modifier

I see what you’re seeing but it doesn’t look to me like it’s actually supporting the weight, it looks like the weight is being supported more under the deck itself.

Two of mine have the pouch and are both otherwise pretty trim. We like to say it ‘sways majestically’ as they walk or trot.

If I could, I would too.

The way they seem to approach enforcing this legislation seems to be very thoughtful, but this is uncomfortably close to prosecuting thought crime.

Singapore, as ever, is an interesting and novel place.

I am happy with their actions but highly skeptical of their motivations.

Bet you turned your MBE in years ago.

Well, that was a valiant attempt to establish a cohesive through-line to your various points. Let’s just chalk it up to my poor reading comprehension and let it go there. Have a good one.

This is what I was responding to, and I could swear you wrote it (emphasis mine):

Still shouldn’t be pretending that crusty old useless institutions have anything of value to add.

So are you even sure what point you are trying to make? You say they can’t add value, I suggest they can, and your response is that just because they can doesn’t mean they do, and…yeah? But what does that have to do with your original point? Do we need to start over?

Or I can engage on your new point. It is valuable for the Catholic Church to change their stance, and that value is not diminished by the fact that they had to, as you say, be dragged kicking and screaming. If their old view was harmful and their new view is less harmful, then that has value, and based on their reach, substantial value that could translate into a better overall quality of life for many, many people.

Whats not valuable is shitting all over anyone who wasn’t as quick to be as awesome as you are. You’re just spreading poison. No one is asking you to admire the Catholic Church, least of all me, but there is nothing at all wrong with speaking supportively about a good thing, even if it is too late and not enough.

You hate the catholic church - got it, so do I. You wish they didn’t exist, well ditto but guess what they fucking do. Complaining about their existence on a thread about them making a tiny bit of progress is just high school edgelord shit.

If you were proposing to create a crusty old institution where there previously were none, I would agree they have no value to add.

But as an imbedded institution that has centuries of built up influence - right or wrong, those institutions can add a lot of value, particularly in cases like this where they are being led someone who is progressive relative to the mainstream of said institution.

If we scoff at any progress that isn’t ‘enough’ progress, we will find it tough to find a broad base of support to eventually get to ‘enough’.

Thank you for this!

I have a question but I want to make it clear that I am asking in good faith as I fumble my way through understanding the complexities of geopolitics, and I am not casting aspersions or pushing a conspiracy theory. I am especially not taking a position in defense of Israel, or against their accountability to the ICC.

Okay, that said: Is South Africa pushing this at the behest of Russia, like as a BRICS thing? The only other thing I can think of is that this helps improve the image of an embattled ANC at home.

I get why they have a unique perspective given their defeat of apartheid, and that’s likely the steelman for why they are advancing this, but that just seems like too pat of an answer.

I would love additional perspectives on this.