What ever you do, try not to make plans to off your wife or husband. Prison is a lonely place, though you are closer than arms-length with most other inmates. — god must be atheist

:lol:

Some countries or societies approach mental health as a public responsibility and try and help the person in the community with diverse community input. — Andrew4Handel

How I am personally working to move America to be more like the country you speak of above. :flower:

But I am puzzled as to why I feel convinced something bad will happen after sexual release because it seems irrational. But the evidence I use is that if something bad happens the day after I attribute it to that. — Andrew4Handel

Are you able to clear your mind into like a 'blankspace" to achieve sexual release? For me even if I can clear my mind, thinking comes rushing back in usually before self release. It's frustrating as fuck and I cannot get past it. Concentrating on my breathing was one suggestion but it didn't work.

Being paranoid about sex has been really depressing and restricting and held me back. — Andrew4Handel

You are not alone in this perspective and I use the word "perspective" because my hope is that I can change a similar feeling within myself.
I wish I could say that the self imposed expectation gets easier to break away from with time but that is not my experience.

Tiff you're simply dreaming if you think this has anything to do with a larger American backdown. This is Trump being played by a foreign leader, and then appealing to the fantasy of an American backdown to justify it - and in turn leading dupes to think such a backdown has anything to do with it. The Americans fucking off from Saudi Arabia - the no.1 exporter to Wahabi Islam and origin of most of the 9/11 attackers - might actually count as a move worth calling a backdown. This is just a weak president playing people like you to justify a fatally bad decision, impulsively made. You owe yourself better than the fiddle you currently are — StreetlightX

StreetlightX, I owe you an explanation of my delay in responding to our move by our President, to remove the 28 US soldiers from the position in which the Kurds had fought alongside us, leaving them to be slaughtered.

My son had the chance to talk to an Air Force Officer, one of his Professors, who has served active duty since before 9/11 what he thought about what our President did and how he did it.
I was not present for the conversation and the Professor did not answer directly but gave a summary of what the serving men and women thought which was "What he did was a dick move. Period."

And my son added that I have to understand, that it is safe to say that those currently serving and his fellow classmates, who will serve are Patriots to some degree and when the administration makes any move, they are the ones that have to carry the orders out, without the luxury of debating it.

So he left me with the question: do you think it is morally right to leave today, those who fought alongside you, only to die tomorrow as a result of your actions?

I am processing, searching for the role morality plays in a military operation and I am having a hard time finding it.

Tiff this is a very silly question you are asking. As the current situation stands, pulling troops out at this time will be (is) devastating to our allies, so I would simply not pull out at this time. — Maw

So you are okay with perpetual war? What is the solution Maw, when doing nothing is not an option ?

By enabling a literal military invasion? Sorry Tiff, this is too stupid. — StreetlightX

I appreciate your suggestion that my understanding is lacking, as opposed to suggesting that I see death as a game, for that is not who I am.

How do we not enable a military invasion?

In some sense I hope and pray that there are soldiers on the field that will refuse to "stand down" in the same way I wish there would have been support for our Ambassador in Benghazi, from soldiers who were stationed close enough to offer air support, and would have refused to stand down. But my hope and prayers solve nothing.

Don't know. Part of isolationism is not caring until theres a need to nuke somebody. — frank

Is that their idea or ours? I mean is that where we are headed? Pulling out until there is a threat of a nuke?
Isn't NK's objective to develop a delivery system to be able to nuke it's neighbors?

If I was the commander in chief i would simply not move forward with a decision that would allow thousands of our allies to die — Maw

Nobel ideal but perpetual war is not something that this administration is in support of. Given that knowledge, how do you suggest us pulling out?

To a problem wholly precipitated by a weak, ignorant, president — StreetlightX

The "problem" did not begin with this President, he is trying to solve the"problem".
So before we go any further, let us first establish that the drawdown is not the "problem" but rather an attempt to end a war. The "problem" shifts with each administration and this one is not immune to that process.

Are we still talking about a broader isolationism, or Turkey's problem with its border? — frank

I think the US pulling back on the world scene is necessary and might I add STRONGLY suggested by almost every allied country represented here at TPF for years and some for over a decade.

Turkeys problem with it's border is well known amongst its residents, including members here in the forum and I wonder why they are not being looked to for help the way the USA has been.

I do wonder what the word on the street is there about the USA pulling back. Is it simply to watch and critique without offering to take the lead?

Of course this requires some trust in politifact, which you may not have. — praxis

I trust very little of either man.

Back yet? :victory:

Now what? :eyes:

25 years married :party:

Not sure how to interpret this. You realize that he’s not what you’d call an honest man, don’t you? — praxis

I realize he is no Angel but not an "honest" man? Compared to whom?

I dont think it will be much worse than it has been. — frank

It is a move not without concern.

What Maw said. — StreetlightX

Don't ride on Maw's coattails, especially when his response is without suggesting solutions.

What is the solution?

What this isn't a 'suffering contest'. That implies some kind of game. This isn't a game. People. Will. Die. Your allies will die. Don't obfuscate that with gaming metaphors to make yourself feel better. — StreetlightX

Fer ducks sake Streetlight, the very suggestion that I view death as some kind of "game", after knowing me over a decade leaves me speechless. My point is that the death of any human is one too many.

Ok but this aint it. — Maw

Fair enough.
What is?

It’s a front page story on practically every journal of record today. The crisis is that the President has declared that he will not recognize the constitutionally-mandated investigation that is being carried out in response to the ‘whistleblower’ account of his alleged criminal acts. He is basically saying the Congress has no authority to conduct the investigation. Even Nixon didn’t do that, and what Trump is accused of is much worse than what Nixon resigned over. So it’s an impasse - a crisis. He’s essentially declaring himself above the law. — Wayfarer

It comes as no surprise that the news headline follows the same narrative that has been asserted since President Trump won the 2016 election. I don't anticipate that changing, not until the next election in 2020.
As far as the assertion that our country is experiencing a "constitutional crisis"? I just don't see how the Constitution is at an "impasse".
Our country is divided today and much like a blended family, there are going to be times of popularity for one side or the other. That is what I see happening with our current political climate. We will get through this"impasse" coming out stronger and wiser than when we got in. Hopefully having learned the lesson are current mistakes are teaching us.

Tell that to the thousands of families of Kurds, to whom the US has broken their promises (granted thanks to their fighting alongside US forces to eliminate ISIS), and will now die. — StreetlightX

The tragedy unfolding in our departure is not lost on me and my heart breaks for everyone caught in the middle of this nightmare. I am not looking to get into a "suffering" contest of who will suffer more. I am looking to support a responsible way out.

To be clear, the withdrawal is about 50 US soldiers. That's it. The rest of the 950 or so still remain in Syria, just not on the Northern border. — StreetlightX

I heard the number of troops being withdrawn is 90 not 50. And as far as "That's it"? It's more than 0 and to those fortunate 50 or 90 troops families? It means the world to them. Let's not lose sight of the importance of the single soldier at home, regardless of the size of the presence on the battlefield.

I know Hillary Clinton is hated, but then, guns are loved, and neither makes sense to me. — Wayfarer

I understand it not making sense to you as at times it doesn't make sense to me either. Similar to the logic of when your car goes into a skid, turning your wheels into the direction of the skid will recover your control.

From where I sit, outside America, albeit now with near and dear ones living there, Hillary Clinton never seemed to live up, or down, to these lunatic conspiracy theories about her criminality. Whereas Trump exhales criminality with every breath. — Wayfarer

The only real difference to me is that Trump speaks with no filter, which admittedly has its faults but at least I know he is being honest. I will never be able to say that about Hillary going back to her being First Lady and the dismissal of sexual allegations against her husband and the hatred was spawned in me with her bs of the tragedy of Benghazi.

The US is now experiencing a constitutional crisis. I think the only resolution will be that the hard heads in the GOP recognise that Trump’s political career is over and basically fire him. I’m expecting and hoping that will happen soon. Until then, the US political system is on a downward trajectory. — Wayfarer

What do you mean by a "constitutional crisis"? Do you mean a monumental crisis? Or do you see our US Constitution in crisis? If it is the latter, please expound upon what you see as the "crisis".
As far as the tragectory of our "political system"? I don't see it headed in a downward spiral, in fact I think we are witnessing the strength of our governing, living Constitution.

Overall, I think he's been good for the human species. The US needs to back down from the world scene. Standing for democracy in the middle-east was a mistake. The world needs to stop relying on a peace-maker that is $20 trillion in debt.

In spite of what we're seeing now, I think 2020 will be a really close race. More Trump is a good thing. — frank

I am glad he is backing down from the world scene as well I just wonder how much chaos will come with us pulling back. If Turkey is any example I am afraid of who or what ideology will fill the void.

But now I'm really confident - for today at least - that this time, the law really is going to catch up with him. Downfall, disgrace, possible felony charges. In which case, he's actually been a vaccine — Wayfarer

I was confident that Hillary would have experienced a similar fate that you wish for Trump and it has yet to happen, don't make the same mistake I did by holding my breath.

nothing like Trump will happen again for the foreseeable future. — Wayfarer

Election 2020?

it didn't kill the US, but made it stronger. — Wayfarer

Absolutely!

Here's hoping. :pray: — Wayfarer

Here's to voting!

Back from the hospital! :flower: :flower: :flower: — Waya

Welcome back :flower:

S~My guess is that you are able to read this thread since it is on the main page, so I will take this opportunity to thank you. I am not Thanking you for the way in which you are departing but for all that you have contributed over the past decade +.
Sapientia, it took me a while to learn how to spell your name and even longer to understand your ways through life but I owe you a Thank you for being you. From the beginning of our relationship we both embraced the absurd and I searching for logic that you seemed to not just possess but could dispose of it at any time. You took the Devil's advocate side of any debate and that is a skill, one that I am still trying to learn. Your contributions much like life have been a reflection of the times and that I will miss.
So Sapientia, please know that our friendship is something that I treasure, you are someone that I will never forget and that you made a difference in my life. Thank you :heart: :heart: :heart:

Huh.... I didn't get a note from Natasha ☹️

I LOVE the purple!

I am looking for a tool to handle just this. I cannot shake this intense negative feeling about myself. My energies right now are toxic and I am not sure how to recalibrate it.
Maybe I need to go to church...

Ditto. You are biassed against a posting because you were too tired, too bored, too lazy, or too impatient to read it through.

Please next time don't do this. — god must be atheist

Wow. Dually noted. :brow:

The unstated and fiercely defensive belief we are on a mission to bring a way of life and belief system into existence and perpetuate it in perpetuity for it's own sake. — schopenhauer1

Yeah and?
Do you perceive this trend as a good thing?

I chose to quote this here, but did I really choose? — unenlightened

I am pretty sure you choose because I didn't.

Live peacefully and don't let others upset you. — Sir2u

:flower:

Think there's a war in the offing. — Banno

I am not sure that there is a war on the horizon but I do know that your leader was quite steadfast and clear about how Australia has its own relationship with China and hopes the US and China can work something out.

I don't think that I should be silenced from expressing a relevant criticism based on my honest opinion. — S

Fair enough

I'm better than being so naive as to think that no one ever plays cards, or that this couldn't possibly be an instance of that. — S

"Possibly playing" a card and saying that "it is being played" are very different.

Maybe this is a post better suited for another thread, but I really do wonder this because I have known other autistic people who could clearly express their limitations and discomforts in situations and even demand that they be treated in a particularly sensitive way, and I never understood why logically (even assuming limited emotional ability) it could not be understood that others would expect similar sympathies and not be treated callously. . — Hanover

Maybe it is a topic for another thread but you bring up a interesting observation and one that feels genuine. I wonder if the concept of reciprocal empathy or reciprocal emotion in general exists in the Autistic mind.
I have little experience with anyone with Autism so I am truly curious.

Playing the autism card. — S

:brow: You are better than that S.

you know, I'm trying my best to be a nice and considerate philosopher. So, perhaps you can help me. If someone has a religious belief which is stupid or ridiculous, what should I do? Should I give them a hug — S

Yippee :party: Gotcha :rofl:
Hugggss work!!!!