An exchange with SAM
(after suggesting I watch an anti-Obama video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
I stopped after about 35 minutes. It's nothing new, typical of the modern psuedo-journalism of American thinking today. We see the same thing every administration from the disaffected voter -- sound clips out of context to show the best or worse but not any whole story, snazzy video effects (thank you, CNN) without substance, dramatic music (thank you, Disney) to manipulate the emotions instead of engaging the rational, and diatribes from everyone except those who can think. We get quotes from politicians (never to be trusted, since today's politicians have only their own political party in mind, not the welfare of the old/dead republic), celebrities (should always be ignored), out of work former politicians (eager to get their plug in for a new book or a way into a lobbying firm), and other talking heads. Note that few or any historians or true academicians were used. Any level-headed discussion, pro or con, is ignored and any sane discussion more than five minutes ... well, that's too much to ask for from the average American.
We saw the same thing after the second Clinton election and the first and second Bush election -- from people who think their votes were robbed, eager to use the new technology to spread their insecurities and fears and sometimes even hate (people hated BC so much, it was amazing; the hate building around BO started early, partly because of latent racism, to be sure). Though I didn't vote for BO, I wait to read the full context of his statements instead of allowing other people to do my thinking for me, as this video is offering to do. Honestly, this kind of stuff (and we saw the same thing re: GWB about one-two years after the Iraq invasion) have the same substance as anti-Mormon videos (and there are plenty of those out there, some reviewed by FARMS and many not) with the same tactics -- emotionalism instead of rational discourse.
I guess I'm saying that this kind of proselytizing only convinces the people who are already convinced, and the other side will produce their version after the next election. A never-ending cycle of half-truths that do nothing to actually address the fundamental issues of corporate control over the political-industrial complex (Eisenhower added "military," but that's just one facet of industry). Those in power build power, and they confuse the voter in thinking that there really is a difference between two parties, when the same money controls both. BO is the symptom, not the cause, of the problem. As long as we are tempted with technology masking as journalism, we think we're being informed, we think we have a choice, we think we can make a difference.
Sheesh ... I'm moody today, can you tell? Didn't mean to offend anything you believe in. One of these days I'll tell you what I think of students, but that's a nasty discussion.
B
PS -- I will never, never travel with parents again. Another nasty tale.
I stopped after about 35 minutes. It's nothing new, typical of the modern psuedo-journalism of American thinking today. We see the same thing every administration from the disaffected voter -- sound clips out of context to show the best or worse but not any whole story, snazzy video effects (thank you, CNN) without substance, dramatic music (thank you, Disney) to manipulate the emotions instead of engaging the rational, and diatribes from everyone except those who can think. We get quotes from politicians (never to be trusted, since today's politicians have only their own political party in mind, not the welfare of the old/dead republic), celebrities (should always be ignored), out of work former politicians (eager to get their plug in for a new book or a way into a lobbying firm), and other talking heads. Note that few or any historians or true academicians were used. Any level-headed discussion, pro or con, is ignored and any sane discussion more than five minutes ... well, that's too much to ask for from the average American.
We saw the same thing after the second Clinton election and the first and second Bush election -- from people who think their votes were robbed, eager to use the new technology to spread their insecurities and fears and sometimes even hate (people hated BC so much, it was amazing; the hate building around BO started early, partly because of latent racism, to be sure). Though I didn't vote for BO, I wait to read the full context of his statements instead of allowing other people to do my thinking for me, as this video is offering to do. Honestly, this kind of stuff (and we saw the same thing re: GWB about one-two years after the Iraq invasion) have the same substance as anti-Mormon videos (and there are plenty of those out there, some reviewed by FARMS and many not) with the same tactics -- emotionalism instead of rational discourse.
I guess I'm saying that this kind of proselytizing only convinces the people who are already convinced, and the other side will produce their version after the next election. A never-ending cycle of half-truths that do nothing to actually address the fundamental issues of corporate control over the political-industrial complex (Eisenhower added "military," but that's just one facet of industry). Those in power build power, and they confuse the voter in thinking that there really is a difference between two parties, when the same money controls both. BO is the symptom, not the cause, of the problem. As long as we are tempted with technology masking as journalism, we think we're being informed, we think we have a choice, we think we can make a difference.
Sheesh ... I'm moody today, can you tell? Didn't mean to offend anything you believe in. One of these days I'll tell you what I think of students, but that's a nasty discussion.
B
PS -- I will never, never travel with parents again. Another nasty tale.
Bruce,
Thanks for the feedback. Nope, no offense here. I'm not sure what to believe in anymore. For years I believed in what I was doing and why I was doing it. I find myself more of a cynic more than anything now. After two tours in Iraq, losing several friends, and witnessing several changes in policy, I no longer believe in the war. I don't even know if I belive in the war in Afghanistan anymore. Although I took an oath to protect the constitution, I now believe it's my own government that is destroying the very document I swore to protect.
I graduate tomorrow night from the Senior Enlisted Academy. This is a REALLY big deal for my classmates. These guys are Command Master Chiefs of Aircraft carriers and Chief Of the Boats on nuclear subs so to say these guys take this serious would be an understatement. The facilitators of this program have spent the past six weeks preaching Leadership, Honor, Courage and Commitment into our heads. I don't buy any of it. I think most everyone here is a bunch of suckers serving a master that would throw them under the bus without a second thought.
I value your thoughts and educational insight. I wanted to see what your ideas where on the Bilderburg group and if you thought there might be something to the conspiracy theory about world domination. NAFTA, single world currency, etc... More importantly, how does this apply to your faith and Latter-Day predictions?
I'm being called as the Elders Quorum president again. Aly and I have an interview with the stake this Sunday. Apparently I didn't get it right the first time. Not sure if I'm too excited about being a one-man moving company again. Don't miss read me, I know I need to do more. Aly and I have truly been blessed.
Made it to the Boston temple a couple times since I've been in New England trying to better my attitude.
Aly and I made that trip to Canada with mom a dad years ago. That was the last time we ever did or will do a road trip with the folks. I think I told you about dad throwing a fit after I asked him to stop smoking in the vehicle, threw his smokes on the floor and wanted me to drive him to the airport to get a rental car. Good times.
Again, thanks for the feedback. Like I said, I don't know what to believe in anymore IRT my government. The more they tax me the more I question if it might be better to live in New Zealand or Chile. At this point I don't even believe my government will uphold it's agreement to pay my pension or my healthcare after I retire. The Secretary of Defense was here a couple weeks ago and I asked him those very questions. He's nothing more than an eager politician himself. I didn't make too many friends here.
Thanks for listening.
Scott
Thanks for the feedback. Nope, no offense here. I'm not sure what to believe in anymore. For years I believed in what I was doing and why I was doing it. I find myself more of a cynic more than anything now. After two tours in Iraq, losing several friends, and witnessing several changes in policy, I no longer believe in the war. I don't even know if I belive in the war in Afghanistan anymore. Although I took an oath to protect the constitution, I now believe it's my own government that is destroying the very document I swore to protect.
I graduate tomorrow night from the Senior Enlisted Academy. This is a REALLY big deal for my classmates. These guys are Command Master Chiefs of Aircraft carriers and Chief Of the Boats on nuclear subs so to say these guys take this serious would be an understatement. The facilitators of this program have spent the past six weeks preaching Leadership, Honor, Courage and Commitment into our heads. I don't buy any of it. I think most everyone here is a bunch of suckers serving a master that would throw them under the bus without a second thought.
I value your thoughts and educational insight. I wanted to see what your ideas where on the Bilderburg group and if you thought there might be something to the conspiracy theory about world domination. NAFTA, single world currency, etc... More importantly, how does this apply to your faith and Latter-Day predictions?
I'm being called as the Elders Quorum president again. Aly and I have an interview with the stake this Sunday. Apparently I didn't get it right the first time. Not sure if I'm too excited about being a one-man moving company again. Don't miss read me, I know I need to do more. Aly and I have truly been blessed.
Made it to the Boston temple a couple times since I've been in New England trying to better my attitude.
Aly and I made that trip to Canada with mom a dad years ago. That was the last time we ever did or will do a road trip with the folks. I think I told you about dad throwing a fit after I asked him to stop smoking in the vehicle, threw his smokes on the floor and wanted me to drive him to the airport to get a rental car. Good times.
Again, thanks for the feedback. Like I said, I don't know what to believe in anymore IRT my government. The more they tax me the more I question if it might be better to live in New Zealand or Chile. At this point I don't even believe my government will uphold it's agreement to pay my pension or my healthcare after I retire. The Secretary of Defense was here a couple weeks ago and I asked him those very questions. He's nothing more than an eager politician himself. I didn't make too many friends here.
Thanks for listening.
Scott
Well, I'm sorry that you feel disillusioned, really. And I don't, really, know who's behind the curtain, but observing and in my own muddled way, reflecting, about power and the natural tendency towards the abuse of power in all societies, I concluded that even with a great system of government established 200+ years go, one has to conclude that those in power would figure out a way over several generations, to take as much advantage of the system as possible. In reality, too, the Revolution and Founding were really just another way of maintaining power, though most (not all) of the Founders were good enough men to try to distribute power to as many others as possible at the time. But every culture, every civilization, every society, and every nation has always had insiders who will use all resources to forcibly take power, or if not, then abuse the legal system to usurp power. We can see in the 20th century that corporations have done everything possible (especially in consolidation, merger, and buy-out) to reduce real wages of the labor and increase salaries of the elite; the lawyers and politicians have continuously consolidated legal access away from the masses and towards the elite; and the elected officials use the federal courts and national crises to scare the voters in giving away more and more of their liberties to the advantage of the elite. It's easy to say that our nation isn't what the Founders wanted, but it's more than this -- where we are is so much what the Founders actually found against in 1775-1783.
Congratulations for your graduation from SEA, really. But I tend to agree with your assessment of the nation's leadership (this administration, the previous administration, no difference). I think when Washington cries "national security" they are not using the same vocabulary as I am. When I think "nation," I think people; but when Washington uses "nation," they mean the economic, technical, financial, and political structure of those who make, keep, build, and take money. It's a paradigm shift I have trouble explaining to others -- like when I use "music" I mean something else than the 14 year old black kid on the street -- it's not just a different taste in music, it's a different kind -- cacophony vs. harmony, beat vs. rhythm, lyrics vs. poetry. But we use the same word. Likewise, those in power use a euphemism, "national security" to make the populace believe they're being cared for, when in fact their savings are being stolen, their liberties are being kidnapped, their health being mortgaged away, their progeny being bartered into slavery. But as long as we have all the red, white, and blue bunting behind the speakers at the debate, we believe we are, and will remain, free.
As for one-world conspiracies, briefly: I believe politically they are implausible (the UN is a paper tiger, inefficient and corrupt), but economically and technologically are already upon us. I don't know if it's the Bilderburg or the CFR, or the Trilateral Commission or the IMF, but it doesn't matter -- it's all the same men and women who are running them all together, anyway. It's the same mentality -- you can have anything in this world for money -- just different mechanisms to get there. So, for end-times, I don't know if we'll all be wearing some arm patch to identify us as proles, with subcutaneous monitoring devices so the state can follow us everywhere, but if all the state has to do is keep us from improving our society and providing a safer world to the next generation, what does it matter? Perhaps the end-times won't be as violent as in BoM times, perhaps they will, but undoubtedly, there will be the majority of the population, everywhere, hating someone else -- killing, jailing, suing, robbing -- for their own stupid choices they had been making for generations themselves. Pogo: "We have met the enemy, and he is us." We criticize stimulus packages, but we don't understand why the federal deficit is $11.5 trillion and go about spending $650,000,000,000 in Iraq so far for a people who really won't return anything, except for oil profits for some elites. But it's all "national security." This of course is not a criticism for any effort of you, your friends, nor the hundreds of thousands who have and continue to serve. It's more a criticism of Americans who prefer American Idol over their grandchildren's welfare.
Good luck with the Stake President. Perhaps you can recommend a new power-structure. The EQ will provide meals and the RS will organize moving labor. Equality and all that jazz. I think you're right though; when we expect the priesthood to be free labor for a lot of people who really should have developed their friendship circles previous to their move so they won't burden the same men again and again, then we seriously undercut the potential of priesthood service and guarantee burnout. College kids could move all that stuff for a hundred bucks -- suggest Craigslist. Your time is worth more than that. I know they talk "service" but I really don't see Jesus spending all his weekends moving other peoples' stuff from Jericho to Jerusalem and back. One of the things that really pissed me off once was our own EQP suggesting in PEC that the young men should help him pack, load, and move. I thought it was his way out of paying a moving company, and he had enough cash several times over. He said "service," but I heard "indentured servitude" (that paradigm shift again). But I'm bad and didn't have any friends in that (or any) ward. You can tell why.
Brief story from Quebec. Went to a nice crepe restaurant (crepes there are real meals, not just fruit and whipped cream). People don't speak English in Q City, but our beautiful tall blond server tried her best. Each of us ordered crepes, but Dad ordered an au gratin meal. 20 minutes later the meals came out, and Dad had a crepe placed down in front of him instead of his au gratin. He pulled his pouting act, pushed the plate away, loudly said, "This is not what I ordered, and I don't want it," refused to accept another order (more time, admittedly) and pouted in the corner, making all of us uncomfortable in public, and obviously embarrassing Mother. Hmmm, maybe the language barrier had something to do with the misorder? Typical American thinking all other nations should speak their language, even in their own country. Wasted food. Other stories of racist comments after I tried to help some foreigners change a tire, etc. Just not going to waste my time again.
Again, congratulations about the SEA advancement. See it as a commendation of your own hard work, dedication, intelligence, and trust by others.
B
Congratulations for your graduation from SEA, really. But I tend to agree with your assessment of the nation's leadership (this administration, the previous administration, no difference). I think when Washington cries "national security" they are not using the same vocabulary as I am. When I think "nation," I think people; but when Washington uses "nation," they mean the economic, technical, financial, and political structure of those who make, keep, build, and take money. It's a paradigm shift I have trouble explaining to others -- like when I use "music" I mean something else than the 14 year old black kid on the street -- it's not just a different taste in music, it's a different kind -- cacophony vs. harmony, beat vs. rhythm, lyrics vs. poetry. But we use the same word. Likewise, those in power use a euphemism, "national security" to make the populace believe they're being cared for, when in fact their savings are being stolen, their liberties are being kidnapped, their health being mortgaged away, their progeny being bartered into slavery. But as long as we have all the red, white, and blue bunting behind the speakers at the debate, we believe we are, and will remain, free.
As for one-world conspiracies, briefly: I believe politically they are implausible (the UN is a paper tiger, inefficient and corrupt), but economically and technologically are already upon us. I don't know if it's the Bilderburg or the CFR, or the Trilateral Commission or the IMF, but it doesn't matter -- it's all the same men and women who are running them all together, anyway. It's the same mentality -- you can have anything in this world for money -- just different mechanisms to get there. So, for end-times, I don't know if we'll all be wearing some arm patch to identify us as proles, with subcutaneous monitoring devices so the state can follow us everywhere, but if all the state has to do is keep us from improving our society and providing a safer world to the next generation, what does it matter? Perhaps the end-times won't be as violent as in BoM times, perhaps they will, but undoubtedly, there will be the majority of the population, everywhere, hating someone else -- killing, jailing, suing, robbing -- for their own stupid choices they had been making for generations themselves. Pogo: "We have met the enemy, and he is us." We criticize stimulus packages, but we don't understand why the federal deficit is $11.5 trillion and go about spending $650,000,000,000 in Iraq so far for a people who really won't return anything, except for oil profits for some elites. But it's all "national security." This of course is not a criticism for any effort of you, your friends, nor the hundreds of thousands who have and continue to serve. It's more a criticism of Americans who prefer American Idol over their grandchildren's welfare.
Good luck with the Stake President. Perhaps you can recommend a new power-structure. The EQ will provide meals and the RS will organize moving labor. Equality and all that jazz. I think you're right though; when we expect the priesthood to be free labor for a lot of people who really should have developed their friendship circles previous to their move so they won't burden the same men again and again, then we seriously undercut the potential of priesthood service and guarantee burnout. College kids could move all that stuff for a hundred bucks -- suggest Craigslist. Your time is worth more than that. I know they talk "service" but I really don't see Jesus spending all his weekends moving other peoples' stuff from Jericho to Jerusalem and back. One of the things that really pissed me off once was our own EQP suggesting in PEC that the young men should help him pack, load, and move. I thought it was his way out of paying a moving company, and he had enough cash several times over. He said "service," but I heard "indentured servitude" (that paradigm shift again). But I'm bad and didn't have any friends in that (or any) ward. You can tell why.
Brief story from Quebec. Went to a nice crepe restaurant (crepes there are real meals, not just fruit and whipped cream). People don't speak English in Q City, but our beautiful tall blond server tried her best. Each of us ordered crepes, but Dad ordered an au gratin meal. 20 minutes later the meals came out, and Dad had a crepe placed down in front of him instead of his au gratin. He pulled his pouting act, pushed the plate away, loudly said, "This is not what I ordered, and I don't want it," refused to accept another order (more time, admittedly) and pouted in the corner, making all of us uncomfortable in public, and obviously embarrassing Mother. Hmmm, maybe the language barrier had something to do with the misorder? Typical American thinking all other nations should speak their language, even in their own country. Wasted food. Other stories of racist comments after I tried to help some foreigners change a tire, etc. Just not going to waste my time again.
Again, congratulations about the SEA advancement. See it as a commendation of your own hard work, dedication, intelligence, and trust by others.
B
