if America pulled back militarily from the rest of the world the world would be a much unsafer place. our power is a deterrent.
if American's pulled back economically from every other country in the world the world's economy would collapse and those countries would be in far worse shape then they are now.
as many problems as we cause the world depends on us on a daily basis. Funny how almost every country shits on us...until something bad happens then they come crawling for our help (and if we don't help we get shit on).
this is a very simplistic view and not at all accurate. the same could be said about many of the other major economic and military powers of the world. and how the US abuses its power is the problem. many times, no one asks for the help of the US. they just barge in and start killing everybody, not just the "bad guys". how many iraqi civilians died at the hands of their supposed saviors? and the US only seem to help when they have vested interest in the area's resources. how many times has the US bombed or sent thousands of troops into africa to overthrow a genocidal maniac? the US has financed/trained/supplied how many of the world's biggest threats now, because at the time it was in their interest to do so?
so basically damned if we do (iraq) and damned if we don't (africa). we can't win with some of you people. no matter what actions or non-actions someone always has a complaint. talk about simplistic view. should we have just let the Russians take over Afghanistan in the 1980s? and then let them ove on to other countries? should we have allowed Saddam to continue in power? i guess we should have but then we would be criticized for letting an evil dictator stay in power. damned if we do, damned if we don't.
Let the Russians take over Afghanistan? How about not provoking the war in the first place? The US-engineered conflict that spawned the Mujahadeen ---> al qaeda....9/11, re-invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq wars, Syria, ISIS etc etc...Says something that people still view this as the USSR's fault. Where are some examples of 'damned if we don't' as it pertains to foreign policy? You may hear those complaints, but they're coming from the hawks who are causing the problems in the first place. Fuck them. edit: Hugh's comments are clearly not damning the US for not taking out African despots....he's obviously pointing to the hypocrisy of US policy.
"According to the official version of history, CIA aid to the Mujahideen began during 1980, that is to say, after the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan, 24 Dec 1979. But the reality, secretly guarded until now, is completely otherwise. Indeed, it was July 3, 1979 that President Carter signed the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul. And that very day, I wrote a note to the president in which I explained to him that in my opinion this aid was going to induce a Soviet military intervention."....."Regret what? That secret operation was an excellent idea. It had the effect of drawing the Russians into the Afghan trap and you want me to regret it? The day that the Soviets officially crossed the border, I wrote to President Carter. We now have the opportunity of giving to the USSR its Vietnam war. Indeed, for almost 10 years, Moscow had to carry on a war unsupportable by the government, a conflict that brought about the demoralization and finally the breakup of the Soviet empire." Interview with Le Nouvel Observateur, Paris, 15-21 January 1998
Post edited by Drowned Out on
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brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,757
if America pulled back militarily from the rest of the world the world would be a much unsafer place. our power is a deterrent.
if American's pulled back economically from every other country in the world the world's economy would collapse and those countries would be in far worse shape then they are now.
as many problems as we cause the world depends on us on a daily basis. Funny how almost every country shits on us...until something bad happens then they come crawling for our help (and if we don't help we get shit on).
If what you say is true, is it really wise that the world as a whole relies on one nation to keep itself (marginally) together? Let's look at it more simplistically: if a person is so dysfunctional in the way they handle their life that they have become needy and dependent on some one more powerful, strong willed, and wealthy, is it really in the best interest of the dysfunctional person to be propped up by someone strong and powerful who enables that person to remain weak and dependent? No, it's not. The dysfunctional person gets better if they find or are led to find their own solutions and become strong and well on their own.
The US is like a bad counselor who keeps their client in constant dependency. We are the greediest nation on earth and we maintain our power through coercion and world policing. That cannot last forever and when empires fall, they fall hard.
I have a deplorably low amount of hope for the world. It's sad. The greatest hope I have is that my boy can grow up in a world with little enough suffering to allow him to have his feet in the grass, his hands in the dirt, and his head in the clouds. I don't have the capacity to hope for much more than a continuation of relative comfort for another generation lol It isn't the size of the problem that kills me, it's the size of the solution.
Thank you Gambs. Your thoughts give us hope.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
I honestly sometimes feel guilty about having kids. I love them to pieces. But sometimes I think "what did I do to them, bringing them into this world of suffering and pain and eventual destruction?". All I can hope for is, as someone said above, that it doesn't go to pot while they are around.
I feel exactly the same way would do anything for my two kids but man I think to myself what have I done ....
Do you two actually have that bleak of an attitude? Jeesh Life - you guys wanted to give it to others. The world is not that bad. Breathe, exhale, repeat - the world is not ending Your kids will be fine. Pretty dark to think that you may have made a mistake bringing people into the world. We are but a speck of dust on this earth.
I hear what your saying but when you have kids all you think about is their well being at all times , i don't feel i made a mistake they are both great kids ...having great kids doesn't mean a great world though and right now i'd say this world is in big time trouble ....
jesus greets me looks just like me ....
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mickeyrat
up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,867
Lovely time to take a walk in Beijing this past week ...
emissions per capita by chinese like a third of americans ... also factor in that the US is China's largest trading partner ... your picture is the outcome of walmart, apple, etc...
Also helps that Beijing is in what is essentially a bowl and thats why the smog seems so severe. No wing to carry it away.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Lovely time to take a walk in Beijing this past week ...
emissions per capita by chinese like a third of americans ... also factor in that the US is China's largest trading partner ... your picture is the outcome of walmart, apple, etc...
Also helps that Beijing is in what is essentially a bowl and thats why the smog seems so severe. No wing to carry it away.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I have a deplorably low amount of hope for the world. It's sad. The greatest hope I have is that my boy can grow up in a world with little enough suffering to allow him to have his feet in the grass, his hands in the dirt, and his head in the clouds. I don't have the capacity to hope for much more than a continuation of relative comfort for another generation lol It isn't the size of the problem that kills me, it's the size of the solution.
Gambs may be time to take wife kid and pups for a walk in the woods. Turn off electronics and absorb some Mother Nature.
No worries, I get plenty of that! I was out splitting up a black walnut tree just before I made that post. The thread caught me at a time of appreciating the small things, I was enjoying the exquisite smell of the wood on my hands and I wondered if Simon would be lucky enough to enjoy the labors and delights of a simple life.
"Do you two actually have that bleak of an attitude? Jeesh Life - you guys wanted to give it to others. The world is not that bad. Breathe, exhale, repeat - the world is not ending Your kids will be fine. Pretty dark to think that you may have made a mistake bringing people into the world. We are but a speck of dust on this earth."
where's grandpa's hunting rifle? 5am comes pretty quick
the white stripes/jack white are pretty badass tho i gotta say now calm the fuck down
if America pulled back militarily from the rest of the world the world would be a much unsafer place. our power is a deterrent.
if American's pulled back economically from every other country in the world the world's economy would collapse and those countries would be in far worse shape then they are now.
as many problems as we cause the world depends on us on a daily basis. Funny how almost every country shits on us...until something bad happens then they come crawling for our help (and if we don't help we get shit on).
this is simply false ... how anyone can believe this stuff is sad ...
funny coming from the guy who thinks we can achieve world peace by not buying gas at Exxon, or water from Nestle. yup that is what the world needs.
Don't recall any posts from anyone claiming world peace solved by boycotting Exxon. Can you provide link.
While I understand the comments about not having kids, is it really worse than the dark ages? What happened to the Incan empire,Mayan empire, Aztec empire, Roman Empire, etc....? There has always been war, famine, political strife, abuse of women and children, natural disasters, etc... Certainly it is crazier now with the type of weapons held, but we are still less likely to be killed in a terrorist attack than by a lightning bolt and no one is not having kids because of lightning bolts. The thing that scares me the most about the future is technology and its impact on the power of government and companies, as well as on privacy and employment. I don't want to be around when babies are manufactured.
Hopefully none of us ready to put our heads in a gas oven, so it can't be that bad.
agree. people act like this is the scariest time in world history. i would argue during WWII and the Cold War things were much worse. during the cold war every major city could have been blown off the map in a matter of minutes. that is far more less likely today.
While I understand the comments about not having kids, is it really worse than the dark ages? What happened to the Incan empire,Mayan empire, Aztec empire, Roman Empire, etc....? There has always been war, famine, political strife, abuse of women and children, natural disasters, etc... Certainly it is crazier now with the type of weapons held, but we are still less likely to be killed in a terrorist attack than by a lightning bolt and no one is not having kids because of lightning bolts. The thing that scares me the most about the future is technology and its impact on the power of government and companies, as well as on privacy and employment. I don't want to be around when babies are manufactured.
Hopefully none of us ready to put our heads in a gas oven, so it can't be that bad.
agree. people act like this is the scariest time in world history. i would argue during WWII and the Cold War things were much worse. during the cold war every major city could have been blown off the map in a matter of minutes. that is far more less likely today.
It is natural to think of ourselves as better than the generations before us so we have this false sense of self-importance. Like adding one more child in the world of billions is somehow a major event (at a micro household level yes but not macro). There have been billions and billions that have graced the earth, I think it will be okay to add one more in cushy Canada or US without feeling too guilty.
While I understand the comments about not having kids, is it really worse than the dark ages? What happened to the Incan empire,Mayan empire, Aztec empire, Roman Empire, etc....? There has always been war, famine, political strife, abuse of women and children, natural disasters, etc... Certainly it is crazier now with the type of weapons held, but we are still less likely to be killed in a terrorist attack than by a lightning bolt and no one is not having kids because of lightning bolts. The thing that scares me the most about the future is technology and its impact on the power of government and companies, as well as on privacy and employment. I don't want to be around when babies are manufactured.
Hopefully none of us ready to put our heads in a gas oven, so it can't be that bad.
agree. people act like this is the scariest time in world history. i would argue during WWII and the Cold War things were much worse. during the cold war every major city could have been blown off the map in a matter of minutes. that is far more less likely today.
We are not acting like that at all, that is from your bias. It is not that we think now is worse than WW2, we are afraid that times are going to get back to that level of awful. We have been living in comfortable times for a long time, and we worry that it will give out on our kids.
Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
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brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,757
While I understand the comments about not having kids, is it really worse than the dark ages? What happened to the Incan empire,Mayan empire, Aztec empire, Roman Empire, etc....? There has always been war, famine, political strife, abuse of women and children, natural disasters, etc... Certainly it is crazier now with the type of weapons held, but we are still less likely to be killed in a terrorist attack than by a lightning bolt and no one is not having kids because of lightning bolts. The thing that scares me the most about the future is technology and its impact on the power of government and companies, as well as on privacy and employment. I don't want to be around when babies are manufactured.
Hopefully none of us ready to put our heads in a gas oven, so it can't be that bad.
agree. people act like this is the scariest time in world history. i would argue during WWII and the Cold War things were much worse. during the cold war every major city could have been blown off the map in a matter of minutes. that is far more less likely today.
Surely there have been scarier times in history. Imagine back in the time when have a particular belief or faith (anything from believing in God to believing that the earth revolves around the sun) would literally get you burned at the stake. Or back when you had a tooth go bad the local blacksmith held you down because he was the only guy in town strong enough to do so while some other guy yanked your tooth out with pliers. No thanks!
But what makes these times different and anxiety producing is that we don't know what the end result of our messing around with natural forces will bring. Will global warming bring swarms of deadly insects to your neighborhood or ocean waters to the roof line of your house? Will artificial intelligence in computers make you a machine's pet? Will genetically modified plants throw the balance of nature completely out of whack creating a cascade of species die off? Will pollution kill enough life in the oceans to set off a chain reaction that will affect all large mammal life? Will the next species to go extinct be yours?
And while were visiting this shop of horrors, lets not rule out the possibility of nuclear annihilation which is still up on the menu.
I don't advocate for living in fear but I would also not dismiss people's concern for the times we live in. To not be aware and take an active roll in making things better could be a form of inadvertent suicide.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
While I understand the comments about not having kids, is it really worse than the dark ages? What happened to the Incan empire,Mayan empire, Aztec empire, Roman Empire, etc....? There has always been war, famine, political strife, abuse of women and children, natural disasters, etc... Certainly it is crazier now with the type of weapons held, but we are still less likely to be killed in a terrorist attack than by a lightning bolt and no one is not having kids because of lightning bolts. The thing that scares me the most about the future is technology and its impact on the power of government and companies, as well as on privacy and employment. I don't want to be around when babies are manufactured.
Hopefully none of us ready to put our heads in a gas oven, so it can't be that bad.
Of course it's not. That doesn't mean it's all good either. My thinking here isn't a comparitive one. Hey, I love the world. It is full of beautiful things, it has many super cool people (even though it has way more shitty ones probably), and technology certainly makes us in first world countries relatively comfortable. There are fun things to do, there is youtube, here is full access to all music allthe time, there is GPS and we walk around with computers in our pockets, which is amazing. Gay marriage is legal, religion as no place in government in my country... a lot of stuff is awesome about the world in which i'm living. Although then my mind goes to all the places in the world where there is still so much suffering, where none of what i just said exists, all because of an epidemic of greed. ISIS, Israel, the American government, the oil industry, the religious idiocy, the position of women internationally, racism, more mass shootings than there are days in the year in the US, which i am a half hour drive from.... a lot of bad shit is still going on just because people suck.
However, all the sociopolitical bullshit and all the super annoying hateful bullshit going around in a day and age where we should be past that (despite how shitty the middle ages were, lol) is only part of what I didn't want to expose to kids. I also wouldn't want to raise kids in a time when kids can't go outside and play unsupervised, where all that parents of kids ever seem to do is go to ridiculously extravagant kids' birthday parties every single fucking weekend, where shit like Kinder Surprises are banned in the US. I don't want to send my kids to schools where idiot parents are guiding the teachers because everyone is offended by everything and where kids aren't supposed to suffer failure, or in a world where everyone in charge tends to cater to the lowest common denominator. I hate this new bubble wrapped/helicopter parent culture, and don't want to be a part of it with kids of my own.
PLUS all the materialism, political and economic corruption, religious fanaticism, media frenzies, outrageous hypocrisy in just about every facet of life, the environmental destruction happening under all of our noses while everyone tries to ignore it, te outrageous wealth disparities around the world, etc etc.... Nope, I just don't view this world or my own society a good place to bring a child into. Obviously, since the kid doesn't exist, this is for my own peace of mind. This is simply not a social atmosphere where I would want to raise a child. It would literally prevent me from raising kids the way I feel I want to raise them. So why have any? The world has more than enough people already.
None if this has anything to do with how bad it was for peasants in the Middle Ages or for free-thinkers during the cultural Revolution in China, etc. Sucks for them to say the least. I'm in the here and now and the past has no bearing on it. Neither does my lack of suffering.
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
better get the following: camping gear, fishing gear, hunting gear, tools, rainfall storage containers, pj stickers, water filters, firewood, lighters/waterproof matches, mr. syrup, candles, oil lamps & oil lamp oil, gift wrapping paper, crank up radios, crank up flashlights, first aid kits, solar panels, bubble gum, bear grylls, parangs, weather proof your boots, get a few boxes of canyons, marbles, paperclips & staples & staplers, your collection of ticonderoga pencils, dictionaries & thesauruses, psychology atlases, squirrel foods, ear muffs, mittens, tape, wash clothes, personal lubricant, paint, salt & other spices, the amassment of your family & friends' denture collections, glass eyes, guitars, horn sections, harpsichords, galoshes harps, drum kits, violins, rainbow banners, oboes, harmonicas, clarinets, snorkels, sitars, tibet prayer wheels, sunglasses, swim fins, upright basses, lemons, egg cartons, rope & twine, loose leaf teas, ancient persian rugs, honey & beehives, cow panels, greenhouse making kits, squirt bottles, yeast, canning jars, big ass pots, chocolate covered pretzels/peanuts combo mixture, flour, pressure cookers, hangers, a few tons of cow manure, bulldozers & other heavy equipment, lakes, swamps, hay bales, all the extra condiments you took from mcdonalds, running or dry creeks, throwing stars & washing machine lids
better get the following: camping gear, fishing gear, hunting gear, tools, rainfall storage containers, pj stickers, water filters, firewood, lighters/waterproof matches, mr. syrup, candles, oil lamps & oil lamp oil, gift wrapping paper, crank up radios, crank up flashlights, first aid kits, solar panels, bubble gum, bear grylls, parangs, weather proof your boots, get a few boxes of canyons, marbles, paperclips & staples & staplers, your collection of ticonderoga pencils, dictionaries & thesauruses, psychology atlases, squirrel foods, ear muffs, mittens, tape, wash clothes, personal lubricant, paint, salt & other spices, the amassment of your family & friends' denture collections, glass eyes, guitars, horn sections, harpsichords, galoshes harps, drum kits, violins, rainbow banners, oboes, harmonicas, clarinets, snorkels, sitars, tibet prayer wheels, sunglasses, swim fins, upright basses, lemons, egg cartons, rope & twine, loose leaf teas, ancient persian rugs, honey & beehives, cow panels, greenhouse making kits, squirt bottles, yeast, canning jars, big ass pots, chocolate covered pretzels/peanuts combo mixture, flour, pressure cookers, hangers, a few tons of cow manure, bulldozers & other heavy equipment, lakes, swamps, hay bales, all the extra condiments you took from mcdonalds, running or dry creeks, throwing stars & washing machine lids
You forgot one very important item on your, Chadwick-- your Secret Decoder Ring!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
No singular action is going to bring about world peace unless you consider mass extinction of the human race possible. Going from my first post and equating Exxon and Nestle boycotts are gonna bring world peace is actually proving my point in disassociation. For those who can't think critically enough or lack the will to. You are what makes it easy for transnational corporations to exploit.
It wouldn't take but a bit of independent research to find out that Exxon and Nestle are evil companies. How do you stop them? You stop feeding them what they are addicted to. These actions I suggested are not to be taken in isolation - they are to be understood as what our singular most powerful tool is to enact change. It's not in our ability to vote - it's our function as a consumer.
we all know this change is never going to come about and that the reality is we will suffer the consequences as we have been ... still - it doesn't change the objective reality that we could achieve a more peaceful world if america wasn't what america is now ... i know that's hard to take for a lot of people who are basically indoctrinated into believing america is the greatest country in the world and that you stand for freedom and democracy ...
No singular action is going to bring about world peace unless you consider mass extinction of the human race possible. Going from my first post and equating Exxon and Nestle boycotts are gonna bring world peace is actually proving my point in disassociation. For those who can't think critically enough or lack the will to. You are what makes it easy for transnational corporations to exploit.
It wouldn't take but a bit of independent research to find out that Exxon and Nestle are evil companies. How do you stop them? You stop feeding them what they are addicted to. These actions I suggested are not to be taken in isolation - they are to be understood as what our singular most powerful tool is to enact change. It's not in our ability to vote - it's our function as a consumer.
Polaris, didn't have energy to counter reply. Had same thoughts but........
we all know this change is never going to come about and that the reality is we will suffer the consequences as we have been ... still - it doesn't change the objective reality that we could achieve a more peaceful world if america wasn't what america is now ... i know that's hard to take for a lot of people who are basically indoctrinated into believing america is the greatest country in the world and that you stand for freedom and democracy ...
I'd love to hear what personal consequences and how your life is affected on a daily basis by what America and it's actions have done or created. Please enlighten us.
Isn't it great when people complain about corporate America...by using their Apple (or some equivalent) computer or phone, connecting via their Verizon of Comcast internet, on a band's website paying via Visa, Mastercard or American Express for access to said website, not to mention most likely sitting in their brand name clothes to post. such hypocrisy.
I'd love to hear what personal consequences and how your life is affected on a daily basis by what America and it's actions have done or created. Please enlighten us.
Isn't it great when people complain about corporate America...by using their Apple (or some equivalent) computer or phone, connecting via their Verizon of Comcast internet, on a band's website paying via Visa, Mastercard or American Express for access to said website, not to mention most likely sitting in their brand name clothes to post. such hypocrisy.
dude ... could you be anymore stereotypical!? ... lemme guess - you think terrorists hate america because you have the kardashians and that global warming isn't real because you're cold today?
I could drive a hummer to pick up my bottled water while dumping my mcdonalds out in the street and it still wouldn't change what is ostensibly fact ... it's like asking if someone wears leather if they voice concern for animal welfare ... AGAIN - you continue to prove my point about disassociation ... instead of thinking about what I wrote and the merits behind the sentiments - all you are doing is looking for outs or means to disregard the facts ... it's so lazy and sad ...
I'd love to hear what personal consequences and how your life is affected on a daily basis by what America and it's actions have done or created. Please enlighten us.
Isn't it great when people complain about corporate America...by using their Apple (or some equivalent) computer or phone, connecting via their Verizon of Comcast internet, on a band's website paying via Visa, Mastercard or American Express for access to said website, not to mention most likely sitting in their brand name clothes to post. such hypocrisy.
dude ... could you be anymore stereotypical!? ... lemme guess - you think terrorists hate america because you have the kardashians and that global warming isn't real because you're cold today?
I could drive a hummer to pick up my bottled water while dumping my mcdonalds out in the street and it still wouldn't change what is ostensibly fact ... it's like asking if someone wears leather if they voice concern for animal welfare ... AGAIN - you continue to prove my point about disassociation ... instead of thinking about what I wrote and the merits behind the sentiments - all you are doing is looking for outs or means to disregard the facts ... it's so lazy and sad ...
deflect and failed to answer my simple query. not surprising.
we all know this change is never going to come about and that the reality is we will suffer the consequences as we have been ... still - it doesn't change the objective reality that we could achieve a more peaceful world if america wasn't what america is now ... i know that's hard to take for a lot of people who are basically indoctrinated into believing america is the greatest country in the world and that you stand for freedom and democracy ...
we all know this change is never going to come about and that the reality is we will suffer the consequences as we have been ... still - it doesn't change the objective reality that we could achieve a more peaceful world if america wasn't what america is now ... i know that's hard to take for a lot of people who are basically indoctrinated into believing america is the greatest country in the world and that you stand for freedom and democracy ...
I'd love to hear what personal consequences and how your life is affected on a daily basis by what America and it's actions have done or created. Please enlighten us.
Isn't it great when people complain about corporate America...by using their Apple (or some equivalent) computer or phone, connecting via their Verizon of Comcast internet, on a band's website paying via Visa, Mastercard or American Express for access to said website, not to mention most likely sitting in their brand name clothes to post. such hypocrisy.
so incredibly weak.
and besides, when people talk about "america" in general, they are talking about political (foreign and domestic) policy, not walmart.
Comments
Where are some examples of 'damned if we don't' as it pertains to foreign policy? You may hear those complaints, but they're coming from the hawks who are causing the problems in the first place. Fuck them.
edit: Hugh's comments are clearly not damning the US for not taking out African despots....he's obviously pointing to the hypocrisy of US policy.
"According to the official version of history, CIA aid to the Mujahideen began during 1980, that is to say, after the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan, 24 Dec 1979. But the reality, secretly guarded until now, is completely otherwise. Indeed, it was July 3, 1979 that President Carter signed the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul. And that very day, I wrote a note to the president in which I explained to him that in my opinion this aid was going to induce a Soviet military intervention."....."Regret what? That secret operation was an excellent idea. It had the effect of drawing the Russians into the Afghan trap and you want me to regret it? The day that the Soviets officially crossed the border, I wrote to President Carter. We now have the opportunity of giving to the USSR its Vietnam war. Indeed, for almost 10 years, Moscow had to carry on a war unsupportable by the government, a conflict that brought about the demoralization and finally the breakup of the Soviet empire." Interview with Le Nouvel Observateur, Paris, 15-21 January 1998
The US is like a bad counselor who keeps their client in constant dependency. We are the greediest nation on earth and we maintain our power through coercion and world policing. That cannot last forever and when empires fall, they fall hard. Thank you Gambs. Your thoughts give us hope.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
LIVEFOOTSTEPS.ORG/USER/?USR=435
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
"Do you two actually have that bleak of an attitude?
Jeesh
Life - you guys wanted to give it to others. The world is not that bad.
Breathe, exhale, repeat - the world is not ending
Your kids will be fine.
Pretty dark to think that you may have made a mistake bringing people into the world. We are but a speck of dust on this earth."
where's grandpa's hunting rifle? 5am comes pretty quick
the white stripes/jack white are pretty badass tho i gotta say
now calm the fuck down
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
Exactly what would the collapse of the US look like?
But what makes these times different and anxiety producing is that we don't know what the end result of our messing around with natural forces will bring. Will global warming bring swarms of deadly insects to your neighborhood or ocean waters to the roof line of your house? Will artificial intelligence in computers make you a machine's pet? Will genetically modified plants throw the balance of nature completely out of whack creating a cascade of species die off? Will pollution kill enough life in the oceans to set off a chain reaction that will affect all large mammal life? Will the next species to go extinct be yours?
And while were visiting this shop of horrors, lets not rule out the possibility of nuclear annihilation which is still up on the menu.
I don't advocate for living in fear but I would also not dismiss people's concern for the times we live in. To not be aware and take an active roll in making things better could be a form of inadvertent suicide.
Hey, I love the world. It is full of beautiful things, it has many super cool people (even though it has way more shitty ones probably), and technology certainly makes us in first world countries relatively comfortable. There are fun things to do, there is youtube, here is full access to all music allthe time, there is GPS and we walk around with computers in our pockets, which is amazing. Gay marriage is legal, religion as no place in government in my country... a lot of stuff is awesome about the world in which i'm living. Although then my mind goes to all the places in the world where there is still so much suffering, where none of what i just said exists, all because of an epidemic of greed. ISIS, Israel, the American government, the oil industry, the religious idiocy, the position of women internationally, racism, more mass shootings than there are days in the year in the US, which i am a half hour drive from.... a lot of bad shit is still going on just because people suck.
However, all the sociopolitical bullshit and all the super annoying hateful bullshit going around in a day and age where we should be past that (despite how shitty the middle ages were, lol) is only part of what I didn't want to expose to kids. I also wouldn't want to raise kids in a time when kids can't go outside and play unsupervised, where all that parents of kids ever seem to do is go to ridiculously extravagant kids' birthday parties every single fucking weekend, where shit like Kinder Surprises are banned in the US. I don't want to send my kids to schools where idiot parents are guiding the teachers because everyone is offended by everything and where kids aren't supposed to suffer failure, or in a world where everyone in charge tends to cater to the lowest common denominator. I hate this new bubble wrapped/helicopter parent culture, and don't want to be a part of it with kids of my own.
PLUS all the materialism, political and economic corruption, religious fanaticism, media frenzies, outrageous hypocrisy in just about every facet of life, the environmental destruction happening under all of our noses while everyone tries to ignore it, te outrageous wealth disparities around the world, etc etc.... Nope, I just don't view this world or my own society a good place to bring a child into. Obviously, since the kid doesn't exist, this is for my own peace of mind. This is simply not a social atmosphere where I would want to raise a child. It would literally prevent me from raising kids the way I feel I want to raise them. So why have any? The world has more than enough people already.
None if this has anything to do with how bad it was for peasants in the Middle Ages or for free-thinkers during the cultural Revolution in China, etc. Sucks for them to say the least. I'm in the here and now and the past has no bearing on it. Neither does my lack of suffering.
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
Amerka Fuck Yeah.
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It wouldn't take but a bit of independent research to find out that Exxon and Nestle are evil companies. How do you stop them? You stop feeding them what they are addicted to. These actions I suggested are not to be taken in isolation - they are to be understood as what our singular most powerful tool is to enact change. It's not in our ability to vote - it's our function as a consumer.
Isn't it great when people complain about corporate America...by using their Apple (or some equivalent) computer or phone, connecting via their Verizon of Comcast internet, on a band's website paying via Visa, Mastercard or American Express for access to said website, not to mention most likely sitting in their brand name clothes to post. such hypocrisy.
I could drive a hummer to pick up my bottled water while dumping my mcdonalds out in the street and it still wouldn't change what is ostensibly fact ... it's like asking if someone wears leather if they voice concern for animal welfare ... AGAIN - you continue to prove my point about disassociation ... instead of thinking about what I wrote and the merits behind the sentiments - all you are doing is looking for outs or means to disregard the facts ... it's so lazy and sad ...
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and besides, when people talk about "america" in general, they are talking about political (foreign and domestic) policy, not walmart.
www.headstonesband.com