Can any current political system withstand the test of time?

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Well clearly you think things are going fine, do you look out of the window much ?

I dunno, do you have the capability of creating a real argument?

I suppose I should try to respond to your comment; looking out the window is absolutely useless for assessing things without a relevant reference for comparison. There have been philosophers that have claimed that this world is the best of all possible worlds, there are individuals who continually predict the inevitable collapse of this world, but the truth of the matter is that without good comparison all our assessment of the world rests upon is merely emotional assessment, which merely has to deal with propensities towards optimism or pessimism. Now we can debate the virtues of the propensities back and forth based upon the historical claims of both and who has won, and things of that nature, but really, your rhetorical question is made of suck.

Quoting rideforever:

Wait a minute. Hasn't this been the system that continues to prevail from the beginning of time? And isn't it built into our human nature? The great "pecking order".

I feel pretty convinced though, that eventually, the meek will inherit the Earth. All the fat cats, brow-beaters and bullies will cancel themselves out in some kind of great cosmic equation and then it will be "Back to the Garden".

Last edited by cosmiccat on 22 Jul 2007, 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

Doesn't mean humanity can't change it's
nature. I think it HAS to be done under the
radar though, in such a way that vested
interests will never know what happened.

Then again, it could also be that humanity
can't trust its destiny to its own hands. Not
directly. Either way, it ain't gonna be anything
like what we're used to, if the changes can be
effected.



Sure, once it's used up.

Not sure if you are being sarcastic the whole way through, or the last bit was heartfelt.

Well, anyway ... I think the world has problems and I am thinking about options for improving the situation. It's better than giving up on it.

Human nature ? The amount of goodness in human nature is a matter of considerable debate. Looks to me like most people want more goodness in the world but this is not easily translated into the world system. But ... at least people want it, that's a start.

Quoting Calandale:

Always up for a coup. Or a Coupe de Ville. Or even a coupe de cheveux.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r32CkvpXzUs[/youtube]

It was all heartfelt. I'm quite serious about the pecking order being built into, not only humans, but all living things. Abraham Maslow discusses this using the example of chickens - where pecking order is literally pecking order. They will eat what is best for them if it is available. However, they won't starve to death if it is not available. They'll choose the best of what is available. If left alone, not forced, coerced, deprived, etc., humans and animals will make the best choices for their individual survival which translates into the survival of their kind as a group.

Who can say it better than Alice in Chains, in my opinion one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written or performed in this unplugged version. It drives me craaaaaazzzzy!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiVlDBr397M[/youtube]


Aint found a way to kill me yet
Eyes burn with stinging sweat
Seems every path leads me to nowhere
Wife and kids household pet
Army green was no safe bet
The bullets scream to me from somewhere

Here they come to snuff the rooster
Yeah here come the rooster, yeah
You know he aint gonna die
No, no, no, ya know he aint gonna die

Walkin tall machine gun man
They spit on me in my home land
Gloria sent me pictures of my boy
Got my pills gainst mosquito death
My buddys breathin his dyin breath
Oh God please wont you help me make it through

Here they come to snuff the rooster
Yeah here come the rooster, yeah
You know he aint gonna die
No, no, no ya know he aint gonna die

I don't know how this realtes to the origonal topic but do you like Stephane Grappelli?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcF0zNkPsOQ[/youtube]

Quoting 0_equals_true:

Who cares if it relates. And who's to say it doesn't. The thread police, big brothers to the fun police. Thanks for sharing. I'm not a big jazz fan, but I love that song and he does a remarkable rendition of it.

America's flaw is people can vote themselves other peoples money.

People are no longer fighting for a living wage & benefits, they now vote themselves government handouts.

Already half the population is feeding at the government trough. As it grows bigger & bigger more & more people will drop out of the above ground economy because the level of taxes applied to them will no longer make it worthwhile to work and live within the reach of the tax man.

Such methods are founded on the same
thinking which has always led to establishing
new governments. I'm suggesting something
different. It too has been tried, but never really
succeeded.

Quoting Calandale:

What are you suggesting?

I can't really tell, as the only thing I can think of is some social control, and those are difficult to maintain as some cultural perversions will arise and these will probably eat away at the system, if those are controlled through a ruling caste then these perversions will arise in that ruling caste, either way we end up with little success.

Careful social (or even genetic) engineering,
not done by the heavy hand
of government, but rather through
emerging technologies. All covertly.

Either that, or a new religion.

Aristocracies and military dictatorships in various guises have existed for thousands of years and we are likely to continue seeing them.

And speaking of dictators, Hugo Chavez, in what he says is an effort to silence accusations that he's a "tyrant" and a "dictator", has said he's going to deport any visitors who say claim these things about him publicly. Ya, that'll bring the ol' dictator-meter down a notch!
"I am not a tyrant! Shut up or you're gone!"