Why Dont We Ever Call White Extremists Terrorists? [news.vice.com]

davknight comments on Dec 1, 2018:

John Brown was viewed as a terrorist. The KKK of Reconstruction were viewed as terrorists. So too, were the Weather Underground, and the Symbionese Liberation Army. And the British viewed the Continental Army as terrorists.

What is Socialism? [counterpunch.org]

davknight comments on Dec 1, 2018:

Socialism is when government controls Big Business. Fascism is when Big Business controls government.

Do you think Trump has damaged the USA? How long will it take to repair the damage?

davknight comments on Dec 1, 2018:

Offhand, I'd say he's set American foreign relations back at least 70 years, and American responses to Climate Change back by at least 30.

I've been following the Mueller investigation from when it was Comey's investigation.

davknight comments on Nov 27, 2018:

Trump is a gangster all right. Fortunately for us, he is an AMATEUR gangster, who will choke on his own feet. To paraphrase an old expression, give them enough foot, and they choke themselves.

'Corporate Greed at Its Worst': After Reaping $514 Million From GOP Tax Scam and Billions in Public ...

davknight comments on Nov 27, 2018:

Capital has no national loyalties It is loyal only to higher profit margins, and dividends.

Do you think inheritance of millions or billions of dollars is good for children?

davknight comments on Nov 20, 2018:

Amongst the Goths, the deceased, and all their worldly possessions were buried together, in a wagon. This was so that young people would have to accumulate 'wealth' the same way their parents did--through trading, raiding, plundering, and pillaging.(It was a tough life, being a Goth!).These 'wagon graves' turn up every now and then, in Eastern Europe.

What sentence will trigger an entire fan base?

davknight comments on Nov 20, 2018:

Covfefe baby!

Do you like music in languages you don't understand?

davknight comments on Nov 20, 2018:

I used to have some old recordings of Cajun dance bands that I enjoyed. Even though my French is beginner's level. I also enjoyed Irish and Scottish folk ballads sung in Gaelic; even though my Gaelic is practically nonexistent.

U.

davknight comments on Nov 20, 2018:

The Army and Marines combined, don't have the ground combat troops to "invade" the state of Texas, much less a fairly large country like Mexico. And "pacification" would be a nightmare!

Question: Do you accept what you have been taught about freedom in the US?

davknight comments on Nov 20, 2018:

Yes. Freedom is for those who can afford it!

How soon is too soon?

davknight comments on Nov 20, 2018:

I consider Christmas the only redeeming feature of Christianity. Because it's the only day of the year, when people are reasonably 'nice' to each other!

Pentagon socialism: The Pentagon’s plan to dominate the economy | Salon.com

davknight comments on Nov 20, 2018:

The entire military is an excellent example of applied socialism. Their troops are taken care of in every way. Food, clothing, shelter, health care, etc.And all at the taxpayer's expense! (The Pentagon would never admit this of course!).

How old/young were you when you realized you were atheist/agnostic?

davknight comments on Nov 20, 2018:

It was in school, I began pondering the differences between atheism, and agnosticism. I eventually decided that the latter was the more scientific approach. So, I guess I must have been about seventeen.

Name a ancient agnostic civilization

davknight comments on Nov 20, 2018:

Mass architecture (Pyramids, Temples, etc) generally make their appearance in the first class-stratified, city-states. And those structures are usually erected to honor the 'Gods', the priests, or the nobles. In our society, they are erected to honor banks, corporations, or television-evangelists. We've come a long way, haven't we?

Name 5 cities in the world you would visit if you had the time and resources before 2018 ends.

davknight comments on Nov 20, 2018:

1. London 2. Paris 3. Milan 4. Rome 5. Athens

A month without television, minimal internet/email, no newspapers.

davknight comments on Nov 19, 2018:

I once went for 30 years, without watching TV. But then, I underwent two back surgeries , and found myself doing the 'couch potato' thing (learning how to use the little channel-flicker gadget). I must say, it was strange seeing Geraldo Rivera, as a conservative announcer on FOX. I last remembered his old liberal-esque talk show on ABC. It was also strange seeing all the idiot cartoon-shows-for-adults ( 'Family Guy', 'American Dad','The Simpsons', etc.). Nowadays, I find myself watching TV a lot, if just to keep tabs on what stupid stuff Trump is tweeting!

Do you have a book collection?

davknight comments on Nov 17, 2018:

I used to have a research library of over 3,500 volumes. But I sold it to a lady who was setting up a used book store, because I was moving to another State, and couldn't take them all with me. It was mostly all history, anthropology, the natural sciences, biographies, and classics. I told myself I'd never accumulate another library again. But my problem is I can't stay away from used book sales. So now, I'm back up to about 350 books!

WHO ELSE DRIVES AN HOUR OR MORE TO WORK?

davknight comments on Nov 17, 2018:

I used to drive close to seventy miles, round-trip, between home, school, and work. At the time, I thought it seemed 'normal', because I lived in a rural, western community, where practically everybody made long commutes. It's only now, that I live in Florida, that I realize just how long those commutes were! In many States, they have 'park-and-rides', which are parking lots out by Interstate on-ramps, where you can leave your vehicle, and car-pool to your destination. I've often thought all States should have those.

NAME A KINK. New shenanigans. (Remember "kinky" is very flexible and subjective.)

davknight comments on Nov 17, 2018:

Raw, uncooked cauliflowers ( got it from a very old MAD magazine!)

I heard the idea here about starting our own political party?

davknight comments on Nov 17, 2018:

I agree that we desperately need a Third Party. However, the system is set up in favor of the two-party variety. And the electorate has been brainwashed into thinking that voting for a third-party candidate is a wasted vote.

It's really nipplie outside!!!

davknight comments on Nov 16, 2018:

Snow is a dish, that is best appreciated from inside a nice, warm house, with a cracling fireplace, over a cup of hot coffee, laced with Irish whisky!

Does anyone know any dirty limericks?

davknight comments on Nov 16, 2018:

Look up the lyrics to the "Colonel Bogie March" sometime. It is a late-1930s British Army marching song, that is basically one long limerick, that derides Adolph Hitler, Hermann Goering, and Benito Mussolini. For those who've never heard of it, it is also the theme song for the film, "The Bridge Over The River Kwai". The producers had the extras whistle the tune, as some people might have found the lyrics 'offensive' back then.

If you were to give a die hard trump supporter your top ten hit list of things that no rational ...

davknight comments on Nov 16, 2018:

12 Creating a 'cult of the leader' 13 Making greed, ignorance,lying,and outright stupidity, "virtues" amongst Trump's followers 14 Holding 'rallies', where the attendees look like something from the Jerry Springer Show. (They even CHANT!) 15 Making our country look like a laughing stock, in the eyes of the World 16 Trump lying repeatedly to his followers, until they actually believe the lies 17 Doing so much damage to our foreign relations, it will take fifty years to repair the damage 18 Denying Global Warming, and setting us back at least ten years on environmental issues 19 Trump blaming California's forest fires on his political opponents 20 Starting 'trade wars' with other countries Anyone else?

There is no agnostic vs. atheist! The peeve I have...

davknight comments on Nov 15, 2018:

The basic difference between the Atheist and Agnostic is: The Atheist says, there is no Great Bunny Rabbit, period! The Agnostic says, there is no PROOF of the existence of a Great Bunny Rabbit; and there is no PROOF that there isn't a Great Bunny Rabbit!

A pastor told me today that he is sorry that I have not felt the love of god.

davknight comments on Nov 15, 2018:

I'd love God more, if he'd give me the winning numbers for the next PowerBall!

I’ve been shot in combat.

davknight comments on Nov 14, 2018:

I agree! My worry is that a TEACHER might decide to go postal!

If you could add a zero to the end of any number in your life (bank balance, life expectancy, ...

davknight comments on Nov 10, 2018:

-50, so I could be a teenager again!

What are the biggest things you’ve learned in life to date?

davknight comments on Nov 10, 2018:

Perserverance, and frugality

What would your pet name you?

davknight comments on Nov 10, 2018:

Old Fuzz Face

What is your biggest pet peeve?

davknight comments on Nov 10, 2018:

Redundancy, in any form!

Trump declared November 7 as a national day for Victims of Communism.

davknight comments on Nov 10, 2018:

The 1950s are calling; and they want their 'red scare' back!

Were you religious at any point in life?

davknight comments on Nov 10, 2018:

Only under the influence of LSD, or Psilocyn as a teenager!

If you could have any sci-fi gadget or technology, what would you choose?

davknight comments on Nov 10, 2018:

I'd want a time-transporter, so I could visit the Earth at future points in time, to see what the place is like!

Atheist political party

davknight comments on Nov 10, 2018:

In the U.S.? Not a chance! A candidate has to pretend to be 'religious', and have a 'nuclear' style family, in order to get elected. An attractive spouse, and 'cute' kids helps!

With all this politics about global warming--one elephant in the room: Why do city planners keep ...

davknight comments on Nov 10, 2018:

At least, it's not 'astro-turf'! Back in the 'eighties, I ran over a PLASTIC 'shrub' in a Hardee's parking lot, in a small Alabama town. I was a truckdriving school student at the time, in a Kenworth, with an instructor, and several other students. The instructor said " I didn't see that! Did any of you other boys see that?" "Nope!" they replied; and off we went! I noticed that many of the fast food restaurants down there had plastic grass, and plastic bushes.

Even if all humans turned into peaceful, rational humanists like Steven Pinker or Hans Rosling, our ...

davknight comments on Nov 9, 2018:

Conflict is caused by the coexistence of incompatibles. But conflict also serves as a unifier. Clans band into tribes, to protect themselves from other tribes. Tribes band into confederacies of tribes, to protect themselves from other confederacies.And so on. A hundred years ago, no one would have believed a 'European Union' possible.Out of conflict, comes accord.

Come on people. How much will it take before we stand up and fight back?

davknight comments on Nov 9, 2018:

People prefer to be Sheeple, until their own personal living situation becomes so bad, they turn back into People again!

Half of white women continue to vote Republican. What's wrong with them?

davknight comments on Nov 9, 2018:

Back in 2000, I was leaving a university building one day, and overheard a conversation between two young women:"Who did you vote for?" "I voted for George Bush!" "Why?" "Because my Daddy told me to!"

Are aliens out there? what do you think? tell me your favorite story about aliens

davknight comments on Nov 9, 2018:

I'm sure there must be infinite numbers of inhabited Worlds out there, some with civilizations way more advanced than ours. But I doubt they would view us anything more than an island of feral chimpanzees. And would choose to gather data about us from a very safe distance. When we can build spacecraft that can travel faster than the speed of light, we can 'discover' them.

God’s Intelligent Design?

davknight comments on Nov 9, 2018:

Where do you think your tail bone came from? (Old joke in anthropology classes).

A question for my American cousins.

davknight comments on Nov 9, 2018:

The evangelicals are more opposed to abortion, than anything else!

A question for my American cousins.

davknight comments on Nov 9, 2018:

The 'bible belt' is basically Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, with pockets of evangelicals elsewhere. The people of this region have been conditioned to think that they can be as sinful as they want, so long as they go to church twice on Sunday, and once on Wednesday.And they will still be able to get front-row seats in Heaven! Their preachers/pastors exert a good deal of influence over them; and if told to vote for particular candidates, they will. So, they can always be counted on to vote for candidates that are opposed to abortion, and anything else their clergy finds reprehensible.

The US just elected 7 new scientists to Congress, including an ocean expert, a nurse, and a ...

davknight comments on Nov 9, 2018:

A lot of good they are in a country where the President, and over half the Senate and Supreme Court think Global Warming is "fake news"!

Who Is Your Celebrity Crush?

davknight comments on Nov 9, 2018:

Jennifer Anniston!

What is your best definition of being in love?

davknight comments on Nov 9, 2018:

A twin aching in the heart and loins, for the heart and loins of another?

Who Were You In High School?

davknight comments on Nov 8, 2018:

I guess I was a 'closet nerd'!

Blue Wave or Blue let down?

davknight comments on Nov 6, 2018:

Insufficient data!

Why Are Americans Still Uncomfortable with Atheism? | The New Yorker

davknight comments on Nov 1, 2018:

As the French like to say: "America is a country. Europe is mature". Church-goers have dwindled in number, in Europe.They are dwindling here too. But not at the rate they have in Europe. This is probably because America has always been viewed as a refuge for people of strong, religious beliefs.

When someone says" well it was ment to be" or it was gods will. What is your reply?

davknight comments on Nov 1, 2018:

I would just tell them I'm not on a Crusade. The battle cry of the Crusaders was "Deus Vult", or " Wills It" in Latin.

I'd like to hear some wisdom.

davknight comments on Nov 1, 2018:

PERSERVERANCE! Endure. Learn. Endure. And learn some more!

Who in history turned out to be right after they died, but were called crazy while they were alive?

davknight comments on Oct 30, 2018:

John Brown

Where do agnostics go when they die?

davknight comments on Oct 30, 2018:

That depends on how much money we have!

Why do you reject the idea of religion?

davknight comments on Oct 30, 2018:

Religion says "Believe it!". Science says "Prove it!". And I've always been the science-oriented type!

What is the true purpose of religion?

davknight comments on Oct 30, 2018:

Religious beliefs are born out of the Human fear of death. We all die. But no one is in a particular hurry to get there. And when we do, we hope that we will be 're-born' into whatever 'afterlife' our religion has taught us, exists.

What makes a human being valuable?

davknight comments on Oct 30, 2018:

Humans have the ability to conceptualize something, and then create it.Conversely, we also have the power to conceptualize how to destroy something, and then bring about its destruction. Simply put, we have the power to create, or destroy. And we seem to be pretty good at both!

What is your response when people threaten you with religious punishments? (i.e. Hell/Jahannam)

davknight comments on Oct 30, 2018:

I don't recall any threats of "eternal damnation". But every now and then, some religious zombie will ask me "where do you think you go when you die?" To which, I always respond: "Well, that depends on how much you have. If you have lots of , you get an above-ground crypt, with flashing neon lights. If you have some , you get a vertical tombstone. A little , you get a horizontal, stone plate. And if you have zero , you end up in a crematory oven!".