Decay and Decline at the Hands of Democrats

[laughing dog]

I view the OP as proof of the decline of US education.

 

[Angry Floof]

Starman, why are you here ranting when you could be providing evidence to the Supreme Court tomorrow? If gay marriage is going to hurt society, they need to see that evidence, don't you think? (Although no one has ever been able to provide such evidence, even though there's been ample opportunity to do so such as in court rulings like, for instance, in the Prop 8 decision in CA, I'm confident you can provide it!)

 

[Ford]

Dennis Prager, radio show host, columnist dick:

There, fixed it for you.

“As one who loves America — ”

Except when it doesn't go the way your narrow mind thinks it should...

“The Decline of the Family

Yes, things were so much better when the woman stayed in the home. Specifically, the kitchen. Or on their back in the bedroom making little white babies.

The Decline of Education

Translation: Bible needs to be taught in school.

To the extent that American history is taught, beginning in high school and often earlier, American history is presented as the history of an immoral nation characterized by slavery, racism, colonialism, imperialism, economic exploitation, and militarism — not of a country that, more than any other, has been the beacon of freedom to mankind, and the country that has spent more treasure and spilled more blood to liberate other peoples than any other nation.

In other words, indoctrinate the kids, whitewash the actual history, and accuse anyone who calls you on the bullshit of not sufficiently "loving America."

The End of Male and Female

Translation: Someone is really, really disgusted with Bruce Jenner.

The End of Right and Wrong: At least two generations of American young people have been taught that moral categories are nothing more than personal (or societal) preferences. Since the Nazis thought killing Jews was right, there is no way to know for sure whether it was wrong; it’s the Nazis’ opinion against that of the Jews and anyone else who objects.

Wait...so he's saying that teaching tolerance leads to genocide?

The End of Religion

We can only hope...

The End of Beauty: Just as morality is subjective; so are beauty and excellence. There is no good or bad art or literature. Beethoven, Shakespeare, Michelangelo; all the great artist of all time are no better than street art and rappers.”

I was kinda wondering when it was going to turn racist.


At the risk of being accused of contributing to the Decline 'o America due to "The End of Polite Society," I have to say:

Fuck Dennis Prager.

 

[krypton iodine sulfur]

I like this. It's cute and very empowering for LGBT people.

The End of Male and Female: Whatever one’s position on same-sex marriage, one must acknowledge that at the core of the argument for this redefinition of marriage is that gender doesn’t matter. Marriage is marriage, and gender means nothing, the argument goes. So, too, whether children are raised by mother and father or two mothers or two fathers doesn’t matter. A father has nothing unique to offer a child that a mother can’t provide and vice versa.

Yes, because marriage defines gender if gender doesn't define marriage. Obviously.

Approximately 99.99% of the population identifies as (cisgender) male or female. Of the remaining 0.01%, many still identify as male or female, they just happen to be transgender. In excess of 90% of the population identifies as heterosexual. Clearly...

THE END TIMES FOR GENDER ARE NIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I view the OP as proof of the decline of US education.

You misspelled sock-puppet account enforcement.

 

[Angry Floof]

I like this. It's cute and very empowering for LGBT people.

The End of Male and Female: Whatever one’s position on same-sex marriage, one must acknowledge that at the core of the argument for this redefinition of marriage is that gender doesn’t matter. Marriage is marriage, and gender means nothing, the argument goes. So, too, whether children are raised by mother and father or two mothers or two fathers doesn’t matter. A father has nothing unique to offer a child that a mother can’t provide and vice versa.

Yes, because marriage defines gender if gender doesn't define marriage. Obviously.

Approximately 99.99% of the population identifies as (cisgender) male or female. Of the remaining 0.01%, many still identify as male or female, they just happen to be transgender. In excess of 90% of the population identifies as heterosexual. Clearly...

THE END TIMES FOR GENDER ARE NIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[arkirk]

Dennis Prager, radio show host, columnist:

“As one who loves America — not only because I am American, but even more so because I know (not believe, know) that the American experiment in forming a decent society has been the most successful in history — I write the following words in sadness: With few exceptions, every aspect of American life is in decline.”
Further Prager says: “Decay” is the word.

Prager lists:

“The Decline of the Family: Nearly half (48 percent) of American children are born to a mother who is not married. Forty-three percent of American children live without a father in the home. About 50 percent of Americans over 18 are married, compared to 72 percent in 1960. Americans are having so few children that the fertility rate fell to a record low 62.9 births per 1,000 women in 2013. And in an increasing number of states, there are now more deaths than births.

The Decline of Education: Compared to nearly all of American history, the average American school teaches much less about important subjects such as American history, English grammar, literature, music and art. Instead, schools are teaching much more about “social justice,” environmentalism and sex.
Most universities have become secular seminaries for the dissemination of Leftism. Moreover, aside from indoctrination, students usually learn little. One can earn a BA in English at UCLA, for example, without having read a single Shakespeare play.
To the extent that American history is taught, beginning in high school and often earlier, American history is presented as the history of an immoral nation characterized by slavery, racism, colonialism, imperialism, economic exploitation, and militarism — not of a country that, more than any other, has been the beacon of freedom to mankind, and the country that has spent more treasure and spilled more blood to liberate other peoples than any other nation.

The End of Male and Female: Whatever one’s position on same-sex marriage, one must acknowledge that at the core of the argument for this redefinition of marriage is that gender doesn’t matter. Marriage is marriage, and gender means nothing, the argument goes. So, too, whether children are raised by mother and father or two mothers or two fathers doesn’t matter. A father has nothing unique to offer a child that a mother can’t provide and vice versa.

The End of Right and Wrong: At least two generations of American young people have been taught that moral categories are nothing more than personal (or societal) preferences. Since the Nazis thought killing Jews was right, there is no way to know for sure whether it was wrong; it’s the Nazis’ opinion against that of the Jews and anyone else who objects.

The End of Religion: There are no moral truths because there is no longer a religious basis for morality. Instead of being guided by a code higher than themselves, Americans are taught to rely on their feelings to determine how to behave. Instead of being given moral guidance, children are asked, “How do you feel about it?”

The End of Beauty: Just as morality is subjective; so are beauty and excellence. There is no good or bad art or literature. Beethoven, Shakespeare, Michelangelo; all the great artist of all time are no better than street art and rappers.”

You are WRONG, Starman, so we know at least that survives today. You and Praeger pine for the simple life. That simple life in reality may feel good for selected individuals, it was really just a narcissistic cover up of various crimes of acquisition, domination and human prejudices. My guess is that you pine for the plantation but are really not ready to assume any or all of the living roles that represents...like picking cotton.

You and Praeger pine for the return of religion based morality....like the Spanish Inquisition?

The decline of our educational systems is the result their funding and attending being superseded by spending on mostly Republican incited wars. You ought to go back to school and turn Fox News and the 700 Club off! Having posted here for more than ten years, I am awarding you a special honor. I have NEVER USED THE IGNORE FUNCTION ON THIS OR ANY FORUM, BUT YOU HAVE CONVINCED ME...IT IS TIME!

 

[SimpleDon]

Do you agree with Prager or disagree with him? It isn't clear.

I would say that I completely disagree with him.

This is the kind of arguments that the right, conservatives, have to engage in to convince themselves that they have legitimate reasons for not wanting to change, to prevent having to concede that the problems that we debate on a daily basis are caused by the status quo that they reflexively defend.

These are lies that they repeat for their own benefit, to convince themselves. They are not intended to convince the moderates, the liberals, the non-conservatives, the rest of us.

Okay, this is a bit overstated. These arguments do have a purpose beyond self-denial of reality. Everyone has a little bit of the conservative in themselves, a fear of change. These types of arguments from conservatives can bring the inner conservative to the fore in people, by playing on fear. It is commonly called "fear mongering."

It is because these kinds of arguments that we know that conservatives really have no legitimate place in determining the course of future governance. It is why they were ignored in the past and why we have every right to and should ignore them now. Their position on any change that is needed is always the same and can be summed up in a single word - "no."

I will go through a few. Keep the above in mind. You will see that I am right! [/poor play on words]

Dennis Prager, radio show host, columnist:

“As one who loves America — not only because I am American, but even more so because I know (not believe, know) that the American experiment in forming a decent society has been the most successful in history — I write the following words in sadness: With few exceptions, every aspect of American life is in decline.”
Further Prager says: “Decay” is the word.

According to conservatives in the history of this country all the way from the royalists, the Tories, who opposed the American revolution, to the Know Nothings, to those who defended slavery, to those who authored Jim Crow, etc. all the way up to the Tea Parties of today have cried that the country is in decay and decline and yet today we are a better society and better people than any time in the past.

Prager lists:

“The Decline of the Family: Nearly half (48 percent) of American children are born to a mother who is not married. Forty-three percent of American children live without a father in the home. About 50 percent of Americans over 18 are married, compared to 72 percent in 1960. Americans are having so few children that the fertility rate fell to a record low 62.9 births per 1,000 women in 2013. And in an increasing number of states, there are now more deaths than births.

At least a partial product of the conservative sponsored increase in income inequity to make everyone rich by making the already richer much richer and in incarceration rates to fight crime by grossly expanding the definition of all but the crimes of the already rich, which shrink.

The Decline of Education: Compared to nearly all of American history, the average American school teaches much less about important subjects such as American history, English grammar, literature, music and art. Instead, schools are teaching much more about “social justice,” environmentalism and sex.

Because these are things that are needed to be taught. The knowledge of man has expanded faster in the last hundred years than it did in all of history before it. It has to be taught. It is inevitable that conservatives would want to limit education, it can't help but to clash with their worldview. Reality clashes with their worldview. Reread my opening above.

There is no reason other than denial to believe that American education has fallen behind the level of education in the rest of the world. It is another lie, not just from conservatives, that in the past we had the world's best education system and that somehow it has gotten worse compared to the rest of the developed world. We never had the world's best education system, there were large blocks of our population that we never felt the need to educate to anything close to the world standard, women, ex-slaves, indigenous people, immigrants, hispanics, the poor, etc., the list is long and shameful. And correcting these educational shortcomings has always been met with resistance from conservatives.

We have made huge gains in correcting these shortcomings in spite of conservative resistance. But we still have a way to go to pull some of these groups, especially the poor, up to the level of world standard. When we do I no doubt that we will be among the very best in the world, not the false pride of yesterday.

Most universities have become secular seminaries for the dissemination of Leftism. Moreover, aside from indoctrination, students usually learn little. One can earn a BA in English at UCLA, for example, without having read a single Shakespeare play.

You have to take account of the fact that the majority of universities are bastions of conservatism. Business, Economics, Engineering, Agriculture, Pure Science, Religious, Law, Medical, any Southern or Middle Western schools are conservative in nature.different majors attract different kinds of students.

To the extent that American history is taught, beginning in high school and often earlier, American history is presented as the history of an immoral nation characterized by slavery,

Slavery is immoral.

racism, colonialism, imperialism, economic exploitation, and militarism

Yes, these are immoral too. Is there anyone who believes otherwise? Besides this guy?

— not of a country that, more than any other, has been the beacon of freedom to mankind, and the country that has spent more treasure and spilled more blood to liberate other peoples than any other nation.

Because we have made progress on all of them, opposed every step of the way by the change fearing conservatives, battles that continue up to today.

The End of Male and Female: Whatever one’s position on same-sex marriage, one must acknowledge that at the core of the argument for this redefinition of marriage is that gender doesn’t matter. Marriage is marriage, and gender means nothing, the argument goes. So, too, whether children are raised by mother and father or two mothers or two fathers doesn’t matter. A father has nothing unique to offer a child that a mother can’t provide and vice versa.

Has this happened to you Starman? Does gender confuse you now?

This is not what gay marriage is about, the elimination of gender. If this is your problem, run to get help. Most people don't need the definition of marriage to determine gender. They have things like mirrors and friends.

The End of Right and Wrong: At least two generations of American young people have been taught that moral categories are nothing more than personal (or societal) preferences. Since the Nazis thought killing Jews was right, there is no way to know for sure whether it was wrong; it’s the Nazis’ opinion against that of the Jews and anyone else who objects.

If you believe this more than gender confuses you. You need help but first you need to make a list before so that you don't forget anything.

The End of Religion:

Yes, something desirable from this is list of lies!

There are no moral truths because there is no longer a religious basis for morality. Instead of being guided by a code higher than themselves, Americans are taught to rely on their feelings to determine how to behave. Instead of being given moral guidance, children are asked, “How do you feel about it?”

Trust me, you won't have to babble like this to convince someone that you need help. Just show them the list.

The End of Beauty: Just as morality is subjective; so are beauty and excellence. There is no good or bad art or literature. Beethoven, Shakespeare, Michelangelo; all the great artist of all time are no better than street art and rappers.”

Add it to the list. Take a toothbrush and a change of clothes, you probably are going to need them.

Okay, I got a little off of the rails with the last bit.

They probably won't let you have your own stuff.

 

[fromderinside]

Yeah, but he certainly isn't blaming the right-wing. He always goes on about how the Left just doesn't get it and how moral-less the Left is.

Even cats know to never foul ones nest when your friends have already done the job.

 

[fromderinside]

... Starman ... and Praeger pine for the simple life.

You have evidence they applied for horse shit sweeper jobs?

 

[ZiprHead]

The end of gender?!? What, did everybody's genitals fall off?

 

[ksen]

Somebody's did.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

Why is everybody addressing Star Man as if the quotes he gave are his own words?

The only thing I can fault Star Man for is the thread title, which inexplicably points at Democrats, when Democrats were nowhere mentioned in what he quotes.

 

[krypton iodine sulfur]

I think most of the responses are addressing the words as if Starman is advocating those positions rather than just presenting someone else's words for consideration. Given his other posts on the forums, this is fairly reasonable.

 

[fromderinside]

I think most of the responses are addressing the words as if Starman is advocating those positions rather than just presenting someone else's words for consideration. Given his other posts on the forums, this is fairly reasonable.

Are you star gazing or reading Starman?

Is this what you mean by fairly reasonable?

Random Starman post: http://talkfreethought.org/showthre...dation-Proof-of-Evolution&p=150497#post150497

 

[krypton iodine sulfur]

No, that's not what I mean by 'fairly reasonable', though the link would support my position. I mean what I wrote, which is that it is fairly reasonable to respond to the OP as if Starman is advocating the quotes he presented from Dennis Prager.

Despite the lack of a quote in my post, it was a direct response to the post above mine from Jolly Penguin.

 

[fromderinside]

Defensiiiive ....

Still man it could be in the stars. Choosing Prager to paraphrase (I suggest close paraphrase without the decency of using quotes) is enough evidence for me.

 

[Brian63]

Defensiiiive ....

For future reference, you just misinterpreted kis's post is all. A simple "sorry about that" would suffice as a response, rather than demeaning personal remarks. I understood his point fine as he intended it (and I made a related point just a bit earlier in this thread).

Still man it could be in the stars. Choosing Prager to paraphrase (I suggest close paraphrase without the decency of using quotes) is enough evidence for me.

That is a bit more sensible. Good job.

Brian

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I think most of the responses are addressing the words as if Starman is advocating those positions rather than just presenting someone else's words for consideration. Given his other posts on the forums, this is fairly reasonable.

Exactly. The OP reads like he's advocating.

 

[bilby]

Why is everybody addressing Star Man as if the quotes he gave are his own words?

The only thing I can fault Star Man for is the thread title, which inexplicably points at Democrats, when Democrats were nowhere mentioned in what he quotes.

Oh, it is easily explicable. The obvious explanation is that Starman is pushing a partisan political agenda. His approach may lack reason or rationality, making it difficult to understand; but it is not difficult to explain.