Ask not what your country can do for you... by 6ixStringJack

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Ask not what your country can do for you...

POSTED BY: 6IXSTRINGJACK
UPDATED: Sunday, June 8, 2008 06:12
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VIEWED: 2438
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Friday, June 6, 2008 9:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
We're complaining about $4/gallon gas, when most places would kill for prices that low.

Mike, why do you hate America?

It's our DUTY to be a nation of cheap-energy-wasters!!!

(my car gets good mileage too, heh heh)

Economical Chrisisall

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Friday, June 6, 2008 12:25 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

I have my own selfish reasons for wanting gas to keep going up - I'm sick of having to thread my way through herds of gigantic SUVs meandering around the roadways, oblivious to all around them, while their "drivers" are too busy to pay attention to what they're doing.

I don't really care what they drive, but with gas on the rise, they'll be more likely to drive something smaller, and thus less lethal to ME when they careen into my lane because they $50,000 Hummer apparently didn't come with mirrors or turn signals.

And don't get me wrong; as Americans you have the right to drive whatever you want and can afford. But DON'T go buy the Ultimate Behemoth and then carp about how expensive gas is. If you thought gas prices were never going to go up, then you're a fucking moron, and you should kill yourself before you reproduce.

Just sayin' is all...

Mike

"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence[sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero, Real World Event Discussions

I can't help the sinking feeling that my country is now being run by people who read "1984" not as a cautionary tale, but rather as an instruction manual. - Michael Mock

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Saturday, June 7, 2008 1:46 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK

According to an MSN article I read last night, Venezuela's got the cheapest gas at 12 cents a gallon. I believe the quote was something along the lines of they feel that cheap gas is their right and that there would be riots on the streets if the gas were raised. The price of gas in Venezuela is so cheap because of the enormous subsidies the government has on gas since the 40's. The last time the price of gas was raised was in 1998.

(I read so many articles on money.msn.com that I'm reading old ones too, so that may have not been the newest figure. A lot of things are happening all over the world now so they might be paying like 14 cents a gallon or something)

"A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." http://www.myspace.com/6ixstringjack

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Saturday, June 7, 2008 5:08 AM

CHRISISALL

Death to effin' SUV's and their cell-phone using, McDonald's eatin' moron drivers.

Green light means "GO"isall

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Sunday, June 8, 2008 4:25 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Quote:
Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:

I'm saving today. Every damn penny that my vices will allow.

Good for you! That's the smartest thing you can do.

God damned right Jongs.... I know how to manage my money well, but I'm the furthest thing from a righteous man as you can be this side of a 4x4 room with bars on the window.

I'm not here bragging or giving a holier than thou speech. With possibly a few exceptions here, and knowledge that even the probability of that is rediculusly small, I believe myself to be the biggest sinner on this board.

Believing there is still some good in me is the only way that I can say that I do believe that there really is good in all man. I do bad things, but a majority of the time it's only to myself and I always feel guilt for the slightest burden I've ever put on anyone becuase of my selfishness (vices, etc.). I don't buy into the Lord of the Flies mentality though. Although I do ,however, have to admit my appreciation for the many of life's little perks granted to me for being part of a "civilized" society.

There really is something though, inside of most of us, that urges us to do right by others and makes us feel like shit when we haven't. Folk who REALLY feel no remorse in damaging their fellow man for their own gain or amusement are not people I would normally choose to keep company with, would you?

I'm going to be rich someday... of that I have no doubts. I only hope that when I get there that there are still people I used to care about around me to share it with.

Does anybody have any ideas how I can use my check I'm getting next month in a way where I can spend American and also help someone who will appreciate the help and use it to truly better their position in life? Not an organization or a "cause", but maybe somebody in my life who could use a hand up, or just a cause to believe in, since I dont' belive in anything.

Maybe I should use it on myself to get away for a while? I haven't had a vacation from life (or myself) sans drugs and alcohol for over a decade. I'd love to go to DCon with my brother this year, but I'd probalby spend 95% of it drunk and/or stoned, so what's the point when you've got an imagination like mine and enough viceual stimulation to make it all seem real?

So much free time wasted on nothing more than my own self gratification for so long.

It's got to be spent, but it's got to be spent wisely.

What to do, what to do....?

"A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." http://www.myspace.com/6ixstringjack

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Sunday, June 8, 2008 5:05 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

6ix, my advice would be to buy into an agricultural commodities fund. It's not the ringing endorsement of America that you were looking for, but yanno we live in a capitalist dog-eat-dog system and that means you gotta look out for yourself. If you want us to behave in a non-capitalist way then you're not exactly believing in capitalism, are you?

But if you insist on spending your money, why don't you pay for someone to take a meaningful course at a community college?

---------------------------------
Let's party like it's 1929.

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Sunday, June 8, 2008 5:36 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK

I don't believe that spending on others that you care about, or caring about those you spend money on you can't care about is impossible in a system of Capitalism Signy. And I don't mean mega-million donations companies give away to dodge taxes either, because that's self-serving bullshit that on a micro-level people, like me, try to levrage when we do our miniscule income tax.

I'm talking about giving generousouly to others because we've given ourselves leverage to do so without sacraficing.

What's great about a Capitalistic society, and the point that I belive you're missing, is that we have the ability to surround ourselves with an abundance of material goods to the point that we might want to share it with others just because it feels good and we want to have good people around us in case things ever get dark for us. That's part of Capitalism too... so many people would'nt have been behind it for so long if they hated it. There is a chance of doing real good with the spoils of Capitalism and it happens everyday. The only kink is, most people like reading the bad stuff so those stories are often buried on page 6.

There's not a lot of glory in self sacrifice. It wouldn't be sacrifice if there was, right?

This is what I'm saying Signy. I was poorer than poor, only a few years ago. I lucked into a good job (not paying a ton, but more than I need to live) without a degree, but possessing the smarts to navigate myself further up the ladder with many people in my position possessing credits to their knowledge that I don't possess.

The trick is loving the people you work with. If I hated the people I worked with, I would take a pay cut to work with people I enjoyed being around. Though we've all been screwed where I am now, I really don't want to leave because I like being around them every night I work. I'm in a position now to take 3 or more years off work as a minimalist, but I don't even bother looking for another job online. I have some of the coolest peers at a job I've ever had.

The other trick is knowing that no matter how bad the financial market says things are getting for us, that US as a country have been through this before several times and we always came up having so much fun that we watched Footloose as young teens and watched a President get barbecued for cumming on a Devil with a blue dress on and forgetting that a Kennedy likely murdered Norma Geane. (and like anything else I ever hear in the news... I only give that a 50/50 probability)

I love capitalism Signy. I think either I'm going to spend it on my brother, or advertize a cookout at my apartment complex and buy 600 bucks worth of food and a couple of kegs (pre-Belgium-Owned-Anhauiser-Busch) and see who shows up.

"A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." http://www.myspace.com/6ixstringjack

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Sunday, June 8, 2008 6:12 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
so many people would'nt have been behind it for so long if they hated it.

Feudalism has been around a lot longer and still exists in many parts of the world today so I could say the same for feudalism, in spades.

Quote:
There is a chance of doing real good with the spoils of Capitalism

But in order to gather the "spoils of capitalism" you have to steal it from someone else first. First the rape, pillage and burn, and THEN you get to hand out the goodies.

You see, you really don't mind a certain amount of economic dictatorship, it's just that you envision yourself as a benevolent dictator.

You really should read some economic theory. If you read nothing else read "The Worldly Philosophers" by Heilbroner. He manages to get the gist of many of the great economic theorists without using a whole lot of jargon. I read it when I was 12. If I could handle it then, it should be a breeze for you.

www.amazon.com/Worldly-Philosophers-Lives-Economic-Thinkers/dp/0684862
14X

Maybe your bother could use a good neuropsych evaluation to understand his limitations, and some therapy to help him overcome them. Too bad that'll cost a whole lot more than $600. But if you want to throw a party, I'll bring the booze.

---------------------------------
Let's party like it's 1929.

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