Turns Out Mr. Wikileaks is Mentally Unstable

[Jon Miller]

I think we only had the pledge at certain times after I was a little child. Like maybe football games? I don't remember when the last time I said it, although that might not mean much.

JM

[MikeH]

They probably skip it in the civilised areas and do it in the nutty ones.

[MikeH]

Speaking of nutty areas, in Texas do they pledge allegiance to Texas?

[MikeH]

OMG. Real life is funnier than I imagine.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5020241.html

[MOBIUS]

I knew the place was backwards, but the idea of it actively becoming more backwards as time goes by is rather... disturbing...

[MOBIUS]

Oh, Mr. Assange, will you ever learn? Seeing as this seems to be exactly the way he got into trouble in the first place, if the Daily Mail version of events is anywhere close to true, why he hasn't reevaluated his choice of lifestyle to save himself further embarrassment is the real mystery.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1307137/Supporters-dismissed-rape-accusations-WikiLeaks-founder-Julian-Assange--women-involved-tell-different-story.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

She made him breakfast after!

I think the worst thing in this whole story is the fact that he's obviously a tight bastard.

Other than that, it's a couple of neurotic (mentally unstable?) women seeking some sort of revenge for a situation they were both willing partners in...

[MOBIUS]

That would work better in nations where you can freely hang your laundry out, and don't get arrested for crossing the road in the wrong place.

Amen to that!

[C0ckney]

it's clearly character assassination. there's been a lot of this sort of reporting since the afghan documents were released.

the US and other western powers can't get to the information contained on wikileaks and it would be too obvious to kill him. so instead we hear from certain media sources that he's a pervert, maybe a rapist, that he's mentally unstable, a tyrant in his own organisation. drip, drip, drip, the message to the world being, don't take this guy seriously, and you can be sure they'll be more stories like this once the iraq documents come out. i'm not usually one for conspiracy theories and i'm certainly not claiming this guy is mother teresa, but it seems very clear to me what is happening here.

[MikeH]

Tend to agree.

Plus, all the accusations against him don't devalue the leaked data.

[Snotty]

He's not paranoid, they really are out to get him

[OzzyKP]

Whilst theoretically optional I've heard lots of stories of people 'opting out' of the pledge and being horrendously bullied for it. By pupils and teachers.

Yea, that happens. Unfortunately. Help put a stop to it.

You might be used to it but as an outsider it's very creepy and unsavoury. Plus it has one nation under God in it, which is an issue in itself in a country with separation between religion and state.

There isn't a separation between religion and state. It is more nuanced than that. The state can't "respect an establishment of religion" which basically just means that it can't promote or favor one religion or denomination over another. That is much different than official atheism which many take it to mean. That being said, yes the pledge is kind of creepy and it shouldn't say "under God" in it.

[Asher]

How is saying "Under God" not favouring monotheistic religions?

It promotes monotheism over polytheism and atheism. Don't be dense.

[MikeH]

It's implicitly favouring monotheistic religions.

[MikeH]

PSYCHE!

[Arrian]

The pledge is legitimately creepy. It's just so normal to you that you don't see it that way.

QFT. Blindingly obvious, really.

The "under God" bit (see, see! We're not like them commies!) makes is slightly worse, but that's not the core problem.

-Arrian