Is this what America is becoming?

[Audie]

He never ever did that. As a matter of fact, most scholars think that his aversion to joining the Zealots and leading an uprising hastened his demise. Check your facts...

Go forth and do as you suggest of me.
And I said nothing of "the zealots".

 

[PureX]

This is in The Guardian and is reported exactly how I would expect The Guardian to report a story such as this.

I will wait until we see the verdict and the reasons behind it, I doubt very seriously he will spend much if any time in prison but we shall see.

You kind of missed the point, though, didn't you. The point being that we have become a nation so ignorant of the economic damage our obsession with greed has done to so many of our own citizens that we actually have laws against helping them.

 

[Audie]

Criminalizing acting like a Christian is enjoined to do is part of the mess this country is in right now.

That is not what this is about, but you have certainly gotten the
spin.

 

[Audie]

You kind of missed the point, though, didn't you. The point being that we have become a nation so ignorant of the economic damage our obsession with greed has done to so many of our own citizens that we actually have laws against helping them.

Isnt "greed" the point of everything?

 

[PureX]

Isnt "greed" the point of everything?

God, I hope not!

 

[Audie]

God, I hope not!

Ha. Me too.
Anyway, it was a tinge-o- snark from me, re your attributing
so many things to greed.

 

[PureX]

Ha. Me too.
Anyway, it was a tinge-o- snark from me, re your attributing
so many things to greed.

The more idiocy in the world I see, the more I see the cause as being nothing but stupid human greed. Fear-fueled in most of us, ego fueled in some, but stupid, blind, greed nevertheless.

 

[Audie]

The more idiocy in the world I see, the more I see the cause as being nothing but stupid human greed. Fear-fueled in most of us, ego fueled in some, but stupid, blind, greed nevertheless.

I suppose that makes me, as a top one
percenter, a pretty bad person.

 

[BSM1]

Go forth and do as you suggest of me.
And I said nothing of "the zealots".

But you did say, or suggest, that Jesus advocated the "...expulsion of the Romans..." and I was pointing out that this is totally unsubstantiated.

 

[PureX]

I suppose that makes me, as a top one
percenter, a pretty bad person.

Not necessarily. It's not about what you have, it's about what you want.

 

[Audie]

But you did say, or suggest, that Jesus advocated the "...expulsion of the Romans..." and I was pointing out that this is totally unsubstantiated.

And your opinion is not so universally agreed to.

 

[Audie]

Not necessarily. It's not about what you have, it's about what you want.

You have a judgemental opinion about what I should
want?

 

[Jollybear]

It's funny talking about "freedom" when a lot of the time, that freedom was just an illusion. There were so many areas of life in the past where unconscious constraints were made on personal freedom. It became normal to fear what others thought of you, rather than how you viewed yourself. Now, no one seems to care what others think of them. But if they do feel discriminated against, they will make a big fuss until laws are passed to allow them to do whatever they want. They will demand their freedom at the expense of the freedom of others.

Peer pressure is still a big factor, making people want to fit in with a paradigm that is acceptable to the majority.....not wanting to step outside of that accepted "norm" for fear of being ostracised. We have seen people do a complete 360 degree turn on some issues. (Particularly moral issues) But in either extreme, someone's freedom was lost.

Do you remember the time when marriage was a fairly strict arrangement where men worked and earned the money, while women stayed at home to tend to the jobs allotted to "housewives"? Remember the propaganda presented in TV shows like "Father Knows Best" or "Happy Days" promoting the happy families that no one seems to have anymore?

"Children were seen and not heard" to the point where physical abuse was common? What freedom existed for them? Today children have all the rights, but no responsibilities.....but is the world a better place because freedom has gone through so many phases that it is hard to define it anymore?

Was any nation really a "Land of the free" or was it more a case of a "land of the controlled"? Perception management is now a science where public perceptions are just as controlled today, but less obviously....unless you know how to identify it.

As human beings, if we lose our compassion for the plight of fellow humans, what have we become?....not human. Science tells us that we are animals, so obviously it is OK to behave in a 'dog eat dog' fashion.

I am personally grateful that God has promised to fix this mess and to restore what we lost in Eden. I am looking forward to all of earth's inhabitants becoming "human" again.

When i talk of freedom i refere to the simple "government leave me alone, im not doing nothing evil" mentality.

Thats all i want in my life, is that. Actually, all of society to leave me alone, im not doing anything evil.

Perhaps its a trust issue. And due to truly evil people, trust toward all is broke.

Its unfortanate.

 

[BSM1]

And your opinion is not so universally agreed to.

It is not 'my opinion'. Show me where Jesus ever said he wanted to overthrow the Romans.

 

[Audie]

It is not 'my opinion'. Show me where Jesus ever said he wanted to overthrow the Romans.

You cannot even tell me when or where he was born or died,
let alone what he said or why. What he did? Cure insanity
by sending demons into pigs?

The romans executed him-presumably- for what, then?

There is a body of thought that it was for his role as
a revolutionary. Ifn you wish to pursue it on your
own go for it.

It is not my topic of interest.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

And you will not like the reasons for that.

Like it or not, America was a significant contributor to the ideas of "liberal democracy," (read Thomas Payne just for the barest start, or the great State Papers, or the Declaration of Independence).

I truly believe that America is losing its way. Liberal democracy is the polar opposite to any sort of "populism." All populisms, of whatever kind, posit that "the people here should be just like us." But that is completely antithetical to the ideas of liberal democracy, which the founding fathers embraced, which is that people should be free to live their lives as they see fit. You know, the freedom to "life, liberty, and the happiness of pursuit." That nobodies religions or isms should be foist upon anyone else (first amendment).

What's worse, you, a Canadian, seem to understand what's going on better than most Americans.

 

[Audie]

Criminalizing acting like a Christian is enjoined to do is part of the mess this country is in right now.

Jesus said "Render unto Caesar", not,
"Break all laws as your conscience directs".

Now, it is not just Christians but worldwide that
mercy / hosptality / aid the stricken are values.

IF a weary traveller is picked up by the
border patrol, they are not denied water,
medical aid!
So would any other decent person, primary
exception being-criminals, the coyotes and
others who prey on them, rope, rape, kidnap,
abandon them.
Now, I get the idea of civil disobedience.
The "tank guy" in Beijing. Henry David Thoreau.
Ghandi.
Thing is, it is putting your life on the line, whatever
the consequences. See "tank man."

Thing is, too, there are laws. A good philosophical
argument topic is if there is a moral obligation
to obey them.

For lo, if all who choose flout all laws they wish,
then what?
If those charged with enforcement fail in their
duty, then what?

Is what he did right? The more the crossers are
encouraged by success the more will come.

The savagery of what is being done by cartels
(kidnapping little kids rented out to make up
a "family" crossing, just for one) isin part on
the hands of people like our hero who are
part of the enabling.

Our hero here did as he did. Now he gets to
face the consequences w/o complaint or
pity.

It is all a horrible ugly complex situation,
you nor I have a solution nor a moral
high ground.from which to preach.

 

[Audie]

What's worse, you, a Canadian, seem to understand what's going on better than most Americans.

Lets build a railroad for migrants,
straight to Canada, that they may better
see what is, ah, going on.

 

[BSM1]

You cannot even tell me when or where he was born or died,
let alone what he said or why. What he did? Cure insanity
by sending demons into pigs?

The romans executed him-presumably- for what, then?

There is a body of thought that it was for his role as
a revolutionary. Ifn you wish to pursue it on your
own go for it.

It is not my topic of interest.

Obviously we're talking about two different things..

 

[Shad]

If these news are true, and it seems like they are, what in the world is happening to America?
What has humanity been reduce to over there? And most important, what do you Americans here in RF think about it?
As much as this kind of news disgusts me, at least for now, none of this will affect me directly since I live in France and over here we don't have this kind of insanity yet (we have others, though).

This man could go to jail for 20 years for giving migrants food and water | César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández

Over the top charges. I smell a settlement or plea deal for a lower charge and a slap on the wrist compared to 20 years.

The teacher entered her contract willingly. If she is ignorant of policy regarding her employment that is her problem. If she does not want to pay for someone else to do her job she can quit.

We have 50 states, and some things must be left up to the states lest we wind up with a Roman Empire situation. Believe me, you don't want absolutely every USA law handled from Washington. California does pretty good usually, although it has its lumps.

Sick US teacher has to pay for substitute[/QUOTE]

National borders are not one of these. One state like Cali with no concern about the border will just enable people to flood other states. Those states may have to create their own state border controls hampering commence over state lines.