HMMMMM

[JWBrahman]

There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.
Isaac Asimov

The English Literatures of America
1500-1800
Edited by Myra Jehlen and Michael Warner

The earliest settlers suffered from the chronic attitude that "somebody else needs to the hard work around here". We forget that the first waves of white Americans died because they were too lazy to build proper toilet facilities. The funniest thing about American history is that one of the first colonies was what we would call today a commune. It was run under communist principles of everyone sharing in the labor and the fruits of that labor. That ended pretty quickly when only a handful bothered to work while the rest sat around waiting for dinner.

If you study history the parallel between the demise of the Roman Empire and the fall of the United States is apparent. Too much of the economy is locked away from the citizenry. We have an enfeebled and nepotistic ruling class where half assserie is the norm. In nature being ignorant and uninterested is a death sentence. Our ruling class has elevated those vices into virtue. Money is the only morality or intelligence necessary.

 

[dun]

IN a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." 3
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
"IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY."

Aesop Fables

 

[Clodhopper]

On the subject of education, it used to be that a bachelor's degree was worth something. Legitimate studies were pursued, and the "educated" man was held in high regard. Now, we have cheapened this system by offering degrees in too many worthless "fields". The next step is giving out "free" college education to everyone. All it will accomplish is to further water things down.

 

[dun]

On the subject of education, it used to be that a bachelor's degree was worth something. Legitimate studies were pursued, and the "educated" man was held in high regard. Now, we have cheapened this system by offering degrees in too many worthless "fields". The next step is giving out "free" college education to everyone. All it will accomplish is to further water things down.

And you still won;t be able to find a plumber when your crapper is clogged!

 

[inyati13]

There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.
Isaac Asimov

The English Literatures of America
1500-1800
Edited by Myra Jehlen and Michael Warner

The earliest settlers suffered from the chronic attitude that "somebody else needs to the hard work around here". We forget that the first waves of white Americans died because they were too lazy to build proper toilet facilities. The funniest thing about American history is that one of the first colonies was what we would call today a commune. It was run under communist principles of everyone sharing in the labor and the fruits of that labor. That ended pretty quickly when only a handful bothered to work while the rest sat around waiting for dinner.

If you study history the parallel between the demise of the Roman Empire and the fall of the United States is apparent. Too much of the economy is locked away from the citizenry. We have an enfeebled and nepotistic ruling class where half assserie is the norm. In nature being ignorant and uninterested is a death sentence. Our ruling class has elevated those vices into virtue. Money is the only morality or intelligence necessary.

Objective observations on the reality of our early beginnings are not in vogue. If one had the capacity to time transport to early America, our current state of affairs as dastardly as they be might appear normal. As Asimov often lamented: too many Americans consider "ignorance a virtue".

The underlined sentences demonstrate how we look at our history through those rose colored lens and who loves to do that more than a politician who promises he/she will return us to the "good ole days".

 

[Cross-7]

IN a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." 3
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
"IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY."

Aesop Fables

Then government came in and took the corn from the ants and gave a percentage to the grasshoppers and themselves.
The ants continued to toil and work harder and produce more so they could survive but the grasshoppers cried that the ants were hoarding corn and starving them so the government decided to increase the percentage of corn they took from the ants.
Most of the ants continue to toil away but the grasshoppers are multiplying and out numbering the ants

 

[ez14]

IN a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." 3
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
"IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY."

Aesop Fables

Then government came in and took the corn from the ants and gave a percentage to the grasshoppers and themselves.
The ants continued to toil and work harder and produce more so they could survive but the grasshoppers cried that the ants were hoarding corn and starving them so the government decided to increase the percentage of corn they took from the ants.
Most of the ants continue to toil away but the grasshoppers are multiplying and out numbering the ants

thats a smart way to put it :nod: :clap:

 

[inyati13]

IN a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." 3
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
"IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY."

Aesop Fables

Then government came in and took the corn from the ants and gave a percentage to the grasshoppers and themselves.
The ants continued to toil and work harder and produce more so they could survive but the grasshoppers cried that the ants were hoarding corn and starving them so the government decided to increase the percentage of corn they took from the ants.
Most of the ants continue to toil away but the grasshoppers are multiplying and out numbering the ants

Parasite: One who lives at the expense of a host with no benefit accruing to the host.

 

[ez14]

IN a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." 3
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
"IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY."

Aesop Fables

Then government came in and took the corn from the ants and gave a percentage to the grasshoppers and themselves.
The ants continued to toil and work harder and produce more so they could survive but the grasshoppers cried that the ants were hoarding corn and starving them so the government decided to increase the percentage of corn they took from the ants.
Most of the ants continue to toil away but the grasshoppers are multiplying and out numbering the ants

Parasite: One who lives at the expense of a host with no benefit accruing to the host.

Parasite AKA liberals

 

[inyati13]

Then government came in and took the corn from the ants and gave a percentage to the grasshoppers and themselves.
The ants continued to toil and work harder and produce more so they could survive but the grasshoppers cried that the ants were hoarding corn and starving them so the government decided to increase the percentage of corn they took from the ants.
Most of the ants continue to toil away but the grasshoppers are multiplying and out numbering the ants

Parasite: One who lives at the expense of a host with no benefit accruing to the host.

Parasite AKA liberals

Approaching the line between Philosophical musings and POLITICS. Dun has made his policies clear. So hope I am not crossing over, but Conservatives are as much to blame as Liberals. Lots of Conservatives on the government dole. Conservatives are just more fancy at getting their welfare.

 

[JWBrahman]

Parasite AKA liberals

Pretty sure Walter Reed was one of the most conservative Republicans in the United States who holds the dubious honor of incarcerating more individuals than any other person on earth. While conservative Republicans got their rocks off on Walter arresting everybody's kids for petty crap, they sure got their panties in a twister when Walter turned around and started shaking down everybody with more money than Walter thought they should have.

Liberal, conservative, blah blah blah

You got the Masters of the Universe and you got the rest of us shmucks fighting over the good chunks in their feces.

Walter Reed Indicted On Federal Corruption Charges
http://theadvocate.com/news/neworleans/ ... -da-walter

 

[Caustic Burno]

He could have saved himself time, money and effort by looking at things from a different approach. That's what a proper education is supposed to teach you: To think! Unfortunately, we're losing that, but it is not solely the fault of the educational system. There is a faction of society that is pushing back on the education system saying that they know best, when in fact, they do not.

I agree 100%. A properly educated person is ultimately a curious person and a good education is one that encourages the person to be curious and seek the answers and forever be curious carrying the understanding that they will never know all the answers. Sadly, ego and hypocrisy oftentimes gets in the way of one's education.

What we know is very limited to our small environment what we don't know is endless.
I for one believe in continuing education through life knowing how to
apply it to the school of hard knocks is the key.