the republicans attack on the liberal left
Posted on: August 25, 2012 - 4:32pm
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the republicans attack on the liberal left
ive been hearing for a good long time now that liberals are destroying america.. and that comment about rape that everyones discussing so much i heard my republican father in law say "what he said and what he meant were two different things it just came out wrong" now i dont know whos trying to destroy whom but liberals by far are the most despised among conservatives. im not a political animal im just reaching out for some help on the subject for which i dont know much about.... any feedback would be helpful
Chris
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I don't know how or why, but the left and right in the US hate each other so much that I'm rather shocked it hasn't manifested in public incidents more than it has.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Well, the conservatives believe that allowing certain freedoms (seems to be mostly sexual freedoms these days), that society will descend into anarchy. They provide no reason for this (although sometimes a religious excuse is inserted).
As far as Todd Akin...he was speaking about abortion in cases of rape. He wants abortion to be illegal even in such a situation. He said two things basically, one deliberate, and one perhaps a grave error in the choice of words department. Firstly, he implied that women have some sort of a biological mechanism that prevents pregnancy in cases of rape. There is absolutely ZERO evidence to indicate such a thing, and he should be ashamed for making that crap up (or believing it from someone who made it up). A complete idiot named Stephen Freind attempted to perpetuate the same crap in 1988, saying it's "almost impossible" because the female body during rape "secretes a certain secretion" that tends to kill sperm. It's made up garbage that they try to make sound scientific (and do a remarkably terrible job at that).
Now the second thing he said is his implication that this shut-down mechanism operates during a "legitimate rape". That is a very clear implication that his view is not all rapes are legitimate. He is heavily implying that while somebody is being violated in one of the worst ways possible, that they are enjoying it. It is beyond abhorrent that he would imply anything of the sort.
Theists - If your god is omnipotent, remember the following: He (or she) has the cure for cancer, but won't tell us what it is.
The name calling is harmful to our society. The liberals are not destroying America. The conservatives are not destroying America. We can agree to disagree politely on our differences, we do not have to resort to demonizing the other side.
I am concerned because demonizing a group of people is one of the first steps to serious conflict. You must reduce the other side to - "them" - "they" are not like us - "they" are not in "our" group - "they" are nasty awful people.
Which may or may not be true, but it does not further the conversation and get us to some place where we can work with each other and solve our very real problems.
It is not just liberal and conservative, it can be race, eye color, hair style, clothes, socioeconomic status. One study was done where people were placed in two groups randomly - and they developed the "us" and "them" mentality very quickly. So aggressive did they start to become that the psychologists conducting the experiment quickly changed it to cooperative exercises so as to reduce the animosity. Social psychologists call this out-group mentality and it is common to every human group we have ever seen. It is not always characterized by animosity, anger, and name calling. But it has that negative feeling more often than not.
After we isolate the other group, we up the ante by making them a threat to our own well being. It doesn't matter if they are or are not a threat. We tell each other stories and increase our fear of the "other".
Next is stereotyping and discrimination. Stereotypes may be handy short cuts for social interactions. They are not always negative. So, if I see someone dressed neatly with a briefcase walking down the street, I will make the assumption they are a professional person. They may not be, but for how I interact with them, it is likely close enough for casual conversation. Stereotypes are often not handy or positive attitudes and beliefs about other people we assign to an out-group. And these stereotypes can lead to discriminatory behavior.
So we assign people to an out-group, liberals. Then we assert they are destroying our country/home/America. Then we apply stereotypes - they are all bleeding hearts, they are all satan worshiping atheists (I'm just repeating nonsense I have heard!), they want to steal our money, they want government to rule our lives. Then we discriminate - we don't talk to anyone we know is a liberal, we don't invite them for dinner, we make disparaging remarks in public, we may not rent to someone based on their politics, or welcome them in our social activities.
Which may lead - eventually, if continued and escalated - to violence against the out group. What has saved us so far, I believe, is that the nasty liberals were not retaliating. They were not playing the game of demonizing the other side - until recently. And now I am very concerned for the future unless we stop this nonsense.
-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.
"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken
"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.
http://dontvoteobama.net/ i stumbled opoun this website its a big anti obama movement website... let me know what ya think.. ALSO ive heard conservatives saying that obama along with the epa is trying to push alternative energy due to shortage on oil or something in order to make money from developing altertanitive fuels. and that the us stockpile of petrol is enough to last us for a LONNG time. and he also went on to state that when the epa was supposidly threatening to shut down coal and polluting power plants in texas the governer sued them or something.. now i dont know how accurate this information is but it seems like its fox news talking or that narccisitic asshole bill o reily... but i also watched that aaron ra video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obHxrBZfKis but i keep getting loads of input from both liberal and conservative sources and to be honest i dont know really who to believe more... as an atheist im liberal by nature i guess but who the hell knows... any ideas anybody?
Chris
If US oil reserves were able to last a long time, we Canadians wouldn't be drilling tar sands in Alberta and trying to set up a pipeline to the US.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
This isn't really the black/white paint face episode of the Original Star Trek episode, if anyone has seen it.
Our progress has had these divisive tones much worse in our history, although economically it is getting to the point of absurdity dancing next to the cliff.
But it isn't that the left hates the right as much, although the right does hate the left. It is the parent of the two telling the brat that we let them play with their toys and they fucked things up and now it is time to put the toys away and grow up. The right uses social issues to distract all of us from the fact it is nothing but the brat getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Big money wants you distracted from your own self interest and social issues are the way to do it.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
There are downsides to using fossil fuels other than the finite amount of the fuels. Yes, we have enough fossil fuels for a long time - how long, I don't believe anyone knows for sure. But why wait until they are gone before we explore and develop alternatives? Also, they pollute the air - maybe some of these people don't remember what it was like before the clean air act. I do. And I have been in LA when the smog was so bad the air outside was yellow brown and you could not see as far as the nearest sidewalk, let alone across the street. It is very seldom that bad now, thanks to the laws put in place both by the federal and California governments. Our cars run cleaner everywhere because of the strict CA laws.
As for making money off of alternative fuels - what? Of course people are looking to have a good return on their investments. And if you are thinking far enough ahead, of course, you will invest in alternative fuels. Fossil fuels are finite - it doesn't matter if you believe they are formed from ancient - really ancient - living things or if you believe it is a mineral process like some of the creationists do. Fossil fuels will run out one day and they cause pollution. A nice, clean, renewable source (or at least one that doesn't take millions of years to renew) makes economic sense, doesn't it?
Since a major portion of the Texan economy is based on fossil fuels, it is no wonder a number of them might be against funding alternative fuels. I wouldn't be at all surprised some people in Texas would view this as direct - and unfair - competition.
What I think are some no-brainer beliefs:
1. Fossil fuels are finite and they take a very long time to replenish.
2. Fossil fuels pollute the air and can pollute ground water if not handled properly.
3. Alternative fuels may be available that are renewable and pollute less.
4. Proactive is always better than reactive. "A stitch in time saves nine."
-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.
"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken
"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.
I am in totally agreement with CJ. When I was a teenager for work I crossed the Woodrow Wilson bridge daily from VA to MD in the morning and in reverse in the late afternoon. It was a rare event to see the Washington Monument because of all the smog. Today you always see it. Thank you clean air act.
There is a christian guy at my work who is always ready to argue against global warming. Apparently Jesus just ain't gonna allow that. They have Buybull text for it. I usually argue from the pov what's wrong with recycling either way and cutting down on pollution. That he generally doesn't argue against. I don't get the obsession. But the rich own the fundies who own the republicans. Something Barry Goldwater worried about.
Religion Kills !!!
Numbers 31:17-18 - Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
http://jesus-needs-money.blogspot.com/