Originally Posted by LordSlaytan
Looks like others can stereotype as well.
Sorry if I offended you, but I can't stomach vicarious war freaks. And Band of Brothers has no point, really - it's like erecting a monument on top of another monument (Saving Private Ryan). There was no reason for it to be made.
Originally Posted by Yoda
You say you are proud of it -- is this because you think it indicates some suavity on your part, or because it's the kind of thing which impresses others?
Both. It also has the distinction of being a very rare occurence for the average straight male, which sets it apart as well. I try not to hound for attention too often, but it's the sort of thing that I just couldn't keep to myself. So, best to maintain some degree of anonymity, and tell all my internet friends.
Do you know anyone who's pissed at you for potentially voting for Bush?
Pretty much everyone I know. They think that I'm saying it just to get a reaction. And in the interest of full disclosure, that is somewhat true. It is on some level rooted in my contempt for the so-called Left and their reactionary, often illogical politics. I cannot align myself with those that truly believe the globalization of production is worse than terror-regimes and suicide bombers. The Django-left is now the status quo, I'm afraid, and Bush, for all his faults (and he has many), at least attempts to fight the Islamic fascists and totalitarian states. Wesley Clark,who tried to start World War 3 during the Bosnian conflict of the mid-90s, didn't support the removal of Saddam. Nor did Howard Dean (who, I must say, has a terrific health care plan) or John Kerry (who is far too ugly to be elected.) Al Sharpton is a joke and a self-promoting imbecile - Tawanna Bradley anyone? - who took the Farrakhan view that Saddam was elected democratically, and it was racist of the US to remove a 'Muslim' leader. Dean is a somewhat promising candidate, but not one who will place the protection of pluralistic Western values high on his to-do list.
What's the first thing that goes through your mind during an awkward silence?
I usually reach for the packet of cigarettes and offer one. If they say no, I apologize and ask if they mind if I smoke. If they agree, then we talk about smoking and its benefits. Usually the conversation grows from there.
Which of the cliche life events (marriage, children, buying a house, etc) do you fear most, and why?
Having kids. I can hardly take care of myself, let alone another person. I like kids a lot, but not enough to want them just yet. I'll cross that bridge when it arrives.
Originally Posted by Django
Steve, at the risk of provoking you (which I have no intention of doing):
I'm going to take this as a compliment, even if it's not intended as one. I like the occasional ego massage.
Don't you see these statements as contradictory? Especially considering that the Bush administration supports Pakistan, an Islamic military dictatorship in undisputed possession of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (all supplied by the US, incidentally) and harboring Al Quaeda terrorists (possibly even bin Laden) even as we speak? And all the while, Bush makes a big deal about Iraq, where weapons of mass destruction are yet to be discovered (if they ever will) and the cost of war and maintaining the peace, quite apart from the obvious, heart-rending human cost, is an $87 billion price tag? Doesn't all this strike you as hypocritical and downright absurd, especially in the context of a recessionary domestic economy that has only recently become somewhat resurgent?
I'll address your points in reverse: you answered the last question yourself - 'recently become somewhat resurgent.' The domestic economy is one of these issues that is politically awful for Bush, but is also blown way out of proportion by his opponents. It's gotten better, and is only rising. We also can't forget that the American economy at its worst is still preferable to most other countries' economies at their best.
Iraq is still in the process of rebuilding, obviously. Much progress has been made - 4 months ago, no Iraqis were involved in the reconstruction of the society. Now the figure is close to 100,000. The WMD issue, while politically bad for the administration, has no effect on the humanitarian effort there. In the extreme quarters of the left, people see these terrorists as anti-empire freedom fighters, battling globalization and capitalistic oppression. What they cannot seem to grasp is that these people are fighting for the restoration of their own lost caliphate - they only oppose 'empire' that is not Islamic. More Iraqis have been killed by suicide bombs in Mesopotamia than US soldiers, which indicates a hell of a lot about those planning the attacks - it does not grow from a genuine concern for the fare of Iraq, but rather a twisted, amoral nihilism - and demonstrates more than ever the need to fight these people rather than 'talk it out' with them.
Actually I wrote a paper about Bush and Pakistan for my english class a few weeks ago. The Pakistani dictatorship is an evil one, and it is to the shame of Bush that he has not stood up to Pervez Musharraf and his thugs yet. The Pakistani secret police are in league with al Qaeda and the Islamic fascists, yet the United States feels it needs allies in the Middle East and is just gullible enough to be misled by the two-faced Musharraf. There are many of us who believe that the Pakistani-Indian conflict over Kashmir will result in the world's first nuclear exchange, which is all the more reason to intervene there, NOW. If all the evidence is gathered and presented before the United Nations, I predict that a regime change there will be inevitable. And hopefully it'll happen before the liquidation of Peshawar and Islamabad. The former Pakistani prime minister, Benazir, has repeatedly said that regime change is the only way to avert the nuclear war. If Bush gets up off his ass and Rumsfeld makes the necessary changes in policy (his memo indicates that he will), Pakistan will be taken care of soon.
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I would love to hear all about that.