There Goes the Internet

[Trogdor]

Originally Posted by randolph

The situation in Egypt and Tunisia clearly demonstrates the power of the internet to organize and activate an uprising. Is our pseudo democracy all that different from Egypt? The media and our "representatives" are controlled by special interests. Our resources are devoted to wars and military enhancements to the detriment of our society and its infrastructure.
When will it stop?
Can we stop it?
How can we stop it?
Well, if enough people get pissed off, we can stop it.

We can stop, if everyone else will wake up, pull their faces away from the TV screen and switch off Idol and celeb gossip shows, and start thinking for a change. Same with political parties.....Republican, Democrat.....liberal, conservative.....they are all the same thing over here, with the same agendas and plans. I'm rooting for the Egyptians, because there's a bunch of people actually DOING something to change their lives in a good way....and cutting the internet and setting curfews won't stop anything, the Egyptian government knows this, and they are afraid.

As I said before, when you give a government so much power, it will want more power....to take away your freedoms in exchange for 'security' (the so-called justification of the oppressor), and I feel that a lot of this 'terrorism' you hear about is caused by governments to have excuses to take away more freedoms. Look back at history, and as I said, any Americans who think this country is immune, just because it's America, shows just how historically ignorant Americans are.

[smc]

Originally Posted by Trogdor

As I said before, when you give a government so much power, it will want more power....to take away your freedoms in exchange for 'security' (the so-called justification of the oppressor), and I feel that a lot of this 'terrorism' you hear about is caused by governments to have excuses to take away more freedoms. Look back at history, and as I said, any Americans who think this country is immune, just because it's America, shows just how historically ignorant Americans are.

If you applied this healthy skepticism and robust view of American history a little more broadly, you might be less prone to falling into lock-step with positions that are promulgated behind the scenes by those who have power and who care nothing about your well-being or your rights -- positions that are against your economic and social interests.

It's a suggestion, offered respectfully in exchange for the fine paragraph I have quoted from you above.

[randolph]

The uprisings popping up around the world and even the embryonic protests here in the US may be symptomatic of a realization that the centralization of political power is not beneficial for the populace.
The attempts to emasculate the unions here is a blatant attempt to centralize power. The conservatives preach smaller government but their adjenda shows their real intent is more powerful centralized government. The people are finally beginning realize this.
Highly centralized governments have been disastrous for the world.

[franalexes]

Originally Posted by randolph

The uprisings popping up around the world and even the embryonic protests here in the US may be symptomatic of a realization that the centralization of political power is not beneficial for the populace.
The attempts to emasculate the unions here is a blatant attempt to centralize power. The conservatives preach smaller government but their adjenda shows their real intent is more powerful centralized government. The people are finally beginning realize this.
Highly centralized governments have been disastrous for the world.

I don't know what you have been drinking but, would you save me some?

[randolph]

Originally Posted by franalexes

I don't know what you have been drinking but, would you save me some?

Can you name me one centralized government that has been good for the world?
Lets see, Rome?, England?, Russia?, Germany?, Japan?, USA?

It's just war, war, war and oppression of the little guy.

[franalexes]

The attempts to emasculate the unions here is a blatant attempt to centralize power. The conservatives preach smaller government but their adjenda shows their real intent is more powerful centralized government.

This is what I take exception to. In Maine, I've seen conservatives fight centralised power of the State and Federal oppression.
And it's not related to being democrat or republican. In local government in Maine, town level, wether you are democrat or republican has nothing to do with getting elected to local office. People that stand with the voice to tell the State ( central government) to go to hell, have a very strong chance of winning.

[randolph]

Originally Posted by franalexes

The attempts to emasculate the unions here is a blatant attempt to centralize power. The conservatives preach smaller government but their adjenda shows their real intent is more powerful centralized government.

This is what I take exception to. In Maine, I've seen conservatives fight centralised power of the State and Federal oppression.
And it's not related to being democrat or republican. In local government in Maine, town level, wether you are democrat or republican has nothing to do with getting elected to local office. People that stand with the voice to tell the State ( central government) to go to hell, have a very strong chance of winning.

Wow! Is everybody in Maine a feisty redhead? We need people like that here in California to help us get this mess straightened out. Jerry Brown can't do it alone.

[Amy]

Originally Posted by franalexes

The attempts to emasculate the unions here is a blatant attempt to centralize power. The conservatives preach smaller government but their agenda shows their real intent is more powerful centralized government.

This, this, a million times this.

Most of the time, the only "smaller" government they seem to want is government small enough to fit inside a woman's uterus and make sure she doesn't get any choice in if she has children or not.

[TracyCoxx]

Originally Posted by randolph

Can you name me one centralized government that has been good for the world?
Lets see, Rome?, England?, Russia?, Germany?, Japan?, USA?

It's just war, war, war and oppression of the little guy.

There was a guy stealing computer equipment late at night in our lab. (The door was locked). So we put a security camera in our lab and caught him red handed stealing some video cards. He got a slap on the wrist because he was a union guy. Is that the kind of freedom for the little guy you want? Because everyone knows you don't even suggest that one of their people is a crook no matter what evidence you have.

[parr]

Originally Posted by TracyCoxx

There was a guy stealing computer equipment late at night in our lab. (The door was locked). So we put a security camera in our lab and caught him red handed stealing some video cards. He got a slap on the wrist because he was a union guy. Is that the kind of freedom for the little guy you want? Because everyone knows you don't even suggest that one of their people is a crook no matter what evidence you have.

It's called the revolving door of justice, don't you know that.

[smc]

Originally Posted by TracyCoxx

There was a guy stealing computer equipment late at night in our lab. (The door was locked). So we put a security camera in our lab and caught him red handed stealing some video cards. He got a slap on the wrist because he was a union guy. Is that the kind of freedom for the little guy you want? Because everyone knows you don't even suggest that one of their people is a crook no matter what evidence you have.

Tracy Coxx, defender of liberty and justice ... who never writes a word about the "slap on the wrist" (if even that much) given to the people who truly rob, pillage, and exploit on a grand scale.

How's this for a rewrite:

"There was a guy stealing people's pension Monday late at night. Everyone knows he did it ... him and his accomplices. He wasn't even given a slap on the wrist, because he's a Wall Street guy. In fact, he was given a multi-million dollar bonus. Is that the kind of freedom we want for this country? That an entire class of crooks walks free, no matter what evidence we have?"