liminal_luke Posted Saturday at 02:21 PM 5 minutes ago, Taomeow said: Didn't Hollywood movies portraying Russians teach you anything? What critical thinking? All they do is plot world domination while raising their glasses of vodka and toasting each other invariably in Polish ("na zdrovie!"). As for drunken grilling accidents, that part is not very different except Russians prefer shashlik (shish kabob) to burgers when celebrating whatever. Critical thinking is for quiet conversations in the kitchen... the greatest school of thought it used to be. Mystery schools of Alexandria meet political dissidence over tea with homemade preserves and cigarette smoke. Don't know about now... that "social sciences" scene might be out of vogue by now. Oh how I would of loved to have quiet intellectual conversations in kitchens while enjoying tea with homemade preserves! I was born in the wrong place and time. Instead, I´m sitting here by myself while people half a world away threaten to out me (inaccurately) as "liking Trump." 2 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apech Posted Saturday at 06:06 PM 3 hours ago, liminal_luke said: Oh how I would of loved to have quiet intellectual conversations in kitchens while enjoying tea with homemade preserves! I was born in the wrong place and time. Instead, I´m sitting here by myself while people half a world away threaten to out me (inaccurately) as "liking Trump." Yes, let us celebrate as only the mystery schools of Alexandria knew how. Cucumber sandwiches cut into Gnostic triangles and served on the best china. With a pot of tea shared between us. Perhaps a few biscuits or scones with cream and jam. While we speak in Pythagorean verse and draw signs in the air with our forefingers. And curse the demiurge and the fallen star of Lucifer. Then summon a sweeter muse that arrives on a gentle breeze and shakes the hibiscus bloom. 3 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
old3bob Posted Saturday at 07:05 PM 58 minutes ago, Apech said: Yes, let us celebrate as only the mystery schools of Alexandria knew how. Cucumber sandwiches cut into Gnostic triangles and served on the best china. With a pot of tea shared between us. Perhaps a few biscuits or scones with cream and jam. While we speak in Pythagorean verse and draw signs in the air with our forefingers. And curse the demiurge and the fallen star of Lucifer. Then summon a sweeter muse that arrives on a gentle breeze and shakes the hibiscus bloom. a poet of sorts, cool. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sanity Check Posted Sunday at 12:26 AM (edited) 10 hours ago, Taomeow said: I don't think taxes have much to do with productivity except strangle it. But in general I don't know the deeper why's and wherefore's of the war for independence in its non-mythologized version -- something any historical event requires much in-depth study to begin to unravel -- now the North-South civil war is a different matter, I did my homework on that one diligently... That one, indeed, had everything to do with productivity, technological advances, and all that industrial jazz. For many years I thought 10% economic growth in the USA before 1913, when income taxes were legalized, had everything to do with economic & financial efficiency. But recently I realized a good part of that 10% GDP growth was actually population expansion. So yah its definitely easy to get lost attempting to identify trends and causality in historical financial data. Leading up to the american civil war the north paid 25% of all taxes in the country. The south covered 75% of the tax burden. 25/75 split. That's wholly irrelevant though considering the war was all about racism and slavery. Edited Sunday at 12:30 AM by Sanity Check 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
old3bob Posted Sunday at 08:15 PM We know who has never recognized the 2020 election! Anyway many citizens are now hoping the 2017 midterms will turn things around for the better in the US but that remains to be seen for by then we could (very easily) have marshal law declared to nix any elections and to also allow for greater mayhem along the lines of imprisonment, deportation and even murder of those who dare to demonstrate peacefully or otherwise; such is the mind and heart dictatorship! Btw. such can't be denied via the drift we are heading in and as has happened in other dictatorships. This is not only political but also spiritual darkness!! "Good luck' won't be enough to stop such from happening, and I'm not sure what could? (Master Jesus and Mother Earth look on in hurt and cry, but are not broken and prevail in the end) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apech Posted Sunday at 09:08 PM Mod action: thread locked as it was heading into political territory. 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
