*brief

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BPs headquarters are in London though

This is from Cosmos. Carl Sagan's miniseries from 1980. (It's available through Netflix on-demand for those interested).

Obama's speeches remind me of Carl Sagan, not in content, but in meter and tone. Anyone else hear it similarly?

Lots of people know things Americans don't know. I'm not impressed.

Carl Sagan knew; so did Charles Dickens

(from 'A Christmas Carol'):


Suddenly, Scrooge noticed something strange about the ghost. Two children-like figures were at the ghost’s feet – a boy and a girl. But, they looked old and dreadful, like little monsters. Scrooge was shocked.

“Spirit, are they your creatures?” Scrooge asked.

“They are Man’s creatures,” said the spirit “The boy is Ignorance. The girl is Want. Beware them both, but most of all beware this boy” said the spirit.

Carl Sagan teaches me about the Matrix.

After Sagan's death many turtleneck sweater manufacturers went out of business.

I don't understand; what does this have to do with me making money!?!?

Need...more... profit.... my USA juice is running low....

there seems to be something inherently wrong with an economic system based on human greed.

So .....he is saying we should kill and punish, perhaps specifically trample, those who show no restraint when seeking profit.

Sounds like a plan. Get your name legally changed to Justice....and let the fun begin.

>> ^xxovercastxx:

Lots of people know things Americans don't know. I'm not impressed.


I really wish you wouldn't stoop to this sort of generalization. I hope you can see what generalizations like this lead to based off of numerous historical examples....

That said, I made a post responding to this video as an American in jest identifying with the position you most likely believe I espouse to. I assure you I am very, very well aware of what Carl Sagan is saying here. Please understand that Americans have lost control of their corporate infrastructure, and it's that fact that makes us so easy to hate. I don't want this anymore than you do.... The travesties being beset upon the world by the US Govt/Corporations are being perpetrated by the "top" 1% of the nation, the ultra-rich.

Believe me, I'm doing my best to change it, and I know millions are trying to do the same thing, but in a society that translates money directly to power it becomes very difficult to institute change when over 95% of money/power is controlled by such a select few.

Please don't assault me for where I was born; I'm doing all I can to fix it.

Edit: just saw you're a US Citizen; is that post a joke? I've been guilty of reading joke posts as serious in the past....

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Sagan, Justice, Avarice, Envy' to 'Sagan, Justice, Avarice, Envy, Cosmos' - edited by SlipperyPete

>> ^spawnflagger:

Obama's speeches remind me of Carl Sagan, not in content, but in meter and tone. Anyone else hear it similarly?


Sagan reminds me more of Mr. Smith from the Matrix movies.

^ You're not the only one

http://videosift.com/video/The-Matrix-Vs-Carl-Sagan

It was said in jest, yes, but I still think most of us are morons.

>> ^Truckchase:

>> ^xxovercastxx:
Lots of people know things Americans don't know. I'm not impressed.

I really wish you wouldn't stoop to this sort of generalization. I hope you can see what generalizations like this lead to based off of numerous historical examples....
That said, I made a post responding to this video as an American in jest identifying with the position you most likely believe I espouse to. I assure you I am very, very well aware of what Carl Sagan is saying here. Please understand that Americans have lost control of their corporate infrastructure, and it's that fact that makes us so easy to hate. I don't want this anymore than you do.... The travesties being beset upon the world by the US Govt/Corporations are being perpetrated by the "top" 1% of the nation, the ultra-rich.
Believe me, I'm doing my best to change it, and I know millions are trying to do the same thing, but in a society that translates money directly to power it becomes very difficult to institute change when over 95% of money/power is controlled by such a select few.
Please don't assault me for where I was born; I'm doing all I can to fix it.
Edit: just saw you're a US Citizen; is that post a joke? I've been guilty of reading joke posts as serious in the past....

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Sagan, Justice, Avarice, Envy, Cosmos' to 'Sagan, Justice, Avarice, Envy, Cosmos, Soul of the Nation' - edited by calvados

The chief purpose of government is to make private interests coincide with public interests*. This includes, but is not limited to, the following ways:

1. Punishing murder, so that people are less inclined to murder.
2. Deterring foreign invasion
3. Taxing pollution, so that people are less inclined to pollute.
4. Improving the lot of the poor, so that neighborhoods are safer and cleaner, and preventable diseases can be eradicated, and so that the benefit to the poor vastly outweighs the expense of lifting them up.
5. Taxing people to support a variety of useful programs that lot of people would not contribute to charitably because they are selfish and/or feel like their contribution is just a drop in the bucket among millions of others (same fallacy as "my vote makes no difference").


* notwithstanding the harm principle. But freedom of action != freedom from progressive income taxation.

"the dutch knew that the unrestrained pursuit of profits posed serious threats to the soul of the nation"
hear hear

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Sagan, Justice, Avarice, Envy, Cosmos, Soul of the Nation' to 'Sagan, Justice, Avarice, Envy, Cosmos, Soul of the Nation, amsterdam, sculpture, gods' - edited by Eklek

*dead

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