Reality and fiction meet in a bad way

[Cor2]

Religions have very frequently been used as justification for governments, mostly bad governments... but that does take the cake.

[Omnirizon]

khmer rouge has used child soldiers forever. one picture burned into my brain is that of a child soldier, looking cooly into the camera, smoking a cigar.

but hey. who won on american idol last night? did you see tiger woods make that shot? lets go see a movie. i'm fat and still hungry, lets go outback tonight.

[johan osterman]

Omnirizon said:
but hey. who won on american idol last night? did you see tiger woods make that shot? lets go see a movie. i'm fat and still hungry, lets go outback tonight.

Lets go post on a message board about a game, and speculate how real life atrocities are best represented in the game.

[Sombre]

The real life atrocity of american idol is best represented by the arena deathmatch. No-one's interested in it but it continues on regardless.

[PvK]

Sombre said:
The real life atrocity of american idol is best represented by the arena deathmatch. No-one's interested in it but it continues on regardless.

Too bad Americon Idol doesn't result in all but one contestant getting killed off...

[Foodstamp]

Omnirizon said:
khmer rouge has used child soldiers forever. one picture burned into my brain is that of a child soldier, looking cooly into the camera, smoking a cigar.

but hey. who won on american idol last night? did you see tiger woods make that shot? lets go see a movie. i'm fat and still hungry, lets go outback tonight.

The United States as a country donates more money and time to Africa than any other non African country in the world. It's still not enough, but it should be enough that we are not the whipping boy for Africa's problems. That being said, as my generation gets older and begins to take public offices in the United States, I think that Africa will become the number one foreign issue as things come to a close in the middle east.

[Psycho]

For Africa's sake I hope they never become USA's number one foreign issue. But that is unlikely anyway - there are no significant oil deposits in Africa.

[Endoperez]

Psycho said:
For Africa's sake I hope they never become USA's number one foreign issue. But that is unlikely anyway - there are no significant oil deposits in Africa.

Unless you think that's what Foodstamp meant with his comment, I suggest editing your post and adding a smiley, at least.


This thread is morbid enough even before people start arguing about politics. One would think that this forum would have moderators to issue some sterns words in situations like this. I wonder if Shranel Games should recruit some new ones.

[Gandalf Parker]

Since this was borderline off-topic to start with (not particularly a problem), then wandered well into off-topic, its been moved to the Bar and Grill which is more appropriate and allows abit more leeway before becoming completely in danger of deletion.

[Omnirizon]

Foodstamp said:

The United States as a country donates more money and time to Africa than any other non African country in the world. It's still not enough, but it should be enough that we are not the whipping boy for Africa's problems. That being said, as my generation gets older and begins to take public offices in the United States, I think that Africa will become the number one foreign issue as things come to a close in the middle east.

a perfect example of lying with statistics

although america donates a larger absolute value, they donate among the lowest proportional value as measured in GNI (gross national income). further, it is worth looking at exactly how this "aid" is being used. american aid is typically used to further american hegemony; and in the end often does more harm than good. example: in the 70's american aid in africa was used to encourage rapid industrialization of urban centers. all this did was create catastrophic urban growth leading to ignored rural areas, homelessness, poverty, disease, and a huge rich-poor gap. further, this industrialization was always in the interest of american business and hegemony, profits and resources were siphoned out of africa, and in return africans were given slums and a host of social problems.

before we toss about numbers about whose helping out the most, its worth looking at what this "help" is really all about. more appropriate avenues of development (such as the so called "appropriate technology", alternative technology, and soft energy paths) are squelched by politically entrenched opposing advocates coming from american business and commercial sectors, with interests invested in these sectors. because of the way american economy is organized (around shareholders), there is pressure for these advocates to make the quick buck, rather than go for the sustainable development. So they move for direct transfer of technology and resources that can allow for rapid industrialization or digitization (no matter the future consequences).