Police Brutality Today

Yep diuretic about like all the Americans who say we live in the best nation on earth but have never been outside our borders.

The French have nothing on Americans when it comes to arrogance.
 
uscitizen said:
Yep diuretic about like all the Americans who say we live in the best nation on earth but have never been outside our borders.

The French have nothing on Americans when it comes to arrogance.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid we do the same so I can't get all superior :o

You want to see us in our arrogance mode - sport. We even dislike our own cricketers because they're bigheads :D
 
Stringy - I wasn't taking the piss, that was a serious question.

I'm recovering from disillusionment with our political system after 11 years of crappy government from Howard and his tories. Now we have a new government, yes I voted for their party, and they seem to be going well so my disillusionment is suspended. But it could still go awry.

That's why I asked the question.
 
AssHatZombie said:
Which is why cops feel justified in their abuses of authority.
Click to expand...

Abusing one's authority is a sport. You can really push the envelope and see if it's possible to abuse authority constantly, ramping up the incident each time and see how long you can get away with it. It's a bit like skydiving in that regard.
 
Diuretic said:
Do you think that we're all - let's say "we" meaning all those of us who live in liberal-democracies - a bit complacent about government? I mean, if anyone reading this lives in a liberal-democracy then it's a fair bet they (unless they're immigrants) have always lived in a liberal-democracy. That's all we've known and it seems to work so we sit back and think, 'well this must be the way things were meant to be' and we don't think about any alternatives.
Click to expand...

Yes, I think people are complacent. Part of that is that our liberal-democracies (i.e., mostly free market capitalism with elected representatives) have worked pretty well. Governments are smart enough now not to kill the goose laying the golden eggs. Also, governments have gotten good at hiding the costs.

Withholding has been a great boon for the state. Lots of people don't even realize they are being taxed and think the government is giving them some sort of bonus when they return a portion of their money at the end of the year.

SS programs are popular largely due to proganda that it is some sort of savings program.

Deficit spending is packaged as borrowing resources from the future when that is not at all possible.

And very very few people understand that they are being gouged through inflationary policies.

Other burdens and abuse are pointed at some small group (rich people, Arabs, minorities, immigrants, etc.) that are dehumanized or made into criminals.
 
RStringfield said:
Yes, I think people are complacent. Part of that is that our liberal-democracies (i.e., mostly free market capitalism with elected representatives) have worked pretty well. Governments are smart enough now not to kill the goose laying the golden eggs. Also, governments have gotten good at hiding the costs.

Withholding has been a great boon for the state. Lots of people don't even realize they are being taxed and think the government is giving them some sort of bonus when they return a portion of their money at the end of the year.

SS programs are popular largely due to proganda that it is some sort of savings program.

Deficit spending is packaged as borrowing resources from the future when that is not at all possible.

And very very few people understand that they are being gouged through inflationary policies.

Other burdens and abuse are pointed at some small group (rich people, Arabs, minorities, immigrants, etc.) that are dehumanized or made into criminals.
Click to expand...

I understand and accept the power and the gifts of capitalism. I do want to see its excesses curbed and I know that it is very, very unfair when it comes to handing out the benefits. It needs to be replaced as a viable economic system. Trouble is I can't see one yet but that shouldn't stop us looking for one. Of course capitalistic vested interests will try but fuck them, we can sort out the recalcitrants.

When it comes to the "human condition" I'm a bit of a pragmatist. I believe there is no afterlife or a god, when we get dead we pretty much don't exist. But I do have a sort of genetically -driven desire to see our descendants have a better time of it than we do.

That shapes how I think our political-economic system should look. I'm not wedded to an ideology, I want to see the best one in place.
 
Diuretic said:
I understand and accept the power and the gifts of capitalism. I do want to see its excesses curbed and I know that it is very, very unfair when it comes to handing out the benefits. It needs to be replaced as a viable economic system. Trouble is I can't see one yet but that shouldn't stop us looking for one. Of course capitalistic vested interests will try but fuck them, we can sort out the recalcitrants.

When it comes to the "human condition" I'm a bit of a pragmatist. I believe there is no afterlife or a god, when we get dead we pretty much don't exist. But I do have a sort of genetically -driven desire to see our descendants have a better time of it than we do.

That shapes how I think our political-economic system should look. I'm not wedded to an ideology, I want to see the best one in place.
Click to expand...

Great Post!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top