State some controversial beliefs that you have.

It’s kind of hard to explain why. I just think it looks good. It probably doesn’t look good on everyone, though, but I’d say it does work for that lady whose picture I linked to. And I’ve seen many other women who also looked pretty good with a headscarf.

Also, from time to time I see young women wearing a scarf that covers part of their hair. Usually it’s red, as in this picture, and to me it gives them a sort of “hippie” appearance. I also like these. I guess I just like head coverings.

Believe me, I see your point. This said, I don’t think anyone has or should have the power to do such a thing.

I really do agree with you there. When I was a teenager, I really believed that “politicians’ promises” were obviously not supposed to be kept, and that everyone knew that. Politicians just ran around saying shit and no one should care since they didn’t mean it. Now, while I do realise that often politicians don’t or can’t follow on their promises, most of the time, what is found in their platforms really is what they intend to do. The different parties’ platforms really are different, since they really will do different things when in power.

This said, as a politician yourself, I don’t think you can deny that to gain power in the political “game”, you have to be ready to make deals or do things that aren’t always entirely honourable. It’s like in business, it’s hard to raise to the top if you’re an idealist.

I’d have thought that was covered by (1).

  • I believe that Christianity is the greatest force of good and evil in the world. Those that follow the teachings of Jesus sincerely, committing themselves to pacifism and serving their fellow man, are the greatest force for good. Those that think that mumbling a few words makes them “saved” and entitled to use their religion as an excuse for everything from going to war to oppression of women and homosexuals is the greatest force for evil.

  • I believe that American overreaction to 9/11 leading to the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, elimination of habeus corpus, and the sanctioning of torture will go down as the darkest period in US history.

  • I believe that George Bush is not evil, he is a delusional psychopath.

  • I believe that Dick Cheney is the most vile and evil person ever to hold government office.

  • I believe that unless the Democratic Party reclaims at least one house of Congress, the US is going to spiral downward into a one-party dictatorship.

  • I believe that libertarians are actually closet Republicans who don’t want the responsibilty of actually governing.

  • I believe that there are two kinds of people- those that live in Michigan and those who are unlucky.

  • I believe the designated hitter and the alumimum bat are tools of Satan.

  • I believe the new clock rules in college football are a joke.

  • I believe the Big Ten conference is the king of all college conferences.

  • I believe the NRA makes a boatload of money exploiting the paranoia and gullibility of its members by constructing threats to legitimate gun ownership that do not exist.

  • I believe that Don Cherry is the god of men’s fashion.

And atheist. How one reconciles that situation I do not know.

Well, then, I guess I can add one more controversial belief: you don’t have to believe in God to be Jewish.

I guess I never saw what good the power would do me, if I had to give up on the good things I wanted to do with it. Nevertheless, I know a number of people that I’d be prepared to say confidently are truly principled and honourable and who are in positions of power. (You’ll never guess which party I tend to find them in. :cool: )

[QUOTE=BobLibDem* I believe that American overreaction to 9/11 leading to the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, elimination of habeus corpus, and the sanctioning of torture will go down as the darkest period in US history.[/quote]

Bob, meet the peculiar institution. Peculiar institution, Bob.

Bob, meet Hitler…

Daniel

I interpreted that as meaning American Office. Otherwise as much as I hate Cheney, the list of more evil is fairly long.

:Oncoming castigation:

I actually like Dick Cheney. I like his humor, I like his smarts, I like the way he operates. For a politician, he ain’t half bad.

Please don’t try to persuade me otherwise, if I still like him after all this time, there is nothing you can say to change that.

Yes, American office. And at 600,000 Iraqi dead, Cheney is up to a decihitler.

Yep. And I gotta tell ya, I am never bored. :smiley:

  • Women (and men) lie about having survived sexual assault far, far, far less often than the default reaction to a sexual assault survivor would suggest.

I think you underestimated Hitler’s death toll. It is not just the Holocaust, it is also the millions that died in war. I am additionally trying to determine if Cheney needs to be held accountable for the large numbers of Iraqis killed because two branches of Islam cannot tolerate each other. Man I hate the guy, but putting all 600,000 on his ledger seems unfair. However, I do think he is the most morally corrupt and evil person to hold American office in my lifetime. I am reticent to give him this dishonor when I think of the Trail of Tears and some Southern Governors that were members of the KKK.

Jim

But the only thing that kept the Iraqi Islamic factions from killing each other was Hussein. Cheney and his puppet removed the only semblence of order in that country and the chaos is directly attributable to them.

Correct–and atheist.

As to how one reconciles my situation, **Helen’s Eidolon ** correctly pointed out that one doesn’t have to believe in god in order to be Jewish (thanks, BTW), but I’d like to provide an elucidating story.

Tradition has it that, one day, a heathen went befor Rabbi Hillel (a first-century Jewish sage) and asked him to explain the essence of Judaism while standing on one foot. Hillel said to him, “That which is hateful to you, do not do unto others. This is the essence of Judaism. The rest is commentary; now go and study.”

And that, in a nutshell, is how I can be a Jew (a kippah-wearing one, at that) and an atheist. Judaism doesn’t demand that I believe in god. It does demand, however, that I orient myself towards ethical behavior and the repair of a broken world (which is broken precisely because people have oriented themselves away from ethical behavior).

Dopers who are familiar with the different branches of Judasim will probably surmise that I am a Reconstructionist Jew. You would be correct.

I hope this helps to clear things up at least a little bit. :slight_smile:

  • I believe that we should not necessarily do unto others as we would have them do unto us, as their tastes may be different.

I really try to be fair to everyone in judgements, but I really hate Cheney. So I will agree with you and leave it at that. :wink:

We’ll never guess, eh ?

Hint #1…people who are in positions of power

Lets do 20 questions.

Are these people of the party in question east of Alberta and west of Ontario ?

I like that.

I wish I could be a Jew.

I don’t mean to be obtuse or anything like that–and I’m not even sure that your post was in response to my post (though I think it was)–but could you elaborate, please?