National Pride

[doc benway]

After eight insufferable years of Bush administration rule by intimidation and exploitation, there is finally some cause for celebration. It's impossible to say what sort of leader Barak Obama will be but just to have a president who can formulate a basic sentence and speak with compassion and equanimity is thrilling. 40 years ago Obama would not have been able to drink from the same water fountain as me or attend the same public school. In a few months he will be my president. Seeing my country elect Bush to a second term was humiliating and infuriating. Helping my country to elect our first African-American president is an historic landmark. It's a very proud day for America.

[Stigweard]

After eight insufferable years of Bush administration rule by intimidation and exploitation, there is finally some cause for celebration. It's impossible to say what sort of leader Barak Obama will be but just to have a president who can formulate a basic sentence and speak with compassion and equanimity is thrilling. 40 years ago Obama would not have been able to drink from the same water fountain as me or attend the same public school. In a few months he will be my president. Seeing my country elect Bush to a second term was humiliating and infuriating. Helping my country to elect our first African-American president is an historic landmark. It's a very proud day for America.

 

And the rest of the world (well at least my little patch) is celebrating right along with you. Bloody frustrating to see the Australian economy being dragged in the slipstream of the Bush administration's questionable policies.

[rookie]

I see the pendulum swinging back to the left after a long and ultimately painful swing to the right. Before that, it was eight years to the left. I don't see any real change just another reaction. It will swing back to the right.

 

I don't expect much from politicians. They say what ever will get them elected.

[Anabhogya-Carya]

We still have the problem of corporations controlling more than governments, and governments controlling more than their citizens approve of.

[Mal]

I'm proud of you guys too. Was a bit scary, and we don't even live in your country

 

Who know what will happen, but it looks like a good start

[joeblast]

kill your television, 99% of its contents are poison.

[doc benway]

kill your television, 99% of its contents are poison.

Agreed!

 

I see the pendulum swinging back to the left after a long and ultimately painful swing to the right. Before that, it was eight years to the left. I don't see any real change just another reaction. It will swing back to the right.

 

I don't expect much from politicians. They say what ever will get them elected.

 

 

We still have the problem of corporations controlling more than governments, and governments controlling more than their citizens approve of.

Both excellent points...

[Bum Grasshopper]

And the rest of the world (well at least my little patch) is celebrating right along with you.

 

 

Trouble is our enemies are celebrating too. Sometimes a little intimidation is necessary. We will just have to wait and see.

[wudangquan]

Does anyone else think like me - that the human misery index is basically fixed and static?

 

Improve this and that becomes bad.

 

Fix the air and the water goes off.

 

Improve trade and unskilled labor gets unemployed.

 

Give people a microwave oven and they develop some sort of post-modern angst.

 

etc.

 

We live in a society of humans, not gods and bad things are necessarily part of that.

 

I don't think anybody is changing anything much, or for long.

[Wayfarer64]

Does anyone else think like me - that the human misery index is basically fixed and static?

 

Improve this and that becomes bad.

 

Fix the air and the water goes off.

 

Improve trade and unskilled labor gets unemployed.

 

Give people a microwave oven and they develop some sort of post-modern angst.

 

etc.

 

We live in a society of humans, not gods and bad things are necessarily part of that.

 

I don't think anybody is changing anything much, or for long.

 

If this were so there would be no growth, progress, evolution etc...

 

I believe we are an evolving species with a whole lot more to grow!!!

--

And yes-for once I have some national pride these days!-

 

If we can boot the corporations off of our backs -that IS the real win!

Peace-Pat

Edited November 6, 2008 by Wayfarer64

[gendao]

I don't expect much from politicians. They say what ever will get them elected.

Agreed.

 

And, I think anyone voting for Obama because of his race (for a historic first, guilt, sameness, etc), is just as racist as anyone not voting for him because of his race.

 

Unfortunately, I feel that yet again, the real issues in this election got obscured and sidetracked by special identity politics that ultimately have minor bearings on our future.

 

But if people had to vote strictly on the issues alone, I wonder who they would have voted for?

 

 

 

That said, at least Dumbya is OUT!

Edited November 6, 2008 by vortex

[bindo]

 

 

And, I think anyone voting for Obama because of his race (for a historic first, guilt, similarity), is just as racist as anyone not voting for him because of his race.

Right on, brother! Another joke of an election, imo. The republican's basically handed over this election,( and the mop bucket). No matter who won the election, the best they can do is some patch work here and there. There's too much shit going down at the same time.

 

I can't tell you how many republican's I know jumped ship this year, to the democratic side because of the awful job Bush did.

 

Obama won by default. Very sad.

 

On the other hand, I couldn't be happier to see Bush leaving!

[doc benway]

Does anyone else think like me - that the human misery index is basically fixed and static?

Nothing is fixed and static in my view.

I do agree that there will always be misery and suffering as long as there is happiness and joy.

They define eachother - mutual arising.

On the other hand, there are things that can be done to mitigate some suffering and talking with enemies is always worth a try prior to pre-emptive war...

 

I voted for Obama because of his relative inexperience.

IMO, experience on capitol hill = corruption and compromise, and no one has exprience being the president, nor do I think experience as a senator or governor makes an enormous difference. I think the intelligence and demeanor of the president are what counts the most.

I'm hoping he is a bit more genuine and sincere than most presidential candidates.

I'm hoping he has a bit more of an open mind and his actions during the campaign seem to demonstrate equanimity and a sense of tolerance and compassion which I think is critical in a position of leadership (all of which seem to be laking in his predecessor or opponent).

[gendao]

But if people had to vote strictly on the issues alone, I wonder who they would have voted for?

Actually, I think the real problem here is that 85% of people don't even understand the real issues, and so are frankly unqualified to vote.

 

Remember, this is the same country where 80% of American high school students could not even locate Iraq on a map...where we've since killed 1 million of their citizens.

 

Forget about the candidates, the real problem is that we're a politically-illiterate nation as a whole. And for an oligarchy, that is incredibly dangerous as we fall easy prey to the best Pied Piper election after election...

[Taoist81]

Trouble is our enemies are celebrating too. Sometimes a little intimidation is necessary. We will just have to wait and see.

 

Whatever "enemies" may be celebrating, at least we might (big might, history shows Dems just as easily get into wars or conflicts as Republicans) avoid making as many new ones. Intimidation and thereby fear creates as many enemies as it drives away friends.

 

Check out The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear for a great disection of this in recent history.

 

But if people had to vote strictly on the issues alone, I wonder who they would have voted for?

 

A third party candidate. Only they can actually address the issues the two major parties have to dance around them.

[Pietro]

[林愛偉]

 

 

But if people had to vote strictly on the issues alone, I wonder who they would have voted for?

 

 

Ron Paul... maybe even could have put Lynden Larouche on the Ballots hahahaha

 

Larouiche PAC

[Unconditioned]

After eight insufferable years of Bush administration rule by intimidation and exploitation, there is finally some cause for celebration. It's impossible to say what sort of leader Barak Obama will be but just to have a president who can formulate a basic sentence and speak with compassion and equanimity is thrilling. 40 years ago Obama would not have been able to drink from the same water fountain as me or attend the same public school. In a few months he will be my president. Seeing my country elect Bush to a second term was humiliating and infuriating. Helping my country to elect our first African-American president is an historic landmark. It's a very proud day for America.

 

I feel the same way. For the first time since I've been able to vote (9 years) I really feel proud of our country. I don't think Obama is going to wave a magic wand and fix everything but I do believe that we can get back some of our lost credibility. I also hope that the notion of pre-emptive war has left with the Bush administration. Yes we need to defend ourselves but the first course of action is to prevent the conflict from it's root - not at the gross level by attacking and invading other countries.

 

What I'm most excited about is that I feel hopeful and have heard the first real positive speech from a president-elect in quite some time. The whole idea behind "Yes we can" is very powerful on many levels. I have a renewed sense of hope that as a nation we can solve these problems and revive the American dream of the land of opportunity.

[Patrick Brown]

Most people live in a 'dream world' and it's not an 'American dream' but a phantom created by those that manipulate. Sorry no enlightenment on this thread please move along!!

 

There is no duality as that's just a mind-job for suckers. The same people are running the show and religion and politics are just a few of their tools. Female president or black president, which serves those in power more? Voting is a lie for dim people that like to live in a fantasy world.

 

I could insight violence now but that's not the way. Just accept that some people are clever, some are stupid and a few are wise so if you fuck with me I'll kill you.

 

Oh and one last thing Margaret Thatcher is a whore and so is Bill Clinton!

 

EDIT:

 

I'm just about to watch an episode of 'Northern Exposure' entitled 'Democracy In America' (I'll let you know how it goes)! Yeah like demon-mock-crassy! Now where's my gun as I want to create a new amendment. Hey Saudi Arabia is ran by power pissed nutters as well so perhaps the SUV is the sign of the beast?

 

Oh for the simple life!

Edited November 6, 2008 by Patrick Brown

[doc benway]

Trouble is our enemies are celebrating too. Sometimes a little intimidation is necessary. We will just have to wait and see.

Something occured to me...

Is it possible that any of our enemies might be celebrating because they'd prefer to be our friends?

We'll never know if we never open the door to dialogue.

[Unconditioned]

Most people live in a 'dream world' and it's not an 'American dream' but a phantom created by those that manipulate. Sorry no enlightenment on this thread please move along!!

 

There is no duality as that's just a mind-job for suckers. The same people are running the show and religion and politics are just a few of their tools. Female president or black president, which serves those in power more? Voting is a lie for dim people that like to live in a fantasy world.

 

I could insight violence now but that's not the way. Just accept that some people are clever, some are stupid and a few are wise so if you fuck with me I'll kill you.

 

Oh and one last thing Margaret Thatcher is a whore and so is Bill Clinton!

 

So the boogie man is out to get me again?? I knew I should've checked under my bed!

[gendao]

Edited November 6, 2008 by vortex

[Patrick Brown]

So the boogie man is out to get me again?? I knew I should've checked under my bed!

No boogie man just people that think they're clever and like to screw with peoples minds! Of course these people are also brainwashed, so you work it out.

 

Sing your own song man and get a grip!

[wuliheron]

American politics are just as melodramatic as everything else american.

 

What has struck me about the election is how many people now feel hopeful about the direction the country is taking. Out of dispair has come renewed hope that the republican party simply could not provide at this time. Some say with the democrats now ruling both congress and the white house it is time once again for the people to strike a new deal with the powers that be.

 

Without Action

 

Not praising the worthy prevents contention,

Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft,

Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire.

In this manner the sage governs people:

Emptying their minds,

Filling their bellies,

Weakening their ambitions,

And strengthening their bones.

If people lack knowledge and desire

Then they can not act;

If no action is taken

Harmony remains.

[wudangquan]

Most of those concessions that were made by power to the American people were the result of a generation who had lived through the great depression . . .

 

Returning home after years of combat experience, owning firearms and basically the wrong people to F_ with.

 

These same fat cats were gunning down organized labor just a few years before.

 

It had not much to do with who was in political power, but communist empires to one side, radical American labor to another, and a bunch of armed combat vets in the middle who wanted a good life for their families and who had seen enough.

 

All that car in every drive way and a chicken in every pot leave it to beaver business was a concession by capital to protect it's neck. And they balanced the equation in the so called "third world" - our gain (I say our like I've paid them any taxes in 10 years) was the loss of many other places in the world.

 

But somebody's got to lose and somebody's got to win, or we've all got to stay stagnant.

 

Times are different now, though.

 

And really - I always try to be polite and all of that, but really - This is some worldy BS.

 

Human society is just human society. Pearls and fish eyes are mixed together. Every action has an equal or greater reaction, and the equation of good and bad, happiness and suffering, loss and gain balance themselves out naturally.

 

 

Can't understand why people who say they are cultivating get consumed and caught up in this ignorance.