Government

In the interest of full disclosure, let it be known that I'm drinking on a fifth of Cognac gifted to me by my ex-CIA great uncle who told me he drank a bottle of it a day while working at some unnamed Middle Eastern embassy back in the 1970's... So that may be part of the source of my rant here.

With that being said, I'm tired of being played. Government of any kind is nothing more than a monstrous protection racket. Legalize the mafia, and you have a government. Donald Trump is nothing more than a new face, placed on to a sick body in hopes of bringing back some semblance of health.

But that's not how it works.

Your rhetoric doesn't matter. America isn't getting great again (if it ever was), and you're being played. And I'm being played too. How do we extricate ourselves from this predicament, I'm sure you're asking?

We don't. Our system at this point isn't designed to be changed. There's no better way to make sure nothing changes, than to ensure you have to be compromised to reach the levels of power it takes to change things. Let that sink in for a minute.

I don't claim to have any answers. My curse is seeing things how they actually are. Not even my ideas are original, I'm standing on the shoulders of much better men while typing this. My only hope is that some of you can take it further than I can, and actually formulate some type of answer for the current madness we call society.

Rant over.

originally posted by: underwerks

There's no better way to make sure nothing changes, than to ensure you have to be compromised to reach the levels of power it takes to change things.

What a wonderfully succinct summation of the problem.
But d@#N.

My focus is the community and people around me, which I do believe will make a difference (albeit a small one).

Well said, underwerks.

a reply to: underwerks

We don't. Our system at this point isn't designed to be changed. There's no better way to make sure nothing changes, than to ensure you have to be compromised to reach the levels of power it takes to change things. Let that sink in for a minute.

The system is designed to go boom then bust in a constant cycle. Got to love fractional reserve lending.

Edit: what does Cognac taste like?

originally posted by: zosimov

originally posted by: underwerks

There's no better way to make sure nothing changes, than to ensure you have to be compromised to reach the levels of power it takes to change things.

What a wonderfully succinct summation of the problem.
But d@#N.

My focus is the community and people around me, which I do believe will make a difference (albeit a small one).

Well said, underwerks.

All one can do is try to make the world better for the immediate people around us, and ingrain in the younger generations the value of always keeping your eyes open.

Beyond that, I have no idea.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: underwerks

We don't. Our system at this point isn't designed to be changed. There's no better way to make sure nothing changes, than to ensure you have to be compromised to reach the levels of power it takes to change things. Let that sink in for a minute.

The system is designed to go boom the bust in a constant cycle. Got to love fractional reserve lending.

Money doesn't matter. Money is only the plaything the players of this game play with.

Money only has real value to the people who dont have it.

a reply to: underwerks

Good rant. Maybe an attempt to live in a different country is in order? Travel expands the horizons.

a reply to: underwerks

You do realize that all ownership comes from the government.. not just here.. everywhere..

If the government disappears tomorrow. You don’t own your stuff. The local war lord does..

Government has never been the problem... corruption has been the problem..

Imho that is why they have shifted the narrative to “government is the problem..”

Now we actually have the ability to track every dollar effectively ending corruption. So for the big corporate interests to maintain power they have to discredit the whole institution.

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: underwerks

Good rant. Maybe an attempt to live in a different country is in order? Travel expands the horizons.

It's several weeks of travel that brought this up. Good eye.

Now you finally get it!! No difference between Democrats or Republicans, same rat, same tail! It’s a sausage machine, we’re just the meat...

originally posted by: JoshuaCox
a reply to: underwerks

You do realize that all ownership comes from the government.. not just here.. everywhere..

If the government disappears tomorrow. You don’t own your stuff. The local war lord does..

Government has never been the problem... corruption has been the problem..

Imho that is why they have shifted the narrative to “government is the problem..”

Now we actually have the ability to track every dollar effectively ending corruption. So for the big corporate interests to maintain power they have to discredit the whole institution.

As crazy as it sounds to a lot of people, I feel safer in places where I can pay off the local warlord and talk with them personally.

Government is by definition corruption of some kind or another, or else it wouldn't be able to govern.

Where do you draw the line?

a reply to: underwerks

Why would the local war lord let you pay him off???
Why not just take your stuff???

Maybe your just that smooth a talker or maybe you think you are tough enough to be the warlord, but in the age of gunpowder. Where skill no longer really matters. Good luck thinking that....

The benevolency or corruption of all governments is 100% dependent on those in charge and how much accountability they face.

Like 25% of the country votes.. that has effectively erased accountability.


Also you do realize that we only have 2 options...

1) Trust the government, who is atleast accountable to the people through the ballot box..

2) trust big buisness who is ONLY beholden to their profits..


How people decide that the big buisness option is the best , I have no idea..

originally posted by: JoshuaCox
a reply to: underwerks

Why would the local war lord let you pay him off???
Why not just take your stuff???

Maybe your just that smooth a talker or maybe you think you are tough enough to be the warlord, but in the age of gunpowder. Where skill no longer really matters. Good luck thinking that....

Because maybe that's the way it works in places where warlords run things? Paying someone off has nothing to do with being tough. That's daily life in a lot of places around the globe. At least you know what you're paying for.

But that's beside the point, because I was only using that as an example. And I refuse to believe there are only two solutions (big business or government) to the problem.

It's thinking like that that makes it a problem in the first place.

a reply to: underwerks
Warlords don’t always take the bribe.. sometimes they just kill everyone and take what they want..

That might be the average , and the bribes be the exception to the rule..


I’m pretty sure that has been the same choice since the dawn of civilization..

Trust those who make up whatever preexisting leadership, or back another class..


Imho Most of our wars are over this exactly..


Really I guess their are 4 options..

Let the aristocrats rule.. Monachies, exc..

Let the merchant class rule.. capitalism..

Let the secular peasants rule.. socialism.

Let the military peasants rule.. communism..

And ever war ever fought was one class or the other trying to protect or take power.