jakee

Yeah I didn't mean that as a dig at you, just pointing it out Polls are Ok-ish for very general questions but I think as they get more specific or focus on particular points of policy their usefulness rapidly diminishes - both for getting answers that accurately reflect the opinions of the nation and also for getting informed answers that actually mean a damn. I also agree with you that the gov't should not neccesarily bow to public opinion in setting policy. Gov'ts must be willing to make unpopular decisions 'cos sometimes they need to be made. I'll probably disagree with you on pretty much every example of which decisions do need to be made though Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Very slightly paraphrased, but only to make it easier to type. It took me 30 seconds on google to find the published questions and poll results, though of course I can't guarantee that those were the questions that were actually asked Three points really, 1) it was a poll of 800 people. I simply do not believe such a small sample can give an accuracy of +/- 3.5% 2) without knowing how closely those polled follow events in Iraq we can't know how much the survey reflects informed or uninformed opinions and 3) I believe you made the point just yesterday that you were glad we had a leader who did not sway to public opinion. Have you now decided public opinion is in fact important? Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Interesting, now for some other questions from the same poll, "Are things in the country in general going on the right or wrong track?" Right: 28% Wrong: 64% "Do you approve or dissaprove of the job GWB is doing?" Approve: 39% Dissaprove: 60% (47% strong dissaproval) Just thought you might be interested in those too. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

I'm sorry, are you still trying to compare the Falklands to Iraq? The difference is that after defending our territory and defeating the occupying forces we did not invade and occupy Argentina. Seriously dude, try reading about it. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Yes, the Argentinians were a big threat because they invaded our bloody land. Allow me to explain. The Falkland islands were (and still are under a slightly different name) a British dependant territory and its inhabitants were citizens of the United Kingdom. It was our land and our people, we had a right and a duty to defend them from a hostile military invasion. You'll also note that once that objective had been achieved we did not invade and occupy Argentina. Remember, facts are important etc. etc. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

While I have no direct opinion on the issue - I can tell when goal posts are being moved. Of course Condi is a lapdog to Bush. He's her boss. She's paid to be a lapdog to Bush. It's her entire job description. Lawrockets comments came as a reply to suggestions that Thomas is a puppet to Scalia (not Bush). Scalia is not Thomas's boss, its silly to draw a parallel between the two. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Larger than what? A girly half of shandy? Do you want to have an ideagasm?

That bastard bled this country dry looking for steel and aluminium to make his precious Spitfires. Talk about feeding at the pork trough! Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Yes, and it was obviously a very important point since 5 could count as a few but 6 is way more than that! This entire thread is bizarre, hilarious and deeply sad all at the same time. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Shut down every atheist church, revoke their tax exemptions, and fire all the atheists' priests - just fine with me as long as you do the same for all other religions' organizations and leaders. I was referring to atheist idealogies, like the USSR's Communism wasn't built upon atheism, it just incorporates it. Christianity wasn't built upon greed, power, carnage, and ethnic cleansing, it just incorporated it. Well there's the difference then. Atheism has never incorporated greed, power, carnage and ethnic cleansing, communism and christianity have. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Shut down every atheist church, revoke their tax exemptions, and fire all the atheists' priests - just fine with me as long as you do the same for all other religions' organizations and leaders. I was referring to atheist idealogies, like the USSR's Communism wasn't built upon atheism, it just incorporates it. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

My hobby is not collecting stamps. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

I could very easily be wrong - its a long time since I did any form of maths. Sum of 1/2^n with n from 1 to infinity = 1 (or infinitely close to it anyway). According to this comic e^(i*Pi) = -1 (I'm taking that on faith). Therefore 0.002 + (-1) + 1 = 0.002 Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Ahh don't be silly, go up and say hi - the only reason any of us really jump wingsuits anyway is for the extra attention we get Also, if you go to skydivingmovies.com, the PF and BM websites, matt "the111"s site and flylikebrick there's enough video and stills of deployments, exits, flocking, aerobatics etc that you could probably learn all about how to fly a suit just by watching them all! Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Wait, isn't it just 0.002? Do you want to have an ideagasm?

That does not make it right. While the idea of smokers getting massive payouts for living so unhealthily is like a dagger to the soul, I also very strongly feel that big tobacco should be held to account for their lies. It's an uncomfortable position to be in. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

XKCD fan?

Yeah that's what I'm getting at. A traditional barrel roll in aviation involves a fair bit of deviation from the original flight path and looks like flying round the inside of a barrel, hence the name. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Because that's how religion works. I found this paragraph particularly amusing, ROFL. The average church leader takes a vow of poverty? On which particular planet does this happen? Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Why do skydivers always say barrel roll when surely we really mean axis roll? Does it just sound cooler? Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Ok, yeah I can see why people would be pissed off at the 'terrorist gun' references. I still think the reaction is out of all proportion though. What other witch-hunt are you referring to? Do you want to have an ideagasm?

No. You drew a crap analogy and I called you on it. Nope, you missed the point again. Try again? No, you drew a crap comparison. Please tell me just how the battle of the bulge is similar to the current quagmire in Iraq? Do you want to have an ideagasm?

So the war in Iraq is being micro managed and that is costing lives. We have a leader who doesn't sway to public opinion and whos party held a solid majority in both houses for the first 3.5 years of the war. And it's the Dem's fault that the war is being mismanaged? Dude, you are going to have to break that one down real slow for me 'cos I don't have a fucking clue what you are talking about. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

Oh I get it. CNN reporters are setting IED's! So that's why we see so many accidents and explosions on the news. Do you want to have an ideagasm?

No. You drew a crap analogy and I called you on it. Do you want to have an ideagasm?