The struggle for power shapes the (un)civilized world. Always has always will. I like Sylvia Brown's response to visions of apocolypse: "Unfortunately, the world is not coming to an end." How can something that has no beginning have an end?
Power in the hands of anyone means only that they have a certain amount of time to show what they will do with it, then it will pass to other hands. What is centuries to us is only the blink of an eye in the larger picture.
Power in the hands of Americans
Power in the hands of Americans
I'd better buy in some extra supplies then!!
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capt_buzzard
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Power in the hands of Americans
Jihad The Holy War
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A Karenina
- Posts: 968
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:36 am
Power in the hands of Americans
kash567 wrote: Power in the hands of Americans
what does it mean? It means we are the "great" power of our day. Others have gone before us. It's likely that others will come after us. Oddly enough, we are currently bearing a remarkable resemblance to ancient Rome.
kash567 wrote: Bomb the Muslims, is there any retribution, reprisal, on behalf of the Muslims, so mercilessly slaughtered and tortured, and the use of unnecessary force when bombing innocent civilians, any retribution at all? War kills innocent civilans along with the "guilty". That is the heartache of war. That is why we should use it as a last resort. Once we decide on this particular action, we cannot afford to be merciful and fair. War eliminates the boundaries between innocence and guilt, no matter how much we'd like to think otherwise. Who wins a war? He who has the most endurance, and the most ability to continue regardless of the cost or the level of brutality required.
Perhaps "retribution" is not a malicious thing, not a judgmental punishing thing...but more of a "reap what you sow" thing. Along with winning wars comes a hardened attitude, an arrogance, and a feeling of being superior, untouchable. When people think like that about themselves, they doom themselves to a bad end. Does that make sense?
kash567 wrote: These Bible bashers who claim prophecies will be fulfilled, then why do they manipulate them and draw false ideas from themTruth is subjective. People get to choose whether they want to interpret the Bible literally, or figuratively, or not at all. I'm none too fond of those who are very literal but it's still their choice. Who am I to say they are right or wrong? Who are you? Only god can answer that one.
kash567 wrote: The major earthquake and the feeling by the victims of it, that it was the end of time, something to bear in mind, maybe a sign of the end of time. I'd argue that it was not the first earthquake and not the first tsunami. It was not the first time mankind has been devastated by nature. Chances are it will not be the last, either...which kinda disrupts the thought process reagrding the end of the world.
kash567 wrote: all I know is that when Jesus re-appears it will not be a holy sight more likely to be the end of time. If God was angry, and sent brimstone down unto earth, would he be targeting Muslims, who believe in Him, or would he send it down on the disbelievers, who squander wealth, hoard up wealth, and then use it in feeding man’s ignorance against His Lord. Greed and ignorance are as old as mankind. What we see today is nothing new - we've been repeating the same actions as others before us. If god was angry and intended to send fire and brimstone, wouldn't he have done it long before this?
What is so special about this time and age that people are convinced these are the "last days"? People have thought so repeatedly over history. Personally, I think it's incredibly arrogant to think we've been singled out based on the year in which we live.
kash567 wrote: Let me ask, finally, all this discovery all this scientific knowledge, what good is it, if it truly is nearing the End, the Day of Judgement is upon us? And saith the Lord….I'm not sure what scientific knowledge you are referring to, so I'll answer in a general way. Any understanding that mankind has about the world we live in and how things work improves lives, saves lives, and offers hope to future generations. Isn't that an act of love? Isn't that godlike in its intent? I'm asking; I'm not attacking you at all.
I guess in the end we have the option to live our lives waiting for the end of days, or we can spend our lives living according to our principles and let the end of the world happen in god's own time and way (whatever that is).
what does it mean? It means we are the "great" power of our day. Others have gone before us. It's likely that others will come after us. Oddly enough, we are currently bearing a remarkable resemblance to ancient Rome.
kash567 wrote: Bomb the Muslims, is there any retribution, reprisal, on behalf of the Muslims, so mercilessly slaughtered and tortured, and the use of unnecessary force when bombing innocent civilians, any retribution at all? War kills innocent civilans along with the "guilty". That is the heartache of war. That is why we should use it as a last resort. Once we decide on this particular action, we cannot afford to be merciful and fair. War eliminates the boundaries between innocence and guilt, no matter how much we'd like to think otherwise. Who wins a war? He who has the most endurance, and the most ability to continue regardless of the cost or the level of brutality required.
Perhaps "retribution" is not a malicious thing, not a judgmental punishing thing...but more of a "reap what you sow" thing. Along with winning wars comes a hardened attitude, an arrogance, and a feeling of being superior, untouchable. When people think like that about themselves, they doom themselves to a bad end. Does that make sense?
kash567 wrote: These Bible bashers who claim prophecies will be fulfilled, then why do they manipulate them and draw false ideas from themTruth is subjective. People get to choose whether they want to interpret the Bible literally, or figuratively, or not at all. I'm none too fond of those who are very literal but it's still their choice. Who am I to say they are right or wrong? Who are you? Only god can answer that one.
kash567 wrote: The major earthquake and the feeling by the victims of it, that it was the end of time, something to bear in mind, maybe a sign of the end of time. I'd argue that it was not the first earthquake and not the first tsunami. It was not the first time mankind has been devastated by nature. Chances are it will not be the last, either...which kinda disrupts the thought process reagrding the end of the world.
kash567 wrote: all I know is that when Jesus re-appears it will not be a holy sight more likely to be the end of time. If God was angry, and sent brimstone down unto earth, would he be targeting Muslims, who believe in Him, or would he send it down on the disbelievers, who squander wealth, hoard up wealth, and then use it in feeding man’s ignorance against His Lord. Greed and ignorance are as old as mankind. What we see today is nothing new - we've been repeating the same actions as others before us. If god was angry and intended to send fire and brimstone, wouldn't he have done it long before this?
What is so special about this time and age that people are convinced these are the "last days"? People have thought so repeatedly over history. Personally, I think it's incredibly arrogant to think we've been singled out based on the year in which we live.
kash567 wrote: Let me ask, finally, all this discovery all this scientific knowledge, what good is it, if it truly is nearing the End, the Day of Judgement is upon us? And saith the Lord….I'm not sure what scientific knowledge you are referring to, so I'll answer in a general way. Any understanding that mankind has about the world we live in and how things work improves lives, saves lives, and offers hope to future generations. Isn't that an act of love? Isn't that godlike in its intent? I'm asking; I'm not attacking you at all.
I guess in the end we have the option to live our lives waiting for the end of days, or we can spend our lives living according to our principles and let the end of the world happen in god's own time and way (whatever that is).
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle
Aristotle
Power in the hands of Americans
posted by kash567
The next step is after the fall of Babylon, which could be the fall of Iraq, all I know is that when Jesus re-appears it will not be a holy sight more likely to be the end of time. If God was angry, and sent brimstone down unto earth, would he be targeting Muslims, who believe in Him, or would he send it down on the disbelievers, who squander wealth, hoard up wealth, and then use it in feeding man’s ignorance against His Lord. Let me ask, finally, all this discovery all this scientific knowledge, what good is it, if it truly is nearing the End, the Day of Judgement is upon us? And saith the Lord….
Babylon has already fallen a long time ago. All the descriptions of the end of the world are descriptions of natural disasters from long ago. Just think of the recent tsunami. What will eye witness acoiunts sound like a thousand years from now if they are the only source of information? Like the end of the world perhaps.
Most of the world are not christian. Let's pretend for a moment you haven't read the bible. Would you be worried that the world was about to be destroyed by god if you didn't worship in the right way? We mock pagan religons (well not we or even you specifically but you get my drift) because they believe that if you sacrifice to a pagan god then crops will grow and the rains will come, this belief is regarded as absurd nd ridiculous but many christians think the same belief about their vision of god is true because it says so in the bible and their god is going to smite the unbelievers. When asked they can recite all the bits of the bible that reinforce their belief and it's all true because this book written in ancient times translated by numerous people, edited by the christian church to take out the bits that weren't quite right is the word of god because god was guiding these people in their decisions.
It's a very personal thing and personally I think it a load of rubbish. Not a single one of these so called soothsayers saw the tsunami coming, hardly a minor event. Was it because it didn't happen to the chosen people?
The next step is after the fall of Babylon, which could be the fall of Iraq, all I know is that when Jesus re-appears it will not be a holy sight more likely to be the end of time. If God was angry, and sent brimstone down unto earth, would he be targeting Muslims, who believe in Him, or would he send it down on the disbelievers, who squander wealth, hoard up wealth, and then use it in feeding man’s ignorance against His Lord. Let me ask, finally, all this discovery all this scientific knowledge, what good is it, if it truly is nearing the End, the Day of Judgement is upon us? And saith the Lord….
Babylon has already fallen a long time ago. All the descriptions of the end of the world are descriptions of natural disasters from long ago. Just think of the recent tsunami. What will eye witness acoiunts sound like a thousand years from now if they are the only source of information? Like the end of the world perhaps.
Most of the world are not christian. Let's pretend for a moment you haven't read the bible. Would you be worried that the world was about to be destroyed by god if you didn't worship in the right way? We mock pagan religons (well not we or even you specifically but you get my drift) because they believe that if you sacrifice to a pagan god then crops will grow and the rains will come, this belief is regarded as absurd nd ridiculous but many christians think the same belief about their vision of god is true because it says so in the bible and their god is going to smite the unbelievers. When asked they can recite all the bits of the bible that reinforce their belief and it's all true because this book written in ancient times translated by numerous people, edited by the christian church to take out the bits that weren't quite right is the word of god because god was guiding these people in their decisions.
It's a very personal thing and personally I think it a load of rubbish. Not a single one of these so called soothsayers saw the tsunami coming, hardly a minor event. Was it because it didn't happen to the chosen people?
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A Karenina
- Posts: 968
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:36 am
Power in the hands of Americans
I am feeling especially feisty today. LOL.
gmc, there was a news piece about a small group of villagers who did know the tsunami was coming, and they all escaped it. They prefer to remain very cut off from everyone else since the last time they had interactions with the "white man" disease killed the majority of their people. Interesting piece. But, I agree with what you're saying.
Kash, I feel sad after reading your post. I understand what you are saying, but what is our alternative?
I feel pretty good about advances like electricity, running water, antibiotics, organ transplants, increased ability to produce crops in famine areas, etc.
It is true that some people will put any positive advance to negative use, but these people would be negative/destructive no matter what was available.
Meanwhile, the rest of us continue forwards and hopefully we do so in better, healthier conditions than those before us. When life is made easier by these advances, then we have the luxury of reflecting on bad usage of good inventions...and hopefully we are able to curb that as much as humanly possible.
I can't say much about your thoughts on war. They're not too far from my own thoughts. There is no such thing as a war to end all wars. Then again, we really have no idea what might've happened in human history without them.
I was watching a show last night that discussed human progress over the globe. From ancient times when we were all hunter/gatherers to the point where we began agriculture, and then beyond to the point where the excess production of necessities led to class structure...and then to wars to protect or expand those necessities ~ all civilizations took the same route.
Is war part of our nature then? Or is it the only tool we know to enforce notions of class and wealth (which are at the heart of politics)? I don't have the answer, or even a firm opinion at this point.
All I know is that if we (or anyone) commits to a war, then they'd better go at it with everything they have. Bluffers don't get very far. It horrifies me to say so in regards to war...perhaps our more experienced soldiers have some thoughts they can add.
Kash, I don't know what else to add to express my thoughts. I'll just close by saying bless your heart, and try to find the good. (That sounds rather patronizing, and I apologize).
gmc, there was a news piece about a small group of villagers who did know the tsunami was coming, and they all escaped it. They prefer to remain very cut off from everyone else since the last time they had interactions with the "white man" disease killed the majority of their people. Interesting piece. But, I agree with what you're saying.
Kash, I feel sad after reading your post. I understand what you are saying, but what is our alternative?
I feel pretty good about advances like electricity, running water, antibiotics, organ transplants, increased ability to produce crops in famine areas, etc.
It is true that some people will put any positive advance to negative use, but these people would be negative/destructive no matter what was available.
Meanwhile, the rest of us continue forwards and hopefully we do so in better, healthier conditions than those before us. When life is made easier by these advances, then we have the luxury of reflecting on bad usage of good inventions...and hopefully we are able to curb that as much as humanly possible.
I can't say much about your thoughts on war. They're not too far from my own thoughts. There is no such thing as a war to end all wars. Then again, we really have no idea what might've happened in human history without them.
I was watching a show last night that discussed human progress over the globe. From ancient times when we were all hunter/gatherers to the point where we began agriculture, and then beyond to the point where the excess production of necessities led to class structure...and then to wars to protect or expand those necessities ~ all civilizations took the same route.
Is war part of our nature then? Or is it the only tool we know to enforce notions of class and wealth (which are at the heart of politics)? I don't have the answer, or even a firm opinion at this point.
All I know is that if we (or anyone) commits to a war, then they'd better go at it with everything they have. Bluffers don't get very far. It horrifies me to say so in regards to war...perhaps our more experienced soldiers have some thoughts they can add.
Kash, I don't know what else to add to express my thoughts. I'll just close by saying bless your heart, and try to find the good. (That sounds rather patronizing, and I apologize).
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle
Aristotle
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capt_buzzard
- Posts: 5557
- Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2004 12:00 pm
Power in the hands of Americans
I'd sooner see Power in the Hands of America than some Mid Eastern country :driving: