Redstate

...but with better cheesesteaks?

I'm sure that the more than 2 million Iraqi refugees (that's almost 7% of the country's population, by the way) would be ecstatic to settle in Philly.

Beirut in the 1980s would have been a better proposition. I mean, there's always Camden, but still.

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We are all heroes, you and Boo and I. Hamsters and rangers everywhere, rejoice!

Not a suggestion.

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We are all heroes, you and Boo and I. Hamsters and rangers everywhere, rejoice!

... the stuff happening in Philly, the Mayor being a Democrat and all ...

George W. Bush: He's A Folder ... Not A Fighter.

only a fool misses the sardonic humor. To take this in total seriousness bespeaks both a mind desperate to appear clever and slow enough to miss the obvious.

"a man's admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him". Tocqueville

Ya, because the Oh my god, DC during the 90s was more dangerous than Iraq! We are winning! meme that was floating around last year was totally sardonic humor. I mean, no one was using it as a serious talking point.

Except they were.

Even in this thread, we have JoniNMark (with an assist from Thomas) trying to (apparently seriously) argue that someone might be better off if they moved from Philly to Iraq.

that Iraq is a 3rd-world country (and always has been) while Philly, well, let's just say our standards should be a little higher.

Right?

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Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.

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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777

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We are all heroes, you and Boo and I. Hamsters and rangers everywhere, rejoice!

doesn't mean they aren't dangerous.

The death rate for U.S. men ages 18 to 39 in 2003 was 1.53 per 1,000 -- 39 percent of that of troops in Iraq. But one can also find something equivalent to combat conditions on home soil. The death rate for African American men ages 20 to 34 in Philadelphia was 4.37 per 1,000 in 2002, 11 percent higher than among troops in Iraq. Slightly more than half the Philadelphia deaths were homicides.

"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling

First, he computes "person-years" based on the total number of troops present, even though non-combat troops have anywhere from 33% (reservists) to 19% (women) the death rate of combat troops. Since combat troops comprise, what?, a third of all troops and 80% of deaths are the result of hostile actions, that makes the violent death rate among combat troops over double his reported value. Lance corporals in the Marines have a death rate 3.3x his reported value.

Then, since "slightly more than half the Philadelphia deaths were homicides" the number of violent deaths is half his value. Which means that the actually violent death rate in Iraq among combat troops is probably 5x the violent death rate among "African American men ages 20 to 34 in Philadelphia."

Finally, he complete ignores the substantially different circumstance of the situations. Soldiers have years of training, equipment and training that is far superior to their opponents, and excellent medical care after an injury. If our Philly homicide victims had such advantages, it is likely that the number that actually died would be substantially lower.

For as much as conservatives love to hate traditional media, I'm surprised that you would take this report at face value, just because it appears to support your political notions.

And for all that, I still missed the biggest problem. A more appropriate comparison would be between violent deaths among soldiers and violent deaths among police officers in violent communities.

Well, we've really only been trying seriously to make political progress for the past 50 years or so.

Which, if anything, gives you an idea of how likely "political reconciliation" is in Iraq.

of the imagination to think that John Street is the result of anything that can be remotely dubbed "political progress".

Just saying.

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Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.

Was really pointed at Philly? Who'd have guessed?

that the civil rights movement was "pointed" at the whole country.

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We are all heroes, you and Boo and I. Hamsters and rangers everywhere, rejoice!

His arguments are typically cogent and well reasoned - generally wrong, but at least he's thought them out. This idiot doesn't have the mental process required to figure out whether or not to come in when it's raining.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.

I was implying "deliberately missing the point."

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We are all heroes, you and Boo and I. Hamsters and rangers everywhere, rejoice!

This is about as sincere as when someone comes on here and says, "I voted for George Bush in 2000, but..."

But I'll be sure to point it out next time you are arguing with flyerhawk. Please note that by "arguing" I mean "calling him an idiot" since that seems to be your most common response to anyone who disagrees with you.

the loyal opposition. His arguments are well constructed and congent. His positions are consistent.

You, OTOH, are an idiot.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.

If you tried the purple finger identification technique in Philly (I live safely out in the burbs, btw), "Fast Eddie" Rendell, former mayor and street hustler John Street, current mayor, would be complaining about discrimination, burdens on the poor (can't afford the soap to wash it off?).

In Philly polling places are located in some people's homes, and Dem pollwatchers will stand in the doorway and bar any GOP pollwatcher. A local news station got this on film in 2004. Dem goon even said he told everyone to vote Democratic.

We'd like some UN observers to see if the next election is fair, but they'd probably send Jimmah.

you'd have 12 fingered men walking around with all 12 fingers dipped purple. Now THAT is voter fraud/

however the analogy is understood.

But I'll say one thing for the past 40 years - liberalism has been having a buffet under the apple tree.

the "tree" is almost barren.

Consumed by a "progressive" hunger, the next inevitable step of their sordid progression toward enlightenment...
• "Liberals begin en masse to eat their own."

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“Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn't so.” – Ronald Reagan

than B&R and he's got more experience doing it.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.

are so worried about having the populace arm itself, I presume that's because they're doing such a terrible job they're afraid of being shot.