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Trump dispenses with trials, orders military strike on alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking boat (Now up to 2, 3, 4...)

They're high speed drug smuggling boats. Carrying huge amounts of drugs. Speeding towards the US. The southern tip of Florida isn't that far away from the northern shores of Venezuela.

Okay, now I know you're not serious (did you even bother to check the distance?)
In any event, even if the boats were off the coast of Cuba, it would still be an ineffective way to fight the cartels.
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Trump suggests he’ll release Jeffrey Epstein ‘client list’ if elected: ‘I’d have no problem with it’

I was talking about the oppression of the Right in general during the past administration
Which never happened.
I'm pleased with the progress that has been made with DOGE and the corruption behind the flood of illegals into our country
Which also never happened.
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Biblical Exegesis explanation and discussion

That determination would be quite subjective.
Not really, it's callled examining the existing texts.
Ok but what other scripture is God breathed? Would you follow a doctrine that was not biblical?
There's no need for other God-breathed Scripture, especially since you have yet to establish that God-breathed means what you insist it means contrary to the contemporaraneous uses of it. The ECFs didn't treat it as a sui generis work, they saw it as the Orthodox see it today as the cornerstone of a larger tradition handed down from the apostles.
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Trump to pardon Ex-Honduras President Guilty of Drug Trafficking and conspiring to import cocaine into the United States

You spoke of defending “unjustifiable” action.
You want to defend unjustifiable action?

Only to the extent that I would defend unjustifiable action based on a premise that we have limited information, and not the full story. In regards to Trump pardoning someone, he says he has a reason based on "facts" according to his own words, but does not share those facts.

I can defend someone based on my belief that those facts do exist, in the same way we often trust our government based on other classified facts that they do not share, based on reasons we are not permitted to know.
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There’s a Giant Flaw in Human History

Trying to prove this by what measure. Thats sort of the point. That you want this verified by material science and because it cannot be verified its all fake.

The reason why its important to acknowledge that there is alternative and what we would consider advanced knowledge is because epistemically it shows that there is more than one way to gain knowledge about the world and reality for that matter.

Once this is accepted then people will stop before they make absolute claims that there is only one way to understand reality. They will be open to the possibility that there may have been ancients who had knowledge beyond what methological naturalism can explain.

But if you reject this out of hand then this is already being biased and narrow minded which is more about belief than reality.
I don't reject it out of hand. I just don't see the point of it. Look, this is a question which has been considered by philosophers, theologians, anthropologists, psychologists, neurorophysiologists etc. for the past couple of thousand years without convincing resolution. I think there is no point at all in us debating it here. But my question remains, what good would it do? Suppose you demonstrated that there was consciousness beyond the brain. What then?
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So, Is the Body Positivity Movement Still a Thing?

Totally. Its an axiom of capitalism here that corporations should engineer and promote the most addictive sort of foods possible. For the shareholder, who is the most important consideration always!
In a way, the body positivity movement thus serves the same system. You don't have to look for alternatives to the cheap food that is sold to you and the havoc it wreaks on your body. Continue consuming and increasing profits.

And once enough people are fattened up, the skript is flipped, skinny becomes en vogue again and fat people are shamed into the expensive gyms, the premium diet plans and all the other ways of exploiting them to lose the weight they were exploited into gaining.
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Trump dispenses with trials, orders military strike on alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking boat (Now up to 2, 3, 4...)

They're high speed drug smuggling boats. Carrying huge amounts of drugs. Speeding towards the US. The southern tip of Florida isn't that far away from the northern shores of Venezuela.
The nearest ports in Venezuela to Miami are likely those on its northern coast, such as Puerto Cabello or La Guaira, with a sea distance of approximately 1,500-2,000 nautical miles from Miami. The shortest sea route is about 1,500 nautical miles.

That was easy to look up.
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Trump dispenses with trials, orders military strike on alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking boat (Now up to 2, 3, 4...)

How about eliminating the problem at the source.

There are thousands of government funded drug treatment centers throughout the nation. But once people get hooked on the stuff many don't want to give it up. So then it becomes a matter of involuntary drug treatment through incarceration.
That sounds like the logic behind banning guns.
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To Hell or Not To Hell

I’m not sure I would agree with that. Scripture never teaches that Gentiles were ‘cut off’ from God in the sense of being unable to come to Him. We were not part of Israel’s covenant identity, and we were not chosen as the priest-nation, but that has never meant Gentiles were unable to know God or be saved. Abraham himself wasn’t part of Israel either when he first believed, and God counted him righteous simply because of his faith. That has always been the way God saves people, Jew or Gentile.


Paul’s salvation is also not what opened the door for Gentiles. He was simply the man God chose to bring the message to us. Access to God came through Christ’s death, which provided forgiveness for all mankind. From that point on, anyone, Jew or Gentile, could freely come to God for salvation.
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FBI makes arrest in investigation into pipe bombs placed in DC on eve of Jan. 6 riot, AP source says


Here's up to date information about Brian Cole Jr.
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Trump dispenses with trials, orders military strike on alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking boat (Now up to 2, 3, 4...)

We do know and this was stated. The intelligence clearly identified the boats, what was oin them and even who was on the boats. Do you really think in this day and age the US is taking blind pot shots at unidentified boats and targets.
We have not been offered any evidence to justify a conclusion that we "know" there were drugs on the boats. It was stated, but we do not know this.
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Minnesota is drowning in fraud.

No one is denying fraud was taking place. What is not proved is the money was being directed to some movement. What I am saying is given the silence as Trump pardons fraudster after fraudster, Trump supporters don't care about fraud.
Clearly, we have very strong disagreements about your conclusions.
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Trump dispenses with trials, orders military strike on alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking boat (Now up to 2, 3, 4...)

That's not how the law works Steve.

1. We don't know what was actually on the boats. We have no chain of evidence, no warrants, nothing.
We do know and this was stated. The intelligence clearly identified the boats, what was oin them and even who was on the boats. Do you really think in this day and age the US is taking blind pot shots at unidentified boats and targets.

This is a fake news narrative to undermine the the authorities and military for that matter. People hate TRump so much that they are willing to also target good people and create an undermining narrative of their integrity.
2. Those "enough to kill X people" numbers are nonsense. The requires translating the whole load in to minimal lethal overdoes. That's not how drug users use drug. With the exception of the suicidal, drug users take the amount that will satisfy their needs/desire as best they can. (And the suicidal have easier paths to obtaining a lethal dose of coke.)
I find it interesting that some are going out of their way to try and make out that boat loads of drugs is not so bad. Does it really matter. We know a boat load but also in the case of the overall trade (boat loads) of drugs including one of the most lethal drugs in modern times is not going to kill and do a lot of harm.
3. This is one boat load (perhaps, not even that), not 50 years of smuggled coke. No one is liable for the substances transported by *other people* or their consequences.
This is many boats and other methods of transport. Altogether it is a massive assault on the US.
4. Drug smuggling is not a capital crime in the US.
The narcos who are shippin g poison to the US have been deemed terrorist. Instead of using bombs and guns they are using poison and poisoning 1,000s of US citizens.

You don't know the intelligence as to what is going on so you should not be making unsupported claims.
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So, Is the Body Positivity Movement Still a Thing?

....But people living in the USA don't have it easy maintaining their body weight, with all the added sugar, fast food offered around every corner and high caloric convenience food often being far more affordable (both in money and preparation time) than healthier alternatives.
Totally. Its an axiom of capitalism here that corporations should engineer and promote the most addictive sort of foods possible. For the shareholder, who is the most important consideration always!
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So, Is the Body Positivity Movement Still a Thing?

I question many aspects of the whole "it's genetic, I can't help it".

While it's certainly true that many overweight kids have overweight parents, the fact that there's regional and cultural components to obesity that are far more pronounced leads me to think that behavior is driving more of our obesity problem than genetics.

For the regional component...

View attachment 374006

It's not as if the people in Colorado are vastly genetically different than their counterparts 2 states away over in Arkansas.


Now, being someone who has half of the family that's Southern Baptist, and half of the family that's Catholic (with one tiny branch off of my Dad's side that are practicing Jews), this one I found interesting with regards to food culture.

(this is a little older, it's from 2008)
View attachment 374007

My extended family would fit this data almost perfectly.

My mom's side nearly half of them that are Obese, my Dad's side, not as many. (and the small branch of the family that are Jews practicing and following a Kosher diet all look pretty svelte)

We were raised Southern Baptist, I remember the pot luck meals that took place after every Sunday service and after every Wednesday night prayer meeting. (it would put Golden Corral to shame)

...and when we'd visit my mom's side of the family down south, I swear they wouldn't even touch a vegetable unless is was deep fried or swimming in butter.


My theory on that?
The practicing Jews stay thinner due to the stricter rules regarding keeping Kosher (things like Bacon Cheeseburgers, Bacon, and Pepperoni pizza are a no-go)

On the Catholic side of the family, they have -- for lack of a better way of putting it -- more "options of vice" (aka: they can have a few drinks at get togethers to have fun) ...whereas, in the strict side of the Baptist part of the family, no beer, no secular music, no watching movies, no fun video games... you cut out all of the things that are fun, what pleasurable experience is left? Eating.


Absent some extraordinary hormonal or medical issue, nobody, even sedentary, is bulking up to 350+ on a 2500 (or even 3000) calories per day -- given that the rule of them is to gain one pound of body weight, you need to consume 3500 calories over your caloric maintenance limit (and your BMR increases with your weight), I thought this was an interesting one to run through Claude's AI (since it's just a mathematical exercise) leveraging the Mifflin–St Jeor formula.

If a 30 year old was 6 foot and 180 pounds, they'd have to consume 4,500 calories a day (almost twice the BMR) regularly for nearly 2 years before approaching 350.

So this stuff isn't happening to people overnight. There are undoubtedly several iterations of having to go up in pants size over a period of years.
For sure most of the problem isnt genetic. Tho some of it certainly is.

But to look at your map its probably not pure personal willpower either. Its most likely cultural habits and conditioning. And if you come up through all that it takes way more personal willpower to overcome than your average, say, Colorado person (like me) has to engage to maintain good eating habits.

In other words, they didnt ask for this, and are now as adults are faced with a challenge that could well overmatch us healthy coastal and ex coastal elites.

Otoh you could make an argument that either poverty or churchiness or race or just southern-ness are inversely correlated to personal willpower. Some of those you might not want to touch tho and are probably false anyway.
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So, Is the Body Positivity Movement Still a Thing?

I'm sure some people gain weight easier than others, but in the end, you have to consume more calories than you burn. It's simple as that.

But people living in the USA don't have it easy maintaining their body weight, with all the added sugar, fast food offered around every corner and high caloric convenience food often being far more affordable (both in money and preparation time) than healthier alternatives.
  • Agree
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Trump rolls back fuel efficiency standards for vehicles

Trump doesn't care about cleaner air, children being healthy, exercising. Or eating healthy.


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Now does everyone understand why the "right to refuse illegal orders" video was made?

Well, I'd say that the survivors were 'actively trying' not to drown. Just make a mental note that the orders were not 'prevent these drugs from getting to the US'. It was literally 'kill them all'. That's the position you have to square with your conscience.
If you were referring to Hegseth, he stated that he never made such order.
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