VOTE!

[tw]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

... if you're gonna walk with the angels, you gotta play the harp.

It explains why John Lennon screamed, "I got callouses on my fingers" when still alive.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by tw

It explains why John Lennon screamed, "I got callouses on my fingers" when still alive.

blisters on me fingers

[Clodfobble]

Okay, but in the same way that we have a representative democracy because we can't all be informed on all the issues all the time, couldn't you theoretically have a representative voting advisor? Like one person or organization or whatever that you decide you trust, and just do whatever that person/organization tells you to do? Or would you say you inherently can't trust anyone who would pick from either of the two major parties?

[Undertoad]

I did give a vote as a christmas present once.

It's easy to get proxy votes. Simply by standing outside the polling place, and politely asking everyone who enters to vote for your candidate, you can get a ton of votes. You can sway a precinct.

Just think of all the people who have been told it's their civic duty to vote, and do it, but who have no idea who the candidates are.

[Griff]

So you are participating in representative democracy just not voting.

[Undertoad]

It's down to the tribalism, people. It's killing us.

A third us believe there will be civil war.

I simply refuse to be a part of that.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

It's down to the tribalism, people. It's killing us.

A third us believe there will be civil war.

I simply refuse to be a part of that.

Are we more tribal than we used to be, though? Or just more aware of the other tribes' doings, thanks to connectivity?

[Undertoad]

My theory is that politics is replacing religion as a source of spiritual guidance and a place people are looking for meaning. My theory is that this is really dangerous.

Because overlaid on that is humanity's tribal nature; which tells us, subconsciously, that there must be an enemy to be fought, and finding and outing/fighting that enemy is part of what we will do to survive in the long run.

We see that, in human behavior, there are always enemies and our instinct is to destroy them. It is our destiny. And this has created all the greatest inhumanities of history.

Now, without an obvious enemy, and without a spiritual calming force to guide the behavior that allows us to find agreement, behave, and get along, we are turning on ourselves.

Today everyone believes that the "other side" is reprehensible. Both sides have different sets of facts. Both sides unfairly malign the other. It has started to come to violence. We are looking to ban speech and silently cheering when people get assaulted.

OMG, HARD LIBERALS are DEMANDING BIG CORPORATIONS ACT AS CENSORS! What the hell is happening??? Where ARE we???

Politics has gotten people angry over NFL football. NFL football!! What the HELL. This is the sport where we create fake tribes and go to fake war. It's supposed to be a relief valve, people! How can NFL fuckin' football be making things worse?

It's a shit time we're in. Well, I'm not taking sides. I believe we're all on the same side. To demonstrate that fully, I must say, in the strongest terms, that I'm not a part of this. I am trying to demonstrate a way to be.

[tw]

Travel through the back country. Listen to what is heard on so many radio stations. A diatribe of hate is now routine. Alex Jones screams hate since (just like Sen Joe McCarthy), it makes him rich and powerful.

Hate promoted on radio (emotions that target adults who are children) is rampant in rural communities. As many or more stations play that hate more than others that play rock and roll. Hate (emotion) targets adults who are still children Logical thought (ie honest news hyped to the emotional as fake news) is little heard on those talk radio stations.

Nothing new. Over 60% of Americans also knew smoking cigarettes increased health. Because emotional propaganda proved it to be true. Logic (intelligent thought) becomes irrelevant when sound byte emotions are promoted more often.

Why did Saddam have WMDs? Same emotional diatribes proved it. Because it was promoted emotionally - not justified by facts. The emotion called hate is easily and now widely promoted in rural communities.

[henry quirk]

"I believe we're all on the same side."

We're not, we never have been.

Roughly, there are two sides...

WE vs I

MANY vs ONE

Not possible to be on both sides of the field.

Abstaining from the conflict doesn't insulate or absolve you.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

WE vs I

MANY vs ONE

Not possible to be on both sides of the field.

Why did you write your post in English?

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

My theory is that politics is replacing religion as a source of spiritual guidance and a place people are looking for meaning. My theory is that this is really dangerous.

I think you would really like a book called Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari. (Not because it would change your mind, because it's about all this same stuff you're talking about.)

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari

The Amazon summary sounds awesome, I will consider it, thanks!

[Undertoad]

Oh my goodness with the personal! Well, I've taken you officially OFF the guest list for my dick-sucking booth then. I hope you can live with that.

[sexobon]

The Cellar: And the bleat goes on...and the bleat goes on...