ITT: I do Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck one better.[views:9259][posts:44]_________________________________________ [May 12,2010 7:09pm - Conservationist ""] I am concerned about the future of America. I am concerned for these reasons: * I love the land. This is a beautiful place. Whether God gave it to us, or Science, or Nature -- well, I don't really care. But it's a gift and I love it. * I love these people, including my people. My kids and grandkids should inherit a functional nation from their ancestors. * I think America serves an important role. Since the rise of the American superpower, the world has been more stable and prosperous. I have come to believe that, as Plato suggested in The Republic, civilizations go through a life cycle: 1. Aristocracy: pick the best people, make them kings, and make their offspring kings 2. Timarchy: rule by military honor and rigor 3. Oligarchy: the rich and powerful collaborate to rule 4. Democracy: one person, one vote 5. Tyranny: a selfish autocratic leader Platos most interesting contribution was pointing out how each of these states led to the next. For example, Democracy works until the leaders find out that The People aren't paying much attention, so they make big promises and enact silly laws, but take home profits for themselves. We call this corruption. A good case could be made that America thrived on a short-lived aristocracy of founders, then survived as a military project to conquer a frontier, then was ruled by robber-barons in the 1840s and after a disastrous Civil War, has become more liberal and more democratic. The next stage is when the people get hoodwinked by a charismatic leader who seizes power and takes control. We're now facing that stage and need to band together to defeat it. Here's what will help us: * Unity of culture, religion and science. If God made it, science tries to understand it. Religion and faith are not incompatible, nor should faith be incompatible with government. * Preservationism. Let's conserve our natural lands and set as much aside as we can so they don't get developed. Forget about the green light bulbs or buying a Prius -- those actions don't do much. * Reduce government. The biggest source of tyranny is a self-serving government bureaucracy that's like a big union, working for its own interests at the expense of our competitiveness. * States Rights. Let each state decide more of how it wants to be. California can legalize weed, and Texas can make machine guns a civil right. I hope you found my little rant informative; I've enjoyed sharing it with you today. The rise and fall of civilizations May it cause tears, sodomy and rancor. |
| ________________________________________ [May 12,2010 7:20pm - blessed offal ""] cool story, bro. |
| ______________________________________________ [May 12,2010 7:40pm - BobNOMAAMRooney nli ""] Riveting anecdote chap |
| _________________________________________ [May 12,2010 7:49pm - blessed offal ""] exeptional tale, compadre. |
| ______________________________________________ [May 12,2010 8:03pm - BobNOMAAMRooney nli ""] Excelsior legend homeslice. |
| _________________________________________ [May 12,2010 8:09pm - blessed offal ""] exemplary narration, ally |
| __________________________________________ [May 12,2010 10:24pm - ancient master ""] scintillating tale, sir |
| __________________________________________ [May 12,2010 10:33pm - BobNOMAAMRooney ""] admirable parable, comrade |
| __________________________________________ [May 12,2010 10:57pm - TheRidersofDoom ""] whoever wrote that was a moron "Since the rise of the American superpower, the world has been more stable and prosperous. " false, America is completely disparate in who is prosperous and who is left to starve. The gap between rich and poor has soared since the founding days. It so happens that the media and TV shows make it seem like there is still some obtainable American dream when there is in fact almost no upward class mobility. "A good case could be made that America thrived on a short-lived aristocracy of founders, then survived as a military project to conquer a frontier, then was ruled by robber-barons in the 1840s and after a disastrous Civil War, has become more liberal and more democratic. " Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. We became more liberal and democratic after the civil war? Tell that to the south who was brutalized with stiff rules and had their resources stripped and carted back north. Also, no more robber barons? What history books did you read, the robber barons hay-day was right after the civil war when all that cheap labor (immigrants and freed-blacks) became available to be used against the skilled natives. I mean, from the civil war up until teddy roosevelt this country was owned by robber-barons. Not to mention we have been in two world wars and many imperial conflicts large and small since then. Any notion that this country has ever been for the people by the people is stupid, wasn't true when the constitution was writ, hasn't been true since then. When was the last time a regular citizen became a rep. at Congress and not some trained political lapdog or rich ass old dude? |
| __________________________________________ [May 12,2010 10:58pm - TheRidersofDoom ""] brice story, nro |
| _________________________________________ [May 12,2010 11:44pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] so i herd u liek democrakips |
| _______________________________________ [May 12,2010 11:59pm - goatcatalyst ""] Post the Guccis, nigger. |
| __________________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:21am - BobNOMAAMRooney ""] [img] |
| _______________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:23am - goatcatalyst ""] Gratzi |
| __________________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:27am - BobNOMAAMRooney ""] An FMPer of discerning tastes knows that a fresh pair of Gucci loafers make the perfect accompaniment to the copy of Bekhira's '96 Demo one just traded a Vinterland tape for. |
| _______________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:33am - goatcatalyst ""] I'll take an order of Vzaeurvbtre with a side of Yosuke the stamp collecting chink |
| _________________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:35am - blessed offal ""] i dont think those are the right ones. isnt it these? [img] |
| __________________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:36am - BobNOMAAMRooney ""] I think they were white perforated leather ones, although this is going from my memory of the thread from like 4 or 5 years ago. |
| __________________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:37am - BobNOMAAMRooney ""] [img] |
| _________________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:37am - blessed offal ""] ryan, i'll bring the bacardi breezers, you bring the ecstasy. |
| _______________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:41am - goatcatalyst ""] Can we rapedance hot bitches to Serbian pop music and then do a panettone ritual with candles? [img] |
| _________________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:45am - blessed offal ""] yea, but we have to make sure spike our hair and wear excessive amounts of spray on tanner. |
| _________________________________________ [May 13,2010 1:05am - BobNOMAAMRooney ""] Shit is so cash. |
| _________________________________________ [May 13,2010 10:56am - autisticretard ""] this guy is pretty smart i think |
| _______________________________ [May 13,2010 11:52am - ark ""] [img] |
| _______________________________ [May 13,2010 11:54am - ark ""] Sure sounds smart doesn't he! Global economy + too many idiots = NO HOPE FOR FUTURE, sorry Plato. oh and brule story co. |
| _______________________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:38pm - BobNOMAAMRooney nli ""] ark said: brule story co. [img] |
| _______________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:40pm - goatcatalyst ""] You big dummy! |
| _______________________________________ [May 13,2010 12:45pm - goatcatalyst ""] blessed%20offal said:yea, but we have to make sure spike our hair and wear excessive amounts of spray on tanner. If oompa loompa club pussy is wrong, I don't wanna be right. |
| _________________________________ [May 13,2010 1:13pm - reimroc ""] bennyhillifier |
| _________________________________________ [May 13,2010 2:52pm - Conservationist ""] [img] ark said:Global economy + too many idiots = NO HOPE FOR FUTURE, sorry Plato. Respectfully, I disagree. Pendulums swing, and even big epic things we think will never change, do. And the pendulum's already in motion, but like all things, starts slooowwwly. You remember Nietzsche rap on hope? Something like "Fuck hope -- I trust action." I may have paraphrased a bit (sorry Fred) |
| _________________________________________________ [May 13,2010 2:59pm - slartisian coordinates ""] TheRidersofDoom said: I mean, from the civil war up until today this country was owned by robber-barons. |
| ______________________________ [May 13,2010 4:00pm - ark ""] Conservationist said:"Fuck hope -- I trust action." Mostly agreed with you, the OP is pretty, but there's no fix for human greed, and many people can't comprehend philosophy. State's rights and multinational corporations - you can't have both. Servants, slaves, Indians, vs. the colonial elite, robber barons, today the words are different but the meaning is the same. The language for the control of the middle class is in plain sight in the Declaration and Constitution - seperate from England to retain profits while mobilize a nation using Romanticism... against England, against the Natives, against the Reds, now against Islam... there is no conspiracy here, you give the rich power and they can mobilize a class against anything. This isn't ancient Greece or Rome, there's no fall of the American Empire as long as there's a global economy and a malleable population (i.e. Tea Party)... what pendulum? It has been swinging from the balcony of the rich since the beginning of time. I mean, this country was content with entrusting their lives with privately-owned insurance corporations. How can you fix that? |
| ____________________________________ [May 13,2010 4:04pm - arilliusbm ""] I dunno what any of this stuff means. |
| ______________________________ [May 13,2010 4:05pm - ark ""] lol. |
| ____________________________________ [May 13,2010 4:15pm - arilliusbm ""] Didn't read anything here but it doesn't matter what form of government is established; corruption always overruns everything. It is this human trait which shall ultimately lead to our demise, unless we enter the next level of conscious thought. The principle desire of the human species is to have power- any form of it. If you're a king, you want more power. If you're a slave, you want freedom and power. Our blood runs thin when power is threatened, which makes way for competition. We aren't united in any for of government. There will always be a distinction of what is, what was, an what will be. Profit, gain, power, authority. Sometimes I wish I was a Buddhist. |
| ______________________________ [May 13,2010 4:33pm - ark ""] You give those with money a unique situation unheard of in human history - limitless land and infinite working population, a ripe slave trade and common popular enemies. Arm the farmers, buffer the frontier, and concede enough rights to keep them alive, give them the illusions of entrepreneurship, private property (or rather 90% of the population 10% of the land) and precious "Representation" (for landowners only), religious freedom, yet with a steeple in every town common, where a loose interpretation of Christianity prevails (leftover from an ancient method of control)... stir that together and in a couple generations you get America, where now we have 300 million people just happy enough to survive on processed food and a job, any job. Preservation and education are our only possible actions... HA...good luck...the machine of control is already here, unlimited knowledge at your fingertips and people only know how to use Facebook and Twitter, pop stars that don't know what a "Germany" is. Here's some Buddhism for ya aril - peace comes from within, do not seek it without. |
| ____________________________________ [May 13,2010 4:37pm - arilliusbm ""] off topic - have you ever meditated? it's better than sex. |
| ______________________________ [May 13,2010 4:38pm - ark ""] meditation is a skill, i'm working on it. meanwhile, blastbeats have treated me well. |
| ____________________________________ [May 13,2010 4:46pm - arilliusbm ""] if you do it correctly, it is something which can make you release your mind. I haven't done it in sometime but will do it soon. for people who philosophize, it is a must IMO. |
| _________________________________________ [May 13,2010 5:20pm - Conservationist ""] arilliusbm said:Didn't read anything here but it doesn't matter what form of government is established; corruption always overruns everything. I like Plato's view: it's a cycle; when corruption overruns, restart the cycle. |
| ____________________________________ [May 13,2010 5:46pm - arilliusbm ""] Conservationist said: arilliusbm said:Didn't read anything here but it doesn't matter what form of government is established; corruption always overruns everything. I like Plato's view: it's a cycle; when corruption overruns, restart the cycle. exactly. But why keep repeating? Plato hit the nail on the head in a lot of his writings, but as the "known world" grew, his philosphy becomes somewhat invalid in certain arguments. Granted the basis is still true, but the world today is much more complex than he could imagine. Those who are oppressed seek the answer to resolve the situation. Tyranny today is not is not what it was back then. Today's tyranny is a blind tyranny: we live in a subtle, yet tyrannical oppression with many different pimples affecting the whole aspect of our lives. We must strive to pop each pimple, and let the tyrannical puss ooze out so everyone can see it. The only way this can happen today is by figuring out ways to have a global society where sovereignty still resides and is respected. Right now we are moving towards a global tyrannical government and people are not aware of this, or are afraid to accept it. Something has to happen, whether it be 1776, a spiritual awakening, or a massive event which affects the global population. We are a boiling pot of water; what we need is the water to fall put of the pot and extinguish the flame. The tea party is not the answer - our boiling water will not be used for tea. It will be used to stop it from boiling. Amerika is dead, and as been since the 1950s. |
| _________________________________ [May 13,2010 5:52pm - reimroc ""] Joe Christianni used to be into sikk tribals, but now he's all about hunting bears...and not the kind that live in the woods. Teehee. |
| ______________________________ [May 14,2010 7:18am - Yeti ""] ark said:You give those with money a unique situation unheard of in human history - limitless land and infinite working population, a ripe slave trade and common popular enemies. Arm the farmers, buffer the frontier, and concede enough rights to keep them alive, give them the illusions of entrepreneurship, private property (or rather 90% of the population 10% of the land) and precious "Representation" (for landowners only), religious freedom, yet with a steeple in every town common, where a loose interpretation of Christianity prevails (leftover from an ancient method of control)... stir that together and in a couple generations you get America, where now we have 300 million people just happy enough to survive on processed food and a job, any job. Preservation and education are our only possible actions... HA...good luck...the machine of control is already here, unlimited knowledge at your fingertips and people only know how to use Facebook and Twitter, pop stars that don't know what a "Germany" is. Here's some Buddhism for ya aril - peace comes from within, do not seek it without. bam. well said. |
| _________________________________________ [May 14,2010 1:36pm - BobNOMAAMROoney ""] reimroc said:Joe Christianni used to be into sikk tribals, but now he's all about hunting bears...and not the kind that live in the woods. Teehee. |