Well, the 1984 comparison I do agree with. Analog for media formats is really the way to go. Grab a pair of Ortofon Needles, a good record player, a high-power vintage amp, and a pair of Klipsch speakers, and a very well-mastered LP, and you have the greatest sound yet produced by technology. Same thing with VHS. And it can't be erased as easily. It grows more and more irritating when you cannot obtain a great film or album any more, because it is out of print. Tremendously revolutionary art is made unavailable by clueless record labels.
The whole system is intertwined. The type of future described here is not that far off, but I stress that the REAL enemy underneath all of this is socialism. There would not be such a world of influence if the Constitution had been bulletproof enough to continue protecting our individual human rights. The more laws that are made to benefit people, groups, corporations, or any collectively-minded organizations, the more we are trampled to the point of being slaves. The people who are paying themselves off right now don't care about what happens when they die. They take a short-circuit to human progress and achievement and cash in all the money they have effectively TAKEN from us, and trade it for a check with insufficient funds.
Case in point - China. Here our extremely advanced technological revolution, not to mention our entire economy, is being handed away to a communist government. Our taxes continue increasing, our money continues disappearing.
"Is there a similiarity here? Oooooohhhh, I think there is."
I know this is turning into a rant, but I put up with what I see as the beginnings of shit like this, and I get really tired of it.
Anyone who wants to know anything about anything like this should read the works of Ayn Rand.
And I agree with Mad-cat, Harry Browne is by far the best candidate for president that we have right now.
"America would never EVER try an attack against China. Get it through your thick skull that America doesn't want war."
No, we wouldn't attack them, because there would be no point. But WAKE UP people - if anyone thinks that the technology that China is acquiring (such as that mentioned in the Cox Report) is merely to resolve some border issues with Tawain or any other province, they are SORELY ignorant and blind. China doesn't need all of this to take Taiwan. All of its military buildup is intended for US. They already have control of the Panama Canal - what does that TELL you?
Some would argue that they wouldn't DARE attack US. Why on earth not? Some may answer this question with statements relating to the fact that we are very heavy trading partners now, and that would jeopardize that. But Communists are NOT motivated by profit, only by power and conquest. There are those who would argue that trading with them is a good idea, because it will expose the Chinese people to the ways of the west, and that it will initiate change. Does anything to be changing, other than the fact they are throwing a ton of money and technology into building better weapons? Have they stopped torturing and oppressing their own people?
And a better thing to note - look how things are changing HERE, largely in part to Clinton, but honestly attributable to the actions of every administration since FDR. Our rights are being slowly chipped away. Anyone who doubts this should take a look at the various legislations that are being enacted in order to regulate internet activity. Honestly, this whole thing may be a great excuse for them to watch us EVEN MORE, under the guise that they are trying to protect us from things like China's "Internet warfare."
"We only want to keep the oil flowing, stop genocide in Europe, and keep the Commie bastards from spreading."
I wish it were as simple as that. But if we were interested in keeping the "Commie bastards" from spreading, we wouldn't elect so many of them in our OWN country. Granted, none of them will directly state that that's what they are, but take one look at their policies, procedures, and principles. There is not much difference between a communist and a socialist.
"Communism is the most evil form of totalitarianism."
No arguments here.
"If you like it so much why don't you go live there (if you don't already)."
The sad thing is, we basically do. Most people just don't see it yet, and won't until it is complete.
Slashdot Mirror
The whole system is intertwined. The type of future described here is not that far off, but I stress that the REAL enemy underneath all of this is socialism. There would not be such a world of influence if the Constitution had been bulletproof enough to continue protecting our individual human rights. The more laws that are made to benefit people, groups, corporations, or any collectively-minded organizations, the more we are trampled to the point of being slaves. The people who are paying themselves off right now don't care about what happens when they die. They take a short-circuit to human progress and achievement and cash in all the money they have effectively TAKEN from us, and trade it for a check with insufficient funds.
Case in point - China. Here our extremely advanced technological revolution, not to mention our entire economy, is being handed away to a communist government. Our taxes continue increasing, our money continues disappearing.
"Is there a similiarity here? Oooooohhhh, I think there is."
I know this is turning into a rant, but I put up with what I see as the beginnings of shit like this, and I get really tired of it.
Anyone who wants to know anything about anything like this should read the works of Ayn Rand.
And I agree with Mad-cat, Harry Browne is by far the best candidate for president that we have right now.
That is all.
"America would never EVER try an attack against China. Get it through your thick skull that America doesn't want war."
No, we wouldn't attack them, because there would be no point. But WAKE UP people - if anyone thinks that the technology that China is acquiring (such as that mentioned in the Cox Report) is merely to resolve some border issues with Tawain or any other province, they are SORELY ignorant and blind. China doesn't need all of this to take Taiwan. All of its military buildup is intended for US. They already have control of the Panama Canal - what does that TELL you?
Some would argue that they wouldn't DARE attack US. Why on earth not? Some may answer this question with statements relating to the fact that we are very heavy trading partners now, and that would jeopardize that. But Communists are NOT motivated by profit, only by power and conquest.
There are those who would argue that trading with them is a good idea, because it will expose the Chinese people to the ways of the west, and that it will initiate change. Does anything to be changing, other than the fact they are throwing a ton of money and technology into building better weapons? Have they stopped torturing and oppressing their own people?
And a better thing to note - look how things are changing HERE, largely in part to Clinton, but honestly attributable to the actions of every administration since FDR. Our rights are being slowly chipped away. Anyone who doubts this should take a look at the various legislations that are being enacted in order to regulate internet activity. Honestly, this whole thing may be a great excuse for them to watch us EVEN MORE, under the guise that they are trying to protect us from things like China's "Internet warfare."
"We only want to keep the oil flowing, stop genocide in Europe, and keep the Commie bastards from
spreading."
I wish it were as simple as that. But if we were interested in keeping the "Commie bastards" from spreading, we wouldn't elect so many of them in our OWN country. Granted, none of them will directly state that that's what they are, but take one look at their policies, procedures, and principles. There is not much difference between a communist and a socialist.
"Communism is the most evil form of totalitarianism."
No arguments here.
"If you like it so much why don't you go live there
(if you don't already)."
The sad thing is, we basically do. Most people just don't see it yet, and won't until it is complete.
In Reason,
N
$