2011 The year of discontent in the Western world?

[sgreger1]

Never let a good crisis go to waste. Learn from America, don't let them use this as some basis to create new laws allowing them to shut things off whenever something happens that they don't like. It will be used against you in the future.

In order to combat a "culture of fear," UK Prime Minister David Cameron floats the idea of martial law

"If the UK government restricts social networking in answer to the riots, what separates it from the Arab tyrannies and China?"

Britain considers mask ban; may use army if unrest continues



London rioters: a primary school worker, a postman, an 11-yr old boy w/2 phones, millionaires daughter

[sirloot]

maybe im going out on a limb here but maybe ask the rioters what there on about and see if theres a solution other than police/army .. anything goes wrong govt wants to send the strong arms in .. instead of getting to the root of the matter and resolving it with discussion

[sgreger1]

As sad as it is it is almost a necessary natural cycle. Human's are beyond the apex predators of this planet, we are basically super predators. Now think back to past predators that meet that mark, they exhaust their food supply and resources, become extinct. Nature has to get rid of them if they don't get rid of themselves first. Now look at humans. There is nothing on this planet that we cannot kill if we decide we want to. Nothing. And most of the time it isn't even for food, not directly. At the end of the day without war to keep our numbers down, all that is left is some super disease to get us back in check.

I remember a science teacher of mine talking that if you look at the historical evolution of any virus it is a basic race of two exponential curves. On one side the number of infections as the virus mutates, particularly it's transmission method. The other side is how the host/affected organism mutates to develop the anti-bodies to make the virus not a big deal. Now let us take HIV for an example, what happens if HIV one day mutates to be air born. Theoretically that could happen and that solves our locust like problems.

Ken

I agree that this is the nature of things, and I have always been of the belief that these super viruses and aids/cancer etc are likely a response to our overpopulation. Earth tends to keep things in check and no species ever gets to rule for very long. However, humans are kind of new and we have done something that the other animals havn't done before which is: fight back against nature. We build walls to sheild it's winds, install AC to battle it's heat and cold winters, antibiotics to battle it's viruses etc etc.

I think humans can win but it will involve us finding a way to economically make habitable the other solar bodies in this solar system. If we could take over another planet like mars and get it kickstarted/terraformed and ready to live on, I think we could beat nature for another few thousand years. But at this rate, humans just breed too much and never die, which means that viruses will start breaking out sooner or later, or maybe they already have (Re: HIV etc).


Hell, we can't even make enough food for everyone: East Africa famine yet to peak, hundreds of thousands of people face starvation.


But I often wonder if this is how our leaders think: We know that population has to be dealt with, and if we don't take charge and deal with it via war or something than nature will take care of it for us. So why not take the route that at least gives us some control over who gets to win and lose, and which also conveniently allows us the manpower to go take more riches in our name? Why let disease or famine kill a million people when we can instead send them to war and at least get something in return, I mean a million people will die anyways right?

Now the question is, are they wrong?

[devilock76]

I agree that this is the nature of things, and I have always been of the belief that these super viruses and aids/cancer etc are likely a response to our overpopulation. Earth tends to keep things in check and no species ever gets to rule for very long. However, humans are kind of new and we have done something that the other animals havn't done before which is: fight back against nature. We build walls to sheild it's winds, install AC to battle it's heat and cold winters, antibiotics to battle it's viruses etc etc.

I think humans can win but it will involve us finding a way to economically make habitable the other solar bodies in this solar system. If we could take over another planet like mars and get it kickstarted/terraformed and ready to live on, I think we could beat nature for another few thousand years. But at this rate, humans just breed too much and never die, which means that viruses will start breaking out sooner or later, or maybe they already have (Re: HIV etc).


Hell, we can't even make enough food for everyone: East Africa famine yet to peak, hundreds of thousands of people face starvation.


But I often wonder if this is how our leaders think: We know that population has to be dealt with, and if we don't take charge and deal with it via war or something than nature will take care of it for us. So why not take the route that at least gives us some control over who gets to win and lose, and which also conveniently allows us the manpower to go take more riches in our name? Why let disease or famine kill a million people when we can instead send them to war and at least get something in return, I mean a million people will die anyways right?

Now the question is, are they wrong?

In order to ever really survive past anything nature can throw at us we would have to stop spending so much energy fighting with each other. I don't see that happening in my lifetime, or for that matter my children's life time. It seems to me we spend more money fighting penis issues than we do on cancer.

Ken

[sgreger1]

In order to ever really survive past anything nature can throw at us we would have to stop spending so much energy fighting with each other. I don't see that happening in my lifetime, or for that matter my children's life time. It seems to me we spend more money fighting penis issues than we do on cancer.

Ken

While that would help, it's not realistic or necessary in my opinion. Humans have always fought with each other sinec as far backa s the record goes, we even made extinc several other species of homonids at one point. I don't see that changing any time soon. But we hav ealways managed, even with wars and every other kind of conflict, we always move forward slowly but surely. The law of accelerating returns, we will continue to progress at a steady pace regardless of what happens, with almost no exception whatsoever.

We just need to keep funding science, as that is really the key here is figuring out how the machine works so that we can better hack it. As long as we keep doing that I think we will be alright. Things may get bad for a while, but over the long run I don't think we will be extinct any time soon. We are on the verge of the singularity as it where, where in theory we should be able to make some massive leaps forward in the very near future if all goes according to plan. Once we get there I imagine we will solve most of our current problems and then, like in all things, we will begin working on the new set of problems that will almost certainly present themselves immediately after we solve the old ones.


Humans have only been around for a very short while,a dn technologically capable humans have been around for an even shorter amount of time, technically 10-70k years at best depending on how you measure it. We have a while to go if history is any indicator.

[truthwolf1]

THE MESSAGE OF THE GEORGIA GUIDESTONES

1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
2. Guide reproduction wisely - improving fitness and diversity.
3. Unite humanity with a living new language.
4. Rule passion - faith - tradition - and all things with tempered reason.
5. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
6. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
7. Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
8. Balance personal rights with social duties.
9. Prize truth - beauty - love - seeking harmony with the infinite.
10.Be not a cancer on the earth - Leave room for nature - Leave room for nature.

[devilock76]

While that would help, it's not realistic or necessary in my opinion. Humans have always fought with each other sinec as far backa s the record goes, we even made extinc several other species of homonids at one point. I don't see that changing any time soon. But we hav ealways managed, even with wars and every other kind of conflict, we always move forward slowly but surely. The law of accelerating returns, we will continue to progress at a steady pace regardless of what happens, with almost no exception whatsoever.

We just need to keep funding science, as that is really the key here is figuring out how the machine works so that we can better hack it. As long as we keep doing that I think we will be alright. Things may get bad for a while, but over the long run I don't think we will be extinct any time soon. We are on the verge of the singularity as it where, where in theory we should be able to make some massive leaps forward in the very near future if all goes according to plan. Once we get there I imagine we will solve most of our current problems and then, like in all things, we will begin working on the new set of problems that will almost certainly present themselves immediately after we solve the old ones.


Humans have only been around for a very short while,a dn technologically capable humans have been around for an even shorter amount of time, technically 10-70k years at best depending on how you measure it. We have a while to go if history is any indicator.

Unless of course we just blow our selves up over some silly thing here on earth.

For some reason I got reminded of this cartoon just now.



Ken

[Frosted]

Why did I bother to write anything when Pat says it so much better.

http://www.youtube.com/user/patconde.../0/9pAC0YSmK0g

[Ansel]

Why did I bother to write anything when Pat says it so much better.

http://www.youtube.com/user/patconde.../0/9pAC0YSmK0g

I agree with some/many of his sentiments which he makes smugly but he is a bit of a dour sourpuss.

[RobsanX]

Why did I bother to write anything when Pat says it so much better.

http://www.youtube.com/user/patconde.../0/9pAC0YSmK0g

That's a little harsh. You can't call teenagers "parasitic vermin" just because they don't have the mental and emotional skills to deal with the societal problems facing them. If all we can show is hate, anger, and punishment then we can never expect things to get better.

Like the gentleman in an earlier video said, when you do all the right things, and it gets you nowhere, then you start doing the wrong things, and that gets people's attention. It's unfortunate, but true.

The funny thing is, the cold wet weather slowed the riots down more than any government action, yet your whole country could end up paying for Cameron's heavy handed reaction.

[Frosted]

I agree wholeheartedly with Pat - we're far too soft in Britain. We need to knock some heads together.
Pat wasn't calling all teenagers "parasitic vermin". He was calling the rioting teenagers parasitic vermin, which they are. I don't believe that these teenagers have done anything right in their lives, or ever will having seen some of the anti social sh**e that live around my area.

[HK11]

Apologies HK11 - I've just understood your point about the IMF because it's just been on the news. At this moment I'm referring to the riots in London and I feel that whatever action the government take in this situation will be the correct one. As far as the IMF is concerned, that's a completely different matter that will have to be dealt with when the time comes.

No offense taken. It's just a debate

[truthwolf1]

WOW FLASH MOBS.
I did not even hear about the Mpls one til today. There was also a recent one in Milwaukee.These really are happening everywhere in the country. They are clearly racially motivated by a part of black society who are obviously morally bankrupt and filled with hate for "whitey". I can only see this becoming more of a problem as we enter a second recession. It really is motivating me to get a carry and conceal.

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews...crimes-charges

[sirloot]

speaking of flash mobs ... I was thinking of gettin a bunch of Irish lads together and start some riots until we get reparations from the loss of profit due to Prohibition !!! :P

[devilock76]

speaking of flash mobs ... I was thinking of gettin a bunch of irish lads together and start some riots until we get reparations from the loss of profit due to prohibition !!!

win!!!