Hope?

Posted by Chortovka 11 years, 7 months ago to Philosophy
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I just arrived in the Gulch and what a great place to recover from the outside world, which has been collapsing around us for some time now. I'm a road warrior, a trainer, and travel all 50 states. Every where, I listen to more and more people express their frustration at the decline of America. Our schools don't educate, parents don't teach responsibility and consequences, Congress is only out for themselves, the welfare/food stamp program continues to expand. Many people believe Hillary, if she runs in 2016, will win the election. How much longer can we continue to survive? Is there any hope?


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  • Posted by LetsShrug 11 years, 7 months ago
    So, I'm going in reverse here and see you HAVE told us about yourself :)
    As for Hillary... we need to stop being quiet about HER and everything else that is causing our collapse. Speak loud, speak freely, and speak often. No matter WHO you might offend in the process of speaking the truth. Freedom is on the line.
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    • Posted by $ winterwind 11 years, 7 months ago
      YES - and why NOT speak out? I'd rather ask for what I want and not get it than not ask and still not get it. I would say that all they can do is kill us, but there is something worse - they can ignore us, and make sure no out outside the reach of one person's voice ever hears us.
      I hate that.
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      • Posted by LetsShrug 11 years, 7 months ago
        What I mean is, speak to your friends, coworkers, neighbors etc, whenever an opportunity arises, grab it! Point out the lack of logic, the shredding of the Constitution, government overreach, school indoctrinations, the dangers of being political correct (it STOPS conversations because were brainwashed to never offend anyone...which is precisely how we have found ourselves in this predicament). Don't hesitate to point to these things whenever possible and call them what they are. If you lose some friends over it...trust me, they were never your friends to begin with.
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        • Posted by $ winterwind 11 years, 7 months ago
          I'm one of the few people I know that does do that. Another part of it is to be honest - when an acquaintance says, idly, "what are you doing this weekend?", TELL THEM: I'm going shooting. It lets them know that wow, here is a person who shoots a gun, and I know her, and she's not scary at all. That's a step.

          HOWEVER. Keep in mind that a person can't be talked out of something they weren't talked in to. If you're dealing with reason, you have a chance. If you're dealing with feelings, it's a long uphill road.
          GRR, nasty memories and hunger don't go well together [or maybe they go too well together!]. More later.
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  • Posted by fivedollargold 11 years, 7 months ago
    The Demoscats tried to stifle dissent in the press through their "fairness" doctrine. Of course, they only needed it to put a handful of conservative radio shows out of business. For the most part, the press falls in line with the latest fashion in liberal philosophy. Hence, the look of shock from Ovomit when challenged recently from an ABC News correspondent.
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  • Posted by $ winterwind 11 years, 7 months ago
    This is a theory that crept into my brain this morning - not fully formed or supported, but I thought I'd let it come out and play a little and see what you think. I usually don't let ideas this young out in public, so let's see.

    What I fear is that the American people, for the most part, have been "trained", crisis after crisis, to believe that they are powerless.

    The necessary personal history: we got ourselves caught up in the giant Bank of America mortgage circus. Like many Americans, we were ruined financially as well as emotionally. Today we got a settlement check for $1000. It says right on it that there is no appeal, and this is one of the larger awards. It's awful, Bank of America acted illegally as well as unfairly, there was a "settlement" with the government for 90+ billion while I lost half a million, and THEY TELL ME THAT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING. Not true, of course, but that's a different, face-to-face conversation.

    And there's always another "situation": Idiots elected? natural disasters after which the government says don't do anything, you don't need to, we'll help you....and there you are, sitting in Louisiana or Buffalo. doubts about the validity of the elections? institutions in bed with their competition, the revolving-door that leads to a space at the public trough.......everywhere you look, you see another event that should not be allowed to happen - that did not have to happen - and are told - sometimes explicitly - shut up. sit down. don't worry about it, we're doing the best we can. and on, and on, and on, and on, and how 'bout you just sit there and color.

    ....cui bono? .

    What Eisenhower called the military-industrial complex benefits twice, because ridiculously bad things happen to people, and the first thing that's said is "we can't do anything.ourselves, but the government can", and then they get a government agency to assist them, and lots of money starts flying around and morons who couldn't possibly keep a real job get put in charge of new agencies, and nothing really changes, AND THERE, ORDINARY PEOPLE STOP. They don't know what else to do. They take what they are given and are told to be grateful. So the people at the top - "public" AND "private" get paid in cash and power over peoples' lives.

    The people caught up in the boiling molasses of awful don't make the connection that it's awful BECAUSE the government is involved, they figure that if the American government can't make it different, nothing can make it different. It's not that they don't care. It's that they've been carefully trained to KNOW that caring is futile and pointless.

    Training complete.
    Can I borrow your blue crayon?
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    • Posted by JossAmbrose 11 years, 7 months ago
      Sounds like Europe too.

      Someone passed this on to me a few days ago...

      "The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it possible for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are not informed? If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer. This is because lies, by their very nature, have to be changed, and a lying government has constantly to rewrite its own history. On the receiving end you get not only one lie—a lie which you could go on for the rest of your days—but you get a great number of lies, depending on how the political wind blows. And a people that no longer can believe anything cannot make up its mind. It is deprived not only of its capacity to act but also of its capacity to think and to judge. And with such a people you can then do what you please." - Hannah Arendt, 1974.
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    • Posted by 11 years, 7 months ago
      You're absolutely correct. The vast majority of American people have been trained to believe they're powerless. It's all part of the dumbing down of America and the push to make all of us think alike, act alike, and believe alike. Nobody can win, nobody can lose. Nobody can succeed, nobody can fail. In order to make that platform work, it's necessary for the masses to believe they're powerless.
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      • Posted by $ winterwind 11 years, 7 months ago
        and so what do we do? I was talking to the bookkeeper at my dentist's office, and she was complaining, and talking about how hard it was, and I said "we have to change it." And I swear, with thanks to Jean Andrews, she looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. and then - nothing. I wanted to knock on her forehead and ask if she was still at home. How do you get the majority of people to think? There's not TIME to start with all the 4-year-olds.
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  • Posted by MjrMalfunction0 11 years, 7 months ago
    Hillary Clinton will win the election if we prop up another flawed cadidate like Mitt Romeny.
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    • Posted by UncommonSense 11 years, 7 months ago
      Both Hellary and Ovomit are Alinsky-ites. You can expect more chaos & "change" under Hellary. Personally, I believe Hellary will be the next Pres. Why? The GOP is already prepping the voters to warming up to accepting Jeb Bush. Since people are sick of Bush, I believe that means Hellary is in. I won't support another Bush. Oh, for any Bush supporters out there, here's something for you to consider: Jeb Bush supports Common Core, despite the GOP being against it. If you feel sick, welcome to the club.
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  • Posted by $ rockymountainpirate 11 years, 7 months ago
    Welcome to the Gulch.

    Hilary is running, not doubt about it.

    Is there any hope? Where there's life there's hope.... I hope.
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    • Posted by 11 years, 7 months ago

      I hope you're right. I see a lot of frustrated, angry, disillusioned, and scared people out there. Unfortunately, nothing will change unless "We the People" fight for change. We've had too much apathy for too long.
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      • Posted by khalling 11 years, 7 months ago
        the easiest way is for all of us to infiltrate the delegates. I will be the first to admit-not me! I am happy to influence, provide stats, write things-but slog through candidate process? NO! I hope some of you are willing to do it. I'll feed you information :)
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  • Posted by wgingram1 11 years, 7 months ago
    No hope at all if people are not willing to take risks.

    Something I learned in Viet Nam was when in battle you protect those around you and they do the same.

    People who only try to protect themselves and remain safe will ALWAYS lose.
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