Dec 2 2012: My God, Roger. You ought to get out more, son ! "All out" ? aka genocide, right? Thermo-nuclear variety or a more conventional approach? The Israelis would need a load of ammunition, if the latter option was chosen.
Nov 26 2012: The WW 2 was closely followed by practically full employment, an era when the US was mining and drilling and milling and manufacturing for itself, like we in the UK used to do.
Along come Thatcher and "Reaganomics" and we decide to make huge swathes of our own people redundant in favour of cheaper imports. Colombian coal shipped to British power-plants, for example. Coal mined by children as young as 5. How the hell can a developed nation's workforce compete with child slavery? A question I've been asking since the 80s : We export all our jobs to China, China exports all its unemployment to us; THEN WHAT ?
Our problem in the 1st world is, we don't know what the hell we want, but we know we want it cheap! Dozens of Chinese workers have commited suicide in the plant that churns out funky gadgets for Apple because of the concentration-camp conditions. Why not have a factory in the US making the damned things? OK, an iPad / Pod / Phone would cost a few more bucks. Big deal ! It would've created thousands of badly needed jobs !
Protectionist ? OK, if you like to call it that, better that than entire (formerly industrial) cities full of (formerly industrious) people with nothing to do but seek refuge in drug or alchohol induced oblivion.
Nov 26 2012: The Republicans are finished as a realistic option for the American electorate because all they have to offer is wishful thinking, dogmatic, wind-the-clock-back BS. Romney managed to alienate half the voters in one go, on more than one occassion; ie women, in one instance, non-rich people on another. The demographic has changed beyond recognition ( to a Republican ) in the USA. They blew billions preaching to the choir and completely failed to realise that the America of the near future wil be predominantly non-white and non-"traditional". Taking legal control of women's bodies, divorcing gay couples by Constitutional Amendment, making life "so uncomfortable" for upwards of 10 000 000 illegal aliens that they "self deport" ? What is that if it isn't living in the past?
Add to all that the obscene wealth of that asset-stripping sociopath and honest, upright, working people were supposed to believe he feels their pain? Incredible! He has no clue what ordinary people go through to try and make it work. ( Oh, and - if you're a girly -" be home in time to make dinner".)
Those dinosaurs need to die off before their party stands any chance of election.
Nov 25 2012: We admire them, we'd like to be like them but realise we've missed the boat, or, if we're honest, we admit to ourselves we don't have what it takes. So we adopt them as mascots and enlist them into the service of our tribes. I use the term "tribe" loosely. Your neighbourhood, your city, your school, your nation..........
Nov 25 2012: Roger, I don't attempt to belittle anyone's faith. I'm a man of faith myself, though my faith is tested each and every day by premeditated acts of barbaric cruelty and environmental vandalism. Both constitute blasphemy, as far as I'm concerned. This blue-green ball we call home is, as far as we know, the only place in all Creation that can sustain us. We've known that for a long time, yet we continue to defile it. God (or, if any reader prefers, the Architect of the Universe) gave us this Garden of Eden, and His patience must be wearing thin at the way we treat it and each other.
Regarding Jesus, it matters less whether He actually walked the Earth than the fact that He has had more influence on more people's lives than any other. I'm trying to say we should ask less of the Almighty and demand a great deal more of ourselves, given the priceless bounty bestowed on us. We need, urgently, to become better ancestors. Better custodians of our beautiful planet, for the sake of all who will come after us. We have geniuses among us, who strive earnestly to undo the damage. We need to raise such people up, put them front and centre ! Then get behind them with whatever resources they need. I digress, a character trait of mine. Israel and Palestine ?
God alone knows ! But remember, "Blessed are the peace-makers."
Nov 25 2012: The endorphine rush. Goals and glory. Initially, men could test their strength / skill without killing each other.
Also, they could show-case their prowess and hopefully impress the girlies. Pretty much the same reason some elderly men drive fire-engine red sports cars, it screams "Check me out, ladies, see what a hunter / gatherer I am !" But that's the same reason that men do practically everything. Like gorillas thumping their chests, like stags clashing their antlers, like birds flashing their plumage and adorning their nests. A universal imperative if a chap hopes to reproduce and pass on his genes. We can't help ourselves. It's our inner cave-man !
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A comment on Conversation: Should Israel go all out?
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Regards,
Chick.
A reply on Conversation: Is the conservative movement at a point of historic realignment that will dump or marginalize the Republican Party?
Along come Thatcher and "Reaganomics" and we decide to make huge swathes of our own people redundant in favour of cheaper imports. Colombian coal shipped to British power-plants, for example. Coal mined by children as young as 5. How the hell can a developed nation's workforce compete with child slavery? A question I've been asking since the 80s : We export all our jobs to China, China exports all its unemployment to us; THEN WHAT ?
Our problem in the 1st world is, we don't know what the hell we want, but we know we want it cheap! Dozens of Chinese workers have commited suicide in the plant that churns out funky gadgets for Apple because of the concentration-camp conditions. Why not have a factory in the US making the damned things? OK, an iPad / Pod / Phone would cost a few more bucks. Big deal ! It would've created thousands of badly needed jobs !
Protectionist ? OK, if you like to call it that, better that than entire (formerly industrial) cities full of (formerly industrious) people with nothing to do but seek refuge in drug or alchohol induced oblivion.
A comment on Conversation: Is the conservative movement at a point of historic realignment that will dump or marginalize the Republican Party?
Add to all that the obscene wealth of that asset-stripping sociopath and honest, upright, working people were supposed to believe he feels their pain? Incredible! He has no clue what ordinary people go through to try and make it work. ( Oh, and - if you're a girly -" be home in time to make dinner".)
Those dinosaurs need to die off before their party stands any chance of election.
A reply on Conversation: Why did humans invent sports and why do so many people love watching and playing competitive sports games?
A comment on Conversation: Is Paul Cadden the most talented artist alive today?
A reply on Conversation: Should Israel go all out?
Regarding Jesus, it matters less whether He actually walked the Earth than the fact that He has had more influence on more people's lives than any other. I'm trying to say we should ask less of the Almighty and demand a great deal more of ourselves, given the priceless bounty bestowed on us. We need, urgently, to become better ancestors. Better custodians of our beautiful planet, for the sake of all who will come after us. We have geniuses among us, who strive earnestly to undo the damage. We need to raise such people up, put them front and centre ! Then get behind them with whatever resources they need. I digress, a character trait of mine. Israel and Palestine ?
God alone knows ! But remember, "Blessed are the peace-makers."
A comment on Conversation: Why did humans invent sports and why do so many people love watching and playing competitive sports games?
Also, they could show-case their prowess and hopefully impress the girlies. Pretty much the same reason some elderly men drive fire-engine red sports cars, it screams "Check me out, ladies, see what a hunter / gatherer I am !" But that's the same reason that men do practically everything. Like gorillas thumping their chests, like stags clashing their antlers, like birds flashing their plumage and adorning their nests. A universal imperative if a chap hopes to reproduce and pass on his genes. We can't help ourselves. It's our inner cave-man !