I agree with your thoughts on the "carrying capacity" of the planet. Unfortunately, the reduced birthrates are and most likely will continue to be only among the people who worry about that sort of thing.
If I misunderstood your post, I apologize. Re the quoted statement. I'm not saying I agree with it. I'm pointing out that if Islam indeed grows as that video predicted, it COULD come to pass. Look at what's happening in Europe, particularly the UK, with Sharia law. As far as I'm concerned, fundamentalism as it seems to be presently defined, is a bad thing regardless of Christian, Jewish, Islam, or the "church of what's happening now."
IF the video Rolando cites is accurate and IF the predominant brand of Islam is the more fundamentalist variety, one could reasonably expect a return to the dark days of the closet and shortened life spans. However, there is more than a good chance the more moderate Islam will win out, at least in some places.
The whole gun thing has been beaten to death. The law passed. If anyone wants to change it, lobby your representatives. Yeah the NRA lobbies but so does the Brady Campaign. As someone above pointed out - Clay we get it that you don't like guns. Please apply your considerable talents to more of the topics that will have an impact on all our, and our descendants, lives. For instance, the administration's attempts to browbeat investors or the GOP's failure to do anything meaningful in any way other than complain. There's plenty of fodder out there. An emotional and controversial topic doesn't warrant all this attention simply because it is that - unless the goal is to increase clicks which I hope would not be the case.
Last time I looked Halliburton and Blackwater were American companies full of tax-paying American citizens - US. You just don't like where Bush spent the money.
Go back to 2001 when Senator Jim Jeffers switched from Republlcan to Independent and caucused with the Democrats. That move cost Arlen Specter the chairmanship of a committee. He (Specter) then tried to push through a rule forbidding changing parties mid-term. Guess it's a situational thing eh?
Whatever he may have had in the past, he's lost it.
To those of you (and you know who you are) who think of the President as someone we should believe in, go to that most unbiased of all sources and read:
When was the last time you saw the price of anything reduced because of government involvement? If the way Medicare operates is an example, we're doomed. Sure the price of medical care gets higher and higher but why? The doctors I know don't make any more money (constant dollars) than doctors in the past. Why does a hospital aspirin cost $15.00? I don't know. I can tell you that at the practice at which my wife is the administrator, two of the largest causes are federal meddling and liability insurance. Our so-called not-for-profit insurance companies like BCBS bear some of the blame too. See the new office complex on Cameron Hill.
Both EaTn and moonpie have boiled the question down to its basics. And quite clearly I think. A relative had two abortions several years ago. She is now married with two children. She says she is haunted by thoughts of what the aborted children may have been and that she MIGHT make a different choice now (hindsight and all) My personal feeling is that abortion for the sake of convenience is wrong. If the life of the mother is at risk, my nod goes to the mother. That's my opinion and that's all it is. I don't think I have a right to force my values on anybody else. As with my relative, I think there is a price to be paid later in life - or maybe not, depends on the person. All of that aside, the excellent question posed by EaTN above deserves an answer. I wish I had it.
The dominoes
Clara
Re Sharia law in Europe. There is quite a bit of information out there. Here's one:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1687576.ece
The dominoes
Nucanuck
I agree with your thoughts on the "carrying capacity" of the planet. Unfortunately, the reduced birthrates are and most likely will continue to be only among the people who worry about that sort of thing.
It's going to get crowded
The dominoes
Clara
If I misunderstood your post, I apologize. Re the quoted statement. I'm not saying I agree with it. I'm pointing out that if Islam indeed grows as that video predicted, it COULD come to pass. Look at what's happening in Europe, particularly the UK, with Sharia law. As far as I'm concerned, fundamentalism as it seems to be presently defined, is a bad thing regardless of Christian, Jewish, Islam, or the "church of what's happening now."
The dominoes
Clara
"Where did YOUR thought come from that homosexuls and lesbians would no longer BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN ALIVE IN THE US?"
I refer you to "the Taleban ordered the execution of three men for sodomy in the southern town of Kandahar, southern Afghanistan"
Full article
http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Arlandson/homosexual.htm
IF the video Rolando cites is accurate and IF the predominant brand of Islam is the more fundamentalist variety, one could reasonably expect a return to the dark days of the closet and shortened life spans. However, there is more than a good chance the more moderate Islam will win out, at least in some places.
Available on tap
The whole gun thing has been beaten to death. The law passed. If anyone wants to change it, lobby your representatives. Yeah the NRA lobbies but so does the Brady Campaign. As someone above pointed out - Clay we get it that you don't like guns. Please apply your considerable talents to more of the topics that will have an impact on all our, and our descendants, lives. For instance, the administration's attempts to browbeat investors or the GOP's failure to do anything meaningful in any way other than complain. There's plenty of fodder out there. An emotional and controversial topic doesn't warrant all this attention simply because it is that - unless the goal is to increase clicks which I hope would not be the case.
Rant
Last time I looked Halliburton and Blackwater were American companies full of tax-paying American citizens - US. You just don't like where Bush spent the money.
The GOP
Go back to 2001 when Senator Jim Jeffers switched from Republlcan to Independent and caucused with the Democrats. That move cost Arlen Specter the chairmanship of a committee. He (Specter) then tried to push through a rule forbidding changing parties mid-term. Guess it's a situational thing eh?
Whatever he may have had in the past, he's lost it.
First 100 days
To those of you (and you know who you are) who think of the President as someone we should believe in, go to that most unbiased of all sources and read:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30486758/
Vanishing health insurance
When was the last time you saw the price of anything reduced because of government involvement? If the way Medicare operates is an example, we're doomed. Sure the price of medical care gets higher and higher but why? The doctors I know don't make any more money (constant dollars) than doctors in the past. Why does a hospital aspirin cost $15.00? I don't know. I can tell you that at the practice at which my wife is the administrator, two of the largest causes are federal meddling and liability insurance. Our so-called not-for-profit insurance companies like BCBS bear some of the blame too. See the new office complex on Cameron Hill.
Abortion vs. democracy
Both EaTn and moonpie have boiled the question down to its basics. And quite clearly I think. A relative had two abortions several years ago. She is now married with two children. She says she is haunted by thoughts of what the aborted children may have been and that she MIGHT make a different choice now (hindsight and all) My personal feeling is that abortion for the sake of convenience is wrong. If the life of the mother is at risk, my nod goes to the mother. That's my opinion and that's all it is. I don't think I have a right to force my values on anybody else. As with my relative, I think there is a price to be paid later in life - or maybe not, depends on the person. All of that aside, the excellent question posed by EaTN above deserves an answer. I wish I had it.