Peacemaker Posted July 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Well TFS, I must confess to being a little disappointed. I've given you most of my best stuff here and you continue to come up with the usual, predictable tosh that I have encountered many times before. Please think before posing logical questions, or, better still, give us YOUR views of why you think that our current lifestyles are absolutely flawless and should be continued. I would be happy to hear YOUR alternative hypothesis instead of your smart-alec comments, which just lead people off the track. PLEASE DISCUSS THE ISSUES! This is potentially the most important decision mankind will ever have to make. Please switch off the negativity and try to understand what I am REALLY talking about, what I am REALLY offering you here. To answer your comments: Firstly, is there a Law I should know about posting as a word document? Next. 'That's also a tautology' It will be accepted and done when it is done and accepted.' The answer to that would be Yes. It requires faith in ourselves, in out ingenuity and in our species, as we have never had faith in anything before to begin it. It will then become self proving, so long as we simply follow the rules and keep working, enjoying ourselves and keeping healthy. What's wrong with that picture TFS? Isn't that something you have secretly dreamed of since you could dream?Can't you even embrace it for the good of your children? Are you so screwed up inside that goodness and peace is somehow not acceptable to you TFS? Please, grow up and participate positively. Next 'Its not going to happen' Again with this one...And STONE'S LAW, for goodness sake, 'It can't really be proven, but it has never been observed to be false.'? (laughs out loud). Here in Scotland, that would be referred to as the 'mebbeez aye, but then mebbeez no principle', and you infer that this must be right because 'It's a scientific Law'. Apparently. What kind of science does that refer to TFS?The weather? Next. 1) There is no idea so obviously stupid that you cannot find at least one person who will disagree on it's obvious stupidity. What does that MEAN, TFM?...and what does it bring to your argument?...and who are you quoting? Certainly not me, I wouldn't say anything anywhere near as obtuse as that. That's not my style. I speak plainly, from my head, and from my heart, Please, TFS, if you have anything to say to me in future, at least try to think about it. Next. And it's corollary - (No comment. do I need to?) Next. Sorry, the next quote is such drivel I can't be bothered to reproduce it, and ditto for the rest of the post, except for something revealing in the last paragraph, to quote your good self; 'I mean, you can argue that that's not the way the world works, but...I disagree with your obviously good idea...' ????????? Well aren't you just the crazy mixed up kid then? (;-) ...and then the kidney punch that could have knocked the stuffing right out of my theory... '...so that kinda shoots it down right there.' A masterstroke TFS If the readers of this page believe you, then you have just succeeded IN bringing an untimely end to this obviously evil plot of mine to give everybody true freedom. and love,... and sweeties. ...And so many other good things. Thanks for that. Peacemaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted July 26, 2007 Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 You needn't kill the lilyOffer jewels to the sunsetNo one is watching a step in your shoesWash your lonely feet, in the river, in the morningEverything promised, is delivered to you Is it all fall downIs it all go underIs it all fall downIs it all go under The easiest way to abandon money is to abandon urban society. If one can survive in remote lands without having money, then they are truly free and are good candidates for a practicable example of your writings, PeaceMaker. But for some, if not most, of the major players in the major cities, there is no other motive other than money. It is an ego issue that can not be solved, imho, by presenting an option that is in direct opposition to their goals (ie moneyless vs. moneymore). I believe that a shift in direction is occurring though, but it is subtle and not very noticeable to all...yet. The climate change issue is a good example of a global perception change, but we are in the midst of that yet and I believe we've barely scraped the tip of the iceburg (un-PC pun was intentional), as far as perception goes. I suggest that the ideas you express, Peacemaker, should be discussed without an acceptance clause. We can discuss your ideas, but becoming defensive towards logical inquisitions and maintaining a 'boot-stomping' approach, will not facilitate a good discussion. We can't be expected to change our whole lifestyle (read: moneyless) in a few days, can we? If the conversation can be held with patience and understanding, then I will happily participate, but if the current trend continues, then it all becomes trivial. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFaithfulStone Posted July 26, 2007 Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 Grr... ad hominem attacks do not impress me, Peacemaker. Tautologies are useless. It's not a response, it's just noise. If you ask me if something is either A or not A and I respond - "Well, if it's A, then it's A, and if it's Not A, then it's Not A." I haven't actually said anything. As for the "Stone's Law" thing - it's a joke. What I mean was that it is an observation that has been made several times over many years by people a lot smarter than me, and I just gave you my formulation of it. The basic principle of it is - "It's impossible to get everyone to agree on everything." This is like any law - it's just fundamentally true. You can't ever logically prove it, but no matter how many times you try it, it will always turn out that way. Here's some examples> Bad Idea: Cannibalism Some people practice it. Bad Idea: Nuclear War We dropped a couple of these on Japan and were ready to drop a bunch more on Russia. Bad Idea: Drinking when you're pregnant. Some people apparently don't think so. See what I mean? There is no idea so BAD that you can't find someone willing to give it a shot. There is no idea so GOOD that you can't find someone who'll disagree with it. I say - this is self-evident. You think your idea is a GOOD one. (You think it's the BEST one.) I disagree with it. Am I making progress here?TFS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacemaker Posted July 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 To the kind people who have replied to this post thus far - thank you. I haven't been totally pleasant to all of you, but please believe me it is nothing personal. I am just trying to keep your replies on-track. I am trying to keep your thoughts focussed on the bigger picture. You ask such questions as 'what is the definition of good and bad?' And then go on to say it would take years for current society to come up with definitions which would satisfy everyone. There is no need.I already have it, and here it is. A) If anything you wish to do, or consume, is considered, (by general agreement and application of common sense), ultimately, generally good for society, and does no harm to any individual, or to our shared resource, then it is good, and should be adopted as a generally available resource or activity. :) If you wish to consume anything, or do anything which conflicts with A) above, then do not expect society to help you to attain it, produce it, or in any other way assist you by any means to carry on with it's pursuit. Hope that helps clarify your thoughts on that one. I can come up with these all day. If you go back to the beginning of this thread, and read to understand, instead of reading to criticise, you will note that in all arguments, I have been straight and true to humanity. I have never wavered from the purpose of the betterment of mankind. Please consider the negative arguments and comments made by yourselves and each other, and ask yourself, can you say the same thing?If you can, (and occasionally some of you can) then congratulations to you, and keep it coming. If you can't, then consider your motives, and think about that child dying every three seconds. It's happening, now. For every one of you that is living luxuriously, there are ten thousand out there who are dying miserably. Can you honestly condone that? because by your negativity so far, that is exactly what you are doing. What if it were YOUR child, would you feel differently then? Put yourself in THEIR place, and then re-read this whole thread, and still give me the same objections. I have been trying for over five years to convince people that this is the only viable alternative for our society. It is viable because it encompasses a positive, achievable philosophy about everything, and which gives guidance to the future morality and behaviours which will enable mankind to overcome every obstacle nature and fate challenge us with, that doesn't just immediately wipe us all out. I have the answers, all ten of them, and any that I don't have, we have experts in every field amongst our race who do. Don't you think that asking me if I know how to get nuclear waste into space is a waste of time? I raised the idea as a general pointer to the way of thinking and problem-solving we can adopt. The same with the control of STD's, and the same with the current state of our environment. I know there is work being done to try to remedy these conditions, my point is that there is too little being done generally about all of them. No one is prepared to come up with enough money to get it done. There isn't enough money in the world to get this done completely, and there never will be. Which is why any system of money or barter exchange is deeply flawed. As long as they exist, there will be people willing to take risks with our safety and shortcuts on whatever they undertake, to make more money, or amass more goods to keep in their safes. Please, come back to me, having re-read the thread and tell me that you at least agree with the general principles, and if you don't, then please provide your better alternatives, and if ANY of you can come up with a better alternative than this one, for all our species, I will immediately drop mine and support yours. I don't want to hear what anyone else has said, please quote nobody, because anything they have come up with so far has demonstrably failed to change the human consciousness enough to bring about the changes I have outlined. The absolute proof of that statement lies in the daily media and in the current world condition. Check them out and find out what excellently good thing your government did for every citizen in your country today, and check their priorities against mine. What I am looking for from all of you is not a diatribe on why this will never happen, or who has said what in the past. What I am looking for is for all of you to open your hearts and minds enough to admit that this HAS to be the way forward for our species. The alternatives are all around us. Best regards to all,Peacemaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted July 27, 2007 Report Share Posted July 27, 2007 What I am looking for from all of you is not a diatribe on why this will never happen, or who has said what in the past. What I am looking for is for all of you to open your hearts and minds enough to admit that this HAS to be the way forward for our species. The alternatives are all around us. Best regards to all,Peacemaker. I couldnt read the whole thing. I even tried to clean it up and just stick to real points (such as editing out all the "do you get it yets?".) Honestly, those snippets kinda put me off. The paper just didnt keep my attention, didnt spark my imagination, didnt do anything for me that I think you intended. Maybe if you spend some more time writing to an audience of unbelievers in the idea, I can read a different version. You gotta convince me your right. That is your responsibility if you want people to "admit that this HAS to be the way forward for our species." So I guess that at least for now, I am keeping my money, my land, my fence and a whole bunch of other stuff the paper says I should give up. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaWolfe Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 I’ve had a lot of experience with handling violent people in pacifistic societies. It’s difficult, and not amenable to simple solutions, but in the dogma of my family, and according to my personal experience and intuition, violence, and many other disturbing personal ills, are best controlled not by ostracizing those who commit them, but by embracing them. Last, you seem to be implying that the “zero hour” you hope for will occur all at once, at some time in the future. For many people, however, zero hour occurred decades ago, and the world you describe is here now. Unless you’ve spent your life - which has been six years longer than mine – in far different society than I have, you likely know many such folk, and, if you don’t already, might do well to seek their counsel. Yay, Craig! I love it when people understand and express my own opinions:) It is amazing and difficult but true that most disagreements and violence can be worked through by having sufficient amounts of empathy, communication, and compassion. Most of us don't have it! (or not all the time) In a more people-friendly society perhaps we would have the attention and ability to help others work through their anti-social distress.I also enjoyed your thoughts on those of us who are pretty close to having heaven on earth already and who have realized and accepted our role in shaping humanity's course. However, I also think there is a critical mass... a point at which enough people share the same goal that it becomes "the way things are". Like whether the sun or the earth is at the center. At first it was a crazy idea and yet eventually everyone agreed and only a few people were left on the fringes not agreeing. At which point their not agreeing didn't matter too much. It seems like Peacemaker's vision is right in line with a whole lot of other people throughout history and many current folks. The presentation leaves something to be desired. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaWolfe Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 I haven't been totally pleasant to all of you, but please believe me it is nothing personal. I am trying to keep your thoughts focussed on the bigger picture. I have been trying for over five years to convince people that this is the only viable alternative for our society. It is viable because it encompasses a positive, achievable philosophy about everything, and which gives guidance to the future morality and behaviours which will enable mankind to overcome every obstacle nature and fate challenge us with, that doesn't just immediately wipe us all out. I have the answers, all ten of them, and any that I don't have, we have experts in every field amongst our race who do. Any system of money or barter exchange is deeply flawed. As long as they exist, there will be people willing to take risks with our safety and shortcuts on whatever they undertake, to make more money, or amass more goods to keep in their safes. Peacemaker, you're not. Making Peace that is. Trying yes! And I applaud that you risk your thoughts and heart-visions to the cold scrutiny of such a forum. I suggest you find someone understanding to talk it all out to, and then come back a bit more... well, Peaceful! As you admit, you haven't been very pleasant.... not following your own advice!:doh:It's relatively easy to share visions with people who already agree with you or hadn't thought much about it! It's hard to have your dearly cherished beliefs picked apart .In general I agree with your vision of world harmony, shared resources, evils of the monetary system, ending violence, etc. And yet.... the way you present it gets my back up. You use words like "this is the only viable alternative" and "I have the answers". Strangely enough, even very peaceful people like me suddenly want to say, "oh YEAH?" and tear holes in your theories. Like others, I have a very difficult time imagining our society abruptly giving up money, property, war, consumption and competition. However, I can see possible steps to start a shift in that direction. And I do have a firm belief in the collective conscious being a very powerful force for change when it is activated.How to activate it? Not by metaphorically shouting at people or insulting them. Not by telling them you have the one and only answer. We're mostly too jaded to believe the marketting anymore. So....1. Ground the suggestion in things we can all agree on. Security and well-being and having our needs fulfilled. (Maslow's hierarchy of needs: People who are starving are generally more interested in growing food than saving the environment.) 2. Don't assume how people will react. Some will hate it and some will love it. 3. Focus on the positive.... a goal to move toward... something most of us might feel is lacking in our lives (peace, security, connection, hope, abundance, community)4. Keep it simple and practical. (Dare I say "realistic"?) Ten rules are a good start. (echoes of the ten comandments though:( ) Could even become a little personal pledge: "I will not be violent.... etc."I think it's the practical/realistic that is bogging down a lot of readers here. We want to know how you imagine getting from here to there besides just making everyone "believe".5. Don't insult people who don't understand or don't agree. It really makes me want to ignore the rest of what you have to say. Finally, "logic" and "good" are very tricky words. They often change depending on perspective. I'm sure there are politicians who think attacking Iran is the only "logical" course of action for the "good" of the world. Not me. Most people actually do have reasons for the things they do. Mostly we are all trying to get to the same goals (Maslow's needs again). And how we try to get there can be wildly different. Check out my post on the "You are called upon by the next President of the United States to head up a taskforce...." thread for some of my immediate practical suggestions for the USA. It is possible that there are several (or many) different ways of achieving a sustainable, peaceful world community. Let's hope we can make some of them happen.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFaithfulStone Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 See Peacemaker, this is what I was trying to get at. Your idea, which requires 100% participation, cannot even garner 100% agreement on this forum. That's a serious stumbling block toward implementation. TFS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zythryn Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 A) If anything you wish to do, or consume, is considered, (by general agreement and application of common sense), ultimately, generally good for society, and does no harm to any individual, or to our shared resource, then it is good, and should be adopted as a generally available resource or activity. Let's try working on this one small slice. Your utopia requires everyone to think the same way. They don't currently. So how do you propose to get everyone to think the same way?Some would say that trading your body for food for your family, or influence with decision-makers, or favors from the prison guards, is not a bad thing. Many others would say it is. So who is right?One person thinks the person that traded their body for benifit ought to be punished. Another thinks the person was in dire straights and didn't harm anyone so should not be punished. Just WHO is it that decides what should be done with the person?? You must get everyone to agree the money is the foundation of all evil. Personally, I don't. I do agree that everyone should be kind to everyone else.I LIKE your utopia, but it is simply a fantasy world. You must get ever single human being on the planet to play nice with others. And to have the same set of personal morals regarding what is 'good' and what is 'bad'.You must get everyone to stop grabbing power. Many don't do this, but many others do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacemaker Posted July 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Hello everybody! Thanks for your replies so far, now this is what I’m talking about. These replies are generally far better thought out than the previous ones; however I still haven’t heard any of your suggestions which are better, and more practicable than mine. I hear you saying no, but your arguments are all based on your perceptions of your race. Your thinking on this hasn’t evolved yet. You are still thinking too small and mistrusting and misjudging the ability of your species to see a good thing when it hits them in the eye. Here’s MY vision of some of the benefits and improvements to the world that we can create, with time and cooperative effort. If you disagree with any of this, then please tell me exactly what you would prefer. As I said previously, if it is considered good for society, then let’s have plenty of it for everyone. If not, let’s get rid of it. We won’t have to pay taxes any more, or insurance, or send money to charities. Or save for your retirement. You won’t have to save and live on the breadline to put your kids through school, or worry that they are going to stab each other in the schoolyard, or outside it.We won’t have to queue at ATM machines, or check them out before we use them to ensure they haven’t been tampered with.We won’t get people ‘hacking the internet’ because there won’t be any more need to, there will be no reason to ‘hide’ information, except for one situation, and that would be for a purely humanitarian reason. See if you can work it out. We will have access to everything we will ever need to live the best life we can whilst on this planet...and when I say everything, think of your favourite foods, your favourite pastimes, things you would love to learn to do, where you would like to live, how you would like to live. Apparently some of you claim to already live in that world. Where is it, can I join? And if it already exists, why is no-one talking about it? And why are you arguing against it for everybody? I’m not asking for your world view, I’m asking if YOU would like to live like this. Many of you have said what a good idea it is, but that it will never happen. I disagree. If an Alien came to earth, dressed in a white robe with long silvery hair, a merry twinkle in his eye and a beard like Santa Claus, and spoke of exactly what I am speaking of, and showed the evidence of current life on his world, showing exactly how they benefited after adopting this philosophy, we would all be flocking to sign up, and we would all very quickly see the benefits which would accrue. Unfortunately there is no evidence of that being heading towards the Third Rock to come to our rescue. It’s all down to us. Please, tell me what you want or covet that you don’t believe will be available to you in my vision of the world. I may come across as abrasive, but as I explained earlier in the thread, time is passing. People are dying and suffering. You may personally be in a safe environment, billions are not. There is no time for conversation niceties. People may try to engage me in discussing and describing the minutiae of this plan for the rest of my life, with nothing ever actually getting done. Remember the MAYFLOWER? Those people took a huge leap of faith to get on that ship in the belief that there would be a better life for themselves and their descendents wherever they ended up. Some made it, some didn’t. This plan isn’t anywhere near as dangerous, but it does require the same courage and commitment to take that leap of faith in ourselves and each other. To just say yes, and prepare to be amazed. Or to amaze the rest of us Instead of arguing that it will never happen because it will never happen, try to think of the benefits of simply agreeing that it is a VERY good plan for you and yours and try working out how to make it happen soon. Please. It’s easy! Best regards to all, Peacemaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfiniteNow Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Peacemaker, Some further insights into your questions will likely be found at the following two threads: http://hypography.com/forums/community-polls/6006-will-world-peace-occur.html http://hypography.com/forums/community-polls/6360-i-want-world-peace-yes-no.html Cheers. :singer: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaWolfe Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Hello everybody! Thanks for your replies so far, These replies are generally far better thought out than the previous ones; however I still haven’t heard any of your suggestions which are better, and more practicable than mine. Instead of arguing that it will never happen because it will never happen, try to think of the benefits of simply agreeing that it is a VERY good plan for you and yours and try working out how to make it happen soon. Please. It’s easy! Hmmmm, I would say that all response is positive if you are willing to learn from it. Often you learn the most from mistakes and unexpected resulted.... and negative feedback. It shows you where YOU need to work on communicating your great idea. I agree. It is a wonderful vision. I support the basic concept completely. I work toward it on a daily basis. And I still function within this dysfunctional society. I go between fearful and joyful anticipation of how socieyy/culture will change within my lifetime.... because it WILL, one way or another. Often "easy" "common-sense" and "self-evident" proposals are the hardest to convince people of just because we expect life to be difficult! Oh, and if the alien came to earth I think there'd be a lot of people running away, shooting at it, and hiding in their houses as well as "flocking to sign up".Better proposals.... hmmmm. I didn't realize this thread was intended to solicit our best thinking on acheiving a more rational society. But since you ask....I believe we could get to my vision by: 1. Communicating and networking with people locally and globally. There are a lot of people sharing the same thoughts and values, often working in isolation. Let's get together and share our thinking and find areas of mutual agreement, thereby increasing our connection with and caring for other people.2. Being prepared (as individuals and communities) to implement alternative systems when the current paradigm fails (as it inevitibly will, but probably not in any way we can now imagine!). Which means...3. Practicing and promoting flexible, sustainable, alternative systems. Particularly: self-sufficient local food supplies, participatory consensus decision-making, restorative justice, moneyless communities, off-grid energy production, commitment and connection to a particular bio-region of earth, zero "waste", green building construction.4. Committing to emotional/psychological healing of self and society. Old wounds often get in the way of really hearing others or implementing our common dreams. Support for such healing work needs to be built into society (replacing the current drug-oriented mental health systems.)5. Working within the current system to share information, influence decision-making and build support for alternative systems. 6. Having FUN! Being happy! Enjoying life! Doing what we LOVE! Being with people we like! Refusing to give in to mind-numbing fear-mongering propaganda and marketting bombardment. I wasn't born at the time, but I heard one proposal that went like this: "Tune in, turn on and drop out." Short, memorable, flexible and powerful. Mine's a bit too wordy still. How about: "Share your vision, listen with respect, take care of your own backyard and live within the limits of the earth." It'll have to do for now. Peace, man! /forums/images/smilies/banana_sign.gif DougF 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacemaker Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 I agree, almost completely. I foresee the governments being cheerfully ousted by professionalism within industry and planning, in a moneyless society. Allowing the experts in each field to guide us on the best course towards whatever goal we aim at, taking into account of the conditions we impose upon ourselves as humans, by way of decency and right thinking. Best regards, Peacemaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacemaker Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 I couldnt read the whole thing. I even tried to clean it up and just stick to real points (such as editing out all the "do you get it yets?".) Honestly, those snippets kinda put me off. The paper just didnt keep my attention, didnt spark my imagination, didnt do anything for me that I think you intended. Maybe if you spend some more time writing to an audience of unbelievers in the idea, I can read a different version. You gotta convince me your right. That is your responsibility if you want people to "admit that this HAS to be the way forward for our species." So I guess that at least for now, I am keeping my money, my land, my fence and a whole bunch of other stuff the paper says I should give up. :)Nobody's going to take anything away from you pal, just make your life a lot less stressful and a lot more happy, What the hell is wrong with that? Best regards, as always, Peacemaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Nobody's going to take anything away from you pal, just make your life a lot less stressful and a lot more happy, What the hell is wrong with that? Best regards, as always, Peacemaker My life is pretty much stress free and the only thing that could make me happier is winning the powerball so I can buy all the stuff my heart desires. I go to casinos. I enjoy playing blackjack, nevermind the soverign nation status of the tribes whos casinos I frequent laughing you right off the reservation. I eat french fries. Sometimes I wash them down with a strong margarita. Sometimes I skip the fries and just mix up more margaritas. I like having that choice regardless of whether someone thinks its good for me. So I think I have clarified there are several things you intend to remove from my life via the implementation of your equality for all and living happily ever after scenario. What the hell is wrong with that? You figure it out. Your the one with the package to sell to 6 billion people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacemaker Posted August 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 My life is pretty much stress free and the only thing that could make me happier is winning the powerball so I can buy all the stuff my heart desires. I go to casinos. I enjoy playing blackjack, nevermind the soverign nation status of the tribes whos casinos I frequent laughing you right off the reservation. I eat french fries. Sometimes I wash them down with a strong margarita. Sometimes I skip the fries and just mix up more margaritas. I like having that choice regardless of whether someone thinks its good for me. So I think I have clarified there are several things you intend to remove from my life via the implementation of your equality for all and living happily ever after scenario. What the hell is wrong with that? You figure it out. Your the one with the package to sell to 6 billion people.Hey Cedars, I think we are thinkin’ along the same lines here pal, in a funny kinda way....And if your life’s stress free, you are very fortunate. Billions of us aren’t in such elevated positions.Billions go to bed in fear. Every night....And wake in fear, the following day. Wouldn’t it just be nice to do something to bring their lifestyles up to your standard, and then beyond, would be my instant reaction. Lets ALL have a brilliant time! ...and then you’ll have many more ‘privileged’ friends to enjoy your Marguerites with!(Mankind as a species will decide whether or not to keep the provision of alcohol as an intoxicating beverage for all. I have simply made MY views known early in the argument. It’s a little known tactic known as Pre-venge. Get the knockout punch in before the first bell goes. Same goes for gambling, it can be life-enhancing stuff eh? Sometimes. ...And then, more often, it’s that gut wrenching feeling when you have lost a lot more than you can afford. Some go home and tell their wives and children they were mugged for it. Some tell them it fell out of their pocket. Some steal from their families for it. Great, that gambling isn’t it? Is there nothing in this whole wide world that could compensate you for the loss of gambling and alcohol? Not loving, happy dinners with family and friends, and their friends? Not white water rafting somewhere beautiful? Not ordering whatever size of fully crewed, fully provisioned boat you want for your next holiday, or for the weekend, so long as you can fill it with those family and friends? Not anything? Don’t we ALL just want to live the best lives we can? I am going to make another bold statement here, get ready for it... Every human being on this planet wants to live a better life than he or she does currently. (Arguing against this one would be just plain daft! If you argue for a worse life for yourself, why are you choosing to live a better one?) Here’s another one... I’ve got just the very plan to make it all happen. Very quickly. In fact – Just as soon as is humanly possible. Do you seriously believe I would make the claims and guarantees I have made if I didn’t believe, absolutely, that I hold the winning hand, for all of us? Do you think that if there was a single chink in the armour of my proposition, I wouldn’t have spotted it by now? As I have said previously, the only potential flaw in this entire philosophy is human nature. Read back through this entire post again, and see the nature of humanity currently. There are no flaws in the plan if carried out with an open mind and an open heart, by all of us, for all of us. All we need to do is to change our minds from negative to positive, believe in each other and ourselves, and participate. Does anyone out there think that I would make the claims I have made here, raising hopes on the planet for an end to the way we currently conduct our affairs, and not know what I was talking about? I would clearly make the biggest fool of myself in the history of mankind. I am claiming to be able to wield more common sense in the cause of humanity on this planet than has ever been wielded before. By the pursuit of the goals of that common sense, I have stated that I will end war, most crime, the illegal drugs trade, envy, jealousy, racism and intolerance, to name but a few. Within a very short time. Is anyone else on this planet making such claims? Would anyone on this planet have the outright stupidity to offer these things to ALL the people of the Earth if that person couldn’t, with the backing of the people, deliver it? Remember what happened to the last one who made promises which are nowhere near as wide ranging as the ones I make? Do you think I contemplate such a fate, lightly? Believe me, I am not a fool. Quite the opposite. Love to all, Peacemaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted August 4, 2007 Report Share Posted August 4, 2007 Peacemaker, I appreciate that you believe you have the answer. I also appreciate the time you took to respond. I have no problem with you choosing to live a life of no money, no property, no booze, no gambling, etc. There are places you can do that. But I dont want to live in a Chinese style society (for example). I do not want to live as a socialist. I would also remind you about prohibition in the USA when society decided to outlaw a choice. The power the drug barons has is exactly because some people in society decided to outlaw that choice. You have just decided to change the word society to species for this exercise. My use of french fries, alcohol, and gambling were small examples of what I see your bigger picture entailing. That being reducing individuality and inflicting a collective (socialist) idealism. History has shown how well that works. And still some there have more than others. I dont believe your idea would change a thing in this regard. Human nature is what we have. Wishing it away under a philosophical idealism is all fine and dany on paper but the reality is what it is. We are animals. Human animals with the same basic drive regarding self first (a broad generalization). I think the greatest flaw in your idea is you think equality will be the choice made by mankind as a 'species'. No one thinks they are equal. Too many think they should be the Alpha dog in the pack. Just because I am curious, what job do you envision for yourself in this scenario? Turtle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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