[extropy-chat] [Politics] Real Politick

[The Avantguardian]

--- Robert Lindauer <robgobblin at aol.com> wrote:

> You're thinking of socialism.  Marxism and socialism
> are systematically 
> related but very much NOT the same thing.  

Well I have been called both but I don't think I am
either. 

> >  It stifles innovation and enterprise.
> 
> I don't think there's any evidence whatever to this
> effect, or perhaps 
> you haven't been watching China buy up all of the US
> debt it can by 
> producing lots of cheap electronic equipment for us
> efficiently and 
> profitably (albeit by the hands of slaves..., but
> we're just counting 
> innovation and enterprise here, not goodwill).

This innovation only started when they adopted a
pseudo-free market. You can hardly call them a
communist success story because they did not start to
prosper until they did.

> 
> >  And
> > invariably it breeds its own status quo and elite
> > overclass.
> 
> Of course, Marxism is not meant to end at the
> installation of a new 
> ruling class - Marxism is a method by which
> continual revolution can be 
> achieved.

What the world needs is evolution not revolution. The
only point to revolution is to get it out of a rut
where it has stopped evolving.

> 
> >  What is needed is true democratic
> > meritocracy.
> 
> Yeah right!  Let's all vote to see who's the best:
> winner - Brittany 
> Spears, ladies and gentlemen, our new queen.  I
> think Platos' damnation 
> of democracy is definitive and ancient and has
> displayed itself in 
> history many, many times.

You are speaking of pure democracy. I am speaking of
meritocratic democracy. Brittney Spears should only be
allowed to be "queen" if she can place in the top 10
at the iron man triathalon, score 1200 on her SATs,
get a squad of convicted felons to build an orphanage,
AND get elected. Same for Bush the IXth.

> The masses are easily
> intoxicated with bread 
> and circuses and can be asked to shove their
> children into a war at 17 
> as long as there's food on the table and a good song
> on the radio.

That's why the masses suffer. It is their own fault.
THEY have all the power, they just get deluded into
thinking that they don't. Truly march a million men
into Washington and watch some politicos soil their
underwear. 

>  In 
> otherwords, as good as it sounds, the idea of a
> democratic meritocracy 
> is as dead as the meme-name marxism.  What now?
> What a great idea!  How do you propose to accomplish
> it?

Physical, mental, and social examinations to stand for
public office. No person should be subject to the will
of another unless they are PROVEDLY stronger, smarter,
wiser, and after all that, they still have to get
elected.
 
> beauty-queen hope that world peace will be achieved,
> that poverty and 
> oppression will be conquered, that justice, equality
> and compassion 
> will rule the human beast.

Hope is wasted on idle hands.
 
> Until then, though, I'm too peaceful to grab an uzi
> and so am left to 
> bitter complaining.  On the positive side, I'm
> pretty good at 
> complaining.  When life leaves you lemons, make
> lemonade....

I have no qualms grabbing an uzi, they are rather
reliable weapons and seldom jam. I just don't feel the
need to. Not yet. Doesn't mean I don't think things
can't be improved over what they are now. Just that
things aren't bad enough to be killing or dying for
just yet.

When I can legally buy a gun from the republicans and
some pot from the democrats, I will know that I am in
the country that my forefathers created.

 

The Avantguardian 
is 
Stuart LaForge
alt email: stuart"AT"ucla.edu

"The surest sign of intelligent life in the universe is that they haven't attempted to contact us." 
-Bill Watterson


		
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