Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:Is materialism the measuring stick of success?
When you invent "success" you must also invent a means to measure that success. Whether this measure is arbitrary, subjective, or mutually-agreed upon makes no difference to the basic (and constructed) concept of "success"
Seek freedom and become captive of your desires...seek discipline and find your liberty I can tell if a person is judgmental just by looking at them what is chaos to the fly is normal to the spider - morticia addams If you're not upsetting idiots, you might be an idiot. - Ted Nugent
Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:Is materialism the measuring stick of success?
When you invent "success" you must also invent a means to measure that success. Whether this measure is arbitrary, subjective, or mutually-agreed upon makes no difference to the basic (and constructed) concept of "success"
How would you measure 'success'?
- Doc
In the face of madness, rationality has no power - Xiao Wang, US historiographer, 2287 AD.
Every record...falsified, every book rewritten...every statue...has been renamed or torn down, every date...altered...the process is continuing...minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Ideology is always right.
I agree, but at what point can we agree that our personal wants don't outweigh the personal needs of the many? For example, if I had to choose between driving a Range Rover or 'sacrifice' and drive a Ford Expedition because I'm helping to finance a new renewable energy grid then who is right? Which one is better for our country?
The idea that we think ourselves exceptionalists on every_single_level, and still maintain we're the greatest country in the world simply doesn't fly. If you want to travel fast, go by yourself, but if you want to travel far, go with others. Our country and its citizenry needs to know the difference between fleeting gains, and long-term national investments.
- Doc[/quote]
That is always an ongoing problem. I think I've reached a good compromise. My home is comfortable but not luxurious. by American standards. I produce some 95% of my own electricity. The mortgage is all paid off. So all I worry about is its ongoing maintenance, and looks. I own one car, an older mid-sized Ford Taurus. I'm too tall for the small economy cars. Later this year I going to buy a new car of the approximate same size.
While I like my own country I'm not happy about some of the things it has done in my name.
But you only own it as long as you can pay the property tax.
And when the confederates saw Jackson standing fearless as a stone wall the army of Northern Virginia took courage and drove the federal army off their land.
But you only own it as long as you can pay the property tax.
My property taxes go to provide the goods and services I and my fellow property tax payers use(d). You seem to want something but not to pay for it. In other words Steal it.
ajax18 wrote:But you only own it as long as you can pay the property tax.
My property taxes go to provide the goods and services I and my fellow property tax payers use(d). You seem to want something but not to pay for it. In other words Steal it.
One can also only own it if the state recognizes property ownership and rights. One also depends on the state to protect those rights from others who could take ones property away.
One can also only own it if the state recognizes property ownership and rights.
That's a big if in a society moving towards Democratic socialism.
One also depends on the state to protect those rights from others who could take ones property away.
And we'll depend on them even more as the 2nd amendment is eroded away.
And when the confederates saw Jackson standing fearless as a stone wall the army of Northern Virginia took courage and drove the federal army off their land.
ajax18 wrote:But you only own it as long as you can pay the property tax.
One can also only own it if the state recognizes property ownership and rights. One also depends on the state to protect those rights from others who could take ones property away.
Ajax,
Do you have a problem paying for the following vis a vis property taxes?
• animal control police • local road maintenance • community centers sewers • public schools • police protection • emergency plans • all government buildings • fire service • safe drinking water • sewage treatment
And those are just a few examples. I mean property taxes go right down to mosquito abatement programs which prevent disease. There many, many, many good reasons to pay property taxes and have a government administrate those funds.
And we do own our homes... To a degree. I can do essentially whatever I want to my own home and property as long as it doesn't involve fraud, piss off the neighbors, or violate municipal ordinances. Not only is it a decent long-term financial strategy, but it affords a degree of freedom we couldn't enjoy otherwise.
I guess I don't really understand your statement.
- Doc
Last edited by Guest on Fri Apr 01, 2016 1:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
In the face of madness, rationality has no power - Xiao Wang, US historiographer, 2287 AD.
Every record...falsified, every book rewritten...every statue...has been renamed or torn down, every date...altered...the process is continuing...minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Ideology is always right.
I think you're right on this. I was just taking the perspective of the man who crashed his plane into the IRS for bit. I like to be argumentative sometimes.
And when the confederates saw Jackson standing fearless as a stone wall the army of Northern Virginia took courage and drove the federal army off their land.