Topic: Politics

[Uroboros]

Remember the good old days when Pat's posts weren't mostly just calling people idiots?
Maybe he's channeling the spirit of Daxx.

[Inkling]

Clayface just brings out the best in people.

[PatMan33]

Remember the good old days when Pat's posts weren't mostly just calling people idiots?
Maybe he's channeling the spirit of Daxx.

Why do you care? You've never been nice to me.

I've got no patience anymore for people being retarded. And a lot of it stems from the fact that college isn't leading me anywhere, my work doesn't pay me enough, my bills are only getting higher, and my country that I love is being held hostage by jerkwad lawyers, greedy businessmen, and crackpot religious fanatics. So forgive me if I'm a little pissed off all the time anymore.

[Clayface]

this event should make national news, and it will make a difference, if not a major one it will at least let the government feel some pressure that it's citizens don't agree with what it's doing,

To quote the Deceleration of Independence; a document on which our Nation was formed :

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form

in short if the citizens no longer feel the government is acting in their best interest, we have the right to deny consent to be governed by said government.
In the past few years it's become more and more apparent the U.S government is not acting on behalf of the common people, but instead has been acting on the best interest of the corporations and the super-rich.
The fat cats in Congress don't care about the unemployed and destitute working Middle Class Americans;
they need to raise the taxes on the rich, to at LEAST the same rate as the middle class.
it's ridiculous that the wealthy have to pay a lower % in taxes than the rich, when the rich are the ones that actually HAVE money.

And don't even get me started on the Patriot act,
A bill that makes it LEGAL for the government to break into our houses and plant bugs / tap phones and make it look like a break in.
The government is allowed to intrude in anyone's home without warrent and unannounced and they don't have to tell you they did afterwards.
and it makes them allowed to arrest people for what they SAY
which is ridiculous and unconstitutional

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO FREE SPEECH

[Plank of Wood]

You're a ****ing idiot.

[PatMan33]

I absolutely agree with the idea that citizens should rise up against their government if it is ineffective or corrupt.

But you were pushing a protest that is backed with hate. Hate is rooted in anger and anger in fear. Fear will not be the root of any protest I am a part of. Because when you protest out of fear and anger and hate, you end up with suffering.

[Krakow Sam]

And on that note, lets all chill out before everything gets ugly.

[PatMan33]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdC89Vy6pC0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdC89Vy6pC0</a>

Great game last night!

[Clayface]

lol ok Yoda, what? worried I might turn to the dark side?

The government is like the Empire / dark side,  The protestors are like the Rebel alliance
when the rebels fought the empire did they not do it out of hate / anger?
yes they blew up the governmental space station (death star) which would be the equivalent of us nuking D.C
which is a bit extreme.  So we're not as extreme as the rebel alliance in star wars, and yet their new world order was not dark or evil, they didn't end up with suffering even though they used more extremist tactics than we would ever.


A random anon ranting on the subject.  (not starwars)

It has become very clear that our government has no interest in the well being of its citizens

it is big business that commands the attention of our leaders

this must be changed

But to do this we must all take part in whatever way we can

the banks, lobbyists, wall-street thugs, and Rupert Murdochs of the world will not give up

so we cannot either.

the debt ceiling debate came to an end with cuts to the middle-class, the Poor, the Elderly and the Sick.

at the same time, multi-billion dollar corporations continue to get tax breaks by sending our jobs overseas

along with those atrocities we are still in danger of a crushing recession

which undoubtedly will be felt only by you and i.

 

and while this debate raged on for us all to see, there was yet another hidden agenda,

that has been supressed. they are calling it the Super Congress

this is just another way to take us, the citizens out of the picture

so we have less choice where we already have ALMOST NONE.

 

This is another stone in the wall between you and your freedom.

How much Longer can we allow this to occur while we sit back passively, go shopping and watch television

if we do not stand up and take back our country from the corporations and the banks now

they will only continue to create more laws without our knowledge, the same way they did with

the USA PATRIOT ACT.

The main goal of this message is to excite, incite you to look, listen, think and disobey

 

when a US company like General Electric can make 14.2 billion dollars and pay zero taxes

while the supreme court is allowed to make laws saying corporations have the same rights as citizens

and can now legally buy the elected officials of their choice.

This is CLEARLY a problem that needs to be addressed

 on September 17 accross the country we will be heard

Warning - while you were typing 2 new replies have been posted. You may wish to review your post.

[Inkling]

Okay Clay, for this post I'm going to set aside the ways in which I think you are wrong or misinformed about this.  I know you aren't the one behind this day of rage thing, but as a Political Consultant I'm going to hand out some free advice.

Did anyone check their calendars when they picked September 17th?  It's a Saturday.  No one will be there.  I know that might be when the most people could show up, but State Legislators go home on the weekends.

A significant number of state legislatures are only in session for the first part of the year.  Not only will no one be there on a Saturday, a good number won't even be there for the entire month.

And most importantly, this whole debt ceiling fiasco, as well as your points about Congress and the Patriot act, are all Federal issues, not state.  State governments had nothing to do with any of those things. 

You and whichever Anonymous dudes that started this thing might think you are brave Rebels going up against the evil Empire.  But you aren't launching an attack on the Death Star, you're showing up at Jabba's palace when he's on his ship on the other side of the desert for the rest of the month.

[Uroboros]

Why do you care?

Because i'm part of the forum. Watching you go from someone who could make a point with a sense of humour, into someone who is generally just being abrasive is a little bit of a bitter pill to swallow. If only because I know the moderatorship aren't likely to try giving you a nudge in the right direction, due to being a high profile/popular member. Familiarity breeds contempt and all that, and besides, they don't like throwing their weight around. And I have too been nice to you! But I always call it as I see it, and just lately? You've been a bit of a dick. Whereas me? Yeah I guess i've always been a bit of a dick, if only because i've always been a "reality check" kind of guy. I don't believe in disregarding stuff where friends or acquaintances go a bit too far, I guess.

I just think you should simmer down a bit. Every other post of yours lately seems to be short stabs of just telling people to f**k off. And before you say it, yeah, i'm not a moderator, it isn't my place to dictate stuff like this, but i'm not even trying to wave a police baton here. We're a community, and the only reason I do stuff like this is to try stop GS discreetly sliding down to be just another slow-burning pretentious flaming/trolling grounds. The only reason i'm focused on you and not Clay is because, well, you are simply easier to reason with. The collective facepalm against 'em doesn't need any more reinforcement against the hyperbole.

I've got no patience anymore for people being retarded. And a lot of it stems from the fact that college isn't leading me anywhere, my work doesn't pay me enough, my bills are only getting higher, and my country that I love is being held hostage by jerkwad lawyers, greedy businessmen, and crackpot religious fanatics. So forgive me if I'm a little pissed off all the time anymore.

Maybe it is time to stop worrying and learn to love the bomb.
That sounded witty and I have no idea what I just implied.  :3c

[PatMan33]

You should be a moderator because at least you have a spine.

Part of the reason I've been so sour is because I think the moderators have been lazy and aren't doing their job.

[removed - M]

I've put up with it for a very long time but I'm sick of it. If people are going to abuse me, I won't roll over anymore.


**EDIT**
Look, I don't hate anyone here. I'm just frustrated, is all.

And I want people to tell me to shut my whore mouth if I'm being a dick. But I make no apologies because it's not my place to apologize. This is everyone's problem.

[Uroboros]

I would see it as part of the 'family' forum ethic though, where we keep ourselves in line through our bickering rather than through moderators having to throw hardblocks with their powers.

As for other people being dickish, yeah, I noticed it. Though I recently realised i'm terrible at telling the sarcastic, jovial ribbing apart from the genuine jabs. That is also part of the problem with over-familiarity and the proliferation of troll-culture. Anybody seen to be taking a jab seriously (even if it was meant to annoy/burn) are just taunted even more. I've just learned to accept that don't have a very good radar for these kinds of things, especially with me not taking part in the IRC to keep track of any personal irks/arguements that cropped up. It is worth saying that there needs to be some kind of cut-off point for the sarcasm/jokes/jabs, because eventually, s**t does start to actually take an effect.

Looks like I stumbled on a can of worms, but now I have to flee. If I had more time i'd probably ponder openly about this, but my ride just arrived (after being nearly 3 hours late, without telling me they had a chance of plans, augh).

[PatMan33]

Big can of worms.

And I agree, since being a troll has become popular, the problems have gotten much, much worse. As far as moderation is concerned, the current team has always taken a stance of talking first and refusing to take action except in the most extreme cases. It didn't work then, and it doesn't work now. Punishments need to be handed out for bad behavior, it's the only way people will learn out here. The Internet is the Wild West. There are no rules, no compassion, and no sense of responsibility. The only way you will keep people in line is with force.

[munchkin5]

I've got to say pat, that sounds like a terrible idea.

Am i the only one who doesn't think the problem is that severe?