Originally Posted by Neapolitan (Post 1954430)

So you why are you so enamored by communism? By your standards whether you are a card carrying member or not, just merely touting communism should make you share in the guilt for the millions that died directly from communism regimes.

Originally Posted by The Batlord (Post 1954597)

Lame. At least grindy would have humorously called us children who couldn't be left alone with a bottle of Elmer's glue before he threatened the ban hammer.

Originally Posted by The Batlord (Post 1954514)

Kind of the point is that laws come down from places of authority and are therefore designed to define and maintain their power. Deciding that war = murder would be decidedly against their best interests. Might as well ask Ted Bundy his opinion on getting into cars with strangers.

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic (Post 1954536)

^ First, I'd like to compliment you on this post, which has a scattering of questions, "I think"s and "Idk"s. It sounds friendly, and clearly shows that you're inviting discussion.



^ This post seems to pre-suppose that the rules for an essay in college are the same as the rules for posting on MB. I believe that the formats, situations and goals are different enough to require significantly different writing styles. I think it's a mistake to just cut and paste a rule from one and apply it to the other.

For example, a college essay will often specifically request an opinion, in which case the rules you quote are perfectly valid and a bunch of "In my opinions" are indeed just re-stating the obvious.

Here on MB, though, it's different: often, we are not replying to a question that has invited our opinion or comment, we're just spontaneously volunteering something. In this case, it is useful to know if we are volunteering something we regard as a fact or if it's just our opinion. Sometimes it's clear enough anyway, but not always.

Also, on MB I think the most constructive posts are the ones that ask questions and encourage dialogue, which is best done by offering an opinion. And if a dialogue begins, the purpose of our writing is even furthur removed from the college essay and should clearly allow for differences of opinion. In this context, the bald statement of an opinion as if it were a fact can sometimes appear confrontational.

How differently would you feel about reponding to these posts, I wonder:-





My instinct is to simply ignore the first or to immediately engage in a slanging match, but perhaps I'm an out-of-touch pedant compared to you guys and you don't sense much difference between the posts.

Originally Posted by Exo (Post 1954602)

Excuse me I said shut the f*ck up please.

Originally Posted by [MERIT] (Post 1954490)

Some say that Adam Weishaupt is the face of the U.S. $1 bill.

Originally Posted by Chula Vista (Post 1954620)

I don't know, the famous Lansdowne portrait looks very similar to the dude on the dollar bill.

https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.F...=0&w=236&h=158

That other guy? Not so much.

http://thenewsblender.com/wp-content...23-678x381.jpg

Originally Posted by [MERIT] (Post 1954624)

I don't agree with the conspiracy theory, just letting you guys know that it exists. The term "illuminati" gets bastardized and overused, but there is tons of symbolism on the $1 bill, for those of us with too much time on our hands.