Including but not limited to murder... 'cause murder is in the bible.

[Pilot Fighter]

Thank you for kinda bringing this thread back on point.

We vainly spent a huge percentage of our nation's fortune to pursue religious extremists +5000 nm away. Yet, neither then nor now, a good passel of us can't even recognize those very self-same extremists when they live just next door. It's the Coke/Pepsi conundrum: "I love my Coke extremism. It's the Pepsi extremism that gores my ox."

Religious extremists will never be overcome with kinetic weapons. They will be conquered only with the pen of Reason.

Also, the first step in overcoming a problem is to recognize that you HAVE a problem.

If it was a case of fighting religious extremism, we would have bombed Saudi Arabia. It’s a bit more complicated than that.

We failed to support our former ally in his fight against religious extremism, so there’s that.

 

[form810]

If it was a case of fighting religious extremism, we would have bombed Saudi Arabia. It’s a bit more complicated than that.

We failed to support our former ally in his fight against religious extremism, so there’s that.

I'm not talking about whom we chose to bomb. My point was only that we were - ostensibly - going after extremists who lived thousands and thousands of miles away (places that most 'Muricans could not even ID on a map) while, meanwhile, those same 'Muricans were living just down the street from somebody (or many bodies) just as extreme. WTF, over??

 

[Pilot Fighter]

I'm not talking about whom we chose to bomb. My point was only that we were - ostensibly - going after extremists who lived thousands and thousands of miles away (places that most 'Muricans could not even ID on a map) while, meanwhile, those same 'Muricans were living just down the street from somebody (or many bodies) just as extreme. WTF, over??

Fair enough.

Thankfully, most Christians and Muslims living among us don’t really believe the tenets of their faith.

 

[form810]

If it was a case of fighting religious extremism, we would have bombed Saudi Arabia. It’s a bit more complicated than that.

We failed to support our former ally in his fight against religious extremism, so there’s that.

BTW, who is "our former ally"?? Who is "he" who was fighting religious extremism? Just FYI, those are real questions.

 

[Soku39]

Good. This BS has gone too far. And far too many people are trying to get people identified and fired from their jobs for online BS.

In one recent case, a guy was cancelled for merely clicking “Like” on a post. Didn’t author it. Didn’t create it. Didn’t draw it. Merely clicked “like.” Done, cancelled.

God dangit, I'm agreeing with CC agin.

At my regional someone made a joke on the pilot facebook page about not picking up premium over christmas unless they gave us sbux gift cards. Any pilot who liked the post was brought in for a carpet dance and the company threatened to sue the union over an illegal job action. it was unreal.

 

[form810]

Fair enough.

Thankfully, most Christians and Muslims living among us don’t really believe the tenets of their faith.

Only about the 23%-30% of "us" who now, apparently, believe that DT is the second coming of baby Jeebus.

 

[form810]

God dangit, I'm agreeing with CC agin.

At my regional someone made a joke on the pilot facebook page about not picking up premium over christmas unless they gave us sbux gift cards. Any pilot who liked the post was brought in for a carpet dance and the company threatened to sue the union over an illegal job action. it was unreal.

Please expand. I don't get it. ...Seriously.

 

[Pilot Fighter]

BTW, who is "our former ally"?? Who is "he" who was fighting religious extremism? Just FYI, those are real questions.

Bashar al-Assad. Hard to believe that Iran and the Russians occupy the moral high ground with regards to Syria.

What other ME country had Christians in positions of power in government and the military? The United States has blood on its hands.

 

[form810]

Bashar al-Assad. Hard to believe that Iran and the Russians occupy the moral high ground with regards to Syria.

Copy. Entiendo. Gracias.

Yeah. Well, a long time ago, we used to support a similar ass hat called the Shah. We gave him Intaglio presses and F-14s... And, then, suddenly, we realized those were not very good decisions.

I'm not saying white people in 'Murica often aren't stupid. I'm just trying to appeal to the idea that they DON'T HAVE TO BE.

There are two kinds of people in the world: 1. Those who were raised with the idea that one's goal in life is to leave the world better than one found it. 2. Those who were raised to believe the meaning of life is to die possessing the most toys.

 

[Pilot Fighter]

Copy. Entiendo. Yeah. Well, a long time ago, we used to support a similar ass hat called the Shah. We gave him Intaglio presses and F-14s... And, then, suddenly, we realized those were not very good decisions.

I'm not saying white people in 'Murica often aren't stupid. I'm just trying to appeal to the idea that they DON'T HAVE TO BE.

I guess the comparison has some merit, if you’re really lazy. The Shah never had a Christian or Jewish officer.

Bashar al-Assad rationally explained that democracy reforms would result in a civil war. He was right.

I’m kinda touchy about this issue, as I will no longer ever hold a security clearance based on my views and with those that I’ve continued to associate with.

 

[form810]

I guess the comparison has some merit, if you’re really lazy. The Shah never had a Christian or Jewish officer.

Bashar al-Assad rationally explained that democracy reforms would result in a civil war. He was right.

I’m kinda touchy about this issue, as I will no longer ever hold a security clearance based on my views and with those that I’ve continued to associate with.

Neither did Syria. Not really. Though, they might have flown Pepsi flags and posted Pepsi billboards proclaiming their particular branding of "Christianity" or "Islam" to reflect their particular deep affinity for the their personal relationship with baby Jeebus... their Lord and savior, or their particular relationship with their revered Prophet, Mohammed.

 

[Soku39]

Please expand. I don't get it. ...Seriously.

I mean there's nothing to expand on, I was one of the pilots that they wanted to pull into the chief pilots office for a carpet dance. I believe @Maurus and others at that company around 2017/18 probably know the story, it's a funny one.

 

[Pilot Fighter]

Neither did Syria. Not really. Though, they might have flown Pepsi flags and posted Pepsi billboards proclaiming their particular branding of "Christianity" to reflect their particular deep affinity for the their personal relationship with baby Jeebus... their Lord and savior.

Nope.

Christians continue to occupy high positions in the government and military.
The Syrian Baath party was a socialist movement that downplayed religion and embraced socialism and pan-Arabism. The Pan-Arabism had a short life and was replaced by a flavor of nationalism and single-party rule.

 

[form810]

Nope.

Christians continue to occupy high positions in the government and military.
The Syrian Baath party was a socialist movement that downplayed religion and embraced socialism and pan-Arabism. The Pan-Arabism had a short life and was replaced by a flavor of nationalism and single-party rule.

Ok, fair enough. But, in your earlier post, you compared/contrasted it -at least implicitly- to some sort of Christianity or Judaism.

I'm confused.

I'm still trying to figure out how "democracy reforms would result in a civil war", and also, what Christianity or Judaism or any other religion has to do with "democratic reforms"...???

I mean, religion, as an inherently irrational distaction, is always a threat to Reason. And Reason is always the basis of democracies. Is that what your were going for?

 

[Pilot Fighter]

Ok, fair enough. But, in your earlier post, you compared/contrasted it -at least implicitly- to some sort of Christianity or Judaism.

I'm confused.

I'm still trying to figure out how "democracy reforms would result in a civil war", and also, what Christianity or Judaism or any other religion has to do with "democratic reforms"...???

I mean, religion, as an inherently irrational distaction, is always a threat to Reason. And Reason is always the basis of democracies. Is that what your were going for?

Our forefathers understood that democracy was a horrible idea if you couldn’t create institutions that could support it and limit it in meaningful ways. This is kinda US History 101, I’m not saying anything controversial.

The Middle East missed out on much of what makes the West the West. They don’t have any democratic or liberal traditions to support the democratic ideals we embrace.

Letting 51% of the population destroy a state and all of its functional institutions is a bad idea. Failed states are bad.

Only recently have we begun to look at the Holocaust in terms of the consequences of failed states. In states that were destroyed, more Jews died. Pre-war anti-semitism in any given state a was poor predictor of Jewish deaths. Poles became stateless and lost all the protections of statehood. In France, more Polish Jews (refugees) died than French Jews.

 

[Maurus]

I mean there's nothing to expand on, I was one of the pilots that they wanted to pull into the chief pilots office for a carpet dance. I believe @Maurus and others at that company around 2017/18 probably know the story, it's a funny one.

Yeah, company took some FB posts on a company specific FB page very seriously. Said company isn't exactly very labor friendly to start. A lot of what they do is very petty and doesn't happen at big boy airlines.

90% on your iPad for a first flight? Pulled off the flight and tossed into a Section 18 disciplinary hearing.

Say "no" to an FDP extension for something the company doesn't like? Section 18 disciplinary hearing. (Literally in a company memo)

File an ASAP? Company denies the ASAP or accepts the ASAP but still finds a way to discipline monetarily (they tried it with me).

 

[NovemberEcho]

Bashar al-Assad rationally explained that democracy reforms would result in a civil war. He was right.

Bruh no. Like that’s so far off base I wasn’t sure you were being serious. Opening fire on protesters who wanted democratic reforms and torturing them when you jail them led to civil war. Not democratic reforms (of which there were none)

 

[GolfChuck]

Okay, if we are going to have a discussion can we at least get the facts straight. She was not fired for "liking a facebook post." She was fired for sending harassing and intimidating messages to another employee (who happened to be the union president) via facebook messenger that included pictures of dead babies. She violated SWA's anti-bullying policies and that is why she was fired. The 1st amendment does not grant freedom from consequences.

 

[Soku39]

Yeah, company took some FB posts on a company specific FB page very seriously. Said company isn't exactly very labor friendly to start. A lot of what they do is very petty and doesn't happen at big boy airlines.

90% on your iPad for a first flight? Pulled off the flight and tossed into a Section 18 disciplinary hearing.

Say "no" to an FDP extension for something the company doesn't like? Section 18 disciplinary hearing. (Literally in a company memo)

File an ASAP? Company denies the ASAP or accepts the ASAP but still finds a way to discipline monetarily (they tried it with me).

I got extra (jeopardy) "training" sims once for filing one. Glad I'm not at that place anymore.

 

[Pilot Fighter]

Bruh no. Like that’s so far off base I wasn’t sure you were being serious. Opening fire on protesters who wanted democratic reforms and torturing them when you jail them led to civil war. Not democratic reforms (of which there were none)

Dead serious.

Syria had made peace with Israel, stopped funding Shia militants in Lebanon, and was our ally in two wars.

It was a pleasant place to visit and work. I felt safe. What other ME countries had Christians in the military and government?

We abandoned our ally and fueled opposition. Then, we joined the party.

In a civil war, picking a side has consequences. If you were a protester and got shot, you got shot for stupidity, as much as anything else. Waving the flag of the enemy has consequences.

You would have thought that the US would have learned from Iraq and Libya before going for a failed-state hat trick.

Don’t get me wrong, I wish every country had a western style democracy. I’m not willing to accept a failed-state as a stepping stone. Assad said that authoritarian rule was necessary to prevent a civil war. He was right.

It’s entertaining that folks forget about the fall of the Shah. The “students” demanded democracy to eliminate harsh despotic rule. I’m not saying we should have supported the Shah but how many folks think post-revolution Iran is better?

Stable states are better than failed states.