22771

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is America Great?

« on: February 21, 2011, 11:52:05 AM »

America, FUCK YEAH!

I don't know, do you have to ignore all the problems in the US and only focus on the good things? There are still many great things about living in America, but it kinda seems like the country is crumbling.

22772

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 21, 2011, 11:12:35 AM »

Too late Marcus *lustful thoughts

parsec, it seems you just don't want me to be part of this discussion.  You say I need to embrace the other side of the debate, but you haven't provided anything to debate.  Telling me to give you a break with the feminist shit isn't debate... if you disagree with something I've posted, point it out and tell me why you disagree. You still don't know what obtrusion means.  I am not forcing my opinions or beliefs on anyone, anyone reading this thread is free to disagree with anything I post, and free to argue their own beliefs and opinions.  Are you bored and need someone to argue with?  It's not clear what "precisely" your problem is. 

I read this and thought of parsec, lol http://ecwronline.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=434&Itemid=1

There are two groups in Egypt: the youths who insisted on an end to Hosni Mubarak's regime and the liberation of their nation, and those who seek to reap the fruits of a revolution that was not theirs.

While demonstrating in Tahrir Square recently, I met one judge - a member of the "Committee of the Wise" - who would fall into this second group. He had long opposed the appointment of female judges and told me, "Stop talking about women and all that nonsense."

22773

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: America is spelt wrong. It should be Amerika.

« on: February 20, 2011, 10:15:35 AM »

I am really sorry that my semi sarcastic remark caused such an outrage

I'm really glad you still haven't lurked moar.  Welcome to FES!

Thank you.

It's weird, I've been on many forum sites before, and I have never, until I started looking at this one, heard anyone use the phrase "lurk moar," and while I can figure the meaning, it seems to be used out of context, and then someone said that it often means you're wrong... it makes no sense!

It's because you doubted the almighty Gayer. 

22774

The Lounge / Re: FET in the news

« on: February 20, 2011, 10:07:37 AM »

John Davis is more real than all of us.

22775

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Hydraulic Fracturing Has Done This To People's Water Supply

« on: February 20, 2011, 07:42:38 AM »

Hey babs, long time no see. 

The gas industry is actually trying to have Gasland disqualified from winning an Oscar!


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/02/oscar-voters-next-group-to-tackle-fracking-controversy.html

Energy in Depth, a group representing oil and natural gas producers, has sent a letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences arguing that "Gasland," an Academy Award-nominated documentary on fracking, should be ineligible for best documentary feature because it contains inaccuracies.

22776

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 20, 2011, 07:14:50 AM »

parsec, you're not really making a lot of sense.  Expressing opinions is part of having a discussion.  If having an opinion about people abusing other people is feminist shit, then so be it.  If you don't like feminist shit, then scroll past my replies. 

Also, I don't know if you understand the definition of "obtrude".  Simply expressing my opinion in the discussion about what's going on in Egypt isn't obtruding.  I think what you actually mean is that I shouldn't be judging Egyptians and their culture through the lens of my own culture.  Do you think that men groping, abusing, and raping women is ok because that is their culture? Or that Egyptian women are happy about it, because it is their culture?  Or is it that you think we shouldn't be discussing Egypt at all, because none of us are Egypt and therefore couldn't possibly have a clue about any of it?  Are you a cultural relativist? A moral relativist?

Because I'm not a hypocrite who tries to be the all-knowing arbiter. Do you ever stop to think about the crimes perpetrated by the criminals locked in the prisons in your country? My guess is you believe in the justice system and you think they rightfully deserved their punishment. You should approach other countries' legal system with the same stance. 

But you are hypocritically trying to be the all knowing arbiter of what I post in this thread.  I do stop to think about the crimes perpetrated by the "criminals" locked in the prisons of my country.  I believe the US justice and prison system to be terribly flawed and corrupt. I am approaching other countries' legal systems with the same stance

22777

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 19, 2011, 05:08:21 PM »

Towards your last comment and the other users' replies that were judgmental along the similar lines of reasoning.

My last comment was about women covering their hair because it is their glory. If I'm being judgmental it is towards 17 November's antiquated notions about women.  

 The discussion 17 November and I were having was about  rape and somehow morphed into modesty. I get the impression he thinks women should cover themselves up in order to avoid stirring lust in men,  I don't really understand what that has to do with rape, since it's not about sexual lust.  

You're going to have to show me where I'm obtruding my beliefs and opinions onto another culture, or perhaps you should read the discussion more carefully.

Everything that you have written is a classic U.S. liberal stance. Although you might think it is better than the obvious interventionism that Wardogg is defending, it is not. A human was attacked in an unruly crowd. A priori, it does not a matter that it was a woman with no veil on, a journalist, a Jew or a spy. These things only matter in the minds of 'human rights activists'. If they catch the perpetrators of the alleged crime they should be brought to trial for the accusations against them and convicted only when proven guilty. Otherwise, I don't care if she had been raped or not, just as I don't really care about the crimes for which millions of convicts lie in prisons in the U.S. at any given time.

I haven't advocated any intervention whatsoever.  I didn't say that it mattered that she wasn't wearing a veil, or that she was accused of being a Jew and a spy, or that she was a journalist.  No one even mentioned going after the perpetrators. I don't know what you caring if she was raped or not, or what the millions of convicts in US prisons has to do with this discussion at all.

You still haven't shown where I obtruded or was trying to obtrude my opinions and beliefs onto another culture. I couldn't, even if I wanted to.  Besides, this is a discussion forum, where everyone interested in a subject can state their opinions.  

That sexual harassment/abuse and rape are a problem in Egypt is the opinion of Egyptian women http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7514567.stm They are trying to find a way to solve the problem.

22778

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 19, 2011, 04:44:43 PM »

Towards your last comment and the other users' replies that were judgmental along the similar lines of reasoning.

My last comment was about women covering their hair because it is their glory. If I'm being judgmental it is towards 17 November's antiquated notions about women. 

 The discussion 17 November and I were having was about  rape and somehow morphed into modesty. I get the impression he thinks women should cover themselves up in order to avoid stirring lust in men,  I don't really understand what that has to do with rape, since it's not about sexual lust. 

You're going to have to show me where I'm obtruding my beliefs and opinions onto another culture, or perhaps you should read the discussion more carefully.

22779

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 19, 2011, 04:29:57 PM »

I'm not sure who your comment is directed at.

22780

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 19, 2011, 04:08:18 PM »

A woman's hair is her glory, best she keeps it covered up! lol

Join the Rebelution (read the survey results, quite hilarious) http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/

22781

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 19, 2011, 12:49:45 PM »

You could  try to explain your points differently,  the way I read what you said it seemed as if you were making excuses for rapists... which surprised me.

22782

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Driving tests for the elderly.

« on: February 19, 2011, 12:47:41 PM »

Yeah, there are a lot of asshole drivers who are much more dangerous than granny driving 45 in a 55mph zone. 

22783

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 18, 2011, 04:43:21 PM »

Not trying to harp on the rape thing, but I was checking Twitter and followed this link http://www.slate.com/id/2285524/ 

Nazly Hussein doesn't look anything like Lara Logan, the CBS reporter who was attacked by a group of men on the night Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down. The 27-year-old education psychologist has long brown hair and almond eyes, and she doesn't stand out in a crowd like Logan did. But like most women in Egypt, she, too, has been sexually harassed on Cairo's streets.

What happened to Logan is every woman's nightmare, but it's also atypical. Most cases of sexual assault in Egypt are not as gruesome as Logan's experience, they are instead much like what happens to Hussein?a near constant stream of verbal harassment and the odd groping. A 2008 study found 83 percent of Egyptian women said they had been sexually harassed, while 62 percent of men admitted to harassing women; 53 percent of men blamed women for "bringing it on" themselves.

Link to the study http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7514567.stm  (haven't read it yet)

22784

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Driving tests for the elderly.

« on: February 18, 2011, 03:55:40 PM »

Yeah, it's not outdated or false. Some old people drive fast, but most of them don't. 

My great aunt was a speeder, and while she was barreling down the road she also tried to read all the yard sale signs.. scared the shit out of me. 

22785

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 18, 2011, 03:53:04 PM »

Every crime involves a desire for something, just because rape usually involves the sex organs, doesn't make it a desire for sex. 

I never said a guy needs to have an erection to want to rape someone.  I don't believe rape is about wanting to have sex badly.

22786

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Driving tests for the elderly.

« on: February 18, 2011, 03:48:23 PM »

When the geezers make their annual migration down here I always wonder how long it took them to get here at 45 mph.

22787

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 18, 2011, 12:53:51 PM »

I don't think there are many rapists out there raping women because they can't get laid.  Even if there were, it's still about forcing someone to your will, dominating them.

22788

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Driving tests for the elderly.

« on: February 18, 2011, 12:38:03 PM »

You could always pass the expense on to the people taking the test, and to cut expenses make it so a person has to retake the test less frequently.  There's no reason to make someone take a driving test more than once every ten years, or so. 

I live in Florida, the home of the geriatric driver.  There are lots of people on the road down here who shouldn't be. 

22789

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Social Security fixes.

« on: February 18, 2011, 11:33:40 AM »

If Social Security and many of the other programs Mrs. Peach listed were scrapped, we'd have millions of elderly people unable to support themselves.  Some would be ok, because they have family who would take care of them, but many would not be ok. 

22790

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: America is spelt wrong. It should be Amerika.

« on: February 18, 2011, 10:13:15 AM »

I am really sorry that my semi sarcastic remark caused such an outrage

I'm really glad you still haven't lurked moar.  Welcome to FES!

22791

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 18, 2011, 10:09:27 AM »

Right, because it requires an erection.  Do you think about raping someone when your dick gets hard?

22792

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Rape in the US military

« on: February 18, 2011, 10:07:36 AM »

I don't have a completely rotten opinion of the US military, but I do worry about our military becoming more and more corrupt.  As Americans we're supposed to venerate the military, honor the soldiers, love the flag... but over the last, I dunno, 20 years? it seems that if you question the conduct of the establishment you are branded unpatriotic.  Accepting this conduct in our military is what seems unpatriotic to me.  These men and women are trained to follow orders, they're supposed to behave honorably.  Why doesn't leadership demand  honor? 

Raist, maybe training the men and women together would be a good idea... especially since they are going to be working together after basic. 

22793

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 18, 2011, 09:53:15 AM »

You think I'm ignoring the fact that Muslim men probably don't rape women wearing beekeeper suits as often as they might rape women of a different religion?  That was my point.  Good for the women covered up from head to toe, but that doesn't give these people the right to rape people of other faiths.  Also, fuck.. if you think the sight of a woman's bare head is enough to incite sexual violence (which is what rape is) then I really don't comprehend the way you think.  Rape isn't about sexual desire, it's about fear and dominance.

22794

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Rape in the US military

« on: February 17, 2011, 04:22:14 PM »

Actually it is.  The women involved in the lawsuit say that after they reported being raped they were treated as traitors by the others in their units.  This is one of the reasons the rape victim gets booted out of the service.

22795

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 17, 2011, 04:06:45 PM »

Yes, a piece of cloth is all a woman needs to protect her from lustful men.

It may seem like a small thing, but it does a lot.  If the mind can be swayed, then the battle is won.  I think that is just one small aspect of a beautiful culture which experiences all around less crime (including rape) than the west.

It does a lot because of what it symbolizes, not because men lose control of themselves at the sight of a woman's hair.  The veil says there's a Muslim woman underneath, no veil says infidel.

22796

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 17, 2011, 02:29:46 PM »

Yes, a piece of cloth is all a woman needs to protect her from lustful men.

22797

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Rape in the US military

« on: February 17, 2011, 02:22:09 PM »

I was wondering why the other men, the ones not raping people, don't get pissed off at the rapists for causing problems in the unit. 

22798

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: America is spelt wrong. It should be Amerika.

« on: February 17, 2011, 11:45:33 AM »

I hope stume rants angrily and never lurks moar.

22799

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Egypt

« on: February 17, 2011, 10:17:50 AM »

Yeah, I read about that today, somewhere.  I guess Egyptian men are notorious for groping women, but I never knew that. 

22800

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Rape in the US military

« on: February 17, 2011, 10:14:39 AM »

So, what is the solution?  Shouldn't these rapists be charged with rape and punished?

Of course they should.


There's a comment in your article....

When women experience sexual assault from another solider they are forced to report it through their chain of command, which basically amounts to zero confidentiality

There's no confidentiality on the outside as well.  The accused has the right to face the accuser whether you are in the military or not.  The problem comes from commands trying to cover up the incident.  Which I'm sure does happen.  We go through training twice a year on how to handle such situations.  There is now a program in place that victims can file a completely confidential report without anyone in the command knowing, so that they can get the medical and psychological help without having to actually confront the perpetrator.  Problem with that is, no charges are ever filed, but at least the victim gets help. 

But.. if the perpetrator goes unpunished, then the victim will still be forced to work with that person and come in contact with that person, also the victim will most likely be punished for coming forward and be forced out of the military.  One of the women involved in the class action suit stated that she had filed a confidential report (can't remember what she called it, she was on Piers Morgan's show last night) and she was the one punished, not the rapist.  The other woman didn't report her rape at all because she knew it would end her career, she was approached by investigators because it turns out her rapist was a serial sexual predator, and she agreed to come forward because she believed that it was her duty to help protect other women from this rapist... guess what happened?  She was kicked out of the service, the rapist was allowed to continue serving, and was never charged with rape.

Anu Bhagwati, the director of SWAN, said that 40% of sexual trauma survivors are male (in the military).  Unless the way sexual assault is handled changes, then I don't think the repeal of DADT will make much of a difference.  The men who are sexually harassed and assaulted are already being treated the same as women who are assaulted, if they report it.