The Son Also Rises.

[Seth]

The truth is that modern society is streets ahead of anything in the past, and in western nations, even the 'poor' have a way of life that would not have been dreamed of in centuries gone by.

However, though we can take comfort in what has been achieved, we should never be complacent. We should be constantly trying to help make a better world.

We don't disagree in the slightest on this point. The disagreement begins with the methodology and practice you propose to achieve this "better world" and what precisely the definition of "better" means to you.

This includes other countries also. I recently sent a donation of $200 to the Nepal earthquake relief fund. Seth sent $10,000 to the NRA. Which do you guys think was the best transaction?

My $10,000 donation to the NRA did more to protect lives than were taken in Nepal by the earthquake because those who presume to disarm the people have, as a direct result of disarming the people, successfully killed a hundred million more people in the last century than all the earthquakes in history have when put together have.

This doesn't mean that earthquake relief is a bad thing, merely that our priorities and judgements about what "better" means differ. You don't have a copyright on that definition by the way, it's open to interpretation.

[pErvinalia]

The truth is that modern society is streets ahead of anything in the past, and in western nations, even the 'poor' have a way of life that would not have been dreamed of in centuries gone by.

However, though we can take comfort in what has been achieved, we should never be complacent. We should be constantly trying to help make a better world. This includes other countries also. I recently sent a donation of $200 to the Nepal earthquake relief fund. Seth sent $10,000 to the NRA. Which do you guys think was the best transaction?

If only the Nepalese had an NRA to protect their rights to guns they could have shot that earthquake before it could attack their freedom!

[Seth]

The truth is that modern society is streets ahead of anything in the past, and in western nations, even the 'poor' have a way of life that would not have been dreamed of in centuries gone by.

However, though we can take comfort in what has been achieved, we should never be complacent. We should be constantly trying to help make a better world. This includes other countries also. I recently sent a donation of $200 to the Nepal earthquake relief fund. Seth sent $10,000 to the NRA. Which do you guys think was the best transaction?

If only the Nepalese had an NRA to protect their rights to guns they could have shot that earthquake before it could attack their freedom!

No, but the Tibetans could have fought off the Chinese, or had that part of history escaped you?

[pErvinalia]

The Tibetans have a problem in their religion/philosophy. They think loving their oppressor is better than fighting them. Another case of religion fucking people up.

[Seth]

The Tibetans have a problem in their religion/philosophy. They think loving their oppressor is better than fighting them. Another case of religion fucking people up.

It's their country and their religion, so they can believe anything they want. But there's a fuckload of Tibetans who aren't all that lovey-dovey with the Chinese oppressors, including a lot of Buddhist monks who took up arms back in the 30s to try to keep China out.

When the Chinese walk in and burn down and blow up your temples and destroy your venerated objects and kill your wives and children even Buddhists can get positively medieval on Chinese ass.

[Blind groper]

Seth

The conquest of Tibet by China had nothing to do with bans on guns. Every person in Tibet could have had their choice of guns, and the Chinese would still have walked over them. The only result of Tibetans having more guns would have been that the death toll would have been much higher, on both sides.

[pErvinalia]

But they would have had their freedum to die slowly and painfully from sepsis!!

[Seth]

Seth

The conquest of Tibet by China had nothing to do with bans on guns.

Tell it to the Dali Lama, who had to flee Tibet because his royal guards were carrying muzzle-loading muskets.

Every person in Tibet could have had their choice of guns, and the Chinese would still have walked over them.

Maybe, maybe not. We'll never know because the citizenry didn't have guns, so you're just speculating.

The only result of Tibetans having more guns would have been that the death toll would have been much higher, on both sides.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.

"Give me liberty or give me death." Patrick Henry

"Liberty is not a gift, it's a reward one earns only by defending it." Seth Richardson © 2015

[Seth]

But they would have had their freedum to die slowly and painfully from sepsis!!

Instead many of them died by starvation and enslavement by the Chinese. Hobson's choice there, bud.

[Blind groper]

Maybe, maybe not. We'll never know because the citizenry didn't have guns, so you're just speculating.


"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.

"Give me liberty or give me death." Patrick Henry

"Liberty is not a gift, it's a reward one earns only by defending it." Seth Richardson © 2015

First : I was not speculating, but simply using the old adage that the side with the most soldiers and biggest cannon will win, and that was the Chinese.

And as far as those slogans are concerned, well, that just shows that you are a sucker for mindless propaganda.

[Seth]

Maybe, maybe not. We'll never know because the citizenry didn't have guns, so you're just speculating.


"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.

"Give me liberty or give me death." Patrick Henry

"Liberty is not a gift, it's a reward one earns only by defending it." Seth Richardson © 2015

First : I was not speculating, but simply using the old adage that the side with the most soldiers and biggest cannon will win, and that was the Chinese.

And as far as those slogans are concerned, well, that just shows that you are a sucker for mindless propaganda.

That just shows how little you value your or anyone else's liberty. Which is entirely unsurprising.

[mistermack]

So what? We're discussing your comment, not semantics. If it's not an illegal bribe, then there's nothing morally wrong with doing so, call it what you will, as I have taken pains to point out.

Fine. Now we've established that principle, I'm sure you will shut the fuck up about immoral taxes. Pay up and shut up. It's legal.

[pErvinalia]

[Seth]

So what? We're discussing your comment, not semantics. If it's not an illegal bribe, then there's nothing morally wrong with doing so, call it what you will, as I have taken pains to point out.

Fine. Now we've established that principle, I'm sure you will shut the fuck up about immoral taxes. Pay up and shut up. It's legal.

No, because immoral taxes are immoral. You've not established that legal "bribery" is immoral. As I've taken great pains to explain, donating money to political candidates is a form of free speech to which everyone is entitled.

[piscator]

I donate all my money and services to my favorite city councilwoman. But I don't get no damn free speech out of the deal....