A few thoughts about the future of this planet
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There ya go Ken, very civilized people around here. Stinkie got you on every point.
So deny this...
The planet, by any scientific or empirical measure, is damaged now.
Do you accept that? -
The thing is, I sort of understand where he comes from. Scientists are telling us two sides of the same coin is going to happen. We are moving into a new ice age and at the same time global warming is right under our noses. Scientists will say different things, at the same time and wonder why people are skeptical. The religious zealots of all kinds are just politicians with a different version of the same message too. Believe in what I say or you will go to hell in a hand basket, perhaps a prettier one than the next faith but all the same. With a bit of luck and squinting with both eyes, perhaps we can unite enough to make a difference, just not under a political, nationalistic, scientific or religious singularity. Perhaps we should all go to the pub, but, wait a minute.......
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Did someone say 'pub', as in 'beer'?
Non-related pic:
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backspace backspa
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When it all comes down to it, the most eloquent politicoreligiouspropogandacult statement ever was made by Homer J Simpson, "Beer, Arghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghgh". Make mine a ten gallon hat.
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Ah, H. Simpson.
My second favorite philosopher. Number one is Bender. Would've made a far better prez, too.
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I'd laugh if I weren't too shocked. What an idiot.
It's going to be an, er, interesting four years.
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Sorry but.....
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Just a quick clarification. The post above is aimed at the only practitioners of the dark arts that I know and have experience of, Those in the UK.
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Climate Change screwing the world up! I think so but only for most of the world's current four limbed species, us included.
Our distant ancestors crawled out of the seas on fins that gradually became arms and legs. When we are gone by whatever means, I imagine Nature will fill the gap in her own time.
As TIG says it's simply good manners to leave the Earth as we found it or better again, improved.
One means of us Joe Soaps gaining some political clout is to push for Direct Democracy. This link shows how we nearly had it as envisaged by Michael Collins, http://www.reinstate48.ie
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That is a very powerful clip. Perhaps it demonstrates a major problem with out current political systems, that the politicians really do not want a real voice for the people. It is an acceptance that politicians lie without recourse to judgement. Short of a revolution, NOTHING will change. I do not want to see another civil war in my country and anybody eles's. I just see no recourse other than the removal of those who run my country.
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In the so called 'Western World', Direct Democracy is quite workable now that we have this high level of telecommunication all around us. Ordinary citizens are more than capable of making informed and sensible judgement votes over their mobile phone on a daily basis if needed.
We no longer need career politicians telling us loads of lies in order to get their snouts in the trough and then start figuring out how they can remain in power getting brown envelopes from big business along the way and finally golden hand shakes and big pensions.
What we need are high calibre answerable and sackable Civil Servants and short term leaders that have proven track records in business / industry / the professions etc with bright ideas that 'we the people' endorse on an ongoing basis for their term of their leadership. Once their term is complete they go back to their previous lives / jobs.
Oh, hold on! We might be seeing this happening in the USA with The Donald. It will be interesting to see how he handles things. I am not a great fan of the man but he's sorta growing on me.
He is no fool when it comes to choosing a team! The latest move I see him making is to bring Elon Musk (of Tesla and SpaceX) and the CEO of Uber, Travis Kalanick onboard his economic advisory committee.
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So disagree Mike.
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@mike lucey said:
Ordinary citizens are more than capable of making informed and sensible judgement votes over their mobile phone on a daily basis if needed.
Ordinary citizens voted for the brexit. Ordinary citizens support Duterte. Ordinary citizens voted for a man who, as president-elect, has stated he 'doesn't need' daily security briefings because he's 'a very smart person'.
Show me an average citizen who's willing to wade through 300 pages of esoteric tax legislation.
@mike lucey said:
He is no fool when it comes to choosing a team!
Really?
Mike Pence has stated condoms don't sufficiently protect people against STD's. David Friedman, Trump's ambassador to Israel, called liberal American Jews 'worse than kapos'. Rick Perry isn't exactly an advocate for gay rights. Andy Puzder is opposed to raising minimum wages. Scott Pruitt, who is to head EPA, is a climate change denier. Ben Carson believes Egypt's pyramids were built by Jesus' stepdad to store grain.
I could go on.
I respect your right to an opinion, Mike, but surely, you're peddling utter nonsense.
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@mike lucey said:
In the so called 'Western World', Direct Democracy is quite workable now that we have this high level of telecommunication all around us. Ordinary citizens are more than capable of making informed and sensible judgement votes over their mobile phone on a daily basis if needed.
Depends on where these ordinary citizens get that information and if they're willing to research what they read and not take it as gospel. Fake news was a big problem with this election not only on Facebook but all over the internet. I think this set a new precedent for future elections where there will be information overload and be harder to distinguish fact from fiction, very effective.
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Post deleted due to confluence of the Nile meeting the Rhine at about 05:30 and it being a tuesday somewhere in the galaxy.
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@mike amos said:
(...) and it being a tuesday somewhere in the galaxy.
It is indeed wise to exercise caution on tuesdays.
It's almost tuesday again. Godspeed.
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@stinkie said:
I respect your right to an opinion, Mike, but surely, you're peddling utter nonsense.
The cases you bring up just prove to me that ordinary people don't like the direction the establishment are taking them.
The EU elites won't and don't accept referendum results of the people if the result does not suit their agenda. Brexit was voted for by the majority of UK citizens because they wanted to run their own country and make their own laws. I expect a close run election in France next year and there are a number of other EU member states that are on the fence when it comes to total fiscal union. The euro is a disaster as one shoe does not fit all.
As regards Trump and his thus far administration choices. He is an 'outsider', a very wealthy outside but nevertheless an outsider that will more than likely rock the boat. He is by no means the perfect president but if he implements a fraction of his campaign promises he will swing things around for the average middle class US citizen.
The money brokers are somewhat stunned with the Trump election and are probably wondering what they can do to control him short of a bullet as has been the case in the past on a number of occasions.
As regards his team members I have not fully studied most of them. However Pence's great-grandmother came from Doonbeg, Co Clare, my home county so he can't be all that bad!
Its not his team members ideologies that matter, its his ideologies and he is well known for taking the 'You're Fired' option.
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@mike lucey said:
He is by no means the perfect president but if he implements a fraction of his campaign promises he will swing things around for the average middle class US citizen.
Depends on what you read. From where I sit, it looks like plutocracy and kleptocracy all rolled into one...
(billionaire cabinet appointments, massive Trump organization conflict of interests, with children and spouses execrising undue influence.) bad news in my estimation. Don't even get me started on the climate change denial that will run rampant. I want to have a habitable planet to pass on to my children.
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