So, in conclusion, no. I don't think anyone has stolen anything. Information wants to be free.
Please post all your personal information, including bank accounts and credit card numbers. Also, if it isn't too much trouble, could you set up a webcam in your home so we can watch what you're doing? Information just wants to be free, man.
No, it is not okay. Plenty of people in the world have encountered legal problems for "defaming" Muslims or Islam, not to mention death threats, assassination attempts and untimely deaths. Then there are all those terrorist attacks, riots and other expressions of perpetual outrage. Criticizing Muslims or Islam is strictly forbidden in the West (and obviously in the Islamic world, but for slightly different reasons). Insinuating that Islam is anything less than perfection is politically incorrect, morally unsound and means that you support Hitler.
The definition of "defamation" is also so broad that it includes things like making factual statements or pointing out events that have taken place.
But what's defined as proof? There have been cases in the Western world where people have been sentenced or harrassed for stating verifiable facts. With libel and hate speech laws there's really no telling what some judge or court will decide. They can do whatever they want to, basically. Hate speech laws are particularly vile because facts and evidence don't even factor into them, it's all based on emotional kneejerk responses, political correctness and what the system has arbitrarily decided to do that day.
No, this conversation exists because of what you think you know.
On what basis are you claiming that my information is inaccurate? If you are in a position to make judgements about the information I have, then clearly you must know everything I know, in which case it's very odd that you're demanding me to produce links.
Of course, my own intelligence is subject to doubt. After all, I'm wasting all this time arguing with an idiot who will never, ever admit that he's wrong, not matter what the argument.
For the life of me, I will never understand why some people expect their opposition to admit that they're wrong even when they aren't.
Of course I know all the information. If I didn't, this conversation would not exist.
Since you're completely unaware of the fact that the Western world is happily taking it up the ass from Muslims, it seems you're the one with the ignorance problem.
"Years of information gathering" and you can't cite a single example of the U.S. "bending over backwards" to accommodate the Muslim world? I think that admission by itself shows what an ignorant fool you are.
Yeah, because spending years finding out information about a subject is one of the hallmarks of ignorance.
I don't know how to break this to you, but it really doesn't take me more than a couple of seconds to write "I didn't realize someone is pointing a gun at your head and forcing you to read messages on Slashdot."
and I didn't ask for a "strong case" just a single example.
What would that prove? Nothing. There is no magical one example that explains everything. Years of information gathering cannot be condensed into one link.
Unless you want everybody to think you're just an ignorant jerk, I suggest you take the time. Unless you are an ignorant jerk, in which case, never mind.
O NOES Slashdot's left-wing brigade thinks I'm an ignorant jerk. What am I going to do now?
Projecting? Six "oh-yeah" posts since we started this nonsense.
You're the one who insisted on continuing this, so why are you blaming me? Again, you are projecting.
The Metal Gear series arguably contains the best story in video game history.
People pretty much said that about GTA4, at first. Whether or not MGS4 has a good story is not something I'll ever know, since I don't have a PS3 nor do I plan to buy one, but I played the first game and have listened to people talk about the other ones. I can see why the series might have a good story, at least some of the time, but if a game is making deadly serious social and political commentary then I do not expect to see any wacky anime-like weirdness. Even anime can make serious statements without having any anime-like weirdness.
It's amazing that I don't have to make even the most remote or veiled suggestion for violence before people already start assuming that I'm advocating genocide. I even said very clearly that in a perfect world we would simply have as little to do with each other as possible, which would actually decrease violence.
Emotional kneejerk responses are the first and usually last line of defense of multiculturalists.
The same reason everybody else here makes statements they can't back up: you don't like admitting you're wrong about something.
Why the hell would I make a statement if I know it isn't true and can't be backed up by anything? You might make those kinds of statements, but I don't.
Oh, please. We're not talking obscure facts here.
Who said anything about obscure facts? Whenever I gather a few links the reaction is, at best, "oh those are just isolated incidents nothing to worry about please move along." People don't understand because they can see only a tiny fraction of the whole picture, and then they lose interest secure in the knowledge that those damn right-wing xenophobes are just parading a few isolated incidents in the hopes of instigating a world wide ethnic cleansing. So again, I can't make you gain years and years of information in a few minutes. This is like a layman asking a scientist to explain advanced quantum mechanics, and when the scientist says it can't be done he's accused of not knowing anything about quantum mechanics.
Oh, please. We're not talking obscure facts here. You're claiming the west "bends over backwards" to accommodate the muslim world. That's a major pattern of behavior. If that's a conclusion you arrived at on your own (as opposed to something your favorite pundit said), then you must have observed many examples, and it's strange you can't recite one off the top of your head.
Why do you assume there's some "pundit" that I'm listening to?
That's a cop out. You don't know what I'd do. Prove me wrong or admit you're wrong. If you can't do either, your opinions are worthless.
I have a pretty good idea of what you'd do, since I've been in this situation a million times before and it has always ended the same way. It's nothing more than a trap: if you gather some links you're denounced as a racist Nazi, but if you don't then you'll be accused of not providing evidence. Since it's absolutely a lose-lose situation the best solution is to not provide any links, since that way you can at least save some time.
And suprise suprise: Slashdot's left-wing thugs modded me down again.
If I didn't know, why would I say that we accomodate them? If you don't have even the slightest clue about the subject then there's no point in getting into it. I can't just wave a magic wand and make you absorb years of accumulated information in a few minutes, and I don't see why I should have to. In any case, even if I did go through the trouble of gathering links you'd just dismiss it all as xenophobic right-wing propaganda. As you people always do.
If we had followed the same policy at Gitmo, the detainees would probably be demanding to enlisted in the U.S. forces by now. But no, the only way Bushcheney knows how to deal with opposition is "get tough."
Just because being nice worked with Germany and Japan doesn't mean it will work with Muslims, and so far it hasn't (the Western world is bending over backwards to accomodate them, but they just see that as weakness and submission). They represent a completely alien culture and way of thinking. They're religious fanatics who can't be reasoned with. In a perfect world we would simply be over here and they would be over there, and we'd have as little as possible to do with each other.
I nearly laughed out loud when I got to this part of the summary:
Is it even a teachable skill, or is it just an innate part of the geek personality?
Haha, what? Slashdotters are all mindless sheep who obey popular groupthink without question, and will lash out at anyone who dares to disagree, usually by downmodding them. I'd love to know what c0d3h4x0r was smoking when he wrote that.
The best way is personal experience. Have a strongly held belief effectively challenged and have an epic fail. Then don't do what most of humanity does and use cognitive dissonance defenses to justify why you are still incredibly smart despite the fact you were in this regard a complete tool.
Virtually no-one is capable of doing this. The vast majority of people will go through absolutely amazing mental acrobatics to justify some bullshit dogma they have.
On the other hand, people who are excessively sceptical are also tiresome.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't read post titles since there's no need.
Yes?
If you believe there was a joke somewhere in the post, please point it out.
Please post all your personal information, including bank accounts and credit card numbers. Also, if it isn't too much trouble, could you set up a webcam in your home so we can watch what you're doing? Information just wants to be free, man.
So in other words you have no idea what I know, and therefore have no idea if it's accurate or not.
I think we're done here.
No, it is not okay. Plenty of people in the world have encountered legal problems for "defaming" Muslims or Islam, not to mention death threats, assassination attempts and untimely deaths. Then there are all those terrorist attacks, riots and other expressions of perpetual outrage. Criticizing Muslims or Islam is strictly forbidden in the West (and obviously in the Islamic world, but for slightly different reasons). Insinuating that Islam is anything less than perfection is politically incorrect, morally unsound and means that you support Hitler.
The definition of "defamation" is also so broad that it includes things like making factual statements or pointing out events that have taken place.
But what's defined as proof? There have been cases in the Western world where people have been sentenced or harrassed for stating verifiable facts. With libel and hate speech laws there's really no telling what some judge or court will decide. They can do whatever they want to, basically. Hate speech laws are particularly vile because facts and evidence don't even factor into them, it's all based on emotional kneejerk responses, political correctness and what the system has arbitrarily decided to do that day.
I scanned the pages, found no pictures and immediately lost interest. Why was this posted on Slashdot, exactly?
On what basis are you claiming that my information is inaccurate? If you are in a position to make judgements about the information I have, then clearly you must know everything I know, in which case it's very odd that you're demanding me to produce links.
For the life of me, I will never understand why some people expect their opposition to admit that they're wrong even when they aren't.
Of course I know all the information. If I didn't, this conversation would not exist.
Since you're completely unaware of the fact that the Western world is happily taking it up the ass from Muslims, it seems you're the one with the ignorance problem.
Yeah, because spending years finding out information about a subject is one of the hallmarks of ignorance.
I don't know how to break this to you, but it really doesn't take me more than a couple of seconds to write "I didn't realize someone is pointing a gun at your head and forcing you to read messages on Slashdot."
What would that prove? Nothing. There is no magical one example that explains everything. Years of information gathering cannot be condensed into one link.
O NOES Slashdot's left-wing brigade thinks I'm an ignorant jerk. What am I going to do now?
You're the one who insisted on continuing this, so why are you blaming me? Again, you are projecting.
It says a lot about you that you believe I could build a strong case in a couple of seconds.
Now you're just projecting.
I didn't realize someone is pointing a gun at your head and forcing you to read messages on Slashdot.
I already explained why. Try to learn how to read.
Yeah, and if I actually provide any links you'll just accuse me of plotting genocide. Nice going.
Haha, what?
Goldrush is an asymmetric map where the blue team attacks and the red team defends.
People pretty much said that about GTA4, at first. Whether or not MGS4 has a good story is not something I'll ever know, since I don't have a PS3 nor do I plan to buy one, but I played the first game and have listened to people talk about the other ones. I can see why the series might have a good story, at least some of the time, but if a game is making deadly serious social and political commentary then I do not expect to see any wacky anime-like weirdness. Even anime can make serious statements without having any anime-like weirdness.
It's amazing that I don't have to make even the most remote or veiled suggestion for violence before people already start assuming that I'm advocating genocide. I even said very clearly that in a perfect world we would simply have as little to do with each other as possible, which would actually decrease violence.
Emotional kneejerk responses are the first and usually last line of defense of multiculturalists.
Fine. You can start by reading Jihad Watch and Dhimmi Watch.
Why the hell would I make a statement if I know it isn't true and can't be backed up by anything? You might make those kinds of statements, but I don't.
Who said anything about obscure facts? Whenever I gather a few links the reaction is, at best, "oh those are just isolated incidents nothing to worry about please move along." People don't understand because they can see only a tiny fraction of the whole picture, and then they lose interest secure in the knowledge that those damn right-wing xenophobes are just parading a few isolated incidents in the hopes of instigating a world wide ethnic cleansing. So again, I can't make you gain years and years of information in a few minutes. This is like a layman asking a scientist to explain advanced quantum mechanics, and when the scientist says it can't be done he's accused of not knowing anything about quantum mechanics.
Why do you assume there's some "pundit" that I'm listening to?
I have a pretty good idea of what you'd do, since I've been in this situation a million times before and it has always ended the same way. It's nothing more than a trap: if you gather some links you're denounced as a racist Nazi, but if you don't then you'll be accused of not providing evidence. Since it's absolutely a lose-lose situation the best solution is to not provide any links, since that way you can at least save some time.
And suprise suprise: Slashdot's left-wing thugs modded me down again.
If I didn't know, why would I say that we accomodate them? If you don't have even the slightest clue about the subject then there's no point in getting into it. I can't just wave a magic wand and make you absorb years of accumulated information in a few minutes, and I don't see why I should have to. In any case, even if I did go through the trouble of gathering links you'd just dismiss it all as xenophobic right-wing propaganda. As you people always do.
Hah. I guess the accomidation has become so pervasive that people don't even notice it.
Just because being nice worked with Germany and Japan doesn't mean it will work with Muslims, and so far it hasn't (the Western world is bending over backwards to accomodate them, but they just see that as weakness and submission). They represent a completely alien culture and way of thinking. They're religious fanatics who can't be reasoned with. In a perfect world we would simply be over here and they would be over there, and we'd have as little as possible to do with each other.
I nearly laughed out loud when I got to this part of the summary:
Haha, what? Slashdotters are all mindless sheep who obey popular groupthink without question, and will lash out at anyone who dares to disagree, usually by downmodding them. I'd love to know what c0d3h4x0r was smoking when he wrote that.
Virtually no-one is capable of doing this. The vast majority of people will go through absolutely amazing mental acrobatics to justify some bullshit dogma they have.
On the other hand, people who are excessively sceptical are also tiresome.