Highspeed rail is B$it

[Reiwa]

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Our whole system was designed to have bloodless revolutions every few years: that's the beauty of it. Our founding fathers knew we couldn't all just get along, and knew we would have revolutions: they counted on it.

But, they didn't want them to be violent, Revolutionary War-style revolutions: they wanted them to be peaceful ones. And that's exactly what happens: if the Democrats or Republicans don't "win" this election cycle, they just gear up for the next one.

Every few years control over power shifts: one side or the other takes over one branch of government or the other. The other side isn't happy, but they don't have a bloody revolution over it (well, Trump tried a little, but normally they don't).

Instead, they just try to win the next election, ie. have a blood-less revolution in their favor next time. Eventually they do, then the other side tries to fight back, and the cycle continues ... all without anyone killing anyone.

Go founding fathers! [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Pretty weird how they said the liberty tree needed to be watered with blood, then.

[Jibartik]

One thing that's nice, thanks to all these micro revolutions we finally got to get rid of that pesky roe v wade.

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Go founding fathers! [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Reiwa]

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Without our military Russia would just nuke us [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.] The geography of some water in-between us won't change that.

Look, I don't like militaries in general, and I really don't like all the crap that comes with them here in America (eg. the military-industrial complex).

But again, going to extremes on either side (ie. throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater) is not the answer: it's not "let's have a military dictatorship" or "let's just hold hands and send the Russians good thoughts so they don't nuke us".

It should be (IMHO) "let's have a strong, well run and well-regulated military, with a strong system of civilian governance overseeing it".

What happens if the civilian oversight has been contravening to the military mission(s)?

[loramin]

Originally Posted by Reiwa [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Pretty weird how they said the liberty tree needed to be watered with blood, then.

You're taking that quote out of context. He was talking about Shay's Rebellion before the USA was really a thing:

Originally Posted by Thomas Jefferson

We have had 13. states independant 11. years. There has been one rebellion. That comes to one rebellion in a century and a half for each state. What country before ever existed a century and half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure. Our Convention has been too much impressed by the insurrection of Massachusets: and in the spur of the moment they are setting up a kite to keep the hen yard in order. I hope in god this article will be rectified before the new constitution is accepted.

But he's talking about how things have been; what was so amazing about the founding fathers is that they made something new.

Years after that quote Jefferson would realize that, even though he <3 's revolutions (and he really did; he was one of the most liberal/revolutionary of the founders), he didn't exactly like the bloodshed part. So, he and the rest of the gang invented a bloodless perpetual revolution system.

[Reiwa]

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

You're taking that quote out of context. He was talking about Shay's Rebellion before the USA was really a thing:

What about the Whiskey Rebellion? The USA was "really a thing" by then.

Reminder that Jefferson was an anti-federalist.

[Jibartik]

We better kill another million innocent people for our security.

[Jimjam]

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

It's corporations (which did not exist, in their modern form at least, when our founders set everything up) that are killing this planet. It's their sole focus on profit above all else that forces them to find new ways for us all to consume this planet.

Nah, East India Company , possibly the originalest biggest baddest corp is why USA exists. GB had to choose between sugar (America) and spice (India) and due to essentially lobbying from the EIC GB decided to pour its military focus into the East, not west.

It had been said EIC encouraged France to agitate the americas (making EIC appear the safer investment than opening new world opportunities) and without the interference of France the American Revolution would never have been feasible.

So yea, corporations interfering with America since before day 0 I’m afraid.

 

source:
I made it up

[magnetaress]

Originally Posted by Jibartik [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

We better kill another million innocent people for our security.

[Reiwa]

Originally Posted by Jimjam [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Nah, East India Company , possibly the originalest biggest baddest corp is why USA exists. GB had to choose between sugar (America) and spice (India) and due to essentially lobbying from the EIC GB decided to pour its military focus into the East, not west.

It had been said EIC encouraged France to agitate the americas (making EIC appear the safer investment than opening new world opportunities) and without the interference of France the American Revolution would never have been feasible.

So yea, corporations interfering with America since before day 0 I’m afraid.

 

source:
I made it up

Shareholdership arose from pirate boat contracts, non?

[magnetaress]

Glad to see Jimjam taking up the spoiler Crusade in Starkinds absence may her soul rest in peace.