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another day in paradise - 12/29/2009 10:48:06 AM

LadyEllen

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Something that occurred to me whilst contributing to Mz Mia’s thread (“the terrible teens”) on the political forum got me thinking. My post was about the terrible effects on ordinary people of the recession we’re in, in terms of the ruin of many an otherwise productive life.

And it is this – that for all the unhappiness of our current situation and prospects, the vast majority of us here live in paradise. Every day we wake up, we ought to shout in joyous thankfulness that we live here in the west and that the most we have to complain about is the TV schedule, the price of petrol (or gas), our internet speed or the weather.

We have somewhere safe and warm and dry to live. We have something to eat and to drink, and more than that stuff that we have chosen as our preference and often in huge abundance.

We can read and write and we understand and can use arithmetic and we can access information on anything our mind turns to with ease. And we can send our kids to school for years on end so they can learn to do the same.

We need not expect, in fearful anticipation, a knock on the door from the secret police for having the wrong friends. We can meet and speak to others and say more or less whatever we like about anything and anyone, including the government. We can access news from all over the world and know what’s going on thousands of miles from us.

We can venture out into the world whenever we like and not have to walk miles to access food, drink and services. We can venture out and feel pretty safe that no one is going to attack us, rob us, rape us, kidnap or kill us, and live free from the fear of organised crime on our doorstep.

We can make a phonecall or send a letter or email anytime we want, and spend hours of leisure time on diversions online. When we want light, we flick a switch. When we grow tired of the internet we can watch TV or play music, inviting the best artistes right into our home, any time we like.

If we’re injured or suddenly fall ill, we can get to a hospital in good time and receive treatments undreamt of just a century ago when many injuries and diseases spelt death. If our house catches fire we know that some brave souls will turn up to sort it out and if we should fall foul of some criminal intent that some other brave souls will turn up to help.

Oh yes. Despite how bad it seems, we live in paradise; if you doubt it, try living in the Congo, North Korea, Afghanistan or downtown Johannesburg, or any of a million other places where life truly is a struggle with more than enough misery for a hundred lives weighed upon your shoulders every day.

We got what we have from the struggles and hard work of our ancestors to make a better life for us their descendants. So your joyous shout of thankfulness need be directed only to them and the ideas that inspired them for our sakes.

I wonder what world we’re willing to sacrifice and struggle for, for our descendants, and how we shall be judged?

E

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RE: another day in paradise - 12/29/2009 10:53:50 AM

thishereboi

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Yup, life is pretty damn good. Thanks for the reminder.

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RE: another day in paradise - 12/29/2009 11:44:00 AM

velvetears

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It's all relative. There are many people with much, except happiness and many people with little and an abundance of happiness.

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RE: another day in paradise - 12/29/2009 11:48:45 AM

CelticPrince

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quote:

It's all relative. There are many people with much, except happiness and many people with little and an abundance of happiness.

tears,

Well put!

CP

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RE: another day in paradise - 12/29/2009 10:48:34 PM

pahunkboy

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and yet. (oh god here he goes again)

there is the fear that we will lose all that.

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RE: another day in paradise - 12/30/2009 8:40:06 AM

Termyn8or

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Yup, appreciate what you have now, because soon enough it is likely to be gone. Even for me. Part of it is already gone for me. I do not call police. I do not ask for government money. I do not ask for anything but to be left alone to live my life.

When they take that away I will go out in a blaze of glory, as the founding Fathers of this country intended. I have a different standard than those across the pond. If they ever tried to put a tax on TV sets here I would probably get one, just to get the chance to tell them to fuck off. The US, in the form in which it was intended, precludes many things, provisions that one by one, they figure out how to get around in one way or another.

One hopeful thing, years ago. They made it federal requirement that you register your microwave ovens. Well OK I know that a microwave oven can be turned into a weapon. Details on request. However the registration requirement was dropped. Know why ? Nobody complied. Right on the box was a statement defining stiff penalties for failing to comply. Still nobody complied.

No amount of security or protection is worth living in a virtual cage, despite the virtual guilding of the cage. It's been said that the most hopelessly enslaved are those who think they are free. It has also been said that the best way to build an escape proof prison is to tear down the walls. It has also been said that those who trade their liberty for security will not get, nor deserve either.

So while I'll agree that it would be hard to do without modern conveniences, there are things that are more important.

Don't take me wrong, there is af course a rift between the opinions and beliefs of US Citizens and those across the pond. This it to be expected by virtue of the fact that we have been subject to different brainwashing than the rest of the world.

Real freedom is not achievable via the ballot box, but rather the cartridge box. Just try overthrowng a government with sticks and stones. But here with guns we can make their lives miserable, make them afraid to go out in the streets. Indeed in days long ago there was bar into which the police would not venture. They would just throw the stretchers in after a brawl. They would come into the bar, but not in their official capacity. They would stop by for a drink after work etc.

They knew full well the establishment operated illegally, and what went on there. But they would not go there in uniform. They knew that everyone in that place had at least one gun. Note that the place was never ever robbed.

I don't know about over there, but the supreme court here has ruled that the police have no duty to protect. So you are not allowed to protect yourself and they have no obligation to do so. Who is left ? Nobody.

Enjoy the paradise while you can, for it is short lived.

T

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RE: another day in paradise - 12/30/2009 9:14:16 AM

SL4V3M4YB3

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Guns again

You have this tea party movement full of rage and still they are not taking to the streets with their guns against the government. You try taking up arms against your government and see how far you get before being branded some cultist whackjob.

Guns don't maintain democracy, democracy is supposed to be about resolving differences without confrontation. So I can't say nothing as once again I see the idea of democracy skewed by this common argument of government fearing an armed citizenry. You have guns they have more guns. Honestly I can’t think of a time when opinions about a leader were so polarised but even now people know there is only one answer to their grievances (if they have them) and it comes around every four years.

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RE: another day in paradise - 12/30/2009 9:33:03 AM

cuckoldmepls

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That's where you're wrong, the opportunity to change government occurs every 2 years on a Congressional level, and that is far more important than electing a president. As far as violent revolution goes, I doubt that it will ever happen unless the government starts kicking in doors attempting to take away everyone's gun, even non assault weapons. You've got 300 million people of which half probably own weapons, and half of the other half agree that they should be able to own weapons. That only leaves 25% who actually believe we should surrender our guns.

You mentioned the military backing up the federal government. Well the fact is that the military is made up of our sons and daughters who support our ideas of limited federal government, low taxes, sovereignty, gun ownership, and compliance with the U.S. Constitution. This is not China. Our sons and daughters would not help stop a full scale revolution, I can promise you that.

I don't see it ever happening though, since most people are too comfortable watching their reality tv in their recliner in their air conditioned living room. It would have to get pretty bad before people would take to the streets, and that's why the socialist are pulling out all the stops to keep the illusion going by attempting to spend us into prosperity.

http://babelishere.webs.com/guncontrol.html

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RE: another day in paradise - 12/30/2009 10:24:46 AM

SL4V3M4YB3

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quote:

ORIGINAL: cuckoldmepls
That's where you're wrong, the opportunity to change government occurs every 2 years on a Congressional level, and that is far more important than electing a president.

Well then you have even less time between potential change, which only makes my real point stronger. Personally I think your two house system is rather flawed but it depends if you are a conservative or a progressive I suppose. The system is stacked against making real change in my view, so you are employing people in government to sit there disagreeing with one another and just ultimately keep the status quo. What is the point of government if it isn’t attempting to learn from failings of the current law as it stands?

When you have two houses each able to say they are representing constituents with votes it means you get two egos fighting one another over who has primacy in making legislation. Even with a majority in two houses the democrats can't prevent obstruction from the opposition.

quote:

As far as violent revolution goes, I doubt that it will ever happen unless the government starts kicking in doors attempting to take away everyone's gun, even non assault weapons. You've got 300 million people of which half probably own weapons, and half of the other half agree that they should be able to own weapons. That only leaves 25% who actually believe we should surrender our guns.

Unlikely that guns will be taken away but only so many companies manufacture bullets and changes in tax regimes my make it prohibitive for them to keep doing so. People that think the guns will be taken away by force really have no imagination as to the different ways a government can skin a cat. I can’t see the real downside of less people having guns it means the standard of training for those that do go up. In any quality system the more of a product you make the more defects you have, it’s a numbers game (the proportion of defects only changes when you look at its failings). Less people have guns means less people go berserk with them.

quote:

You mentioned the military backing up the federal government. Well the fact is that the military is made up of our sons and daughters who support our ideas of limited federal government, low taxes, sovereignty, gun ownership, and compliance with the U.S. Constitution. This is not China. Our sons and daughters would not help stop a full scale revolution, I can promise you that.

I'd like to share this view but I've seen your military getting recruits to refer to themselves in the third person (rather sad and robotic); so that they don't have to think about their personal needs or desire anymore just what they have been instructed to do. An overwhelming amount of evidence points to the fact it is easy to do terrible things if you are delegating your responsibility to someone higher up in the command chain.

quote:

I don't see it ever happening though, since most people are too comfortable watching their reality tv in their recliner in their air conditioned living room. It would have to get pretty bad before people would take to the streets, and that's why the socialist are pulling out all the stops to keep the illusion going by attempting to spend us into prosperity.

Nothing wrong with socialism it just means you put group profit before personal profit. I don't like the idea of taking away from people that have worked hard or come up with good business ideas that make them rich but they have to realise profit and loss is a tiny aspect of humanity. We are all in this together and at the end of it success isn't measured by that which you can't take with you. Some of these callous capitalists belong to the era of ancient Egypt, I was always hoping humanity had moved on from that.

You have a different kind of monarchy now because the rich can pass their wealth down to worthless people that waste their lives consuming. There is such a big gap between the rich and the poor that you can be born into wealth and not do a single days work in your entire life. How can you oppose the idea of the monarchy but be happy with this?

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RE: another day in paradise - 12/30/2009 1:33:18 PM

tazzygirl

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Nothing wrong with socialism it just means you put group profit before personal profit. I don't like the idea of taking away from people that have worked hard or come up with good business ideas that make them rich but they have to realise profit and loss is a tiny aspect of humanity. We are all in this together and at the end of it success isn't measured by that which you can't take with you. Some of these callous capitalists belong to the era of ancient Egypt, I was always hoping humanity had moved on from that.

I just wanted to comment on this part.

I would not have a complaint if these companies stodd on their own, paid taxes like individuals and worked competitively instead of waiting for government handouts, tax write offs and racketeering to make a buck... then tell the employees they have that there is "no money" for raises while they and their wives of the moment go shopping for million dollar homes with the bonuses they make.

just sayin

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RE: another day in paradise - 12/30/2009 11:13:21 PM

Termyn8or

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FR

No matter what, the gravy train will end soon, guns or not. You choose how to survive after that. Wait until the welfare checks bounce. Wait until we hit 40% unemployment. Wait until gangs take over the streets in Mayberry RFD.

Then wait a bit longer and watch the military and police paychecks bounce. Better yet, give them a wheelbarrow with an alarm system. Not for the money, but for the cart. Want to see change ? Are we smarter than the Germans before WW2 ? Or will we fall into a leadership that is truly based on chnage ? Yes, that kind of change. Which is it folks ?

With enough strife a fearless leader could decide that it really is time to get out of the middle east, leave Israel standing there, and every other ally we supposedly have, and turn our resources into taking over a good piece of the continent. Along with all we built in other American countries would then come their agricultural resources. And then after coopting a part of the conquered citizenry down there, maybe think about some bigger plans.

Sure, if that's what you want. I have no heirs, and I don't really care for those who do not care for themselves. So I am happy to jump off as soon as somebody stops the planet, or at least slows down. They never do.

Unless you give them good reason. Sometimes not even then.

That's your choices unless everybody votes for me.

T

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