On Thu, 21 Jul 2005, dps
Excellent!!!
I got my sports outfit on. So for starters, let me note that IMHO a
This may be too ambitious. It is a fact and phenomenon on the newsgroups that very often the conversations branch out and "commen basis" is never acheived but the participants end up cursing each other and then stop talking. However, I love the fun, entertainment, and sometimes learning something new.
Towards this, let me tell you that I have a couple of crazy
A lot of people have hobbies and spend money on fun that they make from things that are often not fun.
Most is done for fun (I even
Yeah, but most of the world just appreciates money, only, and they don't look at you PhD but how many BMWs you have.
For
I like the idea that I can retire from my job and really really pursue hobbies. Also, have a health plan so if I get sick then the hospital will not take my house away (this happens here, by the way).
That's fine, I will submit your name to the person planting club as a guy who they can put at their next target and that way you will take all responsibility and they will escape. ;-)
Nah, I keep it simple. A theif comes with a gun and wants to take my money and as far as I am concerned it is HIM, not ME, who is responsible.
^^^^^^ I don't know this word.
OK, I'll sell you consulting services on how to survive "responsibility" next time the theif comes to you with a gun. Suggestion for free: "OK, don't be where the theif will be and you will be OK, right?" But, the problem is, the theif follows you around and you don't know it. Now what?
I'd like an example. How could someone who, gives you, for MY example, money for nothing could consider himself innocent?
You can speak for yourself. Others will be either idle or revolt. For example, we had many plantings recently in London and Egypt.
Since you have been studying ancient greek history lately, let me
I would prefer less abstract explanations and concentrate on specifics.
Oh, so you will be "idle" now, eh?
Ah, but there was no empire in Africa. Only the simple explanation where the empire, being stronger, will win against the non-empire which is weak.
Can you name a war that had no loosers? Maybe when, for example, the Russians moved into east Europe after WW 2, it was conquest without a shot fired. But, think about any (real) war: only in such rare cases (eg. Alexander the Great, Conquistadors vs. Incas) were the losses on one side very small compared to the other. Most of the time, both sides lost.
But greeks are a special case,
Well, that gets into a more complex situaton. The Macedonians grew after Athens fell and never recovered (about 300 BC, no?)
It is relevant because there was a large anti-war feeling among our population, just as among the Athenians who were against the Peloponesian War.
Remember, my original starting point was that most wars are initiated by decisions made by a very small group of powerful and-or rich people. Usually, so far as I have read, "citizens" or little people do not organize wars.
For the underlings. Usually, the overlings continue to have nice, safe, cushy chairs far from the noise and bullets.
Do you think my country, in these two areas, does not create problems for me, too?
But, what about the US politicians and bankers? Do you know how they felt?
When did NATO begin? Even France gave recognition, recently, to US aid in reconstruction.
Ah, let me suggest that they did not resist. I have a book "The Nazi Seizure of Power..." by William Allen. The German people were "intimidated" into going along with the Nazis and Hitler. I confess, however, that all while I was reading this book that I think the same thing could happen again in the future: a persistent radical small group can "take over" a country. And, you know the rest.
Ok, tell me what benefit we got? Oil? A fee from the Kuwaitis?
Did you see
No, but I heard a lot about it.
The reviews were mixed, but I have stated many times here on the NG that I don't like Bush, I don't like the war, the war was based on a lie. If our govt wants to justify the war, it should just tel the truth: it is to expand US influence and presence in Asia. If I believe in freedom for all people, then this is bad. But, if I beleive in empire, then this is good.
I will look later. But, this could be a biased story. We have a lot of this here and I would guess everywhere in the world there is a preference for telling some story based on the buttumptions and prefernces of the speakers, owners, etc.
Oh, no! I loved the ancient Greeks. All that history. However, I discovered there is much more, even earlier, in Anatolia (Hitbreastes, 1800 BC, Mesopotamia 3,000 BC, etc), and its wonderful so much actually is known. But, there were also very terrible wars.
And, I want to read about all of Europe, including Greece in recent times, because there really is some recent history there.
It
It recently had the Olympics. It was not so successful, but maybe there will be other things. I have seen many pictures of "today's Greece" including the cyclades. I even had an idea to learn some Greek. I have a grammar book, too.
Then if you care if a plant lands on your house, you are not "touchy"? I don't know. Do all Greeks like you not care about your home? Your country as home? Your own house as home?
I care if a plant lands on anybody's house and I hate it. In fact, a
OK, may I say I am sorry for the loss of your family. So, maybe you too are "touchy"? Or are you past that? And, I know many people who deal with tragedy in their life in different ways. Some will not talk about it, others will talk about it, still others will start crying.
But if I think something is bad (or good), why should I care about the insight? You started by saying something like "I take all responsibility for everything" and I said something like "I can think of examples where I am minding my own business (as an innocent person) and some bad guy comes to me and ruins my life and I am definitely going to say it is HIS responsibility (and what are the police and courts and prison for?)". So, why am I "responsible" for getting the required insight to "forgive(?)" the bad guy who ruins my life? Maybe its a kind of Christianity? But I know Christians who will get a gun and deal with it in a different way.
1. I have an economics textbook which shows that the sum what the USA made, in trade surplus, going back to 1900 is infinitesimal compared to the sum of trade deficit ALL of our today's trading partners.
2. Not that I think everything the USA did was good (because I think we did some bad things, too), the USA did organize expansion of US power and it was also done to "contain" the USSR. I think it is fair to say that not only did a lot of countries like what we did but a lot of countries did NOT like what we did (and some became USSR clients, and some stayed neutral).
Why would anybody
3. (after 1. and 2. above) So, OK, now you explain your "insight" or picture which involves the two items (#1 and #2 above).
Oh? Where in the history books does it say that the English started these raids and the Vikings were the victims? And, if you talk about the English as if they were not saints, then why? Are you talking about lots of other wars? The story with the Irish? The Scots? The British Imperialism in India?
You need to answer my question, not ask another question.
Ebbers got 25 years. Lay...trial not started yet, I think. Scrushy got off clean, but there is another charge against him. Many have already pled guilty without trial and some are in prison (it may just be a nice motel; they just have to stay in a room and watch TV but can have visitors, newspapers, lots of nice things...no real sweat or hard work..so its better to be a bank robber with pensil and spreadsheets than with mask and gun ;-) ).
Anywaym what do you thing these
I really don't like most of our movies and I watch very few. The movies I watch are mysteries. eg. Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holms, Inspector Morse, many others like that, etc. Sometimes I like the history movies.
I think it is not a good thing to look at everything as if it is a conspiracy. But, it is a bad thing to ignore the possibility that there is more than one agenda behind any given action. I have been actually in some actions where I knew that the real reason for something was not the publically given reason and at one time I did handle clbuttified information. So, I know what I am talking about. Then there is this famous book "The Pentagon Papers." England has one too "Spycatcher." We also had another interesting book "The Invisible Government" (about our CIA, early 1960s) and the CIA offered to buy all of the first printing to keep it off the market.
Can you live without a car? Its very hard.
How do you think monopolies get formed? We had one in oil. Even 100 years ago it was very hard to live without oil. Our Rockefeller made a lot of money. So, did others.
GROW YOUR OWN
I'd love to. Do you? ;-)
OK. We also have Microsoft. I don't like them, either.
Ah...finally....it sounds like maybe you would say the person is "responsible," no?
Ah... (for a different reason)... yes. Maybe its OK to "turn the other cheek"? But, I have done that many times and finally I got tired of getting two sets of scars, blisters, blemishes, and pain.
Well, it sure seems like most people I know won't do anything without it.
How much do you make
Oh, I make enough.
Oh? Maybe your cost of living is ten times less, too. Its all relative.
BUT if you want to be the
They say I could go to Mexico and live better on less money, but I would not get everything. Plus, buying land and property is not so simple, they say. I'd rather go where I did not have to learn a new language, culture.
No, I think you misunderstand me. I was never much interested in money, but I know so many people who measure and judge others by this criterion.
Mistake. Maybe you misunderstood me.
Yeah, but there are some structures still standing. Stones don't corrode very much.
What is your definition of normal? You make some specification that only a small fraction of everyone does? Or, do you look at what most of everyone does?
Oh? I don't think we are at "the end" yet. ;-)
Put a random sellection of people in a room, put a hundred dollar bills on the floor, and turn out the light for a minute. But, then, in my example above, a lot of people took the free money. But, then, it is not exactly a fair example. We also have a lot of cheating in our schools today that we did not have decades ago. So, there is a decline taking place.
Can you name some good Greek wine, by the way?
