blankfist
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Member Since: 2007-07-04
Charter Subdomain: http://blankfist.videosift.com
Last Power Points used: 2009-07-02 • Available: 4 hours 35 minutes 3 seconds
Max Power Points: 2 • Get More Power Points Now
Charter Subdomain: http://blankfist.videosift.com
Last Power Points used: 2009-07-02 • Available: 4 hours 35 minutes 3 seconds
Max Power Points: 2 • Get More Power Points Now
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1171 star points
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Top 15 Videos: 61
Votes Received: 31106
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Votes Cast: 2750
Comments Posted: 6967 • browse
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Rating:
1171 star points#1 Videos: 7
Top 15 Videos: 61
Votes Received: 31106
Average Votes Per Video: 29.46
Votes Cast: 2750
Comments Posted: 6967 • browse
Comments Applauded: 102
Sifted Videos: 1056
Unsifted Vids: 1
Sift Talk Posts: 90
Quality Sift Talk Posts: 35
Poll Posts: 2
Blog Entries: 89 • browse
Dead Pool Fixes: 80
Public Playlists: 4 • browse
Profile Views: 22894
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For now, I'm willing to trust that we've stopped torturing. I'm content (but not happy) with how we're drawing down from Iraq. I'm discontent with the silence we're given about Afghanistan.
I wouldn't call what's happening nationalizing labor and industry. While government has bought shares in several major companies, they have studiously avoided giving themselves controlling interest, and have no interest in maintaining ownership. If I get a whiff that they plan on keeping GM or AIG, or any of the banks, I'll get unhappy fast.
As for the debt and deficit, I'm numb to it. It's been insurmountably large, and increasing since before I could walk. I want it fixed, but really, it wasn't so bad until Bush, and it's not nearly as bad as it was after WW2 and the Great Depression. I'm not so worried about deficits now as I am concerned about things like health care and global warming. Putting plans for both in place will likely help out a lot with the debt, and our trade imbalances, and the environment, and people's willingness to start their own business, etc.
As for the empire, I'm not in favor of sustaining it. But there's only so much I think is possible to fix right now. There'd be a public outcry if we tried to cut "defense" spending, especially when every Republican screams "OOGA BOOGA, TERRORISM" into every open mic around.
I don't think that the Democrats are perfect, but I'm never going to be interested in being a libertarian. I think in Europe I might be a conservative (maybe), but here and now I'm trying to make the Democrats live up to their platform, which is a big step in the right direction on all fronts as far as I'm concerned. I want more, more quickly but I don't see anything changing quickly under our constitution (and I'd rather not see Obama take up the Bush tactics for ramming things through).
Personally the main issue I face in "purifying" the Democrats is big business bribing our guys to the dark side, and self-identified conservatives ramping up hatred for everyone else in the world. Trying to tell everyone that business is the sweetest, most wonderful thing in the world is like the sickest kind of joke, especially if you want some sort of lasting anti-war and anti-corporatist movement to succeed.
When there's a country where 20-30% of the people think QM is right every time he opens his mouth (and 30% more who're willing to give up anything to feel safe from the feverish horrors they dream up), things like ending a global hegemony gets very, very hard, especially if you spend more time fighting with people like me, than people like him.
Seriously man, we're on the same side with most of the important stuff.
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
In your hypothetical situation, I would mostly be concerned that the man stood trial for the murder, robbing me would be a secondary concern. I might forgive it if the initial plan was to save two children, but then someone killed a member of his family, and he used the second half of the money for revenge instead. Probably not though.
The problem with the analogy is that you're anthropomorphizing government as a single person, who makes unilateral decisions, and whose actions and mindset I have no control over.
Perhaps to you that's an accurate description of government, but to me it's not. Maybe I'll feel differently the next time a party that's antithetical to me comes to power, but I suspect I'll never feel powerless to affect my government again.
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
Obviously I jest when I compare you or any Democrat/Republican to Nazis. There's a distinct line between the two, but there are also some similarities that are scary. Jingoism is one. Nationalization of labor and industry is another. The idea of compulsory duty or debt to a government that will take care of you from cradle to grave is yet another.
But the worst is this blind affectation of righteousness toward following what is the law without questioning it. When someone cries out against an atrocity perpetrated by the government, the answer from most statists and bureaucrats is typically "but it's the law", as if to imply that the mere existence of the law is justification within itself for any atrocity it reaps. Or, that because it's the law (of the collective) the statist or bureaucrat has no individual accountability for their actions.
As if to say... "I'm just doing my job." Or "I took the Jews from the train to the showers, because it was my job. I wasn't the one who ordered them murdered, so I am not accountable."
In that regard, yes, there are dangerous similarities. For instance, our Federal income tax (extorted money) goes to fund torture and murder of innocent people in the Middle East, but you defend this system that steals our money (our labor, our time, our energy) to pay for this.
If I stole a hundred dollars from you at gun point, used fifty of it to pay for a drug to save a sick child's life, but spent the other fifty to have a man murdered, would you not still want me to pay for my crime of stealing the money? Let alone the crime of murder? Wouldn't you want to ensure that I was never able to steal your money again? And that even though I did save a child's life, it doesn't justify the means? Would you not agree?
a) They used fiscal stimulus to rapidly rebuild their economy after the Great Depression
OR
b) They tortured and killed millions of people
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
[rolls eyes]
This ought to be good. More pro-state authoritarian Nazism coming our way.
http://minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?id=675
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
Being from NC and having a Ween avatar is enough to save you this time, young skywalker. Next time you skool me on my writing prowess when inebriated, I will not be so forgiving.
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
I'll be in your neck of the woods this coming weekend. My gf and I are heading down to San Diego for a wedding and staying at Estancia La Jolla. Ever heard of it?
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
There is a reason no one cared when you got your 100 star.
In reply to this comment by shuac:
Wow, what a poorly-constructed argument. BF, you may have opted out of a few too many essay questions whilst in school. Let me help you out, buddy.
If you make an assertion you should demonstrate it with a preponderance of evidence where possible. You kind of did that with the firmware story (although I'm not sure any rational person would agree that because you had one iPod go wonky on you that Steve Jobs has raped you in the mouth...but whatever). It would have helped this point to have at least one additional story about how an iMac failed you, how your Nano konked out, or how a MacBook Pro had a bunch of dead pixels. You see? Once you establish a pattern of similar experiences, then your claim gains weight.
The customer service complaint wasn't backed up by any story. All you say there is that "as you will notice if you ever buy one of their products, is terrible with not only customer service..." Well, you've got to demonstrate that, m'boy. How is their customer service bad?
A point about structure: your second and third paragraphs basically say the same thing, containing the same points, and one lessens the impact of the other. Each paragraph should argue a single, unique element of the argument. Well-constructed arguments are very economical with their word usage and they rarely repeat themselves other than to sum up.
To sum up: have bucketloads of evidence, back up each assertion presented, and be sure each element of your argument gets its own paragraph.
Here endeth the lesson.
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
Bye choggie. Don't trip on your racism on the way out the door.
In reply to this comment by blankfist:
*promote
http://www.videosift.com/video/Dane-cook-burger-king-animated