Can everything be debated?

[mr_brighterside]

http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9376232/free-speech-is-so-last-century-todays-students-want-the-right-to-be-comfortable/

interesting article, including the point that any non debatable subjects are therefore dogma

[Injury Time]

No. \thread

[mr_brighterside]

No. \thread

what can't be debated and why not? if something is worth accepting why can it not be debated?

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

If Hitler Said Sorry Before He Shot Himself will he have gone to heaven.

[Letters]

Anything can, but it would be helpful if those participating had some basic grasp of the facts. I'm constantly bemused by people like Dawkins whose militant atheism betrays an astonishing lack of knowledge about the subject he's attacking. He should stick to the domain he knows stuff about as his science books are very good (or were, I suspect now he'd find himself unable to stop himself attacking theism no matter what he's writing about).

As for whether men can debate abortion, of course they can but as it's obviously a subject which affects women far more directly than men. Personally I don't feel I could tell a women they could never make that choice as it's not a position I could ever be in.

[Xhaka Can’t]

If Hitler Said Sorry Before He Shat Himself will he have gone to heaven.

An interesting twist on an old favorite.

[Niall_Quinn]

http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9376232/free-speech-is-so-last-century-todays-students-want-the-right-to-be-comfortable/

interesting article, including the point that any non debatable subjects are therefore dogma

No debate is permitted on the holocaust. It's also close to the point where discussion of the global warming scam will be illegal. Most people self-censor because they are pitiful. Others censor by shouting their gob off non-stop. For me, everything should be open to debate - especially, particularly if it makes people feel uncomfortable or angry or causes offence.

[Letters]

global warming scam
:lol:


Most people self-censor because they are pitiful. Others censor by shouting their gob off non-stop.

Oh the ironing :d

[Niall_Quinn]

:lol:



Oh the ironing :d

Shouting you gob off is not always the same thing as shouting your gob of to stop others speaking. In fact it's hardly ever that. So you saved yourself on the ironing.

As for the global warming scam - the fact so many have been convinced by such obviously bogus science and in spite of the evidence all around them will be make the top ten list of "What was it like in the modern dark ages" when kids absorb their history implants in 2114. Takes about a century for these forms of idiocy to wind out.

[Letters]

Go on then, I'll indulge you.
What evidence?

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

David Irvine (Historian and Holocaust denier) for my money should not have been arrested or imprisoned for his views on the holocaust as I think we do ourselves an injustice by trying to censor free speech.
I have watched some of his lectures, whilst it cannot be doubted that he has an excellent historical knowledge, there is nothing he said that convinced me or made me feel that his views weren't informed and motivated by anti semitism.
Because he is persona non grata he is compelled to proselytise his take on history in the company of some very hateful individuals.
The point is when we are only prepared to listen to view points we agree with, we are doomed to becoming narrow minded no matter how enlightened we think our own opinions to be

[Niall_Quinn]

Go on then, I'll indulge you.
What evidence?

Letters - go and find out about it. You only want me to say something so you can disagree with it. But if you go and look yourself you'll find out some interesting things.

[Niall_Quinn]

David Irvine (Historian and Holocaust denier) for my money should not have been arrested or imprisoned for his views on the holocaust as I think we do ourselves an injustice by trying to censor free speech.
I have watched some of his lectures, whilst it cannot be doubted that he has an excellent historical knowledge, there is nothing he said that convinced me or made me feel that his views weren't informed and motivated by anti semitism.
Because he is persona non grata he is compelled to proselytise his take on history in the company of some very hateful individuals.
The point is when we are only prepared to listen to view points we agree with, we are doomed to becoming narrow minded no matter how enlightened we think our own opinions to be

Well said.

[Letters]

Letters - go and find out about it. You only want me to say something so you can disagree with it. But if you go and look yourself you'll find out some interesting things.

How about you point me in the right direction at least.

[Niall_Quinn]

How about you point me in the right direction at least.

University of East Anglia.

[Letters]

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/08/muir-russell-climategate-climate-science

?

[Niall_Quinn]

Oh please. Of course they were cleared, look who it was doing the investigation. Inquiries are designed to clear perps, no matter what they have done.

See here and use your own mind:
http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/content/quotes-e-mails-climatic-research-unit-cru-east-anglia

But anyway, I wasn't specifically talking about that scandal. Find out who funds these wankers and then follow the trail. As with anything, who gains, who loses? Hint, you and me lose, and every other taxpayer particularly in the UK where our ludicrous carbon reduction targets will result in massive subsidies for the energy companies while allowing them to hike the cost of energy through the roof. This, the work in progress global climate tax and the potentially trillion dollar carbon exchange is what climate change is actually about. It's also a useful way to cover up the real problems facing our environment, rampant pollution by serial offenders who are walking away and leaving us to pick up the tab.

As for genuine climate change, that's a natural occurrence that has been happening forever. It's linked to the one thing the climate charlatans don't want to account for in the phoney models - the sun. Go figure. Who could have guessed it?

[mr_brighterside]

I think most posts here are positive that everything should be open to discussion and reason

Letters, I'd disagree that men are not directly affected by abortion (and not just the children who are 'terminated'), but why should direct involvement be necessary to hold a valid view? On areas such as murdering widows after the death of the husband, Euthanasia and others everyone should be able to have an opinion regardless of whether they are currently in that predicament.

What the Oxford students union have done is not only fail to put forward a defence of their view but they have shown it to be shallow by not permitting it to be challenged.

[Letters]

Of course I can have a view but as a man I'm never going to be in a position where, say, I'd been raped, found myself pregnant and had to make a decision about what to do. I don't really feel, therefore, that I can pontificate and tell a woman in that position that she has to carry the child.

[Niall_Quinn]

Of course I can have a view but as a man I'm never going to be in a position where, say, I'd been raped, found myself pregnant and had to make a decision about what to do. I don't really feel, therefore, that I can pontificate and tell a woman in that position that she has to carry the child.

The female monopoly on pregnancy is another topic conveniently brushed under the carpet.

[Letters]

The hard hitting documentary 'Junior' with Arnold Schwarzeneger (really can't be arsed looking up how to spell that) has much to say on this subject.

[Letters]

I'll just leave this here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30311816

Obviously it's all part of the conspiracy though.
#tinfoilhat.

[mr_brighterside]

I'll just leave this here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30311816

Obviously it's all part of the conspiracy though.
#tinfoilhat.

years of no rise in temperature = not evidence, one year of warm weather = evidence, sum of both equations = :rolleyes:

whatever your beliefs on climate change (and it's recognised as a religion in this country), evidence needs to be considered equally not just when it backs one way or the other

[Letters]

One year? :lol:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/mar/24/warmest-years-record-un-global-warming

[mr_brighterside]

One year? :lol:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/mar/24/warmest-years-record-un-global-warming

didn't the press also report that the temperature rise had been on hold for over a decade until recently?

and besides, Guadian :lol: awful rag

[Letters]

Maybe it has, but so what? Who ever said the rise would be completely linear?
The climate clearly has changed, almosst every year it's something ending in 'est' (warmest year on record, wettest winter, etc).
Even in my lifetime the change is noticeable, I remember how cold it used to be around Fireworks night, now it's relatively mild most years.

[Letters]

NQ wos rite.

Wasn't us, after all?

Darn you, squirrels! Darn you to heck!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30456869

[GP]

Global :lol:

Awful warming

[Niall_Quinn]

NQ wos rite.

Wasn't us, after all?

Darn you, squirrels! Darn you to heck!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30456869

The squirrels will be fine, their taxable potential is zero.

[Niall_Quinn]

This is funny. Did anyone else know that "coloured" is now a racist term? So blacks can call themselves niggers but whites have to keep up to date with the latest approved terminology? Where are these PC updates issued? Is there a website or something that gives out alerts when a word is flagged? Or some sort of text service?

This sort of shit is far more likely to make non-racists racist.

This is what Cumberbatch had to say to save his arse from the PC loonies.


'I offer my sincere apologies. I make no excuse for my being an idiot and know the damage is done.

'I feel the complete fool I am and while I am sorry to have offended people and to learn from my mistakes in such a public manner please be assured I have.

'I can only hope this incident will highlight the need for correct usage of terminology that is accurate and inoffensive.

'The most shaming aspect of this for me is that I was talking about racial inequality in the performing arts in the UK and the need for rapid improvements in our industry when I used the term.

'I apologize again to anyone who I offended for this thoughtless use of inappropriate language about an issue which affects friends of mine and which I care about deeply.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2927166/I-m-idiot-m-devastated-caused-offense-British-actor-Benedict-Cumberbatch-issues-apology-calling-black-people-colored-television.html

And what about the PC lunatics?


Following Cumberbatch's interview, hundreds of people took to social media to condemn the actor for his choice of terminology, with many deeming it 'racist' and 'inappropriate'.

So they outed themselves, their names could have been traced back through their accounts - yet they are still alive? Makes no sense at all.

[GP]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWdVwt2deY4

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Coloured - I generally thought racism denoted a dislike of a race of people, not just a misemployed term that is now deemed unreconstructive

I think Coloured is a bit of a stupid term because we are all coloured and is as misinformative a description as white and black (pink and brown surely?). But offensive?...to whom?

[Xhaka Can’t]

Clowns?