thegodslayer wrote:
Which part of his statement says "Please personally attack my character because I have an opinion on society and trinkets."?
The hypocrisy of the statement itself, and the very absurdity of the analogy.
thegodslayer wrote:
Has nothing to do with it being 'too much' for me. Obviously I was speaking figuratively considering an opinion isn't an object. Are you trying to be facetious?
No, I'm not. So go ahead and clarify what you mean by "shoving it down your throat".
thegodslayer wrote:
The point stands if someone doesn't agree with you, you feel it necessary to say the same thing 10 different ways until they give up.
What's wrong with that? Of course you try to communicate your point of view in different ways trying to make the other party more receptive. If they do not like it they are free to walk away.
thegodslayer wrote:
So I shouldn't have a high opinion of myself despite being intelligent and well spoken? I should assume that what I think is no better than any given random moron? Is that logical?
Give an example of someone being ridiculed because they didn't agree with me about a topic.
No one said you need to change your opinions but don't act all up in arms about it when someone calls you out for being a pompous ass.
As to naming one thread be serious if you aren't willing to admit you have ever ridiculed someone based on their opinion that's fine. Be in denial all you want. I just don't feel like digging through threads. [/quote]
You did not answer the question.
Aestu wrote:
Did I say you did this solely based on you being in college? If I did I apologize that isn't what I meant at all I meant in general that is how you carry yourself. You yourself have admitted to your own egoism, why is it now when someone points it out you act surprised.
Actually, you did, but let's set that aside - so what's wrong with high self-confidence?
thegodslayer wrote:
I wouldn't say you are justified by any means, you may be smarter than some but what does it change? You can spell, read write etc so what. Some can, some can't. There are different degrees of intelligence if you want to gauge them on that go ahead,
This is a fine bit of nihilism. So you call me intelligent but then say we can't say what intelligence really is and it doesn't matter anyway? Then why praise someone for being intelligent in the first place? And this is why I get angry when people praise my intelligence.
You say, intelligence doesn't "change" anything. Are you saying that intelligence doesn't have an impact on whether someone's opinion or reasoning about an issue is more likely to be correct?
thegodslayer wrote:
would that intelligence help you to survive out in the wild with no food or water at your fingertips like some?
Go read
Robinson Crusoe. Nature didn't give us brains that consume something like 20% of our body's oxygen because having a higher forehead attracts mates. Although it does. I think.
thegodslayer wrote:
My point is this regardless of intelligence skill etc it doesn't automatically put you a cut above the rest, sure you aren't an idiot but it doesn't give you a higher status of that 6th grader.
Pretty sure it does.
thegodslayer wrote:
It seems to me that you are a political sympathizer which is fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinion so we wont ever agree on this. Hey maybe I am wrong and they deserve to go where ever whenever they want and call it travel expenses.
They do. They take visits to other countries all the time to see what's going on, or to campaign. They're busy people.
I don't think our system is perfect, but I accept that certain things are as they are for a reason, and a lot of hyperbole and common misconceptions are what prevent fixing it, amongst them the belief that most senators are lazy, super-rich, and getting fat off bribes and state funds. They aren't.
thegodslayer wrote:
You are right because we didn't have front page Tiger Woods for weeks on end. Or every time some celebrity or big wig changes wives it isn't printed in almost every newspaper and/or magazine across the country.
Tiger Woods is a celebrity, not a businessman. He may be wealthy but what he sells is his rep and image, not his administration or business skills. Donald Trump or any other big businessman wouldn't find himself out of a job if he were caught having sex with a prostitute or whatever.
thegodslayer wrote:
Point is lots of people are in the public eye. Not everything every Senator/Governor/Politician does is the papers. Sure if they do something immoral or out of line they should be blasted for it. If he cheats on his wife some may lose faith in him for very good reason.
That's the point though...if self-indulgence is your thing, you can make more money as a businessman, AND bang whoever you want. Self-indulgence or vice or whatever isn't what's wrong with the political system.
thegodslayer wrote:
Am I being that cryptic? I said their pay is fine without the excessive spending. But does a Senator really need $176K a year when the average cost of living is $50k for a median household?
On the other hand they should make more if say the cost of living is $100k for a median household.
I am in no way saying DON'T PAY THE POLITICIANS, I am saying be reasonable.
What is "reasonable"?
thegodslayer wrote:
Okay so then you are saying we need corruptible, lying, non-dependable, stupid people in politics?
The hard, sad answer is...it takes a certain kind of person to do some jobs. Certain kinds of people like power and will go into politics. Same is true in business. Part of what makes modern society work is channeling negative urges into positive ends.
thegodslayer wrote:
If Joe the Senator lives in nowhereland, Iowa WTF does he need almost $200K a year for. When John the Senator lives in LA and makes the same?
What does anyone need more than subsistence wages for? Why should politicians be monks? Is that even reasonable to ask?
thegodslayer wrote:
Their personal life only matters to a degree. You have to be able to set aside personal pleasures when you are in a position such as that. Should they have no fun and do nothing? Not at all. Donald Trump wannabees might not be too bad considering our national debt.
If this is true, then how does the free market even function? How can businessmen make good decisions since everything they do is aimed at getting money so they can enjoy life? Or even ordinary citizens?
thegodslayer wrote:
You can't build a perfect politician every one of them will have faults. But you have this ideal of them that they can do no wrong. Do you really believe that? Is our government perfect?
Quote:
This matters, because a man of ability who enjoys an outgoing lifestyle, or self-aggrandizement, isn't going to trouble himself going into politics if he feels it won't let him live his life the way he wants to live it.
Agreed which is why a man who is not willing to sacrifice such things shouldn't be in office.
The problem is, you won't settle for any leader less than Lycurgus or Solon or Moses or Aeneas or Romulus or any other incorruptible man who is willing to live a hard and demanding lifestyle for subsistence wages, who has a totally pedestrian personality, with no reward other than to serve his country. And even none of those people were democratically elected.
The reality is, the best leader you can reasonably hope for, is a typically flawed human being, who goes into politics for a mix of reasons good and bad, whose negative urges are kept in check by institution. Paying politicians a reasonable salary is part of that, and I honestly believe that a $176k salary is right on the dot for what these people do. Of all the things wrong with our system, that is not one of them.