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| Posted By: impersonator Posted On: Feb 13, 2007 Views: 558 | RE: I appologize... sorry bro, I WOULD trust your views on such things since you're from the 80's, BUT, it seems that your desire to actually make change in this world and carry a humanist point of view is bleak and non-existant. Therefor, I don't really think that any of your goals back in those days was to change the world in a positive way at all, your views were entirely introverted towards yourself, and it seems like they still are. But hey, that's not a put down, your goals are your goals, but for you to make a statement that everyone back then was only focused on themselves....well, I don't really feel like you really have the room to speak for an entire generation. peace and love |
| Posted By: Posted On: Feb 13, 2007 Views: 553 | RE: I appologize... And you DO have a right to speak for them, Impersonator? You weren't even there. |
| Posted By: Posted On: Feb 13, 2007 Views: 550 | RE: I appologize... "but for you to make a statement that everyone back then was only focused on themselves...." That actually isn't what I said. If you are going to ask questions you should spend time reading the replies. |
| Posted By: Hal Posted On: Feb 14, 2007 Views: 544 | RE: I appologize... Well, there's some truth in that. Did anyone notice that our parents' generation (well, I'm 29, so MY parents) went from flower children to the leaders of politics and industry? Ha!...before the war, my dad bought stock in several munitions companies with government contracts. No question our values change as we age. As you get older, I'm guessing, you figure the world can go to hell, as long as you're living in upper-middle-class peace. Unfortunately, it's human nature. I guess you just run out of gas. I'd like to do better. But I probably won't. As for the pendulum swinging further in the past than before, sure. There was about a 200-year "Crusading movement" in the Middle Ages that was a total nut-roll. You cited some good examples of American politics run hard to the extremes (McCarthyism, Prohibition). But even in the darkest days of WWII, nobody was thinking nuclear apocalypse. With more on the line than ever, people get a little more intense. A little more polarized. |
| Posted By: Hal Posted On: Feb 14, 2007 Views: 543 | RE: I appologize... Impersonator- Here's the Klosterman article. Hope I don't get arrested for some copyright issue. I especially like the line: "Security has a way of making philosophy irrelevant, and anyone who disagrees is either a liar or a tenured professor." http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2006/061207_mfe_January_07_revo lution.html -HF |
| Posted By: Hal Posted On: Feb 14, 2007 Views: 542 | RE: I appologize... Acchh....the link I posted for the Klosterman revolution article is somehow wrong. Near the end of the link is the word "revolution"....for some reason, there's a space in the middle of it. Delete the space, and the link should work. Life is good. My class is snowed out today up here in Vermont. I'm up to my butt in reading I'm supposed to be doing. Excelsior! |
| Posted By: impersonator Posted On: Feb 14, 2007 Views: 536 | RE: RE: I appologize... wow on that klosterman article. There were some things that he said that cracked me up pretty hard lol. I did agree with many of his "what if" view-points, however, I also think that given certain extreme situations that citizens would rise up into revolt. Sometimes it's hard to imagine yourself in an extremely obscure situation when you're currently not in one, or you haven't ever experienced one. Although, with the hierarchical system that's in place it would be rather difficult in deciding where we would even start. But, you should never under-estimate the populous when it comes to such things. Hal, what I'm pretty much hearing from you and the unknown guy (I really wish he would just use a ****ing name already...) is that eventually it became apparent to you that you couldn't change anything and you should just live your own life forgetting about those around you. You're comfortable with where you're at and you never want to do anything that could possibly ever jeopardize that because more than likely it wouldn't work anyways....Now, I know that everything that's said within this conversation that we've all been having seems to be an endless path of contradictions, but, it just feels like once you've said "that's it, I give up, I'm taking the easy path and I'm just going to live my life in my own little world" that you've lost that spark inside of you that gives you more meaning to be here. I guess I'm just kinda seeing (what I atleast think to be) a larger view. If in fact there is nothingness waiting for us after we die, then what should we do in the meantime? Sure, you could do whatever you wished to do in life even if it meant only further tearing everyone apart even if it should only be in a miniscule way. Or, you could strive to make this world a better place for everyone through some self-sacrifice, all the while remaining joyfoul in some of the things you love to do. But then another contradiction comes to mind, the definition of "this world being a better place". With over 6 billion people on this planet we surely don't all have the same idea of what "better" is. I feel this thought has lead many people to the same conclusion of "well **** it, I'll just do what I want to do then die, screw what could help anyone else". So what do we do? Surely the "**** it" view is only going to lead to our own demise right? I don't see ANYTHING positive about that way of thinking at all. It does seem to be a very self-centred stance towards our world. Perhaps there's very few of us left that actually believe in putting others before ourselves. Generations to come learn from example, what we do now reflects upon them, so should we show them how to continue to plummit this world into a place where all everyone does is fight? Or, should we encourage unity and peace so that we can further ourselves into a future that holds a promise of a higher understanding? peace and love |
| Posted By: Hal Posted On: Feb 14, 2007 Views: 533 | RE: I appologize... I teach middle school social studies and coach youth baseball...you know, making those little differences, such as they are. I try to make kids think outside the way they usually would. I've worked in low-income areas, where most of the kids aren't going to have the chance at the "wow moment" when a college professor blows their mind for the first time and makes them realize that politics are important because they DO affect you....so I try to steer them that way a little. Sometimes they put away their frigging cell phones and stuff and listen. That's always nice. I'm not saying it's hopeless. I'm not even saying I've given up the fight. But it seems like every generation starts out like Young Turks trying to rip the world in half and set it on fire and start a better one....and every generation eventually just hopes to ride out their days in peace before some maniacs rip the world in half and set it on fire (paraphrasing Hunter S. Thompson here). My passion for politics ultimately just feeds my alcoholism. But there's nothing like having a bunch of friends in Iraq to make poor political decisions feel like personal insults.... |
| Posted By: Hal Posted On: Feb 14, 2007 Views: 532 | RE: I appologize... Also, I agree on our no-name friend. People that don't bring any interesting viewpoints to the table are more than welcome to not use names. But when someone's feeding my brain IDEAS rather than mindless INSULTS, I want to afford appropriate respect, and I wish they'd identify themselves. I know what it is: he/she must be working for the government!...that's how the Patriot Act REALLY crushes dissent....they have a staff of thousands making $10 an hour to cruise message boards and tell young people that their idealism is hopeless! It's like an anti-Camelot! ;) |
| Posted By: Posted On: Feb 14, 2007 Views: 530 | RE: I appologize... "But it seems like every generation starts out like Young Turks trying to rip the world in half and set it on fire and start a better one....and every generation eventually just hopes to ride out their days in peace before some maniacs rip the world in half and set it on fire (paraphrasing Hunter S. Thompson here)." Exactly. You learn that life is short and you can spend the rest of it on a hopeless task or you can spend it trying to enjoy it as much as possible. BTW, I love Hunter Thompson. Talk about living by your own rules. I stopped using a name because everyone just copies them here. If you need to call me something just call me "that asshole". No I don't work for the government. God no. I couldn't stand the snail pace of things or all the red tape and I could never work for $10 an hour ever again. Oh and I told you before I haven't even come close to losing my spark. Maybe you would but I haven't. "So what do we do?" You can do whatever you want. It sounds like Hal is going to get drunk and I am going to go play video games for a while and then get back to work. |
| Posted By: Hal Posted On: Feb 14, 2007 Views: 525 | RE: I appologize... I really like that asshole. Good guy! And it's not quite 8:00pm....and I'm just a LITTLE drunk. Happy Blizzard-in-the-Northeast/Valentine's Day! |
| Posted By: impersonator Posted On: Feb 15, 2007 Views: 516 | RE: I appologize... Hal I am very happy to hear that you're making such an impact on the lives of the youth. My mother had also taught as well, she specialized in the GT department, now she is the admninistrative assistant for the counties GT department. I've come to a drastic conclusion...You (Hal), "that asshole guy", and I need to all get together for a couple of cocktails sometime. I'm in Colorado, and assuming that you're both from different states I guess that we could just find some place in the middle to meet. We'll drink Rum and Coke, and the both of you can tell me exactly how dumb and youthful I am, and that I'll change my views someday while I flip you off (jokingly mind you). The night will of course be full of laughter. peace and love (and Rum and Coke) |
| Posted By: Hal Posted On: Feb 15, 2007 Views: 514 | RE: I appologize... See....here's the thing about teaching. I can afford rum. And I can afford Coke. I can't especially afford plane tickets. I'll take a rain check for the time being. Good luck on your own adventurous trip, as well.... |
| Posted By: impersonator Posted On: Feb 16, 2007 Views: 500 | RE: I appologize... well now, that's not a problem for me, that "little" (ya right) trip that I took there racked up some frequent flier miles for me. I didn't only make that trip once (there and back), no no, my young and "in love" ass just haddddd to go there twice. So plane tickets, not a problem. I'm guess that "that asshold guy" is not short on change at all.... Sorry, I forgot you were a teacher which means near volunteer work. But hey, money should never be a priority in life. peace and love |
| Posted By: Posted On: Feb 16, 2007 Views: 498 | RE: I appologize... No, I'm good with the change but I don't drink and hanging out in one of those "halfway" states would make me want to start. |
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