I don't watch Bill O'Reilly's show very often so I missed this segment. I find it extremely interesting that a major television network could air such a discussion in the 21st century. To me, it says something about popular views in American culture. It doesn't say that a majority of Americans agree with these idiots but it does say that their point of view is an acceptable part of the cultural mix. That's shocking.
The priest's comments are interesting from the perspective of the accommodationist wars. He claims that Roman Catholicism conflicts with all kinds of things, including socialism. Who knew?
[I haven't been keeping up with financial news. Is it true that Europe is in much worse economic shape that the USA? I didn't notice that during recent visits to Europe and the USA.]
[Hat Tip: Pharyngula: A priest, a scientist, and a Communist discuss morality]
10 comments :
Greece is in a pretty bad shape, on the verge of bankruptcy (But isn’t there this US state with more than three times the population of Greece which is also nearly broke?), and that could have bad consequences for the Euro and caused some quite heated debate among the EU members. The question as to whether rich EU countries like Germany and France should bail out Greece was central in those discussions, with France (for) and Germany (against) taking slightly different positions (which was surprising, actually, because France and Germany agreeing on nearly everything is one of the constant things about the EU).
That’s about it. Like the US, Europe was hit by the recession (maybe not quite as hard) and one of the member states (Portugal could be next – or maybe not) has some financial troubles. The EU would probably not even care about Greece so much if not for the Euro.
What’s funny about that whole pagan losers thing is that those countries which have been hit worst (they have the not very flattering nickname PIIGS – Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain) are said to be the most religious in the EU. I have no actual data on that but I would guess that if you were to ask Europeans about the most religious countries in the EU that’s about the list you would get (plus Poland, maybe).
All those pagans in Scandinavia seem to be doing pretty well.
michael.ka: "What’s funny about that whole pagan losers thing is that those countries which have been hit worst (they have the not very flattering nickname PIIGS – Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain) are said to be the most religious in the EU."
Reminds me of this;
Red States Feed at Federal Trough, Blue States Supply the Feed
http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2004/09/red_states_feed.html
Summary (from the link);
"The report shows that of the 32 states (and the District of Columbia) that are "winners" -- receiving more in federal spending than they pay in federal taxes -- 76% are Red States that voted for George Bush in 2000. Indeed, 17 of the 20 (85%) states receiving the most federal spending per dollar of federal taxes paid are Red States."
As a European this is both funny and sad at the same time.
If O'Lielly said the sky was blue I would go outside to check. He is a prototypical opinionated ass-hat with delusions of adequacy.
USAians don't travel very much do they? If asshats like the viewers of these programs did they would be shocked to find a wide world that is healthier, wealthier, and doesn't give a damn about them any more. The PIIGS are not only religious but also have followed the US model of building asset bubbles. Ireland figures v.prominently as an "investment haven" in the crank/crackpot Club of Growth "economist" Stephen Moore's blatherings, but since the Irish collapse Moore is missing. While other countries are investing money by the ship load - China is investing $1 trillion to build the world's largest hi-speed rail network - crackpots like the US GOP want to starve investment and drive the US economy down. The other day China made an offer to help US with its hi-speed rail network. China is pagan and is bent upoon regaining its position as the world's economic leader - which it was in the 18th century when China and India between them controlled 2/3 of the world's economy.
Truti
Right wing Americans are all the guy who, on finding out that he and Bill Gates have an average income of over a billion dollars a year, thinks himself wealthy.
What is so funny is how many Americans don't know how busted their own country is. They have been borrowing mightly for years from the Chinese so they can live on the high hog, and noone knows if they can ever repay the debt. It is speculated that the USD will have to be devalued to repay the debt. Its not just one state, michael.ka, its the whole country.
Actually, it is the number of people who believe that they are too superior to work, that the rest of us owe them a living, that demand expensive special privileges and are on the soc.sec. band wagon 'cos they are fairly uneducated. Being able to recite holy books off by heart is not a very saleable commodity.
Secularism (not the same as atheism) makes a country rich nd strong.
Religion, with its stupid rules and repressions and special exceptions to decency are what ruin any country.
Just look at the USA in the last 100 years.
GSW,
Do I take it correctly you mean that the USA's secularism over the past century is what made it wealthy and strong, in contrast to the religion-dominated government the current American right wants?
:o
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