What the fuck is wrong with New York City Mayor Michael Rubens Bloomberg?

[henry quirk]

"Life doesn't work that way..."

I take it you mean: 'Do what you can to self-preserve, expect nothing from any one.'

That's exactly how it works...that so many are now blind to this is -- again -- an evidence of widespread domestication.

'Teaching' folks to 'play nice' can work, sure...but: such a lesson is surface-only, tenuous, and comes crashing down the second the largely non-existent foundation for such 'education' is challenged.

I'll say it again, in expanded form: Do what you can to self-preserve (feed yourself, clothe yourself, attend to your wounds and illnesses, take hold of yourself in worrying times, be wise during abundant ones...the stupid, weak, mercenary, etc. are sitting on your stoop just begging to be let in...lock your door)...

...and...

...expect nothing from any one (don't be stupid, weak, or mercenary...you have all the tools you need to live...use them, use your 'self').

Nothing I'm saying here precludes alliance, cooperation, 'working together'; everything I'm saying here precludes catering to the demands of the weak, the stupid, the lazy, the (self)terminally 'compassionate' or the greedy.

Each of you should do exactly, with your time, resources, 'self', as you like (up to and including self-cruxification if you think such a thing will do any good for any one)...I simply claim the same for myself (to attempt to do as I choose).

Bloomberg apparently believes himself wiser (or more likely, more compassionate) than other folks...so much so, he must 'save' them from themselves.

Arrogance (that he shares with any- and every-one who believes him- or her-self 'leader', elected, appointed, declared, or born into).

[henry quirk]

Incrementalism. Boil the man alive (and without complaint) by slowly raising the temperature half a degree every hour...additionally: ply him with distraction.

The result: human stew.

Eat hearty.

[infinite monkey]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

Incrementalism. Boil the man alive (and without complaint) by slowly raising the temperature half a degree every hour...additionally: ply him with distraction.

The result: human stew.

Eat hearty.

Smarter than the average bear.

[glatt]

I've never heard that boiling alive story applied to humans, but I have heard of it in relation to frogs.

The boiling frog story is a widespread anecdote describing a frog slowly being boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability of people to react to significant changes that occur gradually.[1] According to contemporary biologists the premise of the story is not literally true; a frog submerged and gradually heated will jump out.[2][3]

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

I take it you mean: 'Do what you can to self-preserve, expect nothing from any one.'

Not at all.

That's exactly how it works...that so many are now blind to this is -- again -- an evidence of widespread domestication.

You believe that is how it works because that is how you want it to work.

The point is that no person in a society can live a completely independent life. How I live and act inevitably affects the people around me, even in extremely subtle ways. Therefore, I have a vested interest in the overall health of my surroundings. If my society is healthy, I have a better chance of living a healthy life (not just physical health). If my society goes to shit, there is a better chance of my life going to shit as well.

This "for each his own" bullshit doesn't hold up to reality. Unless you become a mountain man, our ability to become independent is directly linked to the strength of our surroundings. Right now, I can personally live an independent lifestyle where I can survive solely on my input to society (my job) and the surrounding society (where I buy my necessities). I do not directly take anything from the government or people around me. I also believe in that lifestyle and encourage others to do the same. Although, if the surrounding society goes to shit, it will require more personal effort to independently fulfill my own needs, taking time away from my job and personal life. To take it to an extreme, if our society completely collapses, I will then need to spend almost all my time competing for very limited resources. Even if I did follow your advice and was successful in doing so, that would be an EXTREMELY shitty way to live.

To get to the concise point: I would much rather invest in a healthy society than invest in being completely independent from society during a worse case scenario.

Bloomberg apparently believes himself wiser (or more likely, more compassionate) than other folks...so much so, he must 'save' them from themselves.

Arrogance (that he shares with any- and every-one who believes him- or her-self 'leader', elected, appointed, declared, or born into).

The irony...