Random Thoughts Thread

[BoneSnapDeez]

I'm not sure why I want it either, but for some reason I do want to smoke.

No, you don't.

[oxymoron]

You're not an idiot though, and it pisses me off when people treat smokers like they don't know better. Anyone with half a brain knows what tobacco can do to you. I get that it feels good. Your choice, but I urge you to reconsider.

I'm pretty sure he knows better but when someone asks 'should I smoke cigarettes?', I find it necessary to advise not to.

[Hobie-wan]

I'm not worried about it becoming an addiction, as I don't really have an addictive personality.

It has nothing to do with your personality, it has to do with chemical reactions in your body. Science, yo. Don't pretend otherwise. People with a "stronger personality" than you have regularly died of lung cancer thinking the same thing...

Just give up Dave. Forlorn doesn't really want any advice. He consistently asks for then ignores all the advice we give him. I don't think this is just teenage stubbornness at this point. He's like a good friend in high school that kept doing really stupid shit over and over, then would come back with "I'm sorry, I'll do better next time". There never was a successful next time and I eventually had to cut him loose. Save your energy for someone who can be helped.

[KDub]

Y'know, I like a good nicotine buzz, but I can't figure out the best option for me. I like the idea of e-cigs, but I wouldn't know what brand or the like to buy.

http://www.blucigs.com/

[Erik_Twice]

Just give up Dave. Forlorn doesn't really want any advice. He consistently asks for then ignores all the advice we give him. I don't think this is just teenage stubbornness at this point. He's like a good friend in high school that kept doing really stupid shit over and over, then would come back with "I'm sorry, I'll do better next time". There never was a successful next time and I eventually had to cut him loose. Save your energy for someone who can be helped.

You are right, sadly.

[Menegrothx]

@marurun

Do us the favor of defining these terms for us. What is mass scale immigration and what distinguishes it from "ordinary" immigration?

Mass scale immigration is any kind of immigration that happens in large quantities (duh), which, when out of control, can easily lead to a disaster. When you couple that with the fact that in Europe this mass scale immigration is asylum/refugee based, rather than people moving to another country after finding a job from there, that's a recipe for a even a bigger disaster.

Why is it a problem with muslims?

Because their integration has failed and consequently caused a lot of trouble in countries like France, England, Germany and Sweden. To the point that notable politicians like Merkel are admitting that this isn't working.

Would this "mass scale immigration" be a problem with other religious or cultural groups as well?

I, like any sane person, oppose all immigration that is harmful to the host country (in other words, my native country [why would I support any practice that makes my living environment more dangerous? Immigration is just one issue among many others here]). There haven't been any problems with other religious or cultural groups so far, but if there was, they'd be just as big problem as muslims.

When Muslim nations are 99% Muslim and "Christian" nations are 95%, 90%, maybe even 80% or less, well, those few percentage points have a massive impact on policy and society.

The most hardcore muslim countries are still more hardline in many of the issues that atheists have a problem with in Christianity even if you compare Saudi Arabia in 2013 to USA in the 1950s, Germany in the 1940s or even any European nation in the middle ages. Islam is simply more strict than Christianity. Take the Saudi male guardian law for instance. No matter how poorly women were treated during the most oppressive, conservative christian times, there was still nothing that extreme taking place.

Further, the structure of government in many Western nations, especially in Europe, are secular rather than Christian, so they are truly secular nations that have a majority Christian population, not "Christian nations".

I think that's what I said earlier. Christianity was reformed and there aren't any christian theocracies around.
Now you can ask, why is that? Maybe the tenents of islam have an influence on why muslim and christian countries function differently. Sharia Law maybe? I won't claim that I know much about the subject, so I'll just leave it at that. And like I said earlier, I don't claim that things will be the way they are now forever, but the here and now, that's the way things are.

Some of what you've put down is inflammatory, in part because you are relying heavily on sweeping generalizations

And what are those generalizations? That the muslim countries, on average, are much less tolerant and liberal than christian countries? That is not a generalization, that is the way things are at the moment. I can back up these claims. If I said that all black people love rap music or that all Russians are drunks, that would be a generalization.
The problem that leftists seem to generally have is that they can't differentiate in their minds averages and medians from individuals, and as a result they become emotional and offended when you talk to them about demographic statistics and geographical statistics and studies. In short: if muslims on average are less tolerant and more conservative, that does not mean that all muslims are intolerant and conservative, and if the average height of an American male is 6 feet, that does not mean that all American males are exactly 6 feet tall.
(I'm not aiming that comment at you in particular)

and you aren't being as careful with your language as you should be. You need to chill and be less shrill. When you are typing up a post, save it as a draft and come back to it an hour later to review before posting it.

I have no qualms with my posts nor language. I might at times insult people if they have trouble with reading comprehension or if they make false claims/use personal attacks (I bring this up because of people like ZeroAX an internet acquaintance of mine who's jewish has often been called a neo nazi on the internet), but other than that, I'm a calm debater.

[oxymoron]

@marurun

Do us the favor of defining these terms for us. What is mass scale immigration and what distinguishes it from "ordinary" immigration?

Mass scale immigration is any kind of immigration that happens in large quantities (duh), which, when out of control, can easily lead to a disaster. When you couple that with the fact that in Europe this mass scale immigration is asylum/refugee based, rather than people moving to another country after finding a job from there, that's a recipe for a even a bigger disaster.

Why is it a problem with muslims?

Because their integration has failed and consequently caused a lot of trouble in countries like France, England, Germany and Sweden. To the point that notable politicians like Merkel are admitting that this isn't working.

Would this "mass scale immigration" be a problem with other religious or cultural groups as well?

I, like any sane person, oppose all immigration that is harmful to the host country (in other words, my native country [why would I support any practice that makes my living environment more dangerous? Immigration is just one issue among many others here]). There haven't been any problems with other religious or cultural groups so far, but if there was, they'd be just as big problem as muslims.

When Muslim nations are 99% Muslim and "Christian" nations are 95%, 90%, maybe even 80% or less, well, those few percentage points have a massive impact on policy and society.

The most hardcore muslim countries are still more hardline in many of the issues that atheists have a problem with in Christianity even if you compare Saudi Arabia in 2013 to USA in the 1950s, Germany in the 1940s or even any European nation in the middle ages. Islam is simply more strict than Christianity. Take the Saudi male guardian law for instance. No matter how poorly women were treated during the most oppressive, conservative christian times, there was still nothing that extreme taking place.

Further, the structure of government in many Western nations, especially in Europe, are secular rather than Christian, so they are truly secular nations that have a majority Christian population, not "Christian nations".

I think that's what I said earlier. Christianity was reformed and there aren't any christian theocracies around.
Now you can ask, why is that? Maybe the tenents of islam have an influence on why muslim and christian countries function differently. Sharia Law maybe? I won't claim that I know much about the subject, so I'll just leave it at that. And like I said earlier, I don't claim that things will be the way they are now forever, but the here and now, that's the way things are.

Some of what you've put down is inflammatory, in part because you are relying heavily on sweeping generalizations

And what are those generalizations? That the muslim countries, on average, are much less tolerant and liberal than christian countries? That is not a generalization, that is the way things are at the moment. I can back up these claims. If I said that all black people love rap music or that all Russians are drunks, that would be a generalization.
The problem that leftists seem to generally have is that they can't differentiate in their minds averages and medians from individuals, and as a result they become emotional and offended when you talk to them about demographic statistics and geographical statistics and studies. In short: if muslims on average are less tolerant and more conservative, that does not mean that all muslims are intolerant and conservative, and if the average height of an American male is 6 feet, that does not mean that all American males are exactly 6 feet tall.
(I'm not aiming that comment at you in particular)

and you aren't being as careful with your language as you should be. You need to chill and be less shrill. When you are typing up a post, save it as a draft and come back to it an hour later to review before posting it.

I have no qualms with my posts nor language. I might at times insult people if they have trouble with reading comprehension or if they make false claims/use personal attacks (I bring this up because of people like ZeroAX an internet acquaintance of mine who's jewish has often been called a neo nazi on the internet), but other than that, I'm a calm debater.

Dude, your just a fucking racist.

[mjmjr25]

Tone it down. This is a popular thread - let's not ruin it. PM's coming to those who need them...

[Menegrothx]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnoreligious_group
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam
Learn the difference

[ZeroAX]

Dude, your just a fucking racist.

You're (and yes I'm just jesting you mate )