Posts by blacksheep

208

To the Defenders of George Bush and the War in Iraq

by Greenpalmtreestillmine in

would you be willing, if possible, to volunteer to fight in iraq?.

are you encouraging your children or grandchildren to volunteer and fight?.

please list your names below.

blacksheep

on the other hand what about the people on tahiti and some other pacific islands? they had no threats for survival and still lived in a communistic society. And the operative word here is "lived." If their societies were so happy and fulfilling, it wouldn't have evolved to what is is today.

they were distroyed by the europeans!

So predictable you are, UnReal! Of course, it's the big, bad Europeans who destroyed the Paradise of the Tahitians/Hawiians. Just like Adam was deceived by Eve...and lost paradise. Where everyone could have been naked, fed off the land, didn't need to hide, hoard, etc.

There's that JW throwback of yours!

yes but they are not happier. believe it or not the happiest people live in poor societies. Ah, do reveal the "polls" you must possess to measure "happiness" among nations. THAT should be interesting. (Also curious as to why impovrished people risk their lives to immigrate to the US illegally. Someone obviously hasn't told them they are happy.

i link to a study that list nigerians as happiest people in the world....i remember one that had the people in venezuela as number one but could find it right away.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3157570.stm

Yeah, sorta like the Colonial African American slaves were the happiest people around? Maybe someone ought to inform them of their dire infant mortality/morbidity; AIDS statistics; their short life expectancy; their substandard lifestyle and threat to the lives of their children; their risk of dying of disease.

I would doubt that they would be so happy, especially if they compared their stats to the rest of the world, even to underdeveloped nations. Here, ignorance is truly bliss...

And here's the rub: you obviously are making an assumption that it is the IDEAL to "teach humans (from infancy on) that possessions are not important." Exactly WHY are you suggesting humans should be TAUGHT this? Are you assuming you know the exact RIGHT way humans should behave? Who, exactly, made up those rules for you? I don't care if it IS possible to teach humans (from infancy) that possessions are not important, anymore than I care to find out if it's possible to teach humans from infancy to believe family is not important. Sounds like some JW throwback. You've got the right way to live, and the fundamental question is, how do you convice/brainwash others?

the sad fact is that the resources of this planet are limited. hence it follows not everyone can have everything he/she wants. thus if everyone wants everything we have a problem. furthermore the more stuff (and most of it is unnecessary) the more we damage the planet.

the need for possessions seems to stem from a primitive urge to gather stuff for periods of need. this might have been useful in the past history of human kind but it is know becoming a big problem.

Resources are unlimited? Well, sure, in theory, yes. But in severely underdeveloped and semi-developed nations, the problem is that people have not learned to utlize resources to the maximum. They lack the skill, ability, and sophistication to do so. The reasons for this are many, but the fact remains that some groups of people are simply better at "capitalizing" on resources than others. And ironically, the nations MOST distraught in today's society are those who have NOT found methods of "gathering up resources" for periods of need. Those societies who are TOTALLY wiped out by droughts, floods, natural disasters, unchecked disease (as in the happy Nigerians plagued with AIDS, whose only survival will be through drugs produced in the West), are the ones having the toughest go of it today.

46

In the US: Our Children Will Be Subjected to Selective Service Very Soon

by gespro in

has this been discussed already?

if it has, please point me to the thread addressing this

i just heard this last night.

blacksheep

In any event I'm sure we are all screwed .

Always appreciate your optimism, Heathen!

Regardless, this is much ado about nothing. Geeze, as though we didn't already have lots to worry about.

44

Did anyone ever ask FDR to appologise for Pearl Harbor?

by blindfool in

last night president bush had a news conference and was asked by several reporters if he thought he should appologise for the 9-11 attacks.. i wonder how fdr would have responded to such a question about pearl harbor?.

how about chruchhill?

can you imagine his response if asked to appologise for hitler bombing london?

blacksheep

blacksheep --- It is against federal law to stir up suspicions of any kind that could incite riot or fear within the air port surroundings , so it doesn't surprise me that nothing was mentioned while boarding a flight . If you don't believe me just say the word bomb next time and watch what happens .

Heathen, I don't doubt you. I must not have made myself clear. What I was trying to point out was the ludicrousness of the 9/11 widow's complaint that "if there had been more people alerted to some of the FBI/CIA intell, then maybe they would have noticed that a bunch of men of mideastern descent were boarding these 9/11 flights, and someone could have alerted someone.... Okay...

The sooner these 9/11 widows find something other than offering THEIR expert opinion on national security recommendations/failings regarding 9/11, the better. I cannot believe they've been given so much air time. I can appreciate the fact that they are grieving, but they doing NOTHING for their husbands' memory. Or the country.

58

question: why are humans worth more than animals?

by Realist in

jw
friends

ok putting religious reasoning aside what is a rational reason why humans are viewed worth more than higher animals?

why is a human worth more than lets say a chimp, a pig or a cow?.

neurophysiological studies show that animals suffer probably just as much as humans....but similar to little children they cannot understand the pain and express it as human adults can.

blacksheep

Yeah, let's throw out an essentially stupid question that most people have attempted to answer with COMMON SENSE.

Let's show our educated and erudite we are by implying that the stupid question can somehow be answered by applying our vast knowledge of quantum physics.

Why did any of us take the bait?

Yes, AlanF and Unreal, we're ALL impressed!! Can you shut up now?

208

To the Defenders of George Bush and the War in Iraq

by Greenpalmtreestillmine in

would you be willing, if possible, to volunteer to fight in iraq?.

are you encouraging your children or grandchildren to volunteer and fight?.

please list your names below.

blacksheep

on the other hand what about the people on tahiti and some other pacific islands? they had no threats for survival and still lived in a communistic society.

And the operative word here is "lived." If their societies were so happy and fulfilling, it wouldn't have evolved to what is is today.

208

To the Defenders of George Bush and the War in Iraq

by Greenpalmtreestillmine in

would you be willing, if possible, to volunteer to fight in iraq?.

are you encouraging your children or grandchildren to volunteer and fight?.

please list your names below.

blacksheep

Yes, society does evolve, doesn't it. The naked facts are that in industrialized, western nations people have a much higher quality of life

yes but they are not happier. believe it or not the happiest people live in poor societies.

Ah, do reveal the "polls" you must possess to measure "happiness" among nations. THAT should be interesting. (Also curious as to why impovrished people risk their lives to immigrate to the US illegally. Someone obviously hasn't told them they are happy.

208

To the Defenders of George Bush and the War in Iraq

by Greenpalmtreestillmine in

would you be willing, if possible, to volunteer to fight in iraq?.

are you encouraging your children or grandchildren to volunteer and fight?.

please list your names below.

blacksheep

Realist: I forgot the "no possessions" piece in Lennon's song. That particular part never seemed to me to stand out, and since it's been oft quoted and oft sung by people who are clearly not communist, I didn't see the song as some communist promotion.

it would require psychological studies to show whether it is at all possible to teach humans (from infancy on) that possessions are not important and that working for the community is worth while. humans can be taught almost everything (see the JW trash)...so why not something useful.

And here's the rub: you obviously are making an assumption that it is the IDEAL to "teach humans (from infancy on) that possessions are not important." Exactly WHY are you suggesting humans should be TAUGHT this? Are you assuming you know the exact RIGHT way humans should behave? Who, exactly, made up those rules for you? I don't care if it IS possible to teach humans (from infancy) that possessions are not important, anymore than I care to find out if it's possible to teach humans from infancy to believe family is not important. Sounds like some JW throwback. You've got the right way to live, and the fundamental question is, how do you convice/brainwash others?

Beyond that, there are plenty of people who have lots of possessions who "contribute to the greater good." Having possessions and contributing to the greater good of the community are certainly not mutually exclusive.

46

In the US: Our Children Will Be Subjected to Selective Service Very Soon

by gespro in

has this been discussed already?

if it has, please point me to the thread addressing this

i just heard this last night.

blacksheep

No one is critisizing a so called comfortable life but if you want to buy into what your fed via the media as to what is supposed to be a 'great life', you have that freedom don't you. Besides, you're of the priviledged whether you believe it or not.

Thought I'd tone down the font a bit...

I don't think Dan O implied he wasn't "priviledged." Quite the reverse. (Not trying to speak for him). But I myself WOULD rather I and my children live in a nation which had one of the highest life expectancies, one of the lowest infant/child mortality/morbidity rates, the one of the highest literacy rates; the highest income per capita, etc.

I don't think the "media" defines what is a "great life," for most people. Sure, we in the US have always been seeking the "American Dream," and econmic freedom. From the very beginning. We didn't like the rules in the mother country, so we started over. So have people from the "have not" nations. That's why millions of immigrants from other countries came here and continue to come here.

And, it's not because mindless people are told by the "media" what to believe. It's because they KNOW what a good life is. The freedom to attain whatever economic freedoms they want to, without being squelshed by class systems, politcal turmoil, governments, totalitarian and otherwise, who truly limit you.

YOU don't have to buy into that believe. But you don't have the right to say that others who want economic freedom, the ability to live well, feed and educated their children well, travel, ENJOY life--are simply being hypnotized by the media.

69

How many were raised as a JW during their teenage years?

by codeblue in

.

and how many of you feel because of that, you never really got to be a "teenager"?

codeblue

blacksheep

I'm still struggling with my stunted childhood, brought about by comments made concerning my introversion. Just recently, I learned from a psychology textbook that people could take the Myers-Brigg Type Indicator, a personality test. I learned that IT IS OKAY AND NORMAL TO BE AN INTROVERT....

Wow, findingme...I can appreciate that your still struggling with your warped JW upbringing and unhealthy marriage...but WAY TO GO. You have turned it around and are doing the most positive thing with your life. It is NOT introversion or extroversion that matters: it's how determined you are to fulfill your potential.

Just a tip: most personality theories group people in two categories to describe how they gain their "energy" (sorry, I'm being overly simplistic--they complicate a bit more): they are either "introverts" or "extroverts." Neither is good nor bad. In fact, I'd say the US, in particular, erroenously assumes: extrovert=good; introvert=bad. Nothing could be more ridiculous. I'm sorry your first husband tried to make you feel in anyway inferior for being yourself. Honestly, I think that's a trait of JWs: anyone who is really thoughtful, introspective...will likely figure out soon enough the fallacy and inconsistency of the JWs.

I'm very proud of you for doing what you are doing. I love to read stories such as yours.

69

How many were raised as a JW during their teenage years?

by codeblue in

.

and how many of you feel because of that, you never really got to be a "teenager"?

codeblue

blacksheep

Ah, yes. Those were the years of bondage. I was literally in emotional and spiritual prison. What should have been some of the most carefree years of my life were destroyed. I developed an arrogance and judgementalism toward my peers. I was more mature. I didn't need to go to social events or be popular. In reality, I was trying to be the "perfect" (JW) daughter. I was pursued by non-JW guys that I truly was attracted to, but I somehow convinced myself that they weren't real people, since they were not JWs...ugh. I got top grades, was attractive, athletic and likable (not trying to be arrogant--just resenting the JW "burqa" I was under!), and generally tried to fit in, while being very aloof. I never "preached" to my aquaintances at school. I believe at some level I knew they were better off being in the "world."

As with most people who are denied those days, they make up for it later. I did, and consequently was a later bloomer. I'm cool with that. I know of some people who's high school years were basically the highlight of their lives. I'm not sure that should be the case. But, guess I'll never know.