God told me to quit picking on stupid people, and since cable TV has so many options…
Then-deputy defense secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz (House Appropriations Committee hearing, 3/27/03):
“There’s a lot of money to pay for this that doesn’t have to be U.S. taxpayer money, and it starts with the assets of the Iraqi people. … On a rough recollection, the oil revenues of that country could bring between $50 billion and $100 billion over the course of the next two or three years.”
Then-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer (White House press briefing, 2/18/03):
“Iraq, unlike Afghanistan, is a rather wealthy country. … Iraq has tremendous resources that belong to the Iraqi people . … Iraq has to be able to shoulder much of the burden for their own reconstruction.”
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld (Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, 3/27/03):
“When it comes to reconstruction, before we turn to the American taxpayer, we will turn first to the resources of the Iraqi government and the international community.”
Back from vacation – figured I’d start off the newest string of debate with a few tidbits of hogwash concerning what will most likely go down as the most costly American mistake of this new century. All politics aside, these guys had no idea what they were talking about…two have gotten the hell out of dodge, Rummy tried to get away, but King George II wasn’t having any of that.
Like cockroaches when the lights come on they scurried. These historic quotes get zero play in the media…as to actually go back to the record would be ‘liberally biased’ of course. But someday this trail of deception will get the attention it deserves. Perhaps when another few veterans who were denied treatment from the VA go nuts and end up in jail or dead from self inflicted gunshot wounds…or maybe even when this Constitution is ratified, we leave and Iraq gets on with their long awaited ‘civil war/battle royale’ to decide which group Hammurabi and Allah were counting on all along to finally get their shit together.
My money’s not on the Iraqi women. No, they appear to be shit out of luck as long as the Koran has anything to say about it. But hey, we’ve got our share of religious wackos here in America too. Just talked to John Dobson the other day on the phone and he pointed out that, “…this Iraq thing is fabulous really, as the holy book is dooming the system from the start…as opposed to this tiresome parasite method we’ve got to make do with here in the states.” I wanted to ask him about whether or not I should spank my six week old twins when they don’t do what I tell them to, but he kept steering the conversation to the war. Finally it went back to disciplining the child and he informed me that until 15 months of age, it was cruel in his mind to take a belt buckle to my kids’ butts. Advised me that if I really wanted to light that candle, best to pray on it a bit.
So I did, right after our conversation. God told me to quit picking on stupid people, and since cable TV has so many options, it’s best not to spare the rod…lest I miss one of my favorite sitcoms. “So Dobson was right?” God replies, “when he lays off the speed and internet porn he’s alright, but for the most part he’s just making money telling people what they want to hear…hey, I’ve got to go, Six Feet Under is on.”
As far as punishment just withhold food, it is more effective and does not leave a mark.
I never really understood the logic of, ‘Don’t hit your brother! That’s wrong! And to get it through to you, I’m going to beat your ass with a hairbrush.’
Dobson is going to hell if it exists. I’m 99% sure of it…
Dobson has a book out on how to deal with a defiant child, essentially any thought makes them defiant. It should be titled how to excersize complete control over your child. I really don’t think normal parents want robo-kids.
There’s a strict world view that accompanies his theories, as his lust for political relevance reduces the validity of what he teaches about child rearing. If Dr. Phil was appearing at ‘Justice Sunday’, his ratings would plummit, as his opinions would be viewed as spiritually based rather, not scientific.
You can’t have it both ways. Not only that, but the idea that there’s only one way to raise kids is purely asanine to begin with.
That is my issue with much of what the right-wing says now days, they think their is one right way to do everything, and anything else is wrong. If their were really only one right way to raise children then children raised anyother way would be bad. The fact is most of us turn out OK, whether our parents take us to church, let us do sports, let us watch TV, the list goes on. Almost everyone is raised differentely, and 95% of us grow up to be responsible members of society.
I agree with conservatives when it comes to school vouchers, because I think part of the problem with public schools is that they try to treat all kids like they are the same, and some kids need a different enviroment to learn in, just like different people will thrive in a different home enviroment.
The parenting style has to vary based on the personality of the child. One of the worst things you can do, I think, is to tell them that one ideology or way of thinking is wrong. Something I think is very dangerous about born-again households practicing the Dobson method is that the natural mental growth of the child is restricted in a way.
Disipline for doing something wrong is one thing, but being told that you are evil or insufficient for being yourself is the most damaging thing you can do to a kid. It’s really about ‘control’…about the dominant male role being the most clearly established aspect of the family, and not every man is capable of being that guy without damaging those around him.
The campaign to get ‘intelligent design’ taught in Kansas schools, to me, is all about control. Only it’s the dominant male wanting their authority to extend outside of the household. Tainting the child’s education for the sake of holding on to them through trickery.
I remember being troubled with how my religious beliefs weren’t reinforced in school, but as I grew older it was that influence, seperate from family and church, that allowed me to become who I really was. Obviously you can’t just let the child exist without boundaries while they’re growing up, but where the boundaries are established is key. In terms of the right/wrong of their actions towards themselves and others, the boundaries have to be clear to them and when they get out of line, they must be corrected. Boundaries in terms of how the child should think…that’s what Dobson and the evangelicals are after, and that’s wrong.
Everyone looks at our society and finds things they like or don’t like…that’s part of living in a society that celebrates personal freedom. Society doesn’t frown upon how someone applies their own free will within the law, but these people do…and their point of view is consistently being thrown in my face. They raise their children with this idea that their world view is the only one that’s valid. Bad juju…