Mon Dieu!

This video is hitting the circuit again even though it came out in 2014. I'm beginning to believe CNN is is playing devil's advocate just to make sure the talking heads don't get off easy. This guy does a great job. It's being billed as a takedown of Bill Maher, ignore that. His conversation with the CNN crew is the focus.

 

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/tex...state-because-its-too-easy-to-get-a-gun-here/

Yeah, they might shoot up a school or something.

I'm sorry, it's not funny. But it's kind of funny.

 

I don't get why people still take that smarmy, self-serving asshole seriously. At best, he obscures, at worst, he lies. Either way, he only cares about himself. That UNICEF survey didn't show FGM numbers from the Muslim-majority countries because they were unable to obtain said numbers, not because FGM doesn't take place in said countries. He knows that. If he was honest, he would have said "It's not a Muslim problem, it's a religion problem, Islam and Christianity very much included." And that bullshit line about "no religion promotes violence or peace", as if every religious text is some kind of Rorschach test -- fucking gross. Religion is already the ultimate 'in-group/out-group' mentality (in addition to sexual shame), followed closely by nationalism, but the ones that say they are 'the only way' (Christianity) or the 'final word' (Islam) cement it even further. Unfortunately for Islam, there's also the example of Mohammed, who was decidedly not as peaceful as Jesus (he was into violence too, but only in the 'next' life). He also raped a nine year old girl. This shit matters.

Of course, CNN is beyond terrible. Maher's point that there's only one religion with a murderous obsession regarding apostates and non-believers? Anyone who even flips through the Quran can see that's arguably one of its central teachings. No mention. And instead of just saying 'Sharia' and letting Aslan nerd-bully his way into talking about how horrible it is to say 'Muslim countries' (the horror!), why not ask him exactly what Sharia says about women's rights?

As for the refugees, I don't want to say political leaders should outright boast, but in some way they should get the message across that we (the West) take immigrants and refugees, along with some level of risk, specifically because pluralism is objectively better than the societies they're fleeing. Also because it makes our societies better in the long run. It's exactly what ISIS doesn't want to hear, because it goes against the in-group/out-group mentality, and it might even tap into our bigots' patriotism (they're always overly patriotic), since their patriotism would never allow them to disagree that we are better (for different reasons, but still).

 

Why do I feel like, someplace, a group of Native Americans (I.e. American Indians) are shaking their heads at the idea of American leaders saying "we don't want those people here, they'll come in and kill us all!"

 

At least they'll have the element of surprise, I have a feeling this is not the 72 virgins they were expecting.

 

Along these lines a talkshow host here in Australia had this to say:



He also happens to be a practicing Muslim, not that that should matter, the message is a good one thats not getting much exposure.

 

On TV CNN is reporting 2 Air France planes have been diverted in the US because of bomb threats. Both have landed safely, one in SLC, one to Canada.

 

You feel that way because it's most definitely happening. I'm one of them, although I reside much further north.

What I'm bothered by most, considering every crime that's been committed against indigenous peoples by colonists, is that it took me a 6 month search, a 14 hour drive, and a 2 month stay in a place that isn't my home, in order to learn my native language, since nobody fucking speaks Mi'kmaq anyone. Very few are able to largely because it was beaten and tortured out of our ancestors.

So yeah, I'm not especially worried about the large influx of immigrants coming into Canada over the next 30 or so days. I do not fear refugees. By all means, welcome to your new home. Don't be a dick, and enjoy your stay.

 

New Charlie Hebdo cover.

Only thing better than a "too soon" joke about a tragedy, is a too soon joke about a tragedy made by the survivors of a very similar tragedy.

 

Well shit is going down again. Apparently a the mastermind and several other men are barricaded in an apartment. Several policemen have already been injured. If you're checking this thread, here is a live stream from France 24.Another live stream. It sounds like gunfire is ongoing.

 

So this happened in Turkey, one of the West's "Ally" nations in the "War on Terror"



As ZH points out, maybe they were upset about this: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-...-turkey-peace-rally-leave-86-dead-186-injured

No moments of silence for them or declarations to stand beside them through hard times. America (the West) needs to realize that whatever global political goodwill we did have, and we think we still have is gone. Our politicians show zero respect for the sovereignty of many countries in this region and that needs to stop or just drop the pretenses, make them colonies again and rule them correctly. These little pet projects in "democracy" continue to blow back every time.

 

Honduras detains 5 Syrians over fake passports

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/18/americas/honduras-syrians-detained/index.html

 

Suspected architect of Paris attacks is dead, according to two senior intelligence officials

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...icials/ar-BBn9MAB?li=AAa0dzB&ocid=mailsignout

"More than 100 police officers and soldiers stormed an apartment building in the suburb of Saint-Denis during a seven-hour siege that left at least two dead, including the suspected overseer of the Paris bloodshed, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, officials said. Abaaoud, a Belgian extremist, had once boasted that he could slip easily between Europe and strongholds of the Islamic State militant group in Syria."

 

Well clearly these guys suck if they are being caught and detained by a third world country...

He's techinically correct, he's easily slipping back to ISIS strongholds...in a body bag

 

And so the paranoia begins...

Tipton County schools remain open; ISIS not behind bomb threat

http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story...hools-remain-open-isis-not-behind-bomb-threat

 

Here is the real question: will historians look back on the Syrian refugee thing in the same way they might say "remember when no one wanted to let the Jews fleeing Germany in their country? Like... The US?"

We literally learn nothing from history.

 

Here's a map showing how individual US states feel about this.

 

I guess I'm trying to figure out which is worse.

What was the general feeling behind the people who didn't want to let Jews in to the US? Hatred of Jews? Were they afraid that among the Jews were Nazis trying to infiltrate like a sort of trojan horse thing?(highly unlikely)

Not to defend the crazy people who want to limit or disallow all Syrian immigrants into this country, but is there even the tiniest bit of validity behind their concern that within the population of Syrian immigrants, there would be radical Islamists embedded?

I just get tired when people use the Holocaust as the analogy for everything.

I get that people fleeing persecution is the same no matter what time period we are discussing. I feel to look at it only superficially as that, is intellectually dishonest.