All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[worstblogever]

Yeah, kicking Saddam out wasn't a relief. That was us trying to reshape the world in our image and we shouldn't have been in their first place. Saddam's sadistic son (was it Qusay?) would be masturbating to ISIS right now if he was still alive.

Given the size of their porn caches we found in some of their homes/palaces, I think he'd definitely be wanking to something. Probably them. Hell, ISIS might have a bunch of his old posse in their ranks.

[Vibranium]

And you guys even have beverage cars! You could be living the high life but no.....

public transpo has such a bad rep here in CT, taking the bus basically makes you a leper...there was actually a push in a part of northeast CT to get rid of buses all together

[Dr. Kusa San]

It's basically nonexistent in Texas.

Public transportation alone is why I can't wait to graduate and settle in Boston for good.

Dallas has DART! And Rick Perry. You can't win.

public transpo has such a bad rep here in CT, taking the bus basically makes you a leper...there was actually a push in a part of northeast CT to get rid of buses all together

Embarrassment to the Northeast and its love of public transport.

Given the size of their porn caches we found in some of their homes/palaces, I think he'd definitely be wanking to something. Probably them. Hell, ISIS might have a bunch of his old posse in their ranks.

ISIS might even have some of their man eating tigers. #notintendedtobeafactualstatement

[Kid A]

Dallas has DART! And Rick Perry. You can't win.

I have to drive for like 30 minutes just to get to a train station.

Though that's still way ahead of Austin...

[Beige Lantern]

\ From all reports, ISIS isn't Saddam or a disorganized, multinational terrorist organization. These guys want power, not wealth or destruction. And they are slaughtering people indiscriminately.\

Wait... how is that different from Saddam?

Remember that these guys are rooted in former Ba'ath Party members, Saddam's BFFs. The only difference is they're smart enough to leave Kurdistan mostly alone.

[Pharozonk]

It's basically nonexistent in Texas.

Houston has a few public bus systems that can take you into the city. Most people use it to get to the medical center.

[Kid A]

Houston has a few public bus systems that can take you into the city. Most people use it to get to the medical center.

I've been to Houston, and I could only find one metro line that barely gets you to the edge of the beltway loop. You'd think public transit would be a priority for a city of 2+ million people where seemingly everyone is trying to commute to downtown.

Also, a mod should probably move this into the chat thread.

[Dr. Kusa San]

I have to drive for like 30 minutes just to get to a train station.

Though that's still way ahead of Austin...

Are you in Dallas or Austin?

Wait... how is that different from Saddam?

Remember that these guys are rooted in former Ba'ath Party members, Saddam's BFFs. The only difference is they're smart enough to leave Kurdistan mostly alone.

Because Saddam was largely a secularist. The Ba'ath Party was largely secular. I'm not surprised former Ba'athists are part of ISIS. They were overthrown and are probably butthurt over losing their power and wealth. That doesn't mean they are ideologically united with ISIS; all sources point to Ba'athists being opportunistic, not Islamic fundamentalists.

[Beige Lantern]

Because Saddam was largely a secularist. The Ba'ath Party was largely secular. I'm not surprised former Ba'athists are part of ISIS. They were overthrown and are probably butthurt over losing their power and wealth. That doesn't mean they are ideologically united with ISIS; all sources point to Ba'athists being opportunistic, not Islamic fundamentalists.

When Saddam gassed an entire region of his own country, I don't think the Kurds really cared which god he did or did not do it in the name of.

[Dr. Kusa San]

When Saddam gassed an entire region of his own country, I don't think the Kurds really cared which god he did or did not do it in the name of.

I thought we were talking about ideology and goals here, not specific actions. Saddam was a bad guy, no doubt. But it seems that TPTB are a bit more troubled by ISIS because of their goals. Not that this excuses Saddam, but his targeting of the Kurds was political. His awful way of stopping political dissent and his way of holding an iron grip on the Kurdish region for the exploitation of resources. BUT, Saddam did have diplomatic ties with some countries and he COULD be persuaded to go against his blood lust. Saddam WOULD work with non-friends (like the US in the 1980s) in order to reach some international consensus. It doesn't seem like that's possible with ISIS. They're going to do whatever the hell they want, regardless of international relations. And that makes them more dangerous than Saddam could ever be.

[Kid A]

Are you in Dallas or Austin?

Neither right now, but I go to Austin for school.

[Pharozonk]

Neither right now, but I go to Austin for school.

UT Austin? A lot of people I know go there.

[Beige Lantern]

I thought we were talking about ideology and goals here, not specific actions. Saddam was a bad guy, no doubt. But it seems that TPTB are a bit more troubled by ISIS because of their goals. Not that this excuses Saddam, but his targeting of the Kurds was political. His awful way of stopping political dissent and his way of holding an iron grip on the Kurdish region for the exploitation of resources. BUT, Saddam did have diplomatic ties with some countries and he COULD be persuaded to go against his blood lust. Saddam WOULD work with non-friends (like the US in the 1980s) in order to reach some international consensus. It doesn't seem like that's possible with ISIS. They're going to do whatever the hell they want, regardless of international relations. And that makes them more dangerous than Saddam could ever be.

Hmm, point taken. It's just that so far I haven't seen much difference in practice.

Reminds me of a quotation I heard just the other day:

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C.S. Lewis

[Kid A]

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2014/08/a...teful-letters/

This so f***ed up. So much for Canada being more liberal.

UT Austin? A lot of people I know go there.

Yessir.

[Pharozonk]

Yessir.

Haha that's pretty cool. My sister goes there too.