Can we argue about something important?

[taterguy]

Like whether or not the Wright Brothers facilitated oppression and environmental devastation by inventing the airplane 105 years ago today?

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. No, this is GD. If you want to argue something worth arguing, go to the Lounge.

You'll also get a much better and less flamey argument there, too, that's actually interesting, nuanced, and healthy. With maybe some fart jokes thrown in, but it's better than the screaming at each other that goes on here.

[damntexdem]

21. That's right -- there's no time to take a flyer on this one here.

You'll never get such a discussion off the ground, no matter how you try to wing it.

[Parche]

2. 205?

more like 105

205 would be 1803, before the horse and buggy

:hi:

[taterguy]

4. I hate TyPo Nazis

[Posteritatis]

3. Man, I bet Napoleon wishes he'd known about that one.. (nt)

[unpossibles]

5. no (nt)

[boozepusher]

6. I blame the cave man that invented the wheel.

He or she started it all.

[RB TexLa]

7. Airplanes oppress people?

[taterguy]

8. Ask the people in Hiroshima

[boozepusher]

11. They weren't really opressed

more like incinerated.

[Bucky]

14. Plus most of them were meanies

[Shiver]

17. The worst kind of oppression. eom

[DJ13]

9. I think you should blame Leonardo DiVinci

He drew up the plans long before those brothers did.

[Bucky]

16. Plus he was a dead white male Man-oppressor

You know he only got into art so he could set up an upstair studio for pickin' up chicks.

He would have been more enlightened if only someone had stopped to tell him, "Have a blessed day".

[El Fuego]

10. I was oppressed at the airport recently by security people.

[taterguy]

13. Did you know that lighters won't set off the metal detectors but nicotine patches will?

:wtf:

[boozepusher]

15. So will condoms.

Just ask the 15 year old kid in line behind me last year or his mom.:evilgrin:

[Bobbie Jo]

12. Define "important."

:shrug:

I would assume arguing about the relative "importance" of your question wouldn't qualify? :P

[MedleyMisty]

18. It was today?

Funny - I live in North Carolina and so we learned a lot about the Wright Brothers in school and I always thought it was on my birthday, December 17. Like this site says - http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec17.html

[taterguy]

19. Are you gonna trust a government site?

That's what they want you to believe

[Howzit]

20. And now we are going to trust inventors to come up with renewable energy, without

causing more trouble?

[taterguy]

22. You got a better idea Einstein?

[Howzit]

24. Just trying to establish if you are a Luddite or not...

[taterguy]

26. Would a Luddite be posting on an Internet message board?

:shrug:

[Howzit]

27. A luddite might rail against one form of technology, while using another to communicate his point

Ted Kaczynski springs to mind - used a typewriter to inform the world, and used his own technology to punish others for promoting their's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Kaczynski

It matters not if the term luddite is appropriate - what is strange is the idea that one technology can be bad and another good without looking what each is being used for.

[catnhatnh]

23. Sure can...They where 2 years too late...

The ACTUAL faciltator was Gustave Whitehead...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Whitehead

Actor Cliff Robertson flew an unpowered replica towed behind a car in about the early 80's verifying the basic flight design. Funny story told to me by his grandson (he worked with my dad)...In school he got in trouble when a teacher would asked about who was the first to fly an airplane and he defiantly insisted the correct answer was "Grandpa"...And the teacher became more confused when his parents insisted he was correct...

I saw an article once on how the Smithsonian came to possess the Wright Flyer...the deal was that the Wright's insisted they uphold in perpetuity their claim of first flight or surrender ownership to their heirs. Oddly enough the Smithsonian seldom mentions old Gustave...

Editted to clear mind fart...It was Cliff Robertson, not Robinson as I originally posted. Oh yeah,and while piloting it at low level he struck a newspaper photographer from the Bridgeport (later Connecticut) Post, breaking his arm.

[rucky]

25. They made Dayton what it is today.

Does that answer your question?

[youthere]

28. It's worse than you think..

I hold the Wright bros. personally responsible for the mass oppression and subjugation of women everywhere. They invented the airplane...it was only a short walk before we needed stewardesses for the businessmen in first class to fondle. DAMN YOU WRIGHT BROTHERS!!