The Yin and Yang of it all: Class, be seated.

POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Monday, May 27, 2024 15:25
VIEWED: 3714
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CHRISISALL

Tuesday, August 16, 2005 7:52 PM

This thread is respectfully dedicated to Lynchaj, a good person whom we like, but in need of lessons in duality.

No governments are entirely 'good', and few governments are entirely 'bad'. Recognizing our own mistakes makes stronger, not weaker. And there is always room for improvement.

Right and left wings are part of a whole, and balance is the desired state.

Gentlepeople, please begin a discourse.

Let us unite(I hope) Chrisisall

GEEZER

Tuesday, August 16, 2005 8:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
No governments are entirely 'good', and few governments are entirely 'bad'. Recognizing our own mistakes makes stronger, not weaker. And there is always room for improvement.

I tend to agree with this (except maybe about Zimbabwe. Can't see any good there at all). Things get learned and mistakes get corrected over time - and a democracy, I think, has an edge in doing this. We even got rid of Prohibition. Other bad ideas will bite the dust sooner or later.

Unfortunately, I doubt several of our regular contributors consider the USA as good enough to make even the "not entirely bad" category. We'll see.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

FIVVER

Tuesday, August 16, 2005 9:18 PM

Frankly I have to admire his stubbornness.

Maybe if the discourse was not at an 'America has been the root of all evil in the world since the K-T extinction forward' level...

I mean those dinosaurs deserved it.

Fivver

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, August 16, 2005 9:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Geezer:
I doubt several of our regular contributors consider the USA as good enough to make even the "not entirely bad" category. We'll see.

In just the last few posts on another thread I wittnessed many pro-American sentiments.
Taken as a whole this is a great country. The main problem here is that attention is generally brought to our problems, and we focus on them, and dwell upon them to the point that it would seem that this country is nothing but one BIG problem. Good things routinely take a back seat to negative issues that many would say need need immediate correction; it's the nature of the beast. If you have a splinter in your toe, you focus on that prior to taking a brisk and healthful walk.
Example: the Muslim world , IMHO, is made up up mostly good people. If there is a general contempt of the west for attempting to control their region, it is brought about in the same way as a general contempt of a religion that would foster the mentality to let terrorists flourish. Both views are propelled by a small number of extremists on both sides, with the majority of good bystanders caught in the propaganda cross fire, and the decisions by even fewer that result in tragic loss of life.
This is where the lack of balance lies, the faulty belief that 'we' are good, and 'they' are bad. There is no such easily definable 'line'.
No person or government is good by their very nature, goodness comes in the striving to be good.

A whole post without a funny...Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, August 16, 2005 9:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fivver:
Maybe if the discourse was not at an 'America has been the root of all evil in the world since the K-T extinction forward' level...

No, no, not here, please, this thread is about exploring balance; the truth is, fear is the root of all evil; being too afraid to see ourselves for who and what we are, and not just what we want to be. Take any horrible act by anyone, any country, big or small, and the cause can almost always be traced back to fear.

We have nothing to fear but fear itself. It's so true. When we as a world can come closer to dropping fear as any kind of a motivator, we will begin to come together as one world. Creative imagination should be our motivating force.

Damn, I picked a hard topic to work a funny into Chrisisall

CITIZEN

Tuesday, August 16, 2005 9:46 PM

I dunno, pretty nasty things can be done through greed. Fear is probably a major factor, and one often used to motivate people in the direction the greedy wish them to go...

Eagerly awaiting the Funny, Citizen-isall

Q: What do you have when you are holding two little green balls in your hand.
A: Kermit's undivided attention.

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, August 16, 2005 9:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fivver:
I mean those dinosaurs deserved it.

Yeah, well, those dinosaurs did have a real facist-darwinian type of government, so 'em.

Ahh, I feel better Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, August 16, 2005 9:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by citizen:
I dunno, pretty nasty things can be done through greed. Fear is probably a major factor, and one often used to motivate people in the direction the greedy wish them to go...

Isn't greed just the unreasonable and magnified fear of loss, of being a loser? The fear that 'they' will see you for the hollow, lifeless, joyless jerk that you are? An overcompensation for that dark and fear based core?
I have a hard time believing that truly greedy people sleep well without medication, or a good psychosis.

Chrisisall of the Southdown Abbey

SERGEANTX

Tuesday, August 16, 2005 9:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by citizen:
I dunno, pretty nasty things can be done through greed. Fear is probably a major factor, and one often used to motivate people in the direction the greedy wish them to go...

Not to get to deep into the psychobabble, but isn't greed really motivated by fear? Maybe that's too indirect, but I see it. I mean the whole idea for accumulating wealth in the first place is as a cushion against the elements, right? Isn't that what comfort and joy is utlimately about - being secure in the knowledge you won't be starving or eaten by bears anytime soon?

Most people I know who are compulsively driven to make money seem to have a kind of insecure streak about them. It's never enough you know?

Just a thought.

SergeantX

"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock

FIVVER

Tuesday, August 16, 2005 9:58 PM

Chrisisall, I want to take your Muslim example and run with it a bit... When the towers fell on 9/11 the horror, repugnance, anger and tears were universal - including in the Muslim world. You are right, all the vast majority of Muslims want is to live their lives, raise their kids to fear and love God and spoil their grandkids. Unfortunately, their religion has been hijacked and is being defined by the extremists.

Those people are no more representative of the Muslim faith than Eric Rudolph is of Christianity (bombing abortion clincs for God). The difference is that here we can denounce and punish people that would misuse what what we hold dear. In the Muslim world, the extremists pull the strings.

If the situation can be changed so that these ordinary folk are in charge of their government, faith and destiny then I have nothing but optmism for the future. This is what I think we are trying to achieve in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Oops 6 oclock and time to go home.
Fivver

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