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Author Topic:   Conversations with God
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 418 of 530 (895906)
07-24-2022 1:59 PM
Reply to: Message 415 by Theodoric
07-24-2022 12:09 PM


Re: Verification through experience
Your response indicates that you are as racist as I am charged to be. FYI I usually like to push liberal buttons around here but my behavior in no way mirrors my actual life---not that any of you would know (or care).
I am aware of the whole theory of White Privilege but am appalled that you feel allowed to vilify the white race for such an event in History. Woulda Coulda Shoulda...yeah we (all of us) could have gotten along better and yet racism and social inequality (including gender) still exist. If God exists, He is most assuredly aware of our conversations....and yes, I will be judged for every idle word that spews from my mouth. He likely is annoyed that I am lukewarm---neither cold nor hot. That being said, Percy finally framed my argument with ringo in practical terms.
ringo, ignoring his belief that the Bible is merely a product of man and that God and Jesus never existed, still tries to pin me down with my own supposed belief.
Basically, we all are arguing in circles. Ringo will state that it matters not whether the character in any book is actually real. He will say that if I believe in said character (Jesus) as being beyond the book, there is no reason for me NOT to give everything up. It would be insulting, by the way, to be a "Christian beggar" and be forced to rely on unbelievers to get fed. Not that the Bible doesn't suggest this as a good scenario.

"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." ~Mark Twain "
***
“…far from science having buried God, not only do the results of science point towards his existence, but the scientific enterprise itself is validated by his existence.”- Dr.John Lennox

“A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross.”
H. Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America

“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” — Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You
(1894).


This message is a reply to:
 Message 415 by Theodoric, posted 07-24-2022 12:09 PM Theodoric has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 420 by nwr, posted 07-24-2022 2:45 PM Phat has replied
 Message 422 by Percy, posted 07-24-2022 3:02 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 425 by Theodoric, posted 07-25-2022 11:23 AM Phat has not replied
 Message 428 by ringo, posted 07-25-2022 11:42 AM Phat has not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 419 of 530 (895907)
07-24-2022 2:15 PM
Reply to: Message 417 by Theodoric
07-24-2022 12:16 PM


Jesus Saves...Moses Invests
Trust me I am well aware of Denver's explosive growth in homeless populations. My workplace, a grocery store, is directly one block off of the Colfax corridor.
The homeless by and large were booted out of the center of town (Civic Center) which is a park between the City and County Building and the State Capital. While trying not to lump (or stereotype ALL of these homeless as being the same, I will say that the facts indicate a majority of them are hooked on Fentanyl or Meth...among the percentage that commits crimes against property (and person).
For local businesses such as my employer, it is a nightmare. Previously, the upper management solved the financial loss part of the equation through pricey insurance that covered most of their losses.
Now they are trying something new. They are about to employ off-duty cops to let the shoplifters know that this isn't just a free and open source of survival...it is, after all, a business. In my arguments here at EvC, I realize that my duties as a Christian include helping these people...and many of us at my store do buy them a meal when we can....though we are not about to give it all up and work just for them. We too have families in need and bills to pay---just as Percy suggests. Ringos argument that *some* of the early church were obedient to give all that they had was in a different time and context....it would literally wreck the economy if all who claimed to be Christian did it now (assuming they had strong enough faith.) We also now have cameras on all of our self-checkouts so that if someone makes a wrong move it is caught on videotape.
This newfangled camera system is very accurate and Orwellian. This leaves it up to us to trust people in general despite the overwhelming presence of lots of shoplifters. And which I do. People like me by and large.

"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." ~Mark Twain "
***
“…far from science having buried God, not only do the results of science point towards his existence, but the scientific enterprise itself is validated by his existence.”- Dr.John Lennox

“A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross.”
H. Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America

“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” — Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You
(1894).


This message is a reply to:
 Message 417 by Theodoric, posted 07-24-2022 12:16 PM Theodoric has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 424 by Percy, posted 07-24-2022 4:07 PM Phat has not replied
 Message 430 by ringo, posted 07-25-2022 12:02 PM Phat has not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 421 of 530 (895909)
07-24-2022 2:57 PM
Reply to: Message 420 by nwr
07-24-2022 2:45 PM


Re: Verification through experience
nwr writes:
Perhaps you should explain because I don't see anything racist in Theodoric's post.
Perhaps I overreacted.
you are seriously misunderstanding what ringo writes.
Sometimes I seriously misunderstand what I write,also.
My last post is more in line with the world I live in.

"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." ~Mark Twain "
***
“…far from science having buried God, not only do the results of science point towards his existence, but the scientific enterprise itself is validated by his existence.”- Dr.John Lennox

“A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross.”
H. Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America

“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” — Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You
(1894).


This message is a reply to:
 Message 420 by nwr, posted 07-24-2022 2:45 PM nwr has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 423 by nwr, posted 07-24-2022 3:16 PM Phat has not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 432 of 530 (895924)
07-25-2022 11:50 PM
Reply to: Message 431 by Theodoric
07-25-2022 6:43 PM


Re: White entitlement
Let's get in each other's personal business, Mr.Fuentes.
First of all, I am NOT criticizing the poor. At worst, I am critical of theft and am glad that we are now allowed to check cameras and defend ourselves to a limited degree. That being said, I have come a long way towards empathyfor the poor....even the thieves. Most of the thieves *ARE* on drugs...we can see them tweaking as they leave, and some go into our restrooms to shoot up. That does NOT mean that I hate them.
And how dare you all accuse me of being entitled? I paid the payments on my apartment long before I inherited it. Yes, I am privileged as are you, Brian.
My only gripe is with a system that would raise taxes on the middle working class in order to help the lower class...while ignoring the theft at the top.
Yes, we are entitled. We all need humility. But we also need effective leaders who don't keep raising the debt ceiling to pay for projects that will have ALL of us owing for the rest of our lives.
I don't fully trust the global financial system.

"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." ~Mark Twain "
***
“…far from science having buried God, not only do the results of science point towards his existence, but the scientific enterprise itself is validated by his existence.”- Dr.John Lennox

“A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross.”
H. Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America

“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” — Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You
(1894).


This message is a reply to:
 Message 431 by Theodoric, posted 07-25-2022 6:43 PM Theodoric has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 433 by Theodoric, posted 07-26-2022 9:11 AM Phat has replied
 Message 436 by ringo, posted 07-26-2022 11:47 AM Phat has not replied
 Message 440 by Percy, posted 07-27-2022 11:05 AM Phat has not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 434 of 530 (895931)
07-26-2022 9:54 AM
Reply to: Message 433 by Theodoric
07-26-2022 9:11 AM


Re: White entitlement
Thanks for replying to me civilly. I do not want to stalk or dox you (whatever that means and apologize for it. I was just mad that you somehow knew that I had inherited my condo. It really went outside the protocol of EvC.
I am not a wealthy man, apart from my home being paid for, and I still have homeowner fees where I live, so I need to keep working until I get (hopefully) Social Security and Medicare. I have no real money saved up that would last me through retirement so ironically I will be depending totally and wholly on the government.
It scares me and this is one reason I keep researching the solvency of the United States. I worry about the future for all of us but it likely comes across that I selfishly only worry about myself. I'm working on that one. My Home is a modest one-bedroom and as Percy suggests, keeps me from being homeless myself. I have a lot of health issues and would die very quickly were I out there.
I vent on this forum about shoplifters because it really irritates all of us at work.
We have to work for everything we have and the impression (I get)is that a small segment of the population feels that shoplifting is their solution and even a right or necessity. That being said, I have learned not to hate or despise those who for whatever reason keep doing the same thing.
If a man or woman comes and takes a few sandwiches or some food, it does not bother me. I empathize with their plight. It is the ones (repeatedly...we know some of them by sight) who take $200.00 or more a pop. That's more than we make since we see them several times a week. I feel that the answer I get around here (EvC) is that it is Republican policies that are to blame. This is too simplistic of an answer for me.
This topic is Conversations with God, and I can honestly say that I have had a lot of one-way conversations as I age and struggle with health issues.
What I get is that I should listen more.
But then again, were I homeless, I don't really know what I would actually do to survive. Death would be preferable in my case.

Edited by Phat, : fixed my punctuation and what I really wanted to say


"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." ~Mark Twain "
***
“…far from science having buried God, not only do the results of science point towards his existence, but the scientific enterprise itself is validated by his existence.”- Dr.John Lennox

“A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross.”
H. Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America

“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” — Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You
(1894).


This message is a reply to:
 Message 433 by Theodoric, posted 07-26-2022 9:11 AM Theodoric has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 435 by nwr, posted 07-26-2022 10:43 AM Phat has not replied
 Message 437 by Theodoric, posted 07-26-2022 1:23 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 438 by Tanypteryx, posted 07-26-2022 5:02 PM Phat has not replied
 Message 439 by dwise1, posted 07-26-2022 7:23 PM Phat has not replied
 Message 441 by Percy, posted 07-27-2022 11:41 AM Phat has not replied
 Message 445 by Percy, posted 08-01-2022 8:45 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 446 by Theodoric, posted 01-12-2023 10:21 AM Phat has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 447 of 530 (904946)
01-12-2023 2:27 PM
Reply to: Message 446 by Theodoric
01-12-2023 10:21 AM


Re: Corporations behaving badly
Theo writes:
Shoplifting is an issue, always has been, always will be.
In the Denver Metro area, the Safeways(and grocery stores in general) who are on or near major bus lines are by far the hardest hit by shoplifters, the majority of whom are on foot, though a smaller minority are driving nicer cars than you or I own! The latter are likely organized crime.
But it is not a crisis as they made it out to be.
Thats not what we observe nor what our security sees. They travel to all of the stores and have identified the same suspects again and again. (this irritates me greatly, by the way) The average loss at one of my employers stores is $2500.00 a day. At the store I work at, the figure is closer to $3,500.00 a day.
It seems to have been a made up excuse by Walgreen's to exit "undesireable" areas.
A company needs no excuse to exit undesireable unprofitable areas. In this crazy "woke as a joke" world we now live in, defunding the police is preferable to discouraging shoplifters! What we need is tough but fair prosecution laws. If a homeless guy grabs a sandwich, let him go...leave him alone. Its the ones who daily steal nearly all of the laundry detergent, meat, and cleaning supplies (which are then resold on the street at roughly 50 cents on the dollar) who need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and given restraining orders from returning to the businesses.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 446 by Theodoric, posted 01-12-2023 10:21 AM Theodoric has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 448 by Theodoric, posted 01-12-2023 3:52 PM Phat has replied
 Message 450 by ringo, posted 01-13-2023 11:22 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 449 of 530 (904949)
01-12-2023 5:06 PM
Reply to: Message 448 by Theodoric
01-12-2023 3:52 PM


Re: Corporations behaving badly
I had reliable data. I got it from the Store Director.
This is reputable evidence that Walgreens lied. Do you dispute that?
Your article has a few specifics which I will address.
How Walgreens manufactured a media frenzy about shoplifting
Tesnim Zekeria and Judd Legum:
For several years, Walgreens and other major retailers have been sounding the alarm about an alleged spike in shoplifting, describing it as an existential threat to their business. These dramatic claims generated a nationwide media frenzy.
Now, Walgreens is quietly backtracking. 
The reason Walgreens is backtracking is because their sensationalist claims themselves generated a backlash from people (such as many liberals) who are sensitive to the issue and defensive, largely due to the fact that they are anti-authoritarian and pro BLM and other marginalized minority causes. In short, they feel that crying to the public about an issue such as shoplifting is nothing more than an excuse to push for prosecuting and vilifying the homeless and urban poor.
In a conference call with investors on January 6, Walgreens Chief Financial Officer James Kehoe was asked how shoplifting and related problems impacted the company's financial performance. Kehoe admitted that “maybe [Walgreens] cried too much last year” about the issue, adding that the drugstore chain probably spent “too much” hiring private security companies.
or it could be that like my employer, Walgreens has insurance that covers many of its losses though certainly not all of them. Again, public opinion is and was against the corporations and in support of the villains. I expect that ringo,( and you yourself) will be more inclined to support the reasons for shoplifting in today's culture rather than supporting the corporate plea for justice.
Kehoe added that theft at Walgreens had “stabilized” and the company was "quite happy with where we are."
Theft at my grocery store has "stabilized" at around $3,000.00+ average per day. I saw the monthly figure for shrink, and it included damaged goods and other(employee) theft. As a longtime employee and insider, I *know* roughly what percentage is due to shoplifting. I see it happening in real time.
Walgreens’ “shrink” — an industry term for inventory losses from theft, damage, or administrative errors — had gone down from 3.5% of sales last year to roughly 2.5% in its last quarter. Walgreens declined to specify how much of the "shrink" was due to shoplifting as opposed to other causes, like employee theft and damaged goods. Across the industry, "external theft" accounts for only one-third of total shrink. That means shoplifting at Walgreens likely amounts to less than 1% of sales.
We literally see the products going out the door apart from backpacks and bags which are brought in empty and leave bulging. We know that our stores sales are a minimum of $55,000.00 per day and that our losses which we can see are roughly $2000.00 so our rate of shoplifting shrink is estimated to be around 4%. Again, the store gets reimbursed by insurance at a certain rate, so perhaps their final figures after reimbursement are roughly what Walgreens are.
But Kehoe’s upbeat comments gloss over Walgreens’ central role in fomenting the national panic over retail theft. Just a year ago, Kehoe said that part of the reason Walgreens’ reported lackluster earnings was because of “gangs that actually go in and empty our stores of beauty products.” 
Thats where the CEO's put their foot in their mouths, hoping to generate public sympathy and instead garnering public scorn over their "lies" and exaggerations. It seems that the public liberals are on the side of the shoplifters while the conservatives want tougher security and law and order.
“This is not petty theft,” Kehoe insisted at the time. “It's not somebody who can't afford to eat tomorrow.” 
He is right about that. It is drug addicts and urban gangs and loose associations who are professional thieves.
Walgreens has been joined by other major retailers who have been echoing similar cries and drumming up fear: Walmart CEO Doug McMillion warned that Walmart may have to raise prices or close stores because theft was “higher than what it has historically been.” Former Home Depot CEO Bob Nardelli stated on national television that retail theft was “spreading faster than COVID.”
Nardelli is right in that the problem is definitely getting worse nationwide. McMillion(is that really his name? ) is only saying that despite rising theft, the company still must maintain its traditional profit margin!
Publicly available data, however, contradicts the theft-wave narrative. The number of shoplifting offenses dropped 46 percent between 2019 and 2021, according to the FBI’s crime data explorer.
Thats because most theft is no longer reported.It never is documented on police reports or by the employees ringing up carts that are recovered and turning in the data to Loss Prevention.
The National Retail Federation (NRF), a trade group that represents retailers like Walgreens and has amplified the theft-wave narrative, has also found that shrink declined to 1.4% of total retail sales in 2021, from 1.6% in 2020. External theft, the NRF found, made up 0.5% of total retail sales in 2021.
Based on what I see, I question those figures. Theft is going up in all major cities.
 
In response to a request for comment, Walgreens sent Popular Information the following statement: "Although we are pleased to see retail shrink levels stabilize, this is still a serious national problem affecting us all and all retailers. We have taken a number of steps to address this issue and, most importantly, protect the safety of our customers and team members, including our highly-valued partnerships with law enforcement and security professionals."
Our employer took steps also. Want to know what they were?
1) Adding locking wheels on the shopping carts which lock up when the cart goes out the door without going through a register. The response? People push past the alarm anyway and grind the wheels that lock down by dragging the cart to their car or edge of the lot!|
2) Installing the alarm system that alerts everyone in the store that a possible crime is being committed, though in some cases it is an honest mistake.
3) Hiring actual security guards that are allowed to stop people and ask to search their bags. These guards are unarmed though bigger than most of us and have been police-trained on how to make proper stops.
The real reason for those 3 measures, however, is simply that it allows the store a better rate on the shrink insurance which they do have. Not only do they not want any possible liability from a lawsuit due to an improper stop, they do not want any of us to get hurt in the melee, which they would also be responsible for through workman's comp. Its always all about money.
So although Walgreens continues to describe retail theft as a "serious national problem," Kehoe was clear that it is not preventing Walgreens from being a profitable company. And yet the company reported a net loss of $3.7 billion in its most recent quarter. Why? The company took "a $5.2 billion after-tax charge for opioid-related claims and litigation." That litigation stems from Walgreens' role in fueling the opioid epidemic by filling illegitimate prescriptions for highly-addictive pain medication. 
What happened in San Francisco
In May 2021, Walgreens told the New York Times “that thefts at its stores in San Francisco were four times the chain’s national average, and that it had closed 17 stores, largely because the scale of thefts had made business untenable.” 
Months later, the retailer announced the closure of an additional five stores in San Francisco and told the San Francisco Chronicle that “organized retail crime continues to be a challenge facing retailers across San Francisco, and we are not immune to that.” The company said it had to increase investments in private security in San Francisco by “46 times our chain average in an effort to provide a safe environment.”
When the company announced it was closing five stores in San Francisco due to rampant theft, police data obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle revealed that “the five stores slated to close had fewer than two recorded shoplifting incidents a month on average since 2018.” Moreover, the company’s claims that thefts at its San Francisco stores were four times its national average were not reflected in citywide crime data — in 2020, shoplifting had reached its lowest level since they began collecting data in the 1970s.
Again, this is likely due to the fact that most of that theft went unreported.
 
Moreover, back in 2019, Walgreens announced it would close 200 stores across the U.S. as part of a larger “cost-reduction” plan. The San Francisco Chronicle, in 2021, raised the question of “whether a $140 billion company was using an unsubstantiated narrative of unchecked shoplifting to obscure other possible factors in its decision." 
How Walgreens played the media
Mainstream media has historically gravitated toward sensationalist crime coverage that often obscures reality. With Walgreens, a similar pattern emerged: the drugstore chain’s dubious narrative was spread unchecked by some of the largest news organizations in the country. 
One of the first viral stories on Walgreens’ alleged theft issue was published by the New York Times’ San Francisco Bureau Chief Thomas Fuller in May 2021. “The mundane crime of shoplifting has spun out of control in San Francisco, forcing some chain stores to close,” read the subhead. In the piece, Fuller recounts a time in 2016 he saw a man grab “a handful of beef jerky” and walk out of a Walgreens. Based on this five-year-old anecdote and a statement from Walgreens, Fuller declared a “shoplifting epidemic” and called into question a sentencing-reform measure that reduced some thefts from felonies to misdemeanors. The piece, notably, does not include any data on crime rates in San Francisco. 
FYI, I often see individuals grab a box of trash bags, rip it open, take one or two bags and then stuff them full of product, after which they walk past me and out the front door!
The New York Times’ coverage of Kehoe’s comments acknowledged that “Walgreens received national attention in October 2021 when it announced that it was closing five stores in San Francisco, citing shoplifting as the reason for the closures.” The story acknowledges how Walgreens’ shoplifting claims “fed into political debates about crimes.” The piece, however, fails to mention the critical role the Times itself played in amplifying Walgreens’ claims without supporting evidence. 
Yes, it is true that the news media sensationalizes such stories. I would likely get in trouble by my employer were I to squawk to the NY Times!
Since May 2021, the New York Times has published at least six stories warning readers of retail theft. Over the same time period, other outlets provided even more voluminous coverage of the issue. The Wall Street Journal published at least 13 stories on the retail theft “epidemic”, including four from its editorial board. CNN published at least seven articles on the “wave” of retail theft. And Business Insider published at least 18 stories on how retail theft has “ballooned” into a billion dollar problem for companies. According to the Center for Just Journalism, the number of stories featuring the keywords “organized retail crime” or “organized retail theft” increased by more than 270% between 2020 and 2021. 
The overblown claims in this media coverage have political consequences. Walgreens’ theft concerns was “a flash point in a stinging criminal justice debate that helped electrify the recall of former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin.” California Republican Chair Jessica Millan Patterson wrote in an op-ed that the Walgreens closures were evidence that “Democratic policies have created a crime spike.”
De-funding the police sure has not helped. They dont even want to come help us when we call them! What we need are drones that monitor our products. I'd like to see someone complain that we need to de-fund the drones!
Boudin was removed from office by voters in June 2022.
So there you have my response.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 448 by Theodoric, posted 01-12-2023 3:52 PM Theodoric has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 451 by ringo, posted 01-13-2023 11:28 AM Phat has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 453 of 530 (904971)
01-13-2023 2:20 PM
Reply to: Message 452 by Theodoric
01-13-2023 11:34 AM


Conversations behind Gods back: Rant#1
Pot, Meet Kettle.
Theodoric, in another thread writes:
Maybe you should learn what racism means. I can not be racist against conservative white males. I will let you figure out why.
I answered you and you failed to respond. Maybe you should look in the mirror before getting on my case about not answering your replies. And you are a closet racist against white conservative males, as are many Democrats. In fact, you guys wont be happy until the global white "privileged" pay back every dime of the bill that you claim they owe. Meanwhile, you vote for an old codger of a president who is as dishonest as Trump (except that he has a friendly and biased media on his side, unlike Trump) and this old cuss has cabinets full of all of the marginalized people who were appointed not because of their skill but because of their oppressed identities, hence a large proportion of LGTBQ appointees. You champion a minority woman who is an activist against conservatism and white privilege, yet deride me for daring to put Candice Owens up against your beloved Alexandra Ocasio Cortez. (There is no way that I could "wipe the floor" with Ms.Cortez...I would have a disadvantage from the start simply by being an aging white male with a conservative bent. ) I will tell you though that Candace Owens is more than a match for Ms.Cortez politically and intellectually.
Oh by the way, your rock is over there...it awaits

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 452 by Theodoric, posted 01-13-2023 11:34 AM Theodoric has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 455 by Theodoric, posted 01-13-2023 2:49 PM Phat has replied
 Message 458 by DrJones*, posted 01-13-2023 7:36 PM Phat has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 454 of 530 (904972)
01-13-2023 2:23 PM
Reply to: Message 451 by ringo
01-13-2023 11:28 AM


Re: Corporations behaving badly
Authoritarianism cuts both ways. The difference is that Liberals claim that they are acting in the best interests of *all* of the people regardless of the peoples consent. They deny being authoritarian.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 451 by ringo, posted 01-13-2023 11:28 AM ringo has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 460 by ringo, posted 01-16-2023 10:47 AM Phat has not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 456 of 530 (904978)
01-13-2023 3:05 PM
Reply to: Message 455 by Theodoric
01-13-2023 2:49 PM


Re: Phat continues racist screeds
She is Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. She is a highly educated and accomplished woman, no matter how misogynist and racist you want to be.
OK, fine. I suspect that you like her not because of her education so much as you agree with her politics. I notice you made no attempt to dig up any dirt on her, as you were all too eager to do with Candace Owens.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 455 by Theodoric, posted 01-13-2023 2:49 PM Theodoric has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 457 by Theodoric, posted 01-13-2023 3:10 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 461 by ringo, posted 01-16-2023 10:51 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 459 of 530 (905058)
01-15-2023 1:20 PM
Reply to: Message 458 by DrJones*
01-13-2023 7:36 PM


Re: Conversations behind Gods back: Rant#1
hmmmm.
Wiki writes:
n idiot, in modern use, is a stupid or foolish person.
'Idiot' was formerly a technical term in legal and psychiatric contexts for some kinds of profound intellectual disability where the mental age is two years or less, and the person cannot guard themself against common physical dangers. The term was gradually replaced by 'profound mental retardation', which has since been replaced by other terms.[1] Along with terms like moron, imbecile, retard and cretin, its use to describe people with mental disabilities is considered archaic and offensive.[2] Moral idiocy refers to a moral disability.
Now....Dr.Jones* (Not an actual Doctor) I don't believe that we have ever formally had a discussion. Tell us a bit about yourself. Are you retired? Working? What was(is) your line of work? Inquiring idiots want to know!

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 458 by DrJones*, posted 01-13-2023 7:36 PM DrJones* has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 462 by ringo, posted 01-16-2023 10:53 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 463 by DrJones*, posted 01-16-2023 8:49 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 465 of 530 (905131)
01-18-2023 11:24 PM
Reply to: Message 464 by AZPaul3
01-17-2023 2:37 AM


Personal Privacy vs Public Shaming
AZ addressing Dr.Jones writes:
This is OUR forum. You should be forced to answer his questions. All of them.
No AZ. He is right. I have no right to know who he is or what he does. But he called me an idiot, for crying out loud! This is a non-partisan issue. Biden has as many skeletons and documents in his closet as Trump did. Why must the media protect one and not the other? And why are conservatives more likely to be idiots while liberals are portrayed as victims?
And Theodoric always screams "mind your own business!" when it is usually him who digs up dirt on every conservative and apologist in the county! And don't tell me that there is not enough dirt for both classes of politicians!

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 464 by AZPaul3, posted 01-17-2023 2:37 AM AZPaul3 has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 469 by Taq, posted 01-19-2023 12:29 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 471 by DrJones*, posted 01-19-2023 8:11 PM Phat has not replied
 Message 472 by ringo, posted 01-20-2023 11:25 AM Phat has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 466 of 530 (905133)
01-18-2023 11:33 PM
Reply to: Message 451 by ringo
01-13-2023 11:28 AM


Re: Corporations behaving badly
I meant to say anti-republican rather than anti authoritarian. One side supports their own brand of authoritarianism and villifies the other sides brand (of authoritarianism).
Your side opposes profiling, which is a valid argument, but what the shoplifters do is use that to their advantage. They steal right in front of your face while daring you to produce evidence that they are doing so. Granted it does not help to objectify and catergorize them, since everyone is an individual and does in fact have civil rights. The fact is, the bad apples hide in the midst of the masses and pick their target.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 451 by ringo, posted 01-13-2023 11:28 AM ringo has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 467 by ringo, posted 01-19-2023 12:18 PM Phat has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 468 of 530 (905190)
01-19-2023 12:20 PM
Reply to: Message 467 by ringo
01-19-2023 12:18 PM


Re: Corporations behaving badly
You seem to advocate looking the other way and letting these people get something for nothing at the expense of the rest of us. Sad.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 467 by ringo, posted 01-19-2023 12:18 PM ringo has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 470 by ringo, posted 01-19-2023 12:31 PM Phat has not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 473 of 530 (905244)
01-20-2023 12:42 PM
Reply to: Message 472 by ringo
01-20-2023 11:25 AM


Conersations With Ted (Cruz)
Thanks for your succinct explanation.
Ted Cruz recently took on your beloved AOC and showed the other side of the border argument that she glosses over.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 472 by ringo, posted 01-20-2023 11:25 AM ringo has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 474 by Taq, posted 01-20-2023 5:35 PM Phat has replied
 Message 481 by ringo, posted 01-22-2023 2:14 PM Phat has not replied
 Message 503 by Theodoric, posted 01-25-2023 12:22 PM Phat has replied

  
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