Simon, You're an enigma. You wrote above "some chose to resort to personal attacks" and yet your response to my comment is an "attack". It's a bit spooky having my "stats" checked, it wouldn't occur to me to do that and I wasn't aware that there was a "starting subjects" target to achieve before one could state one's views. I'll try and do better, just for you :-)
I'm sure that there's lots we could agree about, I was merely giving you unbiased feedback on why I think your discussion went off the rails. I can understand your passion on the subject but I felt you stifled debate and the discussion didn't move on to the cause rather than the effect, though some contributors tried to do so.
Anyway, take it for what it is. No skin off my nose, as they say.
I wouldn't expect you to agree with a single word I type John :-)
If you don't like the subject matter of a discussion - why don't you simply start your own? I note that since joining SFN in Feb 2012 you've only started the grand total of 2 discussions - one in Mar 2013 and , more recently, one in May 2015. And yet - you have posted around 850 times on other people's discussions.
No Simon, I don’t agree. I read through about half of it and I think the discussion became boring. Basically, in my opinion, bcause anytime anyone expressed a view you didn’t like you responded “so it’s OK to tear gas children?” or words to that effect. You’re still at it above. Of course it’s not alright to tear gas children but you never let the debate expand into the wider issues beyond this specific outrage. Personally I think there needs to be focus on the causes not just the symptoms. We need to address why there is a refugee crises. I think Nick Graves summed up Western culpability pretty well, now what do we do about it? Addressng the current problem, no matter how difficult that is going to be, is pretty pointless unless we stop the behaviour which is causing the problem. Personally I think indicting Blare and Bush for war crimes might send a good signal and be a step in the right direction.
I know - I did giggle. I'm not sure what's classed as an 'intellectual' these days......:-) Is it perhaps someone who can type? Or......is that for another discussion.....perhaps.....:-)
Oh I do understand even without knowing the fine details.
I am often wondering why I am where I am.
On Sunday last I went to a cyber cafe owned by Arabs to print a letter for a client in france only to find myself in the middle of a Japanese tea ceremony.
My head swivels, my mind boggles and I love it.
Thanks for the heads up on my nationality. I had forgotten. I must have been feeling yanks the day I signed up, but I have other passports. I tend to claim the one that best suits the conversation I am in. Oops! Just for convenience not to be deceptive actually. My life has just been so full of roving.
Extra Point: I’d like to comment on the attack on the glitterati intellectuals, but I don’t know how to fathom if I qualify.
Hi Joan - you're absolutely right and are possibly the only person to have understood the point of my post. It was indeed about my utter shame at living in a country where the State police resort to gassing children. That point was completely lost.
I can't imagine the reaction if (and when?) the same thing happens in the UK. It felt to me like it was kind of OK to tear gas kids in Calais but I wonder if folks living in the UK would feel the same about kids being tear gassed in Dover?
Your member info states you live in the US. The reason I'm in France and don't move is entirely personal and not up for discussion I'm afraid. I hope you understand.
Immigrants are wonderful
Draft dodgers are not.
The young guys hanging around trying to enter illegally are very much similar to those who shouted “hell no, we won’t go”, which would have been ok if it was about the righteous of warfare, rather than for draft dodging.
The western world is full of the like who went to university rather than serve, and now we are stuck with them and their inferior learning.
Vietnam caused much harm to western civilization.
Catherine I saw the comment and I must admit I wondered if it was addressed to me- or not. Then I re-read my comments and I thought that they were reasonably balanced and it was great to see that confirmed by Simon's later comment. Anyway if I am the "dog" I don't mind as I rather admire most dogs. Experience has taught me that there are usually two sides to every story and it's best to try and understand the motivation of the other party. In fact I was a trained mediator before retiring.
For reference there was an interesting comment in a French language newspaper by a survivor of World War Two who wrote that during that war all the refugees were mothers and children as all the able bodied men, and young women like herself, were fighting in the armed services or the underground and not running across Europe trying to escape.
Food for thought.
Why are there so many young able-bodied men seeking asylum?
P.s Simon I did not understand that your question referred to the gassing of the children in Calais. I read it to be about you shame at living in a country where that happens.
Totally agree Dan, I too have given up on reading many of the discussions for the same reason. To show how bad I think it has become, I have actually gone back to reading AI forums!
Speaking of Neanderthals, I read recently that newly tested bones from the oldest archeological dig showed that DNA from Neanderthals had components found in gene testing on alcoholics.
Makes one ponder!
Read this with interest.