That's because you never went out with me Chewie, otherwise you'd fully understand the glass is completely empty. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Ha Johnny! I'll join you anytime in emptying lots of glasses, maybe then I'll finally fall off my soapbox. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[ 10-01-2005, 10:09 PM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

<font color = lightgreen>Well, cynicism is one of the highest forms of human expression. [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img]

I know that our freedoms form the foundation of a great society, it's just that it would take some really major event to make enough people wake up and do something about where we are and where we are going. Too much bickering between various groups of people waste so much energy that could be turned to some more constructive use. :rolleyes:

About that glass...if 50% of the volume inside the glass is taken up by water, then the glass is technically both half-full and half-empty. [img]graemlins/saywhat.gif[/img] I am cynically optimistic...or is that optimistically cynical? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img] </font>

Actually it's full, half water and half air.

unless it's in a vacuum.

Indeed, I meant my post to contain a compliment ;) and some observations, not a critique on being a cynic.

Skeptism is as much my friend as optimism, though rarely do I go out with both together.

Anyhow, We can celebrate that we do apparently agree that people can be quite stupid en masse. Cheers!!! [img]graemlins/cheers.gif[/img] :D

I like the political system as laid out in the constitution, as far as they go it's one of the best, for Americans. (foisting it off on other countries with different cultural norms and schools of thought is a disaster if a given society has had no John Locke to lay a foundation of personal rights from which to base individual rights and responsibilities)

I'm just sick of the corruption of the political parties and want some blood in office that actually has americans' best interests at heart, rather than worrying about lining their pocketbooks and those of their friends. Given the "american aid" that Saudi will be getting does it mean they'll finally be able to lower the price of their crude oil from $60+ a barrel (that costs $2-3 to make), no it means they'll be able to buy american goods and services at a reduced price (since that's the law), freeing up more of their money to fund violent jihad around the world. If anything this kind of activity is a huge step backwards in the war on terror and should be actively discouraged.

The president gets most of his news from his advisors (as he has publically admitted on more than one occasion) and it apparently isn't in their best interests to tell him some hard facts that aren't necessarily politically correct about his "ally in the war against terrorism" I personaly feel that's at least partially a dereliction of duty, and as President Grant is remembered as a man of Scruples but allowed his advisors to run the presidency into the ground while he was blissfully unaware, so it is with Bush II (with of course much less talk of his purity of character).

That's actually very deep. :D