(October 1, 2012 at 1:16 pm)thesummerqueen Wrote: Yeah, you're right - living and thinking on a global scale so that people are more aware of how others work and live would do absolutely nothing to alleviate that.

Even if they are aware, why would they give up a portion of their own material resources to help someone that is far away from them?
Especially if they cannot relate to that person at all?

I feel for the plight of my kin in Eastern Turkestan. I can relate to them. Me and them, are of the same people, simply living on different landscapes. I'd offer them my home, if they sought refuge. I'd not do the same to some other guy from Guyana. I feel no relation to that person on any level whatsoever, so why would I really want to open up my home to him? I know not his customs, I know not his ways, I can't understand his language, and I'm fairly uncertain of how he will behave in my country.

So, let's say we have this awesome society that you envision for us. How will this benefit me? Or, let's say the people of Guyana?
I'm telling you this here and now, it will be the same as it was before-a matter of trade. Since Guyana has not yet archived the same level of technological advancement, they will be absolutely dominated by those who have. And in turn, they have to perhaps give out their natural resources to those who do not have it, like advanced nations such as Germany, UK, France and of course, the US(of course, I'm betting that in such an international "country" independent nations will not exist, but probably regional governments that will be analogous to the ones I've mentioned). In turn, you will perhaps give them playthings, as it was done during the colonial days, cheating them off of their lands, resources, women and etc.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, friend. I know that you mean it well. But reality tells of a different story, even if you want to close your eyes to it.

I don't close my eyes to fuck all, Kilic. I'm a realist. The problem is that I also have an optimistic view of the future, not a pessimistic view because I chose to hate one nation or another.

Hi Shelly - I'm still around on Facebook ranting and raving, you know. Unless I'm subjecting David to new recipes - I just tried this new fettuccine in a crushed tomatoes and cream-cheese sauce. NOM.

(October 1, 2012 at 1:27 pm)thesummerqueen Wrote: I don't close my eyes to fuck all, Kilic. I'm a realist. The problem is that I also have an optimistic view of the future, not a pessimistic view because I chose to hate one nation or another.

Hi Shelly - I'm still around on Facebook ranting and raving, you know. Unless I'm subjecting David to new recipes - I just tried this new fettuccine in a crushed tomatoes and cream-cheese sauce. NOM.

I too am optimistic of the future, friend. But it's not pessimism to accept the reality that mankind is made up of different tribes who prefer to live amongst eachother, and any attempt to unify them under a single entity will result in simple disaster. This is why I view everything on a national level, instead of an international level.
We probably have very little differences in how we view economics and/or social welfare. But the only difference is on what level we look at these. I prefer a national economy, national welfare. You prefer to look at it from an international viewpoint.
And this is where I see the only difference between left and right.

(October 1, 2012 at 1:27 pm)thesummerqueen Wrote: I don't close my eyes to fuck all, Kilic. I'm a realist. The problem is that I also have an optimistic view of the future, not a pessimistic view because I chose to hate one nation or another.

Hi Shelly - I'm still around on Facebook ranting and raving, you know. Unless I'm subjecting David to new recipes - I just tried this new fettuccine in a crushed tomatoes and cream-cheese sauce. NOM.

Mmmm. That sounds lovely. My new favorite thing is a honey walnut cream cheese in a wonton, fried in oil till crispy and drizzled with butter, cinnamon and sugar. It's heaven.

Holy fuck that sounds about as fattening and as good as the dark chocolate fudge sauce we were...well...nevermind.

I'm so glad it's fall - I can't wait to introduce him to all the good "heavy" Jew foods, as well as matzo ball soup. But only rarely, because I won't fit into my winter coat if we keep this up.

Speaking of, I was looking for healthier alternatives, and found a pumpkin flavored frozen yogurt. Holy shit it looks amazing.

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Oh crap, did I mention the Italian place we went to down the road?

Meltingly tender fried eggplant rolls stuffed with herbed cheese and angel hair pasta, topped in a luscious marinara and smothered in wet mozzarella.

Oh my god, I love eggplant. Yum, yum. Sometimes it takes a really good recipe to get me to eat wet mozz, though. Something about the texture of it gets me.

Yes, it is seriously fattening and good. I also do the same thing with pumpkin pie stuffing extras if I make too much. I call them fried pies.

I've always been a fan of frozen yogurt, especially pumpkin. Interestingly, the same place where I get ice cream and frozen yogurt sells pumpkin butter. I'm taking Adrian there for some egg nog at the end of the month. I'll post some pics of us at the farm.

Mum was going to visit me this weekend, but she canceled because 1) the cat got put on twice-a-day antibiotics and 2) she broke a tooth on a granola bar (who does that?). She's okay, other than needing a root canal.

But I'm going to take the break to make and can (hopefully I can learn to do this right with mason jars) a bunch of pumpkin and apple butter. I plan on buying some pumpkins and clearing them out and learning how to boil them down.

And make the boyfriend beef and beer chili and homemade corn bread. What was I saying about losing weight? ugh....

Do the jews get a pass? If I were a young man in her neighborhood I'd sure give Summer one. (You and Shell should take all that food porn talk to area 69.)

When you think about where people come from and their history I really have to wonder if there is any group of people that have always lived where they are now. For millenia people have pushed their neighbors off their land if they could.

The one exception may be the Inuit. Eskimos seem to inhabit the least desirable land on earth. Perhaps they are just the losingest, hard luck humans on the planet? But every other group is probably descended from people who were at various times victims or conquerors.

Respecting each others property rights is a modern notion, but kicking your weaker neighbor's ass if you can is in the blood .. all our blood.

Perhaps it isn't too late, if the US really wants to help peace in the middle east, to give the Israelis one of our states. Hell, we have 50 of them. Surely we can afford to lose one or two, preferably red states (offense intended).

(October 1, 2012 at 2:17 pm)whateverist Wrote: Do the jews get a pass? If I were a young man in her neighborhood I'd sure give Summer one. (You and Shell should take all that food porn talk to area 69.)

When you think about where people come from and their history I really have to wonder if there is any group of people that have always lived where they are now. For millenia people have pushed their neighbors off their land if they could.

The one exception may be the Inuit. Eskimos seem to inhabit the least desirable land on earth. Perhaps they are just the losingest, hard luck humans on the planet? But every other group is probably descended from people who were at various times victims or conquerors.

Respecting each others property rights is a modern notion, but kicking your weaker neighbor's ass if you can is in the blood .. all our blood.

Perhaps it isn't too late, if the US really wants to help peace in the middle east, to give the Israelis one of our states. Hell, we have 50 of them. Surely we can afford to lose one or two, preferably red states (offense intended).

Of course people push others of land they inhabit. So did the did the Native Americans try and no sane person should think what was done was right. But no person today would give the land back/

But there is a shelf life to that victim status. When we live in a global culture that is media driven there is no way anyone connected to it can deny that we are not the same species.

What drives this needless conflict isnt "I was here first" which is nothing more than an arbitrary starting point. In 1946 arabs could claim that. 3,000 years ago Jews could claim that. It is as fucking absurd as Columus day when America celibrates the "discovery" of America. Who were the people he met? Oviously someone beat him to the land.

BOTH Muslims and Jews are claiming victim status and both dig in on claims of autonomy and tradition, and in this wake is the fact that our tribalism wont be put on a leash until we see ourselves as the same species rather than comic book rival clubs.

But when you look at all human conflicts in our evolution the easiest scapegoat is being the victim. The hard thing that seems to be for our species is learning from our past so we dont repeat it.