This Country, This World

---

HulkificationHaha, well... Basically, today's society is broken. Especially in the United States. We have become a processed food mongering, materialistic, government dependent, I-WANT-IT-NOW, pill-poppin' country.Processed Food Mongering - Geez, what do we stuff our bodies with these days. Processed meat, bleached bread, vegetables grown with pesticides and herbicides. We don't realize we're making ourselves sick. We think more and more people are getting sick because science is getting better and we can detect more stuff... We may be finding more stuff, but because of the methods we employ to our food, we're also creating more illnesses for ourselves. Sure, we may live longer... but is the quality of life really the same? Most people live until their old and stay sick.Materialistic - I've got the latest gaming system! I've got a new car! I've got this and that and look it's better than yours. lol. Honestly, is it really that important? We forgot how to live simply. Happiness is just that. Happiness. The US has become the country of STUFF. And for some reason, people equate STUFF with Happiness. Too bad it doesn't work that way.Government Dependent - One of the major problems with people in the US is the way of thinking. "I'm only one person, what could I do? The government needs to do this... The government needs to do that..." Our government is a hierarchy, built much like a tree. A tree springs from a seed in the earth and grows to the sky. To expect growth from the sky down to the earth is rediculous. We must find a foundation to build from and believe that ALL OF US CAN DO SOMETHING. What is our foundation? I believe it to be our kids. Everyday, we are examples to our kids and they learn from us. Are you teaching them things of value?I-WANT-IT-NOW - Have you ever heard the saying "I'll be dead by the time that happens, so I don't have to worry about it". I know I have. Most of the time when the issue of global warming is brought up and how the earth could be affected by it. What I mean by a I-WANT-IT-NOW country is the same principle of fast food. We want that food now to satisfy my hunger now. Who cares that this McGriddle makes up half of a healthy person's caloric intake? This also reflects the "government dependent" way of thinking. Sure, only people "in power" can really make a radical change fast... but how effective is this change? Usually not very. This is why we should start looking at things long term. "I'll be dead by the time that happens". This may be true, but perhaps my grand kids will be. Or maybe yours. Or maybe not even that far. I'm sure our kids are really appreciating all the damage we're doing to the Earth.Pill-Poppin' - You ever notice that the US seems to have a pill for every single thing you want to do with yourself."I need to lose weight" - take a pill"I need to gain weight" - take a pill"I need to stay awake" - take a pill"I need to sleep" - take a pill"I need vegetables in my diet" - no need, just take a pill"I need to take a crap" - Haha, so this one's just funnyIt's amazing all the things we put into our bodies that are so synthetic and processed. We are truly an unhealthy bunch of people.On a world wide level, most of us have really lost our natural way and it's sad. Most of us don't know how to live in harmony with the Earth anymore. What WE ARE DOING is showing that we sure know how to unbalance everything from its natural state of being. All of a sudden, everything has become an unnatural death system. What is that? We plant trees in rows and rows only to be cut down at a certain life span. Or why not just cut down those trees over there that have been untouched for centuries? They'll make great happy meal boxes. We breed and grow cows and kill them in the thousands everyday. Chickens are probably even worse. One day they're born and something like 45 days later they're getting killed and being prepared to get packaged. What balance is this? Even the fruits and vegetables we get out of the store isn't healthy anymore. We grow them with herbicides and pesticides and "super soil". sighLike I said... society is broken. Perhaps one day in the near future, mother nature will get the best of us. We will pollute our Earth so much that someway, mother nature will find a way to kill off the overgrown human population. Perhaps an ice age catalyst by our own ignorance. Or perhaps most of our civilizations will be covered by water. Most people seem to care less about nature and our world these days.Cooling OffToday, someone asked me a very interesting question."What do you think the role of religion is in today's society?"It SEEMS the role of religion in today's society (American society anyway) is just to make sure we're not killing each other. It doesn't seem to work well, does it? The fundamental role of religion, I believe, is to guide people to be a good person in general. To find peace in living with each other. To live in harmony with our fellow man.Why do I like Philosophical Taoism so much? Because it is a guide for living a harmonious life. To live in harmony with our fellow man, our plants, our animals, our Earth, and probably most importantly ourselves! How can one find harmony among others if one is not even in harmony with their self?NormalcyI have high hopes for the recent generations to make good change for our future. For the people my age. We were the kids of the world just a few years back. Kid... that word sounds so innocent doesn't it? Remember back in the day when our elementary teachers taught us about all the bad things people (and by people we usually thought in terms of grown ups) do to the environment. Maybe it was on Earth Day, or maybe it was just a regular day learning science. I remember thinking, "well that's dumb, we should stop doing that." and all my classmates seemed to agree.Each one of us has a choice of what we will become. Will we become someone that kids of the future will look back and say, "They really did turn things around back then." or will they say, "Why are we still doing that, that's just dumb, we should stop." We have a choice.Back to Silence

Government Dependent - One of the major problems with people in the US is the way of thinking. "I'm only one person, what could I do? The government needs to do this... The government needs to do that..."How does that manifest itself? Part of the responsibility of government is to prevent, for instance, people from selling pesticide-laden vegetables as organic produce; to prevent people from hanging other people because they don't like the ethnic group of the other people; to ensure that children get an education; to deal with criminals and fraudsters.> Pill-Poppin' - You ever notice that the US seems to have a pill for every single thing you want to do with yourself.Americans are big-time into the quick fix. Their faith in it is enduring.As far as befouling the environment is concerned, are you familiar with the story of the Tragedy of the Commons? It's a justification for the existence of government.

Hehe. I was waiting for your post SteveA. It seems I can almost always count on you to pick out specific parts of a post and say something about it. Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-government. It exists for a good reason. Though, I'm not fond of people who think they can't do anything because they're insignificant and they need to wait for a government official to correct all their problems.

It seems I can almost always count on you to pick out specific parts of a post and say something about it.And that's a bad thing?I've shot my philosophical wad on the religious discussion in the other thread. There will surely be others who can address the Big Ideas that were presented.

Quote:

And that's a bad thing?

Haha. No, it's not a bad thing. I didn't mean it as something negative.

Edit : I was basically just ranting anyways. I'd love to hear what people have to share though.

Originally Posted By: websexinfoMaterialistic - I've got the latest gaming system! I've got a new car! I've got this and that and look it's better than yours. lol. Honestly, is it really that important? We forgot how to live simply. Happiness is just that. Happiness. The US has become the country of STUFF. And for some reason, people equate STUFF with Happiness. Too bad it doesn't work that way. No it doesn't work that way...but it's such an ingrained part of our culture that in spite of this fact, folks will still defend their "right" to be materialistic. I have to admit I have too many guitars and amps and too many fishing poles...but in view of the rest of the nation, I think I come in as rather non-materialistic for an American. The rest of what I have is pretty simple and necessary.

Agree completely, although I am anti-government. Makes every wrong decision.What annoys me is that there is no sense of duty left in our countries. When WW1+2 came along people volunteered and were called up with no problems. Now, I doubt even a tenth of the possible people who could go would. There is too much of the "let someone else do it" attitude about.It really does sadden me.Mr. Nuts

thor> The rest of what I have is pretty simple and necessary. That is certainly a culturally-relative statement. Do you really have to live in a house made of 2x4's, drywall, and shingles? What kind of and how many cars are parked in your driveway? Do you have a TV? A toaster?Jeeeeez, numnuts, you quoted the whole post for a brief comment.I'm not as pessimistic as you. If there were a war to fight that was worth fighting, I think plenty of people would sign up. There was no shortage of people who were willing to go to Afghanistan, or to Iraq, before people realized what a sham it is.The U.S. decided at the time that they needed relatively few soldiers for Iraq, and that the war would be over quickly anyway, so recruiting a large number of soldiers was not necessary.At this point, no sensible person wants to go die for a mistake.

Materialism is not so much about what you have, now that I think of it. It's more about what you don't have that you think you need. I'm satisfied with what I have, which is rather rare it seems.

Originally Posted By: Steve_AJeeeeez, numnuts, you quoted the whole post for a brief comment.Yeah, sorry about that. Don't know why I did that really, I’ll put it down to lack of sleep.Originally Posted By: Steve_AI'm not as pessimistic as you. If there were a war to fight that was worth fighting, I think plenty of people would sign up. There was no shortage of people who were willing to go to Afghanistan, or to Iraq, before people realized what a sham it is.Mmmmmm, don't know about that. People would come, but as I do believe that many would take the attitude that someone else would do it. I hope I am wrong.Originally Posted By: Steve_AAt this point, no sensible person wants to go die for a mistake.I know it is not what you mean, but it makes it sound like every soldier who has died in this bloody stupid conflict is an imbecile.I will not tolerate any snide comments about any soldier’s death.Mr. Nuts

At this point, no sensible person wants to go die for a mistake.> I know it is not what you mean, but it makes it sound like every soldier who has died in this bloody stupid conflict is an imbecile.I will not tolerate any snide comments about any soldier’s death.Cool your jets. Unless you're planning to lob a hand grenades at people you don't agree with, you just have to learn to tolerate.Anyone who signs up to go to Iraq now to fight because they think they're going to liberate an oppressed people (as opposed to getting a chance to kill some towelheads) has not been paying attention.Imagine being the parent of the last American who was killed in Vietnam.The incompetents responsible for executing the war in Iraq have a lot of blood on their hands. It's a travesty. It's not the fault of the soldiers; they're looked upon as chattel, as cannon fodder, to the leaders.

Originally Posted By: Steve_ACool your jets. Unless you're planning to lob a hand grenades at people you don't agree with, you just have to learn to tolerate.I tolerate other peoples opinions even if i wouldn't support it myself, they are entitled to it. Think of this quote,I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.That is why i would get my nipples twisted by anyone making comments of bad taste about soldier's deathOriginally Posted By: Steve_AAnyone who signs up to go to Iraq now to fight because they think they're going to liberate an oppressed people (as opposed to getting a chance to kill some towelheads) has not been paying attention.Imagine being the parent of the last American who was killed in Vietnam.The incompetents responsible for executing the war in Iraq have a lot of blood on their hands. It's a travesty. It's not the fault of the soldiers; they're looked upon as chattel, as cannon fodder, to the leaders. Agree, however are you then saying that anyone who signs up now is a numpty?I am signing up, not for the crap going on in the Middle East, but for the life of a soldier. Mr. Nuts

Quote:Agree, however are you then saying that anyone who signs up now is a numpty?I am signing up, not for the crap going on in the Middle East, but for the life of a soldier.There is an immoral war going on now in the Middle East. If you sign up to go the to kill and be killed, what does that make you?Do you have a choice in where you'll be deployed? If they tell you you're going to Iraq, do you say, "No, I don't want to!"?I think you're a bit lost in the romantic fantasy of the life of a soldier.

Originally Posted By: Steve_AThere is an immoral war going on now in the Middle East. If you sign up to go the to kill and be killed, what does that make you?Do you have a choice in where you'll be deployed? If they tell you you're going to Iraq, do you say, "No, I don't want to!"?I think you're a bit lost in the romantic fantasy of the life of a soldier. And how is immoral war going to end? It has happened, what can we do about it. So the question I am asking myself is what can I do about it.Sit on my arse and do nothing?No.I would rather be involved so I know that I have had a say in what has happened. Even if it is just the difference between an innocent civilian living or dying. And I don't care whether you believe that’s worth it or not.I refuse to stand around and do nothing whilst history is being written around me. I would rather live short and fast so that when people look back they wouldn't say I had a wasted life.You see, wherever I am deployed I will be where the worlds problems are. And you think what is happening is so hopeless we should do nothing? I will be proud to go to the Middle East.Lost in the romantic fantasy of a soldier. That made me laugh.The DisciplineThe Sense of DutyThe FitnessThe UnityThe DeterminationThe UnselfishnessThe FriendsThe HumourAnd these are the things you WILL experience. Not even adding factors like you don't have to work in a shitty dead-end job, where the day’s excitement is whether to send an anonymous rude email to the boss.Don't pretend you know what you’re talking about. You constantly bitch about a war which good men are dying in whilst doing f uck all yourself. If you have so much of a problem with it than perhaps you should do something. And don't give me the "what can one man do" crap, you'll be surprised if you cared enough.No doubt you will come up with some reply claiming to be ex Special Forces or telling me I know nothing of how the world works.Well I certainly believe I have a much more developed sense of what’s going in the world than you have.Mr. Nuts

Don't pretend you know what you’re talking about.Likewise, young man.> No doubt you will come up with some reply claiming to be ex Special Forces or telling me I know nothing of how the world works.No and yes, respectively.> Well I certainly believe I have a much more developed sense of what’s going in the world than you have.Ahh, the arrogance of youth. I remember it well, fading memory that it is.> And these are the things you WILL experience.Get back to me after you've done a couple of tours of duty in a war zone (or three or four, if you're an American soldier).> Not even adding factors like you don't have to work in a shitty dead-end job, where the day’s excitement is whether to send an anonymous rude email to the boss.Different strokes for different folks.> perhaps you should do somethingI vote. The political leadership of my country doesj't care...yet. Maybe I'll go throw myself in front of an aircraft carrier. I'll write to you about it from the hellhole CIA prison I'll find myself in.> I would rather be involved so I know that I have had a say in what has happened.Don't fool yourself. The soldiers in Iraq are nothing more than pawns of misguided political leaders. I'll refer you back to Rumsfeld's excuses for not providing the troops with the body and vehicle armor they needed ("You go to war with the army you have, not the one you want."). The travesty continues with the way returning soldiers are treated by the government and VA system, at least in the U.S. The U.S. is not the best place to be a veteran.Seriously, get back to me after you've actually gone out served.

Look, we're clearly not going to see eye to eye. I am even thinking of requesting to the mod's that they replace "member" to "Steve_A's arch enemy" Originally Posted By: Steve_A> Don't pretend you know what you’re talking about.Likewise, young man.Why do people always presume the young(er) are ignorant when it comes to world affairs?Originally Posted By: Steve_AGet back to me after you've done a couple of tours of duty in a war zone (or three or four, if you're an American soldier).You believe the moment you join your life is over (both physically and generally). And no, I am British.Originally Posted By: Steve_ADon't fool yourself. The soldiers in Iraq are nothing more than pawns of misguided political leaders.I am by no means saying i will have the power to do anything. Refer to my example.And just to clarify, what are we arguing about? As far as I can tell I am pro-soldiers and you are anti-soldiers. But I doubt you are. You just don't like Bush, Blair and all the other arse-wipes which are cocking both our country’s over. Which is what I don't like, so again what are we arguing about.I think we could have created a storm in a teacup. Mr. Nuts

I am not anti-soldier. I am anti politicians-treating-soldiers-like-crap.I hate to generalize, but with age and experience comes knowledge. When I was 18, I thought I knew it all. Just like every other insufferable 18-year-old I knew.

The wiser a man is, the more he realizes how little he knows.

Yeah, even though Laplace claimed he was the best mathematician in France during his time, much to the chagrin of his contemporaries -- and he was right.Your nice Zen-ish platitude is something that our leaders should take to heart, since it matters a lot more for them than for you and me. People with egos big enough to become fearless leaders are often not amenable to recognize any limitations.On the other hand, few adolescents have lived enough to have accrued much in the way of wisdom, although they think they have. Such is the human condition...at least in the West.Studies have shown that the brightest and the best often doubt themselves, whereas, the not-as-bright often have boundless self-confidence in their ability and knowledge -- little self-reflection or self-doubt.(For those who see a great entre', when one argues philosophy, it's rather difficult to nail down "right" and "wrong"...just inconsistency, and practical failure of the application of the philosophy in question.)

wow. wow is all i can say about this post and its responses. this made me think, do you care if i copy this to show to my social studies teacher because we are kinda on this subject at im my class?

(dont take what i say literally, if i say somthing that isnt correct, then correct me, but i probably ment something else and ignore the bad spelling)

allright, this dosnt mean much coming from a sixteen year old, but i believe people are taking steps to improve this world... yes, we did screw up our world with pollution, and causes that websexinfo stated, but have you seen the economical cars that run on less fuel, or how technology has made fuel out of corn? i agree that the United States have become a "processed food mongering, materialistic, government dependent, I-WANT-IT-NOW, pill-poppin' country." but that does not mean everyone in america is like that. but do you want america to become a Socialist country? i know i dont. thinking about what it would be like makes me shiver.

In conclusion America needs to change, but it is changing every day. maybe not very fast, but its all about baby steps. i think if this change radically, america will be in a uproar because what they have depended on during their whole life will be gone. Americans need to stand up and make bigger steps for the good of the country, but when it comes down to it, some americans might not want it to happen.