@Economist -- The example clearly states to ASSUME THAT PRICES REMAIN THE SAME. Yes, this is an simplification, but it is reasonable especially when we are considering what is happening with our neighbors, coworkers, &c. One could also have given the example in "real" dollars (inflation adjusted), rather than "nominal" dollars, but that makes it harder for non-economists to grasp. Just get past that, OK and consider what the example is really talking about.
The results observed is purely one of socialist conditioning. People are (regrettably) trained to be very concerned about the irrelevent "growing gap between rich and poor" when in reality, everyone's standard of living is (usually) increasing. This is all that matters. If your family could never have afforded a Yugo 20 years earlier and now you drive a pretty decent Chevy, you shouldn't really be worried that the guy across town has a Mercedes. So what
People should be concerned when standards of living drop, not when so-called "gaps" widen. The poor in the Western world are gobs better off than the middle class were in their grandparents' era.
Yes, some are pretty funny, but keep in mind, these are just random folks spouting off quixotically about whatever they want. Many (most?) are probably rather ill-educated and not a good representation of broader Christian theology and apologetics.
The clips come from "chat rooms" after all, not theology textbooks or the well-formed and carefully considered beliefs of leaders such as the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Patriarch of Moscow, or even the leader of the Southern Baptists' Convention (whoever he is). In said chat rooms, a very wide range of people (including perhaps a number of trolls!) can ramble nonsensically about whatever they want. Their views are their own only and don't represent any organized dogma -- the quoted represent no one but themselves.
Also bear in mind that even if they were organized, all Christians don't believe the same things! I don't think it is even fair to lump all "fundamentalists" (generally a perjorative) or "Evangelicals" together. If Jim Jones and/or David Koresh were still alive, they could host Chat rooms as well -- the internet is a wide open forum for free speech (as it should be), but don't confuse the ramblings of a few lone nuts with the beliefs of hundred of millions.
Hey, if that's what they choose to get themselves into, I think they are nuts, but it's there choice. Just no bellyaching about it thereafter... Nobody should be surprised about what it's like living under Sharia -- it's not a well-kept dirty secret.
Otherwise, I find myself agreeing with Carruthers.
The Gandhi one is cute, but I wouldn't have guessed it was Ganhdi. I think a spinning wheel would have been more appropriate than the staff, which could call to mind Moses, Brigham Young, and a host of others. The spinnning wheel is pure Ganhdi ...
You've got a critical typo here -- the most significant digit (the leftmost 2) in the unit conversion was left off. It should read "1 potrzebie = 2.263348517438173216473 mm", not 263348517438173216473 mm.
They only started calling it "global climate change" when it became evident that the climate actually has high years and low years.
Those of us who grew up in the 1970s remember the "coming ice age scare" that was all preached to us. Global "warming" came immediately thereafter. Now "Climate change" is a safe way to cover all bases and look for government research welfare and a crippling of Western economies (the 3rd World is free to catch up though).
Obviously, the earth's climate is inherently dead nuts stable and any movement up or down is caused by man's influence. Right? Fools.
@Alex- Been there, done that, got my ass kicked. I went up against a guy who was the biggest champion in years and the categories stacked in his favor as well. Thanks for the vote of confidence, though :-) Maybe QI will come to the States someday...
Maybe the pollsters neglected to properly factor in the large number of independents who are (oddly) free to vote for either party in NH primaries. I know if I lived in the state, I would register Independent so I would be always be free to vote for the opposing party's weaker candidate -- especially if my own party's race was not close.
Danny & Moonbeam are off their rockers. The US is a nation full of spoiled, self-aggrandized young people with way too high self-esteem and way too low common sense. They have been taught in school that everyone must respect (i.e. submit to) them, yet they have know sense of their own responsibilities in life.
Kudos to the mom. Until this kid is emancipated, anything he owns or does is at his parents' pleasure. In the end, he'll be alive and much smarter for it. Too many people handle their kids softly because they are afraid they will "rebel" if treated with the strictness they deserve. These are the kids who die by the carload when they are out carousing drunkenly at 90 mph.
I'm more annoyed at the dopey "poll" -- what kind of poll is it when the only 2 options are that it was racist or that it was inappropriate? How about "it was just a joke, lighten up"? I guess the pollster has his opinion that it was wrong and offers no option for contrarians.
@Economist -- The example clearly states to ASSUME THAT PRICES REMAIN THE SAME. Yes, this is an simplification, but it is reasonable especially when we are considering what is happening with our neighbors, coworkers, &c. One could also have given the example in "real" dollars (inflation adjusted), rather than "nominal" dollars, but that makes it harder for non-economists to grasp. Just get past that, OK and consider what the example is really talking about.
The results observed is purely one of socialist conditioning. People are (regrettably) trained to be very concerned about the irrelevent "growing gap between rich and poor" when in reality, everyone's standard of living is (usually) increasing. This is all that matters. If your family could never have afforded a Yugo 20 years earlier and now you drive a pretty decent Chevy, you shouldn't really be worried that the guy across town has a Mercedes. So what
People should be concerned when standards of living drop, not when so-called "gaps" widen. The poor in the Western world are gobs better off than the middle class were in their grandparents' era.
The clips come from "chat rooms" after all, not theology textbooks or the well-formed and carefully considered beliefs of leaders such as the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Patriarch of Moscow, or even the leader of the Southern Baptists' Convention (whoever he is). In said chat rooms, a very wide range of people (including perhaps a number of trolls!) can ramble nonsensically about whatever they want. Their views are their own only and don't represent any organized dogma -- the quoted represent no one but themselves.
Also bear in mind that even if they were organized, all Christians don't believe the same things! I don't think it is even fair to lump all "fundamentalists" (generally a perjorative) or "Evangelicals" together. If Jim Jones and/or David Koresh were still alive, they could host Chat rooms as well -- the internet is a wide open forum for free speech (as it should be), but don't confuse the ramblings of a few lone nuts with the beliefs of hundred of millions.
Otherwise, I find myself agreeing with Carruthers.
Life can now resume.
Those of us who grew up in the 1970s remember the "coming ice age scare" that was all preached to us. Global "warming" came immediately thereafter. Now "Climate change" is a safe way to cover all bases and look for government research welfare and a crippling of Western economies (the 3rd World is free to catch up though).
Obviously, the earth's climate is inherently dead nuts stable and any movement up or down is caused by man's influence. Right? Fools.
Been there, done that, got my ass kicked. I went up against a guy who was the biggest champion in years and the categories stacked in his favor as well. Thanks for the vote of confidence, though :-) Maybe QI will come to the States someday...
"If that’s [a laundry list of nationalized industries & social entitlements] socialism, then we’re all socialists here… "
Yep, we are in agreement!
Kudos to the mom. Until this kid is emancipated, anything he owns or does is at his parents' pleasure. In the end, he'll be alive and much smarter for it. Too many people handle their kids softly because they are afraid they will "rebel" if treated with the strictness they deserve. These are the kids who die by the carload when they are out carousing drunkenly at 90 mph.
Straight talk from Sid.