I would argue gorlliaman, that the feudal state is not so much the reversion you describe as it is "business as usual." The brokers of control have been working this model with various tweaks and new-and-improved labels since the empire that never died...Rome didn't collapse, her criminals went into hiding and it's structure discarded then refined for a kindler, gentler form of control and conquest.

Reminds me of the steam engine and Rome...

Perhaps we shouldn't rely on a system with such extreme incentives in place anymore. Rome was cool while it lasted eh?

Well, don't forget about peer review. That's the crucial thing that sets science apart from religion. No hypothesis becomes a theory until it's been road tested like a motherfucker. Since religion relies on "revealed wisdom," it can't possibly hope to keep up.

For instance, did you know that Galileo might have been wronged back in 1632 when he was ordered to stand trial in Rome for heresy?...and that this was revealed to the Pope...in 1992??

That's correct, it took 360 years for the Vatican to admit that the earth is not the center of the cosmos. Granted, there wasn't a lot of peer review happening in 1632...but it did happen eventually. More importantly, it happened in spite of religion, not because of it.

So with religion's impressive track record of getting it wrong, and more impressive foot-dragging, why should they be the authority about the age of the cosmos? Or condom use? Or homosexuality? They have proven themselves quite unable to do so.

Science is the one with the winning track record, fuckers.

Missing his point VoodooV- Weath (comfortable, social and political environment=stable) as opposed to Poverty (constant struggle, unstable living conditions and government, etc).
Wealth provides access to information, education, and comfort in our temporarily-fucked paradigm. Unfortunately, knowledge and the leisure to pursue a higher path of consciousness is not something "endowed to all men by their creator" but something to be kept in a museum or private collection....or maybe even an entire city in ROME??? ..hint,hint??

Religions are wealthy because they have duped humans that they have a handle on their spirituality, or are a direct conduit to God herself. How do you think they got wealthy??
Oh and YES, it does take a higher education than that of a base, instinctual, meatbot (not talking about "University" per-se, either), because in order to HAVE have the questioning nature to reject religion you must first understand what it is about an institution's take on God, that you have a problem with....Harder to do that when you are poor and stupid BY DESIGN!

Religion has lasted as long as it has because people are herded, worked like cattle, and fed a continual stream of partial or outright disinformation. The average person may not have the information to make an informed decision, or even access to it.

There's a reason for the adage, "Knowledge is Power"
Control the dissemination of information and you can control a shitload of human bean!!

Oh, and a hearty down vote for Stink Uraguay's continual, smugly-smugstein rant(z). ...(everything he offers up is a rant right, and never are they either witty, or eloquent. MEH

Job Creators.

edit: It sounds like rome just as it started to burn...

Oh don't hate them for their race.Hate them for their Player Class--Gangsta,where anyone who figures out how to string a dozen words together in front of a microphone feels entitled to Phat Lootz,or they blame "the Man" for their failures and consider random acts of violence and theft their Just Retribution we somehow owe them. I can appreciate Good Music of any sort,and acknowledge the Art and Craft of its creating auible sculpture with sound and voice. However,I will say I can do so without buying into a whole subculture that thinks wearing your pants half off is a fashion statement. I don't see the Enya Posse in Blue Wold on their faces and sporting designer kilts running around(although we should!). To quote a line from Animal House "Stoned Drunk and Stupid is no way to go through life,son.",and that's what the subtext of the subculture amounts to. Flashy glamour is nice,but none of it matters in the face of Real Work and the instinctual Need to get it done. This seperates the Artist from the Mob,wanting to devote time away from a constant party and to physical and emotional labour to conjure something meaningful magical and new. Stepping back to admire the fruits of your handywork is a high no mass of shiney strangers can ever hope to beat. Someone in that Flashmob has orginizational skills...300 people is quite a turn out. Wouldn't it be Nice if they had much enthusiasm for something Positive,like a neighborhood watch? twittering about crimes happening to the police can help keep their neighborhoods safe,which are crawling with drugs and shoot outs."Yo Dawg! The Bruthah from that Bodega Shooting is here on Main Street!" Maybe if the "Hood wasn't such a Scarey Place,businesses would come in. And if they didn't feel it was their right to steal,they might find good jobs from the new businesses and earn a living instead of demanding one.

But one has to have Morals for that. I see none in that video. People who don't mind rampaging in front of a sea of security cameras.Can you convince such people to Play Nice at all,or past the point when doing the right thing inconveniences you?Do people sometimes need the threat of Guns even to keep civil? Suddenly snide remarks about Evolution suddenly make SENSE. But its SOcial Evolution at play here,and at fault. WE are Rome trying to convince a native of the Province they conquered to kindly not shit in the street. Sometimes you need clubs for that. But something tells me these people need their lives managed for them. Maybe wall up a ten block radius of a poor neighborhood,move all the families out nd let them play hip Hop as a live action video game where the bullets are real and cameras everywhere record the drama Live! The ultimate Reality TV Urban Experience fully packaged and ready for heavy merchendising! They can compete for resources and earn fabulous prizes,and hopefully only shoot themslves instead of the rest of us just trying to get on with life.


The Hip Hop experience...Unrated on Pay Per View.Visit our Website and Twitter your opinion on the utterly SICK way DJ Do Wah Ditty Diddy Dum Diddy Do had his ear shot off in the fight for the corner of 134th street and Avenue F! Log in with your SmartPhone and soak up all the sleeze with the HoodieCam!

It'll happen. You'll see. It's very Roman.

I seem to recall that a potter, creating a pot would inadvertently transfer any vibrations- speech etc- through his fingers to the rings created whilst working, and that these could be "played back." Imagine being able to listen to someone discussing life in, say, ancient Rome, Greece, etc. I only hope I didn't just dream this.

>> ^oritteropo:

Have you ever studied the French Revolution? Ron Paul's policies didn't go so well for Turgot, and haven't for anyone else who has tried them since.
I guess since neither of us are U.S. based we can always sit back and watch the spectacle from afar, eating popcorn, no matter what they try
In reply to this comment by coolhund:
When America picked Rome as its role model, it was destined to die the same way.
It had potential, but corruption is a constant threat and no where near enough is being done to battle it.
I am truly shocked how divided your country has become, and how much of a threat and actually enemy to the worlds freedom after 9/11.
You havent learned a bit. Still waging wars everywhere, support totalitarian regimes (and even install them) even if its just behind the curtains. You ask yourself why "terrorists" are attacking you? You should ask yourself instead why so few are attacking you.
Believe me, I really loved the US for the most of my life. I always wanted to live there. I loved having American soldiers stationed in my country. But not anymore. A few years after 9/11 I got my ignorance armor removed by force and realized youre just as bad as the other hypocrite countries that call themselves civilized, democratic and free. But since you have so much power and exploit it all the time, youre actually worse.
I really wish you would return to your former values and actually uphold them. But looking at how corrupt your country has become, my hopes are extremely low. Just by looking at how you let the perfect opportunity pass by not voting Ron Paul - again, hurts me so much. Seeing people here and elsewhere spewing out propaganda that was indoctrinated into them reminds me of myself a few years ago. I can only feel disgust when thinking about that. In an age of information theres still so much misinformation and bias... Its sad. No wonder corruption is blooming like never before.
And yes, I am pretty sure some indoctrinated individuals will jump at me now for my last 2 sentences and mentioning Ron Paul. Save your breath, I have tried to talk to people like you for years and I was one of you. You will only learn the hard way - just like me.



Looks like you have studied the french revolution, but not what Ron Paul actually wants to do, or rather will be able to do.

And yes I guess its easy to sit back and eat popcorn for people like you.

When America picked Rome as its role model, it was destined to die the same way.
It had potential, but corruption is a constant threat and no where near enough is being done to battle it.

I am truly shocked how divided your country has become, and how much of a threat and actually enemy to the worlds freedom after 9/11.
You havent learned a bit. Still waging wars everywhere, support totalitarian regimes (and even install them) even if its just behind the curtains. You ask yourself why "terrorists" are attacking you? You should ask yourself instead why so few are attacking you.

Believe me, I really loved the US for the most of my life. I always wanted to live there. I loved having American soldiers stationed in my country. But not anymore. A few years after 9/11 I got my ignorance armor removed by force and realized youre just as bad as the other hypocrite countries that call themselves civilized, democratic and free. But since you have so much power and exploit it all the time, youre actually worse.

I really wish you would return to your former values and actually uphold them. But looking at how corrupt your country has become, my hopes are extremely low. Just by looking at how you let the perfect opportunity pass by not voting Ron Paul - again, hurts me so much. Seeing people here and elsewhere spewing out propaganda that was indoctrinated into them reminds me of myself a few years ago. I can only feel disgust when thinking about that. In an age of information theres still so much misinformation and bias... Its sad. No wonder corruption is blooming like never before.

And yes, I am pretty sure some indoctrinated individuals will jump at me now for my last 2 sentences and mentioning Ron Paul. Save your breath, I have tried to talk to people like you for years and I was one of you. You will only learn the hard way - just like me.

>> ^EvilDeathBee:

Kylie Minogue has a fantastic arse


Was thinking the very same thing about every five minutes ago which brings me to the POINT:
Madonna bared her withered stank-ass nipple in Turkey (irreverent cunt) on this same tour and now her schtick it seems is to exhibition her wares throughout the remainder of her talent-less career. Proof positive here though that she still has few years stripping for change.

Kylie?? She's of another realm altogether. Showgirl. Talented. Stylish. Hard and soft, fierce yet fragile. Minogue embodies the essence of showmanship and decorum. No compromise, unchanging. One of the shining gems of stardom that we are fortunate to have been witness to.

Madonna?? You may benefit from the part of the recluse for the rest of your tenure. Or else grow the fuck UP! Oh, you suck at acting as well. Try some lessons.

Correct! The Way of the Dragon. Great karate schmaltz, that. And Chuck gets killed at the Colosseum in Rome after a great preening match with Bruce Lee. But Enter the Dragon . . . not.

>> ^alien_concept:

>> ^silvercord:
Chuck Norris wasn't in Enter the Dragon, Dusty. He was, however, in the Virgin Islands. Now, they are just the Islands.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068935/