A U.N. investigation has concluded that the United States committed acts amounting to torture at Guantanamo Bay.
American officials said the most significant flaw of the report was that it judged U.S. treatment of detainees according to peacetime human rights laws. The United States contends it is in a state of conflict and should be judged according to the laws of war.
So torture is not torture when in a war?
Now now Scraps, don't get "elitistic" on me.
Descartes view on the soul, the very short version:
The soul is exclusive for humans and is responsible for our thoughts and resides in the pineal gland.
Sartre didn't from a philosophy perspective go into the soul that much.
He was into existentialism which rejects some fundamentals of Descartes philosophical views though.
Think Sartre thought of the Soul as the sum of actions of a person.
That the soul somehow makes the decision instead of the brains is to me is a totaly unfounded notion. Nothing but my imagination would support such an idea.
"'Whither is the man with free will'? He cried. 'I shall tell you. We have killed him - you and I. All of us are his murderers...'"
"...the madman fell silent and looked again at his listeners; and they to were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last he threw his lantern on the ground, and it broke and went out. 'I came too early then,' he said; 'my time has not come yet. This tremendous event is still on its way, still wandering -it has not yet reached the ears of man."
Quote from RDThink of a brain as a physical object, like a rock for example. How can it decide to change its state and make a decision by itself? Just like a computer cant truly make its own choices because, in the end it is always programmed.And how much control do you have over your decisions when you have no control whatsoever over the moment your thoughts are born?
Simply mindboggling!
Well the brains is a physical object so...
Lets go with the fairy tale soul and say that the soul is a non physical thingamabob that gets information from the brains and then sends back decisions.
What would that add? Nothing. It would still base its decisions on what the physical brains gives it just as the brains would.
I dont get what the soul would add in regards to "truly make its own choices"?
I'm with you Kosmo.
*mawibse hugs Kosmo*
Kosmo: Yeah yeah.
*mawibse hugs Kosmo*
Komso: .. ok thats enough.
*mawibse hugs Kosmo*
Kosmo: Please stop.
*mawibse hugs Kosmo*
Kosmo: K, thats enough, let me go or I'll headbut you.
*mawibse hugs Kosmo*
Kosmo:.......
*SOCK!*
Quote from KosmoNot you again, you have obviously made it your mission to haunt me haven't you.
If it bothers you just say the safe sentence; "mawibse is god" and I'll stop responding to your posts until you say othervice.
Quote from KosmoI believe in them, as being something that exists but are not as simple or complicated we think they are, they might just be part of nature that are so complex that we don't understand them yet, thusly making them very real.
You have just taken one of Intelligent Designs prime argument for making ID a valid thing to teach in Science class and turned it into a defense for your personal beliefs in Fairy tale stuff.
Unfortunately, anything man can make up, from Mind reading to Santa Claus, falls under that very defense. "It might not be discovered yet"
You're no better then the religious yahoos, you dont need facts or studies, faith alone suits you fine.
Nothing wrong with it, just wanted you to realize this.
Quote from ScrapsEgoism says there is no evil.
No, it says evil is what I think it is.
Quote from RDJust think about it, what makes our decisions? Where does a thought begin?
The exact state of the brains at the moment of a "decision" is what makes it, and brains is where a thought begins and ends.
Quote from kleinlukaI dont think thats an opinion but a fact.
You have an Evilometer? You know those things are said to have a direct link to the will of god, who else could judge such things, surely not man.
Quote from RDIf you think about it it is only logical that we must have a soul. What else makes our decisions?
If you think about it it is only logical that there must be a God. What else would create the universe?
Quote from KosmoAs scientific as I am, I believe in soul, I also believe in Karma and Rebith.
The soul, Karma and Rebith is as scientific as the Fairy King.
Chicken! *BWUAAKH*
..oh wait, WTF is the soul RD? Is that where free will comes from? Its slightly left of God isnt it? You know where whats Evil and Good gets decided.
MWUAHAHAHA! The vanity of mankind! A soul! What folly!
Quote from KosmoSo you would say a scale is off balance when there is nothing in it? Interesting, you might want to dabble in to some physics for that one.
Your sidetracking but I'll humor you; We where talking about the balance of Nukes in the absence of nukes, not the balance of the scale they where measured with.
Would you say that the "nothing" that was on the scale in your example was in balance? Scientists don't and neither do I.
And to steer it in a slightly more on topic direction, even with the fairy tale dream of a world without nukes, the balance of war technology would still heavily tip in favor for USA so...
Quote from KosmoIt's difficult for me to repeat something I didn't even say :roll:You might want to check out what I wrote again, there seems to be a fault in your logic.
Ahh my mistake. I thought the plural "them" was referring to Afghanistan and Iraq not to USA. My bad, sorry.
The notion that the only thing keeping countries from using nukes is that other countries have them is of course extremely oversimplified.
If USA had nuked Afghanistan no one would have nuked USA for it.
How odd, everybody wins, wonder where the fools are at?
Example Scraps, in regards to the post you responded to, please?
Thanks very much for rubbing my points in The Postman and Scraps but three against one seems a little unfair don't you think?
Quote from The PostmanThese two quotes make me giggle like a school girl:
Glad someone finds humor in it, personally it just want me to cry like a man... yeah! like a man! Got a problem with that?!?
*glares angrily and teary eye*
Quote from KosmoOr take nukes away from everyone, that is balance too you know :roll:
Usually one refers to balance as forces canceling each other out. Not the absence of forces. But that’s not the main issue, so.. if you want to get rid of all nukes why allow Iran to have them? One would think that would be counterproductive to your agenda?
Quote from KosmoUSA has had them as long as any other country and you don't see Russia or China going in there and going all ChucK Norris on them.
Pleeaase say that again about Russia not "going all ChucK Norris" on Afghanistan, it gives me Goosebumps. *pops in RamboIII in DVDplayer*
What really bothers me mabise, is how you try to manipulate facts to make your point. That, dear sir, is just unethical and very annoying. Next time, try to be a little more subtle while trying to deform the truth. Thx.
Derogatory comments like "dear sir" and "Thx" really helps your case.
What I posted was irrefutable truths which you nicely collaborated in your post.
However you added some additional information clearly containing strong bias towards one party, words like terrorists and pre emptive strikes like, duh, gave it away.
And you say that I manipulate facts to make my point?
I think you just did my point.
Quote from st0lveNow show us proof.
You kidding me? Go read a history book or google it, geez!
No no your other left. 
, yet has only used their superiroir military power to defend their own borders!
1956: Israel with help of French and British forces attacked Egypt.
1967: Israel attacks Syria, Jordan and Egypt.
1981: Israel bombs a nuclear reactor in Baghdad.
1982: Israel invades Lebanon.
And I'm not going to mention all the later "skirmishes" where Israel forces goes into Lebanon and such to find opposition.
All these can off course be said to be done in self defense, just as USA's current occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq are self defense.
But then, how can you tell if not all attacks is "pre emptive attacks" and in self defense?
Yes, Israel has nukes, but how can you say that's unjustified when all four nabouring countries have showed hostility in the past century?
If you judge how justified to have nukes a country is by if neighboring countries shows any hostility then...
This all is just so incredibly unjust, it makes me want to smash a table...
Or perhaps nuke a country? We should give killertomato a nuke as well Kosmo, for balance sakes don't you think?
Quote from KosmoI was speaking of USA campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, both countries that didn't have open war against other country
Yes of all countries in the world I think Afghanistan and Iraq being referred to as "rather peaceful countries" is dead on. Like ketchup in coffee and hot dog with mustard gas.
Heres somthing you should know DD:
The big bang theory has nothing to do with god or ID.
If god created the universe there is no reason not to conjure it in any state god so wished, singularity is not an issue for god, for man perhaps but not god.
That train of thought is like saying evolution supports the notion of god because all life forms start with one type of very simple organism and all others evolves from it.
When it comes to cosmology there is a shitload of "holes" because we currently dont posess the means to validate and experiment on theories on that scale, dont mean its got something to do with god or ID.
Personally I have been banned by MikeZilla, called more names by Fletch then I can count and been put on the leeper colony list by The Postman.
And I say they are doing better then alright, keep it up guys, I love ya!
No worries Kosmo, I'v got the perfect book.
Quote from KosmoKlein is right, nothing is achieved through slander.I'm sorry if I insulted anyone directly.
Whimp.
Quote from KosmoIf my memory serves right, you are quite religious person, atleast that what one could assume from your posts. Jesus, Allah, Santa, Easter Bunny, none of them are any more valid or real than the other. Hence Fairy King.
Oh. So because you think Santa is as real as Jesus that means I believe in a Fairy King, makes perfect sense.
Quote from KosmoDo you know what balance means?
Yes.
Quote from KosmoYou might want to look that up from the dictionary.
You mean the dictionary where Nazi = USA?
Sorry, don't have that one.
Quote from KosmoSurely one nation holding more than every other nuclear weapons bearing nation combined doesn't count as balance, especially when most of the nations belong to the "alliance" that USA is defending with them. I'm not looking for the interest of the abstract concept of alliance, my interest is in prolonging the life throghout the whole world, no matter what your religious, cultural or political beliefs.So either, USA lose nukes or give others them aswell, you can't have balance without them, and that is just the rock solid truth that even you have to accept.
???? Okok so your saying that if everybody has nukes the balance (of nukes?) will prolong all life?
Quote from KosmoClassy on the Taliban joke there, Hitler
Heheh, thanks I thought it was pretty clev... hey! Did you just call me Hitler??
Quote from KosmoMorally? I believe you mean culturally. Some of us believe that outside observers moral views countering the cultural and religious beliefs of the observed nations are not valid.
Ok, I'm culturally closer to US then Iran, big deal.
Quote from KosmoAnd I can clearly see that you have taken a hefty doze of anti-muslim propaganda, you don't see them as people anymore.
You know that they eat babies for fun and constantly rapes white virgins, right?
Quote from KosmoAnd you believe everything your goverment and media tells you, well, the tinfoil hat suits you aswell.
Don't need a tinfoil hat if I'm already brainwashed by the secret government agencies do I?
Quote from KosmoI'm just a tad more critical on what I'm told, I don't hold all the answers and there are so many questions unanswered, thusly I believe that something is left untold or just filled with static propaganda information.
I think the scientific term is "conspiracy nut".
Quote from KosmoYou on the other hand believe everything you are told and don't question the truth. So who can decide which one of us is closer to the truth, have the integrity to question everything you hear.
What do you think I'm doing right now?
Quote from KosmoGlobal scale war has effects on global political climate and has long term effects in a major scale. You are right, it doesn't get more global than this.
I think you confuse how much publicity a war has with its global effect.
Quote from KosmoYou asking me to call out my mom - who is btw dead, rest his soul
Auch, im sorry. My condolences.
Quote from KosmoSo who are you to decide if my actions are mature or not? It's like 5 year old talling another 5 year old "to stop being a baby".
Stop being such a baby!
Quote from KosmoSo you don't consider that when a religion is based on a supposedly two thousand year old document old fashioned?
Not if you compare it to a stone.
And so what, the idea of "free will" is allot older, doesn't mean you don't believe in it?
Quote from KosmoWhat can I say, I calls it like I sees it. Clean your act if you want me to respect you.
My act will be as clean as yours.
Quote from KosmoBut your perception on me claiming to be the right man to decide on the matter is incorrect. And you, my equally prophetic colleague have done nothing else than "insult and disrespect until they succumb to the love" so you are in no position to judge my actions.
What can I say, I calls it like I sees it.
