Teddy Coming Down

[Sytes]

Another great one!

Are we all primitive savages to begin?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I'm familiar with Rinella's argument method. You can take that argument all the way to Washington Monument, DC, and state, Lincoln Memorial, Statue of Liberty, etc..etc... Something just seems wrong about a vocal minority being able to make sweeping changes against the will of the majority. Not an easy answer but it seems the will of the majority should also be strongly considered.

“Whenever he sensed that arrogance was making them more confident than the situation merited, he would say something to strike fear into their hearts; and when on the other hand he saw them fearful without good reason, he restored their confidence again. So it came about that what was in name a democracy was in practice government by the foremost man.” -Thucydides, The History of the Peloponnesian War

Our current system much like, Athens seems to lend itself to leaders using fear to harness the masses. The US has always had problems with Demagogues.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

Eric Blair aka George Orwell wrote 1984 in 1948 after having spent years as a war correspondent and spending time working across different european countries and was a warning against totalitarianism. He envisioned unless there were dramatic changes in society we'd be heading this direction in the future (i.e. 1984). He's got some things scarily accurate,
telescreens - mass surveillance
Big brother and the party - political elite and goons
Ministry of truth - corrupt media, selected/cherry picked acceptable history
Thought crime - as he said this was the worst of all and the one that scares me personally. Effectively a society that punishes critical and free thinking.
You undortunately could go on all day about the comparisons.

Animal farm was a warning against communism. The famous line from the pigs "all are equal, but some are more equal than others" referring to the inevitability of corruption that's been seen in every attempt at communism.

Both worth a read if you haven't yet.

 

[TwistedSage]

Eric Blair aka George Orwell wrote 1984 in 1948 after having spent years as a war correspondent and spending time working across different european countries and was a warning against totalitarianism. He envisioned unless there were dramatic changes in society we'd be heading this direction in the future (i.e. 1984). He's got some things scarily accurate,
telescreens - mass surveillance
Big brother and the party - political elite and goons
Ministry of truth - corrupt media, selected/cherry picked acceptable history
Thought crime - as he said this was the worst of all and the one that scares me personally. Effectively a society that punishes critical and free thinking.
You undortunately could go on all day about the comparisons.

Animal farm was a warning against communism. The famous line from the pigs "all are equal, but some are more equal than others" referring to the inevitability of corruption that's been seen in every attempt at communism.

Both worth a read if you haven't yet.

1984 was part of the curriculum my freshman or sophomore year. Graduated in 07 so I know that book is still somewhat fresh in many young minds. I do feel that current parallels are unsettling to say the least.

 

[VikingsGuy]

1984 was part of the curriculum my freshman or sophomore year. Graduated in 07 so I know that book is still somewhat fresh in many young minds. I do feel that current parallels are unsettling to say the least.

But in our times each side thinks the other is the obvious villain.

 

[BuzzH]

I'm familiar with Rinella's argument method. You can take that argument all the way to Washington Monument, DC, and state, Lincoln Memorial, Statue of Liberty, etc..etc... Something just seems wrong about a vocal minority being able to make sweeping changes against the will of the majority. Not an easy answer but it seems the will of the majority should also be strongly considered.

I doubt your uncomfortable with the "vocal minority" making sweeping changes against the will of the majority when you're in the vocal minority...want an example?

A clear majority of the US population doesn't hunt, are you uncomfortable with the vocal minority of people who hunt, making sweeping changes and dominating the way we manage and hunt wildlife? Do you "strongly consider" the majority who don't hunt?

I doubt it.

Mob/majority rule doesn't work and why we're not a true democracy...

 

[Irrelevant]

1984 was part of the curriculum my freshman or sophomore year. Graduated in 07 so I know that book is still somewhat fresh in many young minds. I do feel that current parallels are unsettling to say the least.

like the threat of war being used to take away individual freedoms, ie the Patriot Act, that are never given back, because we will always be at war.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

1984 was part of the curriculum my freshman or sophomore year. Graduated in 07 so I know that book is still somewhat fresh in many young minds. I do feel that current parallels are unsettling to say the least.

Along with 1984, and Animal Farm we read Fahrenheit 451 in high school... lots of disturbing parallels there as well.

 

[TwistedSage]

like the threat of war being used to take away individual freedoms, ie the Patriot Act, that are never given back, because we will always be at war.

Bingo. Scare the populace enough and some will start asking for freedoms to be taken away.

 

[TwistedSage]

Along with 1984, and Animal Farm we read Fahrenheit 451 in high school... lots of disturbing parallels there as well.

We read animal farm as well. Absolutely

 

[azelkhntr]

2nd? WTF? According to him, he’s THE best. Ever. What gives? Fake news?

He is the the best; alive.

 

[Big Fin]

Well, had I not been on calls all afternoon, I would have closed this thread by Friday afternoon as I suspected. So, I am a half-hour late.

I can almost predict how long a thread will survive by the small group who shows up to make sure they express their "everything is a political topic" way of looking at the world.

So, pack your political bags and give it a rest for the weekend.