About Michael Williams

My eyes --- they BUuuuurrrnnn!!! AAAAAAAAAAaaaahhhhh!!!!

Great to have a face to go with the writing. Very cool. I can see why one of your addresses includes 'intently' in the name.

Hi Mike, Just want you to know I found your story "The History Behind the Indonesia Bombing".....very much good :) .....I was arguing with an anti-war nut case, and brought up that very point (ignoring terrorism, won't make it go away !) so, I wondered if anyone else has thought that very thought, too .....well, Google led me to your story ;) ....Love your stuff, and I will be reading your board quite often :).....Thanks for the positive reading material ! Sincerely,Dizzy p.s. nice pix ! ;)

I will be sure and tell other's to read your board ! Dizzy

Would you defend the proposition that all words should be in the public domain (thereby making all words the essential property of the state because then only the "state's" Office of Trademarks can lease or rent individual rights to words to other entities)?

How would you defend this proposition, if you would defend it?

As I was born in 1951 ,I was first. So CHANGE YOUR NAME. You don't look older than me.
I guess by sharing the name I share the copyright,right?
From what I have read you are doing our name good.
You have my permission to continue on.
"K" is not my real middle initial,but close enough.

Sorry, yesterday's comment from me was in the wrong place. It was a reaction to your photo caption above about "chopping the heads off like 150 anti-war pansies." I still maintain that if you are so pro-war that you are the pansy if you aren't over there doing your part in person, not by proxy. How you yahoos can take seriously a sleazy, smirking,lying and draft-dodging Bush parading around the flight deck of an aircraft carrier is beyond my comprehension. I guess the current fires are burning up mostly Republican's homes (up in the hills and canyons where they have moved to escape the rabble) - I bet they wish they had paid a few more taxes to buy a few more fire engines now. I guess you could call in the California National Guard to fight the fires, oops, I forgot they're busy in Irag protecting Halliburton's intersts. Too bad, so sad.

You invented the polystyrene peanut? Is that like Al Gore inventing the internet? How old were you, like 14?

You sound frighteningly intelligent and I am extremely impressed. Too bad you look younger than my daughter... *sigh* I wouldn't mind having you for a son-in-law... :D

Michael; I wanted to direct you to a fascinating article I stumbled across. It seems right up your alley.
http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=/articles/art0610.html

Your site was too funny, Michael. Happened across your site while searching for dissertation prospectus information. Good luck on it!

Mark Woodhull (fellow dissertation slave)
Boerne, TX

i was looking for a different michael williams... one who is far less intelligent and dashing, to be sure.

you are a narsisist wacko

What's your rating of the British Tories>

I liked your whole web page. I was particularly interested in the piece on Kerry's divorce which I knew very little about. Seems the media is shying away from that one. Also for your reference as a Christian I just found a particularly interesting website by Craig Winn.
It is www.prophetofdoom.net. Check it out.
Keep up the good work.

Michael, Youre so intelligent and obviulsy superior than other people. Where ever would we be without you?

I guess I can cancel my subscription to the la times now. This is more informative AND entertaining. Kerry's abortion quote was disturbing and wrong on so many levels... I love the anti-war and evil dmv pics! I wish you had a pic of "Not shown: me totally flipping out and chopping the heads off of like 150 anti-war pansies." That would be priceless... What's even more amazing to me is how much more brilliant you are in person. =)

Nin and I both agree that you have very nice hair. It always looks so stylish when we've seen you.

Michael

The anti-war poster is simple, clear and concise!!
No wonder the anti-war gang hates it - it makes sense.
Isn't everyone anti-war?? Thank GOD some people on this planet have the courage to stand up to ruthless dictators.
Does anyone remember Hitler? How many excuses were made for his behavior?

Jim

Christians that are pro-war WILL go to hell, just remember that. I'll save you seat by the bar...

You know...

The sign you were attempting to hold up was just as ridiculous as many that several anti-war protesters were marching around with.

Being anti-war does not equate to being pro-murder, rape, or torture.

I suppose one good cliché deserves another, though.

Jim Neisler: Equating being against the war in Iraq to supporting rape, murder, and torture does not make sense.

The sign was designed to polarize people... as most protests and counter-protests do.

Many things can be said about the phrases on the posters they walk around with.. but "makes sense" isn't among them.

Couch your hateful bigotry in all the intellectual piety you wish to, but your egotistical arrogance is only exceeded by your decidedly UNnattractive appearance.

It's people like yourself, (who "choose" to be heterosexuals), that are responsible for most of what ails this world.

Mike: Love your email address. Let me guess...conspiracy theorist?

I'm just curious, you read a little of MW's blog, and you've already determined with that fine forensic analysis that he's a bigot, and arrogant?

You sound like the arrogant one to me. And what's up with "UNnattractive" comment? You think he gives a rats butt what you think about him? Come on over to my blog and debate with me. I'll hand you back your head on a plate.

You're so brave with your little "drive-by" post. Sheesh.

You play Dungeons and Dragons, don't you?

Hi Mic,

I like your style, Keep on.

Where can I buy (at a reasonable price)
a new Ericsson T610 (no SIM, I've got one) ?

TIA,

Uzi.

Best regards from Haifa, ISRAEL.

i love da web site got to av more of me init cos i am da best in da world mikey williams

Anti war activists are pansies? So, what do you call the people who are old enough to enlist pushing for war that aren't signing up to come over here and join us?

Have you ever been to war? It's just that you're so passionate about seeing it continue. You know My copilot got his head blown off over there so if you're not too busy livin it up and gettin yourself a college education you might consider going down to your local recruiters office and signing up to come over here and join us.

You know, Support our troops! So, how about it then? Want to support us. If you were to enlist you could be over there getting yourself into the action you so crave in under 8 months. Then you too could stop the rape, and the murder, and the torture. Or, more acurately stand by helplessly while your buddies and friends get killed and nothing around you changes....

I'll never understand what posses people to speak so pationately about things they've never experienced themselves.

I too was working on a Phd before all this happened. My passion is chemistry and genetics, second only to my love for aviation. I guess I decided I was gonna do more than just talk about stopping terrorists. Too bad the war isn't about terror.

When I signed up for the Army I actually thought I would be making a difference like my father who spent 35 years in, and all my older brothers who are still over there fighting now.

Talk is cheap buddy, if you're really for the war go get yourself a uniform and a gun.
I'm getting ready to go back for my 3rd tour. I know a couple of guys that would love to get a vacation from that place. Why not man up, join up, and come over and fight with us. Help us out with the rotations. Now that's a way you pro war jackasses can really help support your troops.

Become part of "an Army of one", or would you rather be a member of "the few and the proud"? whichever, doesn't really matter in the end, we all bleed and die the same way.

Oh and before I forget,
Here's the contact info for all you ladies incase you lost the number or didn't get around to looking it up.

1 800 USA ARMY
WWW.GOARMY.COM

chopperpilot has a point you really should get off your ass and do something because this blog makes you sound like an idoit. You are an example of what is really wrong with our youth. How old are you 25 or 26 grow-up and stop thinking about yourself. Tsufatti what is that about, it is not funny just stupid. Become a real human start thinking about the rest of the world.

"I'll never understand what posses people to speak so pationately about things they've never experienced themselves."

Who says you had to have experienced war to be passionate about it? I have the upmost respect for any soldier who is willing to put his life on the line, but don't give me that bullshit that I had to have "experienced" war to be passionate about it, or the people that are involved with it. People support our troops in any way they can if they cannot actually be on the front lines themselves, and your narrow-minded little outburst completely cheapens their efforts, all because they don't "rate" because they don't have the "experience" of being in combat. Fuck that, that's what we have you for, with hardware, clothes, food, guns, you-name-it supported by guess what? Our tax dollars, tax dollars of people that both love and hate war.

And if you believe I'm pro-war simply because I support our troops, I'm not. I get no satisfaction from war and our world would be better off without it, but that will only happen with a fundamental change in human nature, a change I don't see happening in my life-time.

Try a little a little "smart up" instead of "man up" next time.

I pay taxes too, so I guess in essence I pay myself…. And no, I am not doing anything to belittle the efforts of people that support their troops, but to PRO WAR activists that call anti war activists pansies… well you fall under a completely different category of troop supporters….

So, let me ask you this why CAN’T you go to war? Do you have some kind of physical aliment that keeps you from enlisting? You're so concerned with rape, torture, and murder... why don't you do something about it? Honestly, if you’re physically able to go to war, and you believe so passionately in this “war against terror” then why aren’t you out there doing something about it rather than harassing the anti war protestors?

And, to answer your question… or rather to respond to your statement…. Yes you can have an opinion about something that you've never experienced... but, is that really a good idea? I mean where do you get the facts to argue your opinion from?

“Smart up?” Interesting saying….
Well, I guess people define intelligence in different ways. I personally don’t like to form opinions about something I’ve never even experienced or seen with my own eyes…. To me that doesn’t demonstrate intelligence at all…..
War is something that cannot be described in a text book, and only someone who hasn’t seen it would claim that it could be.
Call me stupid, call me crazy… but I tend not to formulate opinions about something I don’t know anything about.

Open your eyes this war isn’t about terrorism…
There were no weapons of mass destruction, and Iraq didn’t fly planes into our world trade centers… why haven’t we continued our focus on finding Bin Laden? Or better yet if its all about humanitarian issues…..
Bosnia is afflicted by terror, many places in Africa are also afflicted with ethnic cleansing, rape, torture, and terror…. I’ve been to these places… I have seen the horrors there…. Yet where is the American military influence? We aren’t declaring war on Bosnia or Africa?
This is just a wild guess…… but maybe that’s because Bosnia and Africa aren’t major suppliers of OIL…..

Do you want to know what we are really doing there? We are creating little terrorist every day. Every time another martyr is formed another young Iraqi hates America even more…. And while we are struggling to replenish our ranks, the terrorists are having no problem finding recruits to further their cause….
Just look to the young men standing over the ruin of their families of their houses of their country…..
Look to the people who feel we are trying to eradicate their culture and force upon them our western ways of thinking….

These people… these terrorists in training aren’t reacting any different than we would had the Iraqis came over here and started trying to “MUSLIMIZE” our “Christian” democracy…. It’s not about whose right or wrong in reality.. It’s all about what they perceive is happening to them… and they think we are trying to wash their culture out…

But, since you're so convinced you have some insight to offer me... By all means clear up the murky waters with all of your wisdom, EXPERIENCE, and insight into the nature of this war.

And, just to clear things up...
Passion is normally felt after one forms an opinion about an issue that strikes at the very heart and soul of their being....

Or, at least that is the way that it should be...
But if you insist that you don't need experience or understanding to have passion for something then I've got to ask....

Are you perhaps confusing the definition of passion with the definition of something else?
Like maybe the word FANATIC?

To be rational one must first completely understand the gravity of a situation and must be able to tell the difference between actual reality and what they perceive to be the facts…..
You tell me…. can anyone really accomplish that prerequisite in any satisfying manner without the benefit of first hand knowledge?

If you feel yourself capable of this than you are a better man than most…

Damn Right!

It's about time some body told off the real PANSIES of this country.

Fucking 18 - 30 year olds that are healthy & old enough to join that have

1. voted for bush
2. protested against anti-war protestors
3. claimed to support their troops
4. called someone a PANSIE
Or
5. a patriot

should run down to the nearest military recruitment station and sign up.

If they haven't done that & don't plan to then they should

1. shut-up
2. remove that yellow sticker from their car
3. replace it with another one that says "I'M A HYPOCRITE!"

This guy should check himself over.
I think he might find that the color of his belly matches the color of that sticker I'm almost sure hes got posted up somewhere.

Guys like him always do.

i wandered to this site while researching article 9 of the japanese constitution (renounces the sovereign right of the nation to go to war) and the implications of japan's involvement in iraq and was hooked by chopperpilot's diatribe.

taking a position against 'terror' is, to quote jeffry robinson, like being in favour of motherhood and apple pies. everyone subscribes to it. but i have an issue with people defining 'terror' for me as well as globally. if 9/11 is terrorism, so is the unilateralism displayed by the US. chopperpilot is right when he says iraq was not about 'terror'.

as civilised society sees it, the only difference between a 'murder' and a 'casualty'-- or any 'right' or wrong' -- is that of legality and sovereign sanction. since the US has not yet acquired the right to legislate for the world, US action in iraq is "murder", "rape" and "torture", both literally and metaphorically. killing innocent civilians is murder, imposing a US-authored agenda on the world is rape. and the world has seen the photos of torture.

Can we all be right? It does not seem so. It seems to me that most people that come to this blog already have some pretty strong convictions one way or the other on politics, the way, religion, anything. And for most people, they have scores of justifications buried deep within their heads that they will spit out at a moments notice so that they are 'correct and justified'. Because, after all, we know that without justification claims are just baseless and completely lack merit. So, the true task then, for us living in a world where we want to better ourselves with knowledge is to step back and analyze the arguments, for ourselves. No one should ever let anyone tell them what is or what is not, they can be the guides but nothing more. I suppose, I am proposing, now this is a 'what if' kind of thing, you know, a thought experiment, but what if there came a point where the justifications for both sides hit epistemological gaps that our cognition just does not have the capacity to undertake. It's plausible. And lets say, in doing so, makes both sides justifications for what they believe to be somewhat equal in degree, and therefore, by reason alone one could not dictate which would be the better or the worse. And so, if we assume this could be the case then what it comes down to is a matter of faith. What we believe in. And, my own beliefs aside, because I do not wish to be viewed scornfully or praised because of how I view, I believe if it is just a matter of faith then most of the arguments are completely pointless. How can you justify your faith in your beliefs more than others in theirs? It's nearly or practically impossible, and neither side can do more than the other. And so, we should live with our differences, rather than scorn those others for having them. One of the most important things I've learned in this life is that people do not want be to told what to do. And they do not want to be told what is better. They want to figure it out for themselves, and such is the Socratic method. People want to the find the truth within themselves, and everyone, the left and right alike, are all categorized under this. So, can't we all just get along... which means at least peaceful discourse with one another rather than shouting matches and anger wars... we are better than this people, no matter what side you are on. We are all people, we are all humans, and if we don't try to work together, we certainly are screwed in the end, aren't we? Well, wanted to type this, I know I'm probably wrong... because I can't be right if everyone else is.

pounder_@hotmail.com

So, when is it appropriate to rely on more then just faith? To set standards and guidelines? When should FACT be applied as the method for measuring TRUTH?

Would you prefer anarchy?
Perhaps, if war by its very nature didn't require the forcing of one group's beliefs on another you'd have a point.

having faith in something is all fine and dandy when you are talking about personal belief, but that is not acceptable when you are talking about laws, tactics, and methods of governing the masses. Let’s entertain for a moment the idea that I have FAITH that all red headed people are better than the blonde ones, and I have FAITH that it is my duty to kill anyone who isn’t blessed with red hair.

Live and let live doesn’t even register in that reasoning process because part of my FAITH is that it is my DUTY and RIGHT to cleanse the planet of anyone who is blonde.
It’s easy to turn a blind eye if you and everyone you love has red hair, but if you’re a blonde there might be cause for concerns. Brunettes and people with black hair might need to take notice as well for I might eventually decide that they cramp my style and infringe upon MY RIGHTS as a red head.

I think history has shown us that people will always defend themselves when they believe they are right. On the other hand some people will always feel that they have a right to impose their beliefs on others, and worse yet Some people will even disguise their TRUE agendas in an attempt to slip under the radar of the masses and consequently trick the less capable thinkers of society into following their brand of EVIL.

So when is it appropriate to apply personal faith to the masses? When is it appropriate to step in and stop a group that is successfully converting others to their way of thinking via force?

Indifference is a great fantasy, but I'd hate to be around to witness the catastrophic results of its actual implementation.

Complete indifference itself was never truly my aim in writing the last post. For one to care about anything one must at least not be completely indifferent. Furthermore, I readily concede to the fact that any notions of a utopian reality are mere impossibilities. I surely agree with you that we need to rely on facts in order to determine truth. I suppose I see the ways that what I said could be taken as to oppose this way but it was not my intention. If we based all truths on faith, as you have said, there would be anarchy (unless a utopian fantasy emerged).

It seems, though, that many principles we hold to be true are not based on fact; because it seems they can often times be based on belief. A good example here would be whether it is a fact that all humans are created equal or is that just what we believe? It does not seem a fact that we are created equal physically, nor does it seem a fact that we are created equal mentally (i.e. different capacities, or lack thereof). Rather, we are created equal in the rights we have granted to us. And to us, this seems true. However, this truth is more based on our beliefs and our mores. It is not the same truth that 1+1=2, nor that the president is the leader of the United States. Hence, the truth (that all humans are created equal) is more reliant on belief than it is on pure fact. So, while I am not denying the necessity for certain truths to be based on fact, one also cannot deny that certain truths seem to be based on belief.

1+1=2 seems to be true on an objective level, and in our reality it is impossible for it to be otherwise. The proof in this, however, seems to come directly from the logic. Logic itself, it seems, would exist whether we did or not. Our beliefs, however, even though can lead us to objective truths many times lead us only to those which are subjective. And many times we, as humans, tend to revert to our own truths, especially when we do not know the whole objective truth. And it is those truths of which I speak of that seem to be based on faith, and those truths which seem only open to abstract rather than concrete interpretations. And this is when we get to the point where we cannot truly vindicate some of our truths because we only know they are true because 'we feel it' or 'just know' (which some would contest does not imply truth at all). We all have these sorts of truths, but my claim is that we cannot justify them against the other in any greater degree to show that we should accept one over the other, and hence they are rather equal.

“If what you believe is true, then you don’t need to believe it.” -Anonymous

Indifference:
I think you missed the logic in chopperpilot's post and sanna's post.
Seems to me that what both of them said are based on truths/facts that are universally held as truth/fact.

Seems to me that nothing they've said was based on faith, but rather on logic and truth. I come to this conclusion because both have used fact to back their arguments up.
It seems that you have failed to apply fact and logic to your reasoning and have thereby missed the point of both of their arguments.

sanna has said that:
"as civilised society sees it, the only difference between a 'murder' and a 'casualty'-- or any 'right' or wrong' -- is that of legality and sovereign sanction. since the US has not yet acquired the right to legislate for the world, US action in iraq is "murder", "rape" and "torture", both literally and metaphorically. killing innocent civilians is murder, imposing a US-authored agenda on the world is rape. and the world has seen the photos of torture."

Perhaps you aren't quick enough to catch this, but sanna clearly states why based on fact what she is saying is true by saying that the US has not yet acquired the right to legislate the rest of the world thereby our actions qualify as a criminal act in the most basic definition of the word.

Chopperpilot's argument is based on fact as well.
Would you teach someone how to perform heart surgery on a child if you'd never done it before? Would you argue with a doctor who felt certain aspects of the surgery should be changed if you'd never performed it yourself?

Perhaps you would, and though you can do this should you do this. That isn't based on a belief that is based on a fact.

Most people who actually know anything about science know that there is no substitute for experience because sometimes unexpected variables occur. This is why almost every science class is accompanied with a lab. Every driving course is accompanied with a practical test. All airline pilots have to prove that they can actually fly.

Would you want to fly with a pilot who was getting behind the controls of your jet for the first time in his life. Perhaps he read extensively on how to properly fly a plane. Would that be sufficient enough experience/training for you to feel safe? If not, why?

I think chopperpilot's argument is that although you are entitled to your opinion you would be incorrect if you tried to pass your opinion off as fact.

Fanatic:
A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause.

would a person in support of continuing a war for a purpose he/she was not accurately aware of qualify as a fanatic?

Hypocrite:
a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he does not hold

would a person who was physically capable of going to war, that pushed for, voted for, demonstrated/marched for, lectured about the justification of, but would not personally go qualify as a hypocrite?

If it's ok for others but not for yourself what does that make you?

Upon further analysis you can see that these arguments are completely based on fact not faith.

Adam for one, there are always facts and counter-facts, studies and counter-studies, etc. For two, I am on your side... but I think you don't realize this. It looks like you are taking what I am saying as an 'attack' on you, but I am not, that was the whole point of the first post. Rather, it seems you choose to attack me. I know I am not perfect, of course, and I am sure that there are many holes in my arguments, of this I cannot deny. But there is a basic feeling I am trying to create, and that is how we address each other in our interactions. For one, by writing what you do you are assuming that I most likely have the capacity to understand it (or hope that I do). When you say things such as "Perhaps you aren't quick enough to catch this", it seems like you are trying to put yourself on a level that is better than me, because obviously, you are 'quick enough' to catch this. But what does it help either of us if you are trying to put me on a level below you, I already know what I am saying now you will probably reject or have problems with even before you read the first word, and that is more your fault than mine. I never even read chopperpilot's or sanna's posts. I just noticed that many people enjoy trying to put people below, many people like to think they have the whole truth, when even though we search for the truth we will never actually be the truth. When you said "Most people who actually know anything about science...", you were obviously implying that I know nothing of science. I'm sure you know then, that science is based on inductive rather than deductive logic, and although experience seems necessary it is completely fallible. Whereas, deductive logic, ideally, is supposed to be infallible. When we create truths from experience we are doing so on a certain level of a leap of faith. I won't deny that science is incredibly successful, however. Even though it is based on fallible logic we have planes flying through the air and many successful technologies and medicines. The main point is, address me as if I were your equal, not someone whom you despise or think is in someway less than you. When you do that, even if you have a good argument, it becomes weak and I start to believe less that you are arguing because you want some good to come of it. Rather, it seems you just want to be right, and when you can do that then you can point your finger at me and say "See! I told ya!", and then I will be below you as the one who is wrong. I do these posts because I want to see other's points of views, not so someone can tell me what they think of 'me'. I would rather you tell me what you think of the possibility of the idea, but the minute you attack me you have gotten off the main track of intellectual discourse, if what I say can even be called that. And I think, it actually gets us further away from each other, and less likely to believe each other or at least take what we have to say into consideration. So perhaps, as a thought experiment, next time you reply to me do it as if I were superior to you (I know I am not, but just for experimental purposes). It would be fun to see exactly how a reply would be constructed in such a manner, and would probably be more respectful in the end than condescending. Hm, that's it for now.

I guess as an INTJ I am not concerned with what other people think or feel.

I either see logic or I don't.
I apply my "does it work/is it logical" test to everything.

I can't afford to spend time worrying about what other people think or feel. That's time wasted!

You too are guilty of having a superior attitude by suggesting that I would draw a conclusion from your argument before I even read it.

Your analysis of me is incorrect. Judging something before I have read it or understood it would go against everything that I believe.
You assume things about me. Tell me is assumption a good thing? Any better than sarcasm, or lack of concern for someone else's feelings?

The difference between the two of us is that I am not concerned with toning down who I am to fit into anyone else's idea of what I should be.

No matter how I relay something it is either right or wrong. Someone who would choose to disregard something RIGHT that I was saying simply because of the way I said it is ignorant and overly concerned with the way others perceive them. Perhaps from their own insecurities.....

On the other hand someone who would entertain something I was saying that was obviously WRONG just because I said it nicely is equally incompetent.

Science is both about inductive and deductive reasoning. Experiments cannot be recreated, theories cannot be tested, conclusions and observations cannot be made without deductive reasoning. Inductive may get you to the idea, but deductive in many cases will both get you there and help you to establish its validity.

Furthermore:
A FACT is a fact because it is true counter facts are incorrect because they are not true. If they were they would be facts.

I guess we have a different definition for that.

But in my definition of fact an example of a fact would be:

The world is round. To me that is fact we have gone into space and we have proven this without question.

So, the counter fact... "The world is flat" is not fact at all and should therefore be disregarded. As should any person making an argument in support of such nonsense.

The same logic applies to studies.

Either a study is still a theory in which case counter studies could still be valid or the study is a law in which case counter studies are no longer valid becasuse by their nature they are not true.

The theory of evolution is just a theory therefore any counter studies or arguments have to be considered.

The law of conservation of mass is not a theory we have established that matter cannot be created or destroyed. Therefore any counter study suggesting the opposite is not valid.

Now, should new evidence and fact be brought to the table then something already perceived as a law or a truth should be reconsidered. But, never without that requirement. Never for the sake of making an argument that the world is flat!

That would be counter productive & that would waste time.

If you want to argue something with me for the sake of argument… why not argue something theoretical that cannot be proven or disproved with fact. I am sure that you will find my attitude much more agreeable in that sort of environment.

Adam:

Hypocrite:
a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he does not hold

would a person who was physically capable of going to war, that pushed for, voted for, demonstrated/marched for, lectured about the justification of, but would not personally go qualify as a hypocrite?

Let’s see… would a person who was physically capable of becoming a police officer, and that pushed for, voted for, demonstrated/marched for, and lectured about the justification of recruiting more police officers, but would not personally apply to become a police officer quallify as a hypocrite? The job isn't for everybody. I want safe streets, and am willing to help pay those who would volunteer to keep the streets safe in exchange for that pay. No hypocrisy there.

We already have a group of people who have volunteered to fight our wars. They have willingly decided to put their lives on the line at the command of their government. It is not hypocrisy for those who support them with tax money, both in times of was and in times of peace, to have opinions about their service without electing to join them in it.

Well, let’s revisit your logic shall we.

1st you’re comparing apples to oranges.

1. Currently cops have the proper equipment to execute their jobs safely.
2. Police officers aren’t being forced to stay on the job longer than they signed up for against their will.
3. Police officers are paid ALLOT more than most soldiers
4. If a police officer doesn’t agree with what he’s doing he can quit
5. Nobody voted to keep the police officers at war in the streets against their will
6. Cops can QUIT their jobs if they CHOOSE to and no one can FORCE them to fight a war they don’t agree with or fight in a way that they feel is unnecessarily unsafe to their fellow officers.

If soldiers were like cops we would let the ones that no longer agree with the war and don’t want to be there come home. But, they are not like cops so you cannot compare the two of them.

Now, to answer your question
Yes, even in the cop scenario you would be a hypocrite because you want something that you aren’t brave enough to get for yourself.

Hypocrite:
a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he does not hold

If you were… say just for the IDEA of safer streets then no you would not be a hypocrite, but if you were voting/protesting for a policy or leader who supported an ACT that FORCED cops to stay and fight the battles on YOUR streets AGAINST THEIR will and you were ABLE to fight but REFUSED,
then yes, you would be a hypocrite. Of the worst kind!

Therefore

Hypothetically if you were in support of the IDEA of war, and soldiers could choose to stay or go to war as they wished then you could be in support of that IDEA.

On the other hand if you are in support of the ACT of war, for a war that you are physically capable of participating in....
and you support a policy or politician that FORCES soldiers to stay at war AGAINTST their WILL, and EXTENDS their contracts 18 to 24 months past the date they were SCHEDULED to be RELEASED from the military...

yet YOU are not personally WILLING to make the same sacrifices YOU are voting/protesting to FORCE others to make.....
then yes YOU ARE A HYPORCRITE!

By the way I think chopperpilot already pointed out the fact that soldiers pay taxes too.

So unless you're giving extra money out of your pay then NO you are not supporting the soldiers anymore then they are already supporting themselves.

Man! I'll bet you'd be pissed if your company asked for a portion of your salary to pay your own wages, and the wages of others in your company.

hmmmm I'll bet you'd hate it even more if your company lied to you about something causing you to go on a business trip thousands of miles away from home to work unpaid overtime for months on a project that never existed! like i dunno say the WMD we never found.

But this would be the real kicker!
Say you agreed to stay for 6 months to work for your company, and you never complained even after the equipment and safety supplies started running out, and you couldn't do your job safely.

Now, let's say your time is up and your daughter is ready to be born or you were planning on marrying your fiancee and the plans have already been made...

but your company after asking you to pay a protion of your own salary and the salary of others, lieing to you about the project, and failing to supply you with the proper equipment to safely do your job now tells you that they're keeping you on the business trip for say another 18 months, and if you don't stay you'll either be shot on the spot or thrown in jail depending on your supervisor.

If American citizens working for Pepsi or Walmart were telling that kind of story on CNN people would be outraged!

Adam: I have a policy of not commenting on this thread, because it's supposed to be about myself, but since you've taken it way off topic and further thand further into lunacy, I guess I'll chime in.

Yes, of course being a soldier is different than just about any other kind of job. And yes, there are a lot of hard things we ask our soldiers to do. But they know all this when they volunteer, and they agree to go. It's their own choice, so stop infantalizing them and trying to make them into victims. They're intelligent adults, so give them credit for the decisions they make.

As for me doing my part, I haven't been risking my life on the front lines but I have been working in the defense industry for quite some time now, developing the weapon systems that help our military be the best in the world. My work saves lives and helps us win. It's not as brave as what the men do on the front lines, I know that, but what I'm doing is important also.

Ok, this is not complicated.
You are a hypocrite because you will not admit that you do not want to go over there and fight, yet you expect other people to do it for you.

Bottom line you can’t call someone else a pansy because they don’t want to go to war and die when you yourself refuse to go to war and die for arguably less honorable reasons.
If they are a pansy then you are a pansy. And, this is what makes you a hypocrite!
I didn’t know there was any excusable reason to not fight for something you believe in other than physical or mental handicap! What’s worse they are at the very least pansies that are not hypocrites. You on the other hand are a pansy and a hypocrite because you think you reason for not wanting to go is better than someone else’s. Yet you could just as easily drive down to your recruiter’s office and join.

I doubt the department of defense will shatter if you were to quit your job and go fight in the war you so strongly believe in.
There are plenty of anti-war college grads who will fill your position while you are gone supporting your pro-war beliefs.
Join the National Guard. You can help relieve their rotations and still serve a shorter time thereby allowing you to come back to your job. Oh wait! But they are extending contracts left and right and that would really suck for you if on the last day of your service they called and told you they were going to renew your contract for you for oh about 24 months!

And, let’s discuss the ability of the soldiers to fully understand what it is they are signing up for.
It should be noted that many of the soldiers enlisting in our military are barely 18 at the time, and some are not even out of high school. It’s also no secret that recruiters lie!
Their ability to comprehend the gravity of what they are signing is questionable.
Also I would like to point out that in the civilian world those soldiers would be accompanied by an attorney when signing such an agreement.
Take for example the state laws governing prenups.
They are only valid if
1. They are fair
Or
2. If on sided (unfair) to one party the disadvantaged party must have separate legal council in order for the prenup to be valid.
This is largely true for most contracts that are signed in America today.
Why should the people dieing for our country deserve less than those who will not!

If your car company called you up and told you they were going bankrupt and as part of a new stop loss policy they were going to make you pay on your already paid off car for 24 more months I suspect that you would be livid.
Further, I suspect that if your car had been paid off for say 5 or 10 years (which is the time many of the soldiers called up had been out of the military) and your car company said they were going to renew your contract on that car because you never properly RESIGNED or FORMALIZED your final payment on said car you would be inclined to refuse them, and rightly so.
And, in this case we are only talking about money not your life!
Things would really get complicated if they started making such demands at gun point.

Let’s be honest here the only thing that makes you a hypocrite is the fact that you imply others are cowards, yet you are not anymore willing to fight in this war then they are. And, for less honorable reasons.

Hi Michael,
I enjoy your humor. I actually stumbled over
your web page looking for infromation in a
career in online surveilance in the field of
child protection. I spend way to much time on
the computer reading. I'm mostly reading about
government espionage, medical experiments, and
trying to learn all this computer lingo.
I've been asked a lot about my e-mail name:
No I do not perfrom vasectomy's, or castration
on animals. I am a Licenced Cosmetologist I
specialize in chemicals and theatrical art
makeup. I was honored in my career to use my
skills on a former client that past away due to
leukemia. That is another job field I could go
into however I'd like to work for the
government.
Keep being yourself,
Mary

Michael, how cool. You've picked up a troll on your "about me" page. That's gotta be some kind of a record.

Troll: (I mean, Adam), as a former US Marine I know that not everyone is supposed to be a soldier. Simple logic dictates that if everyone who had an opinion about military matters had to be a soldier to express it, there would be no one left to fill the jobs in the private sector.

You seem to quite passionate about your opinions in here. How about letting MW be passionate about his. (Or is your ego so big that there's no room for other points of view?)

Thank You Jim: I had a high aptitude for science, mathmatics, and aerodynamics. I tested, and was looking forward to joining the AF when I had an accident that eliminated me as a prospect. I have worked and found success at many different avenues since, and have been directly affected by my share of historic events. Now what I am most valued for is my knowledge of human nature.
I know the value of being proactive on an emotionless level. What I want to belive is not important. I know the value of understanding the difference between knowing what I KNOW, and not assuming that I am smart enough to believe that I know something, WHEN I DON"T.(It's about what I know, not what I want to believe I know.)
Life is clearly not a competition where I do the things I do so that I may better compare to others. (The choice I made was "right" does not mean that the choice you made was "wrong")It is about choosing a position on the best way to approach the years that I have, and using those to do and learn all that I can to help those that I think are deserving of my help.
chopperpilot: Read your input. I have some serious doubts about whether or not you are who/where you say you are. (Reread what you have written. If you don't get it, then I know I'm right.)I clearly feel that you benifit me more over there, (risking your life for the freedoms of others, as you complain about reinlisting to protect those for whom you have no respect) than you would as a college graduate with your limited insight. (Quite unusaul for someone with your supposed training. Some people are born to fight and follow, some to set an example and lead, and some to think and plan If we were all like you the war would be over very quickly)
Adam: Way to emptional. You obviously don't see anything beyond it's individual face. In the real scheme of things, the perception of the truth from the point of view of one person, or even a few, doesn't matter in the least. (that must really bother you) Change only comes from the consensus of a group as a whole. The most important thing is that they all cannot have exactly the same opinion. If we all did then we could never solve anything, we would all be stuck at the same dead end. If everyone who agreed with the concept of a "reasonable purpose for war" jumped up and joined, there would be nothing to come back to. Hard to believe that some of these guys have been to college and don't understand what kind of effect war supporters and critics have on an outcome. Wars are fought on the battlefields, but often won at home. (It's called patriotism, it's different than enlisting)
Not everyone should work as a medic, or a pilot, or a soldier, or a teacher. The armed forces is one of the very few jobs that you know what you can expect right up front. That is, to do your job, you can take nothing for granted, and if you are not prepared to face, and do anything that it takes to win then you are not the right person for the job. War is a last resort, and should be accepted as a tool to be used at the right time. Problems cannot be ignored they must be solved (it's called evolution). Unfortunately, until peole who would rule decide that it is best to do what is best for the needs of the masses, rather than merely doing what the want, war will be part of the world's history, as well as it's future. War's are won by those who don't let emotion get in the way of problem solving. Look and see what is happeniong in that part of the world right now. Not CNN, or FOX, dig in and really look. The people over there no longer feel like what is happening is about what we want. They are starting to want what they think is right for themselves. You might not like it, but you gotta blame someone.

I just don't like hypocrites. It’s fine to have a view but when you call someone a pansy for not wanting to go to war or not supporting a war that you will not go to yourself when you are physically able that is exactly what you are.

Consult the dictionary if you doubt this.

As a soldier from a family of soldiers I feel I have earned the right to have my "opinion" on this as well.
My problem with mike stems from him calling others pansies. Just seems kind of silly don't you think....

Saying, "your reason for going to war is worse then mine so I’m the patriot and you're the pansy"..... Even though neither him nor the antiwar marchers are actually putting up arms. You are right it takes a certain special kind of person to be a soldier, but any lameo can be a hypocritical jackass as mike has proven.

Standing up for what you believe that is real bravery. Letting others do the work for you while ridiculing those (who like yourself) will not go, well that makes you a pansy and a hypocrite.

So, Mike - I can't seem to find an AI program for normal folks. I'm a lawyer and think an AI could help me run some of my "repeated" cases, and help me get to court faster on certain days or times of the week -
Any suggestions?

Terry

LIAR! You were forced against your will into Christianity by your parents and the government brainwashing you. Admit it! Wall of separation failed!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! we'll all die!!

:)
just kidding.

I think you work with my step dad.
Well I was looking up suing Riverside County Child Protective Services not doing their job and found ya. Good Luck at the world and hope it works out for ya. My stepdad is an Aerospace Engineer and when you watch Apollo 13 and you see them call the guy on the phone that you never see that is him that helps get it back to earth. See ya got some research to do on our messed up system.

Why don't you tell the Bush to attack Russia right now if you believe that US will defeat Russia ???
Don't wait!!! Sow your hatred!!!

attack russia? defeat russia? why would we want to do that? those guys are good for so many laughs!! besides who would then be the poster child for the failures of communisum? most servicemen/women don't feel everyone owes them (i feel). they are there for their family and friends, keeping them safe. spent 8 years of my life ready to go. no one made me and i always knew what could happen. could there be a problem with someones commitment?

Listen to Air America over the net. I especially like Mike Malloy (10PM-1AM). He speaks the truth about the Bush Crime Family and his fellow band of thugs.

hi m.wiliams.......
it is interesting u state choosing ur own religion...but dont u think being an english speaker u'll find christianity easy to adapt to?

How much have u learnt about islam and the arabic language?.. do u know that we follow jesus more than the normal dedictaed christian.. do u know that our holy quran book speaks dearly of jesus and mary and her fathers?
Do u know that jesus speaks on the coming of a great character after him in the old testoment but jews helped change those verses in bible from great man into a great holy spirit.
Do u know that we believe jesus will return to earth with a muslim leader who will come to fight hypocrites and break the cross and tell his christian followers to follow islam and mohammad.
God has sent 3 holy boooks, 1 to moses then to jesus and 3rd to mohammad.
How much do u htink u know about islam to reject it?
Are u really a person who studies the truth or are u just a follower who believes in what he see's in media and Tv and the evil word of people!!
Have u managed to see the eye and pyramid on ur dollar bill?? isnt that the logo of the old ancient egyptian jews who were slaves to the pharoas!! do u not think they r in control of many governments right now? corrupting all religions and man thoughts!!
How much do u really know about ur religion?
does christianity and the bible who muslims believe is word of GOD really still exists?
As a muslim i believe those Freemasonic jews are already in control of ur religion and have managaed to twist the truth in it!!
USA UK France Are freemasonic lands so plz dont tell me ur leaders r really christians.
Your leaders act out ur religion to keep the people happy but not fully aware of the truth. The truth is out there and only u can seek knowledge to know why we really exist on this planet..
Not to kill..Not to make money (USA UK n France main object "OIL") not power, not to live freely as we please, but to worship allah and to obey his laws..
NO country acts out its religion, leaders r hypocrites and liars and all followers of Evil.
but there r people who believe in the Lord above and try to live by his laws even if their leaders r corrupt. Many Muslims try to worship allah Yet many muslims die from their own leaders or foreign leaders. Islam is the only religion that is right and Evil strikes hard on them to seperate their ways.
The killing of women n children is wrong and sinful act in islam so plz do not judge on the minority who do such evil acts..Hell they shall find. Islam wants u to be faithful to ur lord and pray to him day and night for the hereafter is more rewarding. Satan told God i will prove to u how i can make them forget ur heaven by making it here on earth.
FOr those who think partying and having a free life is great believe NOt for u are just another follower to Satan society.

Hey Mr Williams.... did u know that mohammad was the first man to liberate black people in history and marry them to his community? Did u know that he was the only man (prophet) and only religion (islam) that limited how many women a man should have? Do u know that no religion states how many women a man should have? do u know that history showed men never respected women rights and they were only sexual objects... So tell me where is the wrongful acts in islam?
I can talk to u day and night and prove to u that christianity is a religion passed on to muslims and muslims r the real followers of jesus... and when he returns i hope for those christians to follow us and believe in us for we r the main keepers of the holy books :) ty n goodbye

Sheesh, what a typical Muslim, no truth in the whole statement. Suffice it to say on my part:

1) We agree that easier to follow Allah than it is to follow Jesus. Also, it is easier to follow Satan than to follow Jesus. To the extent I have met Satan followers, and I have, they have always been extremely dedicated. Draw your own conclusions.

2) The Koran explicitly denies the divinity of Jesus, thereby making the individual that is called 'Jesus' in the Koran an individual somebody entirely other than Jesus as understood by Christians. So why should a Christian care what the Koran says about him? If Mohammad had information about Jesus that is not recorded in the Gospels, please provide a reference to the original source text he used when dictating the Koran.

3) Yes, I know about the cross breaking, coming to earth, etc. etc. This is trivial information about Islam that everyone knows.

4) If the Jews are in control of the goverment, it's because I voted for them. Personally, if I had to pick any ethnic group to specifically be in charge of the world, I would pick the Jews. Of course, no ethnic group is consistent morally, so we do have to judge on a case by case personal basis, but it's quite clear that, per capita, the benefit to the world of the Jews is far out and ahead of any other.

5) Some of your questions and statements I can't understand due to the extremely bad English.

6) I agree that Islam's rules of engagement prohibit killing women and children in general, so I will give you that, however, let's not forget that little bit about making unbelieving women sex slaves shall we? The Koran basically permits anything up to although not necessarily equaling killing Christian and Jewish women for the hell of it. I consider this setting the moral bar to low to be taken seriously.

7) Mohammad was not the first to liberate black people, he enslaved them just like anyone else (see Arabian Nights). The first documented example of blacks/whites with equal rights was Ancient Egypt. Also, there are black Jews, so as far as leading blacks out of bondage, I assume that Moses gets the credit for that. Also, the early Christians were quite good at intermarriage between Africans and Europeans, I assume, as the third Pope was black and many of the early saints were too. This was all well before Mohammed you may notice. A few more points:

a. Far more white Europeans were enslaved by Muslims from 600-1500 than whites enslaved Africans

b. Most of the blacks slaves that the Europeans got were from Muslim slave traders.

8) History does show that, at certian times, women were better respected than others. Early Christianity explicitly said that there is no woman or man in Christ, thereby clearly stating the foundations of current sexual equality. In Islam, it is now as it always was.

9) But now let's get to the fun part and list the wrongful acts in Islam, shall we?

a. Killing the unbeliever where ever you find him.

b. Conversion by the sword as an explicit strategy in Islam.

c. Dhminnitude, the forcing of Christians and Jews to pay a special (large) tax to stay alive and not be killed. Other religions are killed outright.

d. The explicit command in the Koran, clearly performed by the above poster, regarding lying in any way possible about Islam to further it's spread. I.e., it is impossible to lie to the unbeliever.

e. Basically there is NO SIN IN ISLAM, IF IT FURTHERS THE SPREAD OF ISLAM, OR ACTS TO MAINTAIN IT. As a clear proof of where this gets you in the long run, see Afghanistan under the Taliban (which translates as students by the way.)

f. And of course, the kicker. The example of the Prophet Mohammad, who, by his own admission, was a demon possessed, mass-murdering, oath breaking, pedophile. But don't take my word for it, read the Koran and Hadith and see for yourself.

As my proof, I offer the Koran and the Hadith, which I have read. Personally, I didn't think Islam was any different than the Mormons before I read them. The books themselves convinced me otherwise.

The only point of encouragement that I share with the above author is to not take either of our words for it. Read the Koran and the Hadith and judge for yourself. Be careful though, read a Koran meant for English speaking Muslim converts. There are false translations out there meant to deceive the non-believer, as the distribution of false Korans is in accordance with the Muslim belief system.

Why don't you enlist in the military and fight for what you beleive in?

As a Christian myself, I CANNOT see how any true Christian can justify or support war (particularly an illegal one!)

endO

In answer to MichaelKnowsWhoIAm:

Sheesh, what a typical Christian, very biased in the whole statement >_

Mike!

You are so dumb. I don't want to write too much because it would be a waste of time for me to try to convince you of this, but I just needed to say something for my own emotional satisfaction. If you want to believe in the hand of god, then why don't you just believe that its mechanism of action is the collapse of the quantum wave packet? No one can argue with you then and you can make up all kinds of crazy claims about what god intends to happen. Just a suggestion.

Justin

I really appriciate you going to a protest with a sign like that. I just got back from Iraq and I'm glad to know that some people stateside have a clue. Thanks buddy,

Grant

For those of you who accuse Mike of being a hypocrite for not enlisting, I would say that you are a hypocrite for speaking out against our cause to bring freedom if you have never lived under a regime that has rape rooms and no freedom of speech. Pack your bags, move to Africa, Bosnia, China or any place where men can come in the middle of the night, haul you to a cold dark place, rape your wife, torture your children while they force you to watch.

You would beg anyone from any nation to come invade your country and kill the bastards who inflict this suffering. You would be sickened by any country that is indifferent, especially the ones that have the freedom to ridicule their leaders for coming to your aid. If you’re lucky, your bastard leader has invaded other countries, defies UN cease fire agreements, tried to kill some strong nation leader’s daddy, has developed WMDs and used them (yes, WMDs were found in Iraq, the UN bitched when we flew tons of nuclear material to the US without the UN’s consent, it got very little left-wing mainstream media coverage, not to mention the satellite photos of military convoys from suspect WMD sites to the Bekkah Valley via Syria (birthplace of the Baath Party). That is your only hope because the rest of the world is probably scared and impotent or in bed with your bastard leader.

Also, you are the hypocrite that will make sure that this war is prolonged by giving psychological support to the terrorist that want to cut your infidel throat, you, the mainstream media and other jealous countries of the world who deep down would love to see America destroyed or rendered impotent as a world leader. If you want soldiers to have a break from the war, then shut the hell up with all your whining. Quit being a useful idiot for our enemy. The only reason you are against the war is your hate for George Bush for “stealing the election”, making references to Jesus, etc. Grow-up, get over it.

While I’m at it, let me mentioned that Germany didn’t attack us either. We sat back and watched a madman take over countries who thought it best to live on their knees rather than die on their feet. They were glad when we decided to get involved in defeating a country that never attacked us. But where are they today? Ungrateful assholes. We helped Osama defeat Russia. We helped Saddam fight Iran. They deserve what we are giving them now.
Mike, we need you to stay here and populate the earth, teaching your kids about freedom and make them aware of the weak that would rather give it away than fight to keep it.
I agree, we can’t continue to fight this war forever but we must win this war. We have only two options. ALL free nations, (including the whiners of this country) need to support us and tell Syria and Iran to stop giving aid to the terrorist, or else. If free nations will not help us, then we tell them we do not have the resources to send troops into Syria and Iran so we are forced to use tactical nuclear weapons and we do it.

If they are too scared to help us fight terrorist in Iraq, they’ll be too scared and weak to do anything about us using tactical nukes. Let them whine. Talk is cheap.

I salute you, David!

haha down with the anti-war (color attack!) red/pinko/yellow commie bastards!

I'm glad there is someone in the so called "educated enviroment" who has their head screwed on straight. To much backwards un-true liberal thought out there polluting this great world.

To all the numbnuts out there who think mike is a numbnuts, well I just answered that for you!

To all the dumb anti-war nuts who complain about the few of us who either choose not to goto war for various reasons or cant go yet (17) well if your so concerned with troops which you don't seem to care about, how bout you go fight the war, finish it and send all the troops home, do your part instead of sitting at your computer complaing about your FREE land which you take for granted...

I'm from bronx/queens and I'd never want to see no 9/11 again, and if removing horrible dictators and getting some extra oil and liberating people means no more mass slaughter of 3000 people, so be it.

Kudos to mike williams for doing his part to keep everyone on track with world events!

P.S. Micheal, I think your damn ugly, but that's cuz I'm a guy and to think of other man as attractive makes me think of how disgusting gays are to me...Although my gf says your "9.7"

omg, there's a million comments here so you may never see mine. I wandered over froma Google search for "feeling ugly"--I"m in a crabby mood and that's how I feel today. You have a post from I think '04 about it. So I'm checking out your pix and let me tell you: I know I'm not as smart as you are but you are SO. FECKING. CUTE. You're cute as hell! Cute as a button! I would do wonderful sexual things with you! ;-)) Rawk on, smart man.

In the driver's license photo, you look just like a young Orson Welles.