively cutting spending, resulting in either a balanced budget or a surplus
4) US raises interest rates through the roof in order to save the dollar
5) US starts honestly reporting CPI, PPI, M3
6) US disbands the PPT (Plunge Protection Team)
7) US gives up on unfunded entitlements as lost causes (medicare, social security)
8) US cuts defense spending to the bone and ceases to be the world's "police force"
Time to grow up, kids.
-Dave
http://www.kitco.com/market/
Silver is up 2.39% ($.43) per ounce at the moment.
One US $ buys .9873 Canadian dollars. That's a fall of about 2% in 1 day.
The gold/silver ratio is 51.09:1, when I bought in it was around 56:1 back in October.
This ride is only just beginning. It's too bad the government is incapable of actually fixing the problems. The situation is like this:
1) Doing X has gotten us to the brink of disaster, what should we do?
2) Let's do more X!
I'll start worrying about my silver and gold investments when all of these happen:
1) US pulls out of Iraq
2) US empire starts pulling out of the rest of the world
3) US starts massively cutting spending, resulting in either a balanced budget or a surplus
4) US raises interest rates through the roof in order to save the dollar
5) US starts honestly reporting CPI, PPI, M3
6) US disbands the PPT (Plunge Protection Team)
7) US gives up on unfunded entitlements as lost causes (medicare, social security)
8) US cuts defense spending to the bone and ceases to be the world's "police force"
Time to grow up, kids.
-Dave
dudalb
Penultimate Amazing
Which is why I was appaled when Spielberg agreed to be the Leni Reifenstahl for the Beijing Games.
Spielberg eventually saw the light,but he should have known better from day one.
dudalb
Penultimate Amazing
The fact that your "Solutions" point 4 in particular..would unleash Economic misery on a scale unseen since the great depression seems not to register with you.
Yuppers, you see yourself as John Galt.
Mister Agenda
Illuminator
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2007
- Messages
- 3,139
I strongly suspect he sees it as a bitter pill to swallow now versus a hasty surgery later. Maybe a less bitter-tasting compromise would be for the Fed to stop lowering interest rates for awhile? And maybe a more effective stimulus package, like lowering the corporate income tax rate could (IMHO) act as some sugar to help us get that pill down without too much retching. I don't think the situation is hopeless--I think the situation in the late 70s and early 80s looked more dire than this one--but I do think more of the same could make the situation worse.
Corsair 115
Penultimate Amazing
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- Apr 18, 2007
- Messages
- 14,519
Big deal. The U.S.-Canadian exchange rate can vary considerably from day to day. Canadians are well aware of this, especially recently with the rise of the Cdn. dollar against the U.S.
Five years ago the Cdn. dollar was worth about $0.62 US. Back in November, it hit an all-time high of $1.10 US. Now it's back down to about parity, with fluctuations ranging between $0.98 US to $1.02 US for the most part.
Where it goes from here is open to debate.
dash
Critical Thinker
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
- Messages
- 278
Ayn Rand References
As much as I try to avoid having to read dudalb, Suddenly, WildCat + Corsair's postings (their names being in my ignore list) I unfortunately have to see some of their wisdom when other people quote them.
What exactly is the point of referring to characters out of Ayn Rand novels? Is this some sort of proof? Aha! You're acting like John Galt. Therefore you're scum, you're ****, you're trash. I win!
While we're on the subject, I would counter with a reference from The Fountainhead. The characters I mention above remind me of Ellsworth Toohey in some ways.
Does the fact that some subject exists in some novel somewhere mean it is automatically fantasy?
For example because Orwell wrote 1984, nothing whatsoever of that nature could ever occur in real life?
What people seem to be incapable of grasping is you cannot redistribute wealth around and generate prosperity. Social security is a ponzi scheme, plain and simple. It is an unfunded entitlement. In order to try to pay it off, the US economy will die. Whether it is today or 10 years from now, it means death to the US.
Ending social security means phasing it out. The government is doing this anyway, in a straightforward manner. It is devaluing the currency while at the same time understating the CPI. Social security benefits are tied to the CPI. So every year social security awards less and less -- the benefits buy less and less. Oh well.
-Dave
As much as I try to avoid having to read dudalb, Suddenly, WildCat + Corsair's postings (their names being in my ignore list) I unfortunately have to see some of their wisdom when other people quote them.
What exactly is the point of referring to characters out of Ayn Rand novels? Is this some sort of proof? Aha! You're acting like John Galt. Therefore you're scum, you're ****, you're trash. I win!
While we're on the subject, I would counter with a reference from The Fountainhead. The characters I mention above remind me of Ellsworth Toohey in some ways.
Does the fact that some subject exists in some novel somewhere mean it is automatically fantasy?
For example because Orwell wrote 1984, nothing whatsoever of that nature could ever occur in real life?
What people seem to be incapable of grasping is you cannot redistribute wealth around and generate prosperity. Social security is a ponzi scheme, plain and simple. It is an unfunded entitlement. In order to try to pay it off, the US economy will die. Whether it is today or 10 years from now, it means death to the US.
Ending social security means phasing it out. The government is doing this anyway, in a straightforward manner. It is devaluing the currency while at the same time understating the CPI. Social security benefits are tied to the CPI. So every year social security awards less and less -- the benefits buy less and less. Oh well.
-Dave
D'rok
Free Barbarian on The Land
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2006
- Messages
- 6,399
Seriously? Why the hell are you here then? Is it simply to enlighten us with your soliloquies? The rest of us (mostly) enjoy having our positions challenged as much as we enjoy challenging the positions of others, even if things get a little snippy. I think you may be on the wrong forum if all you desire is acquiescence to your assertions.
And what is this from your sig:
"In case you're wondering why I don't respond to some people's posts, here is my current ignore list: .*"
Is that a wildcard? Does the "*" mean that we are all, ostensibly, on your ignore list?