@wolfgang59 saidThere are times that - yes, the majority loses out because of the few.
A constabulary needs to sort out the guilty from the innocent.
The fact that peaceful protesters are there at all should tell you
the depth of feeling that is felt by the community. People are
angry. If I was there and in my twenties I might be throwing bottles
but in my sixties I'd be there behind a shield.
Do you want the right of thousands to protest to be curtailed by dozens of rioters?
I support the right to free assembly but let us be sure, criminal behavior where
human lives are taken, many injuries, and a lot of damage to property just
cannot be tolerated.
I will give credit that the crowd did help get the anarchist (so it is said) that
stabbed the brother, but several people have been killed in other protests
and it seems the crowd has not been forthcoming.
It has no been eight weeks since Floyd was murdered. The cop is in jail and
charged with murder.
Suddenly, what we see here is a shift in plans. Now, antifa and BLM are going
for federal courthouses in eight American cities, and they are doing this to
promote confrontation with the FEDS - who had NO jurisdiction in the Floyd
case, nor did the feds have anything whatsoever to do with it. All of a sudden,
all focus is on the feds! Imagine that [cough]
So it is like I said, the leaders of BLM are Marxists and are using BLM to promote
a hidden agenda, revolution.
Think I'm crazy? I think not.
28 Jul 20
@earl-of-trumps saidGraffiti on federal buildings was the initial and official reason for deploying the feds.
Certainly not. Are you saying that what the protesters are doing is the equivalent
to writing graffiti? not even close. Re-read the article.
28 Jul 20
@earl-of-trumps saidThere was no confrontation until the feds turned up.
No question this is CONFRONTATION. From the article, it is clear who started it,
the protesters.
The violence was diminishing. FACT
Trump wants chaos so that he can present a Biden dystopia as the alternative
to Trumpism. I don't think the majority will fall for it as you have.
28 Jul 20
@earl-of-trumps saidFoolish, ham-fisted, and illegal actions on the part of the feds are what fomented the latest unrest.
Certainly not. Are you saying that what the protesters are doing is the equivalent
to writing graffiti? not even close. Re-read the article.
The protesters deliberately set out to go to the courthouse that the feds were
protecting. They hit the feds with things like fireworks and other explosives, shot
them in the eyes with lasers, and have tried to set the building on fire.
This is dangerous criminal behavior. Action should be taken.
29 Jul 20
@soothfast saidIs it really?
Foolish, ham-fisted, and illegal actions on the part of the feds are what fomented the latest unrest.
Damage to federal courts by protesters happened in 8 cities, the feds are in 3 cities
@bunnyknight saidThis is an interesting idea.
A wise old man once said that most of human misery is caused by wealth inequality. The greater the wealth inequality the greater the anger and misery, which eventually leads to total destruction of society.
I think it was more true eighty years ago than it is now. However, it may be more true now for Americans and Westerners in general than it was 30 years ago. It certainly can be seen as the story of a lot of humanity.
But it also isn't.
Epictetus is a great example of someone who faced dire circumstnaces but ultimately chose to be happy -- the man was a former slave, perhaps even lame from years of exploitation, but had chosen happiness by understanding that the events that are beyond his control should not dictate his attitude or feelings.
I know some people who have suffered... but have found a way to put things back into place.
I knew a man who at age 19 came to the big city to be free. His father had died, and his mother could barely make ends meet. He came to have a job and a future. While he was here, he was able to go to punk rock concerts and live as a rocker. He really enjoyed it. But, after a few years, with no good prospects, he returned to the fishing village he grew up in, half-a-dozen hours away from any punk shows by public transport. He then began working six days a week on a fishing vessel and is still out there...
He makes enough to support his mother. No real prospects for economic improvement other than, with age, earning more on the ships, and perhaps eventually only working five days a week. Still likes to drink and keeps a good attitude. He's now in his thirties so the desire for hard partying has largely left him.
He's got his spending money and hsi simple pleasures.
You know, you could choose to have the negative circumstances define your life... or just work within the bounds of it.
If you are better off than a 1st century BC lame slave in his fifties, you can surely choose to be happy.
(Of course, you should still fight for what you believe in... but I still felt called to write this because I think it actually is related to politics.)
29 Jul 20
@Philokalia
Yup. There are people like this that are happy within their uncomplicated world
and there are people that love the game of garnering more and more money.
Can you imagine a world that somehow, starts out with everyone having the
same amount of money in the bank? Greedy con artists will immediately go for
as much money from the lambs as they can get. Conversely, there are lambs
that don't really care beyond life's simple pleasures.
I could list names of con artists but I think I will just let it sit there. The gist is,
you can never get a society where everyone is economically "equal". Can't be done.
29 Jul 20
@earl-of-trumps saidYeah but you can attain an environment where the children of the con artists don’t have a massive advantage over the children of the lambs by levelling the lambs children up through decent spending on education, housing and health for the poor.
@Philokalia
Yup. There are people like this that are happy within their uncomplicated world
and there are people that love the game of garnering more and more money.
Can you imagine a world that somehow, starts out with everyone having the
same amount of money in the bank? Greedy con artists will immediately go for
as much money from the lambs as they can get ...[text shortened]... e. The gist is,
you can never get a society where everyone is economically "equal". Can't be done.
29 Jul 20
@handyandy saidA great many have tried, but failed. Some even lost their lives trying. Yup, total strangers sacrificed their lives trying to improve everyone's life, including yours, and it seems like it was all for nothing.
How many wise young men and women heeded the advice and worked to fix the problem?
29 Jul 20
1 edit
@earl-of-trumps saidIt certainly is true that toxic wealth inequality has not been cured, although some nations came pretty darn close. Unfortunately what happens is that whenever some country decides to pursue a socially just system by distributing their nations resources among their people instead of handing them over to a foreign power, the global capitalist elites immediately label them as an enemy state, beat them down with sanctions, or invent some excuse for an invasion. This happens in south and central America all the time. The pursuit of profit has no bounds and no morals.
Was that wise old man named Karl Marx?
Making people "equal" economically is an impossibility. Period.
The corrupt leaders of any such society attempting economic equality will
*always* cheat the system because leaders always think they are exempt from
common law, and clearly entitled. And by definition, they are totalitarians,
which means, you cannot stop them ...[text shortened]... , and now Venezuela. (and others)
Social engineering is far too complicated for one-gun ideologs.
29 Jul 20
@earl-of-trumps saidWhat if there were no money?
@Philokalia
Yup. There are people like this that are happy within their uncomplicated world
and there are people that love the game of garnering more and more money.
Can you imagine a world that somehow, starts out with everyone having the
same amount of money in the bank? Greedy con artists will immediately go for
as much money from the lambs as they can get ...[text shortened]... e. The gist is,
you can never get a society where everyone is economically "equal". Can't be done.
29 Jul 20
@kevcvs57 saidYou'd never know that by looking at the history of countries that do have that
Yeah but you can attain an environment where the children of the con artists don’t have a massive advantage over the children of the lambs by levelling the lambs children up through decent spending on education, housing and health for the poor.
philosophy built right into their own government. Two quick examples:
Cuba: Before Fidel's death, both he and his brother, Raul, were billionaires. This,
in a country where the average worker earns $25 per MONTH.
North Korea: Kim is work about $500 million, and he, too, has an impoverished
populace, as well.
Tell me, kev, leftists tend do be very concerned a out worker's rights and having
a decent wage, but at the same time, push for a form of government that is the world's WORST at providing same.
Fidel's grandson is considered an international playboy. A jetsetter. Is this fair
that he gets this type of advantage over other young Cubans?
Talking theory is one thing. Putting elitists in charge of the theory is quite
another matter. It never works. All politicians are arrogant, to a degree,
and they think they are entitled. And that's really why it will never work.
29 Jul 20
@bunnyknight
Yes, bunnyknight. And it is called "corruption". And the most corrupt people
in any given nation are usually right at the top of government.
No system works right with elitists in charge
29 Jul 20
@wolfgang59 saidIf there was no money, I would bet the FARM that the elitists leaders would garner
What if there were no money?
more than the average person, one way or the other.
Elitists are mentally and emotionally geared to be above "all those others".