Conservative or liberal?

[Pud]

There's a club (and you're not in it):

http://planetsave.com/2011/08/28/who-runs-the-world-network-analysis-reveals-super-entity-of-global-corporate-control/

If you think you're "conservative" or "liberal" or any other false choice, look over the list of organizations at the end of the article.

Hmm.

Looks like the lion's share are financial companies. For the record: finance is a drain on real wealth, as it creates nothing of value. Like many utilities, it's a necessary evil that exists to facilitate the aggregation of capital, which is necessary to perform large collective works (i.e.: buildings, factories, R&D, etc.).

There's a word for this: plutocracy. Religion, political parties ... even nationalism (now) are all fairly irrelevant in a world where a small club of power brokers own everything and know each other and own parts of things each other owns.

Where does that leave you?

Well, from what I've seen in the many places I've lived: standing on either side of imaginary lines pointing and screaming at the poor saps on the other side.

[CrAnIuM]

Where does that leave you?

I say it leaves me where I already am.

Alone, relying on me.

[KommieKat]

I thought I was a Buddhist-Constitutionalists but it seems they, they being the Global-corporate-techno-theocrats, have whittled down both.

It's best to give your full support of the Bankers. They did give use Home Land Security and now the TSA, good guys that they are.

[Pud]

Alone, relying on me.

I'd revisit the first word in that thought. I used to think that until I started mercilessly cutting off the mooches, hangers-on and willfully ignorant. It has made a huge difference. If you're patient with people who are willing to challenge their own assumptions, you'll be shocked how they start showing up as badasses in different ways.


It's best to give your full support of the Bankers.

Agree. Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar's. He will be sure to hang himself with it one day. No effort required on your part.

[Firestorm]

I'm with Cranium, I don't rely on anyone but myself. I have a handful (read that as you can count them on one hand) of people I trust and that's it.

It was an interesting read though.

[Pud]

I don't rely on anyone but myself
How sad. I'm sorry.

[Deadly_Toxin]

I'm with Cranium, I don't rely on anyone but myself.

Times three. Needing to rely on someone's for pussies.

[Mamba]

Times three. Needing to rely on someone's for pussies.



I thought that said "needing to rely on someone for pussy."

LULZ.

[CrAnIuM]

I'm with Cranium,


Times three.

I'm thinking pud is talking a little more than self reliance. Because even in a GROUP one should practice self reliance to some degree.

I see his point and understand that no man is an island concept. Roughing it in the bush with mud for a hat is one thing and can reasonably be done until one's death day for the single guy or a small band of crazies. But for most folks there is need for community and neighbors.

After all 1 person will work 24/7 trying to feed himself. A small group can actually prosper and not be living hand to mouth. I've thought about this in great exhaustive detail and understand that long term survival has a factor of community involved. I'm just not willing to integrate and will most likely never be part of some large scale commune.

[Mamba]

I'm just not willing to integrate

reaaaaaaaaally?

[KommieKat]

Times three. Needing to rely on someone's for pussies.

So, you make your own clothes, pick your own eggs from the hen house and slaughter your own pig and cattle?

You don't use electricity and instead opt for candle light and a broom to sweep the floors?

Nonsense. Utter nonsense.

I think you are confusing the issue here.
We are not talking about Co-dependency. This is not about your ex-boyfriend still clinging to your ankles when you dumped him 5 months ago.

[Pud]

ex-boyfriend still clinging to your ankles when you dumped him 5 months ago.
Bahaha!

Nor is it about communes or being a sloth or a mooch, etc.

More to the point: if uber-wealthy people are combining their resources and run an exclusive club for themselves, it seems to me that the rest of us are just assisting them in wresting the few remaining resources we still control (e.g.: Social Security) by fighting among ourselves.

[proper stranger]

It sounds a bit like a lot of those middle class and poor people who have adopted the new fad of voting against their own best interest, while other middle class to poor people base their votes on what they and their family need.
Split the vote, and once again, the corrupt government officials, who answer only to the wealthy and special interest groups who gave big bucks to their campaign, win again. And let's not forget about the Wall street bailout, or the wittling away of our rights. The poor stay poor. The rich get richer.

My $0.02

[Pud]

The poor stay poor. The rich get richer.
This works until it doesn't. And then it flips. Think French Revolution. The people at both the top and the bottom of the pyramid simply *can't* stop milking the productive classes (those in the middle) until there's nothing left. They don't know how to do anything else. Some random event (the currently-vogue term is Black Swan) triggers complete capitulation of the status quo.

How it sorts out from there is anyone's guess.

[TopGrey]

This works until it doesn't. And then it flips. Think French Revolution. The people at both the top and the bottom of the pyramid simply *can't* stop milking the productive classes (those in the middle) until there's nothing left. They don't know how to do anything else. Some random event (the currently-vogue term is Black Swan) triggers complete capitulation of the status quo.

How it sorts out from there is anyone's guess.

Despite our other thread I have to say that I've held your above statement as my belief for about two decades now. It seems funny to me that neither the rich nor the poor can exist without the middle-class.

We've (the wife, kids, and myself) along with a couple of other close friends have started doing what we can to be as self reliant as possible. Where we find short-comings in our house one of the other families may be able to fill that spot. It's just something we started doing just in case everything around us collapses completely.

Make yourself as useful as possible, offer your help where you can, but be able to make it on your own if needed.

[Pud]

Despite our other thread I have to say that I've held your above statement as my belief
Just because you don't approve of who you think I am doesn't mean I have nothing of value to offer. This, in a nutshell, is the hubris that plagues our culture now. It will be our undoing.

[TopGrey]

Just because you don't approve of who you think I am

Pud, I don't believe I have once commented who I think you might be and have never passed judgment for approval or disapproval. You, however, have passed judgment about me with apparent loathing. I would say that the majority of people have little to offer unless you need gossip or the latest info on *place name here* reality show. That, along with not seeing the value in those that truly have it, will indeed be the end of us.