>> ^NetRunner:

>> ^Truckchase:
So what would you recommend to fix the problem? The Dems are'nt helping, and while some stand for a significantly slower societal regression than the 're-pubbies they're most definitely not a solution.
I'm not asking that question rhetorically. What do you want be done to fix this? I'll club a baby seal if it'll make you guys stop being apologists for apologists. Let's get this show on the road because we're running short on time.

Well, the short answer is that unless you're going to start stockpiling weapons for a revolution, you need to ultimately come up with a way to get what you want from political system through the mechanisms laid out in the Constitution. Namely, voting, and calling your congressman/senator/mayor/governor/President, etc.
As Michael Moore said, the 1% may have 40% of the wealth, but only 1% of the vote. Money doesn't actually buy elections, at least not yet.
Let's pretend for a minute that the Tea Party was some authentic grassroots movement. Look at how they went after their political objectives:

1. They were solely interested in getting conservatives elected
   
2. They were willing to put up primary challenges to Republicans who'd been disloyal to The Cause (and were very successful in winning those primaries!)
   
3. They were committed to showing up and voting for the most conservative person on the ballot in the general (aka, they supported the Republican, even if the Tea Bag favorite lost).
   

The net result was that they got a shitload of Republicans into Congress, as well as further increasing the ideological purity of the Republican party. Distilled insanity, and lots of it!
On the other hand, the left seems to be deciding that their big hat trick is to eschew voting, badmouth Democrats (as if none are good, and as if the party has never done anything good), and camp out in public parks all winter.
Again, don't get me wrong, I totally agree with the general idea of protesting wealth inequality, but at a certain point you've got to have some answer to "what do you want done, and who do you want to do it?"
I'm good if the answer is "End the War, Tax the Rich", but then the next point is Obama's in favor of those things, all his Republican challengers aren't, and the only people in Congress who want to do both are Democrats, and there's a national election next year...


1st: The tea-party comparison.
The tea-party was a bunch of blowhards who want to destroy government. They have seized well on misdirected rage. Destroying something is a hell of a lot easier than fixing something that is almost terminally broken. We can't expect results as quickly as those folks because we're constructive, not destructive.

2nd: The real issue. (money in politics)
I think you're missing my point. Why trash a movement that could very well be the beginning of a societal awakening? It took many years for most major causes to gain traction. (see: prohibition repeal, civil rights, suffrage, etc.) I never said don't vote and I never said don't take action. I do all of those AND actively back OWS. I haven't missed a caucus since I was 18. We're active; don't think otherwise. The OWS movement isn't perfect, but nothing we humans do is. It's a step in the right direction. Will this movement bring the all-encompassing triumph? Doubtful. Will the next? Increasingly less doubtful...


Why don't you come out here and help, or at the very least don't throw stones at those putting their neck on the line for you. When is the last time you personally got news coverage because you towed the party line? We need to get out of our armchairs. We need to make a difference!

>> ^Truckchase:

So what would you recommend to fix the problem? The Dems are'nt helping, and while some stand for a significantly slower societal regression than the 're-pubbies they're most definitely not a solution.
I'm not asking that question rhetorically. What do you want be done to fix this? I'll club a baby seal if it'll make you guys stop being apologists for apologists. Let's get this show on the road because we're running short on time.


Well, the short answer is that unless you're going to start stockpiling weapons for a revolution, you need to ultimately come up with a way to get what you want from political system through the mechanisms laid out in the Constitution. Namely, voting, and calling your congressman/senator/mayor/governor/President, etc.

As Michael Moore said, the 1% may have 40% of the wealth, but only 1% of the vote. Money doesn't actually buy elections, at least not yet.

Let's pretend for a minute that the Tea Party was some authentic grassroots movement. Look at how they went after their political objectives:

1. They were solely interested in getting conservatives elected
   
2. They were willing to put up primary challenges to Republicans who'd been disloyal to The Cause (and were very successful in winning those primaries!)
   
3. They were committed to showing up and voting for the most conservative person on the ballot in the general (aka, they supported the Republican, even if the Tea Bag favorite lost).
   

The net result was that they got a shitload of Republicans into Congress, as well as further increasing the ideological purity of the Republican party. Distilled insanity, and lots of it!

On the other hand, the left seems to be deciding that their big hat trick is to eschew voting, badmouth Democrats (as if none are good, and as if the party has never done anything good), and camp out in public parks all winter.

Again, don't get me wrong, I totally agree with the general idea of protesting wealth inequality, but at a certain point you've got to have some answer to "what do you want done, and who do you want to do it?"

I'm good if the answer is "End the War, Tax the Rich", but then the next point is Obama's in favor of those things, all his Republican challengers aren't, and the only people in Congress who want to do both are Democrats, and there's a national election next year...

Jesus and Robin Hood and Socrates, and any other popular figures from more than a couple of centuries ago, have their existence/non existence blurred with legends, stories and all sorts of stupid demented bullshit to the point where no one really knows what the story is. Anyone who claims to is lying.

You take the good stuff and kind of hope they were like that. Christianity is the selective filtering of some ancient stories from an uneducated diseased fearful superstitious population of people who rarely lived past 35, warped to suit the morality and power structure of a succession of morally dubious civilisations in which the ones with the big hats claiming to know more about what 'god' thinks are invariably FAR more like the self righteous fat ruling class who had Jeebs nailed up. If that actually happened. I mean , if Jeebs was real enough to drive a nail through - they certainly nailed up thousands in that time.

I mean what about the pope/nuns/monks/water into wine etc etc? That's not in the bible. People add, and remove, whatever they want to suit their purpose. They don't seem to be afraid of retribution for it, so either they have a HUGE ego (god will agree with me!) or they don't really believe in any of that shit. The pope sure as hell doesn't, or he'd clean up the Vatican bank sharpish.

Shiny may be bonkers but at least he's not wearing a silly hat in a golden city tricked from the poor and desperate, shouting at Africans that the fantasy god he has violently imposed on them will hate them for using Jonnies to stop Aids.



>> ^hpqp:

Well considering that the Jeebs is probably a fictional character altogether , it's not surprising that there is differences between the ways different authors imagined him to be.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

Semantics has absolutely nothing to do with it. How could you even get that from what I wrote? I'm talking about laws and ordinances that cover a thousand silly things, trying to strap down all of the vagaries of human behavior. >> ^longde:

So you agree with the spirit of the law, just not the semantics?>> ^dag:
Yes frivolous, like this:
-- no eating peanut butter sandwiches at national monuments (to prevent peanut butter sandwich sit-ins)
-- All hats worn at national monuments must must be less than 12" higher than the crown of the head. (to prevent big hat protests)
The strategy of legislating the vagaries of human behaviour in minute detail is dumb, and yes bad for democracy and liberty. If people are causing a disturbance- stick with disturbing the peace.
>> ^smooman:
>> ^dag:
A greater reluctance of the state to pass frivolous laws the restrict the liberty of the people. That's all.
i just really really really wanna know in what ways is the law frivolous to you?
whats frivolous to me is the insistence that we be able to dance where ever the fuck we want. If you just have to dance to express yourself, thats cool, and im down with that, you can do that on the steps, then come inside, check out the memorial. but the rest of us that rather like our quiet reflections done without some jackass doin a jig.
btw, i have this unique way of expressing myself through defecation, so next week im getting a flash mob together to go to the memorial to leave piling steamers to stick it to the man for telling me where i can and cant expressionistically shit. We'll even clean up afterward so there's no mess. we're not hurting anyone

So you agree with the spirit of the law, just not the semantics?>> ^dag:
Yes frivolous, like this:
-- no eating peanut butter sandwiches at national monuments (to prevent peanut butter sandwich sit-ins)
-- All hats worn at national monuments must must be less than 12" higher than the crown of the head. (to prevent big hat protests)
The strategy of legislating the vagaries of human behaviour in minute detail is dumb, and yes bad for democracy and liberty. If people are causing a disturbance- stick with disturbing the peace.
>> ^smooman:
>> ^dag:
A greater reluctance of the state to pass frivolous laws the restrict the liberty of the people. That's all.
i just really really really wanna know in what ways is the law frivolous to you?
whats frivolous to me is the insistence that we be able to dance where ever the fuck we want. If you just have to dance to express yourself, thats cool, and im down with that, you can do that on the steps, then come inside, check out the memorial. but the rest of us that rather like our quiet reflections done without some jackass doin a jig.
btw, i have this unique way of expressing myself through defecation, so next week im getting a flash mob together to go to the memorial to leave piling steamers to stick it to the man for telling me where i can and cant expressionistically shit. We'll even clean up afterward so there's no mess. we're not hurting anyone

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

Yes frivolous, like this:

-- no eating peanut butter sandwiches at national monuments (to prevent peanut butter sandwich sit-ins)
-- All hats worn at national monuments must must be less than 12" higher than the crown of the head. (to prevent big hat protests)

The strategy of legislating the vagaries of human behaviour in minute detail is dumb, and yes bad for democracy and liberty. If people are causing a disturbance- stick with disturbing the peace.
>> ^smooman:

>> ^dag:
A greater reluctance of the state to pass frivolous laws the restrict the liberty of the people. That's all.
i just really really really wanna know in what ways is the law frivolous to you?
whats frivolous to me is the insistence that we be able to dance where ever the fuck we want. If you just have to dance to express yourself, thats cool, and im down with that, you can do that on the steps, then come inside, check out the memorial. but the rest of us that rather like our quiet reflections done without some jackass doin a jig.
btw, i have this unique way of expressing myself through defecation, so next week im getting a flash mob together to go to the memorial to leave piling steamers to stick it to the man for telling me where i can and cant expressionistically shit. We'll even clean up afterward so there's no mess. we're not hurting anyone

Who's the mack? is it some brother in a big hat
Thinking he can get any bitch with a good rap?
Rolling in a fucked-up Lincoln
Leaning to the side So it looks like he's sinking
Into that leopard interior
This nigga thinks every girl's inferior
To his tongue, get a dumb bitch sprung
As she's selling more butt
Don't even get a cut of the money
His name is Sonny
And he know the play
And hope to od that he don't find a runaway
That's looking to become a star
He'll have your ass in and out of every car
With every on and Rick, sucking every john's dick
Come short of the money, get your ass kicked
You don't like it but you still call him hunk
Last night the nigga put yo' ass in the trunk
You wanna leave but Sonny started talking fast
And it make you wanna go and sell more ass
He's getting rich, you his bitch and it's like that
Now ask yourself
Who's the mack?
Who's the mack?

It is that fool that wanna pump the gas
Give you a sad story and you give him cash?
He starts macking and macking and you sucking
Quick to say I'm down on my luck
And you give a dollar or a quarter and he's on his way
Then you see his sorry ass the next day
Are you the one getting played like a sucka?
Or do you say, "Get a job, motherfucker"?
Every day, the story gets better
He's wearing dirty pants and a funky-assed sweater
He claims he wants to get something to eat
But every day you find yourself getting beat
He gets your money and you run across the street don't look both ways
'cause he's in a daze
And almost get his ass hit for the crack
Now ask yourself
Who's the mack?
Who's the Mack?

Is it that nigga in that club asking
Have you ever been in a hot tub?
I know the game so I watch it unfold
When i see the boy pinned to your earlobe
He's talking shit and you crack a smile
When he tell you that he can go buck wild
For a girl like you and make it feel good
You know it's drama but it sound real good
He started dragging and hopefully he can start tagging
The pussy so he can keep bragging
He say, "I'm 'a leave baby, can you go with me?"
The pussy so he can keep bragging
You wanna do it but you feeling like a H-O-E
You grab his hand, you leave and it's over
'Cause the nigga ain't nothing but a rover
Ya knew the game and you still ended up on your back
Now ask yourself
Who's the Mack?
Macking is the game and everybody's playing
And as long as you believe what they saying
Consider the a M.A.C.K. and with no delay
They are gonna get all the play
But when it comes to me, save the drama for your momma
It's Ice Cube and you know that I'm a
Mack in my own right
When it comes to rhyme and rap
'cause all i do is kick facts
Unlike Iceberg Slimm
And all of them be claimin' be P.I.M.P.
No, I'm not going out that way
I'm just a straight up N I double G A
Next time U get over on a fool
And you did the shit like real smooth
Thank Ice Cube for giving up the facts
And ask yourself
Who's the Mack?

Come on choggie, there must be at least one person or book you could point to as being at least vaguely representative of your politics. Is it really that unreasonable of me to ask if there is any cattle behind the big hat? If I had to guess, I'd say you were of the freemason/illuminati school of politics.

Your business is your business, so if you don't want to show your cards, I won't bug you about it anymore.

Beware the Pope. He has MAGICAL powers and can zap you! Learn to FEAR men in dresses, and big hats that proclaim to speak to/for God.

-
He who hears voices in his head is proclaimed schizophrenic and institutionalized.
He who hears the voices of god/jesus in his head is proclaimed blessed.

Wow! Thanks so much for the kind words everyone, and a big hats-off to KP! I'm really flattered at the choice of video and provocative imagery.

I guess I have been something of a lurker 'round here, i'll try to explain... VideoSift has just been a fascinating place for me. But not just for finding the odd entertaining flick, I've come across topics and videos here that I would've never thought to look for if I were browsing the net on my own. I feel I have had my eyes opened to many new thoughts and ideas here over the years.

I don't get a ton of time to look around the net (after i've caught up with all the posts from the previous day. Slow down people!), since I probably spend too much time on the games . I'd been content to mainly 'enjoy the show' and post something on the odd occasion... Till KP came along a few months back and gave me a prodding. So I've tried to pick up the pace (slightly) and now here I am!

SO, about me eh? Oh dear.. ok...

I have quite an interest in the Politics channel. I have to say the American events have just been far more surreal, absurd, exciting and frustrating than our boring system in Oz. Finding out about The Real News and Democracy Now has been a real treat - I watch those very closely nowadays.

Pretty much dislike sports Though seeing dudes getting hit in the head with golfballs never gets old. Was I the only one to find the Olympics a huge yawn?

As for the BoneyD thing. Well, it's from an old crack I made at this terribad scene from Storm Riders that sorta just stuck and became my game handle in the FPSs. It's shortened for something, but you'll probably have to liquor me up a bit before I'll tell that silly story

Again, big thanks to you all. I'll be sure to put up a few more links, now that I can use my powers for evil err good.

Thanks for the assistance there guys. I was aware of the gold access requirement on non approved sources embeds, but I knew something was askew.

I managed to embed the original LL video fine now thanks Lucky, a big hats-off to Lord Poseidon too