Comments by Laurie Fraser

1001. Ministers to Defy I.R.S. by Endorsing Candidates

Comment #255096 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 10:34 pm

I'm guessing your from canada. Well if you are, no offense but I do think America is the greatest country in world. You can say I am just a patriotic robot or something, but this is the country I live in and this is the country my parents decided to move to so they can create a better life. I wasn't born rich or am rich, but this country gives you opportunity if you work for it, which isn't true in other countries. Its always easier to just look at the negative things, and not see the positive things. Yes this country has it problems, but so does every country. Its what this country stands for that can't be matched by any other country. Reagan said it best when he said we were "the American experiment in freedom", (yea I know it may sound corny to quote that but its true). This country lead the way in having freedom and that every individual is born with certain rights that can't be taken away from them. So for that reason it is why I know this is the greatest country.

Close, DPB - I'm Australian. Reagan's "experiment in freedom" quote was the complete nonsense that only that fatuous, ignorant evil little propagandist could come out with. "The Great Communicator" had no trouble murdering thousands of innocent Niceraguans, so please don't quote him to me as though he were one of the U.S.'s great statesmen. The entire "freedom" message is pure propaganda; freedom includes something other than the abstract "freedom" associated with unbridled wealth creation. It also includes fair and decent education, and the freedom to go through one's whole life knowing that if you get sick or have an accident, you won't need to pay a single cent to get excellent health care, as it stands in my country. I would suggest to you that that freedom is worth far more than any imaginary freedom to get rich.

1002. Ministers to Defy I.R.S. by Endorsing Candidates

Comment #255090 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 10:17 pm

Hi Hawt - thoughtful post. Indeed, one of the things that people who haven't actually studied Marx and Marxism don't get is that Marx was an historical analyst. He saw, more perceptively than anyone before, that society and its structures "evolve" through various epochs, and that change occurs because of tensions and contradictions that develop during those epochs. Thus, slavery gave way to the feudal system; feudalism gave way to capitalism.

These tensions and contradictions conspire, ultimately, to cause revolutionary change. Thus, the revolutions in France, America, and later throughout Europe were the revolutions that were an inevitable development towards bourgeois capitalism. Marx saw that, eventually, capitalism must give way to its own contradictions. Like all utopians, though, he was not content to let history take its course, and promoted revolution. Perhaps, ineluctably, with the global challenge facing us, change will soon be inevitable.

1003. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #255088 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 10:07 pm

Steve - just watched that clip. The most beautiful thing about it was the expression on Katie Couric's face, and its not so covert assessment: "You complete, utter drongo."

1004. Ministers to Defy I.R.S. by Endorsing Candidates

Comment #255085 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 9:57 pm

Name me one country that has prospered under marxism. Look at cuba, how well are they doing?

Pretty well for a country that has been immorally ostracised by its closest neighbour for nearly fifty years. Standards of education and health care that many millions of U.S. citizens could only dream about, just to name a couple of things. Come off the grass, DPB - to equate happiness and well-being with dollar wealth is so simplistic as to be retarded.

1005. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #255084 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 9:52 pm

Thanks, Steve - well, it's Saturday afternoon, beautiful hot spring day, watching cricket, couple of beers - you get the picture :)

1006. Ministers to Defy I.R.S. by Endorsing Candidates

Comment #255082 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 9:45 pm

We didn't become the greatest country in the world

News for you DPB - you're not.

1007. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #255080 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 9:40 pm

Where can I find that, Steve? (Too lazy to search it out myself!)

1008. Ministers to Defy I.R.S. by Endorsing Candidates

Comment #255077 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 9:34 pm

Darwin's Pitbull's comments demonstrate the ignorance of many. The reason we pay taxes is to combine our wealth to provide essential things like roads, garbage services, education, health-care, etc., none of which are possible without a general agreement about the "common wealth". Those who believe that all the money they make is "theirs", and theirs alone, ignore the fact that they live in a society which is best organised around an agreed set of principles that, amongst other things, provide for the basic living standards of all people. In order for that to be achieved, the more affluent need to sacrifice some of their income for the sake of the welfare of others, but importantly, for their own sake as well.

Societies that take the continually-decreasing tax option set themselves up for a host of social problems. One entirely laughable fact is that out of all countries, the U.S. has the highest proportion of its citizens locked in gaols. What a ridiculous waste of resources. If taxes were spent more appropriately on education and health services, the insane sums of money spent on incarceration would not be needed.

1009. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #255073 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 9:22 pm

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Sarah Palin continues to impress with her intelligence and rational power:

http://www.smh.com.au/ (scroll to bottom of page for link to "witchcraft")

1010. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #255033 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 4:36 pm

That's it, Mord - the Republicans have won!

1011. Ministers to Defy I.R.S. by Endorsing Candidates

Comment #255030 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 4:23 pm

I dont like that Obama had communist mentors in his life, like Frank M. Davis and Saul Alinsky. Even though he didn't know Saul Alinsky, he studied him and used his tactics as a community organizer. His father was also a big marxist.

Part of the reason I like him, Darwin's Pitbull. Anyone with a Marxist leaning is obviously thinking clearly. I doubt if Sarah Palin has wandered through the pages of Capital recently.

1012. World's oldest rocks discovered in Canada

Comment #255028 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 4:17 pm

Bloody Canadians, stealing Aussie thunder again. I wonder how the cretinists will go about demolishing this latest dating technique - they've been completely successful with the many others.

1013. Ministers to Defy I.R.S. by Endorsing Candidates

Comment #255027 by Laurie Fraser on September 26, 2008 at 4:12 pm

Seconded, 8. As the mighty Frank was wont to say - "Tax the churches; tax the FUCK out of the churches..."

1014. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #254500 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 7:30 pm

Ah, you modern-day libertines! A bridal gown and back to the kitchen with you, I say.

*Turns monitor around in case wife is watching*

1015. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #254455 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:13 pm

Thanks, Titania - book? When I've got enough stories written, I suppose.

1016. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #254443 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:05 pm

Brian, I was in pain just reading the link!

For a story about horror pain, try this:

http://churchofrationalism.blogspot.com/2008/08/terror.html

edit: Hi Sharon, long time no talk!

1017. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #254428 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 4:53 pm

Titania, your story was unstintingly edifying! My wife has had three children, all natural deliveries. Apart from nearly breaking my wrist at the last delivery, the births have been, for me, relatively pain-free :)

But you asked about pain - I'll give you pain: how many of you have ever suffered from gout?

1018. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #254015 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:58 am

Mitchell - "Irregardless"? PEDANT ATTACK!

1019. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #254011 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:48 am

Comment #254007 by Pony

Pony - fucking delicious! I know- we're one of the worst manglers of English ever. Oh well, what do you do about it? I teach people how to use their language in a way that best expresses their ideas. Some of them get the picture...

1020. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #254010 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:45 am

Comment #254006 by Mitchell Gilks

*waves hand over body of Gilks* - Now, do you understand the power of the Time Lord, you brute?

1021. When Atheists Attack

Comment #254005 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:40 am

As we say in Australia: onya, Titania!

1022. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #254002 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:37 am

I'm here for a while, Titania. It's 10.30pm. Yep, I know about there their they're; drives me nuts. (And it's so easy to work out and get right.) Sorry, I'm a dinosaur from the age of believing that our glorious language, when used well, could be a marvel, and a superb "aquifer of meaning" from which we could all drink.

1023. When Atheists Attack

Comment #253992 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:26 am

It strikes a couple of chords, Titania, but I can't place it. I'm thinking Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but could be way off track. I'll check it out. Meanwhile, I'd encourage you to put your 2c worth in on the other thread that's running hot at the moment. So far, it's just been a bunch of blokes ruminating on the rights and wrongs of abortion. My wife read a page or two of the thread and gave me that "Pshah" kind of look - boys and their fantasies type of thing. Cheers!

1024. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253985 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:20 am

Comment #253981 by Mitchell Gilks

Grammatical infidels WILL BE EXTERMINATED!

1025. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253980 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:15 am

Fanusi - where did that 60% statistic come from?

P.S. "a lot" is two words. Don't like to be a pedant, but I'm an English teacher - it's pathological.

1026. When Atheists Attack

Comment #253977 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:11 am

Vaal - "Tit" is a bird, and a pretty cute one, at that. "Titania" is a woman, and a pretty feisty, brainy, and leftistly beautiful one at that.

(Just thought I'd clear that up.)

1027. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253971 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 5:03 am

Sorry, chaps - power went off at home. One of the hazards of having sun-powered electricity; the batteries call "time out" every now and then.

I'm a little concerned about the turn this thread has taken, i.e. into a debate about abortion itself. In that regard, I'll simply repeat my earlier comment: it's a women's issue. The woman has the last word on the matter. That being so, then if a woman decides, with due consultation, that an abortion is her best outcome, then a doctor, at the very least, should have the responsibility of referring her to a clinic that is equipped for the procedure, whether that doctor agrees or not with the idea of abortion. Case closed; let's move on to a discussion about the LHC, or something.

1028. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253950 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 4:35 am

Comment #253947 by Sargeist

If I knew whether you were being serious or having a joke, I'd be able to respond to that comment, Sargeist :)

1029. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253946 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 4:30 am

Don't apologise to me, CFL - I value your comments, as I'm sure every other poster does!

1030. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253943 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 4:23 am

Comment #253936 by Steve Zara

Completely correct, Steve. The question is "what is reasonable"? Interestingly, there have been very few (in fact no) women commenting on this debate. When I showed my wife this thread a little while ago, she simply said "Typical." The fact is that abortion is a women's issue; what is reasonable is a matter for those women who find themselves in the position of having an unplanned pregnancy. Do the Fanusis of the world figure that men have some kind of over-riding moral authority in the matter? As my wife said: the most reasonable thing is to allow the woman who is in the situation to decide. To lay the burden of guilt at her doorstep is unreasonable in the extreme.

1031. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253927 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 3:58 am

TalkyMeat - another well-reasoned post. I agree with you on most of your points. It would help if people confined themselves to discussing the issue presented, and not floating off into their particular obsessions. For instance, this thread is about a proposed law in Victoria which will require doctors to refer patients in the event that the request for an abortion procedure is not compatible with the doctor's conscience; it is manifestly not about the rights and wrongs of abortion per se. If we all keep on track, we might have less animosity.

1032. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253831 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 12:42 am

As always, Diacanu, your's was a ripper.

Jesus86, if you really believe that, then your supposed credentials are not worth the paper they're written on.

Night, all.

1033. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253823 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 12:15 am

Comment #253817 by Jesus86

Well, your analogy was as self-evidently ridiculous as you can get, Jesus86. I didn't think I needed to elaborate.

1034. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253820 by Laurie Fraser on September 25, 2008 at 12:12 am

I would go further, Steve, and suggest that a foetus has no rights whatsoever. As I said earlier, the abortion issue is almost entirely conducted on an emotional level. Let me give you an example. When my daughter found that she was pregnant with my grand-daughter at the age of 19, we discussed her options, including abortion. She decided to carry the baby. I now have a beautiful grand-daughter who has made my life a complete joy. That's terrific. But would it have been immoral to terminate that pregnancy? Absolutely not. My grand-daughter is a person, now, but had my daughter had an abortion, that "person" would never have existed. To procure an abortion would have, in no sense, violated anybody's "rights", because no person existed to "own" those rights.

1035. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253814 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 11:59 pm

So much for the Oxbridgers flattening us, Brian :)

English shoots....GOOOOOOAAAAAAAL!

1036. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253811 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 11:53 pm

Thanks, Greyman.

1037. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253808 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 11:47 pm

Comment #253807 by Jesus86

That is complete bullshit, and you know it, Jesus86. Philosopher? Um...

1038. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253804 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 11:42 pm

Steve, PM for you in a minute.

1039. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253799 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 11:36 pm

No reasonable person would suggest that a doctor be required to perform an abortion if such a procedure violated his/her conscience. That's not what this debate, or the legislation in question, is about. But a doctor, if asked about the procurement of an abortion, must at least refer the patient to another doctor who is willing to provide that procedure. That is reasonable.

1040. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253783 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 11:22 pm

Is there any other conclusion to be drawn but that doctors have "positive rights" duties? The obverse is ludicrous. If it is the best interests of the patient that an abortion be performed, then that is as must be.

1041. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253776 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 11:15 pm

Don't scurry away, Brian - your point is solid. The fact is that the majority of pregnancies end in natural abortion. Should the medical fraternity aim to prevent these? Obviously not. What moral justification, then, is there in enforcing that a firmly implanted foetus come to full term? Does the embryo have "rights" by virtue of its accidental good fortune?

1042. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253772 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 11:09 pm

Yeah, I knew that, Fanusi. Funny, huh? Of course, in the modern sense, the Hippocratic oath is assumed to be a simple measure which ensures the doctor's complete devotion to the patient's needs. Interesting point, though; has the Hippocratic oath been amended to strike the "abortive remedy" clause?

1043. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253768 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 11:04 pm

Aw, shucks, Brian;) As TalkyMeat said, people tend to get stuck on abortion because it can become, essentially, an emotive issue. When you realise that an embryo is not a human in the philosophical sense, and just a bunch of cells, any argument over abortion becomes pointless.

1044. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253766 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 10:56 pm

On topic - doctors have a duty of care. Hippocratic oath, and all that. Patients have the right to demand, and be involved in, the provision of that care. What if I was a teacher and had a religious objection to teaching science, because it might lead to students questioning their religious upbringing. Should I be allowed to not teach science? Argument over.

1045. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253763 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 10:53 pm

Um, Boag's and Stella, maybe? "These beers are my only friend", -what about the dog?

1046. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253759 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 10:44 pm

This is a brand new outfit; we've only had two outings to see how the songs sound live, and in my humble opinion they CRANKED!

1047. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253755 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 10:39 pm

Lineup's Drums, percussion, keys, bass, 2 guitars, trumpet, alto, tenor, violin, cello, lead vox 3 backing vox. I play guitar. No wonder it's so hard to organise on a budget of a couple of Mars Bars and a can of Coke.

1048. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253753 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 10:35 pm

The one song I'm fond of at the moment is about eastern suburb ditzes who read New Idea for the horoscope. It's called "Uranuses Don't Line Up."

1049. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253751 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 10:32 pm

Swing stuff, Brian - with horns and strings. As to cubase, trial and error is always good, that's how I learnt it. (Instruction manuals assume you have two or three brains; the one I've got for Logic is over a thousand pages.I'd much rather read War and Peace.

1050. Catholic maternity wards 'face closure' if abortion law passes

Comment #253749 by Laurie Fraser on September 24, 2008 at 10:19 pm

Excellent quote, and perfectly true.

Wrote two new pieces on the weekend. Now, if only I can get those pesky copyists and musos on the job, we might actually produce something.