Confused wrote:

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 Are you being sarcastic, Lest we Forget?  Both groups mentioned by "Stand by our Values" are conservatives having those same values.  The difference is how they act on those values.  Some believe God wants them to attack innocent abortion clinic workers.  I have no way to tell if they are correct because "God acts in mysterious ways".  

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I'm simply suggesting that if you ever hope to engage in a real exchange with another sincerely motivated person, you do not compare his beliefs or actions to those of Osama Bin Laden.  It was a cheap shot, but unfortunately it's typical of the cheap shots that often occur when people "discuss" politics.  I dislike hearing Michael Savage (the radio host) referring to liberals as "vermin" who suffer from a mental disorder, and I dislike it when "Stand by our values" implies that anyone who is conservative is an Osama clone.  All sorts of fine and important distinctions are obliterated by the comparison, but, of course, the impulse that leads to such comparisons is not an impulse to engage in dialogue but an impulse to smear, and perhaps merely to make oneself feel superior or self-content. 

 

Lest we forget wrote:

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Confused wrote:  Are you being sarcastic, Lest we Forget?  Both groups mentioned by "Stand by our Values" are conservatives having those same values.  The difference is how they act on those values.  Some believe God wants them to attack innocent abortion clinic workers.  I have no way to tell if they are correct because "God acts in mysterious ways".  

I'm simply suggesting that if you ever hope to engage in a real exchange with another sincerely motivated person, you do not compare his beliefs or actions to those of Osama Bin Laden.  It was a cheap shot, but unfortunately it's typical of the cheap shots that often occur when people "discuss" politics.  I dislike hearing Michael Savage (the radio host) referring to liberals as "vermin" who suffer from a mental disorder, and I dislike it when "Stand by our values" implies that anyone who is conservative is an Osama clone.  All sorts of fine and important distinctions are obliterated by the comparison, but, of course, the impulse that leads to such comparisons is not an impulse to engage in dialogue but an impulse to smear, and perhaps merely to make oneself feel superior or self-content.   

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Good explanation.   But what you take as an insult may be the message.  We should not blindly block out the "values" of Bin Laden because of his actions.  We should make note that someone with the same exact "values" has followed a path of "belief"? or "logic"? to a place we find repugnant. The same is true for the abortion clinic bomber.  So what needs to be investigated are both the "values" and the "logic" or "belief" that lead to the "negative" actions.

A question could be asked, "Could liberal, atheistic, secular "values" lead to these same type of actions?   How?

 

Unconfused wrote:

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 A question could be asked, "Could liberal, atheistic, secular "values" lead to these same type of actions?   How?  

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It would be easy enough to show that left-wing, secular, atheistic values have led to huge horrors when pushed to extremes (as by Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc.), but it would be just as wrong to tar "liberals" with that brush as it is to tar conservatives by associating them with Bin Laden. 

 

Mitch wrote:

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My kid is graduating tomorrow from USM with a Music Industry degree ......I have been very displeased, as a parent, with the treatment of the MI students and the program (it has been trashed).

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Mr. Mitch, I don't doubt you one for one single moment. The situation is especially discouraging when one realizes that quite a few departments have also suffered (English, Nursing, etc.). The discouragement is compounded when one realizes that a student takes only a relatively few credit hours in the major. The overwhelming majority of courses are, appropriately, taken in departments outside the major. It follows that students in all departments, even the stronger ones, suffer when the other departments are weakened. And when a basic department such as English is trashed, the education of students in all departments suffers. Music could ill afford to lose good people like Mary Ann Stringer. It's no surprise you as a parent are displeased. You are not alone.

Gulfport Ghost wrote:

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...Truth be told, students are foolish to select USM at the present time unless they have no option or there is a pressing personal reason.  

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Like can't read or write? 

Lest we forget wrote:

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Unconfused wrote:  Well, Lest we forget, I would associate your examples more with dictatorships, much like Hitler, rather that a political, religious or philosophical position.  The only disagreement we, as a nation, have with Bin Laden is we don't believe he is acting under the direction of God (sorry Allah).  But that is just belief and we already know we differ in belief.  How can we know he (or an abortion clinic bomber ) is not doing God's will?  Read the Old Testament and you will see that Bin Laden’s actions are not in contradiction to actions taken against sinners by God.   My point was a liberal, atheistic, secularist person would have no such calling by God to rid the world of sinners.  

All the examples I cited were of left-wing, secular, atheistic dictatorships -- that is, dictatorships with a definite philosophical position.  I agree with you that the Bible can be (and has been) used to justify much that is hideous.  My disagreement with you is that most conservatives can usefully be likened to Bin Laden. I am less interested in disagreeing with your ideas (I may actually share some of them) than with the tone and manner of the original posting to which I objected. For whatever it's worth, if I had to characterize my own philosophy it would be less liberal OR conservative and more libertarian.   

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I can't disagree with what you say, Lest we Forget.  I just think politicians with dictatorial powers trumps philosophy as far as the source of their actions.  I too consider myself libertarian. The terms "Conservative" and "Liberal" have too much baggage to be useful in discussions.  

Have a good evening.  

Poor Mississippi, among the most fervently Republican regions in the United States sitting there waiting for a federal bailout that will never come.

Oohh--money for Mississippi has to be offset by cuts from other programs in the Federal budget. No matter that the Republican Congress has been spending money like drunken sailors on shore leave these last five years. They've got to draw the line now. No matter that a few billion well-spent now will keep the region from becoming an economic basket case. No matter that helping people rebuild will allow the governement to reap more taxes in the future as the region regains its prosperity. No matter that its simply the right and decent thing to do. We've got tax cuts to push through. Sorry Mississippi. You're on your own.

There's billions to restore power to Baghdad, rebuild schools in Mosul, construct roads in Basra. Sorry Gulf Coast, we've got to cut food stamps and medicare before we can help you. And you better wait a while because we're keeping Congress out of session until Tom Delay can wiggle out of his corruption charges. How's that tent? Comfortable?

Hey, y'all down on the coast, when you get up tomorrow and step out of your tent or FEMA trailer, don't curse the government, 'cause you put them there and they're doing excactly what you asked them to do--keeping the gays from getting married.

Hope your sleeping bag is warm--looks like a cold one tonight.

Oh, I see in the paper Trent Lott is suing his insurance company. Seems that the dumbass didn't have flood insurance even though he lives right on the water. Hmmm. Now that we have the tort reform, he shouldn't get very far. What a hypocrite!

'Scuse me? The article you cite CLEARLY says that Sen. Lott DID have flood insurance up to the allowed $250K maximum.

This just in. Congress agrees to vote on a hurricane relief bill offered by Thad Cochran. But wait, Alaska Republican, Sen. Ted Stevens has attached a poison-pill amendment provision allowing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I see a filabuster.

Ain't those Republican's great? Even though we've got folks living in tents, the Republican senators have their priorities straight. That what I call compassionate conservatism. More power to 'em.

Suckers!

I am always amazed that these discussions of academic achievement always focus solely on money,culture,and other enviornmental factors. Never a word is spoken about inheirited intelligence. Some groups,collectively speaking,are more intelligent than other groups. Some groups will always perform,collectively speaking,better academically than other groups.Of course there are individual exceptions,of course the role of enviornment is significant,of course we are obligated as a society to do our best to educate everyone.Still,if the innate intelligence is not there we are limited in educational success.

Sunday scattershooting...

LeftASAP wrote:

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Flood insurance doesn't cover "Storm Surge".  That is what the suit is about.

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Not quite. Most coastians who had "flood" damage did not live in federally-defined flood zones & hence did not qualify for federally subsidized flood insurance. Many of them are finding that their insurance companies are defining all the damage to their homes as "flood" damage (e.g., roof blown off, wall blown down, etc.). Other folks, such as Sen. Lott, had flood insurance & are finding that the insurance companies are fully willing to do a 180 & define a significant portion of their damage as "wind" damage. I believe Mr. Scruggs' lawsuit is working on the premise that a storm surge is not a "flood" in the true sense but is rather a form of wind-driven water.

Two of my colleagues have a real weird problem: boats hit their houses. Their insurance companies say that none of their damage was "flood" or "wind" but that all resulted from collision with a boat. "Sue the boat owner" is all they say.

Look at Both Sides wrote:

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I am always amazed that these discussions of academic achievement always focus solely on money,culture,and other enviornmental factors. Never a word is spoken about inheirited intelligence. Some groups,collectively speaking,are more intelligent than other groups. Some groups will always perform,collectively speaking,better academically than other groups.Of course there are individual exceptions,of course the role of enviornment is significant,of course we are obligated as a society to do our best to educate everyone.Still,if the innate intelligence is not there we are limited in educational success.

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Yes, intelligence is genetic. But in almost every reputable study of human intelligence, the variation between individuals within any grouping (race, nationality, religion, etc) exceeds the variation between the groups' means. This means that intelligence is more a function of individual genetics than of group genetics. Between groups variability in intelligence is almost always easier to explain in terms of socio-economic factors, culture, family customs, etc. Remember, Occam rules in such instances.

All that said, you are correct on one thing: We are obligated as a society to do our best to educate everyone. But I'll add, "on an individual level". Pedagogically-speaking, few educators will disagree that the absolute best approach to education is a finely granular individualized system.

Of course, I have a hard time aligning that with the traditional 75-100 student freshman class section

Sarcastic man wrote:
... Since I've been teaching in Mississippi, I've begun to give more credence to the "inherited IQ" thesis. I've never met a dumber bunch than the white folks of this state.

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Now that should liven up a quiet Sunday afternoon.  

I don't know about dumber but even the local media has discovered "brain drain."  I've always thought of this phenomenon as "initiative drain."  I'm not sure the leavers are smarter, but they generally have more initiative (there is a substantial literature in demography on the characteristics of leavers vs. stayers).  For a recent example, this is one of the reasons Mexico isn't empty.  Making the trek North requires more initiative than most have.

For MS purposes, there's not much use whining about the leadership in the state.  Who would you replace the current group with?  Many of the good potential appointees to the IHL left MS right after college 30 years ago and never came back.  I still remember what great students some of them were.

I'm shocked, shocked! wrote:

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Speaking of the media, here's the latest evidence of a significant left-ward tilt: http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/page.asp?RelNum=6664

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A quote from the article:

"Coverage by public television and radio is conservative compared to the rest of the mainstream media. Meanwhile, almost all major media outlets tilt to the left."

This makes perfect sense to me because from my experience many conservatives can't read and write.