Aetherous

It could very well be that ISIS was created by our government, as a false flag type of thing. On the other hand, I watched a Vice news documentary interviewing their soldiers as well as the general population in Iraq and I think Syria...those people are true believers! So whether it was created by us or not, it's still a problem in my view, because it's maintained by the real deal.

I absolutely agree with this. On the other hand, if they were used without collateral damage, then I think it's great. It's confusing to me why they haven't been used against ISIS in Iraq as it has been growing and taking over land. We heard all about drones 2 years ago, it seems most of the time that was a big issue...then last year as ISIS gained a foothold, the discussion of them flew off the radar.

Well, comparing the actions of the US worldwide in killing, versus the actions of ISIS in particular in killing...I totally disagree with the sentiment you present. But technically, you're possibly right. I don't know how to find figures of US caused deaths, versus ISIS caused deaths, since ISIS has become a thing. I suspect that if we found those figures, we'd see a greater number of kills by ISIS. And those kills would be done in a worse way...for instance, murdering of innocents. I believe the US very rarely does that. Without such figures, I guess it only sounds like I'm starry eyed and rooting for the home team. Oh well...this is how I see things.

He's been spending way too much himself, taking numerous vacations each year. But of course it's not entirely his fault. It happened on his watch though, and we're talking about an ideal leader of a country...the country is not doing well! Keeping one's promises is laudable, as is serving the people's interests...but doing it when knowing that the country will soon be overrun by a terrorist organization who will become stronger and spread worldwide as a result? Plain old stupid. Even many (not all) Democrats who wanted nothing to do with the Iraq war think that ISIS is horrible. Compared to now? Racism in America has absolutely become worse. My opinion might differ from others, because I'm aware that reverse racism is still racism. Some others confuse blacks hating on whites as being part of their civil rights movement, and so don't consider it to be racism at all. Oh yes. You live outside of America, right? Each time a black kid is killed (no matter the circumstances, such as grabbing a cop's weapon) the African American community gets more heated. This most recent time, the Ferguson incident, many blacks literally wanted a race war. Thankfully, there are others who have some common sense, and are ashamed of the others.

Well, in the case of our country, since every President is well known no matter what, I think the President wouldn't be so discussed if he were an ideal leader. He would fade into the background and not be causing problems. Or otherwise be a spectacle, which Obama has been. Good things would be accomplished. Obama has done some good things, definitely...but overwhelming, the country is not doing well. And he has done some horrible things for our country personally, which has a foundation of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. According to the definition, he is a tyrant in America...but who cares enough about our principles to admit that? Too many don't care about their own American rights. People are aware of the government encroaching and overstepping its bounds, and no one thinks they personally are making the country better. Normal people feel powerless...and many have trouble even finding decent work to support themselves. Consider all of the college students who get out and end up living with their parents...is it the generation of entitlement, or are there really just not enough decent jobs? The ones who are in a position to change the country for the better, such as Congressmen, seem to just be trying to keep it afloat or else fighting the other side. Or otherwise being corrupt. I guess people can disagree and say that Obama is the ideal leader in the Dao De Jing...everyone can have their own opinion.

Instead of things like this, which can portray a skewing of the facts in questioning "are most terrorists Muslim?"...one should look at how many deaths were caused by Islamists in that year, worldwide. It would paint a more accurate picture. Of course Americans have little to fear, because we have people doing what it takes to make sure it stays that way.

That they aren't a spectacle, good things are accomplished in the country, and the people think it was because of their own workings? It would be great to have a leader like that.

Really? ***** About foxes, check this whole wiki article... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsune When I was going through psychosis, I thought I was having experiences with fox spirits. Like they were involved in causing it. My experience of "them" (if it was real at all, which is not how I perceive what happened now) was like they were playful or humorous in a very sinister/not-good-for-humans way. Like malicious joking aimed at me. Of course this could have all just been my own shit being reflected in my psyche. As for real foxes...they're awesome.

In other news, this is disturbing so don't click if you wish to avoid seeing people be killed (not gory)...but look at what our "brothers" are doing to our brothers.

If Obama is enlightened, then he's an enlightened person who personally fought for the unconstitutional aspects of the NDAA to be passed and continued to fight for it in legal battles (worth looking up if you don't know about that). He's an enlightened person under whose watch our debt has more than doubled (worse than Bush's record). He's an enlightened person who withdrew our troops from Iraq early, and indirectly caused "the Islamic State" to take over large portions of it, which wasn't a certainty at the time but was a significant likelihood...and it seems he only did it in order to appease the people who voted for him. Under whose watch racism has suddenly become an issue, with the country almost coming to the point of a race war, when previously it really wasn't an issue (as in the 90s for instance) and there definitely wasn't any hints of an actual race war. Who permitted the militarization of local police forces, and the expansion of the surveillance state. Remember how the big issue with Bush was the patriot act? Look at how things have gone since then...literally everyone is constantly watched, and no one seems to care. I wouldn't mind him at all as a person or as a President, if he didn't do things like these. In suggesting that he's "enlightened"...well, there are various types of enlightenment. He's not a Buddha. He's a lawyer turned politician turned President. And perhaps enlightened people don't make the best decisions, or even have ulterior motives...if he is that at all.

"When the student is ready, the teacher appears." I've been thinking lately to start this thread, on how a student can make themselves truly ready. People can add whatever they think is essential for an aspiring student to cultivate. ***** Imagine a teacher appearing, but you lack the discipline to even practice what they have to teach...what an absolute waste! Yet that's a fact for many of us, if only we were aware of it. So this is my first contribution to the thread: we need to actively cultivate discipline. Before the teacher even appears. Most students don't know what a teacher will require, of course...but it could be that the teacher requires 25% of your waking life to be dedicated to practices, or in other words, 4 hours of practice each day...and that's apart from meeting your duties in life (which a true teacher will likely also insist upon). If you're very busy in working life, I'd say take it somewhat easy on yourself, and spend a full 2 hours each day practicing. The key to discipline is to not stray from what you set out to do. It's typical for people to resist discipline in their feelings...they take a day off now and then because practice doesn't feel right to do. I know this all too well. But if you want to cultivate discipline, then you have to do as planned, even if you feel like you don't want to. Those useless feelings are actually your enemies in your practices, although they feel like they are "yours" and are thus worthwhile to listen to. Other things can come in between yourself and your practice of discipline. Like friends, family, etc. It can help to decide in the first place, that you will only interrupt your practice for the sake of something life (or career) threatening. So that means, if your friend wants some attention during practice time, you have to say that you'll talk to them later...no matter what. But if your friend is literally dying and only you can save them...then it's necessary to go do that. Or if you're going to be fired from your job for not showing up during that time, then show up. Without true discipline, a teacher's energy goes to waste...and they might leave you, or not even show up at all in the first place, and just leave you in the "spiritual marketplace" (where basically no teachings are legitimate) to figure it out for yourself. But the worst is if a teacher sticks with you, and yet you're inadequate...you don't attain the result...that is, I think, when we really learn the importance of cultivating discipline.

It's true that I don't live them, but I do understand the teaching clearly. In order to practice as a beginning student, one must be taught clearly to differentiate between false forms of love and compassion (such as pitying others, looking down upon them) and true forms (such as simply wishing that the other wouldn't be suffering).

Do you think this is not a personal attack or an insult? Rhetorical question! Like I said, I don't wish to continue a back and forth. It feels too hostile between us at the moment.

My bad. I wasn't referring to you personally, but about myself since I served and saw some of the Iraqis who were being trained by us over there. Some actually were. Like I said, I think we should be doing something about it. What I mean by "doing something", is we should wipe that terrorist group off of the face of the earth, so that the innocent people there can live in peace. Totally didn't take it as one, friend. If you called me "meager" though, like owledge attempted to do, I might have.

There really isn't. And if a terrorist has "reasons" (such as his ideology being insulted) to murder innocents, then his reasons aren't good enough. There is never a good enough reason to murder an innocent person. You want to keep arguing otherwise? Have at it, because that's all that needs to be said. I'm not interested in further discussion.

There is never a reason to murder (versus kill in self-defense) innocent people (versus people who would kill you and/or others). At least in my view...perhaps you feel differently.

Well, it was. So you call murdering 16 innocent people, being "defensive"... Of course I understand their reasoning and their feelings...people get hurt and want to lash out...but I don't accept their decisions. Do you?

In Buddhist teachings of compassion, they make clear that true compassion is never about looking down on others in this way...it's felt and acted upon from a place of equal footing, in that we all suffer and at our core, we all want others not to suffer in any way. There's a wide gap between that and judgment of others...even if one is using the flowery word, "love".

Sometimes people don't want to be helped. I personally think we should do something about this group, as well...but of course no matter what you choose to do, as good as it can be, there will always be critics. That doesn't stop us from doing what is right, though. And there will always be people who just will not fight for themselves (thinking of the Iraqis we trained). That makes our efforts appear to have been in vain.

If you look back to the first video I posted in this thread, which discusses the history of Islamic terrorism, we can find evidence that it's never been the very same. And if we consider who commits terrorist acts in the present day, we see that it's only Islamists, and not the other two religions.

It already has, and I'm sure will do it some more, in much worse ways. You're missing the point of that post completely, and are only attacking me personally...for what reason, I don't know, since you claim in your other thread to not believe either way about this issue, and to not be in the fight about it. Well, actions speak louder than words... It's understandable to feel confused about what to think and do after an event like this. To not know what to do with your emotions. I would caution you not to take them out on me, personally...but if you want to, I can't stop you.

It's true...freedom has its natural limits. For instance, murdering 16 people doesn't allow you to roam the earth, free of any consequences. The law will come down on your head. We must strive to not harm or interfere with others...that's our responsibility in a free world, otherwise, we take our own freedom away from each other. It can't be said that we are free, if we go do our workplace as cartoonists and get slaughtered out of the blue. Or go to our job as a policeman and be executed on the street. Those are the real breaches of freedom. However...speaking against the inherent flaws of Islam is not harming anyone (which is all I've done here). Are the feelings of Muslims hurt? I doubt it...and if so, that's not something that can be controlled when truth is being discussed (for instance, sharing history of Islamic murdering, or sharing direct quotes from the Qu'ran). This discussion I've taken in this thread is actually helping others see the real problem, if they dare to look, which is an ideology that commands its members to kill outsiders...and has a great track record of doing just that. By knowing the ones who strive to kill us, we won't be fooled when they talk of "peace and love", and thus we won't be as easy of targets. See...in this way, my actions prevent the harming of others, rather than cause it at all. So how is it that you think I'm personally not wise enough to use my freedom, and that I'm accused of harming others with it? I don't accept being called meager, an escapist, or a righteous person (when it's at the bottom of the rung of things to be in the Dao De Jing) by you.

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"True Islamophobia is being so frightened of Muslims that you try to stifle free speech to appease them." - Ben Shapiro Perhaps the trick is to use Raid. To be truly free, yes! Absolutely. I think even in America, though, there are definitely legal limits to it (like defamation), as well as consequences within the law (such as being fired, or being ostracized from a group).

Better to keep an eye on it, I'm sure.