Rant: Politics and Idealism
- Thread starter Satya
- Start date
"If you aren't willing to take a stand for yourself and what you believe in, then why would you ever expect anyone else to take a stand for you?"
Exactly, why should we stand for anything?
I'm quite comfortable with that, even in my 80's I guess.
"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything" - actually was NOT said by Malcolm X, but by Reverend Dr. Peter Marshall, a preacher.
I'd say:
If you don't stand for something, you won't become dogmatic. Being opinionated, just for the sake of it, can even be harmful. I also don't view humans to be political animals as some natural order. To me, the most change to be made is through studying, research, experimenting and informing others. Winning debates is much less effective on the long run.
I'd say:
If you don't stand for something, you won't become dogmatic. Being opinionated, just for the sake of it, can even be harmful. I also don't view humans to be political animals as some natural order. To me, the most change to be made is through studying, research, experimenting and informing others. Winning debates is much less effective on the long run.
DITTO, DITTO, DITTO!!! IMO a big problem is that many of us political idealists think changing things requires control over national government policy, when in fact nearly all sustained, permanent change starts LOCALLY, by winning over the hearts and minds of individuals in one's local community. That is, change must start at the level of civil society.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
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All you silly people's clinging to your guns and Bibles.
Who wants those when we got all the liquor and pot?
All you silly people's clinging to your guns and Bibles.
Who wants those when we got all the liquor and pot?
I never cared much about guns until last year. Now I feel a basic need to have something just in case everything falls through. Not really an apocalyptic inclination, but rather being better off safe than sorry.
I hope you don't take my statement and inference to be as horribly simplistic and ignorant as it may sound. I simply refuse to hand over my political rights to a government that seems to have no interest in my own well being.
Then again, I am confident in my own responsibility and ability to handle a weapon and to secure it from those who don't.
If the entire world could ruin all weapons except the most rudimentary I would be all for it, but that isn't the case. Just the mere knowledge of how to build a gun seems to make that concept completely impossible. The best route in my mind is to embrace the technology, understand it, and respect it to the best of our abilities.
I don't intend to cause needless rebellion, nor do I intend to lay down and be 'owned' outside those I love.
Anybody that learns some basic CNC and has some gunpowder can make a gun. At what point and how much energy do we exert to try to control something that can't be controlled? If someone fully intends to kill someone, they are going to kill them. It might be easier for someone to shoot another from 100 yards without actually seeing the effects up-close, but why do they feel that way in the first place? Is it because they are ignorant? If they can't get the gun, I know of some pretty badass bows that can shoot a good range, crossbows aint bad either. Where does it stop?
What is the root cause of why we seek to kill one another? I merely suggest forgoing the band-aid and solving the root cause.
What is the root cause of why we seek to kill one another? I merely suggest forgoing the band-aid and solving the root cause.
I have not killed anyone, does that make me not human? If I die without having killed someone, does that make me inhuman?
I would think there are influences external to ourselves that could be said to govern the rate and tendency to kill others.
If I was surrounded by 15 people (and no one else) that provided me with everything I need, would I kill them?
If I was surrounded by 15 people (and no one else) that obstructed me from everything I need, would I kill them?
I do not kill someone simply because they are human, nor do I kill them simply because I am human.
Actually, I posted a thread a while back about how I hated being a "self-aware" idealist, which means I still am fully aware of my visions but also aware of how I can make them a reality.
But you know what? You're right.
The thing is, it's easy to get discouraged when it seems like no progress is being made, and sometimes it even seems as though everything is in a regressive state. I certainly do want to make a difference - even if it seems like the best I can do is nudge the world in that direction. It's something I struggle with.
But you know what? You're right.
The thing is, it's easy to get discouraged when it seems like no progress is being made, and sometimes it even seems as though everything is in a regressive state. I certainly do want to make a difference - even if it seems like the best I can do is nudge the world in that direction. It's something I struggle with.
But because you are human, you have the power to kill. Killing a natural thing. Can it be a bad thing, yes, but it's natural. Part of being an animal is having the power to defend and secure what is needed for further survival, and killing sometimes is necessary. I think what you're getting at though, is we're one of the only species on earth that organizes into groups that plots the destruction of other groups based merely on their existence.
Other animals 'war', but we're the only species that looks to exterminate. If we could figure that one out...well I'd be really surprised.
Believe it or not, there are very very serious people, with, otherwise, very serious arguments, who would say, wait, no guns, what about the aliens??
Mind you, they even seem eager to invent aliens, for real, just to have some bugbear for the kids, and for the economy.
Mind you, they even seem eager to invent aliens, for real, just to have some bugbear for the kids, and for the economy.
Then I unsubscribe. I'm joining the dolphins. They can do lots of complex things humans can't.
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I truly do think something outside of our own planetary existence, a universal struggle, is really the only thing that will really cause the world to unite. That is, until we completely understand the human mind and can prove it beyond the shadow of a doubt.
Probably not in my lifetime.
Probably not in my lifetime.