"Hey Dude, where's my Progress?!?!"

[Captain_America]

Supposition: some religious people see that the world is becoming increasingly secular and would be greatly upset if that coincided with things getting better overall. Thus, the need to look at a world which is doing an okay job and hone in on the bad. Clearly this isn’t everybody, but IMO the “the world is going downhill” crowd is disproportionately religious.

Some apt remarks. I agree that there is going to always be a bunch of negative people and people who complain that times are getting worse.

But what if they really ARE according to measures you care about?

Is it nice to tar such people as out of date, or cranks or old fogies? I’m neither. It’s objectively possible that times are getting BETTER. . . AND ALSO objectively possible that they are getting worse.

In other words, don’t always trust what the little men and women in the TV box tell us. We might be getting snowed.

I think the current smorgasbord of ideas being offered by liberals is lousy hash. I’m up for better stuff; stuff that makes for better human lives and living.

 

[Captain_America]

I do not smoke marijuana nor would I ever recommend smoking marijuana - but it is, on the wider view, an extremely minor issue. If I had to choose between being allowed to smoke marijuana and having a life expectancy of 40, I would choose being allowed to smoke marijuana.

It seems to me your complaint is that we now live in an era of never before dreamed of wealth, productivity, knowledge, and possibility, but that because it has come with people doing things you don’t personally like but which don’t really affect you, you’re living in some sort of doomsday hellscape. The world is much better than it has ever been, I contend, and therefore there has been progress made. Not by chanting mobs, I would contend, but by the general procession of invention and production.

Interesting to pose the old Milt Friedman mantra of “it’s getting better all the time,” with the news snippet I ran across: there is now a “hugging” service offered to lonely people. There is a great deal of psychological disconnection and similar problems among contemporary people; noted in record numbers.

I disagree that there is a separation between my life and the life of the community in which I live, which you seem to be suggesting. That boxing-up of life is itself a problem in thinking which leads to libertarian extremism.

 

[Captain_America]

I also see this pushing out of all these extraneous “issues” and “problem solutions” from liberals as being their last gasp. The contradictions in liberalism are enormous. It’s all kind of like someone with a case of severe extroversion, a desperate gasp for relevance or an effort to have the public believe that liberals have workable answers, or just a distraction in the end.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

I want us all to make the world a better place, and having women in combat is a misstep there, as well as pot legalization, abortion.

You’ll find that there are many people that would vote “yes” for legalization of marijuana not because they are interested in using it, but because they are interested in decriminalizing it (it’s a nuanced difference that may be hard to grasp at first).

 

[Tigg]

You’ll find that there are many people that would vote “yes” for legalization of marijuana not because they are interested in using it, but because they are interested in decriminalizing it (it’s a nuanced difference that may be hard to grasp at first).

You’ll find that there are many people that would vote “yes” for legalization of marijuana not because they are interested in using it, but because they are fully aware of the potential profit. We know … we live in a state where currently we are fighting the pot barons to stabilize our community and schools. (it’s a nuanced difference that may be hard to grasp at first).

 

[migueltojose]

rationaloptimist.com/blog/reader’s-digest.aspx

You can be a negatron or a positron…

Be a positron…

The world has never been better… we just have more immediate and unfiltered information available now.

We can choose to look at all the bad stuff (like an accident on the highway) or we can grow up and try to be a little more thoughtful and mature and resist the temptation to over react because certain isolated events multiplied enough times gives the appearance of a trend that supports someone’s agenda.

Wishing for the idyllic times of the 50’s and 60’s is hogwash. The world was much worse then, we just didn’t know it. The world was much larger then. Out of sight, out of mind. Sure it was idyllic down by the stream under the tree. But not so for the other 99%.

The quality of life for the world is getting better but unfortunately as it does ours appears to be getting better slower or not at all. It’s an illusion. Like social vertigo.

 

[GEddie]

You’ll find that there are many people that would vote “yes” for legalization of marijuana not because they are interested in using it, but because they are interested in decriminalizing it (it’s a nuanced difference that may be hard to grasp at first).

Roughly, this would be that they don’t particularly long to smoke it, but don’t want to see others go to jail over it?

I don’t like the idea of folks going to jail, if they have hurt nobody.

But I will still vote for pot legalization (if it becomes an elective item) only AFTER the sun turns to chicken soup.

The law is a teacher, according to Saint Paul. And legalizing something that is worthless and destructive only teaches that it is okay.

I don’t care to see today’s youth-rebel tokers become tomorrow’s lifelong users.

ICXC NIKA.

 

[Captain_America]

rationaloptimist.com/blog/reader’s-digest.aspx

You can be a negatron or a positron…

Be a positron…

The world has never been better… we just have more immediate and unfiltered information available now.

We can choose to look at all the bad stuff (like an accident on the highway) or we can grow up and try to be a little more thoughtful and mature and resist the temptation to over react because certain isolated events multiplied enough times gives the appearance of a trend that supports someone’s agenda.

Wishing for the idyllic times of the 50’s and 60’s is hogwash. The world was much worse then, we just didn’t know it. The world was much larger then. Out of sight, out of mind. Sure it was idyllic down by the stream under the tree. But not so for the other 99%.

The quality of life for the world is getting better but unfortunately as it does ours appears to be getting better slower or not at all. It’s an illusion. Like social vertigo.

Read my above post. In it you will find that I neither believe in a Golden Past (conservative) nor a Beautiful Future (liberal).

It can be tough understanding this.

 

[SuperLuigi]

Here’s some real progress for ya!

—more abortion

—more pot-smoking

—women being put into front-line combat

–sex fiends in politics getting an “it’s OK” media blessing

–corporations ducking responsibilities to employees

–economy-sinking healthcare legislation

–race and gender counting for more than ability

–vehement anti-religious propaganda

Wait…you mean feeling good and impressing anti-Catholic people in our lives isn’t worth all of that?

 

[migueltojose]

Roughly, this would be that they don’t particularly long to smoke it, but don’t want to see others go to jail over it?

I don’t like the idea of folks going to jail, if they have hurt nobody.

But I will still vote for pot legalization (if it becomes an elective item) only AFTER the sun turns to chicken soup.

The law is a teacher, according to Saint Paul. And legalizing something that is worthless and destructive only teaches that it is okay.

I don’t care to see today’s youth-rebel tokers become tomorrow’s lifelong users.

ICXC NIKA.

I would suggest that we need fewer laws and better behavior.

Those who can’t handle freedom will lose it.

Those who can will thrive.

I believe Jesus was all about freedom of choice.

“Go forth and sin no more.” John 8:11

This was a suggestion, not a command.

We have been provided the opportunity for freedom, no doubt with God’s help.

Freedom is not free. It requires responsibility.

It is our responsibility to deal with it. We can not force people to be responsible.

They/We need to be educated, evangelized and enlightened.

We need to choose to be righteous.

All for one, one for all.

 

[Captain_America]

The above is utopian. Legalize marijuana and taxpayers will be spending millions more in law enforcement.

I’m experienced enough to know that people don’t always act rationally nor always wish to act like adults. In fact, many people do not: consider for a good example the percentage of the population who have saved zilch for retirement—30%.

But sure, I smile and have to agree that libertarian stuff sounds SO sweet and tempting.

In theory.

The notion of progress itself is silly. People are people; their gear changes but not their heads and hearts. Society is built to encourage good human living—or at least we sense a moral imperative it should do so, rather than be built simply to profit a Pharoah (or the 1%?)—and many “progressive” (what a wicked use of the term itself) stuff is simply anti-human.

 

[GEddie]

The above is utopian. Legalize marijuana and taxpayers will be spending millions more in law enforcement.

I’m experienced enough to know that people don’t always act rationally nor always wish to act like adults. In fact, many people do not: consider for a good example the percentage of the population who have saved zilch for retirement—30%.

But sure, I smile and have to agree that libertarian stuff sounds SO sweet and tempting.

In theory.

The notion of progress itself is silly. People are people; their gear changes but not their heads and hearts. Society is built to encourage good human living—or at least we sense a moral imperative it should do so, rather than be built simply to profit a Pharoah (or the 1%?)—and many “progressive” (what a wicked use of the term itself) stuff is simply anti-human.

Our heads should have improved, given that so many more have time to use and fill them, rather than digging in the earth to stay fed, as in earlier eras.

But Generally, we do not know how to educate properly.

ICXC NIKA

 

[tomarin]

“Clearly you don’t know our women. I might as well have marched them up here, judging by what I’ve seen.” - King Leonidas, 300

P.S.

If my family were the army, my mother would be the general and my father’s the politician.

You call this opportunities?

http://repeatingislands.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/race-protest-002.jpg

Culture-wise, I’d sooner go back to the bloody height of the crusades or the scattered kingdoms of my country’s own pre-Chrisian era than live in banal, cheesy Pleasantville thank you.

If you do go back in time, my advice is to go to a period that has antibiotics.

 

[StSentry83]

The above is utopian. Legalize marijuana and taxpayers will be spending millions more in law enforcement.

More? How so?

 

[AnimalSpirits]

More? How so?

The demon weed will make the youths commit quit school, commit murder, and convert to Marxism! My 1930’s science tells me so!

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I’m experienced enough to know that people don’t always act rationally nor always wish to act like adults. In fact, many people do not: consider for a good example the percentage of the population who have saved zilch for retirement—30%.

Depends on how you define ‘saving for the retirement.’ You could live an average schmuck’s life saving up every penny, every commission, and every big buck you make while you’re a young professional with little to zero spending on anything else. By the time you’ve retired, you think it’s time to spend that cash but all the things you wanted to spend on are likely passe, have ceased production, out-of-print, or your own children (assuming you even considered them as an ‘expense/luxury’ worth having) want the inheritance plan all set a bit earlier.

So, what did you end up saving for? Medicine for when you finally start suffering arthritis? Cancer? Diabetes? Are you gonna end up indulging in the pleasures that characterize old men like Hugh Hefner?

If that’s life after retirement, can you really call that living? I don’t want to sound like the Y.O.L.O. crowd you seem to be implicating but I for one don’t think I should save at the expense of living in the present (where I actually am young). Plan and prepare for the future? Yes but I don’t see how you can’t make it so that you have a fulfilling life from twenty to eighty.

P.S.

If you do go back in time, my advice is to go to a period that has antibiotics.

Here’s hoping that shamanic, herbal treatments count.

 

[GEddie]

Depends on how you define ‘saving for the retirement.’ You could live an average schmuck’s life saving up every penny, every commission, and every big buck you make while you’re a young professional with little to zero spending on anything else. By the time you’ve retired, you think it’s time to spend that cash but all the things you wanted to spend on are likely passe, have ceased production, out-of-print, or your own children (assuming you even considered them as an ‘expense/luxury’ worth having) want the inheritance plan all set a bit earlier.

So, what did you end up saving for? Medicine for when you finally start suffering arthritis? Cancer? Diabetes? Are you gonna end up indulging in the pleasures that characterize old men like Hugh Hefner?

If that’s life after retirement, can you really call that living? I don’t want to sound like the Y.O.L.O. crowd you seem to be implicating but I for one don’t think I should save at the expense of living in the present (where I actually am young). Plan and prepare for the future? Yes but I don’t see how you can’t make it so that you have a fulfilling life from twenty to eighty.

P.S.

Here’s hoping that shamanic, herbal treatments count.

I wouldn’t trust anything shamanic.

Then again, I agree with everything you said before that. We don’t get a second chance to live life if we put all our means into preparing for a future we ended up not seeing. Remember the parable of the silos?

ICXC NIKA

 

[JackVk]

I don’t worry myself with moral panics anymore. People were no less sinful 50, 500, or 5000 years ago than they are today. And there won’t be a golden future either; the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Honestly, anyone who gets worried about women in combat doesn’t have both oars in the water. Chivalry only has one clause about respecting women; the rest is about killing people. And knights were not noble protectors; they were a pack of greedy, drunken lechers (just ask St. Joan of Arc or George R.R. Martin).

I have become almost completely desensitized to outrages. I don’t like it when scandals and sins happen, but I don’t get my nuts in a knot over them either. There is nothing new under the sun.

And don’t get me started on “traditional family values”. Talk about a hollow, meaningless shibboleth!

 

[mikekle]

The demon weed will make the youths commit quit school, commit murder, and convert to Marxism! My 1930’s science tells me so!

They are saying the same exact things about people who use heroin and other opiates now…strange that they didnt seem to learn their lesson about this with pot!! LOL

Hopefully most people are smart enough to see what all these anti-drug propaganda tactics are, and to NOT believe a word they say.

 

[Tigg]

Captain America;12705865:

Legalize marijuana and taxpayers will be spending millions more in law enforcement.

More? How so?

Do a google search or you could just use common sense. Kids stealing pot from their parents to sell at school, traffic violations involving those under the influence, burglaries and petty theft (now even cases of assault during purse snatching) is up which is the only means some have of financing their legalized entertainment. That stuff ain’t cheap! In another unincorporated county the sheriff made a public statement that the profits coming from legalized pot are helping finance the harder drugs like meth and heroin. Oh, we’ve only just begun and believe me, that’s no longer just the title of a song!

Dream on, America…nothing of import to notice here.