Island Life by David Slack

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Island Life: I am not a quitter

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  • David Slack,

    I want he and Grant to have a cage match

    I propose we hold it in Andrew's Touareg.

    Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    I propose we hold it in Andrew's Touareg.

    Ha! You forget the next bit:

    I want he and Grant to have a cage match where they cast blanket aspersions on all people they deem morally inferior,

    No doubt they'll start with the selfish SUV owner.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I take it you see no connection between justice and law...

    Justice and justified are not the same word. Neither are justice and law. Unjustified and unlawful are certainly not the same thing.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    have no qualms about sharing it with total strangers. I would consider your past to be very sensitive and would never discuss it.

    Oh Grant, that's beautiful. That's just wonderful, it's been ages since I've been exposed to argument of this quality. You make broad sweeping judgemental statements about hugely personal issues, but if anyone brings their own personal experience to counter that, to add some humanity, they're still wrong because it's too personal to talk about. I am in AWE.

    I judge because I am alive. Why do you consider people capable of not judging?

    You know what I do because I'm human? Empathise. I feel for people in difficult situations that I haven't personally experienced. Ever done that?

    I know that you paint a picture in order to evoke sympathy. I know there are poor people. It's not a crime to have little money. It's not a crime to do some hard work. It is a crime to steal.

    The Victorian history lesson is completely wasted on you, isn't it? Otherwise I'd suggest you read Engel's Conditions of the Working Class, and duct-tape your mouth shut until you've finished it. Stephen wasn't talking about 'having little money', he was talking about a situation where you could have five members of a family working 15 hour days and still be so poor they couldn't afford enough food, fuel, or a place to live where raw sewage didn't run down the walls when it rained.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones,

    Or if that's a bit cold gravel for you, try mercy, compassion and redemption in the face of grinding hardship and theft in the stories of Les Miserables and The Grapes of Wrath.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Or if that's a bit cold gravel for you, try mercy, compassion and redemption in the face of grinding hardship and theft in the stories of Les Miserables and The Grapes of Wrath.

    Or he could try wandering down the street and wondering who sleeps under that bridge, why is that guy poking around in the rubbish bin looking for food. Sadly books aren't the only evidence our of need for Emma's empathy.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Julie Fairey,

    My favourite bit (so far), was when Grant wrote the following to the blog OWNER:

    Russell. Are you only here to disagree with everything I say? Doesn't that take a lot of unnecessary effort?

    Pure. Comedy. Gold.

    Puketapapa Mt Roskill, AK… • Since Dec 2007 • 234 posts Report Reply

  • rodgerd,

    Murder is defined as unjustified killing. Go read a dictionary or something if you don't have anything useful to contribute.

    Your response tells me that you are, in fact, too stupid to understand what you're saying.

    Unlike Kyle, I do not feel compelled to educate you, although heaven knows you could use it, based on your display here.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 512 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Unlike Kyle, I do not feel compelled to educate you,

    I couldn't help myself, and even while I was doing it I knew it was a silly thing to do.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Grant Dexter,

    Justice and justified are not the same word. Neither are justice and law. Unjustified and unlawful are certainly not the same thing.

    Certainly not without context. But if you look at the two statements:
    Murder is unlawful killing
    and
    Murder is unjustified killing
    All one needs is an assumption that the law is just to make the connection.

    If it would help I would adjust my terminology to say Murder is unlawful killing. Unfortunately I get the distinct impression that people here believe right and wrong to be determined by the laws of men.

    Taipei, Taiwan • Since Mar 2007 • 256 posts Report Reply

  • FletcherB,

    But we started with Murder should be illegal.

    And now you're defining murder as illegal killing.

    So what you're saying is that you have a deeply held moral belief that something thats illegal should be illegal because its illegal...

    It's called a circular argument, and strangely, it goes nowhere and proves nothing.

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report Reply

  • samuel walker,

    Certainly not without context.

    Which always changes depending on perspective, and belief.

    All one needs is an assumption that the law is just to make the connection.

    Do the laws of the land inform your morals totally? really?

    I get the distinct impression that people here believe right and wrong to be determined by the laws of men.

    i get the distinct impression that many here believe the opposite. and are thankfull that you are not one of those men....

    Since Nov 2006 • 203 posts Report Reply

  • Grant Dexter,

    But we started with Murder should be illegal.

    I started off with, "Do not murder". Of course that should be against the law if murder is defined as unjustified killing or even unlawful killing.

    And now you're defining murder as illegal killing.

    What would you like me to define it as?

    So what you're saying is that you have a deeply held moral belief that something thats illegal should be illegal because its illegal...

    Illegal because it's in opposition to the command, "Do not murder".

    It's called a circular argument, and strangely, it goes nowhere and proves nothing.

    Strange how you recognise a good definition, but cannot correct those who defy good logic...

    Do you also suggest that some murders should be legal?

    Taipei, Taiwan • Since Mar 2007 • 256 posts Report Reply

  • Grant Dexter,

    I notice everybody's ability to describe poverty has improved immeasurably. However I am not advocating that laws be passed that prohibit poverty. I am suggesting that "Do not steal" is a good law.

    I admit that I will always be outdone by people who want to describe conditions where stealing could be seen as an act justified by desperation. I don't agree and do not have the emotional rebuttal required to defend the law against such stories. So instead I will ask those who think poor people should be allowed to steal how they intend to implement such a law?

    Perhaps you could write a law so that every person with under a certain amount of tax to pay could be allowed to take a certain amount of goods from somewhere every year. Maybe you could specify certain rich corporations as the ones that should have their goods taken. Or maybe everyone above a certain tax level should be forced to donate some money in order to prop up people who live in cardboard boxes.

    For mine, I will risk the condemnation of the emotionally frail and suggest that poor people will always be with us. The fact that some people are poor is not a reason to suggest stealing should be regulated (read legalised). Just as the fact that some people rape a reason to suggest rape be regulated.

    Unfortunately New Zealand has followed the rest of the world to the point where all four of the laws I suggested as the basis of a good legal system have been perverted. Murder and theft are state sanctioned procedures that our population fights for as rights. Adultery is not even considered bad by many. I can only assume that with the lack of integrity shown in the law that perjury is a way of life as well.

    Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal and do not commit perjury are good laws. There is never a necessity to break any of them nor should anyone be charged for obeying them.

    Taipei, Taiwan • Since Mar 2007 • 256 posts Report Reply

  • Julie Fairey,

    At the risk of stepping into this debate or dragging it somewhere else new and worrying, perhaps references to the laws of people, rather than the laws of men, might be in order?

    Roll your eyes if you will, but seeing as how the three of the most powerful people in our legal realm (PM, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice) are in fact of the womanly caste, maybe we could use terms that include the possibility that chicks might be involved in our lawmaking?

    Puketapapa Mt Roskill, AK… • Since Dec 2007 • 234 posts Report Reply

  • Grant Dexter,

    I'll roll my eyes if you promise to roll them back when you're done with 'em :)

    Taipei, Taiwan • Since Mar 2007 • 256 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Well, yes, quite. I don't know about anyone else, but I have to say that I gave up, for the most part, deliberately trying to piss people off when I left my teen years.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Julie Fairey,

    I'll roll my eyes if you promise to roll them back when you're done with 'em :)

    I have absolutely no idea what this means. Are you flirting Grant?

    Puketapapa Mt Roskill, AK… • Since Dec 2007 • 234 posts Report Reply

  • Grant Dexter,

    :rotfl:

    It's called a really lame joke.

    Taipei, Taiwan • Since Mar 2007 • 256 posts Report Reply

  • Susan Snowdon,

    Re. troll. 'Oh crap, I didn't see the sign.' (Sorry, I don't know how to make this look like a quote.)


    We should stop encouraging him. I always liked that quote about the oxygen of publicity, Margaret Thatcher was it?

    Since Mar 2008 • 110 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    __

    Russell. Are you only here to disagree with everything I say?

    __Yes Grunt. Russ is just here to disagree with you, it is his whole reason for being born, he is the work of Satan. Delivered unto us to feed us doubt, to doubt your infinite wisdom, to keep us down below the level of your divine intellect. Thank you Grunt for saving us from the Evil that is Public Address. I thank you from the heart of my bottom.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Susan Snowdon,

    And look I made a mistake, I only did one 0f these __ hence my sentence didn't turn italic.

    Oh well.

    Just seeing if this works. Thanks Steven.

    Since Mar 2008 • 110 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    How did I manage to get it ALL Grey?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

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