PrimateDave

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Posts by PrimateDave

• 
  254

  Why socialism will not work in America...

  by zeroday in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the great experiment is failing.... .

  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/11/mncuud91o.dtl.

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  PrimateDave

  @ sammieswife - thumbs up! ;)
  
  Dave
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  254

  Why socialism will not work in America...

  by zeroday in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the great experiment is failing.... .

  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/11/mncuud91o.dtl.

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  PrimateDave

  Ever read Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith? I know I probably should. ;)
  
  

  "To justify the robber baron culture, America’s business educators and economists falsely cite their demigod of laissez-faire market economics, Adam Smith. Little do they know that Adam Smith in fact scathingly castigated Bush’s type of government: business collusion and unfair taxes, Wal-Mart’s exploitations of labor and communities, and robber barons’ hubris. Nowhere in his 900-page book, The Wealth of Nations, does Smith even imply that those who knowingly harm others and society in their pursuit of personal greed also benefit their society. He rejects the notion that a corporation exists to make money without ethical constraints." - from ICH

  
  
  “The vile maxim of the masters of mankind, all for ourselves and none for other people.” - Adam Smith
  
  Dave
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  254

  Why socialism will not work in America...

  by zeroday in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the great experiment is failing.... .

  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/11/mncuud91o.dtl.

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  PrimateDave

  "Both parties are too socialist. Bush and congress have mismanaged the budget criminally."

  
  
  Both parties are Corporatist. When the Corporations and Oligarchy settle on appropriate candidates, then they let us decide in a "democratic" vote which of the two pre-approved candidates to elect. I don't imagine that there is 100% unity among the string pullers though, otherwise we wouldn't see problems with election fraud.
  
  Now, as to criminally mismanaged budgets, I agree that in response to Corporate pressure the government has removed regulations that have lead to Ponzi scheme financial rackets of a criminal nature. That and a massive Corporate Welfare system fed by printing boatloads of debt notes. It is an unsustainable system that ultimately leads to increasing poverty and oppression. The situation is far more complicated than there being too many unwed teenage mothers on the public dole, which is a straw man argument the so-called conservatives have successfully used to dismantle social safety nets.
  
  Frankly, I don't like people getting something for nothing, either. But, unless we are all willing to go back to the security of the tribal unit, I don't see any alternative to a national social system designed to help the individual human being; unless we are willing to accept homelessness, lack of health care, and malnutrition. Welcome to the Third World. Maquiladores, anyone?
  
  Dave
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  254

  Why socialism will not work in America...

  by zeroday in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the great experiment is failing.... .

  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/11/mncuud91o.dtl.

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  PrimateDave

  Yes, H. S., I understand what you are saying. I probably wouldn't mind living in one of those E. U. countries right now. And, I know there is no perfect system; there never will be one.
  
  In fact I do rather admire the efforts of Chavistas to bring about a social democratic system in Venezuela despite the best efforts of the Empire to sabotage it. Educate and empower the people, but don't force everyone down to the same lowest common denominator just so everyone can be "equal".
  
  Let me restate what I said a little more precisely. I am not for Socialism that is practiced in a totalitarian way where deviation from the so-called "Socialist" ideal is dealt with via punitive measures. There is no "one right way".
  
  Dave
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  46

  Would you go to the Memorial?

  by freedomfighter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  since i was raised as a jw i have never missed the memorial.. now since i have been df'd i"m not sure whether i will go or not.

  my wife is still a jw.

  should i go for her sake or not?.

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  PrimateDave

  I would only go if I lived with Witness family members in order to appease them. Of course, I already have long hair, going for terminal length, so I wouldn't get a haircut and would also likely grow out a beard just in time for the memorial. ;) And I wouldn't wear a tie.
  
  Dave
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  254

  Why socialism will not work in America...

  by zeroday in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the great experiment is failing.... .

  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/11/mncuud91o.dtl.

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  PrimateDave

  "The term socialism is used to refer to an economic system characterized by state ownership of the means of production and distribution." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism
  
  The article linked by the O. P. isn't about Socialism but is about government financial management problems which were quite likely brought on by Bubble Economics (thank you Alan Greenspan).
  
  "But we need to be fiscally responsible and spend only the money we have," Schwarzenegger said. I completely agree with that.
  
  I am not for Socialism or any form of Corporatism where power concentrates in the hands of a relatively few who historically act in their own best interests.
  
  Dave
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  40

  Did you read the whole Bible when you were a JW?

  by outofthebox in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after an informal poll in my congregation (and many awkward responses) i found out that almost nobody had read the whole bible ever, not even the elders (surprise!).

  brothers and sisters with 20, 30, 40 and 50 years as jws don't know what the bible says.

  so, if god decides that a test is coming, will they pass it?

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  PrimateDave

  Yes, I read the whole NWT version of the Bible through at least once. I've read several books more than once. I was often struck by how repetitive the Bible can be. It occurred to me while I was still a Witness that if the Bible were edited down to be more succinct, direct, and to-the-point, it would be a much shorter and easier read.
  
  Dave
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  59

  What Did Noah Do With All The Animal manure Piling Up In the Ark?

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. social
  2. humour

  they were in the ark for such a long time, must have been pretty messy not to mention unhealthy, must have been a high mortality rate, causeing wide spead disease, and death due to the very unsanitary condition in that ark?

  imagine being locked up in that mess for a moment..

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  PrimateDave

  River: "Noah's Ark is a problem." [marking in a Bible]
  
  Shepherd: "Really?"
  
  River: "We'll have to call it early quantum state phenomenon. The only way to fit five thousand species of mammal on the same boat."
  
  Shepherd: "Give me that." [attempts to take his Bible out of her hands] "River, you don't fix the Bible."
  
  River: "It's broken. It doesn't make sense."
  
  Shepherd: "It's not about making sense. It's about believing in something, and letting that belief be real enough to change your life. It's about faith. You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you."
  
  
  - Joss Whedon's "Firefly"
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  55

  Australian Government Porn Filter To Slow Down the Internet

  by What-A-Coincidence in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22989008-661,00.html.

  australians will be forced to contact their internet service provider to avoid having their access to the web restricted.. .

  the restrictions are planned by the federal government to give greater protection to children from online pornography and violent websites.. .

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  PrimateDave

  P.S. Dave, we have virus/firewall and I'm pretty sure my 10 year old daughter was not curious about sex with horses, sorry. Our computer guru said he's seen it happen before and that kid's websites are often targeted by the malware.

  
  
  I understand. I would propose that stiff penalties be brought on such creators of malware, especially those that can be proven to target children in particular. I am not sure how government mandated general filtering of the internet can completely eliminate that kind of criminal activity. However, it is more just to target the criminals and not the average law abiding citizen.
  
  Let me be blunt. I do not visit porn sites. I am very particular about the web sites I do visit, and I use the Firefox browser for a bit of extra safety against malware, though I recognize that no defense is ever perfect.
  
  My concern is, as already expressed by brinjen and a few others, that:
  
  

  1. It will provide a false sense of security. When it inevitably fails to "protect" children, more draconian measures will be imposed. I admit that this is the "slippery slope" argument, but such is the government track record in its attempt to control the uncontrollable. Prohibition, anyone?
  
  2. It will not protect children. We all want children to be safe and secure, but we don't live in a perfect world. This is reality. One cannot legislate Utopia. The responsibility still comes down to the parent.
  
  3. Who decides what is "porn"? Obscene material is already illegal, and its purveyors can be prosecuted by law. What is considered "porn" is not so clearly defined. Is the nude photography of Robert Mapplethorpe pornography? Should an online exhibition of his "erotic" male nudes be blocked from all Australians? Who decides what is inappropriate or violent? Is an online game guide to Grand Theft Auto inappropriate due to the video game's extremely violent content? Should YouTube be blocked because there might be some content that some parents consider inappropriate for children?
  
  4. If the government sponsored filtering is considered by a majority to be too onerous, enough people will opt out to make it even more ineffective. Your child may request to go play at a friend's home where the filtering has been turned off. This puts the responsibility right back where it belongs: with you.

  A final comment: If someone is selling you "safety and security", please check the price tag before you buy.
  
  Dave
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  105

  What book are you reading right now?

  by Wordly Andre in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am reading buried alive: the terrifying history of our most primal fear, it's really cool

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  PrimateDave

  Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond