News:

The characteristic feature of the loser is to bemoan, in general terms, mankind's flaws, biases, contradictions and irrationality-without exploiting them for fun and profit

Main Menu

CHANGE you can believe in

Started by tyrannosaurus vex, September 24, 2008, 05:18:37 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Jasper


Vene

I like where this is going.  Hey, maybe they can be Daruko's minions.

wade

*cleans Cains cum off of my face.

Who the fuck is GA?

REALLY real discordians

i wouldnt hurt a fly
:thumb: :kojak:

Captain Obvious

WADE HAS AN OVER-SIMPLISTIC WORLDVIEW
HIS HEAD IS TOO SMALL

East Coast Hustle

Quote from: Cain on September 25, 2008, 07:01:40 PM
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on September 25, 2008, 02:16:15 PM
Quote from: Felix on September 25, 2008, 05:11:41 AM
Okayokay SOME military, but a reasonable amount.  None of this 600 Billion dollar a year multinational invasion force like we have now.

you understand, of course, that a reasonably-sized military for America would involve resuming the draft, given that we currently have about half as many people under arms as we actually need to insure our varied strategic interests.

I disagree.

American military needs could be met by expanding the Navy and elements of the army (Special forces, training, flexible infantry) and shitcanning a ton of crap that is never gonna be used (heavy amour, various fixed defence systems etc) simply because Canada and Mexico are never gonna invade, and no-one else can get close enough without nukes or terrorism, which are two entirely different ballparks.


QuoteI mean, you could always go live in a third-world hellhole or some european nanny-state, but assuming that you have grown accustomed to the lifestyle that you enjoy as a direct result of American global primacy (and I think alot of people have never really thought about what their life would be like if American global primacy ceased to be), you should probably find a different way to cut government spending. There are alot of ways that money could be recouped without throwing open the gates and allowing the barbarians free reign.

Uh-huh.

Any evidence for this? I mean, aside from a tiresome slam on Europe (par for the course in these discussions) or are you just blowing assertions out of your arse here?

first off, I've never given two shits if someone from another country slams america or chimes in on its internal politics.

secondly, had western european nations been forced to foot the entire bill to defend themselves from the USSR for 50 years, I'm guessing they'd have had alot fewer social welfare programs. I don't have any hard evidence to back that up, but it seems like a reasonable educated guess, and it makes my cheap slam on europe relevant in the context of what I was commenting on in Felix's post.

third, aren't you Aussie? why take offense at a cheap-shot at european socialism even if you're inclined to take offense at such things in the first place?
Rabid Colostomy Hole Jammer of the Coming Apocalypse™

The Devil is in the details; God is in the nuance.


Some yahoo yelled at me, saying 'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH', and I thought, "I'm feeling generous today.  Why not BOTH?"

wade

Quote from: Captain Obvious on September 26, 2008, 02:11:20 AM
WADE HAS AN OVER-SIMPLISTIC WORLDVIEW


So?

Ever hear of a block diagram before? I think like that, big deal.
REALLY real discordians

i wouldnt hurt a fly
:thumb: :kojak:

Voodoo

I am admittedly dumb as shit when it come to anything political -- so i love reading these threads.  You folk are way smarter than you give yourself credit for.

And I probably am one of the "dirty hippie" socialists everyone despises -- but I still think we should let the fucking stock market fail and let those corporate fuckers starve in the streets.  Ok, maybe I'm not really a hippie, but I do want pot legalized.

Jasper

Nah, you're a hippy.  Wear it like a paisley badge of pride.

Voodoo

i guess I should stop bathing and get a siberian husky

Jenne

I totally read that as "get a lesbian husky"

the last yatto

#130
'Politicians to be fed, clothed, boarded, and provided for to a high quality of life, but not allowed personal possessions or money.'

didn't Athens choose random citizens almost like a jury for its senate? if lawmakers are isolated and given shorter terms this could actually be very useful.  Lobbyists can still write the bills as they do now, just they have to have a random set of people to argue over its details instead of their good buddy.


maybe even hook up close circurt television, :lulz: BIG BROTHER. After all most people think Cspan is boring, after all whens the last time you see em go jerry springer like they do in japan. Maybe even allow america to vote on which senator needs to be taser at the end of the show.
Look, asshole:  Your 'incomprehensible' act, your word-salad, your pinealism...It BORES ME.  I've been incomprehensible for so long, I TEACH IT TO MBA CANDIDATES.  So if you simply MUST talk about your pineal gland or happy children dancing in the wildflowers, go talk to Roger, because he digs that kind of shit

Jasper

Quote from: YattoDobbs on September 26, 2008, 05:23:00 AM
'Politicians to be fed, clothed, boarded, and provided for to a high quality of life, but not allowed personal possessions or money.'

didn't Athens choose random citizens almost like a jury for its senate? if lawmakers are isolated and given shorter terms this could actually be very useful. plus if they are forbidden to say have TV, they wont have an excuse for not reading the bills before they are passed. Lobbyists can still write the bills as they do now, just they have to have a random set of people to argue over its details instead of their good buddy.

Read Plato.

He has a few good ideas, but he tries to stretch his good ideas out to fit everything, and it all ends up sucking.

Cain

Quote from: East Coast Hustle on September 26, 2008, 02:47:11 AM
Quote from: Cain on September 25, 2008, 07:01:40 PM
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on September 25, 2008, 02:16:15 PM
Quote from: Felix on September 25, 2008, 05:11:41 AM
Okayokay SOME military, but a reasonable amount.  None of this 600 Billion dollar a year multinational invasion force like we have now.

you understand, of course, that a reasonably-sized military for America would involve resuming the draft, given that we currently have about half as many people under arms as we actually need to insure our varied strategic interests.

I disagree.

American military needs could be met by expanding the Navy and elements of the army (Special forces, training, flexible infantry) and shitcanning a ton of crap that is never gonna be used (heavy amour, various fixed defence systems etc) simply because Canada and Mexico are never gonna invade, and no-one else can get close enough without nukes or terrorism, which are two entirely different ballparks.


QuoteI mean, you could always go live in a third-world hellhole or some european nanny-state, but assuming that you have grown accustomed to the lifestyle that you enjoy as a direct result of American global primacy (and I think alot of people have never really thought about what their life would be like if American global primacy ceased to be), you should probably find a different way to cut government spending. There are alot of ways that money could be recouped without throwing open the gates and allowing the barbarians free reign.

Uh-huh.

Any evidence for this? I mean, aside from a tiresome slam on Europe (par for the course in these discussions) or are you just blowing assertions out of your arse here?

first off, I've never given two shits if someone from another country slams america or chimes in on its internal politics.

secondly, had western european nations been forced to foot the entire bill to defend themselves from the USSR for 50 years, I'm guessing they'd have had alot fewer social welfare programs. I don't have any hard evidence to back that up, but it seems like a reasonable educated guess, and it makes my cheap slam on europe relevant in the context of what I was commenting on in Felix's post.

third, aren't you Aussie? why take offense at a cheap-shot at european socialism even if you're inclined to take offense at such things in the first place?

Actually, the USA didn't want them to foot the bill, because it was afraid that Europe may act as an independent international actor and not in the US's best interests if it ran its own military on its own dime.  Even now, this logic is applied to European defence issues.  Its not like the EU is unable to pay, its just that the USA and UK apply pressure to try and make sure the EU remains nothing more than a trade bloc.

In fact, both Germany and France have been substanially building up their forces during the Cold War into the present, and the UK has always been a large military spender.  Germany signs on to every international peacekeeping mission it can find, to work around its constitution, give their forces field experience and habituate the German people to having troops doing foreign missions.  France has always wanted a military force aside from NATO in order to defend itself, which is why it withdrew from the NATO command structure.

As for your slam on European social systems, perhaps the fact that I'd likely be dead now without our wonderful free hospitals, or in prison because I had no money and no job for all of this summer, endear me to its benefits.

Vene

Europeans are Communists!
   \
:nigel:

tyrannosaurus vex

what an awful thing to have socialized healthcare. srsly. if america did that, next thing you know we'd be just like the euros -- always talking, never bombing. good countries bomb. pussy countries talk. that's just the way it is. if Abe Lincoln had been French, we'd all be speaking Creole now. srsly.
Evil and Unfeeling Arse-Flenser From The City of the Damned.