38
POPS15 Quotes by Famous Atheists Bertrand Russell: “You find as you look around the world that every single bit of progress in humane feeling, every improvement in the criminal law, every step toward the diminution of war, every step toward better treatment of the colored races, or every mitigation of slavery, every moral progress that there has been in the world, has been consistently opposed by the organized churches of the world. I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world.”
20
POPSAmerican Muslims grateful to Colin Powell Powell said he felt especially strongly about the because of a photo he saw in The New Yorker magazine of the mother of a Muslim soldier in Arlington Cemetery embracing her son's grave, which was marked with a Muslim crescent and star. The soldier, Kareem R. Khan of New Jersey, was 20 when he was killed in Iraq.
19
POPSWar is not a video game During this, one of the bloodiest months in the Afghanistan war, the spots promote a somewhat comforting, if disturbingly misleading, message — and it is aimed not just at potential soldiers, but also at the public at large. For the former, the goal is reassurance. As Bush-era attempts to conflate bellicosity and patriotism were undermined by persistent body bags, military recruitment has become more challenging. In response, the Pentagon hopes to make prospective volunteers believe their tours of duty will be as safe as a night on the couch.
19
POPSThe American Flag I agree, the flag's been hijacked and turned into a logo. This clip is to illustrate the silliness of the "flag-wavers", who yell anti-American or traitor, at anyone who has the conscience to oppose the unjust war in Iraq (or elsewhere) This is for those, who think that draping oneself in stars and stripes thoughtlessly and manically, is nothing more than a misguided political fashion statement of people desperately trying to 'prove' their equally misguided patriotism. Silly really, isn't it? .;)
19
POPSMark Twain's "The War Prayer" In 1904, disgusted by the aftermath of the Spanish-American War and the subsequent Philippine-American War, Mark Twain wrote a short anti-war prose poem called "The War Prayer." His family begged him not to publish it, his friends advised him to bury it, and his publisher rejected it, thinking it too inflammatory for the times. Twain agreed, but instructed that it be published after his death, saying famously: None but the dead are permitted to tell the truth. "The War Prayer" was eventually published after World War I, when its message was more in tune with the times. Now, Washington Monthly's publisher, Markos Kounalakis, who was affected by Twain's words when he covered the war in Yugoslavia in the early 90s, has made "The War Prayer" into a short video for release this Memorial Day weekend. It features stunning illustrations by Akis Dimitrakopoulos and is narrated by Peter Coyote, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Erik Bauersfeld. *
15
POPSThe CIA interrogation investigation: I am ashamed of my country More: I guess what especially turns my stomach here is that the idea wasn’t just to inflict mental anguish on a presumably odious man in order to extract information. It was to inflict that pain by exploiting, as a weakness, whatever flicker of nobility or love remained in an otherwise wretched soul. It was a method of torture that would have been effective only because and to the extent there was something human left in him. Maybe I’m being overly sentimental, but every cell in my body is telling me this is sick and wrong.
11
POPSHyper-Patriotism in "Christian America" I have pride in this country. I also see its flaws and make an effort to change them. We live in a global society and holding the belief that we're somehow exceptional clouds reality to such an extent that correct decisions become increasingly difficult to adopt.
10
POPSMcCain: A Critical Weakness on Foreign Policy
McCain's critical weakness on foreign policy is that he knows next to nothing about it. Although I have a lot of respect of McCain, I think he falls into the typical trap of myopic patriotism. Many people love their own country so much that they are blind to the reality of the world outside their borders. The outside world is a place where America is a pretty good nation, but has certainly seen better days. The outside world is a place where our enemies occasionally have legitimate points, and certainly have lives and families much like our own. In the reality beyond our borders, the US isn't guaranteed to win every fight, especially when we go in on shaky ground. In the reality beyond our borders everyone has to talk, whether they like it or not, because in the end, nations, like people, are created equal. McCain knows everything about the US Military, but knows nothing about our enemies. With a perspective like that, how can we expect to win?
10
POPSInternal Perceptions / External Perceptions Within a particular cultural system, you always have to entertain second opinions from interested parties. It is not a contraversial statement that Stalin was evil, internationally. However! In Russia there are still many invested in Stalin and Nationalism who will try to rationalize it. Similarly, internationally, it is not a controversial statement that Bush was a monstrous, hostile, and unjust President. But in America there will people that will argue and try to justify torture and persecution that Bush perpetrated. An apologist is an apologist. If we cannot take responsibility for our own moral lapses, how can we possibly find our moral compass? People who refuse to look beyond their narrow world view discredit themselves.
10
POPSRight-wing military writer: We may have to kill war journalists According to Peters: "The point of all this is simple: Win. In warfare, nothing else matters. If you cannot win clean, win dirty. But win. Our victories are ultimately in humanity’s interests, while our failures nourish monsters." I would say the opposite. Victories in Imperial wars simply breed more Imperial was of conquest.
10
POPSAmericanism: The good, the bad and the ugly The famous go-to-war-for “American way of life,” underlines America’s persistent claims of a monopoly on morality. What is it, this American morality? This righteousness? Is it our religious roots in the fable of the Puritan settlers, those super religious people who in their hardships were bigots, perhaps also practitioners of incest and racists soon morphing into dogmatic chauvinists who early-on labeled their dissidents and different-thinkers witches and demons. The same Americanism initiated then which today fosters the rights of the rich to become richer, the strong to trample the weak . Meanwhile, out in the empire, as long as it is distant, the Puritan legacy instills blindness to the use of cluster bombs from the stratosphere and hidden torture in places with foreign names like Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib . . . and while our neighbors in Haiti eat dirt, literally.
9
POPSUS-American conservatives' language shapes reality The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis examines the idea that language shapes our reality. The theory is that the words we use will determine how we view the world around us. hetoricians know this. Politicians know this as well. It’s the use of this knowledge that conservatives have taken to a new level. Lenin’s quote that “a lie told often enough becomes truth” appears to have become the foundation for conservative politicking. There has been a purposeful, well-choreographed, full-on onslaught of language and terms incorporated by conservatives. he declarations of patriotism and support for family values. The claim to relate to the middle class and even “compassionate-conservative” ideas Conservatives have developed buzzwords used to support their positions and debase the opposition ...]: pre-9/11 thinking, form of a mushroom cloud, Shock and Awe, slow bleed, and cut-and-run . Even support the troops has been usurped to mean support the war.
8
POPSA Simple Observation The war in Afghanistan has become an aimless absurdity. It began with a reason, to find Osama bin Laden. Or so we were told. Since then, he ‘may have’ moved into Pakistan. No one knows for certain. Is it really necessary to continue this seven year long bled letting against a bunch of religious extremists and druglords many of whom have safe haven in Pakistan, only for the occasional victory? Victories that soon are negated by retaliatory actions of many of the same people we are there to ‘bring into the 21st century’. Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s corrupt government skims the very drug trade that funds the indigenous forces NATO forces are fighting against and will therefore never lift a governmental finger to stop it.
Most Pops
see Most Pops
60
Clips
Latest Pops
Latest Comments
Tags
Print
Save
Turn on live update