I interpret the commandment against graven images in the context of the time, presuming the Exodus actually happened. The Israelites were basically seceding from Egypt and wanted to differentiate themselves. One way to do that is through language. (I presume the spoken languages were already different.) They cast off the Egyptian writing system, which consists of engravings of birds etc., and went with an alphabetic--i.e. non-pictorial--writing system. The commandment to be monotheistic also fits this; differentiating from the Egyptian polytheistic religion. (It was around that time that King Akhenaten had tried to make Egypt monotheistic, so the idea wasn't new.)

While some take it as a tradition or a custom which is running from a long back and going to continue as well.

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China will become the dominant economy? They mean their billionaires and bosses will become bigger than our billionaires. They already have the bigger economy - and all our jobs. This rivalry between billionaires doesn't mean a thing to us.

UNC Tarheels -- Why do you think they would burn down their neighborhoods? Do you think they are of a different species?

Of course, AIW told you why, but somehow I doubt if you can relate.

We owe more to the SS trust fund then we do to China. I deem those numbers minimal compared to repealing NAFTA, SHAFTA, etc and raising tariffs to eliminate the trade deficit.

Communities such as Sioux City Iowa are now assisting apartment complexes and landlords to do background checks on people looking for an apartment . To make sure anyone who went to prison or got in trouble with the law ever are unable to get a place to live.

,So the poor run out of water and everything else relatively soon, which is structured by our government's policy: 'Keep 'em Stupid, sick and poor'..and video camera phones won't help them..

Whistle Blowing Color..

Thom, design a personality profile/invitory type test measuring the pre police persons' potential for dangerous behaviour. Alas, many aren't that bright so it shouldn't be difficult. Risk, danger and sacrifice are real tough topics and must soon be addressed.

No. What we've seen is media induced expedency. The rioters, and the especially the media, applied enough pressure to force an arrest; in this case, a blanket arrest of everyone involved with Gray that day. They'll worry about "justice" later. The point of the arrests were, I think, to tone down the intensity of the rioting and looting (because, after all, we know that the best way to honor and remember Freddie Gray is by throwing rocks, pipes, bottles, and everything else at the cops and firefighters while robbing stores and burning down buildings and, cutting fire hoses; not to mention trashing his neighborhood). This has a long way to go before there any assemblance of "justice", for Gray, the officers arrested, and for the City of Baltimore. Besides, the law is rarely if ever about "justice". It's about the facts and interpeting those facts.

Reply to #9: It's called a REVOLT, Tarheels. That's how Thom characterizes it anyhow. It's what people do when they've had enough and the justice system isn't serving them. When they protest peacefully, they are simply ignored, so they revolt. It's the final option when all else has failed. That's "why in Buddha's name". Cheers!

I have been trying to get a message to Thom for more than a year now; and now with Bernie Sanders running, it is up to you who will read this ....to let Thom know that I (and the wife) were conservative UNTIL BERNIE DECIDED TO OFFER HIS SERVICES AS PRESIDENT TO THIS U.S.A. of ours..

Now, we know that in the big scheme of things we are on the lower end of the contributor scale...But as immigrants to this country (Ireland and Chile) I/we have a little over $50k. "in Perks", that Bernie, Free Speech T.V, K.P.F.K (Public Radio in our Los Angeles, Riverside County Ca. area) and Shriners Hospital for children... are welcome to, with a single condition that Thom and/or Bernie accept a "Center space of Honor" in one (and/or two) or our 27 unit "Family and Friend's" memorial sites in the South/West of Ireland.......(A section of Ireland I have heard Thom describe as Beautiful) And please take note, these memorial sites are not "For Sale" items.... The facts of which I/we will disscuss with Thom, Bernie and/or their authorized supporters.....

Readers please note: This posting was inspired by the news of this day; in that, those who may be responsible for the death of Mr. Gray, resulting in all of the destruction that followed in the city of Baltimore; if those (although unlawful) acts are not just related to the conduct of Police/Sheriffs and/or District Attorneys in Baltimore...... And, anyone thinking so? should have their "donkey" put into the hands of these "Sons of Bachelors" (or S.O.B's if you like) here in Riverside Ca. Only then would they know what real County Governmental Corruption means.... The wife and I know...... We ask then to those of you reading this, You can contact us at pat.doran@sbcglobal.net Get the nightmare facts...

In an article "From The Wilderness" Micheal C Ruppert made a couple of points I'm inclined to agree with. First we need debt forgiveness for everyone, and we need to get rid of compound interest. Both ideas are based on unlimited industrialized growth with finite resources. Next we need desperately to localize food production and clean up our water supply.