What say ye?
a. War is wrong, it must be ended. Nobody should have to die over someone else's ideology. We can and will learn to negotiate and compromise, if we truly want it.
b. Human life is precious, and so are our ideals. It is worth the sacrifice of human life in war to reach victory for our ideals, but peace is the goal. Try to work things out peacefully, but if our compromises aren't met by equal compromises on the other side, war is justified.
c. There are too many people in this world and war is one of the forces that keep human populations down. If it's them or me, I choose me. Famines, diseases, disasters and wars are a fact of life.
p.s. This is the first poll I've ever written. Help is appreciated.
War and the worth of human life
Moderator: Super Moderators
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CindyLouWho
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- Joined: 01-02-2003 03:00 AM
Yay Lisa, great job & great poll ....
My first thought was B, but I changed my mind after reading your descriptions so thanks for adding them.
IMO, War should only be a defensive option. So I voted on the side of safety and dreaming (wink) ... and chose option A.
Pretty "Polly-Anna" of me, I know ... hehe.
Cindy
My first thought was B, but I changed my mind after reading your descriptions so thanks for adding them.
IMO, War should only be a defensive option. So I voted on the side of safety and dreaming (wink) ... and chose option A.
Pretty "Polly-Anna" of me, I know ... hehe.
Cindy
Whaaaaat? Bad questions??
Come on, rip my survey if you want! Say what you think. Why? because, I want to live in a world where people can say what they're thinkin'! I don't want a world that's peaceful based on people being afraid to speak their minds.
If you think war can and will be eradicated, you know there will always be conflicts. Life on earth and our very laws of physics require an action to have something to be acted upon, and resistance to change is just a law of physics.
If you think war is not antithetical to the value of life, that it is necessary to fight, you're not the only one!
And if you think war is a part of human life, don't worry, I won't judge. The thing is, wars and famines and even plagues often come about because of human greed. What if we could learn to spot them, and just handle them more wisely?
I can imagine us all having special accounts, just a small bit, like 1/2 or 1% of what we make, set aside for giving. Then when there's a famine starting in Africa, or wherever, a steady stream of money goes to a charity that holds the local leaders accountable for what's given. No usee da money fo da problem, no takee no mo money.
Wars in other countries, such as the Israel and Palestinian conflict, would be reported without spin, and we would have learned to stop judging and taking sides, realizing that we only see what they show us. You know, we will learn a lot about war, when we find a cure for cancer. Cutting off supply routes? Switching off mutations? We may not stop people hating each other, but we can stop contributing to hateful efforts, either with opinions or with money. Now, this ass-u-me's a hell of a lot, don't it?
If you think war can and will be eradicated, you know there will always be conflicts. Life on earth and our very laws of physics require an action to have something to be acted upon, and resistance to change is just a law of physics.
If you think war is not antithetical to the value of life, that it is necessary to fight, you're not the only one!
And if you think war is a part of human life, don't worry, I won't judge. The thing is, wars and famines and even plagues often come about because of human greed. What if we could learn to spot them, and just handle them more wisely?
I can imagine us all having special accounts, just a small bit, like 1/2 or 1% of what we make, set aside for giving. Then when there's a famine starting in Africa, or wherever, a steady stream of money goes to a charity that holds the local leaders accountable for what's given. No usee da money fo da problem, no takee no mo money.
Wars in other countries, such as the Israel and Palestinian conflict, would be reported without spin, and we would have learned to stop judging and taking sides, realizing that we only see what they show us. You know, we will learn a lot about war, when we find a cure for cancer. Cutting off supply routes? Switching off mutations? We may not stop people hating each other, but we can stop contributing to hateful efforts, either with opinions or with money. Now, this ass-u-me's a hell of a lot, don't it?
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Cherry Kelly
- Pirate
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- Joined: 07-29-2000 02:00 AM
- Contact:
The problem with polls is you need to have
all of above
none of above
Other (some portion of above or other thoughts)
There are all kinds of wars - and not all wars are killing types - you do remember of war of words, war between opposing teams, war of other natures -- ergo need a definition singled to killing wars... as for negotiation and compromise - nice, but unfortunately won't always work. A tiger and a zebra cannot negotiate.
Human life is precious in 99% of the situations, but then we hve people like serial killers and I for one do not hold their life as all that "precious" --
Overpopulation - sorta contradicts the life is precious - but thats ok. There are areas where too many people exist - overpopulating an area to the point where the means to feed, house, care for them is non-existent resulting in starvation - etc. Move them - ?? but they don't want to BE moved.
War is an inevitable response to numerous aspects of life and living. History has shown that wars have happened since the dawn of time. Territory, food, and people who have jealousies - even within families - dictators, idealists, all seem to be found among the reasons, war to free people from tyrannies, takeyour pick - you'll find it throughout history.
all of above
none of above
Other (some portion of above or other thoughts)
There are all kinds of wars - and not all wars are killing types - you do remember of war of words, war between opposing teams, war of other natures -- ergo need a definition singled to killing wars... as for negotiation and compromise - nice, but unfortunately won't always work. A tiger and a zebra cannot negotiate.
Human life is precious in 99% of the situations, but then we hve people like serial killers and I for one do not hold their life as all that "precious" --
Overpopulation - sorta contradicts the life is precious - but thats ok. There are areas where too many people exist - overpopulating an area to the point where the means to feed, house, care for them is non-existent resulting in starvation - etc. Move them - ?? but they don't want to BE moved.
War is an inevitable response to numerous aspects of life and living. History has shown that wars have happened since the dawn of time. Territory, food, and people who have jealousies - even within families - dictators, idealists, all seem to be found among the reasons, war to free people from tyrannies, takeyour pick - you'll find it throughout history.
Cherry,
I agree with most of your post, except that I don’t see that “Overpopulation - sorta contradicts that life is precious”. It is the poor quality of life that contradicts the preciousness of life. People living in any highly populated city know that if you can live a quality, fulfilling life, over crowding is an annoyance at worst. Imagine what a plus the world would gain if all of the third world were to be transformed over night into engineers, doctors, educators..... We might even discover FREE ENERGY! Food would not be a problem, all food could be grown under ground using artificial light. Pollution would be eliminated, recycling would be a goldmine, transportation costs would be pennies and life would be valuable and celebrated. Imagine... No need for war...
But we don't live in that world, Do we?
I agree with most of your post, except that I don’t see that “Overpopulation - sorta contradicts that life is precious”. It is the poor quality of life that contradicts the preciousness of life. People living in any highly populated city know that if you can live a quality, fulfilling life, over crowding is an annoyance at worst. Imagine what a plus the world would gain if all of the third world were to be transformed over night into engineers, doctors, educators..... We might even discover FREE ENERGY!
Food would not be a problem, all food could be grown under ground using artificial light. Pollution would be eliminated, recycling would be a goldmine, transportation costs would be pennies and life would be valuable and celebrated. Imagine... No need for war... But we don't live in that world, Do we?
Glossary of Mental Illness Terminology
a.. Delusion: fixed, irrational ideas not shared by others and
not responding to reasoned argument.
b.. Grandiose delusion: a delusion in which subject believes
himself possessed of great wealth, intellect, importance,
power, etc.
a.. Delusion: fixed, irrational ideas not shared by others and
not responding to reasoned argument.
b.. Grandiose delusion: a delusion in which subject believes
himself possessed of great wealth, intellect, importance,
power, etc.
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Cherry Kelly
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Justen Tyme
- Pirate
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- Joined: 11-10-2000 03:00 AM
On Being Hair-Raisingly 'Righteous' or, Just WhutintheNameof
Hey all you Verns & Vernas!
JT here, back from shore leave with grog, & in a pinch... Riddick pinched me & said I should fill in fer 'em
We're both 'scopin out & observin' short & long-term major global goin's on... He's stayin' on shore, feelin' a mite hung over. (Got ahold of the grog 'n got a li'l too groggy, knowhutImean? But I brought back my share to share... hope half's "Justen Uff" for y'all!)
Anyhoo, take a stiff swift swig & pass the bottle around, me hearties... not too much or too little, now... when it comes to spirits, like they say, 'All things in moderation - even moderation!'... here's some thoughts on warfare Yours Truly's been ponderin', 'n some fer y'all to, too:
Y'ever, in your experience, FFolks, happen t'come by any person who's right - and. when I say, right?
I don't mean Mr. (or Ms.) Right - or, Left or Right - or are-eye-gee-atch-tee right... I mean CAPITAL ARE-EYE-GEE-ATCH-Tee *RIGHT*! ??
IMHO, rabidly zealous folk who think they definitely always know what's totally & absolutely 100% universally right, on any one side of any particular issue at any particular time... to the exclusion of any or all other side's 'rights'... well ...
La-de-DOO-da!
Who died & made them the Almighty?!
Y'know, I figger some if not alla them really eagarly-beaverly frantically foamin'-at-the mouth folks & their followers, just don't know what's so very very wrong about being - in one's mind - so very very, very very, VERY VERY RIGHT.
Right or wrong? That allus depends on who yer talkin' to. I think it's fair to say similar to snowflakes, there's no 'zactly alike thinkin' goin' on among the half-dozen or so billion headbones on the planet.
Y'know some folks may agree on some things being right, but some other folks may jes' not see 'right' quite the same way... now, or ever.
If I was throwin' out a global word or five, to all the all-wise & 'Almighty-in-their-own-mind' types, I'd say - WAKE UP & DRY OUT!
Don't ferget, y'might well be right enuff, but other folks may not like whutyerdoin' or whutyersayin'... or 'sides that, even howyerdoin' it or howyersayin' it... which ain't necessarily too troublesome, if neither you or they get too huffy, but...
Act like only 'We're right & we'll always be 100% right - so, eat it & like it - & YOU! You're so bad, you & your ilk, you're just so horribly HORRIBLY HORRIBLY WRONG you can NEVER, ever EVER be right' right along, 'n completely dump all over any & all other folks 'rights' to even reasonably discuss their understanding of right, right or wrong? Well...
Keep it up, throw in enuff expletives and pejoratives and much much worse, and... Y'knowhut? There's only so much horsehockey some folks're willing to take before they decide there's no use talkin' nice or at all no more.
Now, some of 'em may leave it at that. But I'd say among thet ticked-off group, y'might call some of 'em more'n jest a bit tetchy...
And some'a them mebbe ain't such particularly nice folk, neither... as ya very well may've already been thinkin' of 'em before they shut their trap up, in a huff... (Y'know, if not necessarily true to start with, some negative thoughts ARE self-fulfilling, if you think 'em long & hard enuff!)... if they already were or weren't, they well now may be thinkin' NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!
And, if they didn't have 'em before? Who knows if some didn't pick up a few ideas about bein' 'right' from ya.
Hey! They may not just go away quietly & huffy, they may go away mad... and some, they might just go away boiling mad & come back absolutely steamin' mad, t'see just how high 'n Almighty y'all are...! Why, by then, if they didn't already, some may well be thinkin' & feelin' all high & righteous & Almighty, themselves!!
And carried to Almighty extremes? Extremly Righteous Thinking can cause conflict even internally, among Right-Thinking Righteous Thinkers... You are traveling thru another dimension - not of sight & sound but of mind. A journey whose boundaries are that of imagination...
THERE'S A SIGNPOST UP AHEAD.
Your next stop: The SEMI-DARK HALF-LIT JUST BEFORE MORNING OR EVENING TIME DOMAIN
This Week's Episode: "Righteously Intoxicated with Power: The Almighty Ones!" (or, "Gulp Fiction")
Extremely Right Thinker # 1: "There's only one answer. We've got to eliminate ANY kind of unright thinking."
ERT 2: "ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! You've hit the nail on the head, my friend. Right thinking! NO exceptions, ever."
ERT 1: "Hey, when you're right? You're right. Right? Why take chances, that's my motto. *BURP*"
ERT 2: "Yeah! RIGHT and DOUBLE RIGHT! Best to be safe. Anyone - and, I mean ANYONE - is the least little bit out of bounds, the least little doubt? Let's just go medieval on their tushies & let the ALMIGHTY sort it all out!"
Not-totally ERT: "Wait -! Sort it out... THE Almighty... ah, weren't you both just saying earlier that's us?"
ERT 2: (looks to 1) "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, my extremely right friend?"
ERT 1: "Yep. Looks like we have our first target, huh?"
Much Later:
ERT 2: "SUCCESS! The final solution! We've eliminated all wrong-headed opposition. All's right with the world, my friend!"
ERT 1: "Heh heh. Ah, I wouldn't exactly say EVERYTHING is all right..."
ERT 2: "What do you mean? And why are you staring at me like that? With that medieval look in your eye?"
ERT 1: "You're left handed... and, let's be honest. We can't have that in an extremely all-right world, now can we...?"
ERT 2: "Why... why you're hopelessly and utterly MAD!"
ERT 1: "Don't you understand? Really, don't make this hard on yourself... it had to come to this... in the end... there's only ONE that can be THE Almighty... bwahahaHAHAHAHAHA *burp*"
...DO-DOO Do-do Do-doo Do-do!
Now, need I say more... am I right, or am I right?
Heckfiar, it's just my humble opinion. I could be wrong, but... Bein' right's nice, yet I think I know why some major conflicts can crop up so easy... 'n times, there IS extreme righteousness to go 'round, all sides... Yet, any really bad fought wars (as opposed to the really 'good' fought ones, if there ever are any)? In my book, ain't nothin' righteous 'bout 'em.... Pain? Suffering? Anguish? Animosity? What's so righteous about alla that?!
After all this time, don'chathink folks'd really get t'questionin' warfare as such a be-all-&-end-all ultimate way of settin' things? If it was so great, y'd think there'da been one ta start, 'n that'd been it... or is it that the 'art' or 'craft' of war hasn't been perfected yet? (Yeah, well, come to think of it. Mankind IS awful far from perfect...)
But, more likely's I see it, all wars...? They don't really settle nuthin' for good. They just profit a few, & move the manure around for most 'til the next set of wars (well now, fer a few, ain't that awfully artsy and crafty?)
Well, anyhoo FFolks... Y'know, more often than not these days, I'm findin' myself seein' at least one common aspect of some'a what's goin' on, on all sides of contentious concerns t'some degree or 'nother... all said, right or not? IMHO, 'sOK to be right or wrong... but even better for all to try not to be so wrong or right so Gol' dang MUCH.
Really, seems to me since the beginning mankind's been goin' 'round & 'round the block havin' one long & awfully BIG bad hair day! (Due to a major case of dandruff... all them righteous flakes on all sides!!)
My though is, to avoid flakiness from spreadin' It's a good idea for folks all around to keep a more-or-less level head on their shoulders, instead of chips...
Otherwise, someday? Some other 'chip off the ol' blockhead' may come along, knock the chips off yer shoulders, & help level your head for you... while you're workin' on returnin' the favor.
In any case FFolks, flakey or right or not, forget the Head & Shoulders... what I want to know, is...
What blockhead's all them chips comin' from, knowhutImean?
Back to the observatory. Be seeing you... Peace, y'all.
"The moral of this is, of course... beware of thinking, because thinking IS... all in the mind" - from the Goon Show, w/Peter Sellers
JT here, back from shore leave with grog, & in a pinch... Riddick pinched me & said I should fill in fer 'em
We're both 'scopin out & observin' short & long-term major global goin's on... He's stayin' on shore, feelin' a mite hung over. (Got ahold of the grog 'n got a li'l too groggy, knowhutImean? But I brought back my share to share... hope half's "Justen Uff" for y'all!)Anyhoo, take a stiff swift swig & pass the bottle around, me hearties... not too much or too little, now... when it comes to spirits, like they say, 'All things in moderation - even moderation!'... here's some thoughts on warfare Yours Truly's been ponderin', 'n some fer y'all to, too:
Y'ever, in your experience, FFolks, happen t'come by any person who's right - and. when I say, right?
I don't mean Mr. (or Ms.) Right - or, Left or Right - or are-eye-gee-atch-tee right... I mean CAPITAL ARE-EYE-GEE-ATCH-Tee *RIGHT*! ??
IMHO, rabidly zealous folk who think they definitely always know what's totally & absolutely 100% universally right, on any one side of any particular issue at any particular time... to the exclusion of any or all other side's 'rights'... well ...
La-de-DOO-da!
Who died & made them the Almighty?!
Y'know, I figger some if not alla them really eagarly-beaverly frantically foamin'-at-the mouth folks & their followers, just don't know what's so very very wrong about being - in one's mind - so very very, very very, VERY VERY RIGHT.
Right or wrong? That allus depends on who yer talkin' to. I think it's fair to say similar to snowflakes, there's no 'zactly alike thinkin' goin' on among the half-dozen or so billion headbones on the planet.
Y'know some folks may agree on some things being right, but some other folks may jes' not see 'right' quite the same way... now, or ever.
If I was throwin' out a global word or five, to all the all-wise & 'Almighty-in-their-own-mind' types, I'd say - WAKE UP & DRY OUT!
Don't ferget, y'might well be right enuff, but other folks may not like whutyerdoin' or whutyersayin'... or 'sides that, even howyerdoin' it or howyersayin' it... which ain't necessarily too troublesome, if neither you or they get too huffy, but...
Act like only 'We're right & we'll always be 100% right - so, eat it & like it - & YOU! You're so bad, you & your ilk, you're just so horribly HORRIBLY HORRIBLY WRONG you can NEVER, ever EVER be right' right along, 'n completely dump all over any & all other folks 'rights' to even reasonably discuss their understanding of right, right or wrong? Well...
Keep it up, throw in enuff expletives and pejoratives and much much worse, and... Y'knowhut? There's only so much horsehockey some folks're willing to take before they decide there's no use talkin' nice or at all no more.
Now, some of 'em may leave it at that. But I'd say among thet ticked-off group, y'might call some of 'em more'n jest a bit tetchy...
And some'a them mebbe ain't such particularly nice folk, neither... as ya very well may've already been thinkin' of 'em before they shut their trap up, in a huff... (Y'know, if not necessarily true to start with, some negative thoughts ARE self-fulfilling, if you think 'em long & hard enuff!)... if they already were or weren't, they well now may be thinkin' NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!
And, if they didn't have 'em before? Who knows if some didn't pick up a few ideas about bein' 'right' from ya.
Hey! They may not just go away quietly & huffy, they may go away mad... and some, they might just go away boiling mad & come back absolutely steamin' mad, t'see just how high 'n Almighty y'all are...! Why, by then, if they didn't already, some may well be thinkin' & feelin' all high & righteous & Almighty, themselves!!
And carried to Almighty extremes? Extremly Righteous Thinking can cause conflict even internally, among Right-Thinking Righteous Thinkers... You are traveling thru another dimension - not of sight & sound but of mind. A journey whose boundaries are that of imagination...
THERE'S A SIGNPOST UP AHEAD.
Your next stop: The SEMI-DARK HALF-LIT JUST BEFORE MORNING OR EVENING TIME DOMAIN
This Week's Episode: "Righteously Intoxicated with Power: The Almighty Ones!" (or, "Gulp Fiction")
Extremely Right Thinker # 1: "There's only one answer. We've got to eliminate ANY kind of unright thinking."
ERT 2: "ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! You've hit the nail on the head, my friend. Right thinking! NO exceptions, ever."
ERT 1: "Hey, when you're right? You're right. Right? Why take chances, that's my motto. *BURP*"
ERT 2: "Yeah! RIGHT and DOUBLE RIGHT! Best to be safe. Anyone - and, I mean ANYONE - is the least little bit out of bounds, the least little doubt? Let's just go medieval on their tushies & let the ALMIGHTY sort it all out!"
Not-totally ERT: "Wait -! Sort it out... THE Almighty... ah, weren't you both just saying earlier that's us?"
ERT 2: (looks to 1) "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, my extremely right friend?"
ERT 1: "Yep. Looks like we have our first target, huh?"
Much Later:
ERT 2: "SUCCESS! The final solution! We've eliminated all wrong-headed opposition. All's right with the world, my friend!"
ERT 1: "Heh heh. Ah, I wouldn't exactly say EVERYTHING is all right..."
ERT 2: "What do you mean? And why are you staring at me like that? With that medieval look in your eye?"
ERT 1: "You're left handed... and, let's be honest. We can't have that in an extremely all-right world, now can we...?"
ERT 2: "Why... why you're hopelessly and utterly MAD!"
ERT 1: "Don't you understand? Really, don't make this hard on yourself... it had to come to this... in the end... there's only ONE that can be THE Almighty... bwahahaHAHAHAHAHA *burp*"
...DO-DOO Do-do Do-doo Do-do!
Now, need I say more... am I right, or am I right?
Heckfiar, it's just my humble opinion. I could be wrong, but... Bein' right's nice, yet I think I know why some major conflicts can crop up so easy... 'n times, there IS extreme righteousness to go 'round, all sides... Yet, any really bad fought wars (as opposed to the really 'good' fought ones, if there ever are any)? In my book, ain't nothin' righteous 'bout 'em.... Pain? Suffering? Anguish? Animosity? What's so righteous about alla that?!
After all this time, don'chathink folks'd really get t'questionin' warfare as such a be-all-&-end-all ultimate way of settin' things? If it was so great, y'd think there'da been one ta start, 'n that'd been it... or is it that the 'art' or 'craft' of war hasn't been perfected yet? (Yeah, well, come to think of it. Mankind IS awful far from perfect...)
But, more likely's I see it, all wars...? They don't really settle nuthin' for good. They just profit a few, & move the manure around for most 'til the next set of wars (well now, fer a few, ain't that awfully artsy and crafty?)
Well, anyhoo FFolks... Y'know, more often than not these days, I'm findin' myself seein' at least one common aspect of some'a what's goin' on, on all sides of contentious concerns t'some degree or 'nother... all said, right or not? IMHO, 'sOK to be right or wrong... but even better for all to try not to be so wrong or right so Gol' dang MUCH.
Really, seems to me since the beginning mankind's been goin' 'round & 'round the block havin' one long & awfully BIG bad hair day! (Due to a major case of dandruff... all them righteous flakes on all sides!!)
My though is, to avoid flakiness from spreadin' It's a good idea for folks all around to keep a more-or-less level head on their shoulders, instead of chips...
Otherwise, someday? Some other 'chip off the ol' blockhead' may come along, knock the chips off yer shoulders, & help level your head for you... while you're workin' on returnin' the favor.
In any case FFolks, flakey or right or not, forget the Head & Shoulders... what I want to know, is...
What blockhead's all them chips comin' from, knowhutImean?
Back to the observatory. Be seeing you... Peace, y'all.
"The moral of this is, of course... beware of thinking, because thinking IS... all in the mind" - from the Goon Show, w/Peter Sellers
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Guest
What the hell is this poll closed for already, I just now saw it.
This particular poll asks ’leading questions’ that encourage the reader to agree with the poll’s author. That being said, and with the limited amount of choices that I would have if I were ’allowed to vote’, I must vote that "War will be eradicated" once the variable of 'human greed' is taken out of the equation.
This particular poll asks ’leading questions’ that encourage the reader to agree with the poll’s author. That being said, and with the limited amount of choices that I would have if I were ’allowed to vote’, I must vote that "War will be eradicated" once the variable of 'human greed' is taken out of the equation.
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Justen Tyme
- Pirate
- Posts: 262
- Joined: 11-10-2000 03:00 AM
Humanity's Variable Values: A Textbook Case of a Negative Im
"War will be eradicated" once the variable of 'human greed' is taken out of the equation.
Well Truett ya got Yours Truly doin' some more thinkin'
(which can be a dangerous proposition! 'Specially when I'm thinkin' out loud, Riddick don't like it when I do that) tryin' to come up with an equation
(HUMAN CONDITION) = (WAR + A Bunch of Other Stuff Going On) = FUNCTION OF (Variable Factors, including 'Human Greed')...
Now, my thot is thet equation would look better somethin' like (HC) = (A Bunch of Stuff) = FUN(Variables, not including 'HG'), with W = 0. Thus sayeth the Math/Science/Engineering Geek in me!
Btw - IMHO, the cumulative value of W locally & globally has always been, & continues to be a net negative.
Personally tho, I don't think just taking HG out of the HC equation alone, would totally do the trick... sure, I'd go along with extractin' pure greed, but beyond that it's a sticky diagnosis... Sorta like extractin' a cancer tumor from a patient (as I see it, W's a human dis-ease) y'need also to get t'greed's symptomatic sibling, selfishness:
selfishness The quality or state of being selfish; exclusive regard to one's own interest or happiness; that supreme self-love or self-preference which leads a person to direct his purposes to the advancement of his own interest, power, or happiness, without regarding those of others. (definition from dictionary.com)
Then beyond that, take a look at the 2 Thesaurus entries for selfishness -
Entry: egoism Synonyms: arrogance, assurance, boastfulness, boasting, bragging, conceit, conceitedness, egocentricity, egomania, egotism, gasconade, haughtiness, insolence, megalomania, narcissism, ostentation, overconfidence, presumption, pride, self-absorption, self-admiration, self-confidence, self-importance, self-interest, self-love, self-possession, self-regard, self-worship, selfishness, superiority, swellheadedness, vainglory, vanity, vaunting Concept: personality entity
Entry: greed Synonyms: acquisitiveness, avarice, avidity, covetousness, craving, cupidity, eagerness, edacity, esurience, excess, gluttony, gormandizing, grabby, graspingness, hunger, indulgence, insatiableness, intemperance, longing, piggishness, rapacity, ravenousness, selfishness, the gimmies, voracity Concept: desire
Sooo... can we attain W = 0? IMHO, Mebbe... hard to conceptualize tho, havin' a world of personality entities factorin' in, each with varying non-constant desires... Woo. Now, could be REAL tough totally extractin' any human failin' for good! I see like, 6 billion+moreallthetime variable headbones contributin' to an outta-whack equation -
[... Even if the world did get all 'on the same page'? Danger there is, planetary-wise (...or even localized) GroupThink may not be such a sure way'a producin' a non-whacked-out Human Condition... More likely's I see it, GT could simply lead to a 'polite' way of waging war... & perhaps even 'A Taste of Armageddon'?!]
More practically speakin' tho - instead'a havin' what I see as a probability of W AND The Human Condition bein' irremediably linked - & both goin' to extinction, convergin' to zero, pointin' to null at the same time...?
Why stand by and do nothing, or fight the bad fight?
My thot is, fight the good fight - work t'MAXIMIZE the plus side of the HC equation now! ...& potentially minimize the chances of W super-sizin' outta control, globally or locally. Strive t'reduce negativity-nuturin' variables, like greed & egotism & dogmatism, all around - 'n strive t'super-size positivity-promotin' variable values! Like generosity, altruism & tolerance...
But ag'in, just speakin' personally as a human bein', bein' part of a variable HC... Yours Truly's part of fixin' and/or effin' up the equation, the maximizin' OR minimizin' of The Human Condition. T'be truthful, I HAVE nurtured negativity more'n a few times, & just bein' a simple human bean, y'can count on I'll do it ag'in...
Even so thet don't mean I can't count on myself here on... to try pitchin' in a good bit LESS negativity- & MORE'n extra bit'a positivity!! 'N havin' some like-minded folks pitchin' in their part couldn't hurt, either...
May not put an end to the threat of W once and for all, but pitchin' in all them positive parts might go a goodly ways towards holdin' the threat down some, anyhoo... kinda like Grandaddy allus useta say?
(oops, Riddick's lookin' this way -
I musta been thinkin' too loud...!
lata, gatas)
- Yore ol' buddy, JT
Well Truett ya got Yours Truly doin' some more thinkin'
(which can be a dangerous proposition! 'Specially when I'm thinkin' out loud, Riddick don't like it when I do that) tryin' to come up with an equation
(HUMAN CONDITION) = (WAR + A Bunch of Other Stuff Going On) = FUNCTION OF (Variable Factors, including 'Human Greed')...
Now, my thot is thet equation would look better somethin' like (HC) = (A Bunch of Stuff) = FUN(Variables, not including 'HG'), with W = 0. Thus sayeth the Math/Science/Engineering Geek in me!
Btw - IMHO, the cumulative value of W locally & globally has always been, & continues to be a net negative.
Personally tho, I don't think just taking HG out of the HC equation alone, would totally do the trick... sure, I'd go along with extractin' pure greed, but beyond that it's a sticky diagnosis... Sorta like extractin' a cancer tumor from a patient (as I see it, W's a human dis-ease) y'need also to get t'greed's symptomatic sibling, selfishness:
selfishness The quality or state of being selfish; exclusive regard to one's own interest or happiness; that supreme self-love or self-preference which leads a person to direct his purposes to the advancement of his own interest, power, or happiness, without regarding those of others. (definition from dictionary.com)
Then beyond that, take a look at the 2 Thesaurus entries for selfishness -
Entry: egoism Synonyms: arrogance, assurance, boastfulness, boasting, bragging, conceit, conceitedness, egocentricity, egomania, egotism, gasconade, haughtiness, insolence, megalomania, narcissism, ostentation, overconfidence, presumption, pride, self-absorption, self-admiration, self-confidence, self-importance, self-interest, self-love, self-possession, self-regard, self-worship, selfishness, superiority, swellheadedness, vainglory, vanity, vaunting Concept: personality entity
Entry: greed Synonyms: acquisitiveness, avarice, avidity, covetousness, craving, cupidity, eagerness, edacity, esurience, excess, gluttony, gormandizing, grabby, graspingness, hunger, indulgence, insatiableness, intemperance, longing, piggishness, rapacity, ravenousness, selfishness, the gimmies, voracity Concept: desire
Sooo... can we attain W = 0? IMHO, Mebbe... hard to conceptualize tho, havin' a world of personality entities factorin' in, each with varying non-constant desires... Woo. Now, could be REAL tough totally extractin' any human failin' for good! I see like, 6 billion+moreallthetime variable headbones contributin' to an outta-whack equation -
[... Even if the world did get all 'on the same page'? Danger there is, planetary-wise (...or even localized) GroupThink may not be such a sure way'a producin' a non-whacked-out Human Condition... More likely's I see it, GT could simply lead to a 'polite' way of waging war... & perhaps even 'A Taste of Armageddon'?!]
More practically speakin' tho - instead'a havin' what I see as a probability of W AND The Human Condition bein' irremediably linked - & both goin' to extinction, convergin' to zero, pointin' to null at the same time...?
Why stand by and do nothing, or fight the bad fight?
My thot is, fight the good fight - work t'MAXIMIZE the plus side of the HC equation now! ...& potentially minimize the chances of W super-sizin' outta control, globally or locally. Strive t'reduce negativity-nuturin' variables, like greed & egotism & dogmatism, all around - 'n strive t'super-size positivity-promotin' variable values! Like generosity, altruism & tolerance...
But ag'in, just speakin' personally as a human bein', bein' part of a variable HC... Yours Truly's part of fixin' and/or effin' up the equation, the maximizin' OR minimizin' of The Human Condition. T'be truthful, I HAVE nurtured negativity more'n a few times, & just bein' a simple human bean, y'can count on I'll do it ag'in...
Even so thet don't mean I can't count on myself here on... to try pitchin' in a good bit LESS negativity- & MORE'n extra bit'a positivity!! 'N havin' some like-minded folks pitchin' in their part couldn't hurt, either...
May not put an end to the threat of W once and for all, but pitchin' in all them positive parts might go a goodly ways towards holdin' the threat down some, anyhoo... kinda like Grandaddy allus useta say?
(oops, Riddick's lookin' this way -
I musta been thinkin' too loud...!
lata, gatas
)- Yore ol' buddy, JT