2009-11-28, 11:35 | Link #4761 | |
Aria Company
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Anyway, I do understand the argument for guns as personally defense. Personally I hate guns, though I have recently considered applying for a permit and getting one. It's not that uncommon to hear gunshots where I live. Sure it's mainly idiots shooting at cans in the desert, but it's still a bit unnerving...
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2009-11-28, 16:45 | Link #4763 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: PMB Headquarters
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PM discusses Futenma with Okinawa govenor
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2009-11-29, 08:30 | Link #4764 | |
In scientific terms only.
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Scores of albinos in hiding after attacks
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2009-11-29, 12:34 | Link #4765 | |
Rawrrr!
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: CH aka Chocaholic Heaven
Age: 40
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Today in Switzerland: Minaret ban approved by 57 per cent of voters.
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2009-11-29, 13:13 | Link #4766 | |
Disabled By Request
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2009-11-29, 13:27 | Link #4767 |
eyewitness
Join Date: Jan 2007
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News like this reaffirm my firm belief in representative democracy. So does half an hour reading through the comment sections of any major newspaper.
EDIT: This is not about "more than just a few places around the middle east" that are dictatorships anyway but about people who live in a European democracy.
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Last edited by Slice of Life; 2009-11-29 at 14:10. |
2009-11-29, 14:14 | Link #4768 | |
Aria Company
Join Date: Nov 2003
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2009-11-29, 14:43 | Link #4769 | |
Emotionless White Face
Join Date: Feb 2008
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On the matter, I believe mentality will change with time and that a time will come when a new referendum will allow it again. A change in mentality that happens little by little with time could imo give a better result than a brutal change. Last edited by Narona; 2009-11-29 at 14:59. |
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2009-11-29, 15:01 | Link #4770 | |
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Also note that I said some, not all. I'm not making a general statement that public practice is prohibited in the middle east. I know very well that countries like Egypt and Lebanon allow public practice of christianity. The fact still remains that public practice isn't allowed in SA and other countries when muslims are free to do as they like virtually everywhere in the world. Besides, what does being a third world country have anything to do with making religious practice public for foreigners in the first place? You can argue that they are dictatorships, but it's wrong to associate dictatorship with lack of freedom and fear mongering, especially when democracy doesn't really bring all the freedom it preaches and democratic media is specialized in the fear aspect. Last edited by Tsuyoshi; 2009-11-29 at 15:21. |
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2009-11-29, 15:25 | Link #4771 | |
Aria Company
Join Date: Nov 2003
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2009-11-29, 15:30 | Link #4772 |
Disabled By Request
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It's pretty simple. I don't see how muslims in other countries expect us to be so appeasing toward their religious culture when they aren't. We already give them so much liberty to do as they wish, the choice to practice freely outside their own country, but they don't give that same freedom to us. I see that as inconsiderate.
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2009-11-29, 15:35 | Link #4773 | ||
Speaker
Join Date: Sep 2009
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It's also somewhat irrelevant to this argument, but as far as it being "wrong" to associate dictatorships with lack of freedom, that's simply a ridiculous statement. A modern dictatorship is characterized by autocratic rule that is unrestricted by laws or constitutions. It is defined by the leader's ability to do anything without worrying about things such as individual freedoms, and unquestioning despite flaws that may exist in democracy is certainly a form of government that is less desirable. There's a quote by Winston Churchill that is appropriate. "No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." Quote:
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2009-11-29, 15:38 | Link #4774 | |
Asuki-tan Kairin ↓
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Fürth (GER)
Age: 43
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Logical or ethical reasoning loses against simple polemics very easily when you just have to convince the majority of joe six packs.
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2009-11-29, 17:01 | Link #4775 | |||
Rawrrr!
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: CH aka Chocaholic Heaven
Age: 40
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For some perspective on the subject and a good summary of how things went to this:
Women lead Swiss in vote to ban minarets Quote:
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2009-11-29, 17:47 | Link #4776 | |||
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: PMB Headquarters
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Ex-diplomat to testify on secret Japan-U.S. pact on Okinawa reversion
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2009-11-29, 18:39 | Link #4777 |
cho~ kakkoii
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: 3rd Planet
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Four Police Officers Killed in Ambush
Anyone here is from the Seattle, Washington region who can shed some light on why there is a sudden hatred to such extreme for the Law Enforcement agency in Seattle. This would be the second such incident where uniformed police officers on duty are killed in Seattle in less than 2 months. In the first incident, a training officer was shot to death who was inside his scout car with a rookie officer. They were parked after conducting a traffic stop and he was giving the rookie pointers to what she could have done better. That's when a car pulls up and starts firing. The audacity of the act that transpired today just gets to me. I've got say that I'm angry.
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2009-11-29, 18:54 | Link #4778 | |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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Police, as a symbol of "the establishment" or "the Man", may be getting extra suffrage about it. In other countries, they usually put the "fat cats" up against the wall and shoot them... morbidly, I dont think the citizenry is that bright here.
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2009-11-29, 19:55 | Link #4779 | |
cho~ kakkoii
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: 3rd Planet
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As of today a lot of eyes will be in that area with tension at its max. The Law Enforcement agencies in that area will be making a lot of adjustment in the upcoming days in regards to their policies and restraints they are required to observe. To put it mildly, the citizenry in the area better be prepared to see a lot of inconvenience in the upcoming days. Here is a PDF file on the Crime Stat from Seattle PD webpage.
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2009-11-29, 20:08 | Link #4780 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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This particular incident *may* be organized crime or gang related.... gangs tend to view the police as "just a bigger gang" it seems to me. It may have even been these particular officers for some reason.
I'm not jaded... this does seem like the opening to some hyperbolic crime movie than a real event.
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current affairs, discussion, international |
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