03-07-2015, 12:02
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#61
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 20,929
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"Bread and Circuses"
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
I believe that we have reached a tipping point and the current situation is unsustainable.
TR
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I agree, we've reached the tipping point. Mr. Heinlein knew this was coming decades ago.
“The America of my time line is a laboratory example of what can happen to democracies, what has eventually happened to all perfect democracies throughout all histories. A perfect democracy, a ‘warm body’ democracy in which every adult may vote and all votes count equally, has no internal feedback for self-correction. It depends solely on the wisdom and self-restraint of citizens… which is opposed by the folly and lack of self-restraint of other citizens. What is supposed to happen in a democracy is that each sovereign citizen will always vote in the public interest for the safety and welfare of all. But what does happen is that he votes his own self-interest as he sees it… which for the majority translates as ‘Bread and Circuses.’
‘Bread and Circuses’ is the cancer of democracy, the fatal disease for which there is no cure. Democracy often works beautifully at first. But once a state extends the franchise to every warm body, be he producer or parasite, that day marks the beginning of the end of the state. For when the plebs discover that they can vote themselves bread and circuses without limit and that the productive members of the body politic cannot stop them, they will do so, until the state bleeds to death, or in its weakened condition the state succumbs to an invader—the barbarians enter Rome.”
― Robert A. Heinlein
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"The Spartans do not ask how many are the enemy, but where they are."
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Team Sergeant is offline
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03-07-2015, 12:14
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#62
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 103
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.
Last edited by Lionshare; 07-20-2020 at 14:06.
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Lionshare is offline
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03-07-2015, 12:18
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#63
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Upper Midwest
Posts: 189
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When Americans quit
From under the sea, California. The home of Americans, heros, giants, (both past and present Special Forces) and villains.
I am an American and I am not finished.
Years ago companies ordered the removal of the Flag of the United States of America from our uniforms, when we would not remove them the company did, I found a different job.
This program will be sustainable until everything of value has been taken and converted to "personal power".
Respectfully,
Bob
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RCummings is offline
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03-07-2015, 22:13
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#64
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 4,006
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I for one will not go quietly into that cold dread night...
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The two most powerful warriors are patience and time - Leo Tolstoy
It's Never Crowded Along the Extra Mile - Wayne Dyer
WOKE = Willfully Overlooking Known Evil
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MR2 is offline
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03-07-2015, 23:26
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#65
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,782
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Broadsword2004
IMO, we aren't yet at that state. We aren't France for example. We can still take steps to reduce and begin scaling back the excessively-sized areas of the welfare state.
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No, you can't.
The 47% is more than 50% now and is growing every day.
Cutting off the government free money would cause immediate nationwide riots and mayhem.
The deficit is huge, unsustainable, and growing every day, and there is no way to stop it anymore.
TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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03-08-2015, 06:47
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#66
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
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__________________
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
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Richard is offline
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03-08-2015, 20:09
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#67
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,782
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Broadsword2004
One of the big monsters is Medicare. We need to find a way to bring the costs of that under control.
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You are kidding, right?
How do you propose to do this?
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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03-08-2015, 20:56
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#68
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Area Commander
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Cochise Co., AZ
Posts: 6,179
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard
FWIW - I am far less 'complacent' than you must think...
Richard
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Did you get rid of your Mini-14 or are you a felon?
As to Common Core, I know less than nothing about it, but, having been a shoe salesman in high school, I don't like "one size fits all". When I was in high school, we were taught to read the stock market and commodity reports in the newspaper. Is that covered for children growing up in fly-over country?
Pat
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"Hector Lives!"
"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." -- Frederick Douglass
"The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen." -- Dennis Prager
"The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it." --H.L. Mencken
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PSM is offline
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03-08-2015, 21:59
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#69
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Guerrilla Chief
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 680
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1. The path we are on is not sustainable.
2. We are well beyond voting our way out of the mess we are in.
3. There are a great many people in America, willing to do whatever is necessary to protect man's right to freedom.
My layman's eyes have observed these facts, in daily life. They are also the salient points I've taken away from this thread. Seems life is going to get real interesting for Americans, in the very near future.
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I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere, than in any city on Earth. -Steve McQueen
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Barbarian is offline
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03-09-2015, 06:22
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#70
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Italy
Posts: 1,987
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Broadsword2004
Not sure at the moment. But I am sure there are ways to gradually bring the cost down, or at least slow down the rate of growth of its cost.
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Slowing down the rate of growth is not a fix it is, at best, a postponement.
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"Were you born a fat, slimy, scumbag, puke, piece 'o shit, Private Pyle, or did you have to work at it?" - GySgt Hartman
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sinjefe is offline
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03-09-2015, 06:28
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#71
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PSM
As to Common Core, I know less than nothing about it, but, having been a shoe salesman in high school, I don't like "one size fits all". When I was in high school, we were taught to read the stock market and commodity reports in the newspaper. Is that covered for children growing up in fly-over country?
Pat
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The teaching isn't "one size fits all" and the "Common Core" is but a set of 'minimum' measurable educational concepts and standards which can (and should) be exceeded by teachers and scool district curricula.
As far as the Stock Market goes, I've seen many schools include 'The Stock Market Game' as an adjunct to their math programs in 6th grade and later as a part of their required Economics curriculum in high school.
http://valuestockguide.com/tools-for...k-market-game/
Richard
__________________
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
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Richard is offline
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03-09-2015, 06:37
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#72
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Area Commander
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 2,086
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PSM
Did you get rid of your Mini-14 or are you a felon?
As to Common Core, I know less than nothing about it, but, having been a shoe salesman in high school, I don't like "one size fits all". When I was in high school, we were taught to read the stock market and commodity reports in the newspaper. Is that covered for children growing up in fly-over country?
Pat
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc3Pv5Q_AdA
__________________
Daniel
GM1 USNR (RET)
Si vis pacem, para bellum
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Streck-Fu is offline
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03-09-2015, 07:53
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#73
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Streck-Fu
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Do you have a point?
That video is but a base ten computation exercise teaching early relations and operations concepts, and but a part of any good mathematics curriculum.
When thinking about education, it may be best to consider that just because you may not have been taught it or don't understand it doesn't mean it hasn't been a part of somebody else's curriculum and it was taught to them. That is one of the binding principles of Common Core, a broader exposure to a measurable nationwide standard minimum curricula.
Richard
__________________
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
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Richard is offline
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03-09-2015, 08:07
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#74
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 4,006
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Yup, nine plus six is (six weeks later) fifteen.
__________________
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time - Leo Tolstoy
It's Never Crowded Along the Extra Mile - Wayne Dyer
WOKE = Willfully Overlooking Known Evil
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MR2 is offline
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03-09-2015, 08:56
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#75
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Area Commander
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Lone Star
Posts: 2,153
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Broadsword2004
Not sure at the moment. But I am sure there are ways to gradually bring the cost down, or at least slow down the rate of growth of its cost.
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gradually?
Hate to be a gloomer and doomer...and I am seeing trees mostly, however:
Walk to any inner city ER and observe. Medicare reimbursement to hospitals is now based on customer satisfaction. If that doesn't sound disturbing, here it goes: Depending on how the customer feel upon discharge, that is how the hospital got reimbursed. Can anyone say bye bye education. I (and all staff) had to take obesity sensitivity class! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, obese is a medical term but now it is as good as calling somewhat fat, blimp, balloon, blubber etc. One the lesson in the class...are you ready? Myth: Obese people can lose weight if they try and exercise. That's one aspect. Another is when medicare recipient choose to waste thousands of dollars of tax payers money in ER visit versus going to walmart for $5 ibuprofen for fever, sore muscle, and so on. Can we educate? Yes, if we want to hurt people feelings and get zilch for reimbursement, risking the hospital financial health. Oh, and why bother stocking generic OTC at home if EMS is one phone call away to get your child treated for sore throat, 1 hr long fever, N/V/D. Yes, the ER helps some, but on the most part it enables Americans to be too fat, too lazy, too dumb, too cheap, and too thin-skinned to care for themselves.
It's gradual all right, in the opposite direction! 
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"we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" Rom. 5:3-4
"So we can suffer, and in suffering we know who we are" David Goggins
"Aide-toi, Dieu t'aidera " Jehanne, la Pucelle
Der, der Geld verliert, verliert einiges;
Der, der einen Freund verliert, verliert viel mehr;
Der, der das Vertrauen verliert, verliert alles.
INDNJC
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