Wrong at least in my shoes as in my younger day’s I was there and it isn’t pretty always’ looking and a total waste of time.

As far as the rich go – tax them at 80%.

DON’T PANIC

“76 trombones …” maybe that is why I am such a gad fly … I played, not very well, trombone in High School. We were every band directors nightmare … we could out ‘blat’ the best of ‘em.

Seriously though, I need to harp on an old note: what we need is a much smaller population, world wide. I figure (being partially mathematical in my thinking & liking to create computer models using stuff like NETLOGO) that one quick solution would be to have Israel Nuke us. They have a bunch of stuff available and would wipe out enough Americans to reduce the total population of our greed-heads to make the number more earth friendly. Let’s say about 85% of all Americans dead … and our carbon load would drop significantly world wide. (that would solve twin problems: get rid of us and cut off the money-supply for Israel … ) Then the world could take out China … and THEN maybe the rest of the world would get the message and abort every pregnancy above one?

Face it … that just might work!

Of course the solution is brutal … but admit it … the current situation ain’t no cup of tea for those on the bottom of the heap. (Here, I am NOT talking about you and me and other readers of this space … I am talking about the folks who live in cardboard or worse where it rains a lot.)

Plus, folks like the rapacious greed heads who started this line of responses (from the Kochs to the Gates) would have fewer people to screw over … and thus, it would take less time for them to sink back to the levels of pond-scum their ancestors clearly were. That would be poetic justice … only it wouldn’t happen nearly fast enough.

I have been called a misanthrope before … and en masse it is true … but the fact we face is that we don’t like to admit we are part of the problem. We are complicit … we allow the rich to get richer. I suspect a large percentage of the people who have responded to this actually go to Wal-Mart, or their computer runs on MicroSoft … and THAT is why there are Waltons and Gates. Because you and support them … !

Hate the fuckers? Sure, that will do a great deal in absolving you of your complicity. But here is the ultimate question for each of us hairless apes: what would YOU do in their shoes? Not much differently, I’ll bet.

Finally, I like the idea of hairless apes. Why? Think about the hairless dogs … pretty ugly, no? Well, hairlessness is an aberration in the mammal world … and maybe THAT is worth considering. We are an aberration. Aberrations do not last long … so maybe we ought to do the rest of life a favor and self-destruct? Or, are we not already doing that?

RG the LG

—
For those of you who have read Doug Adams, maybe the Vogons should build a hyperspace bypass through this sector of the universe?

SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS TO REVOLT.

We, the contributors to this sort of dialogue, are way too cozy to take action.

But, is it kinda fun … maybe just like the real thing?

RG the LG

We don’t have to do that if it sounds to hard. Wait do you hear that it’s that laughter again where is it coming from.

Einstein it was said could wonder for day’s, hour’s, years. What he wondered about was an abstract thought at the time. Time is the key word here. Scientists say your first thought is usually the right one. Any problem or unknown when it comes to the Universe seems complex and the job is to make it simple but not simpler as it must work out mathematically the last test for us human’s. Climate change the greenhouse effect 15 years ago was known by some but still an unknown what it would mean for us human’s. A few probably had an idea but not for sure. You said it well the reason for that is that they are thought to attribute most of the time one cause for any event. Well they got on the job and many at NASA were put under stress by Bush and his people and for eight years it was tuff for them. Hard to stop scientists that whole in search of the truth part but some our tuffer than others. Not just NASA but Worldwide many on the job. It took the last 15 years of hard work and much thinking and the last word I got was we are all in deep do do. Remember the math the last test well it works. We are now putting CO 2 into the atmosphere at about 10,000 times the natural rate measured back in hundreds of thousands of years. On this path the Earth will warm and all that comes with that and the human race is in big trouble. What we human’s need to do now is make our lives as simple as possible, but not simpler in order to survive. We don’t have to and then the math becomes easer to figure. 20% of the population Worldwide uses most of the resources but with China who now want’s the good life and India sort of we will need three more Earth’s I did the math. The good life I’ll bet we could write 10,000 words on that one. What we have already done to the Earth the last one hundred years is not good. We are almost there for oil well yes tar sands oh boy kind of a nobrainer water land for crops land that can grow crops fish in the sea yes I said fish in the sea. You see it’s not just climate change but the systems we use that are almost out of control where we all will start to see it soon. The systems are out of control just oil is a big one to keep the system going like many on Wall Street like is not going to happen unless we can find another Earth somewhere. To slowdown until we can change these systems seems wise but so far it’s full speed ahead, oh well.

For Pelosi and Waxman, any moves to assuage Peterson’s concerns — or those of Democrats on Rangel’s Ways and Means panel — risk alienating lukewarm supporters of the bill. Already, the measure is drawing criticism from both the left and right, because Waxman and Markey made significant concessions to get the proposal through the Energy and Commerce Committee.

For instance, liberal environmentalists insist the effectiveness of the proposed greenhouse gas limits would be undercut by Waxman’s decision to allow more than two-thirds of the emissions allowances to be donated to electric utilities, trade-sensitive industries, oil refiners and other interests. Houston Chronicle

Here in the States this isn’t even the illusion of knowledge it’s nut’s. I’ll bet in as little as two years this thinking could change but you never know these people are not to bright. One thing for sure in 10 then 20 years when the fight for survival begins for real the thinking will change. To slowdown until we can change these systems seems wise but so far it’s full speed ahead or is it? The one little problem with climate change is time passed a point we probably can’t stop it. They did the math we have about 6 to 10 years to level off CO 2 we put into the atmosphere and at least here in the States that doesn’t look to good. I really do want to see the witting from the few after this monstrous absurdity of a watered down bill called cap and trade in the greatest nation on Earth becomes law if that. Just in case the math is right not on this path. This Bill and the thinking so far is simple real simple and I don’t think that’s what Einstein had in mind when he wrote that.

in nature, nothing seems to be independent or in isolation from other phenomena.
in any case isolation/independence is a fiction; people trying to adjust to such fiction fare poorly.
alcoholics, e.g., blame only selves because or their respective isolationist thinking. They don’t take into account a multitude of factors which cause alcoholism or other maladjustments.
there’s genetic pool, other people making alcohol/drinking it, etcetc., are also causative factors; along, of course, selfblame, and other people’s condemnation.

you name it, and people everywhere, blame a person for it. The reason for that is that they are thought to attribute most of the time one cause for any event.
global warming deniers illustrate this. To deniers, we humans cannot be a factor in it; the cause for global warming is a natural event that repeats itself from time to time.
For warfare or serial wars/killings, there is now just two or few causes: ‘terrorism’, one’s security, or defense of one’s interest.

greed, delusion, deceptions, lust for control, hatred, intolerance, etc., applies only to people US ruling class doesn’t like. tnx

e.g.,

Melissa,
I wish that all web-based interaction could be as civil as the response that you posted. In fact, I wish that all human interaction could be so civil. Your poignant and reasoned response was received well and I thank you for being big enough to take a step back on your original message.
Republicans as collectivists? Hmmm? I might have to ponder that one, but my original supposition was based on my close friendships with conservatives here in Orange County (a bastion of conservatism) and they all eschew the very concept of “community.” Note the derision heaped on Obama for his “community leader” skills by the Republicans at the RNC in 2007. Would you care to expound on your theory of Republicans as collectivists? I am intrigued and open to being convinced, though skeptical. I would venture to say that given their fractious behavior of late that they could use a little collectivism.

Big Mike

Thank you for your reply; and I happen to agree with much of what you have said, believe it or not.

“But, you would need to believe in “society” or “community” before any of this would make sense and Republicans do not believe in either.” -that’s exactly what it all boils down to, right? I agree with every word of that sentence, but contend that it’s not only Reps that suffer from anti-social, anti-human worldviews. I would also contend that Republicans in this country are not about empowering individuals, but are, and have been, collectivists all along.

I agree, we have not seen democracy for quite a long time. Instead we seem to march closer to full-blown feudalism, the collectivism of the rich. I’ll take your word for it that the platform for one head of the collectivist party parallels feudalism. I see feudalism.

“All of that aside, I found your comment very similar to arguments proffered by many supposed Americans who would quell ideas and speech by knee-jerking the “Why don’t you just go live somewhere else if you don’t like my brand?” This is supposed to be a free society and your much vaunted Bill of Human Rights very clearly states that. I suggest that you actually read it and then take a long hard look at yourself.” VERY GOOD POINT. I apologize. Seriously. Indeed, I have read the documents that describe the structure for a free society for the USA, as well as the letters, some books, and the arguments between the parties that eventually crafted the Declaration and Const. The significance of their arguments are not lost upon me, especially regarding the need to for us to have bottom-up stucture, not top-down. Some of those old white guys were also very adamant that the monetary system needed to remain of We The People, not in the hands and interests of for-profit bankers. They knew how feudalism was implemented, and they knew how tyranny and various forms of terrorism operated.

No, the old white guys were not perfect, did not set up a flawless structure, saw the world through a veil of their own and thus contradicted themselves and destroyed others. But we don’t have to be so attached to our cultural veils, do we? Or our naive labels, and artificial divisions that preclude unity? Are you sure that the problem is really the idea of individuals, or is it the idea of needing groups and labels to perform righteous stand-offs with each other? -I recognize my participation, btw.

“It is all about dignity and opportunity. Two values that are quickly fading from the American way of life.” No comment, just deserves to be said again. And again.

bozh,

“so we all speak one language but use different phonetics.
now we, by necessity, also have only one truth.” Again, so sane. Peace.

is this what “making things simple” means? tnx

There’s battle lines being drawn. Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

A new way of thinking and soon if we wish to survive. Well just thinking would be a great start you know what I mean.