The Tea Parties.. And the Tea Baggers

Well the teaparties have come and gone what does everyone think about them? This is what Shooter has to say

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What a waste of time. The IRS tax codes have more regulations in them that are specifically designed to allow one to manipulate the system to avoid paying any taxes at all. All you have to do is learn the system and then you don't have to pay any taxes. All quite legal but does require a bit of planning and work. That's something morons don't have the time for. They'd rather pretend they are some sort of protester.

People who attended these idiotic charades they called tea parties are noting but a bunch of morons who have no clue what taxes are all about, what the original Boston tea party was all about and if they did, they dis respected those who actually did do something of substance to protest the British tyrannical taxation practice. If any of you time wasters really wanted to relive the actions of the Boston Tea Party, why didn't you go down to your local ports and try to sink the cargo of a merchant ship, or better yet a US war ship. Man, get a life for crissakes! "
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Well what did you feel about them? Did you visit one? Did you counter protest? Let us know.

http://www.crazyamerica.org/pit/67465-so-who-going-teaparty.html

Here are some photos taken by one of our members. General_Disarry



Here is a video from the same member General_Disarry

The Muslims Intergrating into the Western World

There is an interesting debate going on about a town in NY that is "Muslim Only" And how they do or do not intergrate into the western world.

http://www.crazyamerica.org/pit/61489-muslim-only-town-usa.html

The debate seems to be that Muslims are not doing like others have (Jews, Italians, Germans etc) and intergrated into the US. They seem to isolate themselves in their own little communes and this seems to be a cause of some distaste that they have for the US and we have for them.

By isolating themselves and blocking out outside influance they can continue to breed hatred and isdain for those on the "outside" and those of us who are outsiders we see them as "scarey" a typical human emotion about the unkown.

The Turth about God? (or lack their of)

We have many discussion's about god, and how the concept of god plays a big role in US politics. One of the most recent debates has been rather or not their even was a god and why people believe one way or another.

s8ists repsonds with:

This is the problem with 'belief' apologetics. Some people can't seem to understand a faulty quantitative argument when they see one. More people believed the world was flat at one point in time, did that mean they were correct? Even if I was able to trot out specific figures and time periods, that would not make my argument any more convincing for one reason: it's a faulty premise. A majority does not determine truth, just the truth that this is what the majority thinks.

The main problem with you asking Jonstad to disprove "God" is that it is impossible. You may think that this is a plus for your side, but actually it's a negative. It's a non-falsifiable premise. Prove to me that there isn't a teapot orbiting the sun. You can't. If you can't see it, it might be on the other side, or just too small to pick up with our instruments, right? All you can do is express doubt about my belief and rightly wonder what basis I have to believe in such a thing. That's where the burden of proof comes in.

Similar to the teapot, but even moreso immeasurable, is the concept of "God." Just like the teapot, there might be some omniscient being that eludes our detection. But if we entertain "God" we must be willing to entertain all premises that cannot be readily proven or disproven: faeries, celestial teapots, flying spaghetti monsters, space pirates, invisible unicorns... I disbelieve the lot of them for the same reason I disbelieve God: insufficient evidence.

The worst part of the "God" hypothesis is that the definition in its loosest conception is as vague to be pointless in determining existence. In its commonly accepted definitions through mainstream religion, it is contradictory enough to be challenged unless by cultural default we presume it should be accepted. Then any number of "celestial teapot" excuses can be used. God works in mysterious ways, just like that orbiting teapot you couldn't see. I can't "know the mind of God" just like those instruments we have may not be capable of picking up the teapot.

As a skeptic, the argument isn't about what we can prove about the non-existence of supernatural beings. It is about the lack of evidence, or the presentation of flimsy evidence that causes our skepticism. Otherwise if I were to be an honest believer, I could no more follow just the teachings of one religion as they all claimed truth. I could not doubt the existence of extraterrestrials and other "phenomena." Such things the average 'believer' excludes from his consideration is based on his own double-standard. His unfalsifiable beliefs are valid, and all others are beyond the pale.

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To read the rest of the discussion and enter the debate yourself visit:
http://www.crazyamerica.org/pit/57746-allah-knows-best.html

Sin Taxes, Liberal vs Conservative. A man without a party.

First on the agenda the cigarette taxes. They are going up over 90cents on April 1st, with many stores already raising them in anticipation. I think this is a tricky situation. On the one hand I am a non-smoker and it will not effect me. On the other its more taxes! I think what the money is intended for though is a just cause. An increase in the SCHIP funding, as well as other health care programs. Let the people who are more likly to be a burden on the system pay a bit more into it. Makes sense to me. The same can be said for beer drinkers as well.

But when does it stop? What about fast food? Certainly people being fat is a burden on the healthcare system? I'd bet even more so now then smokers. When does the picking and choosing of what to tax based on "how bad it is" stop? Very dangerous waters and id hate for congress to be telling me what to eat and what not to eat based on their taxes. They are already doing similar programs in New York and California (heavy liberal areas is it any wonder).

This is where my Liberal Side and my Conservative side get into a fight. I cant stand the "Nanny state" and "tree hugging" liberals anymore then I can stand the "religious nutjob" and "socially retarded" conservatives. So where do I go? Libertarian? They do not fit all my social needs. I truly am a man without a party...