Just plain STUPID

Hardly happening anywhere else, in this degree.

The problem with viewing it from the outside is that the wild religious and fanatic people make up probably less than 1% of the population, but get a much larger percentage of "air time" for their stupidity purely because they are SO fanatical and depraved, which makes their influence seem bigger than it actually is.

The vast majority of Americans I have met since I moved here are genuine, nice, down-to-earth folks just getting on with their lives and not spreading hate anywhere or trying to deny anyone anything.

That's great.
Now if only actual decision makers and role models would follow suit.
Maybe it would help if said vast majority would bother to register to vote?

Seriously, I'm with Thor on this one.
America, whether one likes it or not, is a country of massive contradictions and excesses....and massive power.
It's not odd that it's continuously under a magnifying glass. That's what you get when you get what you wish (in this case: to lead the western world).

In so many ways it's still such a young country, with so many growing pains still!
This is in many ways a good thing as it stimulates continuous growth and adaptibility in a continuous search for identity.
And the excesses -far greater than you'd find in western Europe- are part of that.
And at times they are risible. Or fearsome.
It's just how it is.

Those phenomena are indeed more excessive in the US, i am talking right wing christian fanatic lunatics, not just gay bashers. Of course i was talking about the Western, supposedly-civilized world where US has the lead in this sadly. And where in Cyprus do you get jailed for being gay? Where did you read this.

Funny that the reactions come from 2 non-americans too

All countries have their idiots and fanatics. They do seem much more apparent in the US than the rest of the western world though. I'm not sure why. Whether the US truly have more people on the extremes or whether these people simply get more attention I don't know. Perhaps it's to do with an increased focus on individualism in the US. Here in DK you'd be embarrassed if you stepped too far out of line, while in the US you're more likely to proudly declare your beliefs no matter where on the sanity spectrum they are.

Peter

Jon is really an American now.
Tom

And in this country they don't

I think Thor's example of greater extremes is a valid point. Mostly I think we just have a LOT more people. We have over 300 million people in this country. How does Denmark or Greece compare? With that many more people, you're bound to get more wackos.

I don't make the videos or the media my friend, i just stumble upon them. If i find anything similar from other countries i'll also share in disgust.

"Constant attempts to make america the villain". Ridiculous. Also the fact that the point against me was based on the illegal, unrecognized occupied half of Cyprus by Turkey.

I have relatives in the US, i watch american movies, listen to american music, have american computers (Well some of them), eat (some) american food. Etc. My point is no anti-american, it's anti-stupidity. If in the western world it happens to be concentrated largely in the US in extreme and radical forms, it's not my fault; don't take it personally.

You got me

Yeah but if they like dick they obviously rot in steamy hell.







On another note, this is a pretty nasty thing to do:

http://artoftrolling.memebase.com/2011/ … ldren-cry/

Not funny. If you haven't watched the originals video, DON'T. I had the misfortune to fall into that trap a couple of years back and i almost got a heart attack, and i wasn't even a child. I know it's supposed to be funny? It's not, clearly.

Cripes! You're looking a bit rough these days Steven.

I dunno, D.
That actually sounds kinda hot...



I've always been of a mind that freedom of speech most certainly is not absolute, but is bound by law (which makes it an extremely relative concept*)). It's anathema to me that certain religious extremists can get away with openly preaching hatred, violence and the complete abolition of human rights while certain political extremists are persecuted for doing the exact same thing.

If you speak out for killing Jews I don't give a damn what your background is, the law should come down on you like a ton of bricks. Each and every time. Even if there can't be a proper conviction, it sends the immediate and clear message that the system we all are supposed to subscribe to will not accept these extremities.

And if you have a problem with that system you are very free to try and change it through the political process (the only proper way). Or fuck the hell off.


*) Problem there of course is that restrictive law systems (like in many Islamic countries) could easily use that as an excuse to legitimise restricting freedom of speech ( it "being against the law"). But that, again to my mind, brings the discussion in the exact correct ball park: namely that of legality, morality and justice of a certain law (system) ).