June 17, 2016

I see the selfish MF'ers are out in force.

Their fascination with mass-murder machines endangers the public. It's not fair that those that want nothing to do with weapons design to murder many people quickly have to experience the danger associated with such weapons. We have to experience the threat without experiencing the thrill of owning such weapons.

It's engaging in risky behavior, but in this case, it's the general public that has to experience the risk. I could never be that selfish.

June 14, 2016

We know that time exists.

There is no mystery there. We experience time every waking moment (we have much to learn about what time actually is, though.) But we have zero evidence for any god.

Everything is not possible with time, but everything that is possible will happen given enough time. We know that life is possible because we experience it in every waking moment and see it all around us.

The transition from chemistry to biology wouldn't likely have been obvious when the first life form began. The first life would have been extremely simple, and it would have only had to have happened one time in the ancient and huge Universe to evolve us. On Earth, all life uses the same genetic code, so that strongly indicates we are all related to one original life form.

In the massive and old Universe, a huge number of chemical reactions and events happen every second. That is a lot of lottery tickets played over many billions of years. Given enough time, some simple life form is probably likely to arise.

In a universe started by a god, there is only one starting point, and that starting point is the most complicated starting point imaginable: a god. All of reality only gets one shot at having a god as its starting point, with no explanation possible on how this starting point got here. And unlike time or life itself, we have zero evidence for this god.

June 14, 2016

We apparently have a lot of closeted Dick Cheney fans in the Democratic Party.

Many in the party do like war. That is a sad thing to see, and does not bode well for the future of the US and this world.

Polls do show that Americans, more than people from any other nation, support bombing of civilians. We like war, and are indifferent to the suffering that those wars cause. With our callus indifference to the suffering of others, we have little right to tell any other nation how they should live their lives.

Our corrupt politicians, sold to the highest bidder and voted in by a callus public, have no right to force any other nation to do anything.

May 30, 2016

Evidence suggests that Americans place less value on human life than other people,

so it's easy to see that Americans are more than happy to swallow the B/S excuses for dropping bombs on civilians.

Currently, slaughtering poor and powerless people in third-world countries is considered an acceptable activity of the US Government, and it's hard to convince most Americans that engaging in such evil behavior disqualifies anyone from being elected US President.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/157067/views-violence.aspx

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May 28, 2016

17 days until the great purge.

17 days until DU becomes NU (Neocon Underground). I can hardly wait.

In 17 days whistle blowers that expose secrets deserve long prison sentences, but powerful Democrats (sic), for selfish reasons, that expose even more sensitive secrets are not even worthy of condemnation.

In 17 days Henry Kissinger, the world's worst living mass-murderer, will be worthy of friendship and a source of advice.

In 17 days a major proponent of the world's worst crime this century, the Iraq War, will make a great candidate for US President.

In 17 days, murdered Palestinian children (by Israel) in the Gaza Strip will be condemned as propaganda tools that are allegedly being used against Israel.

In 17 days murdering leaders and destroying foreign nations will bring such joy and merriment:

Welcome to Hillary's nightmare

March 31, 2016

That logic doesn't work in this situation.

That logic does work when we're talking about evolution, for example. Creationists make the mistake of claiming that the odds that a particular critter could have evolved a particular way are extremely small, so there must be a god. But particular critters aren't the goal of evolution. Evolution is going to evolve critters in some direction.

But the odds that an interesting universe could have developed, such as one that can evolve life, with only one attempt, are extremely small. Not all outcomes are in the same category. Our universe is in the category of a very interesting universe, which would be extremely rare if created by pure chance.

When you see an identifiable pattern on an old analog TV set you know that a signal was sent from some place. That pattern will not be there by pure chance. There are a huge number of ways to create a pattern on a TV (the vast majority of patterns are just static), but an identifiable pattern needs an explanation, unlike pure static.

From my selfish perspective, it is legitimate for me to contemplate what version of reality gives me the best odds of existing: one where my odds of existing are next to zero or a version of reality where my odds of existing are quite good. I think it is obvious that the version of reality where my odds of existing are next to zero can pretty much be eliminated.

Some people seem to have a faith-based version of reality where they accept a certain version of reality, even when shown that their version of reality is virtually impossible, and their version of reality violates everything we know about nature. (nature doesn't make things in ones, for example) Nature is giving us clues. Many of the best scientists believe an explanation is needed.

March 28, 2016

Nakba:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakba_Day


Israel is violating international law by occupying Palestine, and violating the Palestinian's right to self determination. Israel is stealing and destroying Palestinians homes, stealing most of their water and their freedom. Only someone from the far right can support this evil.

Israel was created by expelling the natives. The Nakba hasn't really ended. The Palestinians are about the most oppressed people on earth. You consistently support this evil here on DU, a liberal site.

Albert Einstein's letter:
https://archive.org/details/AlbertEinsteinLetterToTheNewYorkTimes.December41948

Among the most disturbing political phenomena of our times is the emergence in the newly created state of Israel of the "Freedom Party" (Tnuat Haherut), a political party closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties. It was formed out of the membership and following of the former Irgun Zvai Leumi, a terrorist, right-wing, chauvinist organization in Palestine.

The current visit of Menachem Begin, leader of this party, to the United States is obviously calculated to give the impression of American support for his party in the coming Israeli elections, and to cement political ties with conservative Zionist elements in the United States. Several Americans of national repute have lent their names to welcome his visit. It is inconceivable that those who oppose fascism throughout the world, if correctly informed as to Mr. Begin's political record and perspectives, could add their names and support to the movement he represents.

Before irreparable damage is done by way of financial contributions, public manifestations in Begin's behalf, and the creation in Palestine of the impression that a large segment of America supports Fascist elements in Israel, the American public must be informed as to the record and objectives of Mr. Begin and his movement.

The public avowals of Begin's party are no guide whatever to its actual character. Today they speak of freedom, democracy and anti-imperialism, whereas until recently they openly preached the doctrine of the Fascist state. It is in its actions that the terrorist party betrays its real character; from its past actions we can judge what it may be expected to do in the future.

Attack on Arab Village
A shocking example was their behavior in the Arab village of Deir Yassin. This village, off the main roads and surrounded by Jewish lands, had taken no part in the war, and had even fought off Arab bands who wanted to use the village as their base. On April 9 (THE NEW YORK TIMES), terrorist bands attacked this peaceful village, which was not a military objective in the fighting, killed most of its inhabitants (240 men, women, and children) and kept a few of them alive to parade as captives through the streets of Jerusalem. Most of the Jewish community was horrified at the deed, and the Jewish Agency sent a telegram of apology to King Abdullah of Trans-Jordan. But the terrorists, far from being ashamed of their act, were proud of this massacre, publicized it widely, and invited all the foreign correspondents present in the country to view the heaped corpses and the general havoc at Deir Yassin...

The undersigned therefore take this means of publicly presenting a few salient facts concerning Begin and his party; and of urging all concerned not to support this latest manifestation of fascism

March 24, 2016

OK, then also put on the label

that there is no scientific reason to believe that GMO's are at all dangerous and the only reason this label is marked as containing genetic modified food is the anti-GMO lobby wants to scam the scientifically illiterate customer into believing there is an inherent danger.

That label would be far more useful and informative. What is there to hide?

Still no one has ever answered my question concerning the alleged dangers of GMO's.

March 24, 2016

What's with the arbitrary hatred of GMO's?

Can someone, in your own words, explain what is it about GMO's that make that method of genetic modification any more dangerous than any other method or process of genetic change?

March 23, 2016

And it gets back to my original question.

In your own words, what is it about GMO's that make that method of genetic modification any more dangerous than any other method or process of genetic change?

It's arbitrary to just be concerned about GMO's, and to not be concerned about any other method of genetic change that has happen in almost everything we eat. And including genetic changes that constantly happen in nature, everything we eat have gone through massive genetic changes over time.

There is no good scientific reason for this special concern about GMO's. There is no reason for this hype. It's propaganda by people with an agenda.