narveen

i am not beating the drum for the usa. i am taking the rose colored glasses off those heaping one-sided criticisms on america and getting them to face their own realities to put things in perspective they are acting like either a bunch of beggars pissing on the door of a rich man, or wealthy brats thinking it is chic identifying with hoodlums in the "hoods"

i question that because it doesn't make sense. an economic system that produces more than it consumes is net cash and has no debt think rumplestiltskin spinning gold

don't waste your time checking my data up. they are current. your 17 trillion debt figure includes intra-governmental debt which is held by institutions like social security those government institutions are not influenced by dangerous market forces banging on uncle sam's door to collect. this is why japan can rack up public debt to over 200% of gdp and still perceived by the market as a save haven! singapore's public debt is 100% of gdp and a bastion of economic stability in south east asia. i won't discuss why the us is spending beyond it's means because it's too complex an issue and it's no point fingering out scapegoats. but if i have the mandate of heaven to straighten things out i would trim the debt by cutting federal spending of our tax dollars as follows: shutdown the whitehouse (us presidential duties assigned to a sitting state governor chosen by his peers) trim down the military to purely a defense force (scrap the pentagon, the navy and shutdown all us bases abroad) shut down the irs and implement a consumption tax shutdown the department of justice and the fbi shutdown all other federal departments, except homeland security and the nsa, and let states manage their own affairs all social programs to be instituted and funded by respective states (if you want it, you pay for it) and last but not least, shutdown the department of state our foreign policies have served to messed up the world because we have been absolutely clueless and incapable of understanding other cultures stay at home, mind our goddam business and leave foreign contacts and relationships to us corporations operating abroad.

asian students come from a culture that has been staring at the harsh reality for the last 200 years that's why they go for technology and not liberal nonsense still, the culture for creativeness and innovation is american china is quite content to follow america's lead for at least the next 100 years.

what data is that, joe? point it out and let's discuss it like adults and not like twitter twits i am 35. how old are you?

hold on a minute scientists must go by facts your 17 trillion includes other stuff. we need to compare us public debt with those of other countries, apples to apples, the usa isn't as bad as europe, included for info are figures for the united kingdom, japan, russia and china: europe germany - 3.4 trillion economy and public debt 81% of gdp france - 2.6 trillion economy and public debt 90% of gdp italy - 2.0 trillion economy and public debt 127% of gdp spain - 1.3 trillion economy and public debt 84% of gdp united kingdom - 2.4 trillion economy and public debt 90% of gdp japan - 5.9 trillion economy and public debt 214% of gdp china - 8.2 trillion economy and public debt 32% of gdp russia - 2.2 trillion economy and public debt 7.7% of gdp usa - 15.7 trillion economy and public debt 72.5% of gdp the usa is the most technologically powerful economic engine on the planet with every other country in tow if we fall, the whole world fall with us.

Chuang Tzu's empty boat is a buddha ideal no self in action however, i have to deal with the occupant of my boat, namely me. as such, the next best thing, in an unintended collision in life, is your approach - a balanced response to conflict one that cause no consequences (karma)

other empires were political structures the us is a cultural empire that has covered the entire planet and help lifted 300 million above the poverty line in china alone eight of the top global brands are american faltering europe and asia are now latching onto the powering up of the american economic engine why would the us implode under its own weight?

what do you mean by acceptance? let's stick with the empty boat parable what is the connection between your practice of acceptance and the message of the parable? Chuang Tzu claimed that life will be without conflict if people collide like empty boats without either intent or emotion this is not consistent with the message of the parable if conflict arises, then the boat is not empty it's occupied. all occupants are assholes asking assholes to let go and not be attached is to ask people to get therapy or practice a religion. you are talking your brand of taoism here. do what is in one's nature is great what about the consequences? get real.

what is your creed? is it a personal one or that of a religion practised by others also?

in doing his job, he was supposed to play his part. like the part your feet play their job is to transport your body not kick you in the butt when you are not going their way.

everybody wants to see the america ship go down. maybe it will as the last one going down long after all ships are sunk

how would you do this in daily life interactions with other people without conflict? there are always boats heading your direction when you are not looking accepting that fact is one thing, dealing with it is another. in this regard, how would you answer songtsan's question quoted below: " I wonder - say if you are in accord with the Tao, and you get robbed every time you travel along a certain road, by the same group of bandits. Let's say its the only way to get to work Now...you have to go to work, right? Let's just pretend yes. Would the person who lives from Taomind be prepared for whats going to happen, or would they still just be in Tao and deal with it fresh every time, without freezing up in expectation?"

yeah, i grok. being who we are in a state of freedom is the whole point to living one can either sail, without inhibitions, the seas of maya driven by the winds of emotions, or one can sail freely the seas of nirvana driven by the winds of intelligence. the winds of emotions are anger, greed, lust, envy, fear, etc.. they seem to drive us on the rocks inevitably; yet, we can't seem to live without emotions. what do you say?

would you be kind enough to explain further? i cannot get a fix on what you are pointing out. i need a clear shot.

yours is the very attitude of the government. let the people be mature, we will be immature. as a government operative to protect america, snowdon's job was not to practice democracy his job was to preserve it.

it sure is a bitch also when they pat me down everytime i take a flight out or back into the country. apparently, we americans have laws against discrimination by the government. so the government says, "f*ck it! if they won't let us pin-point the likely ones then let's spy on everyone."

knowing maya, it's true nature would a smart guy wallow in it?

agree, it's democracy agree, it's personal uh oh, counsel is speculating and importing an unidentifiable entity in his argument superstition not allowed conclusion is hokey the jury is to disregard this

empty boat means no one is there either doing the wrong or needing the forgiveness. if that is not not understanding of the parable, please share your learning. if that is your understanding, i would like to take it apart. your call.

you see any smart guy around? all i see are dolts that's why we're all getting nailed is that negative and a bummer?

on the contrary, i think it depends on how “anyone” is defined. if we agree that there is only the act and the actor is an illusion, (i.e. we are talking about the situation of songtsan and not about you, the person called songtsan) then there is neither hoodlum nor saint but only a behaviour pattern to be considered. as such, my original question “can a hoodlum ever be a saint” was mindlessly phrased, nonsensical and misleading. let me re-visit the basis for my mindless question. you observed that you are a pawn of emotions it’s like saying, “i can’t help flying off the handle, maybe it’s my genetic predisposition, my dopamine level”. therefore, it’s not your fault and forgiveness makes everything right. you are separating yourself from your emotions i am not responsible the devil made me do it. and that western mindset of diminished responsibility, typically american, came out of europe through freud and jung however, the eastern mindset that has given us all these spiritual cultivating stuff is unforgiving and accepts no excuses for individual bad behaviour if you lose it, you pay for it. as told in this story of an American songtsan who lived in a high-end luxury “hood” no forgiveness: he was forced to pay for it in singapore: http://www.corpun.com/awfay9405.htm and you say?

that's the way the story goes. to make a point. frankly, in real life, i don't think a smart guy can ever get nailed by dolts.

definitions for what, stimpy?

i'm sorry you feel this way. debate is the way of democracy the mature way when the talk stops the bullets fly this is not the american way