posted
Benevolence is relative. He may have considered himself a benevolent dictator. Every socialist country in history has had a so-called benevolent dictator. But in the absolute sense of history, they never were. They all ultimately caused more suffering for their people. I propose that the measure of a benevolent dictator is whether they truely improved the lives of their people.
-------------------- "This is why you people think I'm so unknowable. You don't listen!" - God, "God, the Devil and Bob"
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Well, not to take sides here, but suggesting Britain is socialist in the absolute sense is a bit like saying the U.S. consists of the Rocky Mountains. Surely, there are Rocky Mountains in it, but...you see what I mean.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
I think Omega defines Canada as socialist, so Britain would certainly fall under the flag as well. The Brits do have universal health care, don't they? Damn socialists
I mean, c'mon, Omega consideres John McCain but not George W. Bush a liberal. And he defines liberal as someone for "big government" ... and as bloody obvious to anyone paying any sort of attention to the news in the past month or so, government is getting a lot bigger and more powerful since the terrorist attacks. Omega just sort of brushes it off as, to paraphrase, "they don't affect me so they don't count" ... I mean, the guy's not known for 1+1=2, but 1+1=560,000
[ October 08, 2001: Message edited by: Malnurtured Snay ]
posted
For the record Omega does think that Canada is a socalist nation. (And I'm not tlaking about the good kind of socialism. ) He told me so on AIM. As a matter of fact, he tried ever so hard to convince me that Canada was practically the U.S.S.R. in it's youth because *gasp* socalists were in power!!!! He stated that they have fewer rights (I have to note that he did not bother telling me exactly what rights Canadians didn't have that we do have.) and that they didn't have as many MRI machines as we do. (Don't ask we why he brought this to the table. He simply did.) With regards to the MRIs; When you consider the fact that they have a smaller population than we do I don't think it is that bad.
Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256
posted
Omega prefers a world where 5% of the population is wealthy, and the remaining 95% lives in poverty. Universal (goverment-financed) healthcare? Free education? Unemployment benefits? Nope, if he doesn't personally profit from it, it's an Evil Socialist Thing that needs to be eradicated.
Registered: Nov 1999
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quote:Oh, NO! They're gonna be able to get WIRETAPS slightly easier! We're doomed!
Bigger government is still bigger government. And one must question the motives of an administration whose press secretary has told Americans that they must "watch what they say."
posted
Nobody does it better.
Registered: Mar 1999
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capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709
posted
Ah yes the 'watch what you say' comment.. and 'now is not the time to criticize the administration'
In America IT IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT TIME TO CRITICIZE THE GOVERNMENT. We have a paper with some rights on it, and we thought that that one was so important, we put it first.
oh, and..
quote: doesn't that logic make Hitler a benevolent dictator?
There IS a difference between booting people out (deporting) and putting them in gas chambers. One is less severe and a good deal less permanent.
[ October 08, 2001: Message edited by: CaptainMike ]
-------------------- "Are you worried that your thoughts are not quite.. clear?"
Registered: Sep 2001
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"We have a paper with some rights on it, and we thought that that one was so important, we put it first."
Erm... Have you ever taken a look at the US constitution? There's a whole bunch of stuff that comes long before the freedom of speech. You do realize that the "amendments" were called that for a reason, right? They're the stuff that got left out the first time around, and got tacked on as afterthoughts.
capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709
posted
I was speaking of the bill of rights, specifically the first amendment. Not the constitution as a whole. The fact that the Bush administration admonished a member of the press to 'watch what he says' about criticizing them seems a little out of bounds. I'm not going to argue the semantics of what i said or whether or not that is the most important thing in the constitution. Im saying that its there, and is incredibly important to me.
-------------------- "Are you worried that your thoughts are not quite.. clear?"
Registered: Sep 2001
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quote:And one must question the motives of an administration whose press secretary has told Americans that they must "watch what they say."
You're AGAINST this?
Why, a major part of the Left-wing platform is getting laws on the books which not only cover what we SAY, but what we're allowed to THINK.
"PC Laws." "Hate speech" Laws. The people who classify a personalized licence plate that says 'GLOCK' as "Extremist." The people who lable you racist when you ask why a blacks-only organization is okay, but an all-white club isn't. Ring a bell?
"Watch what you say" is actually good advice, along the lines of "Don't yell 'fire' in a crowded theater" or "Don't yell 'HI, JACK!' you your buddy Jack when you meed him in the airport" or "Don't argue semantics with First of Two."
As for the "Amendments." The point missed is that the Bill of Rights, despite LOOKING like an afterthought, was most definitely NOT an afterthought.
It was only the guarantee that the Bill of Rights would be added in that form that enabled the Constitution to be passed by the delegates. If it hadn't, there would have been no Constitution. The Bill of Rights was ESSENTIAL.
[ October 08, 2001: Message edited by: First of Two ]
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
Registered: Mar 1999
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capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709
posted
If i want to say that i disagree with my goverment launching cruise missiles in the middle of the night at the Sudan and then lying to the general population as to the nature of what happened, and that it is a cowardly act, I will say it. I am allowed to elect them, I am allowed to criticize them. So is Bill Maher. Bill Maher should also be sensitive to the families of the dead, as a matter of course if he wants people to respect his integrity as a journalist. But in no way should the US government regulate what is an acceptable commentary for him to enter into. It is simply not allowed. The other things you mentioned are all points aching to be discussed, but were not the point at hand.
-------------------- "Are you worried that your thoughts are not quite.. clear?"
Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
Bill Maher's programs' advertisers went after him a heluva lot faster and more than the government has or ever will... which is their right, given that THEY ALSO have free speech (as, incidentally, do government officials.)
Or are you saying that the government can be criticized, but the media CAN'T?
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
) He told me so on AIM. As a matter of fact, he tried ever so hard to convince me that Canada was practically the U.S.S.R. in it's youth because *gasp* socalists were in power!!!! He stated that they have fewer rights (I have to note that he did not bother telling me exactly what rights Canadians didn't have that we do have.) and that they didn't have as many MRI machines as we do. (Don't ask we why he brought this to the table. He simply did.) With regards to the MRIs; When you consider the fact that they have a smaller population than we do I don't think it is that bad.
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