(And yes, the grammar ignorance was worth it to watch you squirm).

Seriously, if you insist on calling my position sociopathy, then I could just as easily say that everyone else has individipathy. Which is far worse in my opinion, since individuals have more worth than social structures.

there are parts of the bible like that.

I think one of the defining features of my childhood was the bible I had illustrated by Gustave Dore

Look him up sometime… There’s a reason I’m no fan of Christianity, and it started there

The likelihood of any ‘God’ being real is based on popularity? Oh boy…

It wasn’t WMD

It wasn’t Al Qaida

Why did the US invade Iraq?

Ema dodges the issue repeatedly here…

China was a pernicious form of introspective conservatism that meant it’s massive explorations of the world prior to 1380 were ceased, and the boats burned, along with almost all the records.

In some respects 14th Century China is like 21st Century America. Theres a wrld out there, but really, there’s not much it actually needs from it, at least from the POV of it’s average citizen (that is, someone who probably lives no more than 50 miles from where they were born, and hasn’t bothered to get a passport since they’re not leaving the country).

Look for people who give out the middle American, wholesome shtick, with little slips that people forgive cos they’re just so damn NICE the rest of the time, and I’ll show you someone with a collection of cat skulls from their pre-teen years

In thew 19th Century, this guy’s view would be regarded as modernism, now it’s psychopathic, since he doesn’t try to cover it up.

The problem was, both Carter and Reagan forgot that when the commone enmy has gone, you’re left with a bestest buddy who you’d not normally have given a broken Swiss Army Knife to, armed to the teeth and with no guarantee that they won’t become your newest enemy.

Bringing down the USSR also brought down the WTC… and ground zero fo that bit of cowboy diplomacy (in the sense of small pox blankets) is Carter’s crony, Zbigniew Brzezinski.

Question, why does my opinion of you as a blow hard who couldn’t find her own arse allowed the use of both hands bother you so?

I’m really beneath contempt.

One of the reasons I’m no fan of Barack Nyarlathotep Obama is his reliance on Zbigniew Brzezinski

The fact he lied to do it seems less a ‘bad choice’ to me…

And no, it is not the case that only right actions create power. But over time, it is right actions which lead to thriving. What other standard can one have for “right” than that which leads to life and happiness for the most worthy?

And if power always comes from incorrect moral actions, the contrapositive must also be true: right makes impotence. The poor, the weak, the ignorant, are the paragons of virtue by your lights, though not compared to the ultimate standard of good, the least powerful of all: the corpse. All deaths are martyrdoms, and only martyrs can be truly good. I humbly invite you to pursue the aim you state.

Or do you mean to use the word “power” as a synonym for “force” instead of considering force as one subset of power? One might consider the term “soft power” that is bandied about. There is the power of economic sanction, the power of logic, the power of example, the power of words. All of these require a strong character, in a man or in a nation, to achieve. In addition to having the strongest military, the US has the highest economic ability, the premium centers of learning, the most beautifully logical constitution, and the noblest patriotism. All these come from our quality of character. Our military force should not be discounted from that character simply because it is gauche, because it is active instead of dispassionate.

Whosoever wants to show his worth must be prepared to deal with others in various ways. He must be equally prepared to deal with ruffians as with reasonable people. In both, I am proud of my country’s record.