PCPinkoLiberal

FYI, I'm changing shifts next week. I'll be working 2:30pm-11:00pm CST. This will allow me to get more sleep. And I'll also spend less, I think.I did enjoy the debate today. I'm sure there will be more tomorrow.Also, thanks to Greg, I've stopped slacking on my Tao studies. Unfortunately, they got lost in the shuffle of my new "independence" for the summer.If anyone's interested in reading the Tao Te Ching, you can do so here....http://www.wam.umd.edu/~stwright/rel/tao/TaoTeChing.html#49It's not difficult to read at all. I'm going to leave with one last verse from it...Governing a large c

Yeah, this is Custom. There have been some problems with my account, so I'm using this one temporarily.In the last Taosim thread, there were those curious to what it was. Well, the following is a good translation of the Tao Te Ching (essentially, the "bible" of Taosim). You will find all the answers, and many more questions, here...http://www.wam.umd.edu/~stwright/rel/tao/TaoTeChing.html#49

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article828724.eceFound it.Edit - They did it in 2004, as well.Edit 2 - In 2005, 2 was Sweden, 3 was Canada, 4 was Belgium, and 5 was Australia.

No. I'm going to say that Iraq had an absolutely minor connection with Al Qaeda and that Saddam despised the group as much as the United States. Canada.

Here are a few verses from the Tao Te Ching (essentially, a Biblesque book by Lao-Tzu, believed to be the father of Taoism)...Whoever relies on the Tao in governing mendoesn’t try to force issuesor defeat enemies by force of arms.For every force there is a counterforce.Violence, even well intentioned,Always rebounds upon oneself.“Weapons are the tools of violence;all decent men detest them.Weapons are the tools of fear;a decent man will avoid themexcept in the direst necessityand, if compelled, will use themonly with the utmost restraint.Peace is his highest value.If the peace has been shatter

Saudi Royals and the Taliban. Saddam hates/d Osama. Ah, crap. Again, I completely misread a question. Sorry, Ivan.

Ah, sorry, I thought it was a jab at me.No, Taoism teaches that it doesn't matter what other people think and that there is no point in arguing with them. It's probably the teaching that I have the most trouble with, because I love to argue.

Have you comprehended a word that was said all night? Good lord, it's like arguing with a wall sometimes.First, look into the Islamic religion a bit more. There are about as many Muslims that would kill me as there are Christians and Jews. They may not like it, but most wouldn't kill me.Second, I'm not saying that I want to live in their society. But I'm saying that if this is what the people want, it's what the people should have.Finally, and this is something I learned a few months ago that has really stuck with me: For hundereds of years, just after 1000 CE or AD (whichever you use), S

You misunderstand. They saw us as invading them (not that we actually are), not physically (well, until post-9/11, anyway), but economically (which is far more substantial) and politically. They saw us as forcing sanctions, companies, and our way of life down their throats.(Though, Al Qaueda got really pissed when we occupied...I think it was north saudi arabia? after we finished defending Kuwait. I may have the country wrong there.

It's about time! Did someone pop your wheelchair's tires?

So, we should be going to war because it's been the world's tradition for thousands of years?Nobody thinks it's magically going to stop. But, that doesn't mean we should be promoting it as anything other than a last resort. That is unfortunate. However, it was a very minute reaction. Most of the world, including most of the people in the middle east and far east, was not jumping up and down.

Have you really forgotten that that footage was propoganda and they weren't actually cheering in the streets because of 9/11? It was footage from a celebration of some kind...I don't remember the name of it, unfortunately. Ahh, I see. He took advantage of a 20-something "girl." She obviously can't make her own decisions.And it was a tounge-in-cheek joke anyway that you obviously are too serious to get right now.

You've actually done a very good job of misunderstanding essentially every argument I'm making. I'm impressed.I'll try to make this a little clearer:I'd like to cut back on the amount of money we spend on the military, not eliminate it. With less funding, it wouldn't make sense to start wars that aren't neccessary for our security. Use the military for war when we have to, and increase spending as neccessary - not at will. The military we have (the troops that aren't being used for war) would then be used for peacekeeping in other countries and to defend the homeland. They hate us because

You're saying we wouldn't have been able to negotiate 9 years ago (1997), when we didn't spend near as much on the military?I call bullshit

No intellectual debate? For some reason, I'm not surprised...