Interesting video. It's a wonder to me that people on both sides of the aisle keep on wanting to elect or re-elect the same bozos that have sent us down the gutter.
Watched it and while I do feel bad for them and understand that had the ball bounced a little different most of us on this forum would be in similar circumstances...I think a bit of the economic leftist complaints lack perspective.Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Interesting video. It's a wonder to me that people on both sides of the aisle keep on wanting to elect or re-elect the same bozos that have sent us down the gutter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73UBl68i … r_embedded
Us in the core west, (Europe, Aus, U.S., Canada) have do have an extreme amount of wealth compared to the rest of the world. The lives of our poor and working poor beat the hell out of the lives of the middle class most of the rest of the world.
Take a look at the U.N.'s human development index world map. Even the South American countries that make up the fringe of the west have a higher standard of living than most of the rest of the world including the giant populations blocks of China and India. Let's not even talk about Africa.
Our lifestyle is a dream for most of the world and our aspirations a fantasy for others. We are at the top of the world and will continue to be so for the rest of the lifetimes of anyone currently on the forum. Aside from the world we live in, the economic history of the world paints the lives we live very well. I remember reading a little while ago about how a poor child born in India is almost certain to live longer than the kings of Europe a few hundred a years ago. Now you may say a hundred years ago is a long time but in the overall course of recorded history (8000 years about), it's a blink of the eye. At the same time the world HDI of the world increase every year. Things are good and getting better across the world. The things we take for granted today, sugar, cinnamon, pepper, perfume, etc., was once a thing Kings and and armies butchered each mercilessly to have in just small quantities. We are truly living in the greatest point in human history. Once we figure out the whole limitless energy thing we will be set as a species.
I do understand how shitty from a psychological point being poor ( never mind the physical aspect) in this country is. Being securely middle class myself even I tend to feel a jealous twinge at people of higher socioeconomic standing from time to time. I also don't think "things are getting better stop whining" is a good retort to the poor/economist leftist but I don't think trying to change the whole economic/political structure structure of this country to try to elevate poverty is the best way to go about elevating poverty. Besides, again going back to the historical perspective thing, there has never been a time in history where society wasn't dominated by the wealthy and there will never be.
One thing I wholeheartedly agree with the economic left in this country is the diminishing prospect of social mobility. The gap between the wealthy and the poor is fine as long as there is genuine opportunity for advancement. I believe education is the key to this but that's beside the point. I also take extreme offense to the libertarian/objectivist world view that holds up the inequality of the world as a good and just thing. I find that a beyond weak intellectual position and a world view that is fairly ignorant of the concept of chance and relativity.
So yeah, I probably just wasted 45 minutes watching a video and typing a response \o/
Good post, Mac. I especially agree with this part. Civil libertarianism makes sense, but some of the positions of economic libertarianism are rather naive -- especially when applied to the global level.Macbeth wrote:
One thing I wholeheartedly agree with the economic left in this country is the diminishing prospect of social mobility. The gap between the wealthy and the poor is fine as long as there is genuine opportunity for advancement. I believe education is the key to this but that's beside the point. I also take extreme offense to the libertarian/objectivist world view that holds up the inequality of the world as a good and just thing. I find that a beyond weak intellectual position and a world view that is fairly ignorant of the concept of chance and relativity.
I bet like 3 people read this. im not one of themMacbeth wrote:
Watched it and while I do feel bad for them and understand that had the ball bounced a little different most of us on this forum would be in similar circumstances...I think a bit of the economic leftist complaints lack perspective.Hurricane2k9 wrote:
Interesting video. It's a wonder to me that people on both sides of the aisle keep on wanting to elect or re-elect the same bozos that have sent us down the gutter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73UBl68i … r_embedded
Us in the core west, (Europe, Aus, U.S., Canada) have do have an extreme amount of wealth compared to the rest of the world. The lives of our poor and working poor beat the hell out of the lives of the middle class most of the rest of the world.
Take a look at the U.N.'s human development index world map. Even the South American countries that make up the fringe of the west have a higher standard of living than most of the rest of the world including the giant populations blocks of China and India. Let's not even talk about Africa.
Our lifestyle is a dream for most of the world and our aspirations a fantasy for others. We are at the top of the world and will continue to be so for the rest of the lifetimes of anyone currently on the forum. Aside from the world we live in, the economic history of the world paints the lives we live very well. I remember reading a little while ago about how a poor child born in India is almost certain to live longer than the kings of Europe a few hundred a years ago. Now you may say a hundred years ago is a long time but in the overall course of recorded history (8000 years about), it's a blink of the eye. At the same time the world HDI of the world increase every year. Things are good and getting better across the world. The things we take for granted today, sugar, cinnamon, pepper, perfume, etc., was once a thing Kings and and armies butchered each mercilessly to have in just small quantities. We are truly living in the greatest point in human history. Once we figure out the whole limitless energy thing we will be set as a species.
I do understand how shitty from a psychological point being poor ( never mind the physical aspect) in this country is. Being securely middle class myself even I tend to feel a jealous twinge at people of higher socioeconomic standing from time to time. I also don't think "things are getting better stop whining" is a good retort to the poor/economist leftist but I don't think trying to change the whole economic/political structure structure of this country to try to elevate poverty is the best way to go about elevating poverty. Besides, again going back to the historical perspective thing, there has never been a time in history where society wasn't dominated by the wealthy and there will never be.
One thing I wholeheartedly agree with the economic left in this country is the diminishing prospect of social mobility. The gap between the wealthy and the poor is fine as long as there is genuine opportunity for advancement. I believe education is the key to this but that's beside the point. I also take extreme offense to the libertarian/objectivist world view that holds up the inequality of the world as a good and just thing. I find that a beyond weak intellectual position and a world view that is fairly ignorant of the concept of chance and relativity.
So yeah, I probably just wasted 45 minutes watching a video and typing a response \o/
Tu Stultus Es
i read it.
We should be helping our own before other countries.
I too read it
jord, taiwan, You are both good men.
i glanced briefly at it, does that make me ok?Macbeth wrote:
jord, taiwan, You are both good men.
You are an asset to your country, burnzz.
Last edited by Macbeth (2012-03-12 12:57:53)
they only read it cus of me
Tu Stultus Es
I read it. But I then thought, pffft.
Fight me.Ilocano wrote:
I read it. But I then thought, pffft.
putting the ass in asset, go me!Macbeth wrote:
You are an asset to your country, burnzz.
i read what was meant to be the intro and what was meant to the conculsion.
Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.
Preaching to the choir.Macbeth wrote:
Fight me.Ilocano wrote:
I read it. But I then thought, pffft.
These crybabies need to be dropped into some 3rd world country's "poor" neighborhood.
[tl]';[dr]
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
-Frederick Bastiat
poor schmoor sieze the opportunity at the expense of others like this bitch
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/20 … ssed-home/
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/20 … ssed-home/
Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.
Good for her.m3thod wrote:
poor schmoor sieze the opportunity at the expense of others like this bitch
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/20 … ssed-home/
Ilocano wrote:
Good for her.m3thod wrote:
poor schmoor sieze the opportunity at the expense of others like this bitch
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/20 … ssed-home/
heh, hope for warmanTufano, who is home-schooled
nope13urnzz wrote:
Ilocano wrote:
Good for her.m3thod wrote:
poor schmoor sieze the opportunity at the expense of others like this bitch
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/20 … ssed-home/heh, hope for warmanTufano, who is home-schooled