Comments on: Suppose you were an idiot… http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot New Mexico news and politics Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:15:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: maywander http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot#comment-21037 maywander Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:57:40 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=42087#comment-21037 Corporations do not vote. Corporations do not serve in the armed forces. Corporations are not citizens. Why do corporations run our government? Because the men who run corporations want to make as much money for themselves as quickly and easily as possible. Government contracts (and anti-regulatory policies) enrich our corporate aristocracy, which in turn contributes mightily to the pro-big-business party, e.g., Halliburton and the mercenary corporation formerly known as Blackwater. If corporations aren't citizens, they should be prohibited from any involvement in government. Corporations do not vote. Corporations do not serve in the armed forces. Corporations are not citizens. Why do corporations run our government? Because the men who run corporations want to make as much money for themselves as quickly and easily as possible. Government contracts (and anti-regulatory policies) enrich our corporate aristocracy, which in turn contributes mightily to the pro-big-business party, e.g., Halliburton and the mercenary corporation formerly known as Blackwater. If corporations aren't citizens, they should be prohibited from any involvement in government.

]]> By: maywander http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot#comment-18292 maywander Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:57:40 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=42087#comment-18292 Corporations do not vote. Corporations do not serve in the armed forces. Corporations are not citizens. Why do corporations run our government? Because the men who run corporations want to make as much money for themselves as quickly and easily as possible. Government contracts (and anti-regulatory policies) enrich our corporate aristocracy, which in turn contributes mightily to the pro-big-business party, e.g., Halliburton and the mercenary corporation formerly known as Blackwater. If corporations aren't citizens, they should be prohibited from any involvement in government. Corporations do not vote. Corporations do not serve in the armed forces. Corporations are not citizens. Why do corporations run our government? Because the men who run corporations want to make as much money for themselves as quickly and easily as possible. Government contracts (and anti-regulatory policies) enrich our corporate aristocracy, which in turn contributes mightily to the pro-big-business party, e.g., Halliburton and the mercenary corporation formerly known as Blackwater. If corporations aren't citizens, they should be prohibited from any involvement in government.

]]> By: maywander http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot#comment-14396 maywander Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:57:40 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=42087#comment-14396 Corporations do not vote. Corporations do not serve in the armed forces. Corporations are not citizens. Why do corporations run our government? Because the men who run corporations want to make as much money for themselves as quickly and easily as possible. Government contracts (and anti-regulatory policies) enrich our corporate aristocracy, which in turn contributes mightily to the pro-big-business party, e.g., Halliburton and the mercenary corporation formerly known as Blackwater. If corporations aren't citizens, they should be prohibited from any involvement in government. Corporations do not vote. Corporations do not serve in the armed forces. Corporations are not citizens. Why do corporations run our government? Because the men who run corporations want to make as much money for themselves as quickly and easily as possible. Government contracts (and anti-regulatory policies) enrich our corporate aristocracy, which in turn contributes mightily to the pro-big-business party, e.g., Halliburton and the mercenary corporation formerly known as Blackwater. If corporations aren't citizens, they should be prohibited from any involvement in government.

]]> By: brucewilkinson http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot#comment-13288 brucewilkinson Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:42:14 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=42087#comment-13288 Great points! However, you presume that government must be equally large to combat big money. I don't agree. The main problem is that big government panders to big money and they both grow unsustainably large. A prime example of this is that we allow ourselves to bail out companies that are "too big to let fail." Let them fail!!! Even better, change regulations so that increased size carries the natural penalty of instability. Stop protecting large companies from smaller more agile competitors. Limit the renewal of patents. Make a tighter definition of "monopoly" that encourages decentralization and divestitures. That doesn't take larger government, just smarter government. And, by the way, "general welfare" in the language of the constitution didn't mean what modern day socialists like to twist it around to mean. And, finally, "justice" did not carry the modern day connotation of "social justice" when the framers used the word. Your reference to Orwell is timely in juxtaposition to your implied socialistic definition of those terms. No that the framers were ignorant of Utopian fantasies but the failed socialistic schemes of early colonists were fresher in their memories then and justice was defined as freedom from oppression--not freedom from the consequences of one's own failure to take advantage of the opportunities created by a free society. Great points! However, you presume that government must be equally large to combat big money. I don't agree. The main problem is that big government panders to big money and they both grow unsustainably large. A prime example of this is that we allow ourselves to bail out companies that are “too big to let fail.” Let them fail!!! Even better, change regulations so that increased size carries the natural penalty of instability. Stop protecting large companies from smaller more agile competitors. Limit the renewal of patents. Make a tighter definition of “monopoly” that encourages decentralization and divestitures. That doesn't take larger government, just smarter government. And, by the way, “general welfare” in the language of the constitution didn't mean what modern day socialists like to twist it around to mean. And, finally, “justice” did not carry the modern day connotation of “social justice” when the framers used the word. Your reference to Orwell is timely in juxtaposition to your implied socialistic definition of those terms. No that the framers were ignorant of Utopian fantasies but the failed socialistic schemes of early colonists were fresher in their memories then and justice was defined as freedom from oppression–not freedom from the consequences of one's own failure to take advantage of the opportunities created by a free society.

]]> By: Guest http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot#comment-13031 Guest Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:40:22 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=42087#comment-13031 "...accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security" United States Declaration of Independence “…accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security” United States Declaration of Independence

]]> By: Phoebe http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot#comment-13030 Phoebe Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:30:47 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=42087#comment-13030 Speaking of idiots, here we go again - so much for the lessons of history <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rutten25-2009nov25%2C0%2C6632984.column" rel="nofollow">http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rutte...</a> Speaking of idiots, here we go again – so much for the lessons of history http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rutte…

]]> By: Eddie http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot#comment-12935 Eddie Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:09:21 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=42087#comment-12935 Ah, the quiet before the storm... Ah, the quiet before the storm…

]]> By: Dr Benway http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot#comment-12927 Dr Benway Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:05:24 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=42087#comment-12927 ". . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right." (Thomas Jefferson) Before your usual detractors rise up like swamp adders to strike I'd like to get a word in edgewise since I believe, as Jefferson did, that self-government and political liberty can only be successful if those who participate in it are enlightened enough to be able to express their [informed] opinions through the ballot and also to resist the threats to a free society which appeals to emotion and prejudice represent. As a result I'm alarmed by the 'dumbing down' of our country (<a href="http://www.populistamerica.com/the_dumbing_down_of_the_american_mind" rel="nofollow">http://www.populistamerica.com/the_dumbing_down...</a>) and the recent increase in the amount of political demagoguery in our mass media - even more so the extent to which this is overwhelming rational discourse. There are of course many examples to point to but the following strikes me as being particularly egregious: <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2009" rel="nofollow">http://mediamatters.org/research/2009</a>... (video montage at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCY23hWWgRI" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCY23hWWgRI</a>). No doubt there will be others who will fulminate over anyone regarding these sorts of pronouncements as being dangerous, much less suggesting, as you have, that a well orchestrated attempt to destroy the underpinnings of democracy is taking place. “. . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right.” (Thomas Jefferson) Before your usual detractors rise up like swamp adders to strike I'd like to get a word in edgewise since I believe, as Jefferson did, that self-government and political liberty can only be successful if those who participate in it are enlightened enough to be able to express their [informed] opinions through the ballot and also to resist the threats to a free society which appeals to emotion and prejudice represent. As a result I'm alarmed by the 'dumbing down' of our country (http://www.populistamerica.com/the_dumbing_down…) and the recent increase in the amount of political demagoguery in our mass media – even more so the extent to which this is overwhelming rational discourse. There are of course many examples to point to but the following strikes me as being particularly egregious: http://mediamatters.org/research/2009… (video montage at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCY23hWWgRI). No doubt there will be others who will fulminate over anyone regarding these sorts of pronouncements as being dangerous, much less suggesting, as you have, that a well orchestrated attempt to destroy the underpinnings of democracy is taking place.

]]> By: Gnarlodious http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot#comment-12918 Gnarlodious Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:42:20 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=42087#comment-12918 In physics we have a concept called "The Attractor", which is a default state all complex systems tend towards. The "attractor" of all societies is despotism, an ancient system of political control by monopolizing of some vital but limited resource. Everything the founders established was to counteract the tendency to despotism, which they well understood would eventually happen. It is as if to say, greedy megalomaniacs will get us unless we constantly do battle against them. And so, I am somewhat pessimistic that Americans can throw off our despotic rulers, because Americans are addicted to battling imaginary foreign enemies. And our handlers are busy every day finding new enemies to distract our attention.<br><br>The secret to happiness is to gladly accept some degree of despotism. In physics we have a concept called “The Attractor”, which is a default state all complex systems tend towards. The “attractor” of all societies is despotism, an ancient system of political control by monopolizing of some vital but limited resource. Everything the founders established was to counteract the tendency to despotism, which they well understood would eventually happen. It is as if to say, greedy megalomaniacs will get us unless we constantly do battle against them. And so, I am somewhat pessimistic that Americans can throw off our despotic rulers, because Americans are addicted to battling imaginary foreign enemies. And our handlers are busy every day finding new enemies to distract our attention.

The secret to happiness is to gladly accept some degree of despotism.

]]> By: patriotpaul http://newmexicoindependent.com/42087/suppose-you-were-an-idiot#comment-12906 patriotpaul Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:31:38 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=42087#comment-12906 Excellent. Excellent.

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