Time to stop the open funding of terrorism!

[Byebyemermaid]

We have family that live in Haifa and Tel-Aviv.One of the rockets that hit Haifa yesterday was about 1/3 of a mile from there apartment.When my wife saw the footage she immediately recognized the area.We got hold of them on the phone and asked how they were and they said fine and next asked about our family like nothing was going on.I don't thinkwe could ever be that casual about what is happening there if it was going on here.One of there sons who just had there second child has been recalled.The family that lives in Herzilia Petuach near Tel-Aviv has a son who is in special forces as a naval seal.His father was a Colonel in the army.the only thing i can say is if there is ever a quiet time there you must see that place.Jewish,Christian it doesen't matter.It's a remarkable place.

OK then I am dissappointed. I agree with someone who just does not think. Makes up his mind based on preconceived biases and never touches evidence that does not fit the mold. I cant stand these types. Disappointed...

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by pgardn

OK then I am dissappointed. I agree with someone who just does not think. Makes up his mind based on preconceived biases and never touches evidence that does not fit the mold. I cant stand these types. Disappointed...

My clothes are dirty but my hands are clean...words of Bob Dylan.
Don't judge a book by it's cover...I have no idea who first said that.
People who don't think can't possibly reach meaningful conclusions and BB reaches meaningful conclusions therefore...
Beware of snap judgement based on internet posts...70-80% of human communication is non-verbal, the net is 100% verbal (written).
The truth has many vehicles, there is the messenger and there is the message...we must never confuse them!

Originally Posted by somerfrost

My clothes are dirty but my hands are clean...words of Bob Dylan.
Don't judge a book by it's cover...I have no idea who first said that.
People who don't think can't possibly reach meaningful conclusions and BB reaches meaningful conclusions therefore...
Beware of snap judgement based on internet posts...70-80% of human communication is non-verbal, the net is 100% verbal (written).
The truth has many vehicles, there is the messenger and there is the message...we must never confuse them!

Somer have you seen the sites he posts? I have sampled 4. They are all absolutely horrible with a huge agenda. I try and read the Wall Street Journal, the NY Times, listen to the experts on all sides on C-span... I try to get a smattering from everywhere. Call my Uncle who was a career diplomat (not some political hack contributor to a presidency). His sites... holy cow.

Originally Posted by pgardn

Somer have you seen the sites he posts? I have sampled 4. They are all absolutely horrible with a huge agenda.

I have made only one recommendation for outside reading ... the books and opinion columns of Dr. Thomas Sowell ... a 72-year-old professor at Stanford University ... who is universally recognized as a brilliant scholar and researcher ... even by socialists who don't share his beliefs in individual freedom.

If you think Dr. Sowell's writings are "absolutely horrible" ... there's nothing to do but pity you.

And I won't get into my personal academic qualifications and professional achievements ... because there's no way for anyone to verify them ... but if you knew them ... you'd be ashamed of some of the ignorant things you've written.

As Dean Martin used to say to Jerry Lewis ... "Look ashamed!"

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by pgardn

Somer have you seen the sites he posts? I have sampled 4. They are all absolutely horrible with a huge agenda. I try and read the Wall Street Journal, the NY Times, listen to the experts on all sides on C-span... I try to get a smattering from everywhere. Call my Uncle who was a career diplomat (not some political hack contributor to a presidency). His sites... holy cow.

You've never sensed any whiff of an agenda with the NY Times or C-Span?
Most of the internet sites that I have seen are all agenda driven and do not really try to hide it, liberal, conservative, left or right. The agenda is right in your face whether you like it or not. The trouble I have with places like NY Times, C-Span, Public TV, they're theoretically supposed to be agenda free.

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

You've never sensed any whiff of an agenda with the NY Times or C-Span?
Most of the internet sites that I have seen are all agenda driven and do not really try to hide it, liberal, conservative, left or right. The agenda is right in your face whether you like it or not. The trouble I have with places like NY Times, C-Span, Public TV, they're theoretically supposed to be agenda free.

Nothing is totally agenda free. Noticed you left the Wall Street Journal (not a tinge business oriented) out? The SPEAKERS on C-span have their agenda but you listen and wade through what they are trying to say (some are just attempting to sell books). A lot of these guys spend their lives trying to understand one very particular part of the world. They ATTEMPT to understand what is really happening in a situation. Because if they dont, the likelyhood that the conclusion they might reach will be very wrong. You have to try and listen to people that are academics that are REALLY trying to understand a situation. Not tyring to make a situation fit a theme and ignoring other evidence that is to the contrary. The NY times is clearly liberal, but has some of the best foreign reporting I have ever read. Ever. You just dont throw out a source that has so many ways to get at a story, so many people in thick of events... Not just read some article from a guy who has never been out of his house like BB puts up.

I like reports that deal mainly with observations and leave the commentary out. Then I like to listen to the experts take the raw data and observations and try and make some sense out of it.
And my God with the Thomas Sowell. This man experienced success in a very tough situation. He is clearly gifted and thinks everyone can achieve exactly what he did. Thats tainted stuff. And BB ultimately has to know this, as he has never answered how blacks found themselves in a much more dire financial straight (on the whole) BEFORE welfare.

I get tired of saying on the whole because BB will find one black man who was a millionaire, and use him as the norm. And thats twisting data. ANd that is disingenious and wrong. Kind of like what he has done with Thomas Sowell. Because this guy is black and fits neatly into BBs worldview, he is a God. Thats a dangerous way to go about trying to understand what is REALLY going on.

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by pgardn

OK then I am dissappointed. I agree with someone who just does not think. Makes up his mind based on preconceived biases and never touches evidence that does not fit the mold. I cant stand these types. Disappointed...

pgardn, I have a question for you. Do you feel it is possible for a person to use their own mind, absent of pre-conceived biases, considering many different viewpoints, and to then adopt the very same world-view as BB? Or are you implying that anyone that shares this same worldview does not think and simply parrots what other people say?

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

pgardn, I have a question for you. Do you feel it is possible for a person to use their own mind, absent of pre-conceived biases, considering many different viewpoints, and to then adopt the very same world-view as BB? Or are you implying that anyone that shares this same worldview does not think and simply parrots what other people say?

My point is simply that he would never change the way he views the world, even if the evidence points the other way. In this world you have to be flexible. My background is in Science; I guess thats why I cannot understand people like him. If you have a notion that there is a clear reason some phenomena happens the way it does, and the evidence shows quite clearly that your reasoning is flawed, you CHANGE your views. BB searches for evidence that backs his reasoning. Thats backwards. I believe one has to look at everything and come up with generalizations for such incrediby tough topics that we have attempted to take on.

Originally Posted by pgardn

BB searches for evidence that backs his reasoning. Thats backwards.

More utter nonsense.

You haven't the slightest idea who I am ... or how I reach my conclusions.

When others were linking to loopy-loony leftist websites ... I recommended that they take a look at what Dr. Sowell had to say as well.

For your information ... I earned a Ph.D in Economics in the very same year that Dr. Sowell did (1968) ... even though he's about 12 years older than I ... so where did you get the coc-kamamie notion that he did anything to shape my views?

Dr. Sowell and I just happen to share the same belief in individual freedom ... which we reached completely independent of one another.

Your pomposity is greatly disproportionate to your knowledge.

Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite

More utter nonsense.

You haven't the slightest idea who I am ... or how I reach my conclusions.

When others were linking to loopy-loony leftist websites ... I recommended that they take a look at what Dr. Sowell had to say as well.

For your information ... I earned a Ph.D in Economics in the very same year that Dr. Sowell did (1968) ... even though he's about 12 years older than I ... so where did you get the coc-kamamie notion that he did anything to shape my views?

Dr. Sowell and I just happen to share the same belief in individual freedom ... which we reached completely independent of one another.

Your pomposity is greatly disproportionate to your knowledge.

You are correct. I do not know who you are. But I read your posts. This is my feeling based on your posts. Am I wrong?

Then why the heck are you so stuck on Sowell? Because he is that gadfly that perfectly fits your reactionary ideas?
And when you put up a site for everyone to read; Dont go to the lunatic fringe part of the cyberworld just because you think someone else has. I never said you were not knowlegable. People can gather all the factoids they want. Its what you do with all the data. And how one chooses what data is relevant and sound. And what signficant information one CHOOSES TO LEAVE OUT because it just does not fit your notions.
That is backwards kind sir. See I can be nice.

ANd you have a very good idea why "the strong black family" in the 1950's did not have the prosperity that Caucasian populations had. You just dont like the most probable explaination. Thats why you dont answer it.

Almost done here... Individuals can be extraordinarly bright immoral monsters... I think you would agree to that. So go back and read some of your hatred and absolute simplification of tough problems.

And finally, I can almost guarantee my educational background was everybit as rigorous as yours if not more so (if that is how you choose to play this game). My education continues though. Its never done. And I will freely admit that. That is why I come to this board to read the horse posts. There are a heck of a lot of people who live the game. I know they know more than I.

Originally Posted by pgardn

You are correct. I do not know who you are. But I read your posts. This is my feeling based on your posts. Am I wrong?

Then why the heck are you so stuck on Sowell? Because he is that gadfly that perfectly fits your reactionary ideas?
And when you put up a site for everyone to read; Dont go to the lunatic fringe part of the cyberworld just because you think someone else has. I never said you were not knowlegable. People can gather all the factoids they want. Its what you do with all the data. And how one chooses what data is relevant and sound. And what signficant information one CHOOSES TO LEAVE OUT because it just does not fit your notions.
That is backwards kind sir. See I can be nice.

ANd you have a very good idea why "the strong black family" in the 1950's did not have the prosperity that Caucasian populations had. You just dont like the most probable explaination. Thats why you dont answer it.

Almost done here... Individuals can be extraordinarly bright immoral monsters... I think you would agree to that. So go back and read some of your hatred and absolute simplification of tough problems.

And finally, I can almost guarantee my educational background was everybit as rigorous as yours if not more so (if that is how you choose to play this game). My education continues though. Its never done. And I will freely admit that. That is why I come to this board to read the horse posts. There are a heck of a lot of people who live the game. I know they know more than I.

Nothing you say makes the least bit of sense ...

... either in the context of this thread ... or in the context of anything you or I have previously posted.

You make sweeping generalizations ... never failing to attribute motives to others ... never address the specifics of other posters' remarks ... and you're obsessed by a bogeyman-filled world of "reactionaries" and "bigots" and "hatred" which exists only in your fantasies.

You make it less and less worthwhile to respond to you with each successive post.