Hate and Nuts in America

[Gagafritz]

Education isn't the key to life. Being a good moral, decent , hard working, kind person is. Education on top of that will make someone flourish. Education alone without any other virtues will not.

 

[Peach]

This is why voting is almost as important as discussing things in open, public forums.
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ALMOST? Shall we choose our favorite "rights"?

 

[Gagafritz]

People don't need to be encouraged to vote. If they have an interest in doing so and actually are paying attention, they will go vote. But, every dummy who can't turn off Bill Maher could just stay home.

 

[AVG-JOE]

Education isn't the key to life. Being a good moral, decent , hard working, kind person is. Education on top of that will make someone flourish. Education alone without any other virtues will not.

You're right, but you're wrong.

On a purely evolutionary scale, education is the absolute key to life, starting when various molecules 'learned' how to replicate themselves.

Education has served life well and made us in to what we are today - a living planet that is poised to become a Sentient World within the next few generations.

Education is not, as you pointed out, the be all and end all of every individual life lived on earth, but it is the engine around which our kids will build the economy that they subsequently drive to the stars.

That being said, the day I don't learn SOMETHING will be a good day to die.

 

[Gagafritz]

I am all for education. But, education alone isn't the only factor. Everyone is "educated" on the dangers or evils of many things. We all know smoking is bad for you and on and on. But, with education there has to be motivation, direction, etc. Having knowledge alone isn't the only piece of the puzzle. One has to apply that as well and there are other factors that influence that.

 

[AVG-JOE]

This is why voting is almost as important as discussing things in open, public forums.
***********************************************
ALMOST? Shall we choose our favorite "rights"?

In my opinion discussion in open forums is actually more important than voting. The Chinese and N. Koreans get to vote, big fucking deal.

If your opinion is different, great! That's what makes discussion like this so valuable.

 

[AVG-JOE]

I am all for education. But, education alone isn't the only factor. Everyone is "educated" on the dangers or evils of many things. We all know smoking is bad for you and on and on. But, with education there has to be motivation, direction, etc. Having knowledge alone isn't the only piece of the puzzle. One has to apply that as well and there are other factors that influence that.

Again, as applied to individual lives lived, you are absolutely correct. I was speaking of 'education' in terms of the concept.

 

[Gagafritz]

OK. I agree. We do need to educate people. And, personally, i think public education is a smashing success. There is a lot of bellyaching about our system but i think it has done the job. And, i really dont' care if China scores better on some things. So what? I don't want to live or raise my kids they way they do.

 

[AVG-JOE]

People don't need to be encouraged to vote. If they have an interest in doing so and actually are paying attention, they will go vote. But, every dummy who can't turn off Bill Maher could just stay home.

Same could be said about the dummies who can't see beyond Rush Limbaugh.

We now have 2 and only 2 choices:

1) Let everyone vote no matter who they listen to.

2) Select individuals to lord over us and judge who is and is not worth listening to.​

Not rocket science...

 

[Gagafritz]

We can govern ourselves. We don't need someone to lord over us. As for voting, owning property used to be considered a qualifying factor. Unfortunately, as Ben Franklin said, once the people realize they can vote themselves other people's money, it is the end of the republic.

 

[AVG-JOE]

OK. I agree. We do need to educate people. And, personally, i think public education is a smashing success. There is a lot of bellyaching about our system but i think it has done the job. And, i really dont' care if China scores better on some things. So what? I don't want to live or raise my kids they way they do.

Local involvement made easy by those holding the purse strings is the key to successful education in western culture. The pendulum has swung out to micromanagement from above over the last 60 years, culminating with No Child Left Behind and I'm crossing my fingers for a congress that hands control back to the states. Local business interests simply must have skin in the education game that is producing their next work force.

 

[AVG-JOE]

We can govern ourselves. We don't need someone to lord over us. As for voting, owning property used to be considered a qualifying factor.
Unfortunately, as Ben Franklin said, once the people realize they can vote themselves other people's money, it is the end of the republic.

That's why tax reform, especially corporate and high-end tax reform, is the first step.

Fair and simple taxes, a budget that's balanced by law, transparency in all things politics (education), and then build an economy your kids can drive to the stars.

Not rocket science, y'all.

 

[Gagafritz]

Absolutely. I think a sense of community is important and something that seems to get lost nowadays.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Yes being prepared and self sufficient is crazy.

Why on earth would you want to be prepared and self sufficient when the government can take care of you?

There is nothing wrong with planning and preparation. The question that has to be asked is, on a scale of 1 to 10, how ridiculous is predicted event that's being planned for?

Planning for some events make you look smart; other events, not so much.

The plan for one is pretty much the plan for them all.

Food water shelter personal protection.

 

[Oddball]

Why are so many Americans batshit crazy? Today more than ever? Recently I saw a coming attraction for a show about Americans preparing for Armageddon, survivalists and other nutcases who think the end is near. Remember the Pastor who preached the end was upon us and then it was behind us. So what can we make of the hate groups and militia groups forming all the time? What can this fear and blind stupidity be attributed to? Is our education system so bad that reasoned thought has become obsolete? Is the influence of the oddball religious so strong that any nonsense attracts followers? Are all these nuts home-schooled by other nuts? Is radical rightwing media the cause? And then consider all the conspiracy crazies? How much of this growth in craziness can be attributed to the changing demographics and the 2008 presidential election?

"The swelling of the Patriot movement since that time has been astounding. From 149 groups in 2008, the number of Patriot organizations skyrocketed to 512 in 2009, shot up again in 2010 to 824, and then, last year, jumped to 1,274. That works out to a staggering 755% growth in the three years ending last Dec. 31. Last year’s total was more than 400 groups higher than the prior all-time high, in 1996.

Meanwhile, the SPLC counted 1,018 hate groups operating in the United States last year, up from 1,002 in 2010. That was the latest in a string of annual increases going all the way back to 2000, when there were 602 hate groups. The long-running rise seemed for most of that time to be a product of hate groups’ very successful exploitation of the issue of non-white immigration. Obama’s election and the crashing economy have played a key role in the last three years." Report documents explosive growth of hate groups in America | San Diego Gay and Lesbian News


Number of Hate Groups Up 5 Percent From Last Year | Southern Poverty Law Center

Mark Potok discusses the causes for the growth of hate groups in America - Countdown with Keith Olbermann // Current TV

Number of Antigay Hate Groups Rises 60 Percent | News | The Advocate

Maybe the Democrats should stop ramming their beliefs down the rest of America's throats? Just an idea.

EVERY political organization is going to ram their beliefs down the throat of America - that's what they DO.

Nonsense.

I know a fair amount of people who are a part of these reputed "hate groups"...Every one that I know is a completely peaceful individual, who wants nothing more than to be left alone...They're outraged and disgusted with things like the FEMA, DHS, TSA, USAPATRIOT Act, the DEA and idiotic "war" on (some) drugs, the Kelo decision, random roadside vehicle searches (which happen with alarming regularity in Utah), etcetera.

These are not people wishing to ram any belief down anyone's throat.

 

[California Girl]

EVERY political organization is going to ram their beliefs down the throat of America - that's what they DO.

Really? Give me an example of the GOP trying to force religions to go against their doctrine? Tell me when they've told Americans they must BUY a product simply because they were born? Give me a quote from Bush calling liberals 'our enemy'. Sorry, Ave... I have a lot of respect for you but this Administration is driving me to support the GOP. And, frankly, I loathe them for that.

Can you honestly say that in your opinion the GOP doesn't have a political agenda that they're pushing?

Really?!?

Anything about taxation coming to mind? Religion? Medical procedures they'd like to impose their own strict standards on? Marriage choices that they'd like to see eliminated nationally?

Like I said... EVERY political organization has an agenda to push. It's the purpose of their existence.

I have no issue with political agendas. I dislike both sides lying about the other purely for point scoring. I used to find Obama tolerable... I didn't agree with him, but I'd certainly have had a beer with the guy. Now.... no. I think he's a disgraceful politician, and a disgusting human being. Anyone who calls me the 'enemy' just because I disagree with how to solve our problems does not deserve my respect and certainly does not deserve the honor of being my President. He can be your President.... but he is not mine. Fuck him. "May his days in office be few, and let another take his place."

 

[gallantwarrior]

Yes being prepared and self sufficient is crazy.

Why on earth would you want to be prepared and self sufficient when the government can take care of you?

There is nothing wrong with planning and preparation. The question that has to be asked is, on a scale of 1 to 10, how ridiculous is predicted event that's being planned for?

Planning for some events make you look smart; other events, not so much.

Personally, it's been a lifestyle choice and has nothing to do with predictions of future events. I know a lot of Alaskans who feel the same way.

 

[daveman]

The long-running rise seemed for most of that time to be a product of hate groups’ very successful exploitation of the issue of non-white immigration.

If they're going to distort the issue so badly, they might as well not even write the article.

But then, useful idiots such as yourself need something to post, I suppose.

 

[freedombecki]

"Remember the Pastor who preached the end was upon us and then it was behind us. So what can we make of the hate groups and militia groups forming all the time? What can this fear and blind stupidity be attributed to? Is our education system so bad that reasoned thought has become obsolete? Is the influence of the oddball religious so strong that any nonsense attracts followers? Are all these nuts home-schooled by other nuts? Is radical rightwing media the cause? And then consider all the conspiracy crazies? How much of this growth in craziness can be attributed to the changing demographics and the 2008 presidential election"

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Midcan, with all due respect, this does not bring reconciliation, it brings everyone of us sorrow:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix-AMYos0Js"]Rev. Wright; God Damn America - Long Version - YouTube[/ame]

The word on the street is in South Africa that such black hate groups as Jeremiah Wright's are going to start a slaughter of all white people who own land in South Africa as their way of "taking back" their land.

That's what Hitler did.

Don't expect anyone to lay back for that kind of government chaos.
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[Douger]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DykgMyTjWU4]Pat Robertson wants to kill Hugo Chavez - YouTube[/ame]