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2012/09/09 17:15:19
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
The straw man is one of the most blatant cheats in rhetoric. It's where you announce you oppose something no one has suggested or brought up but pretend you're responding to the previous speaker.
Which is why I am just shocked that Romney said this the other day:
"I will not take God out of the name of our platform," said Romney to thunderous applause. "I will not take God off our coins and I will not take God out of my heart. We're a nation that's bestowed by God."
Who's planning to take God off our money or out of your heart?
ABC thinks he's responding to the fact an early draft of the democratic platform did not mention God, but that makes no sense since the final one did.
He also announced he'd not apologize for America, something else no one has done or even proposed.
It's hard to believe how much our press lets him get away with this stuff.
In other news Obama announced he opposed processing senior citizens into Soylent Green and that he would never call for atheists, pagans and Hindus to be exiled from our nation under God.
Mitt Romney vows God will stay in GOP platform
By Emily Friedman | ABC OTUS News – 20 hrs ago
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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Making reference for the first time to the Democrats' about-face on having the word "God" in their party's platform, Mitt Romney said here today that if he is elected, God will not be removed from the Republican platform.
"I will not take God out of the name of our platform," said Romney to thunderous applause. "I will not take God off our coins and I will not take God out of my heart. We're a nation that's bestowed by God."
It was Romney's first reference to last week's awkward proceedings during the Democratic National Convention, in which after one day the platform was amended to include the word "God" and name Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reportedly under the instruction of President Obama.
Romney debuted a new stump speech here today, one that hinged on the candidate leading the crowd of thousands in the Pledge of Allegiance.
"I remember as a boy, I was in the fourth grade, somehow in my mind I remember being there in the fourth grade in front of the blackboard, we had an American flag that was pinned in front of the blackboard. And every day we stood, lined up in front of that blackboard and we recited the pledge of allegiance. Do you remember?" asked Romney, launching into the pledge.
"When I make a promise I intend to keep a promise, and I've done that through all my life. When I made that promise time and time again in my pledge of allegiance to the flag I remembered that flag and I remember it to this day," Romney said.
Then, drawing on each clause of the pledge, Romney ticked down is list of campaign promises.
"One nation indivisible," he said, before vowing not to divide the nation or "apologize for America abroad."
"With liberty and justice for all," Romney continued, saying he will "not forget that for us to have liberty here, for us to be able to protect ourselves from the most evil around the world, for us to share liberty with our friends around the world, we must have a military second to none, so strong no one would ever think of testing it."
And in referring to "justice for all," Romney continued that he does not believe it's just to pass on debts, adding, "I also don't think it's justice for all when a nation as prosperous as ours, the most prosperous major nation in the history of the earth, to have one in every six people below the line of poverty."
And with that, his use of the Pledge of Allegiance as a vehicle to deliver his own promises, had come full circle.
"We believe in a nation under god, a nation indivisible, a nation united, a nation with justice and liberty for all," said Romney reciting the final clause in full. "And for that to happen, we're going to have to have a new president that will commit to getting America working again; that will commit to a strong military; that will commit to a nation under god that recognizes that we the American people were given our rights not by government but by God himself."
Romney senior adviser Kevin Madden said before rally that the campaign anticipates Virginia will be a tight race until November.
"I think those people are very anxious about the direction of the country and I think they represent a pretty unique opportunity for us to win the state," Madden said. "It's going to be a very close race in Virginia, I'd expect all the way through."
Romney notably chose Virginia as the site for the announcement of his choice for running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, in August, but has not been back to the state since, scrapping plans to rally here with Ryan last week to make a stop in Louisiana to visit areas damaged by Hurricane Isaac.
2012/09/09 17:18:38
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
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2012/09/09 18:19:10
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
"I will not take God out of the name of our platform,"
Where does the word "God" fit in the name "Republican Platform"? Is it "God's Republican Platform", "Republican God Platform", "Republican Platform, God", or "God, Republican Platform"?
...We're a nation that's bestowed by God."
Bestowed unto whom, or unto what? The world that isn't the United States? Let us please not grasp at cities on hills. We need no more Great White Fleets/Hopes.
"When I make a promise I intend to keep a promise, and I've done that through all my life. When I made that promise time and time again in my pledge of allegiance to the flag I remembered that flag and I remember it to this day," Romney said.
Wow. Too fething easy.
..we must have a military second to none, so strong no one would ever think of testing it."
Yeah, our military has never been tested following the fall of the Soviet Union. Its totally true that a really powerful conventional force never gets tested by angry people.
"I also don't think it's justice for all when a nation as prosperous as ours, the most prosperous major nation in the history of the earth, to have one in every six people below the line of poverty."
Pretty good, actually. Apes the opposition's strongest argument, but probably too distinct from other positions that he has taken for it to stick.
Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.
2012/09/09 18:51:50
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
I am very happy to know that Romney is proud of his Khorne worship. We have spent too many decades with weak followers who are too ashamed of their beliefs to act on them openly. We have spent endless years building up our glorious military but never actually using it. But Romney can be different! Romney will restore Khorne to its proper place in government, and unleash a slaughter to end the world in blood and skulls!
Oh wait, I suppose he's just talking about his boring imaginary friend again. Welcome to another campaign season of "I LOVE MY IMAGINARY FRIEND MORE THAN YOU DO!!!!!".
There is no such thing as a hobby without politics. "Leave politics at the door" is itself a political statement, an endorsement of the status quo and an attempt to silence dissenting voices.
2012/09/10 03:57:11
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
Kid_Kyoto wrote: The straw man is one of the most blatant cheats in rhetoric. It's where you announce you oppose something no one has suggested or brought up but pretend you're responding to the previous speaker.
Which is why I am just shocked that Romney said this the other day:
"I will not take God out of the name of our platform," said Romney to thunderous applause. "I will not take God off our coins and I will not take God out of my heart. We're a nation that's bestowed by God."
Who's planning to take God off our money or out of your heart?
This sort of thing makes a lot more sense when you realise that a majority of voters in elections are what campaigns call 'low information voters'. They might watch the news on TV or sometimes listen to a bunch of talking heads, but they certainly don't read a range of different services to critically review the claims made by each. In most cases their information comes from one or two friends or co-workers, who in most cases do nothing more than watch a few minutes of political coverage themselves. The plan here by the Romney campaign is to have that minor nonsense issue in the Democratic campaign about God being absent from one version of their proposed platform become a story about Democrats rejecting God in the minds of these 'low information voters'.
The second thing to realise is that Romney is really bad at campaigning. So when anyone else runs these kinds of half truths, it is either a lot more complicated to say 'that's not actually what is going on at all', or they're filtered through third parties. But Romney is bad at campaigning.
“We may observe that the government in a civilized country is much more expensive than in a barbarous one; and when we say that one government is more expensive than another, it is the same as if we said that that one country is farther advanced in improvement than another. To say that the government is expensive and the people not oppressed is to say that the people are rich.”
Adam Smith, who must have been some kind of leftie or something.
2012/09/10 18:19:10
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
The centre of a massive brood chamber, heaving and pulsating.
The bit that gets me angry is the "refusing to apologize for America abroad".
Doesn't he think that the 1000s of innocent victims in Vietnam deserved at least a "sorry"? And how about the victims of American bombing in Afghanistan? Or the victims of the mess that was Grenada?
Squigsquasher, resident ban magnet, White Knight, and general fethwit.
buddha wrote: I've decided that these GW is dead/dying threads that pop up every-week must be followers and cultists of nurgle perpetuating the need for decay. I therefore declare that that such threads are heresy and subject to exterminatus. So says the Inquisition!
2012/09/10 18:24:51
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
That might as well read "The giant invisible space wizard in the sky tells me what to do" from my own personal perspective.
Nothing wrong with belief, but when you start rambling about "I have been sent by God" or "God tells me what to do" you're straight into crazy zealot land in my book.
The smart zealot politicians are the dangerous ones. Tony Blair waited until he was out of office to talk about how he believed that he was appointed by God and that God told him what to do in his dreams... if only he was just a little more foolish, people would have seen what a nutter he was right from the start.
Even a lot of people who are religious would prefer religion to be kept out of politics, since they know damn well that man is responsible for his own actions, not God.
I'm no expert on religion, but I'm fairly certain that "kill lots of people and make lots of money for a tiny minority at the expense of everyone else" isn't quite what they'd ideally like our politicians to be doing right now.
This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2012/09/10 18:30:46
2012/09/10 18:44:12
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
Squigsquasher wrote: The bit that gets me angry is the "refusing to apologize for America abroad".
Doesn't he think that the 1000s of innocent victims in Vietnam deserved at least a "sorry"? And how about the victims of American bombing in Afghanistan? Or the victims of the mess that was Grenada?
Um... wat?
So, what does the world want from us?
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!
2012/09/10 19:09:59
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
Squigsquasher wrote: The bit that gets me angry is the "refusing to apologize for America abroad".
Doesn't he think that the 1000s of innocent victims in Vietnam deserved at least a "sorry"? And how about the victims of American bombing in Afghanistan? Or the victims of the mess that was Grenada?
Um... wat?
So, what does the world want from us?
I don't think the world is a homogeneous whole... Most likely individuals or nations that america tramples on in the many myriad ways that America likes to trample on individuals and nations probably want an apology. I'm sure there's some kid in Pakistan that wants his leg back or something.
Either way I disagree with the title of this thread. I'm not sure Romney wouldn't eat a baby.
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Do you remember that time that thing happened?
This is a bad thread and you should all feel bad
2012/09/10 19:12:21
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
Squigsquasher wrote: The bit that gets me angry is the "refusing to apologize for America abroad".
Doesn't he think that the 1000s of innocent victims in Vietnam deserved at least a "sorry"? And how about the victims of American bombing in Afghanistan? Or the victims of the mess that was Grenada?
Um... wat?
So, what does the world want from us?
I don't think the world is a homogeneous whole... Most likely individuals or nations that america tramples on in the many myriad ways that America likes to trample on individuals and nations probably want an apology. I'm sure there's some kid in Pakistan that wants his leg back or something.
Either way I disagree with the title of this thread. I'm not sure Romney wouldn't eat a baby.
erm... so, if we apologize, then what? I feel like we'd never stop apologizing... *shrugs* we ain't perfect ya know...
I eat veal, does that count?
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!
2012/09/10 19:18:49
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
Squigsquasher wrote: The bit that gets me angry is the "refusing to apologize for America abroad".
Doesn't he think that the 1000s of innocent victims in Vietnam deserved at least a "sorry"? And how about the victims of American bombing in Afghanistan? Or the victims of the mess that was Grenada?
Um... wat?
So, what does the world want from us?
I don't think the world is a homogeneous whole... Most likely individuals or nations that america tramples on in the many myriad ways that America likes to trample on individuals and nations probably want an apology. I'm sure there's some kid in Pakistan that wants his leg back or something.
Either way I disagree with the title of this thread. I'm not sure Romney wouldn't eat a baby.
erm... so, if we apologize, then what? I feel like we'd never stop apologizing... *shrugs* we ain't perfect ya know...
I eat veal, does that count?
So you don't believe that a country or nation should apologize when it inadvertently kills boatloads of civilians with missiles? I mean, yeah, a country is a country and has a lot to apologize for simply out of how much it does as a country, but there are limits between what a civilized society should consider worthy of "I will never apologize!" rhetoric. Should accidentally killing children with sky robots be one of those things?
----------------
Do you remember that time that thing happened?
This is a bad thread and you should all feel bad
2012/09/10 19:30:35
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
Squigsquasher wrote: The bit that gets me angry is the "refusing to apologize for America abroad".
Doesn't he think that the 1000s of innocent victims in Vietnam deserved at least a "sorry"? And how about the victims of American bombing in Afghanistan? Or the victims of the mess that was Grenada?
Um... wat?
So, what does the world want from us?
I don't think the world is a homogeneous whole... Most likely individuals or nations that america tramples on in the many myriad ways that America likes to trample on individuals and nations probably want an apology. I'm sure there's some kid in Pakistan that wants his leg back or something.
Either way I disagree with the title of this thread. I'm not sure Romney wouldn't eat a baby.
erm... so, if we apologize, then what? I feel like we'd never stop apologizing... *shrugs* we ain't perfect ya know...
I eat veal, does that count?
So you don't believe that a country or nation should apologize when it inadvertently kills boatloads of civilians with missiles? I mean, yeah, a country is a country and has a lot to apologize for simply out of how much it does as a country, but there are limits between what a civilized society should consider worthy of "I will never apologize!" rhetoric. Should accidentally killing children with sky robots be one of those things?
Sure... through normal diplomatic channels.
Not from a sitting President though... just my opinion.
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!
2012/09/10 19:31:45
Subject: Re:Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
Squigsquasher wrote: The bit that gets me angry is the "refusing to apologize for America abroad".
Doesn't he think that the 1000s of innocent victims in Vietnam deserved at least a "sorry"? And how about the victims of American bombing in Afghanistan? Or the victims of the mess that was Grenada?
Um... wat?
So, what does the world want from us?
I don't think the world is a homogeneous whole... Most likely individuals or nations that america tramples on in the many myriad ways that America likes to trample on individuals and nations probably want an apology. I'm sure there's some kid in Pakistan that wants his leg back or something.
Either way I disagree with the title of this thread. I'm not sure Romney wouldn't eat a baby.
erm... so, if we apologize, then what? I feel like we'd never stop apologizing... *shrugs* we ain't perfect ya know...
I eat veal, does that count?
So you don't believe that a country or nation should apologize when it inadvertently kills boatloads of civilians with missiles? I mean, yeah, a country is a country and has a lot to apologize for simply out of how much it does as a country, but there are limits between what a civilized society should consider worthy of "I will never apologize!" rhetoric. Should accidentally killing children with sky robots be one of those things?
Sure... through normal diplomatic channels.
Not from a sitting President though... just my opinion.
I'm not sure normal diplomatic channels have the same reach that drones do. An apology from a president implies the conscience of a country, it implies that as a country we don't approve of civilian death. That's an image that American presidents, and by extension America, haven't defended very strongly and the republican platform has outright embraced the opposite, insisting that "whatever is necessary will happen". It greatly erodes our moral standing in the world when our national pride overwhelms our national compassion.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/09/10 19:39:03
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Do you remember that time that thing happened?
This is a bad thread and you should all feel bad
2012/09/10 19:45:10
Subject: Re:Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
daedalus wrote: Came for the live baby eating. Left feeling unsatisfied.
Have you tried Veal Parmesan?
Not recently, but it's decent dish, if I recall. A tad on the expensive side most places you go though. Given the topic at hand, I'm kind of feeling like it sounds tasty. Either that, or maybe lamb. I might have to stop by the Greek restaurant a couple blocks from my apartment for dinner now.
Squigsquasher wrote: The bit that gets me angry is the "refusing to apologize for America abroad".
Doesn't he think that the 1000s of innocent victims in Vietnam deserved at least a "sorry"? And how about the victims of American bombing in Afghanistan? Or the victims of the mess that was Grenada?
Um... wat?
So, what does the world want from us?
I don't think the world is a homogeneous whole... Most likely individuals or nations that america tramples on in the many myriad ways that America likes to trample on individuals and nations probably want an apology. I'm sure there's some kid in Pakistan that wants his leg back or something.
Either way I disagree with the title of this thread. I'm not sure Romney wouldn't eat a baby.
erm... so, if we apologize, then what? I feel like we'd never stop apologizing... *shrugs* we ain't perfect ya know...
I eat veal, does that count?
So you don't believe that a country or nation should apologize when it inadvertently kills boatloads of civilians with missiles? I mean, yeah, a country is a country and has a lot to apologize for simply out of how much it does as a country, but there are limits between what a civilized society should consider worthy of "I will never apologize!" rhetoric. Should accidentally killing children with sky robots be one of those things?
Sure... through normal diplomatic channels.
Not from a sitting President though... just my opinion.
I'm not sure normal diplomatic channels have the same reach that drones do. An apology from a president implies the conscience of a country, it implies that as a country we don't approve of civilian death. That's an image that American presidents, and by extension America, haven't defended very strongly and the republican platform has outright embraced the opposite, insisting that "whatever is necessary will happen". It greatly erodes our moral standing in the world when our national pride overwhelms our national compassion.
I do understand this sentiment... but, our national compassion doesn't get alot of attention and I blame the "if it bleeds, lead with it" mentality.
And if we start apologizing, it'll never end. (unless we go full blown isolationist)
But, what you're not taking to account is the diplomatic "brinkmenship" that occurs between nations and the President is the figurehead for the US and I think (among others) it would be inappropriate for the President to go on an apology tour.
Look... this really isn't a Republican or Democat thing... its diplomacy and war.
OT: Have you read Ender's Game?
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!
2012/09/10 19:55:09
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
scarletsquig wrote:I'm no expert on religion, but I'm fairly certain that "kill lots of people and make lots of money for a tiny minority at the expense of everyone else" isn't quite what they'd ideally like our politicians to be doing right now.
I'd just like to point out that your statement in quotations is basically a summation of the GOP's platform, which has been custom-tailored for the Christian fundamentalists.
Squigsquasher wrote: The bit that gets me angry is the "refusing to apologize for America abroad".
Doesn't he think that the 1000s of innocent victims in Vietnam deserved at least a "sorry"? And how about the victims of American bombing in Afghanistan? Or the victims of the mess that was Grenada?
Um... wat?
So, what does the world want from us?
I don't think the world is a homogeneous whole... Most likely individuals or nations that america tramples on in the many myriad ways that America likes to trample on individuals and nations probably want an apology. I'm sure there's some kid in Pakistan that wants his leg back or something.
Either way I disagree with the title of this thread. I'm not sure Romney wouldn't eat a baby.
erm... so, if we apologize, then what? I feel like we'd never stop apologizing... *shrugs* we ain't perfect ya know...
Your attitude perfectly serves as an example of both how and why terrorists are created.
2012/09/10 19:59:38
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
Squigsquasher wrote: The bit that gets me angry is the "refusing to apologize for America abroad".
Doesn't he think that the 1000s of innocent victims in Vietnam deserved at least a "sorry"? And how about the victims of American bombing in Afghanistan? Or the victims of the mess that was Grenada?
Um... wat?
So, what does the world want from us?
Blood?
Q: What do you call a Dinosaur Handpuppet?
A: A Maniraptor
2012/09/10 20:00:33
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
I do understand this sentiment... but, our national compassion doesn't get alot of attention and I blame the "if it bleeds, lead with it" mentality.
And if we start apologizing, it'll never end. (unless we go full blown isolationist)
But, what you're not taking to account is the diplomatic "brinkmenship" that occurs between nations and the President is the figurehead for the US and I think (among others) it would be inappropriate for the President to go on an apology tour.
Look... this really isn't a Republican or Democat thing... its diplomacy and war.
OT: Have you read Ender's Game?
The American idealism isn't viewed the same way in other nations. Our lack of visible spoken outreach and compassion is a strong contributor to, for example, the average pakistani belief that the United States is planning to swoop in and "take their nukes" at any time. Our wars these days are wars of idealism, our pride recruits our enemies. I disagree that the apologies would "never end", there is no precedent for that. Major incidents like Abu Ghraib or careless drone strikes in pakistan do incredible damage to our own interests when we defend our choices for our pride. We are actively hurting ourselves, and beyond even statesmanship we're doing wrong and brushing it under the rug. That is wrong.
The diplomacy of war doesn't make sense when we're not at war with the countries we're bombing. We weren't at war with the thousands of innocents eventually released from Afghanistan prisons we're not at war with Pakistan.
No, I have not read Enders game.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/09/10 20:01:43
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Do you remember that time that thing happened?
This is a bad thread and you should all feel bad
2012/09/10 20:00:59
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
The centre of a massive brood chamber, heaving and pulsating.
Where is Biccat? I would love to hear his take on things...
Squigsquasher, resident ban magnet, White Knight, and general fethwit.
buddha wrote: I've decided that these GW is dead/dying threads that pop up every-week must be followers and cultists of nurgle perpetuating the need for decay. I therefore declare that that such threads are heresy and subject to exterminatus. So says the Inquisition!
2012/09/10 20:02:10
Subject: Mitt Romney will not eat live babies in the White House (unlike some candidates)
The centre of a massive brood chamber, heaving and pulsating.
Aww come on, it would be funny...
I like Biccat. I find his crazyness amusing.
Squigsquasher, resident ban magnet, White Knight, and general fethwit.
buddha wrote: I've decided that these GW is dead/dying threads that pop up every-week must be followers and cultists of nurgle perpetuating the need for decay. I therefore declare that that such threads are heresy and subject to exterminatus. So says the Inquisition!
5000pts 
6000pts 
3000pts
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