Augustine's May 2011 Screwballs Political Derail

[rogue06]

Bernie Madoff's scheme didn't involve many people, yet had a great many victims who collectively lost like wow. And the State is a special case.

And last I heard he is rotting in a prison cell meaning he got caught. IOW, he didn't pull it off

[rogue06]

Hmmm, if you're right, it becomes rather mysterious how the government have managed to whittle away so much of our liberty and gotten away with so much injustice.

...No it isn't.

You must not have had a job for a corporation or the government like... ever, have you? (the corp doesn't even have to be that big) Trust me, it does not take much for the best intentions to go very very wrong despite everyone's desires for otherwise.

And there has been an awful lot of trading of freedom for supposed security over the past several decades as well.

[Challenger Grim]

And there has been an awful lot of trading of freedom for supposed security over the past several decades as well.

Yeah... I mean it's one of those things where answering Aug's question would require entire books to deal with.

[rogue06]

Yeah... I mean it's one of those things where answering Aug's question would require entire books to deal with.

But A004 likes his answers to be able to fit in a nutshell -- which is where too many of the ones he thinks he has belong.

[Challenger Grim]

I thought Jonah brought up a good point on this whole Bin Laden thing.
http://www.nationalreview.com/articl...jonah-goldberg
(namely, why didn't they delay the announcement just for a little bit to give our guys a tactical advantage)

But then who's surprised that this president is really tone deaf when it comes to strategy?

[Augustine2004]

...No it isn't.

You must not have had a job for a corporation or the government like... ever, have you? (the corp doesn't even have to be that big) Trust me, it does not take much for the best intentions to go very very wrong despite everyone's desires for otherwise.

The people of the State are trained from childhood to follow it and trust in its decisions and to leave their brains on the bed (not think independently and follow the herd). We are easy to persaude to acquiese to State decisions and follow its laws and regulations without resistance.

[Augustine2004]

I concede now that there's a good reason to ignore conspiracy theories: The government may be encouraging ever more conspiracy theories to keep the waters muddy, so to speak.
http://blogs.forbes.com/kenrapoza/20...critics-mount/
An example is the ongoing release of 'information' on the Kennedy assassination. So, we never can be sure what really happened. We'd waste too much time on conspiracy theories, maybe 90% are false and we won't know for the most part which are true.

[Challenger Grim]

The people of the State are trained from childhood to follow it and trust in its decisions and to leave their brains on the bed (not think independently and follow the herd). We are easy to persaude to acquiese to State decisions and follow its laws and regulations without resistance.

I'm reminded of a line from the cracked article making fun of the 9/11 conspiracies...

It's not a belief in corrupt leaders. Hell, we all believe in corrupt leaders. It's a belief in a corrupt everybody. It's driving around in a world where every single person you see out of your windshield is utterly bloodthirsty and amoral, all except for you and a few, brave friends. What could make you feel more important than that?

You can see the attraction right away. Most people, to feel special, have to actually do something special. But why not do what these guys do, and just make the rest of the world out to be wretched? Hell, once we've painted everyone else as mindless or murderous, all we have to do to feel superior to them is roll out of bed.

Always beware any theory that rests on everyone else being worse or "less" than yourself.

I concede now that there's a good reason to ignore conspiracy theories: The government may be encouraging ever more conspiracy theories to keep the waters muddy, so to speak.
http://blogs.forbes.com/kenrapoza/20...critics-mount/
An example is the ongoing release of 'information' on the Kennedy assassination. So, we never can be sure what really happened. We'd waste too much time on conspiracy theories, maybe 90% are false and we won't know for the most part which are true.

With conspiracy theories it's always a simple rule:
A conspiracy's success is inversely proportional to the number of people involved and the cost of keeping it secret.

Yes, the most successful conspiracies are surprise birthday parties.

[Augustine2004]

Maybe Challenger Grim and Rogue06 believe Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK all by himself.

Their posts do make some sense, but if what I just wrote above is true, they are perfect poster boys for my observation that too many people leave their brains on the bed.

[rogue06]

Maybe Challenger Grim and Rogue06 believe Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK all by himself.

Their posts do make some sense, but if what I just wrote above is true, they are perfect poster boys for my observation that too many people leave their brains on the bed.

JFK shot himself from the grassy knoll after travelling back through time to do it and spare himself from being impeached as well as getting arrested and convicted for his mob connections. Anyone who ever watched Red Dwarf knows this to be da Truth

[Darth Ovious]

JFK shot himself from the grassy knoll after travelling back through time to do it and spare himself from being impeached as well as getting arrested and convicted for his mob connections. Anyone who ever watched Red Dwarf knows this to be da Truth

I believe that particular episode was called Tikka to Ride.

[Augustine2004]

Obi Wan Kenobi? OWK!
http://www.galacticempiretimes.com/2...is-killed.html

[Challenger Grim]

That reminds me of the classic "was the death star destruction an inside job?"
http://www.debunking911.com/questions.htm

[Darth Ovious]

That reminds me of the classic "was the death star destruction an inside job?"
http://www.debunking911.com/questions.htm

Ah, so Vader was a sleeper agent all along.

Makes sense, he was pretty miffed when his wife died. He probably blamed the Emperor for the whole thing. The little back stabbing Judas.