Are We a Nation of Idiots?

[Carson]

One of my favorite bands. Very prophetic for 20 years ago:

All through my life every day's the same
And they tell me I'm losing again
I can talk until I'm blue in the face
But can you tell me who's the one to blame

And what are you gonna do when we get old
And we're tired of doing what we're told
Because the government's broke and we're out of place
In a country that's already been sold

I don't know what to think
But I know what I see
I think I'll have another drink
You wanna join me?

I can't make sense out of any of this
The more I try, the more I get pissed
This confusion that I can't erase
Can't seem to crawl out of the abyss

Desperate groupie making a pass
The little slut didn't just want my ass
She said, "I wanna be cool and have a rockstar's kid"
But will the novelty of the bastard last?

I don't know what to think
But I know what I see
I think I'll have another drink
Wanna join me?

Surrounded, Surrounded, Surrounded
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
(Here I am) Surrounded, I'm surrounded, surrounded
Surrounded by idiots

The TV gods and the Jesus freaks and the flag burners
And the rapists, and the murderers, would you check out
All the geeks...I can't believe what walks the streets
From Hollywood to D.C.

You banned little red riding hood
censored mister rogers' neighborhood
I go to jail if they find a seed
But meanwhile the mayor runs free

Now I know what I think
And I know what I see
I say everything sucks
You agree!

Surrounded, Surrounded, Surrounded
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
(Here I am) Surrounded, I'm surrounded, surrounded
Surrounded by idiots!​

 

[DamianTV]

You know whats funny?

You go to school, you are taught that 1+1=2. That establishes their Intellectual Dominance and earns trust.
Later you learn that 3X4=12. This furthers the idea and earns more trust.

Then, when you are told that you can get yourself out of debt by spending more, people believe the lie because it came from people that once told the truth. The people that believe these lies think themselves to be Intellectually Inferior, even though the math is obviously wrong. They follow Blind Faith in the Financial Liars because they cant get it through their thick heads that the reason the Math doesnt work is because it isnt supposed to, not that there is anything wrong with their Brains. When any one of us tries talking to a person like that, explain that 1+1=11 and expalin why well enough and they will believe that lie too.

It is only once they become angry, as a result of self realization that they have been taught wrong, by the elitists on purpose, that those people will become angry enough to join our cause to end the Fiat Currency spewed forth from EVERY Central Bank.

 

[georgiaboy]

The people I'm maddest at right now are the Republicans in the US House of Representatives (HOR for short), in my state of Georgia, who voted for this Boehner bill. These people are not idiots. They are doctors and lawyers, highly educated and successful men. They understand the philosophies of conservatism, even espouse them. In former days in total they were known as the 'Gang of Seven', though there may be 8 of them now. They received this moniker for their unity in conservative voting.

Granted, they voted for Patriot Act and wars and those appropriations, but they voted against bailouts and stimulus, and held the line many times when others faded.

Now, several of them caved and supported a bill that raised the debt ceiling and increased the debt by $7 Trillion over the next ten years. I regret to inform these gentlemen of the severity of their actions in supporting this increase in spending at a time when the needle must stop and begin moving in the other direction.

These men I know are not idiots. So what are they? Cowards is my first thought. Fakes is another, Deceivers a third.

A line has been crossed.

 

[Napoleon's Shadow]

This thread topic reminded me of this:

 

[Carson]

Are We a Nation of Idiots?

Ha! Ha! At the moment we might more correctly be called a nation of blithering idiots.

But I don't mean it in a mean way. Some how we pretty much come to this point honestly on the most part.

Besides the blithering may pull us through it!

 

[Jandrsn21]

Yes, I'd even be willing to go one step further than stupid!

 

[Sola_Fide]

In all honesty, at least for Christians, money is probably amoral. The morality of money has more to do with why it was acquired, how it was acquired, and for what purposes it will be used.

I am not trying to nitpick AquaBuddha, and I hope you don't take it that way.

-EW

Money is not amoral to Christians. Nothing is amoral to Christians, let alone something like money!

There are too many Scriptures to even mention that talk about the morality of money, debt, and theft. I'll just leave you with one:

Leviticus 19:35-37 NASB

‘You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or capacity. ‘You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin; I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt. ‘You shall thus observe all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them; I am the Lord.’"

 

[Travlyr]

Those using fiat money are experiencing inflation. Those who are saving hard money assets are blessed with deflation. In front of our eyes, a huge transfer of wealth is occurring as Act III plays out.

 

[eworthington]

Money is not amoral to Christians. Nothing is amoral to Christians, let alone something like money!

There are too many Scriptures to even mention that talk about the morality of money, debt, and theft. I'll just leave you with one:

Money is amoral, it is just a unit to measure value between different goods and services.

To say money, in itself, is moral or immoral is like passing moral judgement on meters, inches, or gallons.

 

[Seraphim]

His point was that denominating subjective value in the form of "money" allows us to represent property. This leads us to the ability of quantifying theft and acts of aggression. Without that ability, there is no way in enforcing punishments on those who destroy and violate the property of others. Money allows us to be objective and fair in our assessment of punishments.

Money is amoral, it is just a unit to measure value between different goods and services.

To say money, in itself, is moral or immoral is like passing moral judgement on meters, inches, or gallons.

 

[eworthington]

Money is useful in those purposes, but it is not required, and it still doesn't have intrinsic morality. It a tool of convenience. Transaction occurred in barter systems prior to money and property existed before money became widespread.

Like I had said before, I am not nitpicking; I am trying to be accurate because Christianity has been used to further right and left wing agendas, and I don't think it should be used for either. It is my religion, it informs my decisions, but I can see theologically how others might have differing views -- especially on economic matters.

 

[Sola_Fide]

Money is useful in those purposes, but it is not required, and it still doesn't have intrinsic morality. It a tool of convenience. Transaction occurred in barter systems prior to money and property existed before money became widespread.

Like I had said before, I am not nitpicking; I am trying to be accurate because Christianity has been used to further right and left wing agendas, and I don't think it should be used for either. It is my religion, it informs my decisions, but I can see theologically how others might have differing views -- especially on economic matters.

I agree that money has no intrinsic value, you are right. But just because it does not have intrinsic value does not mean that as part of this moral universe, it does not have a moral component to it. Any aspect of an exchange between two people is moral.....hence the warnings against theft and debasement.

 

[treyfu]

We? Our government?

 

[eworthington]

Aqua,

I apologize if I am acting like a nitpicker here. I think our debate here is more about semantics than substance.

-EW

 

[Sola_Fide]

Aqua,

I apologize if I am acting like a nitpicker here. I think our debate here is more about semantics than substance.

-EW

No problem at all bro.

 

[Mogambo Guru]

Are We a Nation of Idiots?

No..

We are a world of idiots... Just sayin.

 

[Teaser Rate]

No, Americans are among the brightest, most hard-working and entrepreneurial people in the world and I am proud to call myself one of them.

I am really sick of the attitude that anyone who doesn't have the time or disposition to read treatises on libertarianism or Austrian economics is an idiot.

 

[Sola_Fide]

No, Americans are among the brightest, most hard-working and entrepreneurial people in the world and I am proud to call myself one of them.

I am really sick of the attitude that anyone who doesn't have the time or disposition to read treatises on libertarianism or Austrian economics is an idiot.

Well.....not to sound so matter of fact here....but that is a big part of where we are today. We have been brainwashed with Keyensianism. You can thank Keyensianism for taking our country to the brink of collapse.

 

[Revolution9]

I always wanted to post a job ad stating "Wanted for hire - Total idiot - 1000 per week. Call xxx-xxx-xxxx." Then leave an answering machine on that asks them to list their qualifications for the job. Also state that absolute morons need not apply, even if they figure out how.

Rev9

 

[Teaser Rate]

Well.....not to sound so matter of fact here....but that is a big part of where we are today. We have been brainwashed with Keyensianism. You can thank Keyensianism for taking our country to the brink of collapse.

Actually, Keynesianism has not played a major role in setting economic policy for most of the 20th or 21st century.

What Keynesianism is commonly perceived as and what it actually is are very different things. For instance, if we had employed Keynesian recommendations, the government would have ran surpluses for most of the last decade.

I think it's much more realistic to attribute our problems to political incentives rather than a flawed economic theory.