Glen D

@daughterofkarl

I don’t expect you or anyone else to be easy on me. It’s patronising and unhelpful. When I make a mistake in fact or in logic, I hope to be pulled up on it, so I can continue learning. That  is something I intend to do until I die or until the men with the butterfly nets come for me.

I’m not a strong philosopher, having had only…[Read more]

@daughterof karl

I was responding to this:

“To be fair, the same could be said to be true of almost every civilization that ever achieved ascendancy on the world stage, whether it’s the French slaughtering the Huguenots, or the English starving the Irish. Genocide and slavery were not unique to America, nor did genocide and slavery not occur i…[Read more]

“I love to hear variations on the “Hey, everybody was doing it” kind of excuse. Mom and Dad didn’t buy it.”

Nor should they; the argument is  based on a Tu qouque (you too) logical fallacy.

If the USA was founded on theft, murder and genocide, the charges must be answered by themselves.  What other countries did is irrelevant.

The fallacy…[Read more]

Reading all this stuff caused a couple of  I’m sure unhelpful aphorisms to pop into my head;

“The best argument against democracy is to spend 1o minutes speaking with the average voter” (Winston Churchill)

“A nation gets the government it deserves” (anon)

I’m not convinced that’s necessarily true of say China and North Korea. However, it…[Read more]

@ivy

“I’m sure lots of people might laugh at that, but you know this is how dictators get started”

I’m not sure that’s true as a broad principle. Seems more like a slippery slope fallacy.

So far, I’ve not interpreted  the US situation  the same way. However, that’s not to say  you’re wrong. You may well be right on the money. I truly hope not,…[Read more]

@Ivy

My perception is that no one has ever had a democracy within the commonly accepted notion of “rule by the majority”.

Athenian democracy was actually  rule by referendum. IE all eligible voters voted on all important issues. Voters did not include women or slaves, approx. 2/3 of the population.

Not entirely convinced that  a claim of d…[Read more]

@_Robert_

British cousins?  No, no, I said English which is NOT the same.

The UK includes the previously separate kingdoms of Scotland, Wales and a chunk of Ireland.

MY people are 100% Irish Celt, on both sides. NO English interlopers in MY genes.

PS: I’m only taking the piss. I believe the Americans use the fragrant expression “breaking…[Read more]

I really like smart, clever  TV ads. Below are some favourite beer commercials.

A father, mother and baby tomato were walking along the pavement. Baby falls behind. Father turns around, punches him, squashing him, and says  ” catch up!”

@_Robert_

Thanks for that.  I wasn’t aware rabbits were that smart.  I have heard them scream in distress.

I don’t suppose they can be house trained?

Cute animals, even though we Aussies are meant to hate them. They are part of the national culture.

The clip below is one of my favourite a TV ads ever:”The Great Wall Of China” (.45 s…[Read more]

“Many people regard The United States Constitution as a work of political genius”

Yes, I believe that’s true. My opinion is that the US declaration of Independence and Constitution are at the same time probably two of the most inspired political documents ever written and among the most cynical and disingenuous.

“The framers of The Constitution…[Read more]

@_Robert_

I love wabbits, especially curried.

My next door neighbour has two, kept in a hutch on the front lawn, white as in your photo.

It’s great actually because my Jack Russell loves rabbits. So when he gets out, he heads straight for the rabbits, and runs around the hutch barking at them. Makes him much easier to catch.

Rabbits are not…[Read more]

@ivy

I think believers are only ordinary people. (Most are VERY ordinary). They  believe for a lot of different reasons.**

I guess some prison conversions are genuine. However, I understand prison authorities are suspicious. EG when a 3oo pound Hell’s Angel called tree trunk claims he has found Jesus.

I’m sure some people  in prison really d…[Read more]

Young Glen ,age 5, is at the mall, all alone, crying his eyes out.

A rent -a-cop comes up; “What’s the matter sonny?”

Glen (blubbering): ” I’ve lost my grandpa!”

Rent-a- cop : “Oh my goodness, what’s he like?”

Glen: “Cuban cigars ,single malt scotch and women with big tits”

At a suicide bombers training camp.

The instructor says:

” Right lads, stand back and pay close attention. I’m only going to show you this once———-

(with apologies to Billy Connolly)

2cents

“But your Psyche can only become immortal through the rebirth. Your psyche becomes inmortal, but remains naked after you die and joins with Christ. But the unsaved don’t have immortal psyches. Their psyches are destroyed in Gehenna which is Hellfire.”

Interesting although unoriginal claims. Of course you can prove them? If you c…[Read more]

Point of order:

Under the parliamentary system of democracy, used in the UK , Australia an other commonwealth Countries, the Prime Minister is simply the head of the party which forms government.  He is neither the CIC nor head of government. Queen Elizabeth is the Australian Head Of State. Her representative is The Governor General,  chosen by t…[Read more]

@_Robert_

I retired from the civil service, and paid employment at age 51. As luck would have it, I worked with a guy who had written 2 books on Commonwealth Superannuation. I took his advice. The result has been a comfortable retirement. I live in ‘modest comfort’.IE  I can afford that new car every few years, perhaps a trip overseas. AND of co…[Read more]

tom sarbeck wrote:
Ivy, at 88 years, five months and 17 days, I’m a lifelong learner. IMO, education is worth multiple damns but books are one of many sources. If you’re bored, try politics. It’s personal relationships of a rather intense kind.

Good for you Tom. I’m a few  years younger ,but couldn’t agree more.

I did all of my further educat…

[Read more]