13-05-2004 23:09									#91
	Remove this text

I know it was the first But if we start with ancient Rome, then move on to Byzantine times the fourth crusade shouldn't be forgotten!

	14-05-2004 00:09									#92
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I wasn't questioning the Normans iirc they were hired as mercenaries by the Commenii as well, and went insane after not being paid, destroying Fortifications in Asia Minor. Norman mercenaries were bastards.

	14-05-2004 00:44									#93
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I heard that in some Byzantine church (or was it even the Hagia Sophia) one can find Norse names cut in with a knife in a bench. Seemingly, a Nordic mercenary was exceedingly bored at mass...

	14-05-2004 00:49									#94
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quote: Originally posted by Q Cubed quote: Welcome to the party, COMRADE! you do realize i'm for the abolishment of all political parties, no matter their persuasions, right? this would mean that there ought not be any communist party, no libertarian party, no democratic party, no republican party, no reform party, no socialist party, no x party at all, just direct democracy for people to vote on issues as they see fit. parties are damaging to democracies, and i refuse to believe that "voting republican" will result in my being better off in the long run. why? because we've voted for democrats and republicans in the past long enough for the long run to be now and we have jack **** to show for it.

dear god you don't want direct democracy on everything... HELL NO

You don't want the majority of dopes making stupid laws... trust me.

	14-05-2004 00:52									#95
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Yeah, it's bad enough dopes like Sava can vote .

	14-05-2004 00:53									#96
	Got spare money?

seriously!

	14-05-2004 03:31									#99
	Increase Your PM Length

quote: dear god you don't want direct democracy on everything... HELL NO You don't want the majority of dopes making stupid laws... trust me.

well, i don't want easily manipulated and misinformed dolts making stupid laws, either *cough* DMCA *cough*

	14-05-2004 04:08									#100
	Put an end to popups!

And you think if we had direct democracy we would have something better than what we have with elected representatives? With direct democracy gay marriages would be banned, abortion would be banned, and who knows what else.

	14-05-2004 04:09									#101
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Thats why you have a constitution, to protect the rights of the minority, surely?

	14-05-2004 05:06									#102
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quote: And you think if we had direct democracy we would have something better than what we have with elected representatives? With direct democracy gay marriages would be banned, abortion would be banned, and who knows what else.

at least then the blame for idiotic policies could then be placed where it belongs--on the people.
and the glories could then be placed where they belong too--on the people.

none of this bullshit where halfwits claim all the glory because they voted some **** in not because they believed, but because their party boss told them to.

none of this bullshit where dumbasses shift blame to the other political party because the other party hates you and your mother while they themselves want to be your best friend.

	17-05-2004 12:53									#103
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I'm afraid the U.S. has bitten off more than we can chew.

We are ill equipped to deal with the middle east.

I think this the beginning of the end for the U.S. as a superpower. There are a few scenarios that can happen. You can choose whichever, but I'm sure one of them will happen.

	17-05-2004 13:04									#104
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quote: Originally posted by Evil Knevil and that would make us better than the terrorists... how?

It is wrong to assume americans are better than terrorists.

Humans are all created equal. Our DNA is pretty much the same. This is credited from humans being decended from a relatively small group of humans.

It has nothing to do with being better than the terrorists. Eventually it will come to a point when terrorists start detonating nuclear devices in major U.S. cities. When that happens, I do propose to annhilate every last middle eastern city. maybe the french one's too just to be safe.

	17-05-2004 13:10									#105
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quote: Originally posted by Q Cubed quote: Actually Bush is a very honest man and there is little-no corruption in this adminstration. Bush is one of the most honest presidents ever. If we vote for the idiot Kerry we would surrender to Al Qaeda. bull****ingshit. sorry, but after his behavior in trying to justify the invasion of iraq based on hazy wmd when liberation would have been enough for me, or hiring people who don't seem to understand the simple fact that asking cbs to hold off on broadcasting the news isn't an "immediate release"... or how 'bout his shafting parents who earn less than thirty thou from a tax break meant for working families with children? or how 'bout his new medicare plan that makes me pay for it? bull****ingshit. i understand all presidents lie. i understand that all in all, he's no less honest than most before him. that doesn't mean that he's a good guy. nothing short of a complete and utter revolution that destroys the abominable two-party republic system and brings direct democracy to the american people will suffice in bringing back citizen's leadership to this country.

why should parents irresponsible enough to have children get tax breaks and not me? (I make less than 30,000 a year). That's bullshit.

I want a flat tax I'm tired of people with children getting all these breaks.

	17-05-2004 13:43									#106
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one more question:

Why can't the United States become an isolationist nation again? Is it really that bad. Is another world war likely?

After watching the history channel program on the rise and fall of the spartans, it is interesting to note how the rise to power corrupted them. Only after they fully appreciated their power, did it corrupt them, and cause them to become more imperialist.

down with imperialism

	17-05-2004 23:27									#107
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quote: why should parents irresponsible enough to have children get tax breaks and not me? (I make less than 30,000 a year). That's bullshit. I want a flat tax I'm tired of people with children getting all these breaks.

perhaps i wasn't clear about that zinger.

bush said that it would apply to all families with children, and would help those who most need it.

for some odd reason, as much as i hate taxation, i was under the impression that a family of four who earns less than thirty thousand needs a bit more money than a family of four who earns over fifty thousand.

	17-05-2004 23:29									#108
	Tired of ads?

then they shouldn't have 4 children.

What amazes me is that birth control is so widely available, yet no one uses it. Although I have to slam the conservatives on this one. Recently they have been trying to supress birth control and preach abstinance

	17-05-2004 23:33									#109
	Suffering from ads?

quote: Reflecting on the beheading.... I'll have to bite my tounge on Bush's domestic policy. And yes he has screwed up in Iraq. But is Kerry going to be as effective in dealing with Terrorists? This concerns me quite a bit. Anyone convince me that Kerry can/will do Justice to these fiends? Next thing Al Qaeda will do is try to behead or set fire to a child. These monsters must be stopped. These people are not even people, they are demons in the literal sense. I'm not happy how ineffective Bush has been so far in dealing with the terrorists (Osama is still at large), but I'm afraid that Kerry might do an even worse job. His live and let live policy will lead to horrible things, that Bush has made viable.

thats an interesting decision, and its got parralels to what is going on today.

Palestinian: the IDF killed my brother (who was going to work) in a bombing , im going to support Al Aksa if it will make these terrorists pay.

Muslim: the US soldiers tortured these people. I will support Al Qaeda if it will make these barbarians pay.

how is this reaction justified, but those not?

	17-05-2004 23:43									#110
	Tired of ads?

quote: then they shouldn't have 4 children. What amazes me is that birth control is so widely available, yet no one uses it. Although I have to slam the conservatives on this one. Recently they have been trying to supress birth control and preach abstinance

i'm not arguing about that, diss. what i'm saying is that bush wasn't telling the truth when he said that his tax cut for children went towards those who most needed it.

last time i checked, that counts as a lie, which is all i was pointing out.

whether or not those people should be breeding is a completely different topic.

	17-05-2004 23:49									#111
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: Originally posted by Dissident then they shouldn't have 4 children. What amazes me is that birth control is so widely available, yet no one uses it. Although I have to slam the conservatives on this one. Recently they have been trying to supress birth control and preach abstinance

You seem to forget that children are a social capital. No children -or immigrants, no one to wash your bottom when you're old. It's already a severe problem with the birth rates (not so much in the US, but in Europe). I can't understand how having children can be so exclusively bad to you.
It's highly disadvantageous to have children in our societies, that's why so few people have some (or more than one), thus it should be made rather more attractive by laws than less. The problem is how to make having children (and being good parents) compatible with female emancipation though, that's the mos timportant and difficult task for the legislator in this issue, IMO.
The only thing I can agree with you is the last bit. Those guys are really a

	18-05-2004 00:20									#112
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but we suffer from overpopulation. we don't need more people

It's mainly the immigration birth rates in my country that need to be curtailed. Maybe if that damn pope would die, and we could get another pope in who supports birth control. I can see being against abortion, but birth control?

Mexican immigrants who are largely catholic, are having too many children. They are too poor to support all these children.

Although I'm not sure if the catholic church supporting birth control will have any effect. There needs to be better access to birth control. You shouldn't have to go to a doctor to get birth control for women. They recently shot down the over the counter day after pill for women, I wish they hadn't done that.

	18-05-2004 00:21									#113
	Increase the size of your Attachments

hehe, check this out.

Doonsberry cartoon about beheading. What are the odds these two events would happen nearly the same time.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/e...t_id=1000512099

	18-05-2004 01:35									#114
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident but we suffer from overpopulation. we don't need more people It's mainly the immigration birth rates in my country that need to be curtailed. Maybe if that damn pope would die, and we could get another pope in who supports birth control. I can see being against abortion, but birth control? Mexican immigrants who are largely catholic, are having too many children. They are too poor to support all these children. Although I'm not sure if the catholic church supporting birth control will have any effect. There needs to be better access to birth control. You shouldn't have to go to a doctor to get birth control for women. They recently shot down the over the counter day after pill for women, I wish they hadn't done that.

Well, one things seems sure: We live in areas with completely different situations, as population in the Mojave Desert seems to grow, while in Styria it' shrinking.
Surely, globally, less children would be desirable, but each society for itself has to seek to achieve a healthy "aging pyramid" or it will have problems, either by too many children producing overpopulation or having severe social problems by being an over-aged society with a too small segment of working population to sustain all the old people (a problem most of Europe is currently facing).

The catholic church adopting birth control would be very important. Not just because so many people would follow suit immediately, but much of the aid personnel in third world countries are catholic and other christian, so this embracement would ease to incorporate birth control education by catholics.

One more thing, I think, you shouldn't forget in the case of Mexican immigrants: They generally see their children also as a capital for aging, as the family network is responsible for aiding the old people.