thanks, rep
I know where you are coming from and appreciate the concern. I agree on the folly of “pissing contest” but such exchanges as this current one don’t raise my blood pressure at all – in fact I find them amusing (and a respite from some dead time at work at this point). I’m a major project construction manager by profession. If I took dealing with passive aggressive and self-righteous types to heart I would have gone nuts or had a stroke years ago, since this business is full of them.
My success in my trade depends on keeping a cool head, having a mastery of the facts at hand and, most importantly, keeping my ego and emotions out of the game. In fact, I often “win” (which means gaining cooperation to get the results I need) by appearing to acquiesce to the person who is opposing me. People who “have to be right” are always the easiest to manipulate. When confronted with somebody trying to start a “pissing match” I offer them a bucket and then comment on their output. Keeping oneself free of the impulse towards being “proven right” is very liberating.
One of my favorite late 80’s TV shows, “Thirty Something” had a great line in one episode that I have added to my own rules to live by:
“You can either be right or be happy…”
entertainment value
Besides, isn’t following “passionate” threads like this more entertaining (and sometimes informative) than the endless reiterations of explaining to noobs why that $200 rec boat from Dick’s may not be their best choice for circumnavigating Greenland?
Some on this board are truly legends in
their own minds.
Thanks to all of you
This has been…very, very, interesting.
You have no idea what you are talking
about.
Square this for us:
Where does Jeffersonian libertarianism fall on the simple and naieve “far left is communist and far right is fascist” scale?
Any all powerful government be it communist or fascist is by definition left wing. State and centralized control is the common denomination.
Dogmaticus
“Deleted Threads”???
How did WB manage to delete his threads?
So, 10 days later the OP returns
Probably another troll post.
Not “my” definitions
Look, the political definitions have been clearly established and universally accepted since the French Revolution. Your opinions don’t change that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left%E2%80%93right_politics
Fundamentally, the left wing is DEFINED as the party of “movement” and the right wing is DEFINED as the party of “order”. Ultra leftism includes anarchists, who believe in the total elimination of government. Ultra rightism includes Fascism which emphasizes centralized state control of everything. In the more moderate ranges of the continuum, conservatism is based on maintaining the status quo (even if it means retaining social and economic stratification) or returning to older traditions, whereas liberalism trends towards change and disrupting tradition and regimentation. These are not subjective interpretations subject to “opinion”, they are by definition.
I won’t argue that there is much grey area in these traditionally drawn distinctions. In fact, extremes at both ends have more in common with each other than with the moderates towards the center. I agree that global grief has been wrought over the centuries by both extremes. And what movements claim to be and how they actually operate are often contradictory. Stalin claimed to be communist/nationalist but acted more as a despotic fascist (as did Mao and Pol Pot).
Jeffersonian libertarianism is firmly placed on the left arm of the curve by all political historians.
Challenge me all you want. I am well educated in US and world history. The current popular categorizations of “conservatism” and “liberalism” particularly as applied to the two major parties are far from their historic roots. Today’s Republican party is neither that of Eisenhower nor of Reagan. In fact, it enthusiastically embraces many of the principles against which Ike and other Republicans strenuously warned.
Jeffersonian libertarianism on the left?
Do go on! There is nothing more contray to that then anything held by the left. The linear political progression scale has been in the dust bin for all but simpletons for a very long time. A linear scale cannot possibly hold the complexities of endemic rights and private ownership being anywhere near central planning state monopolies.
Dogmaticus
Little did you know…
I’ve been under the bridge all along.
your screen name says it all
NM
no troll
I never thought you were a troll, but it must have been amusing to watch the other mythological creatures your thread attracted, including at least one harpy, a couple of cranky ogres and a self-professed hellhound.
You can’t answer the question
Or even support your misinformation. So typical of the pseudo-intelligentsia.
Dogmaticus
which would you classify me as?
NM
but I did answer
Sigh. I did answer your question and provided supporting reference. Just because you didn’t like it or agree with it doesn’t mean I didn’t answer correctly.
Ooh, “pseudo-intelligentsia”! That’s a hoary epithet I haven’t heard in a hen’s age. Did you know “intelligentsia” originated in the Russian empire? And it is defined as “those well-educated members of the population who undertake to lead the people as scholars, teachers, clergy, engineers, and who guide for the reason of their higher enlightenment”. Though no doubt you conveniently have your own definition.
Guilty as charged here (except for the “pseudo” part and never having been clergy.)
And before you devolve into class warfare, I am (besides very educated) as proudly a blue collar worker as anybody else on this forum, my parents grew up on midwestern farms and my boyfriend is a rural registered Republican who plays in a country band.
If you want to continue this, I suggest you relocate it to “Bicker and Banter” to avoid annoying the rest of the folks on this forum. The admin has been merciful so far, beyond the call of duty.
Dogmatic people are boring anyway. Save your energy for paddling, I say.
Two questions about Walmart
1. What do they do that is unethical? Lowering prices to make less profit does not count. Selling a cheaper product at a cheaper price also does not count unless they specifically mislead the public about what they are selling.
2. What should Walmart do to be more ethical yet still be a successful business? We must assume that being successful is not a bad thing or every store, event the local sole-proprietor shop is evil.
"When I first moved to Michigan in the mid 90's Walmart was still a burgeoning phenomenon -- I admit I shopped there for a couple of years "
So you put the local shops out of business and then complain about it afterwards?
I have no idea where to stand on the Walmart issue. I shop there because some of the exact same items I buy elsewhere are cheaper there and I need no service of any sort walking in an taking the items to the register.
If they undersell the competition then lower their quality once the local shops are gone, it seems like there is room for competition again and someone should open a local shop with the good stuff. then again, you can get the better stuff online so even Walmart does have competition, just not the sort that you like.
Dave
You hit the nail on the head Dave!!!
W.L.
You are observant, and exceedingly prolific!
I’d be happy to discuss this on the
other forum anytime. I have discussed this over there many times. The simple fact is, political spectrums on a linear scale cannot come close to capturing the complexities of political theory in so simplistic a manner. They were outdated in Europe the moment they arrived there. There is no possibility you lump Jeffersonian Libertarianism, with it's endemic rights and reverence for private property and minimal government with the left side of the scale and the central planners. Nor do they resemble fascistic, nationalistic, Franco style governments. The right wing utopians are libertarian-anarchistic with maximum freedoms based on responsibility; whereas your left extreme is communistic. Fascists have some respect for private capital but their state control model has no semblance of understanding libertarian thought.
Dogmaticus
PS: what kind of folder do you have?
not by nickle and diming toy purchases