Politics is not the answer.

[TheTexan]

Violence is only justified if you have a badge, or you are a soldier in another country, or in the process of making a more perfect union. Then its ok.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

Politicians are reflective of the people. Aside from this forum, and perhaps a couple of others, until people - couch-sitting republicans, democrats, indy's and even some libertarians know the truth, none of it really matters, other than voting for your own enslavement.

I never said to stay out of politics completely. I am likely the biggest boots on the ground that you will ever meet

This is ridiculous. It's just an unfounded claim that's been handed down for many moons. The politicians are reflective of themselves and their cronies. For example, congress has been extremely unpopular for a great many election cycles (statistically). Yet, we are led to believe by the intelligentsia, the media, and the professoriate ridiculous pseudo-intellectual poly-sci nonsense about how "The People" (the electorate, more accurately) somehow "are" the government just because voting happens every 2 years.

Don't feel bad, though. A lot of intelligent people have made and continue to make the same mistake-even George Carlin.

 

[TheTexan]

This is ridiculous. It's just an unfounded claim that's been handed down for many moons. The politicians are reflective of themselves and their cronies. For example, congress has been extremely unpopular for a great many election cycles (statistically). Yet, we are led to believe by the intelligentsia, the media, and the professoriate ridiculous pseudo-intellectual poly-sci nonsense about how "The People" (the electorate, more accurately) somehow "are" the government just because voting happens every 2 years.

Don't feel bad, though. A lot of intelligent people have made and continue to make the same mistake-even George Carlin.

Dont trust the polls. War has been "unpopular" according to polls as well, but clearly war is very popular according to every other piece of available evidence.

Look at what people do, not what they say

 

[heavenlyboy34]

May I suggest that you know barely the first thing about me or my state of being.



Maybe. Maybe not. You may believe, but you do not know. What if you are wholly mistaken?

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this issue, brother. The Bible offers a complete moral code and philosophy-an epistemology and system of ethics and so on. ("oughts" as well as "is"es) Ideas are powerful. They can have the power to change the world.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

Dont trust the polls. War has been "unpopular" according to polls as well, but clearly war is very popular according to every other piece of available evidence.

Look at what people do, not what they say

Good point. BUT, I submit to you that that is only because we are at a point in history where the regime runs a "sanitary" war business. Average people can go about their daily business without thinking about the slaughter and injustice going on half a world away. I submit to you that if people had to feel the consequences of war, it would be highly unpopular like it was prior to the modern war industry.

 

[osan]

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this issue, brother. The Bible offers a complete moral code and philosophy-an epistemology and system of ethics and so on. ("oughts" as well as "is"es) Ideas are powerful. They can have the power to change the world.

I did not question whether the bible had such things, only whether they were correct. Someone made a positive statement about my "materialism" and the resulting "blindness", implying some form of guilt or other flaw/fault. They then went on to claim that "God" will judge them all, further stating that I, too, will face Him. Allow me to point out that none of it was defined. Granted, definition of "God" can be a tall order, but how can we have any idea of that which we speak without a definition, even if only to say that God has none? On that hand, are we then not speaking through our sphincters? How does one speak of that which, if having no definition, we can know next to nothing?

All that philosophizing aside, there remains the problem between epistemology and truth. Note I did not assert the author to have been wrong, but merely and reasonably raised the very real possibility that he was. Faith is not knowledge, save by coincidence. Mostly, faith is just that - pure belief without a more firm basis in the "science" of our senses, and even that can be put up for argument if we wish to go down the rabbit hole deeply enough.

It should be clear that not only could we go on endlessly about this to great depth and breadth, but that all the talk in the world will bring nothing beyond the status of pure speculation. We can prove nothing. We can prove everything. That is the paradoxical nature of what we are as living, conscious, self-aware beings, such as those qualities may exist vis-à-vis how they might; how we see v. how "God" sees.

I, for one, trust my senses to a point. Beyond that I hold always something in reserve, especially where issues of "God" come into play because that almost universally leads to beliefs about what all people should or should not do and it is precisely because of the tenuous nature of our minds and this reality we think we experience that we should learn ourselves away from the brands of foolishness that employ force to convince others to do as we do. That is precisely why I am an ardent adherent to the Golden Rule. It is precisely why the Golden Rule rests in no need of improvement or other alteration. The world of men would do well to learn it and keep it close to their hearts. But mine is the opinion of a minority of not much more than one.

Please pardon me for the digression.

 

[Ronin Truth]

Dont trust the polls. War has been "unpopular" according to polls as well, but clearly war is very popular according to every other piece of available evidence.

Look at what people do, not what they say

"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY."

-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg Trials