by Country Girl 32 Replies latest jw experiences
It's true that people who own stocks are responsible to an extent for what those corporations do. Do you have stocks in a company that is outsourcing to a foriegn country? Do you have stocks in a company that treats it's employees badly? If you do, use those stocks to make your vote. If patriotic citizens got together and did this, corporations would take notice. They would fight back w psychological adds and whatnot. Who is smarter, the corps or the people? It's obvious, but it can change.
S
The problem with trying to predict the future is that one can only extrapolate from current trends. This fails to take into account revolutionary developments which have often change the direction of cultural development completely. Lots of writers in the 19th century wrote of future socieities, and every one of them was completely wrong about almost everything they envisioned. Typically, they pictured a socieity much like the one in which they lived, with some of the "rough edges" smoothed over, and with technological developments which were extensions of things already existing even then. So, there were stories and novels written over 100 years ago in which people travelled in aircraft to distant cities, except the aircraft were supported by balloons, and propelled by steam engines. Or they had a machine to listen to music, except that it was connected to telegraph lines, instead of operating by radio waves. When the automobile was in its infancy, the idea was to REDUCE pollution (horse manure was a huge problem in large cities), and to be cheaper to operate than a horse. No one forsaw how large numbers of autos would create suburbs far from cities, or how many people would spend hours per day commuting to and from their job. And of course, no one forsaw the very different kind of pollution problems associated with cars. Right now, fundamentalists beliefs are very popular, although not so much JW's but others like Baptist. IF this could be depended on to continue, perhaps a prediction could be made, but it is just as likely that popularity will decline, and those people will be viewed as quaint. Right now, rap and hip-hop music is very popular, and if growth continued, it might replace other forms, however, it won't continue. It will grow until it reaches a saturation point, and then something else wil come along, and rap will seem "not cool anymore". Trying to predict what will happen based on "scripture" is even more problematic. There are ALWAYS events taking place which someone can point to and say "See, it is happening just like predicted, so THIS is what will happen NEXT (or SOON). There was an entire religious movement during the 19th century called "Adventism" when many, many people believed the "second coming of Christ" was right around the corner. This was what gave birth to religions such as Seventh Day Adventists, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and others. One thing which all of these have in common is that, in every single prediction they have made, they have been wrong. Completely and totally wrong.
Sorry, Carmel. The United States will give up its sovreignty over my dead body.Besides, if it weren't for the US and Britain, the U.N. would be even less effective than it is right now. IT isn't a government, it's a debating club with criminal ties that defy belief. It is evil and I will fight it forever.
CZAR
I suspect that the USA; with its Constitution and Bill of Rights; will continue for some time.
Look to history to see just how long the Roman Empire lasted.
About a civil war; it does appear that the population is polarizing into 2 distinct groups; the HAVEs and the HAVE NOTS. The middle class is slowly being squeezed into the HAVE NOTS.
As for the "end of the world" nonsense; well; doomsday people have been crying that one since the Roman Empire conquered the nation of Isreal ( and built the Colusseum with the proceeds).
About a civil war; it does appear that the population is polarizing into 2 distinct groups; the HAVEs and the HAVE NOTS.
The French Revolution, anyone?
There will be wars. There will be evil. There will be all sorts of dispicable acts going on. But, also, there will be good. There will be people who want to help, who do good to their neighbours. People who just live their lives as well as they can, to support their families and have morals.
The newspapers and TV shows are full of the bad stuff because that is what sells them. Also the bad stuff is exaggerated. A lot of it is propaganda. As a rule you should cut the bad stuff in half and double the good stuff. Balances out a bit better now? Thats a more accurate picture.
Yes the fact the bad stuff is there in the first place is shit and it still gets me down. But as long as the good stuff still happens there is hope.
Hi logical, I really appreciated your viewpoint!! Now you're talkin'!
Great fodder for thoughts, folks. I'm really enjoying seeing all the different viewpoints, and reading some of the sites. Sometimes when you read too much bad news, it makes you think of things you can't do *much* to control anyway, except for trying to do the best that you can with what you can. I appreciate all the balanced viewpoints, and today I'll go outside and go ride my horse and ponder controlling *him* instead of vice verse. <did I spell that right?> Hehhhehe.
Country Girl
I'm of the opinion that the world's near term future is very bleak (I agree with RR though that ultimately God's kingdom will prevail). The many things mentioned in the various posts on this topic such as terrorism, pollution, nuclear proliferation, etc. are facts of life and out of control. The one factor that mankind has no control over however is the world's "oil supply". Oil is a finite resource and is in the opinion of many experts (do a Google search on "Peak Oil" or try this link http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/) going to very rapidly become far too scarce to meet human needs. The soon-to-be end result is a disaster (war, starvation and world chaos).
I know this sounds like doom and gloom but simply check out the rising energy costs and one can see that something is afoot. And, who really believes that the USA invaded Iraq because of Saddam Hussein or weapons of mass destruction? Maybe the real reason is a jockeying for a controlling position over most of the world's known oil reserves. Of course the other world powers (Red China, North Korea, France and so on) are not going to quitely stand by when they also have a stake in all of this.
FM
WOW Golf that wbsite is great. I'll need to spend more time there because the information is overflowing!
