Where do you stand politically?

[vba_php]

But you have no understanding of history if you think the US is the problem in the world. Do a little research on King Leopold and the Belgian Congo and many of the other colonies around the world. Look at how the slave trade started and look at which country stopped it. You might also want to look at which countries around the world (mostly Muslim) still embrace it. In fact, I had a sex slave who lived with me for a short while when I was working in Kuwait. That's a sad story, I'll tell it if anyone is interested. The US was never in the colony business except for our taking over Hawaii which was disgusting. Do some research on what China is doing in Africa and South America if you want to be frightened about the new colonialism.

I'm not scared Pat, because I know what the future holds. and there's only one place you'll find that. so if you wanna know, read the book. During the last days, whenever they come about, most true Chistians will meet the same consequence that Peter and Paul suffered, however that is only temporary. After much struggle on Earth, the little guy eventually wins. I'm pretty sure that's why the senior monk at New Mellory proposed that I come and stay another weekend under a term called "vocation", which is meant to be given to aspiring monks. [laugh]. I'm seeing that a lot of people with very sensitive hearts and minds (especially those in churches) are becoming scared shitless, but there is no reason for that. That's one of the reasons I'm creating 2 websites to serve different purposes. 1 of them of course, will be aimed at taking down those assholes that tried to get money out of me. They pissed me off a little too much, and now they're gonna find out what I know about them.

In terms of different countries causing various problems, I'm 99% sure that the problem with the USA is that these corporate and congressional idiots always take their capitalistic nonsense to foreign countries that haven't experienced it when they run into trouble bringing profits here in the USA. Any intelligent person living in the USA can sniff that one out without a second thought. Do you really think I'm that stupid?

I know there are other countries that are evil or seriously off-base in their own way. Consider this, would you? https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/art...h5b-and-i-will-resurrect-kobe-bryant-daughter

but of course that's not all.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Looks like the UK has problems similar to the US and the people are sick and tired of it. Since I believe that the Democrats are as bad as the Republicans, I use my vote to attempt to enforce term limits. With the exception of Donald Trump, every candidate I have ever voted for has lied to me or if he was new and thought he was going to change the world, he got corrupted pretty quickly and forgot what he was elected to do, my current votes are almost always cast AGAINST the incumbent. Sometimes, it means spinning a roulette wheel and letting the ball drop where it may but to have any real impact when there are more than two candidates, you have to vote for the challenger who has the most chance of getting elected and unseating the incumbent.

 

[vba_php]

With the exception of Donald Trump, every candidate I have ever voted for has lied to me or if he was new and thought he was going to change the world, he got corrupted pretty quickly

oh my God Pat, seriously, please tell me you're not THAT naive! At your age and experience level, are you gonna tell me that you *don't* know the job of a politician? Don't you know what their purpose is?! Get you excited, PERIOD. Just like a salesman. Get you excited, that's IT. I can't believe you're not recognizing that! Or maybe I'm not seeing your sarcasm? Personally I don't mind people praying off of other peoples' emotions for the purpose of getting a sale, especially the predators are sales people in the technology world. and the reason being, is because, after the victims realize they bought shit that doesn't do for them what they were promised, they seek out people like myself and if they come to me specifically, I have free reign to charge what I want to fix the problems caused by the salesperson. I wish it was not that way, but that's the reality of a necessary sales-pitch. If I'm spot on, would you promise me that you're not going to engage in that sort of naivety in the future? That would give me a better impression of you as an intelligent person.

 

[Pat Hartman]

We have the system we have so that's what we have to work within. I'm not so naive as to believe that politicians are working on my behalf but I do believe that is what they are supposed to do. When 60 minutes runs a segment on insider trading by members of Congress, you know they've gone too far. Congress did modify the insider trading law that allowed them to benefit from insider trading as a result of the segment but a couple of months later, with no fanfare, they modified it again so they're back to profiting at our expense. The Clinton Foundation and Joe Biden's son and brothers are only the most egregious cases of corruption. Too bad none of them will be wearing orange any time soon mostly because both cases would involve President Obama at some level since both happened under his watch and he knew what was going on and we certainly don't want to taint Obama in any way.

That's why, all things being equal, I recommend voting against the incumbent. Throw the bums out as soon as possible and hope for someone honest.

 

[vba_php]

That's why, all things being equal, I recommend voting against the incumbent. Throw the bums out as soon as possible and hope for someone honest.

hope for someone honest....that's a false positive, Pat. just like the machine learning experts say: "false positive". I recently looked at a LinkedIn.com article regarding that concept, and this was my response to them (in sarcasm):

false positive? what do you mean guys? is that like this?

! $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']

LOL. I'm sure that really made them happy! Noone likes a smart ass....

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Wait.... politicians who tell the truth.... isn't that a NULL set?

 

[vba_php]

Wait.... politicians who tell the truth.... isn't that a NULL set?

NO, like I said, it's an equiv to false BOOLEAN, in any language. e.g. =>

! $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Any language except English and Mathematics.

 

[vba_php]

Any language except English and Mathematics.

I bet you ANYTHING I could find a translation on the internet.

 

[AC/DC]

I am socially liberal and economically conservative.

 

[vba_php]

I am socially liberal and economically conservative.

wow! you won't fine *that* mixture in either side of the warring parties in congress!

 

[Galaxiom]

Politics is now dominated by career politicians who have very little real world experience. Many of them are second generation from political families and have been brought up to take over the job from their parent.

They are interested only in furthering their careers and will sell out anybody or anything to stay on top. Industrial giants, particularly mining companies, have bought them and make it clear they either toe the line or they will be replaced. Media giants orchestrate the process.

In some countries the media is owned by the government and we know that is bad. It is even more dangerous when the government is owned by the media but many seem oblivious. Democracy is an illusion.

 

[vba_php]

Many of them are second generation from political families and have been brought up to take over the job from their parent.

GWB is an example of this, obviously. As far as I'm concerned, his time in office was spent solely on finishing the spat with Saddam Hussein that his father started. What a moron, like most of them of course!

Democracy is an illusion.

well I don't know Galax. Democracy works quite well as a system to keep people "at bay", or, for a harsher term, "controlled". Richard and I have already talked about the need for a structured system of somekind in every country. But you know, even though the politicians in this country are all corrupt like most countries, this country is still great strictly because the constant in-fighting between democrats and republicans creates, literally, a plethera of opportunities for business people, large and small. and actually too, as far as business opportunities go, you can thank both parties on that one because each side contributes different things to the mix that eventually ends up allowing people to do good things, through business or other means.

 

[Galaxiom]

, as far as business opportunities go, you can thank both parties on that one because each side contributes different things to the mix that eventually ends up allowing people to do good things, through business or other means.

In Australia people get on with things while the government fights over which wing is in charge.

We have a really bizarre situation with the current federal government here consisting of a coalition between the "Liberal Party" and "National Party" that has been in power since 2013. They are controlled by a right wing that is supposed to believe in free market economy.

The National Party is supposed to be the party of the farmers and rural areas but they are most extreme at promoting huge coal mines and gas extraction on prime agricultural land. The gas fracking drains aquifers while coal mines are being granted rights to unlimited amounts of water, a scarce commodity on the world's driest continent. You may be aware of the extent of the fires we have had here for the past four months with infernos dwarfing those in the Amazon or anywhere else. (Bizarrely the farmers keep voting for them.)

The media is controlled by Rupert Murdoch an expat Australian, now a US citizen. He backs mining and has left any politicians supporting renewable energy in terror because of the sway he has over public opinion. He and other right wing media influencers took down a sitting Prime Minister in the coalition because he wanted to bring in a fairly limp energy policy that looked like letting the market forces promote renewable energy. The other side of politics get wiped out if they get serious about reducing carbon emissions so they end up going along with the right wingers.

Meanwhile, despite the country having the best solar and wind resources in the world the government is dedicated to the coal and gas industry (mostly owned by foreign companies) with the most extreme wanting the government to fund the construction of coal fired power stations which no private investors will go near. They do everything they can to inhibit renewable energy.

When they got in government they immediately demolished a fairly new but highly successful emissions trading scheme set up by the outgoing government then proceeded to fight among themselves over a replacement scheme with the ultra right wing refusing to condone anything that put a price or limit on carbon emissions. The fight over carbon and energy policy has taken out a series of Prime Ministers on both sides of politics such that we have had six Prime Ministerships in a decade. (One of them came back for a second go.)

We have literally had no energy policy for the past seven years. Coal fired power stations have reached end of life and not been replaced while investment in large scale renewables has been stifled because there is nothing investors hate more than an uncertain regulatory framework where they cannot calculate the expected return on investment.

The lack of investment in electricity generating assets has led to skyrocketing power prices and the government blames everyone except themselves. Meanwhile the high cost of electricity and our sunny climate has seen ordinary citizens invest in rooftop solar at the fastest rate anywhere in the world with one in five households and many business now having PV systems. Even mining companies are installing solar and wind to augment the electricity used in their operations. We have some of the biggest grid connected batteries in the world. This has saved the grid from collapse.

The payback time for rooftop solar is seriously short. Many are going further and installing batteries like I have. I have a 5 kW system with a 13 kWhr battery and my last electricity bill was a $35 credit. We export enough power to run another house.

So ironically the government has accidentally promoted renewable energy because they have no policy, a situation driven by a desire to react against market forces despite nominally having a free market philosophy. Go figure.

 

[vba_php]

They are controlled by a right wing that is supposed to believe in free market economy.

yeah well "free market" is a loose term. in the USA, the republicans want the free market because they are experts and getting around the system and creating loopholes in governmental policy that allows them to profit hugely.

You may be aware of the extent of the fires we have had here for the past four months with infernos dwarfing those in the Amazon or anywhere else..

I saw it on facebook when a friend of mine was complaining about it:

Unfortunately though, that friend of mine has an extremely negative attitude and is trying to solve every problem the world has by shouting and typing. He's only right out of college too.......his negativity reminds me of a few others too....that I've known for a while now.....and yes, I know who Rupert Murdoch is.[/QUOTE]

 

[AccessBlaster]

I want my government to be liberally conservative.

 

[Jon]

What does liberally conservative mean?

 

[AccessBlaster]

It was a play on words, I would like to see more balance instead of the extremes we experience now.

 

[Jon]

You mean like the polarisation going on in America today?

 

[vba_php]

It was a play on words, I would like to see more balance instead of the extremes we experience now.

there are very FEW people in the world that have the [health/tolerance/patience] to be the person you're looking for, AB. I would say Bill Clinton was close to that type of person though. I don't know of anyone else though, at least in the USA. Personally, you would find it with me as well, but there's no way in he$$ I would sacrifice everything I've got and the good I do for other people by getting paid even $1 million dollar per salary to go deal with the idiots in Congress. Speaking of Richard's catchphrases, that would seriously fall under the idea "beating a dead horse". I've got a lot of things to do in my life, and not wasting it on non-sense like that is common sense.