Out of curiosity, I just wanted to gather what you all know off hand about our world. This is very broad I know, but I want to get a better understanding of everyone's view. Just go at it, no right or wrong answers here. After everyone (or most of you... tell Luke and Rob to get on this shit. I know they're busy, but just fuck it) has placed their ideas I'll post mine then the discussion can commence. Sweet? The reason I want to know is well, because we are best friends and I just wanna know where you all fall under within the spectrum. I want to help change this world and having you guys there is important. I will split this question into categories to help simplify things:
Basic Rules- Don't integrate the below categories and be open-minded and self-control. Also no filibusters please.
1) Political Views on American policies, international policies, or theories/solutions.
2) Philosophical views on certain topics or straight up theories/solutions.
3) Humanities, psychology...straight up/solutions.
4) miscellaneous/solutions.
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I edited this post so that it is a bit easier to understand. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteEhem. As for the answer to your question. I know a decent amount about the world, and I could go off on some random tangent about it, but I'm going to narrow my answer to what I THINK you intended for us to talk about, which is the political/economic spectrum.
DeleteThe short answer is I think the power center will shift from the West, to the East. China has been pretty damn good at keeping their cards close to their chest, but at some point in the near future they're going to have to make a move to keep their peeps happy.
I sincerely hope that our politicians aren't stupid enough to try and wage open war against the red dragon but listening to some of the chicken hawks in office today... I'm not so sure. If we do make the retarded, retarded decision of getting in their way, we're going to get our asses run the fuck over unless, again, we're stupid enough to use the nuclear option in which case...well everyone will be dead.
At the very least, tensions between Israel and Iran are going to reach a boiling point soon. I'm hoping that America will finally get our heads out of our asses and stop supporting Israel in everything they do. They want to be recognized as a country and yet wont respect the sovereignty of other countries, much less the existence of a Palestinian state. People say that "well none of the countries surrounding Israel will recognize them, so why shouldn't they do the same?" and the answer is this. When you're a teenager, you don't magically become an adult. You start acting like one, and eventually you are accepted as no longer being a child. Israel is a fucking toddler saying it wants to be an adult. They haven't shown the maturity of a Jr high student, much less an 18 year old. But again, we're retarded, and yet again we will go to war with a country that we don't really have a beef with. (Iran is historically pissed off about our politicians intervening with other country's politics) and as far as Iran having nuclear capability? Eh. Again, most of the world powers have nukes, so why the hell shouldn't Iran? And I'll reiterate my belief that there is no world government out there that is actually stupid enough to drop a nuke. The first country to launch a nuke, will be the first one turned into a radioactive parking lot.
The anger most of the developing world feels towards the rich is going to keep growing until the economy gets back on track, and then we'll forget about it because...we're fucking stupid. American politics will continue being fucked until every single baby boomer is out of office. Our education will continue to suck, the standard of living will continue to suck, etc etc, but nothing will change. Most Americans aren't willing to stand up for what they believe in, much less die for it.
All that being said, I have hopes that another country will stand up and continue to elevate the human species. God knows our country doesn't deserve to be the beacon of civilization any longer.
Thank you, I wrote this in between classes.
ReplyDelete1) Well I'll put it bluntly, I believe the United States is not a lost cause. I don't think there is another country in the world who can react to most global situations like the US. With that said, America should lead this "change", but not under the current Federal government. The baby boomers have left so much garbage, not to mention priorities left behind that are currently affecting us (i.e. energy concerns, global food problem). Winston Churchill said that "...Capitalism is the greatest innovation to modern economics..." or roughly around there, the point is Capitalism could of worked. But both the Federal and State governments got sloppy with weak rules and regulations. American were living their golden age after World War II and capitalism was so hot why control the money made? The Land of opportunities had finally come and was real...till our government's Merit system failed, till MNC's began to make too much money, when the Federal Reserve was made to control all of America's money, when Nixon erased the Gold Standard, when the our lifestlye blinded us from the harsh reality of the losers..of the people who live in developing countries. America's victory over the Axis powers after WWII and the creation of the United Nations has made America arrogant.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to focus in on capitalism, because we both know I'm not exactly a fan of it. Capitalism cannot work, why? For the same reasons that Socialism, Communism, etc, can't work. Human greed.
DeleteThe shit that has happened so far is exactly what capitalism demands must eventually happen. The strong flourish, and get money, while the weak make shitty ass investments and go broke. It doesn't matter how many or how few laws there are on the economy, there will always be people smart enough, or callous enough, to succeed. Once you make your first billion what do you do next? You ensure that you make more money easier while everyone else has a harder time to make even 1/1000000th of what you have.
Capitalism, trickle down economics, etc etc, all will only work in a world where human greed is non-existant. I.E. no one system will ever work.
In our current world now, yes capitalism will never work. Not as long as we keep buying cheap resources and selling those refined products back to the developing countries that got it for us. But if the world were to correct itself maybe, but I know that is a far fetched idea at the present. I don't believe "No System will work" because humans are irrational. A standardized system needs to be in place, government, Rule of Law are needed to control our race. Anarchy is complete nonsense, especiallty in our current time with technology and nuclear weaponry. My views maybe Socialist, but to progress as a society we need to put away individuality and work towards the greater good. Once again I know this kind of talk is frowned upon (especially since I'm an American) but that's the hard truth...not agreeing entirely with Communism and Socialism...just certain aspects. The trickle-down effect can work as the great economist Keynes agreed, but only if the rich and wealthy "drop" the money which does go back to greed...
DeleteI agree Ty, human greed and human irrationality are some of the few factors that hinder our race, but we have to coerce the people...there are leaders and then there are followers...that is what humans are and we have to try and spread that kind of mentality of income limits and what not. Because who really needs all that money?
Also, it's cool Captialism doesn't interest me either :p
DeleteI think part of the problem is the fact that most people can't even comprehend how much money a million dollars is, much less a billion.
DeleteThe League of Nations failed because their were a select countries given exclusive privileges. Same thing with the UN today with the permanent security council and non-permanent members. Legislature today isn't creating laws and bills like it was back then. Today appointed committees encompassing Trustees and Delegates are the ones making these laws and are then sent into Congress for their "friends" to vote yes. They are all somewhat wealthy or greatly endowed by the wealthy. People of these committees are being influenced by the rich and their lobbyist or are the former. A good example is the food in our country. The food we eat is so modified we do not even know if it's real (which most are not). By real I mean not pure, for example everything is either made of corn or grass...true story. Anyway, the rich and few companies that control the seeding and sales of equipment have been binding and slowly killing American farmers for over 50 years now. Monsanto, a seed and other shit MNC's literally sends private investigators to farmers who do not destroy their seeds and sue them for so much they are just given the death penalty (figuratively speaking). Our hegemony maybe on the decline, but it is because of our racist, old-war dogs of the Cold War and just well relics of very different time. As with the war with China or a conflict between the West and the East hopefully will not occur, or at least I will try to intercept. A war with China will be costly and horrific. But I believe the nuclear deterrent will prevail during these hard times. China may have the largest army and is growing both militarily/economically/and politically, but most of their power still resides on the coast where trade has been booming since the 80's.
ReplyDeleteJust adding a sidenote abount Monsanto to support your attack on them Mike. Look up their grain that are designed with a kill gene.
DeleteWill do, adding that to "Mass Research Composition" :p
DeletePatch to this part of my comment---Going back to the example of the food industry in correlation to the committee members that are influenced by the wealthy, Cargill I think had a lawyer and that lawyer soon became a Supreme Court Justice. There are a ton of former lobbyists and associates of MNC's that have attained powerful positions in our government. The merit system died AGAIN and the spoil system of the bureaucracy has returned.
DeleteHell that is where most of China's economic growth is, further mainland China is nothing but country and poor farmers who do not receive anything and where most of the soldiers are recruited. Aside from that my overall goal is to "cleanse" our State and Federal system. Very radical concept, but I believe necessary. I have a general idea to get there. First I will need to mobilize the the entire country's youth (it's our time, we all feel this)by doing this I'll need to talk to Anonymous. Though credited with nothing but minor hackings and awareness, their real power I think are the notable hackers and computer whizes they might have under their flag. They will come in handy when combating the government's cyber divisions and security. Next are the young farmers and scientists/physicians/scholars. That includes the FFA and the scholarly organizations for future scientists and scholars-related. Now the youth need to be armed and that is where the NRA comes in. I'll need to figure a way to influence them in joining us because nothing is more intimidating than the NRA supporting a certain group. A great example of the NRA and its support of groups is the Black Panthers. The Panthers were proud supporters of the right to bears arms specifically in defense against racial crimes, but NRA is symbolic and represents pure American patriotism only giving us greater legitimacy to "cleanse" our government(the NRA since its creation has always been a powerful interest group and patriot, but has declined since the end of the Black Panthers and other regulations). If the head of the NRA is replaced or persuaded, then the avid gun supporters will rally to our cause. That leaves me with the rest of the youth, the ones who will be the service people, blue collar and white collar jobs...the average joes or our workforce. They will become the main component of my group (which I do not know at this time). They are the bulk, the masses...our power. A simplistic and exaggerated plan, yet I believe it is a good organized interest group to face our government and eventually the world. Nothing is more scary for our current adults than the future rebelling.
ReplyDeleteNot even gonna touch this one with a twenty foot pole. We'll talk about it when we're face to face.
DeleteIt's very simplistic you need to understand this, I'm not entirely sure where to go, but I know that these organizations can help us.
Delete2) As a whole I truly believe humans are irrational creatures. We may teach and train people to do certain things, but what stops them from saying no? That is where our current way of life is. We work at shitty jobs to get paid useless currency for which we buy useless things. Blinded by distractions to pocket more dough for the rich, this system of running lives like a business is not working...it failed from the beginning. Because our country praised individuality and oneself, conformity can only last until 1 person begins to speak out and do things differently...when I mean differently I mean on an epic scale because affecting the masses institutes mob rule (very powerful form of manipulation and sorry for integrating). I believe in choices and that no one can interfere with those choices unless that person is unfit or can not comprehend to choose, that another party may make the decision. Is there a god?, I don't think so. But there maybe something extremely godlike or demi-godlike somewhere in the universe or at the very least our race hasn't evolved their yet. As for truth and knowledge...truth is what each of us believe and justified by our own accord and agreed upon by others. Truth is what we do not know, yet feel like we know because we are just not at that point to comprehend. As for knowledge...it can be anything both prior and post learning/knowing. I believe we are real, we are not a head in a fucking jar. We are living/breathing creatures born to die. Our race is barbaric/ruthless/irrational/caring/loving/stubborn and loyal. I like to believe we are good at heart, but we play that fence with evil because well...we are fucking curious beings.
ReplyDeleteA nation of rugged individuals isn't very individualistic now is it?
DeleteHuman beings are individuals at the most basic level. What conforms us is our relationships with others.
DeleteAs for Americans, we are more individual than most countries. We express ourselves and live very independent lives than most. I understand it may not appear that way, but in a worldly sense we do if that makes any sense?
Delete3/4} As Americans, our views of the world are heavily distorted by the media and the internet. People don't what is going on and that needs to change. Our country follows a pathetic doctrine and has been following this since the War of 1812, when our country is attacked or threatened in any way WE WILL GO TO WAR TO SAFEGUARD OUR LOVED ONES. This "Rally Around the Flag" effect can be seen recently with 9/11 and the war in Iraq. Pearl Harbor in WWII and the sinking of the USS Maine of the Spanish-American War. Our country can do so much with the world, but at the heart of things...the real question all most all Americans may have to ask if they choose to relinquish their status in the world and the life style they've enjoyed all the their lives is...Are we OK with another country being better than America? Now I know our education and other standards have sorely fallen, but our life style, the things we see and do everyday can we actually accept those changes? We would all have to learn and adapt and I know most won't be able to...and I feel shitty for saying it. But there some things that just won't be the same and it will make everyone's day harder. And yes I know, we Americans deserve a lot of displeasure for our ignorance, but I'm speaking about the country as a whole. We'll have our supporters, but will they continue with that? I don't know.
ReplyDeleteOn a later note, Interest Groups are way to fucking powerful and are just as bad as the rich/MNC's with their lobbyists. AIPAC or the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee are the one of the big reasons why the West especially America is so interested in protecting Israel and causing tensions. Same goes for the American-Cuba Lobby which consists of former Cuban nationals and officials, kicked out by Castro when he rose to power. A lot of money runs through these interest groups and committees, oh and don't get me started on the all loving Sierra Club. :p
That last part can be summed up by "getting the money out of congress"
DeleteWhich...I agree with. For the most part.
Agreed for the most part, this goes beyond Capital Hill and our borders too, but we need to correct our problems on the homefront before we can advance right?
ReplyDeleteHonestly my knowledge on the world isn't nearly as in depth as I'd like it to be. I spend most of my time focusing on the personal philosophy in life and not enough on knowing the politics of what is going on and I do not like that balance in my life. So its going to take a bit of sitting down and thinking things through for my response to this but you will get a response from me. Sorry I'm not on the blog more often.
ReplyDeleteBlog isn't going anywhere bro. I don't know much either, but I know relative to minor-depth of things when it comes to politics and overall philosophy. We are all eternal students.
ReplyDelete