Comments | soupytwist: ... in which your car can go up to a hundred and ten

soupytwist

... in which your car can go up to a hundred and ten

Nov 22, 2004 03:32

I went to see Noam Chomsky speak today. He was funnier than I thought he'd be, and generally the whole thing was very cool - he was talking about the Israel/Palestine question with relation to US foreign policy, and seeing complex issues discussed in depth was fascinating and very worth the $10 I paid to get in. I suspect everyone, regardless of ( Read more... )

politics, nineteen

Comments 11

mr_ray November 22 2004, 04:35:43 UTC

The world's really progrssing well, isn't it.

soupytwist November 23 2004, 02:00:06 UTC

*hugs*

therealjae November 22 2004, 06:26:15 UTC

Oh, I do like you so much, Katie.

-J

Sorry to add to the depression... jenni_snake November 22 2004, 07:13:35 UTC

But while we're talking about people doing nothing to affect possible change, there's the current Ukrainian election to worry about: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4031981.stm, not to mention what is happening in my own province: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/11/21/alberta-election-041121.html. Well, at least I can sit comfortably in the fact that I find myself in the global bastion of democracy. I won't even mention Africa. Wow, what a way to start the day!

And it's always easy to speak poorly of social support systems when you'd be one of the 250 million supporting the 45 million, but the situation would look a lot different if you happened to find yourself in among the 45 million. Unless you're of the persuasion that would call to lock up the poor - that's what poorhouses are for! How soon I forget...

Re: Sorry to add to the depression... soupytwist November 23 2004, 01:58:44 UTC

Yeah, definitely. *le sigh* And like you said, the thing I don't get about people who complain about being one of the 250 million is that even those who weren't born to such affluence apparently believe that once they've got the resources, those things can never be taken away from them, that things will never go bad. Like 'upward mobility' is a fact, an inevitable part of life. I'd have thought personally that a few dollars every month was a small price to pay for the knowledge that even if things fuck up badly, you'll still be able to get that hip transplant.

Though I suppose it's the same with nuclear weapons and with pollution and with, well, just about everything else, I suppose. People tell themselves the worst can't happen until they believe it. I'm just unusually pessimistic in that I've never been able to convince myself of that, I suppose, heh.

Re: Sorry to add to the depression... jenni_snake November 24 2004, 00:59:38 UTC

And what about all those marvellous North Americans (yes, I shamefully have to include Canada in this as well) who go on about the fact that there are just too many immigrants in THEIR country. *le grand sigh* "When my grandpappy came to this great country, there weren't none of them immigrants!"

I think it was Mr. Chomsky (who I recall seeing at a presentation about six years ago in Calgary) or someone of his ilk who was saying 'look, people, growth is not a long-term, strategic plan! things are not just going to keep going up and up and up!'. Maybe it wasn't him, but really, unlimitedd growth is just not a viable option! Everything levels out - remember entropy? I'm going to stop now. But here's a great quote, can't remember whom to credit it to:

"Growth for growth's sake is the ideology of the cancer cell."

I always knew humanity was a self-destructive parasite.

Re: Sorry to add to the depression... soupytwist November 24 2004, 01:10:07 UTC

*nods a lot* Yep. Just... yeah, you rock. And the cancer cell quote is Edward Abbey, American environmentalist, I believe.

tangleofthorns November 22 2004, 09:09:12 UTC

As one of the 45 million Americans without health insurance, word. Word. Word. Vive la revolution!

prettyannamoon November 22 2004, 11:51:14 UTC

I went off to work thinking about how there are 45 million Americans without healthcare

*waves arms* Me! I'm one of them!

Honestly, it's kind of my fault, because I'm not planning on applying for a traditional job for a while yet, and I haven't looked for cheap coverage meanwhile. If anything did happen to me, it would cost an arm and a leg *heh*, but at least I have two wonderful parents to put into debt. So the plan is to not become deathly ill or have an accident for quite some time.

It is truly sad that so many people who truly need healthcare can't afford it, and that so many people (GWB included) seemed to think John Kerry's plan to offer Americans the option to buy into the same system the government uses was some evil!communist throwback. WTF? *resists urge to start packing*

soupytwist November 23 2004, 01:59:47 UTC

Dude, totally. Luckily we don't get this in England, but whenever I hear someone use the phrase "socialised healthcare" in a derogatory fashion I just want to hit things and shriek "WHY IS THAT BAD, YOU ASSHAT?!"