Gyroscopic Investing

dualstow wrote: Feeling bad for Foley's family right now.
(I don't think we have a current Syria thread, so I'll just put it here).

So is dear follower:
Obama spoke from his vacation on Martha's Vineyard and played golf immediately after delivering his remarks.

Total speculation, but I expect you and I are feeling orders of magnitude more sorry than df.

... Mountaineer

Well, they tried...

US Special Forces Tried and Failed to Rescue James Foley

What about this? Should they have paid up?

Before Killing James Foley, ISIS Demanded Ransom From U.S.

Jan Van wrote: What about this? Should they have paid up?

Before Killing James Foley, ISIS Demanded Ransom From U.S.

No way.

Weird thought.... I wonder how many new Christian saints are being created right now in Iraq? I'm sure this is just as bad as during the Roman years?

Kriegsspiel wrote: Weird thought.... I wonder how many new Christian saints are being created right now in Iraq? I'm sure this is just as bad as during the Roman years?

Not a weird thought at all.  All Christians are simultaneously saints and sinners, but, to answer your question, I expect martyrdom will create many more Christians than existed prior to the current martyrdom, possibly even in Iraq ... at least it did in the past couple of thousand years, being really bad in the Roman years as you mention.  I think the original 12 appostles (minus Judas) were martyred except for John and now we have over two billion Christians.  Christianity tends to thrive in times of intense persecution.

... Mountaineer

TennPaGa wrote:

dualstow wrote:

Jan Van wrote: What about this? Should they have paid up?

Before Killing James Foley, ISIS Demanded Ransom From U.S.

No way.

Why not?  Apparently, the U.S. and Great Britain are the only ones who don't pay.

The U.S. will pay, after the fact and not in a negotiable currency.  The currency will take the form of bombs, bullets, and bombastic rhetoric from the WH.

... Mountaineer

Mountaineer wrote:The U.S. will pay, after the fact and not in a negotiable currency.  The currency will take the form of bombs, bullets, and bombastic rhetoric from the WH.

Can't argue with that. If James were my brother I would have much preferred paying upfront.

Jan Van wrote:

Mountaineer wrote:The U.S. will pay, after the fact and not in a negotiable currency.  The currency will take the form of bombs, bullets, and bombastic rhetoric from the WH.

Can't argue with that. If James were my brother I would have much preferred paying upfront.

If I were James' brother, I would have preferred that the rescue succeed. Paying these people off is counterproductive. Not only will they use the money to further their cause that you oppose, but it also encourages them to kidnap even more high-value targets in hopes of extorting even more money.

Kriegsspiel wrote: Weird thought.... I wonder how many new Christian saints are being created right now in Iraq? I'm sure this is just as bad as during the Roman years?

The last 100 years has seen a bumper crop of martyrs between the Communists and the Islamists. In Russia alone the number of martyrs is conservatively in the millions. Thousands have already been canonized, but most will likely never be known by their names.

TennPaGa wrote:

dualstow wrote:

Jan Van wrote: What about this? Should they have paid up?

Before Killing James Foley, ISIS Demanded Ransom From U.S.

No way.

Why not?  Apparently, the U.S. and Great Britain are the only ones who don't pay.

Ya, it doesn't seem to be working well for the Europeans because ISIS has kidnapped far more Europeans, knowing they will pay and we won't.

That's one of their main finance sources actually.

dualstow wrote: Feeling bad for Foley's family right now.
(I don't think we have a current Syria thread, so I'll just put it here).

They appear to be solid in their faith, a wonderful comfort in times like these when the world seems to be spinning out of control.

http://blogs.lcms.org/2014/parents-of-beheaded

... Mountaineer

It will never happen, but these savages should really be declared Hostis Humani Generis and treated accordingly.

Liberals want big government.
Conservatives want small government.
Reactionaries just want a FUNCTIONAL government, regardless of whether every village idiot gets a vote.

Time to put an end to evil once and for all so that we can all live in peace.

Kill all them foreign bastards.