Post #234,050
11/14/05 1:21:23 PM
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I know you saw the caveat.
What I object to is the widely held myth, perpetuated ad nauseum by our vaunted corporatocracy, that the only virture in life is to amass as much private wealth as you are capable. Worse, that this greed, this egotism, this drive to have more is widely accepted as human nature. As if there is no gregarious, co-operative sentiment within your typical homo sap. It's nonsense, of course. But it does help perpetuate the market and it does keep the flow of more and more wealth headed into fewer and fewer hands. If that's what it is to be human, then there sure as hell isn't much worth being human for.
bcnu,
Mikem
It would seem, therefore, that the three human impulses embodied in religion are fear, conceit, and hatred. The purpose of religion, one might say, is to give an air of respectibility to these passions. -- Bertrand Russell
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Post #234,051
11/14/05 1:29:13 PM
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like a local bidnessman said
you could redistribute all of america's wealth equally to all citizens, in a few days the same people would end up with all the money. Nature is tooth, claw, nurturing and mentoring. Human nature also pretends that there is a devine part as well. Corporacracy is naked greed that should have checks and balances, thats where traditional western societies had a mandated religious tax and all charity disbursments were made thru the religious odies. Now when we designed our country we didnt want a religious faction ruler uber alles. We didnt however replace it with a dedicated flow of charity.
thanx,
bill
"the reason people don't buy conspiracy theories is that they think conspiracy means everyone is on the same program. Thats not how it works. Everybody has a different program. They just all want the same guy dead. Socrates was a gadfly, but I bet he took time out to screw somebodies wife" Gus Vitelli
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 49 years. meep
questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
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Post #234,056
11/14/05 1:36:03 PM
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I've heard that Straw Man before.
"Redistribute the wealth more equitably and the same people will end up with more than anyone else." The first myth (the prime directive myth of capitalism?) would likely yield those results. We're too fscked at this point. Too many McDonald's, too much MTV, too many cars, too many ads, too much incessant bizness propaganda, too much fear, too much xenophobia, too little thought ..., there's just no savin' it. But that doesn't mean it's human nature.
bcnu,
Mikem
It would seem, therefore, that the three human impulses embodied in religion are fear, conceit, and hatred. The purpose of religion, one might say, is to give an air of respectibility to these passions. -- Bertrand Russell
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Post #234,105
11/14/05 4:38:19 PM
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Pshaw
"you could redistribute all of america's wealth equally to all citizens, in a few days the same people would end up with all the money." What, you think Junior Bush rose to wealth and power on raw ability? Do you imagine little Billy Gates could retrieve his billions once people saw him coming and knew the consequences of collaborating with him? In the latter instance, Gates was cunning and ruthless and, at a couple of crucial early turns, lucky, and while he could likely prosper even if he had to start over from nothing, he has no personal qualities or abilities that destined him to vast wealth. As to Bush, I use him as shorthand for that class of privilege born into wealth who have rationalized that their fortunes are tributes to talent. Or do you believe that had Dubya been snatched by gypsies as a tot and raised by the Shlobotniks (George Shlobotnik Sr., a milkman; Mabel Shlobotnik, a housewife) in Milwaukee he'd ever have owned a baseball team or fronted for a plutocratic cabal?
cordially,
Die Welt ist alles, was der Fall ist.
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Post #234,131
11/14/05 6:47:56 PM
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dubya couldnt figure out what hand to wipe with
but the old man and its cabal of Slickernaughts would do very well, and billg might start by snatching purses or pursing snatches but would regain because like trump he understands the art of the deal. Figure out who needs to buy something. Find said item and by hook or crook get it cheaper than you plan to sell. Since the average american cant figure out how to stockpile a 3 day supply of drinking water I assume that a few of the players might change, the majority wont.
thanx,
bill
"the reason people don't buy conspiracy theories is that they think conspiracy means everyone is on the same program. Thats not how it works. Everybody has a different program. They just all want the same guy dead. Socrates was a gadfly, but I bet he took time out to screw somebodies wife" Gus Vitelli
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 49 years. meep
questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
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Post #234,145
11/14/05 7:44:49 PM
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Old Man Dubya
Also born to wealth and privilege. Far from the worst president we ever had—I wasn't crazy about him, but unlike the incumbent he didn't cause me to bolt awake each morning wishing for his aortal artery to unravel violently—but thee and me would likely never have heard of him but for the awful resonance of inherited wealth.
cordially,
Die Welt ist alles, was der Fall ist.
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Post #234,156
11/14/05 8:42:34 PM
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when you sit as top dog in the CIA
there are boat loads of buried treasure to be had for the taking, as well as those whitebread prod bastards on the east coats who think an automobile sounds like a crow. Between Prescott and Old Joe they took what they wanted.
thanx,
bill
"the reason people don't buy conspiracy theories is that they think conspiracy means everyone is on the same program. Thats not how it works. Everybody has a different program. They just all want the same guy dead. Socrates was a gadfly, but I bet he took time out to screw somebodies wife" Gus Vitelli
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 49 years. meep
questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
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Post #234,180
11/14/05 10:50:33 PM
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and Poppa Bush was top dog in the CIA...
on the basis of raw merit rather than privilege? I think not.
Die Welt ist alles, was der Fall ist.
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Post #234,182
11/14/05 10:53:11 PM
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Its called "who is passing out the dumplings"
you share spoils with friends and peers. From Wild Bill Donovan to Dulles to whoever the hell is in there now, all thin lipped white boy prods from the north east.
thanx,
bill
"the reason people don't buy conspiracy theories is that they think conspiracy means everyone is on the same program. Thats not how it works. Everybody has a different program. They just all want the same guy dead. Socrates was a gadfly, but I bet he took time out to screw somebodies wife" Gus Vitelli
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 49 years. meep
questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
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