Blair is a snaggletooth.
Blair is a snaggletooth.
A couple notes. First off I haven't seen a dentist since dad went to a the lower paying job(for 3-4 years if I recall right) because the dentist charged too much. It was more then a visit and treatment by our local medical group(doctors office)! Course we had no insurance at the time.. and the doctor was part of our community(the dentist office was in an other town) knew we were having financial difficulty so he did what he could to keep the expense of a visit and treatment as low as possible.
Anyways.. Just wanted to say that it depends on where you are at for dentist pricing.
As to public education.. I am sure you all know where I am standing on this issue. But lets just say I am for it.. but it does need some reforms! And I know how tough it is to fix it. We were asked to fix it in our Senior Government class(particually in how it should be financed). Right an essay to fix it. We had some interesting suggestions. It isn't easy. But if a bunch of senior highschoolers can come up with plausable plans that have a somewhat chance of working(teach said he may submit some of the ideas to the teachers union.. and the rest in the school knew about them.. so I guess that means some were fairly effective looking) I am sure "well educated" adults can find the answer.
Comunism-----------
I think Hachifusa(I hate trying to spell that out :rolleyes2) that you and I are looking at it differently. To me communism is exactly how you act with freinds(or at least how I act) where you share and help each other. I view communism as a communal where all share and help one another. This I would hope would bring people together. True if you go too far in either direction you screw it up beyond believe the balance(in my mind) is impossible to maintain in true communism. Which is why the gov I like best is the Capitalism/Socialism merger type deal. I like the idea of most of the programs the US has implemented... I just wish they would actually work. Be most efficent and the taxes would be less then now. We don't really need more money in... in fact we may have TOO much money in it. We just need to iron out the wrinkles and untie the knots.
If we left taxes as is.. we could have it so teachers got paid alot.(which I think they should... right know in my school they get so little that in order to easily make a living they have to have thier wife make the money. The single teachers live in bad houses. I mean 25k to 30k a year aint' bad for the fact that they get summer off and the fact that they are single. But we must keep in mind that they(if they do thier job well) tend to take courses at colleges and the like during the summer.. not to mention many I know do a lot of school work over summer time too. Thus they really do get chaffed in my mind. They work hard(if they do thier job right(imo)) and have to spend money on refresher/advancment courses.. should you not think they should get a bit more then a factory worker?
STILL Updating the anime list. . . I didn't think I was that much of an anime freak! I don't even want to consider updating the manga list!
It's nice of your idea of communism, but frankly, it's ruined the moment one dissenter (such as I) doesn't want a part of it. The reason why it works between your friends is because you all like each other. People call me greedy - but I'd give up a hell of a lot to help my friends and family out, or anyone who I think deserves it. I am just against giving it to people who don't deserve it (idiots, liberals, conservatives, etc.). It's my money - I don't want to work for the skinheads down the street. Let them pay their own goddamn bills.
Another thing is just that even though that sounds good to you, it doesn't to everyone. So why force so many people against it? America didn't take the anti-communistic stance for no reason, remember. Not that it's good to be anti-communist because most people think so, but there are extremely valid reasons against it.
Join a commune, if you like, but don't force us all to join.
Well as I said if you didn't work(thus the people that wouldn't diserve it) something would happen. Simply my idea would to export them or to stop the support. I am all fine for not supporting those who refuse to help support themselves, etc...
There is a reason why I say it won't work in reality mainly cause "you can make some people happy some of the time but you can't make everyone happy all the time" or some such.
Communism, in order to work, requires everyone willing to work and help one another. once that is broken the system is broke. And due to human nature Communism is unlikely to work. If I had one wish I would wish for a nation(not the whole world) that would be composed of those willing and capable of living in a communal type government. I would also expresely wish that no one can mess with this nation and that it was self sufficent. Mainly cause it woudl by all likely hood be small and defensless.. and with the hatred towards communism some have(you don't like it for your reasons..that I understand. But something isn't evil/wrong just cause it is a different view(such as my MMORPG server type example)) the nation coudl be subject to attack or harm.
Just different views that is all they are. Neither one is inherently evil or wrong. It just so happens that more abusive rulers have used the communism ideals and name and twisted it to their use. Cause you see in a true communal you probably wouldn't have a true single leader.
Now the thing is you can have a democratic communism. It ain't the ecconomic system that is what causes the trouble. It is the ruling system. Stalin could have had a capitalistic economy if he so wished(I am sure it wouldn't be true laisefaire capitalism. .but niether are we) and still commited those attrocities due to the way the Government was ran. However, even that doesn't mean those type of ruling systems are wrong.. just that they are easily abused.
STILL Updating the anime list. . . I didn't think I was that much of an anime freak! I don't even want to consider updating the manga list!
Glad to see we are finding a middle ground hachifusa
I still advocate public education and health. Do you believe in equal opportunity (that is everyone has an equal chance at life as the next person regardless of gender/race/heritage/parents/genetic reasons until they do something stupid like kill someone). Without public education and health equal opportunity does not exist. Taxes that fund these things are equal to everyone everywhere thus do not hinder equal opportunity.
As i have said and shown earlier the majority of your taxes go to military spending. If you wish to tackle the big issues first why not start with the biggest? Also
If this is true then why did Bush win a second term?Yes, the war sucks. Yes, most of America (except the creepy conservatives) hates the war. That isn't a product of freedom, I assure you. It is the product of a crazy president, a Congress that lacks integrity, a bunch of patriotic nonsense and that's about all.
That is an easy one FluroChoco. You see Bush had no real competition. Kerry was not a great choice.. not to mention we were in Iraq at the time so many would feel safer with the same guy in power since he was the one who should have it all planed out.
Basicaly it ain't that they voted for Bush(or so it is with many I know) rather they voted agaisnt Kerry.
STILL Updating the anime list. . . I didn't think I was that much of an anime freak! I don't even want to consider updating the manga list!
Which comes back to my argument against the first past the post election system. With a preferential vote system such as Australia has Bush could be the president, but if he didn't control the house of reps and the senate (part of the british and our political system) then he couldn't have gone to war as easily, and it is quite possible for the leader (president or prime minister) to not control both houses. Has only recently happend in Australia where Howard controls both. Is pretty scary for me, he can do whatever he wants, he can rewrite the constitution if it pleases him. Of course this wont happen because of public outcry and the other parties still hold some sway.
Anyway, with a preferential voting system America would give a fair voice to the minorities, people could have voted against Kerry without giving Bush control.
Erm, I dunno about Aus, but here in Britain it is an impossibility for the Prime Minister not to have a majority in the House of Commons. The House of Lords is another matter - I disagree with them in principle, but they've done a lot of good things for us - but the way our system works is that the PM is whoever wins the most seats in the Commons.Originally Posted by FluroChoco
Anyway, another reason I have heard that many voted for Bush was because they were sick and tired of the rest of the world trying to tell them who to vote for.
For the record, Bush doesn't control Congress. He's just, apparently, charismatic (what?!) and our Senators are pretty stupid for clapping every three seconds to whatever tripe he says.
About the war - more seriously, most of America doesn't agree that we should have gone to war, but a lot feel that we should stay and finish what we said we were going to. I don't. But a lot of people think that the troops should stick around and help bring about a free Iraq. Which is noble. In fact, I'd like to see more free socities. But, it's the means in which we're doing it and whatnot that makes this a stupid, pointless war - not to mention the semi-puppet government that we might just establish.
Like I said before, I didn't care who won the war. If it was Bush, I would have to fight a pointless war. If it was Kerry, I'd have to fight against a Socialist America. Whatever. I voted Libertarian.
Non-mandatory 'public' healthcare and education are fine. My university, for instance, charges a (small) optional fee that provides for medical assistance. You choose whether or not to support it. That is acceptable because the individual chooses whether or not to enter the program.
Nationwide healthcare and education should (and can) be the same. Enough people will likely continue paying that the system retains itself, and those who choose not to pay can use their money in whatever manner they deem appropriate.
When it came to values and cleaniness the Native Americans of North America had the greatest civilization. Progress would've gone a lot slower if they were the dominant of the world because they don't live off the land. They liv eon the land and they nourish it. Which is why when the europeans came they had no immunities because their way of life was so damn clean that they rarely ever had diseases. Now Europeans were the nastiest of all people. We could all agree on this,
I don't think it's possible to select one. They all suck, face it - humans are backstabbing, lying, non-altruistic, etc. sort of beings. Seriously, did a cat create religion? Did a frog grant oppression? Do centipedes make laws?
Civilizations are bad. However, if I were to use 'greatest', 'civilization', and 'ever', all in one sentnence, in that order, Germany, Japan, and Russia come to mind.
Germany almost took over the entire world twice (There's a lot of things wrong with that, by the way - of course, good things could come from it too.) But, in defining 'greatness' there was one such man named Alexander the Great who was given that title because he had so much land
This brings me to Russia. Overlook the actual population and any politic problems it has, but look on a map. Do you see a bigger country than Russia? This is Greatness.
Moving on to Japan, and of course tying it in to this wondrous forum called 'Eyes on Final Fantasy' what sort of people came up with Final Fantasy? Japanese people. Who was rigorous but rewarding education system? Glance back a ways and see 'Japanese people' again. Who isn't allowed to have a military - and of course, therefore pacifist/pro-life/non-warmongerring - because other nations oppress it so? The Japanese.
Once again, a civilization is a terrible thing. Especially the ones that involve people.
How disgusting
I have seen that written online every so often. But never have I heard it spoken in this country that supposedly had people doing that. So, I write it up to the same basic catagory as how most of the world knows of the city of Chicago, but most outside of the US couldn't name the state it's in. Every society is guilty of misconceptions about every other society. Especially the part where they somehow believe that all other cultures are like their own, only a bit different... if that makes sence.
As for "greatest civilization" theory... what are we measuring by? If we go with the cultures that have the healthiest population (least number of non-accidental and/or preventable natural deaths)- then we'd have a close competition between America, Britain, and Australia. Clearly, this is based on averages of the populations. America was in the lead until the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afganistan.... presumably, we're no longer there.
If we go by technological developement, America and Japan are in heavy competition in that area. America is producing the innovative new devices that go one to change the world. Consider the score thus far.... electicity, light bulbs, automatic weapons, submarines, cars, airplanes, robotics, computers, the internet, and counting. Whereas the Japanese have taken our designs and improved on many (at least the most commonly used) of them.
If we count by territory owned, then it's a battle between Russia and China. Well, Russia a few decades ago. Nowadays, with all the new countries breaking away, Russia is losing territory. And, of what they still own, they can hardly be said to "controlling" it. Much of the eastern section of Russia has yet to hear of WW1.
If we count population, China is the clear victor... India, second place, doesn't come close. However, like Russia, many Chinese villages are hardly connected to the country. The don't make up much of the population (most of which you'll find within a few choice cities)- but they make up a quarter of the area within China's borders. There are over a DOZEN different languages in China. At least three of which were discovered since '94.
As far as military might. Well, in this case, the US is definately unrivalled. Fully committed to a total war (instead of this fine-tuned occupation stuff), the American military could easily crush any other country's forces. Probably make a good run at taking the combined forces of the rest of the planet.... which we'd probably lose, but it'd be one helluva competition. Of course, nukes change the system a bit.
Regardless, we can rule out all ancient civilizations. Their governments were corrupt in ways that make contemporary stuff look childlike in it's innocence. Their populations were doomed to short, miserable, bleak and pitiable existances. Life and death were cheap... when starvation, violence and laughably simple diseases are the top three killers in the world (the so-called "black plague", people catch it on occasions even today, it's often mistaken as a bad flu). We might as well shrug off their technologies.
As far as the arguments about socialism/etc/etc- let history do the judging of how well that works. There has yet to be a socialist or communist government that has lasted any longer than a couple decades. And don't claim that China is an exception. China's a fascist regime, communist in name only.
So you'd rule out Greece, with their mythology? The amazing Roman Empire - home to Roman Catholicism? You'd rule out Asia (Ancient China had an incredible strategist named Genhis Khan.) Ancient Japan, built upon Honor?Regardless, we can rule out all ancient civilizations.
Check out a conspiracy website sometime. Sure, it's all nuts, but really - If you don't know what others think is going on, how could you possibly condemn an ancient civilization?Their governments were corrupt in ways that make contemporary stuff look childlike in it's innocence.
Take India for example. People don't exactly value life there. True story - my father's there on a business trip. He's stop at a sign or light or something - this guy gets out of his car, goes and beats on a guy in another car, gets back in and drives away. 'miserable, bleak'? Or do you consider that a happy fairy tale?Their populations were doomed to short, miserable, bleak and pitiable existances. Life and death were cheap...
Starvation and violence? It seems there's people in poverty in the USA, are you saying they don't starve? Even to death? And that's just in the USA. I won't talk about any 'third-world' countries. As for violence, there have been shootings. In schools. In the USA!when starvation, violence and laughably simple diseases are the top three killers in the world (the so-called "black plague", people catch it on occasions even today, it's often mistaken as a bad flu). We might as well shrug off their technologies.
And for some reason, the way you stated that life and death are cheap I take it you've seen Full Metal Alchemist. If you haven't, it states that the adult human being can be built on the cheap. But science is missing something. Science only outlawed human alchemy because it wasn't able to do it. That's like.... quitting with technology. Saying ancient technologies are irrelevent. Etc.
I'd say past civilizations have given modern civs. a run for our money.
My appoligies if this is harsh.
How disgusting
Yes, I'll rule out ancient Greece. Any society that executes some of it's greatest visionaries is a little lacking in cultural advancement. For that matter, when execution is considered public spectacle, then you can't exactly slice that up as "advanced".
As for the "Amazing Roman Empire".... don't get me started. They became an empire through the rape and destruction of hundreds of lesser cultures. There are languages that don't exist because the Romans actively destroyed them. Burned every text, killed everyone who could speak them. Rome is the shining paragon of all things to do with the abuse of power. They only built roads in order to keep the soldiers in line. Smart, yes... altruistic, no way in hell. And who are you to say Roman Catholicism is greater than any one of the dozens of religions that they helped to destroy.
Uh... Ghenghis Khan... brilliant strategist, that much is true. Then again, so was Hitler. And the "Honor" codes of China and Japan were wonderful in and of themselves. Too bad that they were almost never practiced. Some followed them, no doubt, but the society as a whole barely paid lip service. And Japan's "Honor" isn't so ancient. They were following that very same "Honor" right into World War 2... Pearl Harbor was about as honorable as a dagger in the back.
Corruption... well, how about "this girl turned down my advances... therefor, I'm going to rape her in the street and order my men to kill her every living relative in front of her. They'll obey the order, and no one will ever do anything about it. They won't even argue. Conspiracy theories aside, even if they're all true, that stuff happens hidden in the shadows. The old school brand was done in plain sight without fear. No competition.Check out a conspiracy website sometime. Sure, it's all nuts, but really - If you don't know what others think is going on, how could you possibly condemn an ancient civilization?
Take India for example. People don't exactly value life there. True story - my father's there on a business trip. He's stop at a sign or light or something - this guy gets out of his car, goes and beats on a guy in another car, gets back in and drives away. 'miserable, bleak'? Or do you consider that a happy fairy tale?
Oh, and I'm full aware that there are still spots in the world that don't place much value on human life. It's a disgrace and degeneration that still exists today, but we shouldn't excuse the past for it any more than the present. That's like saying "well, there are still serial killers, so Jack the Ripper isn't all that bad". I'm kinda disappointed that you brought up India, not Africa.Starvation and violence? It seems there's people in poverty in the USA, are you saying they don't starve? Even to death? And that's just in the USA. I won't talk about any 'third-world' countries. As for violence, there have been shootings. In schools. In the USA!
As for the technology, I was saying that no single culture in the past contributed much ALONE to the advancement. Brilliant developements occured every so often across the globe almost at random. The creators of those advancements deserve credit, but it's like they just appeared out of nowhere. Spontaneously, nothing but a particular area's luck that *this* person would be a revolutionary genius.
I didn't say life and death are cheap. I said that ancient cultures treated life cheaply. Individuals treated as if they don't exist, save for what they can do to serve the desires of those who have power. And that much, as far as a historical perspective, is certainly true.And for some reason, the way you stated that life and death are cheap I take it you've seen Full Metal Alchemist. If you haven't, it states that the adult human being can be built on the cheap. But science is missing something. Science only outlawed human alchemy because it wasn't able to do it. That's like.... quitting with technology. Saying ancient technologies are irrelevent. Etc.
And I've seen the show. Pretty good, I think, but it had no influence on my statement. Almost everything I've said here, I've said before ever seeing the show, in debates going back years.
Oh, don't apologize, I like harsh. As long as you discuss intelligently, and you have thus far.I'd say past civilizations have given modern civs. a run for our money.
My appoligies if this is harsh.
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