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Subject: 
Re: Art Debate Was: [Re: Swearing?]
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:59:14 GMT
Viewed: 
2487 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Scott Edward Sanburn writes:

Ah, we have communities over here, Richard, whether you believe it or
not.

I find it easy to believe, however I would need convincing that anything
other than a minority are part of one.

That is the funniest statement I have ever heard. What are you trying to
say here, Richard? No non-minority people are part of the community.
Please. Talk about misinformed.

That's not what I'm saying at all, my statement above could easily have read "I
believe that most people aren't part of such a community".


What is it, 16 weeks, mandatory leave from a job? Paid? If I left any of
my two jobs for 16 weeks, my absence would severely hurt the company,
whether I get paid or not.

I believe that they get to spend their leave as they wish - some weeks before,
some after.. go to work for a bit and then take off a few more weeks etc.


Lego has nothing to do with taxes or unemployment, Richard. I was merely
pointing out all the freebies associated with European governments end
up with high taxes and high unemployment.

From personal experience I'd have to disagree with that statement, but I would
have to do some research before backing it up.


Either way, if the average quality of life is good then regardless of tax
rates I'd rather pay my share of tax. IMPP even up to 100% tax, if ever such
a scheme was workable, which it hasn't quite been yet!

Thank God for that. I would not want to live in that kind of society,
but you are free to do so if you wish.

But you don't know what sort of society it would be - no-one does as no-one
knows how to make such a society function. There are many people that would
tell us that the less money that they have, the more freedom they experience.


Government, in my definition, does not give out good quality of life. Freedom
does that.

Government, in my experience, does not give out a good quality of life, but
that isn't to say that freedom would, or that some sort of governing system
couldn't.


Biases are everywhere, so it is left to the reader to find them out,
whether they are true or not. Most often, reading their original works
helps.

You have a point, and I'm almost intrigued enough now to do the same..


You seem to be implying that European socialistic tendencies are the
best, where I don't they are the case.

I don't think I have said or implied that, but if you can show me where I have
then I'll gladly back down from that indefendable viewpoint!


Well, I certainly don't pay attention to advertising, I go out and find
what I want, and do research on the product. You are lumping everyone
into the same bowl, which is not the case in real life.

I don't believe billions+ would be spent on advertising if it had no effect,
and those customers who educate themselves throughly with the products on offer
beforehand are in the minority.

I wasn't lumping everyone into the same bowl, but if the majority chooses
something, or buys from a company then you'll have to live with those
consequences. If everyone had perfect information, great - but few, you
included, will actually research.


In that case it would be the marketing suits inspecting your tonsils. That
isn't to say that the masses are stupid, but who has stopped buying from
Nestle? Most people don't even know the reasons for doing so - for the free
market to work efficiently and beneficially it requires perfect information,
which unfortunately isn't encouraged without self-interest in a free-market.

I can imagine you can give a whole tirade on Nestle, or other companies.

I couldn't actually, as it would be hypocritical (yum yum!).

But to answer the point that you were trying to make - I am a vegetarian, but I
don't make judgements upon other people, or try to convince them of the evils
of their ways. Why not? Because I could be wrong, or more importantly I could
be right, but still I don't self-righteously proclaim myself ruler of the moral
kingdom.

Please don't assume portions of my personality, based from characters from your
own experience!


Well, being there and hearing it everyday certainly makes me more aware
of what happened there than you, sir.

Undoubtably, but statements like: "I have never seen such a collection of
Marxists, Communists, Atheists, and Liberals in my life", made me seriously
wonder what other stereotypes you held close.

Well, discussing points of view with all of these professors in
question, based on what they have said, and told me they are, it isn't
hard to define people in terms of their thoughts, actions, and sayings.

And a trap which we should *all* strive not to fall into (IMO).


Most people say the Republican party is for the rich. How so, when I am
considered poor / lower middle class?

Because stereotypes are easy, but in many cases useless?


There is a wisdom in knowing how little you know, and how much you have left
to learn.

Well, Richard, I am not the smartest person in the world, or the wisest,

Neither am I..


but I know what I know from what I read, from what I observe, and how I
behave, and what I believe in. If your indication is that I need to know
more,

No, the "Wisdom comes from knowing how little you know" statement is some
ancient wisdom that I threw in because you seemed to be asking what was there
to be learned?

But it was also meant as a reflection upon us all and I am sorry that you took
it personally :(


simply because you think you are the world expert on everything
(Your tone indicates this, BTW), you are wrong sir,

I suspect that my tone has got me into trouble before as well. To confirm
everyones suspicions - I am not even almost world expert on everything, nor
would I have any desire to become one.


and I would rather
be ignorant in your eyes than to believe in something I know doesn't
work, or has bad consequences.

That is a noble sentiment, but I do not believe you to be ignorant, and I'm not
asking you to change your beliefs. I have been trying to supply an alternate
viewpoint and you and everyone else are free to draw their own conclusions.

I have differences of opinions with a lot of people, but that does not require
me to believe that they are deluded, wrong or ignorant.


You seem to be very ignorant in terms of America (I.E. Guns, commercials,
etc.)

Granted, not living in America doesn't help, but I'd be happy if you showed
where I was being ignorant so that I could become less so.

Guns - ?
Commercials - being ignorant of these seems entirely to be to my benefit, but I
presume that isn't what you meant.


I do not know a great deal about
European cultures, idioms, etc. But what I have learned and read makes
me assume there are problems. Nothing is perfect, but I prefer here to
there.

Have you ever lived in Europe? I have equal reservations to living in the US (
o/" Oh Canada, oh... o/" ), so I presume our prejudices could be similar to
those that we are born with that choose our religion and favourite toothpaste.


But that is in general, and not at all related to the question of my
mentality, which is something you know little or nothing about.

Well, the same to you, sir. You know little about me, but you claim to
think I am stupid, naive, or both.

For the record, I haven't thought that, or even claimed it. If you can find the
message that says that then I'll gladly delete it and send you any LEGO set of
my choice :)

This has become too personal for my liking!


Freedom of Speech is a lot different if you pay for it yourself.

I strongly disagree! Strongly totally and utterly.

What a surprise.

Okay - I'll qualify - shouldn't Freedom of Speech hold whoever is paying for
it? Otherwise it isn't a true Liberty.


I don't think art should be censored. I don't think the government
should pay for any art. Is this that complicated? Is this not what I
posted two weeks ago? Is it that hard to understand?

No - and thanks for the clarification. What I find hard to understand is why
the fact that the government does pay for art makes you sacrifice your other
belief.

Richard



Message has 1 Reply:
  stuff (was: Art Debate Was: [Re: Swearing?])
 
(...) Yeah, actually, I thought the reason they do stuff like mandatory leaves and long vacations was to keep the unemployment rate low. I think we have to agree on higher taxes though (not like they're low here in the US). (...) For those of us who (...) (25 years ago, 13-Jan-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Art Debate Was: [Re: Swearing?]
 
(...) Using a country in the middle of ethnic cleansing as a comparison is hardly flattering. You can get shot in any country, but it's more likely to happen if you live in the US than say the UK. (...) I find it easy to believe, however I would (...) (25 years ago, 11-Jan-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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