Comments

  • “That’s not an argument”
    Statement of opinion, no reason for your opinions given in this paragraph.Sir2u

    No, a descriptive statement based on experience. You know, an “observation.” But it’s hilarious you think it’s an “opinion” that needs “reasons.”

    “I notice a lot of people are falling down stairs.”

    “That’s your opinion! What are your REASONS for this opinion? Not an argument!”

    Good lord.

    About wankers that have taken an introduction to philosophy course in high school and thought that the 5 ideas they got from reading about ten philosophers were the only ones that counted and everyone else was dumb because they did not agree with them.Sir2u

    Cool.

    If you did not have your head stuck so far up your arse that you can lick your own cerebellum you might have responded more reasonably when I posted this.Sir2u

    I did— I had a laugh, thinking it was a joke. When you started going on about it, I was quickly disabused of that notion.

    Try to read the room a little better. This rant piece is me offering an observation and, yes, an argument. It’s very personal and not meant to be taken too seriously. Yes, of course not everyone uses the phrase wrong. Yes, the definition I offer for “argument” isn’t the final word on the matter. Yes, it doesn’t really annoy me as much as I let on — that’s just a little humor, you see. Etc.

    Why anyone would choose to turn a goofy post (in the lounge) about people over-using a phrase into a “serious” academic discussion is beyond me. But you do you. I’ll give you the last word if you like— that’s all I have to say.
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank
    one cannot colonise the land to which one is indigenous to.BitconnectCarlos

    Yeah I’m sure every American will gladly give up their home and property if and when Native Americans declare it to be theirs. (Despite having a much more convincing claim than Zionists).

    IOW, almost a genocide!RogueAI

    Yeah, we all get that you have no clue what genocide means. How hilarious that 10,000 dead children would be considered such. Everything must be genocide— or nothing must be.
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank
    Everything is genocideBitconnectCarlos

    obviously genocideRogueAI

    10,000 children murdered after decades of living in an Israeli-made concentration camp. But definitely not genocide, because — again — Israel doesn’t do that. :up:
  • “That’s not an argument”
    That's the most compelling argument I've read today.Vera Mont

    That one was more of a statement. An encouragement, if you will. As in, “I encourage you to fuck off and to stick your nonsense up your ass.”

    But I agree it’s compelling.
  • The American Gun Control Debate
    I asked because I read you as saying that the 2008 interpretation was finally the correct and original interpretation, which I disagree with.tim wood

    Okay— my wording was ambiguous. It should have read: many people think the 2nd amendment gives everyone the right to a gun, and that this is what it has always meant— but really it was only (re)-interpreted this way in 2008.
  • Ukraine Crisis
    That's it? What the Ukrainians wanted has nothing to do with it?jorndoe

    Ukraine wouldn’t have lasted a month without US involvement.

    If you seriously doubt this is a proxy war, you really don’t have a clue about what’s happening.

    Of course what Ukrainians want is important. What the Sudanese want is important. I just don’t see the US caring much about the latter.
  • The American Gun Control Debate
    My invitation to you was for you to make the bridge, not to refer me to a video.tim wood

    Your question was poorly worded. What “bridge”? There is no bridge. What the fuck are you talking about?

    And original intent is in itself absurd.tim wood

    No kidding. The Heller decision was awful. As was Bruen. What’s the point?
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank


    Yes, and I do deeply hate and blame the organization that is currently conducting a genocide and has said repeatedly it wants to ethnically cleanse Gaza.

    And on and on we go. Maybe one day you’ll wake the fuck up.
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank

    Exactly. Just blame Hamas.

    We had to turn Gaza into a concentration camp and murder 10s of thousands of innocent people — because Hamas.
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank
    Iran launched a broad aerial attack on Israel from its territory on Saturday, in retaliation for a deadly Israeli airstrike in early April on the Iranian Embassy complex in Damascus, the Israeli military and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps said.

    Just before 2 a.m. local time, air-raid sirens sounded across southern Israel. The government sent out dozens of warnings about possible missiles and aircraft arriving in the Negev Desert, where there are several military bases.

    https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/13/world/israel-iran-gaza-war-news

    This can’t be great. Another bonehead move by Israel.
  • The American Gun Control Debate
    Scalia's reading of the 2A as guaranteeing a right to guns for self-defense is simply a brutal misreading of the plain English of its 27 words - as well as the intentions of the founders. And one wonders why he did it.tim wood

    And why did the other four go along?
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank
    To insist on zero civilian deathsBitconnectCarlos

    Nope. Some is expected. 10,000 children? No.
  • “That’s not an argument”
    Otherwise we have what the something like the OP is and claims to be against, just a bunch of statements.Sir2u

    So at first I thought you were joking— now I realize you’re exactly the kind of goofball I was talking about. You actually come here and say “saying that’s not an argument is annoying when it’s misused is not an argument.”

    Actually, it is. Yes, it’s also a rant post, but there are reasons given: people improperly use the phrase for anything they don’t understand or don’t agree with, basically to sound smart. I’ve encountered it many times. When people do that, it’s annoying. That’s my “argument.” It’s not word salad, and it’s not ONLY “I hate when people say xyz.”

    Not more complicated than that. You seem to be struggling with it, but it’s likely because you often employ the phrase yourself and take offense to the OP. Too bad. Don’t like it, feel free to fuck off.
  • The American Gun Control Debate
    There are 400 million+ guns in America. It's easy for criminals to get their hands on one. Law-abiding citizens should have access to guns to counter the threat and that requires gun manufacturers.RogueAI

    Was this copy-and-pasted from the NRA?

    I invite you to be the very first to build the bridge that connects the 2A with any modern interpretation of it.tim wood

    This is interesting…

  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank
    I think that's why Bibi's initial reaction to the attack was so extreme. This was certainly no blessing.Tzeentch

    A blessing for their long-sought desire. But the reality is clearly different, yes. Like making themselves a pariah.
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank
    Did you hear about the 14 year Israeli shepherd boy abducted and murdered in the West Bank yesterday?BitconnectCarlos

    Hey did you hear about the 10,000 children murdered the past few months? Oh yeah, you only care when it’s an Israeli kid. :up:

    You have no good response to this one.BitconnectCarlos

    :lol: Delusional, as always. But great job plugging your ears along with your eyes.

    Are you an American, Mikie? Would you be a fair target for a terrorist angry at America's actions?BitconnectCarlos

    No, see I’m the one against killing innocent civilians.

    You’re in favor of it— provided, of course, it’s done with good intentions.
  • Ukraine Crisis
    It's not a proxy war to themssu

    I’m sure the Greek communists didn’t think so either. Or the Vietnamese. So what?
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank
    For me the enemy is always the enemy combatants, fighters or servicemen. Legal or illegal. Not the civilians.ssu

    True, but Israel can’t always be sure. I think their attitude is exactly the one that’s been adopted for decades: the entire population is the enemy. No need to question why — like the fact that Gaza is a concentration camp. That’s irrelevant history.

    October 7th was a blessing for Likud. It finally provided them with a reaction that was hideous enough to use as pretext for their long-desired ethnic cleansing. So it goes.

    We smash you over the head for decades, and now we’re going to murder you for lashing out. Lashing out with the wrong intentions in your heart is immoral, after all. Only Israel knows how to APPROPRIATELY murder babies.
  • Health
    Avoid ultra processed food at all costs.Christoffer

    :up:

    What counts as ultra-processed?
  • Health
    Finally got it down to a decent routine. Here’s my current schedule (in case you want to doze off):

    (A) Mondays:

    - squats
    - military press
    - rows
    - dynamic lunges

    Tuesday:

    - carries
    - core workout
    - HIIT training

    (B) wednesday:

    - Deadlifts
    - bench press
    - static lunges
    - pullups (or lat pulldowns)

    Thursday: same as Tuesday

    Friday: same as Monday.

    SAT and SUN: Rest days.

    I rotate so that I do B twice a week and then back to A and so on.

    It SUCKS! But it’s been worthwhile
  • “That’s not an argument”
    With you, nothing is certain even with the emoji.L'éléphant

    I’m a volatile one, I admit.
  • The American Gun Control Debate
    The goofy second amendment, which was only re-interpreted to mean what we think it always has in 2008, should be abolished.

    Gun manufacturers, their lobby, their propaganda, and the dupes that fall for it, have done enough damage and killed enough children. In a rational society they’d be in prison, or worse. May they rot in hell.
  • “That’s not an argument”


    I mean, I did add that winking emoji.
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank
    Let’s take the absurd number of Hamas fighters killed at face value. 40,000 - 13,000. I’m no math genius, but 27,000 more to go?

    At this rate, given that the total number of innocents dead is probably closer to 100,000 or more, looks like Israel’s goal of ethnic cleansing will be seen through to the very end, international condemnation be damned.

    They deserve to be a pariah at this point. Even the dopey US — the provider of the weapons — is slowly waking up thanks to the breaking away from mainstream media propaganda.
  • “That’s not an argument”


    :yawn:

    Don’t overthink it. This is an opinion piece. Or better: a rant piece in which I express my annoyance at stupid bullshit.
  • Ukraine Crisis
    Russia proposed to give back all the territory they conquered during the invasion in exchange for Ukrainian neutrality. It's the West who blocked that deal. The Ukrainian delegation put its signature under it, whether you like it or not.

    The "Russian territorial greed" narrative is swept off the table, and so is the narrative that the West is preoccupied in any way with the well-being of Ukraine.
    Tzeentch

    :up:

    I heard Mitt Romney say that if Putin isn’t stopped he’ll attack NATO counties and try to conquer all of Eastern Europe. :lol:

    It’s just silly at this point. Ukraine will lose this proxy war, but hopefully not many more lives will have to be sacrificed.
  • Climate Change (General Discussion)
    Biden Administration Raises Costs to Drill and Mine on Public Lands

    For the first time since 1920, the government has raised the rates that companies pay. The fossil fuel industry says it will hurt the economy.

    About time.

    Any time the fossil fuel industry says something will “hurt the economy,” what they mean is: now we’ll have to gouge consumers even more to maintain our returns for our billionaire masters.

    Supporters say the changes announced Friday will better compensate taxpayers for fossil fuel extraction on federal lands, and that they will prevent taxpayers from footing the bill for cleanup of abandoned oil and gas wells. After ending their drilling operations or going out of business, fossil fuel companies have walked away from thousands of wells, leaving the sites leaking greenhouse gases and toxic substances such as arsenic and benzene.

    The bipartisan infrastructure law of 2021 provided a record $4.7 billion for states’ efforts to plug these “orphan” wells. But the federal funding may make only a small dent in the problem, with some experts estimating that there could be millions of undiscovered orphan wells across the country.

    “There are costs of doing business, and the industry should shoulder the costs of cleanup for their operations,” said Autumn Hanna, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan watchdog group. “They’re extracting oil and gas from public lands for their own profit, and those resources are owned by taxpayers, who should not be left to shoulder the cleanup costs themselves.”

    Kate Groetzinger, communications manager at the Center for Western Priorities, a conservation group, said the changes are “only fair” after the country’s largest oil and gas companies reported their biggest annual profits in a decade last year. ExxonMobil reported $36 billion in earnings, while Chevron netted $21.4 billion.
  • “That’s not an argument”
    "That's begging the question."Vera Mont

    Oh god, yes. I nearly forgot about that one. How many people who use “begging the question” actually know what it means? Maybe 10%, in my experience. The one’s who do understand it almost never use it.

    I think people just like trotting out terms they think come from “philosophy.” About the only thing that occurs regularly is strawmaning, which isn’t so complicated.
  • What Are You Watching Right Now?


    “We don’t pay mooks.”
  • Mindset and approach to reading The Republic?
    If you've read The Republic, how did you approach it?dani

    When I first read it, I was thinking it wouldn’t live up to the hype. But I was wrong — it really is important. It shouldn’t be intimidating, but I can understand why it would be, given — again —the way it’s been built up.

    I’ve re-read it a few times and I also remember liking Will Durant’s synopsis of it. Happy reading!
  • It’s Bizarre That These People Are Still Alive
    And just how many persons from 1967 would know many from that list?ssu

    I’ve gradually added to the list. It made more sense in the original list. But good point.

    Madonna, 122 years.ssu

    Hopefully not. Good lord.
  • “That’s not an argument”
    There is nothing wrong with pointing out a fallacy or saying "that's not an argument" so long as they at least offer an explanation for their comments.L'éléphant

    Sorry, but simply saying there is nothing wrong with it is not an argument.

    :wink:
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)


    I hope you’re right. I’m not so convinced about the senate though.
  • Climate Change (General Discussion)
    When two climate geniuses agree, you know you’re on the right track. :victory:
  • Climate Change (General Discussion)
    People are not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to transition away from fossil fuels.RogueAI

    People make sacrifices all the time, especially for the oil industry. Whether they know it or not. The assessment that everyone needs to “sacrifice” for a green transition in the first place is silly — but even if true, since we all do it all the time anyway, it’s really yet another way of justifying the status quo. “Nothing can be done— the people don’t want to sacrifice!”

    No thanks. If you feel nothing can be done, then go on doing nothing.

    We're going to have to either hope for some tech miracle, hope the Earth is self-regulating in some way as to prevent warming from getting too bad, or geo-engineering our way out of it.RogueAI

    Yes, because your expert knowledge on this issue is definitely worth paying attention to. :up:
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank
    But really this is just given to divert attention and responsibility from Gaza. “But hey, what about all the OTHER bad things happening in the world?”Mikie

    So U.S. consumers aren't supporting China when they buy hundreds of billions of cheap Chinese crap every year?RogueAI

    :ok:

    Perfection.