L. Marcus Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Basic science is a completely valid use of taxpayer money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER *chuckle* mostly agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER You are thinking far too long term. We need to continue on this path of self destruction if the transition of the country to China is going to go smoothly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Currently half watched Sicko. Is there any major part of American social life not destroyed by Big X (eg Big Banks, Big Pharma, Big Insurance, Gun Lobby) lobbing Washington to take the power away from the people? Some days I wonder where the freedom IS in America. *sigh* Too depressing, I'm gonna have a lie down for 7 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Well, Moore does tend to focus on extremes and exaggeration quite a bit. There is some truth in the core of the message, but obviously there is a lot of propaganda and spin as well. But yes, there is a considerable amount of influence from the Big X in this country, but for the most part we are still a very capitalist and free country. The real problem comes from all the obfuscation by the Big Xs. For example, it looks like choice on the surface, but in reality the biggest of the Big Xs own all the Little Xs that are considered "choices." That said, we are slowly having more and more true freedoms ripped away as people focus on freedoms that are in the media for example same sex marriage. Same sex marriage should not even be an issue in this country, yet it serves as a great way to focus people's attention away from the more important freedoms that the government wants to strip away. It is actually a really interesting game that is being played out in this country and sadly I really don't think it is going to end well. On a related note, I here Australia is a nice place to live... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER so basically the author hasn't got the most rigorous education reputation behind him? His institution doesn't, no. I never heard of the guy before, so I wouldn't say anything about him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Maybe they could have been diverted to something better...um like a universal medical system' date=' or pay off the national debt... [/quote'] What, you want all those talented aerospace engineers making more sophisticated weapons systems instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZilla Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER I was just glad it wasn't a $2.5 billion disaster. Those are our tax dollars up there. It's not exactly the same as if someone crated up $2.5 billion in gold and transported it to Mars... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZilla Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER On a related note' date=' I here Australia is a nice place to live...[/quote'] Sure, if you don't mind the "Big Brother" aspect of the government censoring your access to the Internet/online information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Australia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER disclaimer the below reply was written after only seeing 1hr 10 mins of Sicko. (I finished watching it tonight, and may comment further on it tomorrow.) Well' date=' Moore does tend to focus on extremes and exaggeration quite a bit. There is some truth in the core of the message, but obviously there is a lot of propaganda and spin as well. But yes, there is a considerable amount of influence from the Big X in this country, but for the most part we are still a very capitalist and free country. The real problem comes from all the obfuscation by the Big Xs. For example, it looks like choice on the surface, but in reality the biggest of the Big Xs own all the Little Xs that are considered "choices." That said, we are slowly having more and more true freedoms ripped away as people focus on freedoms that are in the media for example same sex marriage. Same sex marriage should not even be an issue in this country, yet it serves as a great way to focus people's attention away from the more important freedoms that the government wants to strip away. It is actually a really interesting game that is being played out in this country and sadly I really don't think it is going to end well. [/quote'] Cheers for your reply. I find Moore to be a polarizing figure, which is one reason I tend to avoid him, only having watched his doco on 9/11 before this. So far I've found Sicko to be pretty fair as far as the "extremes and exaggeration" go. Yes I can see and acknowledge your pov, but I think what Moore is attempting to show is that these "case studies" exist. Rather than being on the fringe, they are fairly common/normal and not isolated examples. Obviously he could get bogged down in detail and use example-after-example but I feel & think he is cherry picking the highlights to make his case but still make it interesting and entertaining to watch. The premise being these are rather typical examples and a lot of "detail underneath iceberg-like" being assumed to exist. And obviously with every common person being interviewed and expressing their point-of-view is another who could provide a counter example. But I feel Moore is showcasing the normal and typical not extreme and isolated examples. For instance: Moore is not going to survey every pharmacy in the UK for their opinion... and provide this more factual info. Or Moore could go survey (give air time to) 10,000 doctors on the NHS and provide their consolidated opinions. I feel his point is more to contrast the US to the UK and Canadian's highlighting how bad the US system is, and how corrupt and profit motive it has become. Also agree with your comments: "there is a considerable amount of influence from the Big X in this country, but for the most part we are still a very capitalist and free country." Over the years, the more I hear about the US I've observed this: Big X, US Establishment really are an "upper class" much like the UK Peerage with the perceived entitlement to look out for themselves. And the other US citizens, they really are nice people. A lot of the criticism of the US by the rest of the world I've found (and me included for the most part) is aimed at Big X and the US establishment, not the average person on the street (bourgeois and working classes). Also agree with your observation that media focuses on hotbutton issues to distract attention and "ink/tv news broadcasts" from the more serious issues. It seems that for every Big X issue/policy/legislation they want to pass via lobbying they or the complicit media distract the people with something else -- like celebrity gossip. One that got stopped is SOPA/PIPA -- yay democracy. One I'd highlight is this: the National Defense Authorization Act aka Homeland Battlefield Act. It was discribed by The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) thus: “For the first time in American history, we have a law authorising the worldwide and indefinite military detention of people captured far from any battlefield. The NDAA has no temporal or geographic limitations. It is completely at odds with our values, violates the constitution, and corrodes our nation’s commitment to the rule of law.” But now I'm off topic Sicko/Moore so I'll end here. On a related note, I here Australia is a nice place to live... Yes come for a visit...stay for our healthcare, and dangerous wildlife or come for the hippo races. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Sure, if you don't mind the "Big Brother" aspect of the government censoring your access to the Internet/online information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Australia A lot of that is news to me. Also part of it can be explained rationally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER What' date=' you want all those talented aerospace engineers making more sophisticated weapons systems instead?[/quote'] good point. counterpoint: what about better civilian aeroplanes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER or come for the hippo races. Those are flippin' hilarious!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Those are flippin' hilarious!! Yes. And they ate still funny all these years later. It would also make a good stand-up comedy routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER It's not exactly the same as if someone crated up $2.5 billion in gold and transported it to Mars... No, it's more like they crated up 4 kg in plutonium-238 and shipped it to Mars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Not your dwindling supply! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Actually, about half of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZilla Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER I thought I heard that more was going to (finally) be made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZilla Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER A lot of that is news to me. Also part of it can be explained rationally. While I have not read the entire page, my initial reaction is: How can censorship of any kind by any institution/organization be explained rationally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZilla Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER No' date=' it's more like they crated up 4 kg in plutonium-238 and shipped it to Mars. [/quote'] I was going to say $2.5 billion in Benjamins, but wanted to use something with a little more financial "weight", so I posted gold. I suspect that some see these missions as equivalent to what the Joker did in Batman Begins -- take a huge pile of it and just burn it (leaving out the grievous murder he did in the process). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Yeah, I know some people see it that way. I tend to see casinos and stockbrokers in that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER Misread a thread title as "Modging a Dental Power". Modging someone in the teeth could be very effective! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER While I have not read the entire page' date=' my initial reaction is: How can censorship of any kind by any institution/organization be explained rationally?[/quote'] #1 national defence/security #2 minors watching porn. That is just two examples I can think off in my sleep deprived 5:12 am state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER That's not rational. That's wishful self-justification by Mrs. Grundy and other wannabee tyrant types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZilla Posted August 12, 2012 Report Share Posted August 12, 2012 Re: Longest Running Thread EVER #1 national defence/security #2 minors watching porn. That is just two examples I can think off in my sleep deprived 5:12 am state. Okay, I can see some cases for #1, as the defense of the nation is the responsibility of the national government. #2 is IMO wrong. The general process of raising a child is to allow controlled, gradual exposure to the real world. We don't thrust everything in the real world into the face of a 5 year old (like their mortality, for instance). IMO this is not "cencorship" but gradual acclimation. Not to mention that #2 is being prevented ("censored") not by an instution or organization, but (usually) by parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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