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P fan #1
Joined: Jun '09
Posts: 1,659Posted 16 years ago #thats the thing that scares me tho sactown? there must be loads of people who originally set out to change politics, but at somepoint, they must loose their way and become brainwashed or whatever? ya know, get caught up in serving themselves instead of others. who knows? ive always said if i ever win the lottery i wouldnt change, but how do i know? i could become an arrogant d!ckhead. (i hope not) until ur at the top looking down i dnt know if i wud jump headfirst or walk back down? -
P fan #1
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,874Posted 16 years ago #so yeah, what would you do?
Here's my agenda:
1. Take fox news off the air for breaching broadcaster regulations in news integrity, or make them put a disclaimer on their programme that says 95% of it is fiction.
2. Pull troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, leave Syria, Iran and Yemen the hell alone.
3. Lower the defence budget to the reasonable amount that other countries spend on weapons
3. Use the billions and billions and billions of dollars gained from this to instigate universal public health and free education programmes.
4. Remove the government from the hands of big business by making politics completely transparent.
5. Put a cap on lobbying.
6. Educate people that the environment is our future, and not something to be sacrificed for material gain.
7. Shut down Blackwater, and any other private armies operating.
8. Put a cap on campaign spending, so it's not just the richest guy that wins, or the guy thats in the pocket of the banks.
9. Regulate the markets, make these transparent too, place a tax on every financial transaction in the banking trade, and use the gain from this tax to alleviate poverty.
10. Live in peace, raise the quality of life of the people and the planet, livev in harmony with our environment and enter a new epoch of human co-existence.
That's what i'd do. -
P fan #1
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,874Posted 16 years ago #Also, if i had a super power it would definitely be controlling gravity. I could kick magneto's ass...
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P fan #1
Joined: Oct '08
Posts: 3,255Posted 16 years ago #you smoke dodo? said:
Sounds good to me, homie.so yeah, what would you do?
Here's my agenda:
1. Take fox news off the air for breaching broadcaster regulations in news integrity, or make them put a disclaimer on their programme that says 95% of it is fiction.
2. Pull troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, leave Syria, Iran and Yemen the hell alone.
3. Lower the defence budget to the reasonable amount that other countries spend on weapons
3. Use the billions and billions and billions of dollars gained from this to instigate universal public health and free education programmes.
4. Remove the government from the hands of big business by making politics completely transparent.
5. Put a cap on lobbying.
6. Educate people that the environment is our future, and not something to be sacrificed for material gain.
7. Shut down Blackwater, and any other private armies operating.
8. Put a cap on campaign spending, so it's not just the richest guy that wins, or the guy thats in the pocket of the banks.
9. Regulate the markets, make these transparent too, place a tax on every financial transaction in the banking trade, and use the gain from this tax to alleviate poverty.
10. Live in peace, raise the quality of life of the people and the planet, livev in harmony with our environment and enter a new epoch of human co-existence.
That's what i'd do. -
P fan #1
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 537Posted 16 years ago #you smoke dodo? said:
so yeah, what would you do?
Here's my agenda:
1. Take fox news off the air for breaching broadcaster regulations in news integrity, or make them put a disclaimer on their programme that says 95% of it is fiction.
2. Pull troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, leave Syria, Iran and Yemen the hell alone.
3. Lower the defence budget to the reasonable amount that other countries spend on weapons
3. Use the billions and billions and billions of dollars gained from this to instigate universal public health and free education programmes.
4. Remove the government from the hands of big business by making politics completely transparent.
5. Put a cap on lobbying.
6. Educate people that the environment is our future, and not something to be sacrificed for material gain.
7. Shut down Blackwater, and any other private armies operating.
8. Put a cap on campaign spending, so it's not just the richest guy that wins, or the guy thats in the pocket of the banks.
9. Regulate the markets, make these transparent too, place a tax on every financial transaction in the banking trade, and use the gain from this tax to alleviate poverty.
10. Live in peace, raise the quality of life of the people and the planet, livev in harmony with our environment and enter a new epoch of human co-existence.
That's what i'd do.
Love what you are saying, I agree with you ideologically, but a lot of this isn't practical/can never be done. Just because me or you hate fox news, or see them as liars, or delivering news with too much opinion, we cant take them off the air. They aren't breaching regulations because they have this weird schedule. They claim: News from 11-3, opinion 3-8, news from 9-10, Opinion from 10-12. Dont quote me on the numbers, but they are something like that. This was brought up a bunch of times against Fox, and they have really high paid lawyers to make sure that they squeeze their way out of any loophole they can find to keep themselves on the air. They are back by BIG BIG BIIIIIG money, and have a huge viewer base. Fox news is the most evil thing to happen to television, but what can you do about it? The average person can't do much, except not watch it
I wouldnt say I am a pessimist, but I tend to see things the way they are. Wherever money is, thats where it will stay. It is really hard to change things in America because people with money want to keep making money!! And if you change the status quo, they might lose money, and that is not going to happen. They will do ANYTHING in their power to keep the status quo, including lobbying congress, using the media, newspapers, internet, etc.. to make sure things stay the same.
I really want to see the world change for the better, but I don't know if sitting here at my desk is going to do anything. Or even if I make a poster that says "peace" and march around with 1000 people on campus with it. I don't know if those things will make a true difference. I live my life based on principles, and to the best of my ability, am kind to other people, and try to help others when I can. I think ultimately, that is the best we can do for eachother.
/rant
Sorry to get all emotional on everyone, this probably wasnt the right thread to rant, but hey, at least its off my chest -
P fan #1
Joined: Oct '08
Posts: 3,255Posted 16 years ago #Xellerated said: I live my life based on principles, and to the best of my ability, am kind to other people, and try to help others when I can. I think ultimately, that is the best we can do for eachother.
Personally, I think that the best thing to do IS to live right. I mean, if some countries decide to nuke each other, then building myself up internally won't help, BUT in the meantime, trying to become an example to others and have/evoke respect is all I can do. I'd like to think that I've helped some people to live better lives (but maybe that's ego talking), and I think other people have helped me to live my life better. It's not a crazy-quick thing that'll spread like wildfire, but it strengthens your community.
I always have those dreams that I'll start a humanist/rationalist website with a good list of principles (or maybe a book/novel) that isn't based on b.s., and then people will "flock to my banner"... but dude... I'm too lazy for all that, haha. Besides, my principles are probably all wrong anyway...
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P fan #1
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 537Posted 16 years ago #YoYoPo said: been absolutely loving Doug Stanhope on Newswipe the last few weeks. This guy is gold
this week's gem -
"What that tells you is that 97% of Americans will give you a strong opinion even if they dont know sh!t about the subject in the first place."
TRUER WORDS WERE NEVER SPOKEN.
And Sactown, if/when you decide to start such a thing, count me in. (or maybe I will, then let you know :-P) I can distribute pamphlets -
P fan #1
Joined: Oct '08
Posts: 3,255Posted 16 years ago #YoYoPo said: been absolutely loving Doug Stanhope on Newswipe the last few weeks. This guy is gold
this week's gem -
Like the stuff he said about people fiending on fear that the media stirs up about everything from child molestation to mudslides. How the reason that they freak out about everything (and the reason the media does so well off of those stories) is just because their lives are boring and have settled into something less than their dreams and passions, so they use the fear to make it seem like something interesting is going to happen/is happening. There's def some truth in that. Very interesting. -
P fan #1
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,874Posted 16 years ago #Yeah newswipe is awesome. If it was completely serious in tone i don't think it would be as successful as it is, it's cos it's effin hilarious that so many people get into it. Like my flat mates, they wouldn't watch a program about media bias or consumerism, but they love newswipe. Bit gutted the series is over. Stanhope is hilarious... We're type type typing away about him just like he said we would...
My favourite bit from the series is probably where brooker made up a video report... that was actual genius.
I'm just "acquiring" a whole bunch of Adam Curtis documentaries, "the power of nightmares" "the century of self". If you guys like newswipe you should seek these out, they are very good. -
P fan #1
Joined: Jul '07
Posts: 1,415Posted 16 years ago #Yeah I love Newswipe.
Brooker's report on how reports are made was wicked with the graphics and the showing of the faceless fat people etc lol.
Yeah true if it wasnt funny I dont think people would watch it or be interested.
I dont think a lot of people will really get it tho.
The American (although pessimistic as said before) is very funny and he has a lot of truth in what he says.
I've been looking for ages for a quote by Charlie Chaplin about humour and serious issues but I cannot find it again, to highlight the point but I did find this one...
What I want to do is to make people laugh so that they'll see things seriously. (William K. Zinsser)
And while I'm quoting I liked these two...
You laugh at me because I am different, but I laugh at you because you are all the same. (unknown)
Humourists lead... an existence of jumpiness and apprehension. They sit on the edge of the chair of Literature. In the house of Life they have the feeling that they have never taken off their overcoats. (James Thurber) -
P fan #1
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,874Posted 16 years ago #Nationalism does nothing but teach you how to hate people you've never met-- all of a sudden you take pride in accomplishments you had no part in whatsoever... if you're American you'll go "F*ck the French! F*ck the French, if we hadn't have saved their ass in two World Wars, they'd be speakin' German right now!" And you go, "Oh, was that us?" Was that me and you, Tommy, we saved the French? Jesus! I know I blacked out a little after that fourth shot of Jägermeister last night, but I don't remember... I know we were going through the Wendy's drive-thru to get one of them "Freschetta" sandwiches that looked so alluring on the commercial, but then we ordered it and realized we had no money, and we had to ditch out before the second window, and those douchebags in line behind us with the bass music probably got our order and we laughed about that. But I don't remember savin' the French. At all! I went through the last ten calls on my cell phone and there's nothin'--incoming or outgoing--to the French, lookin' for muscle on a project! I checked my pants, there's no mud stains on the knees from when we were garroting Krauts in the trenches at Verdun. I think "we" didn't do anything but watch sports bloopers while we got hammered. I think "we" should shut the f*ck up!
Ah stanhope, you crack me up...
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