What's funny is that I think I "know" that guy on the upper left. He goes by Socrates and keeps an autieblog called The New Republic. He's a virtual drinking buddy of mine. Hey, it's not drinking alone when you're online with someone else who's drinking alone, is it?
The Libertarians will one day be spoken of as a mythical Lost Civilization, legendary for their ability to look at all the folly of fallen Mankind, and yet carry on with a palm to the face.
I just can't see how Libertarians stand it--all the stupidy stupids who don't know the things the Libertarians do, ceaselessly screwing everything up, when solutions are there for the asking, if one has a Libertarian handy.
At this point you've no doubt figured out that I thought the Demotivator was smug and self satisfied.
I know a bunch of people who seriously believe that we are on a collision course with Destiny. Unfortunately, they're only a plurality of the people I know.
I don't think that the people who don't know these things are "sheeple" or "useful idiots" (and I've been mulling a post on that topic, actually; I had planned to post it this morning) but I think that a large percentage of people are invested in one sector or another of the status quo.
Being too tightly focused on women's reproductive rights or racial injustice or the defense against Muslim terrorists or the protection of America's economy against immigrants, or whatever, can blind a smart and well-meaning person to broad and overarching trends...
""broad and overarching trends..." Oh, do you mean all those guys in positions of authority who get a charge out of minding other peoples' business and telling them what to do?
"The problem is from the bottom up, not the top down."
Yes, exactly. We have a majority of the population loosely following the philosophy of Rousseau without understanding it, while the country was founded (and to a large extent occupied by) a population loosely following the philosophy of John Locke, and that had some grasp of that philosophy.
It's the thing Billy Beck has been harping on constantly - no underlying philosophy other than "What's mine is mine, and what's yours is also mine." No society operating on such a basis can stand for long.
I wonder too if even those people who look around and think 'this can't keep going forever"think that someone else (another region or state perhaps?) can bail them out when the fertilizer hits the impeller? They've seen how people pulled together after the Alabama tornadoes, or hurricanes, and think that something like that will appear. Except this time the rest of the country will be in a similar boat.
Yeah... pretty much.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean when I read your post title as "The cruelest thing on the internet"?
ReplyDeleteTruth hurts, I suppose.
Uh oh... Tamalanche Time!
ReplyDeleteDamn, the truth can hurt sometimes...
ReplyDeleteReminded of "Cool Hand Luke" and Strother Martin's famous line: "What we have here is a Failure to Communicate."
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's pretty much it...whilst sitting in front of my laptop facepalming natch!
ReplyDeletePretty much.
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny is that I think I "know" that guy on the upper left. He goes by Socrates and keeps an autieblog called The New Republic. He's a virtual drinking buddy of mine. Hey, it's not drinking alone when you're online with someone else who's drinking alone, is it?
ReplyDeleteToo damn accurate. There was a similar one for the Infantry a few weeks ago - also dead on.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.blackfive.net/.a/6a00d8341bfadb53ef0168e767b8a3970c-pi
Darn. No can view...:-(
ReplyDeleteThe Libertarians will one day be spoken of as a mythical Lost Civilization, legendary for their ability to look at all the folly of fallen Mankind, and yet carry on with a palm to the face.
ReplyDeleteI just can't see how Libertarians stand it--all the stupidy stupids who don't know the things the Libertarians do, ceaselessly screwing everything up, when solutions are there for the asking, if one has a Libertarian handy.
At this point you've no doubt figured out that I thought the Demotivator was smug and self satisfied.
Mike James
"At this point you've no doubt figured out that I thought the Demotivator was smug and self satisfied."
ReplyDeleteMY OPINION IS IMPORTANT ON THE INTERNETZ.
At this point, you've probably figured out that no one cares.
Mike James,
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly it, though.
I know a bunch of people who seriously believe that we are on a collision course with Destiny. Unfortunately, they're only a plurality of the people I know.
I don't think that the people who don't know these things are "sheeple" or "useful idiots" (and I've been mulling a post on that topic, actually; I had planned to post it this morning) but I think that a large percentage of people are invested in one sector or another of the status quo.
Being too tightly focused on women's reproductive rights or racial injustice or the defense against Muslim terrorists or the protection of America's economy against immigrants, or whatever, can blind a smart and well-meaning person to broad and overarching trends...
""broad and overarching trends..." Oh, do you mean all those guys in positions of authority who get a charge out of minding other peoples' business and telling them what to do?
ReplyDeleteJtg,
ReplyDeleteNo.
I mean all those guys who want to fix the problems their constituents beg them to fix. The problem is from the bottom up, not the top down.
Yup. Pretty well sums it up.
ReplyDelete"The problem is from the bottom up, not the top down."
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly. We have a majority of the population loosely following the philosophy of Rousseau without understanding it, while the country was founded (and to a large extent occupied by) a population loosely following the philosophy of John Locke, and that had some grasp of that philosophy.
It's the thing Billy Beck has been harping on constantly - no underlying philosophy other than "What's mine is mine, and what's yours is also mine." No society operating on such a basis can stand for long.
Welcome to the Occupation...
ReplyDeleteTam,
ReplyDeleteI think this post by Chris fits into the comment trend started by Mike J.
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2012/02/impossible-ideology-and-false-dichotomy.html#disqus_thread
Tam,
ReplyDeleteI wonder too if even those people who look around and think 'this can't keep going forever"think that someone else (another region or state perhaps?) can bail them out when the fertilizer hits the impeller? They've seen how people pulled together after the Alabama tornadoes, or hurricanes, and think that something like that will appear. Except this time the rest of the country will be in a similar boat.
LittleRed1