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| quote: | Originally posted by Yoepus
I've always had my senses.. well aside form the mustard thing.
Anyway I stand by gays aren't any worse or better treated in Europe than the USA. Surely Southern USA is no worse than Eastern Europe in this regard.
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If by intolerant you mean that Americans when they say you're a "homo" do so to insult you, well then by golly I will have to agree with you that Americnas are intolerant to gays. However, I recall in Europe "homo" is also an insult. Get off your pedestal.
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You have missed the context: You claimed the US to "believe in the individual" - unlike Europe, whereas I have never claimed Europe to be a haven of liberty. You are the one who should defend that the US is *better* than Europe in this regard - and not its equal. For me, I can live with the two being percieved as being equal as I have not stated otherwise.
| quote: | Originally posted by Yoepus
I'm suprised you haven't heard of a place called "California" - apparently Americans are very, very tolerant.
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Yes, you can pick out a confined area and come to all manner of conclusions. In Denmark gays can marry as they please and pronography is legal - but that really doesn't allow me to state the same thing about the rest of Europe.
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| quote: | Originally posted by Yoepus
Aside from the fact that there should be no transgender youths (sex change operations are illegal if you are under 18)...
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Side note: Transgendered people are not confined to transsexuals, but include crossdressers, transvestites, hermaphrodites etc. Even if you meant transsexual, that's also the term for someone who hasn't gone through operation yet.
| quote: | Originally posted by Yoepus
Second: Gays can't serve in the military.
They can - they just can't say they are gay. Although admittedly funny ruling. It protects their right to privacy (the military can't ask them about sexual orientation) yet mantains age-old battle-proven techniques of a disciplined fighting force. Gays don't serve in the military for the same reason women don't serve with men. Its as simple as that. Again another non-issue IMHO.
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One wonders why they don't just throw the gay men in with the women and vice-versa 
| quote: | Originally posted by Yoepus
My inital corruption argument was a cheapshot/insult/joke on the Europeans. |
Thanks for admitting it. It wasn't that hard was it 
| quote: | Originally posted by Yoepus
I recall a London islamo-facist shiek was getting payed by the state to the tune of a good few a month despite the fact he should't have been getting any money because he had a well paying job.
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This is not really the system being corrupted, is it? It's more of a case of it being exploited by leeches.
| quote: | Originally posted by Yoepus
Think about it for a second.
All men are created equal. Americans beleive in this right?
Then how come you have a certain title. Sir, Knight, Duke, von, Lord, these all place you from creation as unequal. These entitlements are herditary most often.
Therefore the framers of the constitution decided to do away with it - in the spirit of equality/'tolerance', accepting one man as an equal to another. Basing his 'title' on merit, not heridity.
This is a philosophical point - a debated and important point that helped to create and mold the USA into a tolerant accepting society by its dismisal of static titles. I believe it provided the USA with that engrained philosophy which provides it with the dynamics to adapt and accept all.
Its a philosophical argument - its bearing is only as much as you believe in ideas and cultures ability to shape a mind.
The point I was trying to make about nobility is that due to the fact that USA culture/society has placed a ban on titles it provided it with a dynamic structure to accept things on merit, not because how they are. It was in complete disagreement with the norms of Europe at the time - and even today.
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There are two worldly goods that can be inherited - status and property. In the US you have done away with aristocracy, as we have in Europe. In Europe we still have the titles, though, which as you say give some an a priori advantage over others.
On the other hand, in Europe we tax you to death when you inherit money or property in general, and thus prevent some from gaining an unfair advantage in life. Therefore, we can claim to be more "no less tolerant" than the US - following your own logic. Viva taxes!
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