Indeed. I’ve had to include more smilies in my posts. I recommend :dubious: highly. :rolleyes:, an oldie but a goodie, is getting a bit worn. is useful in humorous situations. It’s easy to type. :o is good for self-deprecation. is good almost any time. :smack: is ubiquitious also. Anyway, ;). See, it’s all a joke because I winked.
I wasn’t kidding about the smilies. Sarcasm is almost impossible to discern over the internet without a hint of some kind. I could use [sarcasm] as a sig or something. I’ve been trying to quit sigs for a long time. :smack: See? Stupid cigarette joke.
Beagle a simple /sarcasm will do if you shun emoticons, or even a sarcastic voice or tongue in cheek will do. As long as you take the trouble to indicate in some way besides sterile typeface that you aren’t serious. smile
Zabali, you have my sympathy. I don’t think I’ve run up against that kind of bigotry IRL. Still don’t think it’s a good idea to respond to a possible/probable joke with both barrels, disclaimer or no. When railing against injustice and kangaroo courts it hardly behooves one to practice such acts oneself.
Enjoy,
Steven
Beagle I appreciate the advice. In the past I have actually used(abused?) the :rolleyes: smilie in some posts like my first in this thread. Kind of turned away from that though. English is a marvelously expressive language, being a bastard of virtually every known tongue gives it a breadth of expressions few can match, and I think the meaning comes across clearly enough in most cases. Occasionally such a style causes disconnects without the aid of body language and other clues. I’m willing to live with it rather than substitute the remarkably bland emotions represented by smilies.
On par with McCarthy was a little man by the name of Harry Anslinger and another little man called Andrew Comstock, the latter pre-dated S&V by thirty years. The first went after marijuana smokers, the second after those who sought a free exchange of sexual information, specifically birth control. And the list could go on… What a mess, and what a lie that America has ever been free of tyranny.
It wasn’t really serious “advice.” Having some experience with sarcasm, just thought I’d give you my .01 (investments are down). I figured you were making an absurdist / sarcastic observation.
On the actual topic…
I’m not “sanguine,” by the way. I would describe myself as alarmed. I’ve been watching the slow (now fast) erosion of our civil liberties for years, IMO. Let’s see what the government tries next. Bugs in our cell phones? :eek: [sub]I don’t think they’re so bland…[/sub]
Not at all. I’ve a habit of being skeptical of any article, no matter what it’s author, if it doesn’t “qualify sources”. Thanks,SmackFu,for doing my homework.
[ol][]One must read the WaPo article carefully, because it mixes allegations by the detainees with what the Government Report said. The detainees alleged that they were abused, but the government report didnt say that detainees were abused. According to the cite in the OP, the Gov’t. reports said it found “significant problems” with the treatment of nearly 800 detainees nationwide, including abusive conditions. I’m not sure what “abusive conditions” means.[]There’s no indication that Ashcroft intended alleged abuse to occur, so it seems unfair to blame him personally for the Gestappo tactics. In fact, there’s no indication that Ashcroft even knew that the abuse took place. But, he’s such a useful whipping boy.[/ol]
So the solution to Ashcroft’s abuses is to give him more authority?
Jesus, Ashcroft is scary. He really is a new McCarthy except he has more power. What’s especially disturbing is that he won’t be held accountable by the public or by the White House. The media sure doesn’t help and we know how stupid the public is (25% of Americans think that Iraq used WMDs on US and UK troops during the invasion).
Things are going to get worse before they get better, This has been the most anti-American administration in living memory but they’re doing it under a guise of jingoistic patriotism and the people snap it up like seals taking fish, clapping and barking all the way.
Wow, tdn, what an intelligent refutation of my statement. I’m in awe at your command of logic.
Putz.
So, are you saying that I’m worn, that the majority of American DO vote? That right this minute they are heavily engaged in public discourse, aghast at what the government is doing in their name?
Is that what you’re saying? 'cause it’s really hard to discern from your post.
Oh, for crying out loud. Yes, Ashcroft’s attempts to extend his powers and control are deeply worrying, but do you really stand by this ludicrous statement? You trivialise everything being discussed (and these are important issues) by constantly pronouncing doom like this.
I’m genuinely interested - do you really think this? Really?
Wring and Dead Badger, there are no magic guarantees of our freedom. The only obstacle in the way of government encroachment upon our rights is the watchfullness fo the people and their lected representatives., but right now the people are asleep and their represenatives are either colluding Republicans or craven Democrats.
Nobody cares about the Arab men who were apprehended after September 11 and still languish in jail without charges being brought, a clear violation of the Constitution. Nobody cares that the military is slowly taking away the sovereignty of the civil courts by establishing military tribunals to try suspected terrorists.
Nobody cares that the Bush administration conned honest citizens like me to trust them as they fomented a war on forged evidence.
If Bush declared martial law tomorrow, do you honestly think that anyone[/u would mount a significant resistance?
is useful in humorous situations. It’s easy to type. :o is good for self-deprecation. 
is good almost any time. :smack: is ubiquitious also. Anyway, ;). See, it’s all a joke because I winked.
Beagle a simple /sarcasm will do if you shun emoticons, or even a sarcastic voice or tongue in cheek will do. As long as you take the trouble to indicate in some way besides sterile typeface that you aren’t serious. smile