mikebutt

The House of Commons is supposed to represent the people. Thats the whole point of a lower house as opposed to an upper house. If we can get a system that actually reflects exactly where each vote goes, all the better I would say. As Kwas pointed out, it would keep us from having a party with 30% of the vote and 60% of the seats. And how exactly are we going to ease up on party discipline?

Counting Crows - Friend of the Devil

So you think invading Iraq was the proper response to the threat of terrorism? How about Syria, Jordan, etc, etc, etc,? Do you feel they all need to be invaded now too?

And pretty. You have to look pretty too. It makes me sick actually. If Schappelle Corby weren't hot, no one would have given a fuck.

That is true that the cold war almost turned hot at least once or twice (and who knows how many times behind closed doors), but the point is that it didn't. It never came to that because politicians aren't stupid. And the cold war was a situation where two nations with opposing ideologies who were sworn enemies whose citizens were taught to hate each other still never managed to pull the trigger. What we have today is simply the growth of new centres of power all around the world. There are tense situations for sure such as the US and China over Taiwan but the US and China do get along and trade and all other relations still exist.

Competition does not equal war, and at the risk of sounding inflammatory I think thats a very simplistic way to think. Just look at the cold war. The two most powerful nations on earth armed to the fucking teeth and just staring each other down. But we're all still here. Politics has moved on a lot from WW2. The stakes are too high to be fighting each other and everyone realizes it. No two nuclear armed nations have ever been at war with one another. India and Pakistan have fought before and they still don't get along well, but they won't go to war anymore because they both have nukes now.

Nothing for the time being, but the geopolitical order is changing. Europe will likely someday be acting in an international sense as though it were a single state. India and especially China will grow to superpower size someday. Brazil is going to be able challenge the US in Latin America. Russia is getting back on its feet and will wield some power again. I believe that eventually a geopolitical order will emerge that will be able to pressure the US and provide real competition for it.

Just to add a quick note, its about security interests as well as economic interests. And when I say security interests I don't mean combating terrorism. If the United States was interested in combating terrorism they wouldn't be wasting time in Iraq. I mean base deployment and that sort of thing. Basically it's about the US doing whatever it damn well pleases.

Hustler? The porn magazine? Nice to see Hustler doing some hard hitting investigative journalism. And by "hard hitting investigative journalism" I mean interviewing some nutjob.

The Corner by Common "The dirt isn't just fertile, its people workin' and earnin' this The curb getters go where the cats flow and the current is."

I think rock lyrics come line by line in a structured format. Notice how in say, a Matt Good song there is a pause between lines, whereas in rap its always flowing. Of course, I mean that generally. There are exceptions in rock and alternative as well as there are rappers who attempt excercise tonality in their rap.

Well, I can interpret rap vocals as being more fluid and dynamic because they are more fluid and dynamic. When I say fluid and dynamic I mean that the lyrics flow rather than coming line by line in a structured format. However, you make a good point when you say that rap is generally less tonal. Most rappers (in fact pretty much all, with a few exceptions) do talk moreso than sing. Rappers don't sing, they rap. However, skill is still involved, but its not the same kind of skill that singing takes. Its based more on a rappers ability to create a distinctive sound for himself through the flow of the vocals, and also his ability to write lyrics. For example, Eminem. I don't like Eminem. His lyrics are bad and his music is even worse, but the one thing he has is a distinctive rapping style, largely based on the heavy usage of assonance. You are obviously a person who places a lot of value on the sound of music. The interplay of rythm and melody. And thats fine. Thats your preference. But I view music as art, just like painting. Thats not to say that I don't find rap pleasing on a sonic level as well, but ultimately it's all about expression, which is why I hate mainstream rap just as much you. It's all image, as you pointed out. But there is some rap, none of which gets airplay as far as I know, although I don't listen to the radio, that is concerned with a message and with creating something new and interesting, not just repackaging the same shit that was in the number 1 spot last week.

Girl you have no faith in medicine - The White Stripes

No I mean everyone as in 100% of the people who have expressed an opinion on who they feel was right, feel that you are wrong. Look, if you'd like to prove that you are right, just try and explain why you don't feel rap is a valid form of music. The only attempt at an explanation that you made was in your first post and your reasoning was a little bit broad and generalized. Fundamentally, rap is just like any other music except that the vocals are more fluid and dynamic, and the music tends towards being rythmatic rather than melodic. Therefore I feel rap is a valid form of music just like any other. There is a bit of good rap and a whole lot garbage, just like any other style of music. Counter-point?

Matt Good - WLRRR Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the head Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism

The Doors - The End

Actually we all talk that way too. The other day in a seminar I heard some grad students talking about how Kissinger allegedly conspired to pop a whack nigga.

Happy Pills by Aesop Rock

Wow. I never thought I'd see someone on a general interest politics board talking about mixed member proportional electoral systems. As a political science student I would just like to say that mixed member proportional systems are the shiznit motherfucker.

Post number 10! Hooray for me! How blatantly am I just posting for NF$?

Uh-huh. Everyone disagrees with you, therefore everyone must be wrong. Your debating skills are truly legendary. I tip my hat to you good sir.

Maverick, you're not arguing you're just being dismissive. In my first post I said that you were closed minded. That was my "whole point" that I referred to. In my second post I made specific reference to what you said that made you sound closed minded. If you want to have a debate, then please, explain to me why you feel you're opinions are valid. By which, I mean, your opinions on why rap is not a valid form of music. As for Aesop Rock, hes great. The lyrics are a little overly cryptic, but I think they're very entertaining. Try and get the whole album "Labor Days" if you can. It's friggin excellant.

I'm not going to make a point for point criticism of your post because I don't feel the need to take all your points out of context and deal with them that way. Your completely ignoring the point of my post which was that you're reasons for not liking rap are bullshit. From what I can tell they are as follows: Rap is made by black people who say nothing but "yo". Rap music is synthesized. Synthesized=Bad. As a couple of people have backed me up on here, there are many rappers whose lyrics are excellant, and who would never stoop to to rhyming yo with yo. Or saying yo at all. Also, a lot of rap uses real instruments. And the stuff that doesn't? Just because it isn't guitar, bass, and drums doesn't mean it is invalid as a form of music. And as for calling me racist, I made that point to show that you don't even know who I'm talking about. Your expressing opinions about something you are completely unfamiliar with. Thanks for being smug and arrogant.

Maverick, that's probably the most ignorant thing I've read regarding anything. You hit the nail on the head. If your intent was to make an intolerant jackass of yourself. First of all, I'm not going to accuse you of being racist, but I am going to say that you definitely sound racist. "some negro"? What kind of neanderthal are you? I would also like to point out that you have obviously never heard of the artists that I've referred to because at least two of the are actually white. Therefore you are ignorant of the topic, could not possibly have a valid opinion, and shouldn't even be wasting my time and yours by posting. And, most importantly, I'd like to remind you that mainstream music is almost always shit. Rap just happens to be the face of it right now. This is why you have terrible, terrible artists like Nelly, 50 Cent, Ja Rule, etc, etc, dominating the airwaves. Some of us, who are actually OPEN MINDED are able to see past that and appreciate the small percentage of rap that is actually listenable. Matt Good himself had nothing but good things to say about K-OS on his blog the other day.

I love the one where where J-Rocs posse talks him into getting arrested. "And I'm on crack!"