Abbie Normal. Not that this is germaine to this conversation, because these comments were made on separate occassions, but Kanye’s a goofball for the first two comments – although to be perfectly fair, there are a LOT of African-Americans who believe to varying degrees that AIDS is a man-made virus. I’m not completely sold it ain’t.
The impulse to scream at Bush when you have a live national audience is understandable if inappropiate. My sympathies for the former mitigates any outrage (which was pretty damn minimal to begin with) at the latter.
I am actually quite interested to hear any arguments whatsoever for the AIDS-is-manmade idea. I’ve never heard one that made a modicum of sense, and I doubt you’d be convinced by any of those, Askia. [sub]right?[/sub]
Why? I admitted I was wrong. I should have googled the event and try to find a link. Pit me. I have thick skin. I’ll go ahead and toss the $3.50/gallon fuel on myself and light a match. It pissed me off when I thought he flipped the bird like Tim Robbins did at the Oscars this year. I don’t like it when “stars” do that especially on a fundraiser. Your right, Myers didn’t flip the finger. He merely scratched his eye, but to me when it was broadcast live, it looked like the finger. I said I apologized, so now I’m off to get my eyes examined.
Shutterbug, the line referenced is pit-worthy because you’re writing “your” as if it were “you’re” which was your intended word.
Askia, regardless of whether one has a legitimate beef, a concert for victims is no time to drag misplaced, ignorant hatred of one guy, President or no, and blind bigotry in front of the cameras.
And please, please tell me that your last few posts don’t mean “I have been shown enough proof that AIDS is not a manmade genocidal bioweapon, yet persist in my belief regardless?”
Because then I would have to add you to the panel with Kanye and Carl. Maybe throw in Jim “The Ultimate Warrior/Queering Don’t Make the World Work” Hellwig.
For the third time… I agree. What do you want, Scrappy? Blood? Dag.
More at… “I have been shown enough proof to no longer embrace the notion of a AIDS as a bioweapon theory as wholeheartedly as I did when I was 23, but I ain’t made up my mind one way or the other – so – I’ve downgraded it from “belief” to “grudging suspicion despite available evidence” and filed it away in the “Foul Shit” corner of my mind, where I have the rest of my unproven conspiracy shit packed away.”
I never claimed infallibilty, folks. Sorry to shatter any illusions.
Nobody wants infallibility. I would, however, like to see rationality. What, for example, is keeping you from putting that idea out of your head altogether?
Actually, don’t flatter yourself. It was pretty weak anyway. My name is Ogre because that was what I was called once upon a time when I played football. I’ve often thought about changing it. It was a pretty bizarre choice for a username, given that I hadn’t even thought of that appellation in years when I signed up. It just floated across my brain, and I grabbed it. shrug
And I’d like you to justify your irrationality because you’re better than it. I’ve read enough of your posts to know that.
In my mind there’s private places I go, thoughts I have, bigotries I possess, fears I nurture, hateful suspicions that keep me wary, accusations lying ready on the tip of my tongue and aggressive anger ready to lash out – along with the plentiful supply of sweetness, compassion, good humor, jocularity, studiousness, politeness, tolerance and contentment I’m (hopefully) known and beloved for.
Between those two divides is logic. Some stuff I process. Some stuff I don’t. Some beliefs I reflect on and either embrace or decide to make changes to. Some stuff I keep locked away and take out to inspect from time to time, keeping what seems needed. Just in case. For the most part, I at least don’t talk about what I can’t absolutely prove or have experienced. But we live in an irrational society and it helps to know the urban myths people may be motivated by.
I am a work in process. I justify my (ir)rationality because it’s part of me, my past, my present, my mistakes, my triumphs. For better or worse.
Hey, people, if you feel strongly that AIDS is not a manmade disease, instead of insulting Askia for thinking that, how about pointing him to a good thread with a lot of info that he could maybe use to convince himself? He seems amenable to reason.
Me, I work with virologists at one of the premier reseach institutions in the world. Any of them will admit, without reservation, that the knowledge needed to create that bitchhell of a virus is still at least ten years out of reach. Making 35 years ago? Not a chance.
Interesting, but it’s still a biiiiiigggg step from accidental contamination to the intentional, black-helicopter conspiracy you claim to be ambivalent about.
HIV/AIDS came to prominence by infecting a specific segment of western society; gay men. Are you suggesting that 35 years ago, “They” were able to identify which first-graders were going to grow up to be gay, and gave them the infected vaccine?