The powerful do what they will because they can, the weak do what they can to survive. If they cant survive, whos problem is that? Not mine and please dont take my money to fix someone elses problem, thanks!

 

And if you ever were to enter the same sitaution because of some major disaster, being it via nature or terrorism or whatever and your insurance company was bankrupt... you had no home, no food, no nothing, how likely would you be to refuse a hand out? The people you so easily dismiss started with nothing because their land offers no resources to compete with. You are lucky to be born where you were, not powerful.

 

NZO - rich kid since day one

 

I wouldnt refuse a handout, but I dont see how thats relevant.

Move. Its called adapt or die.

This is the problem with liberals, you care too much about things which are a waste of time and money. Wow, so you send some food and money to poor and starving people, which enables them to do what? Thats right, reproduce and create more poor and starving people. You arent solving any problems you are perpetuating them.

 

This really belongs in the Political Forum. There people that care about this will respond, hopefully intelligently and succinctly.

This thread started this way, but as usual in any political debate is starting to degrade to name calling.

I'd like somebody to state clearly, why he/she believes Kerry would have made a better president. GW may not be all that, but Kerry is probably worst.

Also why do so many people belive the President of the USA has enough power to solve the world's problems, when some country's government can't or won't?

 

A handout is a handout. That's why its relevant. For some unknown reason, you feel justified to receive them and the less fortunate are for some reason automatically unjustified.

If folks like you stop reproducing so that you stop generating more selfish people who use 5 times of their actual need of the worlds natural resources, you'd free up a lot for those who have only maybe 1/5 of their actual need.

You realize you've espoused a policy of slowly killing off everyone who wasn't lucky enough to be raised in a land with the same selfish policies that you were? If might makes right, why do you bother living in a democracy? This is hardly, "liberalism". I am hardly a "liberal".

jason

 

I dont quite get what youre saying. I will take handouts all day long if someone is stupid/caring enough to give them, but that is at their own expense. Im not one to refuse taking advantage of someone elses bad deciscions.


Yes...and? If your side is losing, either make them win or change sides. This world isnt about sunshine and lolipops, its about surviving. The United States has the luxury of indulging itself because we have done such a good job at surviving.

Because might is realized through democracy...its the best way to maintain and use power.

 

Altruism is why humans are alive right now. Survival of the fittest = survival of the best team. Not the best individual. You, NZO, would probably survive the longest on a deserted island out of ~12 people. But after you killed them for taking your food, you would realize that the only way to get more food is to work as a team. This is an analogy that applies to the world now as well. You and your money don't mean s*** in the grand scheme of things. And the more allies the US can get because we act like good people, the more people we'll have on our side when we need them. Being good to other humans is good. Bottom line. If you argue with that, I hope you find yourself in a situation where you need other people's help.

 

Now that contradicts everything you said.

If democracy is the best way to maintain and use power, then why don't we include the votes of the impoverished and hungry in how we make our decisions?

Suddenly I'm suspecting purposeful dumbassness.

 

Right so the finches in the galapagos all got together and helped each other out when birds with extreme beak sizes couldnt find food? I didnt learn about that part.

I may be stupid but I'm not THAT stupid Just because I'm not altruistic doesnt mean I'm murderous. What I strive to be is practical.

True, but my point is why help those who can not help us or themselves?

I agree that it is 'good', but I would not say it is right. I have no problem being in a situation where I need help because I take responsibility for my actions.

 

Sorry I think we are both talking about different things. I am refering to people in other nations who need help, I assume youre talking about the poor in this country? If so then yes what I said does not necessarily apply.

 

world wide.

if democracy is the way might is realized (honestly that's the stupidest thing i've ever heard) then why not use democracy all over the world in how we do all decisions? I mean, didn't the UN vote on some stuff against what we wanted and we did it anyway? I think most of the poor in the world, let alone most people in the world, would vote against the way America does business. If democracy is the way to power, why don't we use it?

I think if you were actually thinking about what you said, you meant "determined greed and sociopathic tendencies is the way to achieve power". Not caring about anyone else other than yourself will make you the most powerful because people who care about you will let their guard down. It makes you real fun at parties and the ladies just eat it up.

 

The UN is a different story, its a little naive at this point to think that the world can be governed by one democratic body, especially when there are so many different interests involved. My point is that for individual contries democracy is the best form of government if the object is to have a successful and powerful country. I think history has shown us this more than enough times.

 

We're talking about humans. We didn't survive on an island, we took over the planet. We were able to do so because we are altruistic. Some animals are also altruistic. Ants, lions, and dolphins to give a few examples. It'd be as if the birds on the Galapagos had no predators because they fought in groups and the ones with long narrow beaks harvested bugs in deep holes while the ones with short strong beaks cracked open nuts. Then they piled all the nuts and bugs up and ate a giant feast with every bird on the island included. If that happened, they would have dominated the island and out competed every other animal that was after their food. Humans did this.