Gloom and doom

[Armando]

Re: Gloom and doom

Everything I learned about Christianity indicated that its core principle was compassion.

I just use the term "Christian" (as opposed to just Christian) for these people. Sadly, these people make it hard to take any kind of Christian seriously because you don't know which of the two you're getting when someone puts a Jesus Fish on his car or whatnot. I'm naturally wary of anyone who does shit like that though, because if you gotta tell the whole world you're a Christian you're probably a little bit too much into your religion.

EDIT: I think another part of the problem is that anyone and their mother can call themselves Christian if they claim to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They can tack on whatever crazy ideals they want to enforce to the name Jesus and they're still Christian. It's essentially become a label you can apply to a fake religion to validate it as real.

[Taskmage]

Re: Gloom and doom

The christian morality police don't make sense to me though. I was raised as a Christian, got dragged to church every Sunday and had a sort of Sunday school thing too. What I ultimately got out of it was that Jesus' message was pretty clearly one of love, forgiveness and acceptance. Pretty much the complete opposite of what I see the christian morality police doing.

Everything I learned about Christianity indicated that its core principle was compassion.

Same here, but clearly there were other people who were taught some very different things. All Christians are not gay-bashers, let's get that out of the way first. All gay-bashers are not Christians, either, but the most vocal and visible segment of them are, and the specific group that coined the term under discussion definitely is.

Homosexual agenda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the US, the term "the gay agenda" was first used in public discourse in 1992 when the Family Research Council, an American conservative Christian group,[4] released a video series called The Gay Agenda as part of a pack of materials campaigning on homosexual issues and the "hidden gay agenda".[5]

[Raydeus]

Re: Gloom and doom

No, because this idea makes no goddamn sense. The Canadians and Americans both see their southern neighbor as fucking insane and pretty unstable, Americans see Canadians as a bunch of pinkos who are going to spend themselves into the ground; the Euroskeptics would come over and say "Look at what happened to the Eurozone; they had to spend billions of dollars saving the asses of the less responsible states, in order to keep their own currency from falling". The US government is heavily reliant on its ability to set its own financial policy; not to mention how much we enjoy having control of the world's reserve currency, something which would be at risk were we to enter into a strange new Amero world. America, both in her citizenry and her politicians, has a very strong aversion to even minor threats to her sovereignty; this is why so many countries have treaties for seemingly basic things, which she refuses to sign.

Frankly, I see it being far more likely (not to mention beneficial to all parties) for the Canadian and Mexican federal governments to disband, and leave Canadian/Mexican states with the option of being sovereign states, forming new republics, or joining the US; and I don't think that's at all likely, or necessarily beneficial. I also think it's more likely that we would see the dollar merged with the Yen than with the Peso.

It would be far easier, and probably the only thing anyone would get close to agreeing to, to peg the Canadian dollar and Mexican peso to the US Dollar, than to try to agree to a single currency. Hell, it would probably be easier to get a Schengen Area type travel/live/work visa arrangemet going on between the three countries than to link them to a single currency.

To clarify I'm not saying the Amero scenario is a desirable outcome but the complete opposite.

Joining the US would be the worst possible thing that could happen to Canada or Mexico. Most economies are already moving away from the dollar as a reserve and trading currency, and once the OPEC starts accepting other currencies for oil trade it will be over for the Petrodollar scam. So the Amero becomes viable for the banksters once the US dollar falls under the pressure of it's massive debt and the Petrodollar loses it's monopoly over oil trade, which is what gives it a big portion of it's current value.

This is why I'm saying I hope the USD falls hard enough so the US can't afford to send the military here to force the spread freedom and democracyâ„¢. But I doubt it would go that well unless there's hyperinflation going in the US once SHTF.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Gloom and doom

I always wonder who exactly concocts terms like that.

Because its not just the Homosexual Agenda, there's also the Transgender Agenda, too. Apparently wanting to be treated with respect and equality is an agenda now. We're all told as children that its important to "be yourself" all the way through college and then you enter the working world and society wants to just conform and be a Stepford family. If you're a single man, you're seen as unreliable until you're married. If you're a woman, don't dare have an opinion or go against the male ideal set out for you. If you have a sexual preference or a religion, please don't speak of it ever.

I'm gonna interject here and say that this isn't exactly a terrible thing. Politics, religion, sexual preference, gender, race, none of these things should mean anything at all in the work place. I work in an office that is full of people who lean conservative, whereas I tend to lean more liberal hippy, so you can bet your ass I check my politics at the door, but so should everyone regardless of which side of the fence they're on. It should be the same deal with everything else you just listed, ideally anyway but we all know how ideals play out.

---------- Post added at 09:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 AM ----------

Here's how I think it works. People with alternate lifestyles want to be treated with respect and equality. "Good, right-thinking people" take it as axiomatic that these other people are morally wrong. So by asking for respect and equality, LGBT people are asking (I wanted to avoid this label, but let's be honest) right-wing Christians to believe that it's equally valid to be a bad person as a good person, and that the the moral system based on the authority of scripture and the clergy might be wrong. For someone deeply invested in that belief structure, you might as well say up is down and black is white. Ergo, LGBT people have an Agenda to subvert their entire belief structure and destroy everything they think is good about the world. Which, if you think about it from their perspective, is really almost true, even if no gay or transgender person ever specifically intended it. The bottom line is we want them to use a moral system based on compassion, temperance, and a reasoned examination of the facts, rather than stuffy dictums from a 2000 year old book, reinterpreted at will through the lens of whatever prejudice the reader carries. That's scary stuff.

The christian morality police don't make sense to me though. I was raised as a Christian, got dragged to church every Sunday and had a sort of Sunday school thing too. What I ultimately got out of it was that Jesus' message was pretty clearly one of love, forgiveness and acceptance. Pretty much the complete opposite of what I see the christian morality police doing.

Everything I learned about Christianity indicated that its core principle was compassion.

[Taskmage]

Re: Gloom and doom

Here's how I think it works. People with alternate lifestyles want to be treated with respect and equality. "Good, right-thinking people" take it as axiomatic that these other people are morally wrong. So by asking for respect and equality, LGBT people are asking (I wanted to avoid this label, but let's be honest) right-wing Christians to believe that it's equally valid to be a bad person as a good person, and that the the moral system based on the authority of scripture and the clergy might be wrong. For someone deeply invested in that belief structure, you might as well say up is down and black is white. Ergo, LGBT people have an Agenda to subvert their entire belief structure and destroy everything they think is good about the world. Which, if you think about it from their perspective, is really almost true, even if no gay or transgender person ever specifically intended it. The bottom line is we want them to use a moral system based on compassion, temperance, and a reasoned examination of the facts, rather than stuffy dictums from a 2000 year old book, reinterpreted at will through the lens of whatever prejudice the reader carries. That's scary stuff.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Gloom and doom

the Homosexual Agendaâ„¢

I always wonder who exactly concocts terms like that.

Because its not just the Homosexual Agenda, there's also the Transgender Agenda, too. Apparently wanting to be treated with respect and equality is an agenda now. We're all told as children that its important to "be yourself" all the way through college and then you enter the working world and society wants to just conform and be a Stepford family. If you're a single man, you're seen as unreliable until you're married. If you're a woman, don't dare have an opinion or go against the male ideal set out for you. If you have a sexual preference or a religion, please don't speak of it ever. And you can be of a different race, just don't expect for us to sit with you at lunch or invite you out for a drink after work.

And people fucking wonder why I'm asocial. Being yourself has been outlawed in our culture. And even though we pat ourselves on the back an thing we're tolerant about race and sexuality, we're still have our limits.

It was interesting to me to see people patting themselves on the back about their racial tolerance over the whole Treyvon shooting thing, then call Jenna Talackova an abomination in the same week. It tends to show how far we've not come. Its only acceptable to be yourself within limits determined by other people and their arbitrary bullshit rules. We can't even properly discuss politics unless we see the apparent negatives in both sides. If others can't see your positives as positives, they are somehow instantly idiots even if they were pals just a moment ago.

In some religions its believed in the afterlife you became a god yourself and you create your own little world and universe. Its not the most popular concept, but its one people most commonly try to adapt to the world they live in. I can't help but find the concept just a little depressing.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Gloom and doom

I am stealing this because it is too awesome not to share.

Stolen and posted to Twittaru.

[Feba]

Re: Gloom and doom

Considering they really want to merge the currencies of Canada, US and Mexico you'll probably be looking at an Amero kinda thing.

No, because this idea makes no goddamn sense. The Canadians and Americans both see their southern neighbor as fucking insane and pretty unstable, Americans see Canadians as a bunch of pinkos who are going to spend themselves into the ground; the Euroskeptics would come over and say "Look at what happened to the Eurozone; they had to spend billions of dollars saving the asses of the less responsible states, in order to keep their own currency from falling". The US government is heavily reliant on its ability to set its own financial policy; not to mention how much we enjoy having control of the world's reserve currency, something which would be at risk were we to enter into a strange new Amero world. America, both in her citizenry and her politicians, has a very strong aversion to even minor threats to her sovereignty; this is why so many countries have treaties for seemingly basic things, which she refuses to sign.

Frankly, I see it being far more likely (not to mention beneficial to all parties) for the Canadian and Mexican federal governments to disband, and leave Canadian/Mexican states with the option of being sovereign states, forming new republics, or joining the US; and I don't think that's at all likely, or necessarily beneficial. I also think it's more likely that we would see the dollar merged with the Yen than with the Peso.

It would be far easier, and probably the only thing anyone would get close to agreeing to, to peg the Canadian dollar and Mexican peso to the US Dollar, than to try to agree to a single currency. Hell, it would probably be easier to get a Schengen Area type travel/live/work visa arrangemet going on between the three countries than to link them to a single currency.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Gloom and doom

I started rereading 1984 today and one of the party slogans reminded me of someone, so I made this. Thought you guys might like it.

I am stealing this because it is too awesome not to share.

[Takelli]

Re: Gloom and doom

Not sure which would be better then...

Move to Mexico, and be enlisted to fight against the US, Move to Canada, or stay in the US, and get killed by some random shrapnel. XD

[Raydeus]

Re: Gloom and doom

So Ray.... Know the currant exchange rate for the Pesos from the USD? XD

XD

Considering they really want to merge the currencies of Canada, US and Mexico you'll probably be looking at an Amero kinda thing. Unless Canadians can put a stop to it somehow and/or Mexicans decide it's a good day to fight the US. But it will all depend on how the dollar is doing at the time. If it goes poof with hyperinflation we may stand a chance since the US wont be able to pay for troop deployment. If it doesn't then Goldman Sachs may get their wish and get the Amero which will then merge with the Euro down the road.

Then it will depend whether B.R.I.C.S. is legit or another made up organization to achieve a single currency.

/tinfoilcoveredbulletproofarmor

[Taskmage]

Re: Gloom and doom

I started rereading 1984 today and one of the party slogans reminded me of someone, so I made this. Thought you guys might like it.

[Takelli]

Re: Gloom and doom

So Ray.... Know the currant exchange rate for the Pesos from the USD? XD

[Raydeus]

Re: Gloom and doom

Oh man I have lots.

---------- Post added at 11:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 AM ----------

PS > Although probably the hardest thing for the US population should the dollar manage to stay afloat would be getting used to living with waaaaaaay less money than they do today. Think of all your bills, then multiply them by at least 10 and think how you would live like that, because once the dictatorship is established the balance of income will go even further towards the 1% and less and less money will be available for the population in the lower classes (middle class will be non-existant for the most part.)

But since the Petrodollar has made it possible for the US to get into a waaaaaaaaaay deeper debt than any 3rd world country ever could there's a good chance the US dollar will simply go poof. Then it becomes a survival way of life rather than a 3rd world one. Think living and surviving in a war zone with not many services left. <_<;

/doom&gloom

[cidbahamut]

Re: Gloom and doom

So Ray, any tips on how to survive in a third world police state?