talkpolitics | (no subject)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12466875

Malaysia's religious Big Brother scooped up 80 people for being in hotel rooms together without being married as part of a crackdown on that most immoral of holiday's Valentine's Day. These people, which include teenagers, face up to two years in jail.

Now while Malaysia isn't in the Middle East it is a majority Islamic country noted for being fond of religious-based crackdowns among other things. So I can't help but wonder if what's happening in the Middle East now couldn't ripple out there. A lot of the conditions seems right. especially young people wanting reform and the presence of social media. Of course, the political situation is rather different. Perhaps Wikileaks needs to drop something.

In any case, I don't think this state of having religious zealots looking over your shoulder day in and day out can go on for too much longer there. Forget voting. Forget being beating by cops. If you want people to revolt screw with their ability to get laid!

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I like the idea of Mike Huckabee for next-door neighbor. For President? Talk about a real-life Nehemiah Scudder. *shudders.*

I suppose I should stop being enamored of people just because of cute stories like them eating fried squirrel in college.

There was a great story in Texas Monthly about squirrel hunting. Apparently it was far more common when there were more wooded areas, but those areas are now clear-cut every so often by timber and paper companies. Deer adapt better to that than squirrels, so now we "hunt" deer.

Considering that Huckabee just said that "Abortion transcends all other issues as far as he's concerned", I guess he's a scratch.

I'm not sure if it's Huckabee that scares me or some of the people who support him. As bad a time as I give you over your hyperbole on the Scudder types; I admit I know people like that. But what's worse (in my opinion) are the people who would support them, just because it's seems like a good idea.

And there we agree. I can respect the Scudder types for believing what they believe honestly. I do respect people who hold beliefs that repel me if they actually mean them (if, on the other hand, God's going to take your soul to Heaven unless you get a million dollars for your financially troubled private university.....). The useful idiots, OTOH, are people my contempt for actually is worse than the sincerely mistaken/evil (there are some people I will use that term for no hesitation).