Harley–To echo motivmagus’ point, I question your rhetoric. When the gov creates policies that close loopholes for the wealthy and get them to contribute the country’s prosperity, it is class warfare. But when the gov create policies that give wealthy individuals and corporations gov handouts and allows them to pass on the responsibility of their poor decisions to the middle-class, working-class, and poor, that’s what? Business as usual?
@ petergrt, you are mistaken. The purpose of the rhetorical question (otherwise known as a Socratic question) IS to engage the other person in dialogue for the purpose of coming to THE Truth. Thus, according to Plato, your concession becomes an admission of Ken’s truth.
“When those of you on the Left complain about the ills of the Republicans, many of us conservatives will agree to a certain extent. That does not, however, point the way to the Left as a better alternative.”
HabaneroBuck supports my point…
“The Left is a more accelerated rate of national suicide than the Republicans. Comprende?”
One of the reasons, and certainly not the only reason, is that “We The People” want to treat politics like a team sport. People want to feel like they are rooting for the winning team. And just like you will see people becoming rabid and manic about their team–the Red Sox, the Blue Devils, the ‘Boys, the Lake Show (Oh yeah… that’s LA. No one gets rabid about sports in LA)–they want their political team to win at all costs, even if they cheat (look at all of the people who have justified their winning team’s use of steroids or the Pats filming their opponents play calling) by lying to the public (both sides do it).
And the media does not help. What is the difference between Around the Horn and Glen Beck or Keith Oberman? They need tension to get ratings–even if they have to force the issue and fabricate it. Listening to moderates give thoughtful, relatively unbiased analysis of current situations is not sexy. But it is informative (and helps me develop empathy for people who do not think like me–something that a lot of people who post here should learn to do).
“We the People” need to realize that “We” are on the same team and if we do not, we have the capacity to destroy ourselves because we would rather clench our fists than reach out our hands to those we disagree with.
Yes, but may the better person be the one to say “enough” and treat others with respect. This is much better than pointing fingers at each other and saying, “So and So started it!” We CAN be better than our politicians.
“it refers to people enlisting to serve large portions of their lives AWAY from home surrounded by mostly members of the same sex.”
And just because they are gay and they are surrounded by other men does not mean that they want to get together with any of them. These gay men may be in committed relationships with someone who is staying stateside. They think the rest of the soldiers in their unit are ugly. Or they may think that they are jerks. It is the same with women in the military; the men and women do not necessarily have to be attracted to each other.
Churchill: Unfortunately you are correct about the danger to gays who out themselves, especially in the Marines (as they discussed on NPR today). But if the brass lets the soldiers know that such violence will not be tolerated, if they take on a leadership role, with this issue, then the number of incidents will be mitigated. If the only leadership on this issue is from the commander in chief, then culture will not change.
Irish–A man could feel just as threatened or vulnerable when a women who he has no intentions of getting together with (maybe in a bar rather than a shower) is looking at him in ways that does not make him feel comfortable. So why is it different when it is a man?
Also, just because you are a man standing naked next to a gay man does not necessarily mean he wants to get with you. He may thinking that you have a flabby butt and has no attraction to you. Many homosexuals are not predators; no more than heterosexuals.
Harley–To echo motivmagus’ point, I question your rhetoric. When the gov creates policies that close loopholes for the wealthy and get them to contribute the country’s prosperity, it is class warfare. But when the gov create policies that give wealthy individuals and corporations gov handouts and allows them to pass on the responsibility of their poor decisions to the middle-class, working-class, and poor, that’s what? Business as usual?