Topic: Quotes you like

[Emma]

That's very sweet but before this goes any further the quote I posted earlier was actually from an article I read just last night. I liked those lines because it was something different.
 
But who says life is too short to be alone? How is one alone anyway? There's your parents, your brothers, your sisters, your friends, your co-workers. It's just too crowded if anything. It's nice to be alone sometimes in fact. Recently, I went to see my doctor for a regular check up and she couldn't stop talking about her children who are giving her quite hard time and then she put the whole blame on to her husband for not looking after them properly. I got a headache out of it.
 
Then a few days later I went to have lunch with my boss and there she tells me, her dad cheated on her mom and her mom used to have her spy on her dad to find out what he was up to. She admitted it affected her own marriage life. I haven't come across one family who look truly happy. They are always either bickering or not talking to each other at all. And if some look happy then they are just pretending to be happy. It's a dysfunctional system after all. 
 
Happiness doesn't come from a relationship. It comes from within. If you are not happy with yourself then no matter who you are with, you will never be happy. And then there are some people who pretend to be happy all the time and God knows they are the most bitter ones. It's a pretentious world after all. I guess there are a lot of people who are afraid to be alone or even terrified of it and it's a shame. You came alone into this world after all and you will leave alone too.
 
Here's some more from the same article:
 
It's okay to have relationships and friends, but you aren't allowed to "need" them or "depend" on them. If you do then you invite them to betray you. Sin is as much the fault of the tempter as it is the sinner. So always be mindful of things, knowing your place and knowing what others are up to. Hold them accountable according to their actions, do not entrust them with your heart, your feelings, etc. Don't give them any extra responsibility or you risk turning them into bad people.

People expect people to be selfish so people might as well be selfish. If people are not selfish then people feel threatened and alienated by a "holier then thou" attitude. In the end self is all you really have. I used to think being selfless was righteous. That if everyone were selfless and put others first we'd have a wonderful world. To be selfless is to martyr yourself a victim, and at best you merely have your cake without eating it too, because the selfless transcend the need for cake. In other words if we didn't care enough about things to fight over owning them, then they would be as worthless to us as dirt.

Trust is only necessary as an action; as a belief it is pointless

[propstoart]

Gotta admit, there were a few lines in your post that struck a chord in me:
"I haven't come across one family who look truly happy. Happiness doesn't come from a relationship. It comes from within."
Nevertheless, speaking from the perspective born of compulsive loneliness, I wish you joy and good companionship.

[Emma]

Gotta admit, there were a few lines in your post that struck a chord in me:
"I haven't come across one family who look truly happy. Happiness doesn't come from a relationship. It comes from within."
Nevertheless, speaking from the perspective born of compulsive loneliness, I wish you joy and good companionship.

Well, I wish you all the best as well. I do believe some people are meant to be alone for whatever reason and the grass always seems greener...

Do I feel incomplete as a person? Is someone going to complete me? I don't know. I do know one thing, the desires never end. If we have one thing, we will crave for another.   

[jesse james]

There's a false representation here.
A person cannot make us happy, nor does a family, and to say a family can be 'truly happy' whatever that means is ridiculous.
We have to go with the empirical evidence here, overwhelmingly the evidence that loneliness is literally a killer.
single people living alone are mire likely to commit suicide and ironically as a society we've engineered a state of affiars in which singledom is growing. That's partly because the idea of the family has fallen into disrepute, at least to some extent, and because we have a different notion of what constitutes happiness-one that requires self fulfilment  rather than the discharge of duties within the family.
So we put ourselves at the centre of things-we measure our happiness and relationships are found wanting, well of course, that's because a person cannot make another happy. We gain happiness because we are with another, that we transcend our own state and have to be realistic about that situation.
Humans are socially defined beings, the idea of 'i' comes linguistically fro our relationships to the group, we only exist in a quite fundamental in how we relate to each other.
Being in a relationship gives us a basis on which to relate to the other in a different way, it helps us to become subsumed into the other, and while all relationships are imperfect, our problems come not from the imperfections but with our inability to accept the imperfections of others.

Gotta admit, there were a few lines in your post that struck a chord in me:
"I haven't come across one family who look truly happy. Happiness doesn't come from a relationship. It comes from within."
Nevertheless, speaking from the perspective born of compulsive loneliness, I wish you joy and good companionship.

[propstoart]

while all relationships are imperfect, our problems come not from the imperfections but with our inability to accept the imperfections of others. That's some very good advice, my friend!! Thanks.

[propstoart]

"Capital is dead labour, which, vampire-like, lives only by sucking living labour." - Karl Marx.

[propstoart]

"George Bush promised us war and we got war. Obama promised us hope and change, and we got war and poverty instead." - JC.

[propstoart]

""Merkozy", that mongrel cross-pollination of German Chancellor Angela "Iron Cross" Merkel and neo-Napoleonic French President Nicolas Sarkozy. As much as bling bling stalwart Sarko may pose as a king - in the guise, among others, of Great Liberator of Libya; and as much as he refers to La Merkel as "La Boche" (in a French World War II derogatory way), the "Merk" part in "Merkozy" displays the real cojones at the European Union (EU)." - Pepe Escobar, The Asia Times [http://atimes01.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MK16Dj03.html]

[propstoart]

"Cannes is world-famous for its annual film festival that pulls all stops between glam and trash. That's qualification enough for this Club Med resort as the perfect setting for a monster financial horror movie - a sort of drowning-by-numbers version of the Odyssey on crack. Some have called it the G-20 meeting. Others have called it The Slow and the Furious." - Pepe Escobar, The Asia Times [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MK05Dj02.html]

[monstertruck]

This Much Is True: You Have Been Lied To.





The government is expanding.

Taxes are increasing.

More senseless wars are being planned.

Inflation is ballooning.

Our basic freedoms are disappearing.

The Founding Fathers didn't want any of this. In fact, they said so quite clearly in the Constitution of the United States of America. Unfortunately, that beautiful, ingenious, and revolutionary document is being ignored more and more in Washington. If we are to enjoy peace, freedom, and prosperity once again, we absolutely must return to the principles upon which America was founded.

The Revolution

A MANIFESTO

R O N    P A U L

[propstoart]

This Much Is True: You Have Been Lied To.





The government is expanding.

Taxes are increasing.

More senseless wars are being planned.

Inflation is ballooning.

Our basic freedoms are disappearing.

The Founding Fathers didn't want any of this. In fact, they said so quite clearly in the Constitution of the United States of America. Unfortunately, that beautiful, ingenious, and revolutionary document is being ignored more and more in Washington. If we are to enjoy peace, freedom, and prosperity once again, we absolutely must return to the principles upon which America was founded.

The Revolution

A MANIFESTO

R O N    P A U L

"Hardcore neo-liberalism, as imposed by the Gang of Eight, is like a Mafia treatment; first they go for your knees - amputating social rights. Then they go for your throat - amputating political rights. For the "cattle" that will carry the burden of endless austerity - European voters - there's not much left except the odd general strike or screaming their lungs out in the streets."
 - Another quote from the wise Pepe Escobar [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MK16Dj03.html]

[jesse james]

The US constitutional system was originally designed 'to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority' in the words of the leading framer James Madison. He advocated political power must be in the hands of 'the wealth of the nation', men who can be trusted to 'secure the permanent interests of the country. Madison noted that the 'levelling spirit' might lead to measures to improve the conditions of those who 'labour under all the hardships of life, and secretly sigh for a more equal distribution of its blessings'
Monstertruck doesn't believe in democracy he thnks it's 'mob rule', so it's hardly surprising he puts his faith in undemocratic works like the US constitution. Of course if a constitution did do all the things monstertruck wants, then the fact it doesn't just shows how useless it is.

The 'Hardcore neoliberalism' or economic rationalism you speak of is essentially about serving the vested interests of powerful elites. The financial deregulation that happened in the 70's and 80's paved the way for this, and coincides with relatively low growth-certainly in terms of material wealth as opposed to financial speculation where wealth has gone through the roof with disastrous consequences.   
It's interesting that despite the almost universal faith in neo-liberal agenda in the US/UK, the economic case for it is flimsy at best, and despite it's 'obvious rationalism' no mainstream commentators predicted the financial disasters that were fairly obvious (sub-prime bubble), that it could fail was simple inconceivable.

This Much Is True: You Have Been Lied To.





The government is expanding.

Taxes are increasing.

More senseless wars are being planned.

Inflation is ballooning.

Our basic freedoms are disappearing.

The Founding Fathers didn't want any of this. In fact, they said so quite clearly in the Constitution of the United States of America. Unfortunately, that beautiful, ingenious, and revolutionary document is being ignored more and more in Washington. If we are to enjoy peace, freedom, and prosperity once again, we absolutely must return to the principles upon which America was founded.

The Revolution

A MANIFESTO

R O N    P A U L

"Hardcore neo-liberalism, as imposed by the Gang of Eight, is like a Mafia treatment; first they go for your knees - amputating social rights. Then they go for your throat - amputating political rights. For the "cattle" that will carry the burden of endless austerity - European voters - there's not much left except the odd general strike or screaming their lungs out in the streets."
 - Another quote from the wise Pepe Escobar [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MK16Dj03.html]

[monstertruck]

The US constitutional system was originally designed 'to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority' in the words of the leading framer James Madison. He advocated political power must be in the hands of 'the wealth of the nation', men who can be trusted to 'secure the permanent interests of the country. Madison noted that the 'levelling spirit' might lead to measures to improve the conditions of those who 'labour under all the hardships of life, and secretly sigh for a more equal distribution of its blessings'
Monstertruck doesn't believe in democracy he thnks it's 'mob rule', so it's hardly surprising he puts his faith in undemocratic works like the US constitution. Of course if a constitution did do all the things monstertruck wants, then the fact it doesn't just shows how useless it is.

The 'Hardcore neoliberalism' or economic rationalism you speak of is essentially about serving the vested interests of powerful elites. The financial deregulation that happened in the 70's and 80's paved the way for this, and coincides with relatively low growth-certainly in terms of material wealth as opposed to financial speculation where wealth has gone through the roof with disastrous consequences.   
It's interesting that despite the almost universal faith in neo-liberal agenda in the US/UK, the economic case for it is flimsy at best, and despite it's 'obvious rationalism' no mainstream commentators predicted the financial disasters that were fairly obvious (sub-prime bubble), that it could fail was simple inconceivable.

This Much Is True: You Have Been Lied To.





The government is expanding.

Taxes are increasing.

More senseless wars are being planned.

Inflation is ballooning.

Our basic freedoms are disappearing.

The Founding Fathers didn't want any of this. In fact, they said so quite clearly in the Constitution of the United States of America. Unfortunately, that beautiful, ingenious, and revolutionary document is being ignored more and more in Washington. If we are to enjoy peace, freedom, and prosperity once again, we absolutely must return to the principles upon which America was founded.

The Revolution

A MANIFESTO

R O N    P A U L

"Hardcore neo-liberalism, as imposed by the Gang of Eight, is like a Mafia treatment; first they go for your knees - amputating social rights. Then they go for your throat - amputating political rights. For the "cattle" that will carry the burden of endless austerity - European voters - there's not much left except the odd general strike or screaming their lungs out in the streets."
 - Another quote from the wise Pepe Escobar [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MK16Dj03.html]

Quoting out of context is bad form JJ.
How are things going across the pond as you folks try to prop up the more 'democratic' and 'socialist' type govs?  Pretty sweet, eh?  Are you moving to Greece, Italy, or France anytime soon?

Neither system is perfect.
Personally, I prefer one that advocates personal responsibility, voluntary mutual consent, and individual rights.  But hey, that's just me.   If you'd like your life controlled by the whims of the majority, I'd suggest you stay put.  That's not happening over here.

[jesse james]

can you give me an example of a profoundly democratic or socialist government in Europe please?
The only 'propping up' that's being done is by disreputable governments in order to maintain the viability of the morally corrupt Euro and by extension the EEC.
 Bankers knew they could give loans recklessly, safe in the knowledge that the  european tax payers-that's ordinary people, would foot any bill for any failure to pay back debts, and this has nothing to do with democracy. The European union is one of the purest examples of a powerful elites controlling and manipulating the masses by undemocratic means, something that you might approve of given your contempt for democracy.

The idea of personal responsibility has-in part, been corrupted by pious demigods who think that exorcising personal responsibility through the ballet box is as undesirable as it is untenable.
A system that fetters social mobility, aspiration, participation and local democracy can hardly be said to be an empowering vision in that sense-can it?

Everybody agrees with the notion of 'mutual consent', if that isn't taken as a given then you're some kind of wacko.
Of course democracy should be about the majority, the situation we have is a system whereby the minority, control the majority-with disastrous results.

The US constitutional system was originally designed 'to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority' in the words of the leading framer James Madison. He advocated political power must be in the hands of 'the wealth of the nation', men who can be trusted to 'secure the permanent interests of the country. Madison noted that the 'levelling spirit' might lead to measures to improve the conditions of those who 'labour under all the hardships of life, and secretly sigh for a more equal distribution of its blessings'
Monstertruck doesn't believe in democracy he thnks it's 'mob rule', so it's hardly surprising he puts his faith in undemocratic works like the US constitution. Of course if a constitution did do all the things monstertruck wants, then the fact it doesn't just shows how useless it is.

The 'Hardcore neoliberalism' or economic rationalism you speak of is essentially about serving the vested interests of powerful elites. The financial deregulation that happened in the 70's and 80's paved the way for this, and coincides with relatively low growth-certainly in terms of material wealth as opposed to financial speculation where wealth has gone through the roof with disastrous consequences.   
It's interesting that despite the almost universal faith in neo-liberal agenda in the US/UK, the economic case for it is flimsy at best, and despite it's 'obvious rationalism' no mainstream commentators predicted the financial disasters that were fairly obvious (sub-prime bubble), that it could fail was simple inconceivable.

This Much Is True: You Have Been Lied To.





The government is expanding.

Taxes are increasing.

More senseless wars are being planned.

Inflation is ballooning.

Our basic freedoms are disappearing.

The Founding Fathers didn't want any of this. In fact, they said so quite clearly in the Constitution of the United States of America. Unfortunately, that beautiful, ingenious, and revolutionary document is being ignored more and more in Washington. If we are to enjoy peace, freedom, and prosperity once again, we absolutely must return to the principles upon which America was founded.

The Revolution

A MANIFESTO

R O N    P A U L

"Hardcore neo-liberalism, as imposed by the Gang of Eight, is like a Mafia treatment; first they go for your knees - amputating social rights. Then they go for your throat - amputating political rights. For the "cattle" that will carry the burden of endless austerity - European voters - there's not much left except the odd general strike or screaming their lungs out in the streets."
 - Another quote from the wise Pepe Escobar [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MK16Dj03.html]

Quoting out of context is bad form JJ.
How are things going across the pond as you folks try to prop up the more 'democratic' and 'socialist' type govs?  Pretty sweet, eh?  Are you moving to Greece, Italy, or France anytime soon?

Neither system is perfect.
Personally, I prefer one that advocates personal responsibility, voluntary mutual consent, and individual rights.  But hey, that's just me.   If you'd like your life controlled by the whims of the majority, I'd suggest you stay put.  That's not happening over here.

[monstertruck]

Anyone who thinks the minority or the majority should be controlling anyone is a wacko in my book JJ.

[jesse james]

Then you should embrace democracy as a true means to egalitarianism.
when powerful elites control the media, financial institutions are now deciding the fate of nations like never before, from determining national economic policy down to undemocratically installing bankers as the heads of Italy and Greece.

Anyone who thinks the minority or the majority should be controlling anyone is a wacko in my book JJ.

[monstertruck]

Then you should embrace democracy as a true means to egalitarianism.
when powerful elites control the media, financial institutions are now deciding the fate of nations like never before, from determining national economic policy down to undemocratically installing bankers as the heads of Italy and Greece.

Anyone who thinks the minority or the majority should be controlling anyone is a wacko in my book JJ.

Pick your poison, eh?

[Emma]

  The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.
 
Confucius
 

[Emma]

Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fall, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.
Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour!”
 

[Emma]

A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.
 
You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.
 
You can always count on Americans to do the right thing—after they’ve tried everything else.
 
Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.
 
The whole history of the world is summed up in the fact that, when nations are strong, they are not always just, and when they wish to be just, they are no longer strong.