Someone mentioned war "screwing up the Lebanese economy for five years for no reason." But does it really? Let's look at what people seem to value: TV sitcoms, world cup soccer, movies, recreational drugs, driving fast, video games, political debate and intrigue, and social networking. And what they don't seem to like, once they have all those things, is life itself, in the form of having children and expanding the population.So I ask you, is war on TV, and even as a participant, not the greatest thing a person could feel content and energized participating in? Do not people want to feel they are part of a tribe, are not they happiest as a member of a tribe at war? Can not such a thrill be enjoyed more equally by the broad masses, than for example the pleasure of wealth or a beautiful wife? And is the satisfaction of human dispositions not the ultimate goal of economic production? I say as long as pretty girls are scarce, war is the cheapest good to mass-produce and distribute the most evenly. Longevity is a disease that is cured by television.I knew an alcoholic who spent three days of every week face down on the floor, for years without interruption. I saw him the day the WTC towers fell, sitting up watching the replay intently on TV. He didn't drink for five months starting the moment the towers fell. That is the longest he stayed sober before or since. Watching the war on TV, and being a part of one of the nations or "teams" involved in the drama, absorbed his attention, and did what alcohol did for him. It fed his human desires.Members of Hezbollah, and people in Africa, have probably tried getting jobs, but found it lacked glory. So if the economic good they enjoy is not Sunday football but war, who would deny them that pleasure? Let them produce it. Drop bombs on their heads and let them be happy, and think they are going to Heaven. We should keep a socialist/tribal country around just so all those kinds of people can go there, and drunks can sober up watching us drop bombs on their heads.You could make a moral argument that being a war fan is an un-Christian way to live. But you could make the same argument about being a sports fan, or a paintball participant, or a pornographic film producer. And who is interested in Christian morals these days?Lebanon: War City. It's like Las Vegas for the beard-and-turban crowd. It's a sin, but it's still an economic good.

You certainly seem to have your finger on the pulse of joe six-pack.

QuoteOriginally posted by: doreillyYou certainly seem to have your finger on the pulse of joe six-pack.I know a guy who used to work as a security guard all night at an office building in the middle of party neighborhood. He'd socialize in the street in front of the clubs, or party on the roof until maybe three AM. Then he'd nap until he got off work, and go pick up tourist girls at the hotel pools along the beach, or just sleep in a cabana. He was homeless, as he did not need a home.He'd get his check every other Friday, and blow it completely on crack (or sometimes on the gambling boats) by the next morning. Having usually gotten his shoes stolen, he'd go to Macy's on Saturday, and steal two complete Ralph Lauren outfits. He'd sell one for enough money to get a haircut. Then he'd look good enough to steal everything else he needed from CVS pharmacy or Publix grocery store.He has since lost his job as a security guard, but has no need to get a new job. Each day, seven days a week, he wakes up outdoors somewhere and steals breakfast and toiletries at the drug store. Then he sits around somewhere, until he gets a nickel which he can pass off as a quarter to take the local bus to the grocery store where he steals some gourmet food. Then he kicks around for a while, goes back to the drugstore, and steals a bottle of Cuervo 1800.He takes a couple cabs around without paying, and pays with a black eye the 50% of the time he is too drunk to run when the cab stops. The police drag him out of the gutter and dump him off at the address on his license. Then the next day he wakes up, steals a new set of clothes at The Gap, an electric toothbrush, goes down to the beach, and starts again.He shoplifts about three times every day. Sometimes he gets caught, and just tells the cashier, owner, or security guard to buzz off until they give up following him. They aren't bounty hunters, they have no handcuffs, what can they do if they do catch him? They are powerless to even confiscate what he has taken. He has no car or home, so when he runs off he is gone.He is sure of several things, 1) he is the greatest, 2) one day he will get his big break and be a superstar, and 3) the world isn't keeping up its end of the bargain in its relationship with him.edit: He didn't actually lose his job as a security guard, he just lost his shift and post at the building with the modeling agency in it. Being "weekend supervisor" at some gated condo complex didn't appeal to him, so he stopped asking for hours.

double

In rugby the final outcome is never known with certainty, unless the All Blacks are playing. In soccer it can even go to penalties; keep ya on the edge of your seat till the end.

Dear great Judoka Cuchulainn:Of course War.Since: War can save the world into the very best optimal equilibrium point.Since II: Futbol is just a play. However, be careful: All the superstar succer players are true geniuses with very, very high intelligence, say, IQ250: Looney, ZZ, Materatti, etc. etc.I have to admit that succer football is a very, very tactial sport.TooNeat who cannot play futbol

Quotefarmer: And who is interested in Christian morals these days?God.