Forum Post: Just imagine not engaging small minded people on this forum. STOP FEEDING THE TROLLS
Posted 12 years ago on Feb. 10, 2012, 10:20 a.m. EST by richardkentgates
(3269)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I have some stuff to get off my chest and I hope everyone is cool with that. I started my support project for the same reason others like the people offering their time to this site and to those on the ground in the Occupy sites that are giving their time. Like those who gave there freedom and some, their live in the civil rights marches. The union protests and the women's lib, the gay marches and protests. The same reason for the sacrifices being made in Syria and Egypt. Human dignity. The ability to provide. Provide for family and provide to the world. This is the common thread that makes our struggle the same. The same through time, geography, race, sex, and religion. The same no matter if you are a democrat or republican, liberal or conservative or even, libertarian. See none of those labels has made any of our lives better. They don't feed us or our souls. They do not provide for our children or teach them in school. They don't build houses, pave streets or make clean drinking water. What do they do? They empower small minded people to imprison your mind from yourself. Sure, they describe something about you but do you need the label to be those things? Would you be less of something simply because you aren't addressing them with every breath?
I don't have the answers to that nor was I making a point. I was exploring the idea. Questions. We all have them but most of us don't ask them, or we ask the wrong questions because we aren't asking often enough to know what question we should be asking. My questions probably aren't the same as your questions. We aren't the same people. Now we could leave it at that and figure out how to live with those differences. Does that sound familiar? Of course it does, that is the liberal line isn't it? See how easily we slip back into the labels. It only excuses our lack of resolve doesn't it? Still another question. Why all the questions? One more. Can you imagine? Can you imagine being part of the civil right movement and still to this day not see your dream realized? Can you imagine watching the KKK on the news telling the public they are going to blow stuff up because the Beatles are doing a concert in Birmingham, and that just being ok? Can you imagine a portion of every dollar you spend going to blow up houses in a country that still relies on horseback and candle light? Can you imagine a portion of every dollar you spend going to pay someone to convince the government and your boss to pay you less money to provide for your family? It doesn't matter what labels you wrap yourself in or how many layers, they won't protect you from small minded people. They won't protect you from those who cannot imagine. Please, just try to imagine.
Yes, let's at least try to "Imagine" a better world:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRhq-yO1KN8&feature=related
I Love John Lennon ;) ... Bob Marley too
Me too. Thx for the read.
Ft Walton Beach. What a beautiful spot. You are lucky Richard.
You wrote above about how people are different. Some people are short some are tall. Some folks are really smart and some can make music come from a violin that will make you cry.
A lot of what I read in this forum is about why we should fight against one group of people or another because they are different or believe something different than we do. But I have never heard anyone say they hate someone because they have a great talent for playing the violin. When then do we hate someone because they have a great talent for making money?
I do not. I also do not see it as systemic abuse by a single class of economic demographic. I see it in the light that small minded people exist on every level. But, The working class has a lot of oversight of what they do. We need similar management oversight of those who have more power over the economy. With great power comes great responsibility. This has nothing to do with wealth or income because some of the decisions that have lead us hear were not made by people in the 1%, but they almost all have a place in the financial markets. So in my eyes, the protesting of wallstreet is applying pressure for people in those industries to either be regulated and managed by the government, or irrevocable change implemented voluntarily by such industries to self regulate. While they have shown an inability to do so in the past, I believe they see now, reason why they should and that not doing so can and will effect them as well. It's a different time and I'm sure it will bread different outlooks and solutions.
In a free society i have to hope for the latter choice, that we let the free markets self-regulate. The history of the free market system is replete with instances where Gov meddling artificially helps some companies and hurts others. The Gov may have good intentions when they do meddle but they almost always fail and the reason that they fail is pretty simple.
The battle is one sided. On one side is a small group of maybe pretty smart people (like the Politburo) that get together and try to manage markets, on the other side are millions of individuals and groups that operate businesses and their personal finances. Who do you think is going to prevail, in almost every case?
This is one of the best reason to remove all subsidies (picking winners), aside form the fact that it's corporate welfare.
Unfortunately it has been so far, they person with the most money, negating the will of the majority through lobby and donations. This happens on both sides of the political isle. You have pointed out the reason for the season my friend.
You have exactly the right solution: "remove all subsidies (picking winners)"
It's rare to see productive middle-ground on this forum. You're a pretty cool dude.
We both like Ft. Walton Beach. That's pretty cool common ground too.
Labels divide. Competition divides. The ruling class -- however that looks at a given time -- understands that to maintain power, one must keep the masses (that would be us) divided, so that we spend all our energy attacking each other, or trying to outdo one other. I believe that one of our main purposes here is to recognize that and start working together for the kind of world John asked us to imagine.
I don't think you get it man. I grew up with some 1%ers while I'm working class. They aren't any different than you or I. They would fix this in an instant if they had the answers that you I may add, do not have either. There are small minded people on every economic level, as your reply is proof of. I can only hope you will begin to imagine as well.
The 1%ers are not the "ruling class" I am referring to, but the top .01% in the world. If that sounds like a conspiracy theorist, so be it. This 99-1 is divisive, too. It's how we think. That's what I would like to see change. You attacked my post because I referred to the ruling class, which you assumed meant the 1%. Do you disagree that we would all be more effective if we worked together instead of calling people small minded?
Not really. I don't think it can be blamed on any economic class. It wasn't the .01% that killed unarmed families in Iraq. I could go on with examples but the point being made here it that small minded people exist on every level. Making people aware that you see them doing something ill natured to another person and that they are being small minded places social pressure on everyone to try harder, to be better people and treat each other better. Actively working to remove the attitudes that lead to division.
Lost credibility after the second time you meant 'their' but wrote 'there.' That was the third line. Kind of rambly too. D+
Fking spell check, should do grammar too.
Yeah, spell check.
Hi richardkentgates, Good post. Agree--stop feeding trolls. Best Regards, Nevada
Thx dude.
When you get at troll, it is validation that you are doing something right. The Troll Association Seal Of Approval.
LMFAO, sweet. In the south, we call it "dogs don't bark at parked cars".