# How many more attacks before the West has to consider the previously unthinkable? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 15, 2016, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950 "2016-07-15T02:38:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/401 "2016-07-26T03:58:25Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > You’re even thicker than **Colibri** , as you are apparently lacking in basic literacy skills. Try reading again, real slow-like: Dunno; why don’t you try writing something rational. Try writing again, real slow-like. Or, better yet, keep your promise and stroll away, whether in a huff, a snit, or just a hissy, get ye gone. Nothing in your presence here would become you like the leaving of it. Y’aint wanted here, boy. (Cute as a bug, but a tad d.i.m. I keep pitchin’ ‘em and he keeps missin’ ‘em.) Is that a rabbit in our pockets, or are we just happy to see you go? Your mama’s a-callin’, and she’s in Zanzibar. (What did Zanzibar ever do to deserve it?) Bugger off, laddie, and take your tongue with ye. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/402 "2016-07-26T04:30:15Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Or, better yet, keep your promise and stroll away, There was no such promise. :rolleyes: I’m going to try to explain it to you one more time, very simply. “Good day, sir!” does **not** mean “I am leaving”. It is a more polite (and, in modern parlance, tongue-in-cheek) way of saying “fuck off”. That’s it. That’s all it means. Good day, sir! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/403 "2016-07-26T05:43:15Z")
May you have a rotten day; may your aquarium cloud up with algae; may your Rottweiler flunk his obedience classes; my your hair-stylist inform you that nostril hairs do not make a moustache; may you fall madly in love with a can of pea soup. Bad day to you, sir, I said bad day. And while we’re on the subject, you’re a rotten cook as well. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/404 "2016-07-26T07:09:34Z")
That’s okay–there are [too many cooks](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwia8vqVyZDOAhUCySYKHQn5AqoQyCkIHjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQrGrOK8oZG8&usg=AFQjCNHYvHa1Xm5xH-PkmQHl2XnOto5MGw&sig2=yUpkmCsaJEf5dW5Gy_6ihA&bvm=bv.127984354,d.eWE) anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/405 "2016-07-26T10:46:33Z")
Some years ago I made a list of milestones on the road to banning. I can’t find it at the moment but, to the extent I can recall it, after “extensive quibbling with the Mods over Warnings received” came “repeated insistence that the poster was smarter/more informed/more free-thinking than his opponents and that they were all stupid/jealous/sheeple”, followed by “escalation of the sort of behavior that earned the previous Warnings” and eventually “death by Mod”. I’d intended for the list to pertain to newbies who turn up with the intent to enlighten the rest of us with their brilliance only to discover that they picked the wrong goddamn [del]rec room[/del] messageboard to try this technique on, but every so often a longstanding poster chooses to walk that path as well. Look ye to the skies, O ye people; the shadow of the Hammer lies ever upon us all. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/406 "2016-07-26T11:20:05Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Some years ago I made a list of milestones on the road to banning. I can’t find it at the moment but, to the extent I can recall it, after “extensive quibbling with the Mods over Warnings received” came “repeated insistence that the poster was smarter/more informed/more free-thinking than his opponents and that they were all stupid/jealous/sheeple”, followed by “escalation of the sort of behavior that earned the previous Warnings” and eventually “death by Mod”. > > I’d intended for the list to pertain to newbies who turn up with the intent to enlighten the rest of us with their brilliance only to discover that they picked the wrong goddamn [del]rec room[/del] messageboard to try this technique on, but every so often a longstanding poster chooses to walk that path as well. [Is this it?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18875744&postcount=608) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/407 "2016-07-26T11:36:40Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > [Is this it?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18875744&postcount=608) Maybe, although I thought there was an earlier more generic version. Or maybe I’m just imagining it. It’s not a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![rmbnxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9e5f3/32.png) [@rmbnxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rmbnxs)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/408 "2016-07-26T15:21:18Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > “All men excrete” is not a valid major premise? Interesting. I’d never heard that requirement in any of the logic classes I’ve taken. I’d like a cite for this, please. > > ETA: found a cite that says otherwise, although it’s old and very hard to read. > > [Here.](https://books.google.com/books?id=QrFJAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA511&lpg=PA511&dq=syllogism+all+men+breathe&source=bl&ots=dWe48niXtd&sig=nuzg8Bjxou7Bm2Das3UXxyhf7dQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBgcrMuo_OAhVHw2MKHehsCGwQ6AEIKDAC#v=onepage&q=syllogism%20all%20men%20breathe&f=false) > > No shit! A _categorical_ syllogism. There must be a major term, a minor term, and a middle term. A _term_ is a noun or phrase that can stand as the subject of a categorical proposition. You don’t even know this much, despite your desperate Googling to save face. Just give it up. Office hours are over. ---
**Author:** ![rmbnxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9e5f3/32.png) [@rmbnxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rmbnxs)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/409 "2016-07-26T15:23:43Z")
P.S. Let me help you out: _categorical_ means _Aristotelian_. OK, off to teach actual logic students. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/410 "2016-07-26T21:16:03Z")
> [@rmbnxs](#): > > A _categorical_ syllogism. There must be a major term, a minor term, and a middle term. A _term_ is a noun or phrase that can stand as the subject of a categorical proposition. You don’t even know this much, despite your desperate Googling to save face. Just give it up. Office hours are over. And what is the exact difference, in terms of a well-formed-formula, between “All men excrete” and “All men are members of a category that includes individuals which excrete?” The category is grammatically the same as the verb. You’re being obtuse (and angular.) And you merely hand-wave away the cite I posted, which was the Encyclopedia Britannica, with an example of a syllogism involving “All men breathe.” If it’s good enough for them, it ought to be good enough for you…or at least have enough weight for you to address, instead of running away and hiding from it. If your teaching is on par with your posting here, your students are getting a sub-standard education. ETA: I asked you for a cite for your claim that syllogisms must contain statements regarding categories; you didn’t bother answering. Is that a real rule, or did you just pull it out of your shitter? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/411 "2016-07-26T21:19:05Z")
FWIW, I agree that this seems unnecessarily picky. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/412 "2016-07-26T21:31:43Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Throw down that gauntlet, bad boy! As it happens, I’m a member in good standing of the [Triple Nine Society.](http://www.triplenine.org/WhatisTNS/AboutTNS.aspx) I have a question. Would it be fair to say that you’re a member of this society \*\*not \*\*due to a desire to have evidence of your intelligence? That is, some of the membership benefits, like the journal I see they provide for your money, or something along those lines, is the purpose behind your membership? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/413 "2016-07-26T21:49:51Z")
> [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > I have a question. Would it be fair to say that you’re a member of this society \*\*not \*\*due to a desire to have evidence of your intelligence? That is, some of the membership benefits, like the journal I see they provide for your money, or something along those lines, is the purpose behind your membership? Absolutely. The main benefit I joined for was to have access to the various groups, on Facebook and email, that allow me to engage in discussions with other members. (And one day, if there is ever one close enough and I can afford it, I might go to one of the in-person meetups.). The same basic reason I like the SDMB: to be able to interact with other smart people. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/414 "2016-07-26T21:53:47Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Absolutely. The main benefit I joined for was to have access to the various groups, on Facebook and email, that allow me to engage in discussions with other members. (And one day, if there is ever one close enough and I can afford it, I might go to one of the in-person meetups.). The same basic reason I like the SDMB: to be able to interact with other smart people. So why don’t you arrange with the other members to move your discussions to a free site? Then you’d get that benefit with no cost. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/415 "2016-07-26T22:10:24Z")
Never mind that it would be kind of a free rider dick move, it would also mean no new blood at a time when TNS membership is growing rapidly. $10 a year is a very small price to pay. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/416 "2016-07-26T22:27:58Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Never mind that it would be kind of a free rider dick move, it would also mean no new blood at a time when TNS membership is growing rapidly. $10 a year is a very small price to pay. A simple solution to that second point is if one member continues to pay their dues, to which the ex-members contribute, so we’re talking a vanishingly small amount per ex-member. That way you still get access to the new blood. $10 is a very small price to pay, but you can get it down to much, much less than that. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/417 "2016-07-26T22:36:54Z")
That’s clever, but I don’t even believe in torrentng media content like TV, movies, or music. I pay for my Apple Music and Netflix subscriptions. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/418 "2016-07-27T00:12:56Z")
In the words of Stephen Hawking, “People who boast about their IQ are losers.” ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/419 "2016-07-27T02:15:43Z")
People who don’t update their voices from Speak N Spell are the real losers. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950/420 "2016-07-27T02:57:01Z")
I absolutely don’t believe this comment deserves a warning, and obviously I agree with its sentiment: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19508440&postcount=287](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19508440&postcount=287) But it sure looks to me like its not causing even a “cleared throat” is an illustration of the double standard I’ve been talking about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-more-attacks-before-the-west-has-to-consider-the-previously-unthinkable/759950.md?page=22)