The 10,000 Post thread V3

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

631

 

Leonard Nimoy always reminds me when I'm playing Civ IV, "Democracy is the worst form of government.  Except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."

[Cpt Johnny 58]

632
 

631
 
Leonard Nimoy always reminds me when I'm playing Civ IV, "Democracy is the worst form of government.  Except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."

Here are my three favorite anti-democracy quotes:

 

"I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - Thomas Carlyle

 

"Measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority." - James Madison

 

"We talk about democracy as if it’s a safeguard for individual rights… Instead, it’s become our way of intruding on rights, allegedly in the name of that most collectivist of concepts: The Common Good." -Jonathan David Morris

[Duke87 1,070]

(633)

 

Australia's ring choice voting system has the consequence that minor third party candidates cannot influence election outcomes by drawing voters from one major party more than the other. Al Gore would have won the 2000 presidential election if Ralph Nader hadn't run.

[timmie 988]

634

 

(WARNING: Very strong OPINION is shown below. Do NOT take offense.)

 

I'll just enter here. I don't like anyone in politics really. They're all idiots. If it was up to me I would make Bob Katter PM just to see what he would do. Kevin "07" Rudd is a megalomaniac and Julia is just not popular.  I personally think the whole idea of democracy is stupid. Not saying that Communism is better but we haven't invented a working form of government in 30,000 years! The problem with democracy is that you end up with idiots voting for Tony Abbot. 

 

I disagree. I very much dislike Tony Abbott, but there's no reason he is more of an idiot than Julia Gillard or Kevin Rudd. There is no such thing as 'the truth' or 'good' or 'bad'. Those are things every person constructs himself. I personally am a member of the Green party of Flanders, and I very much disagree with the right-wing Flemish nationalists who are currently polling 35% here, but I am never going to say they are wrong. I say I think they are wrong, and that's something completely different!

 

This inability to determine what is right and what is wrong is what makes democracy the best system, according to me (see, even here I say 'I think it is...'). If there is no absolute truth (and there is no, I'm rather post-modern about that), then you let the people decide what the truth is. The alternative for democracy would be a system where you also have idiots in power, but without being able to elect them. In such a system, there are no incentives at all for good policy. I'm not saying good policy is impossible in a dictatorship or whatever system it would be, but since the people don't elect their leaders, their leaders can in fact do what they want. This decreases the possibility of 'good policy'.

 

Democracy doesn't necessarily bring 'good policy', but because of the system, chances of good policy are greater in democracy than in another system. In democracy, there are incentives for good policy, bad policy is discouraged. You can be punished at the polls. If you don't like the politicians, you can start your own party and contest elections. This is not present in alternative systems. In democracy, there's the possibility of an alternative, which increases the chance of good policy.

[Mr Saturn64 742]

635 (6, Nelson's posting)

I don't think electoral systems are all that fair. In the US for example, you can win by getting all the big states.

I do somewhat follow Pennsylvania's politics, or "cities on each end with Alabama in the middle"

[astronelson 339]

636 (Mr Saturn posted while I was still thinking about how to phrase things).

 

I wouldn't be happy if Tony Abbott won, but I don't believe Australia would collapse if that happened. It'd be a change from centre-left to centre-right. Sure, some policies would be enacted that I disagree with, but I'm sure he'd be at least competent enough to not cause major damage.

 

Overall we don't generally have politically extreme movements. Sure, we have things like One Nation that crop up from time to time but they decline and fall quickly enough, particularly when their true colours are revealed.

 

It is interesting to note the differences between the US's and Australia's political circuses, what is considered important and what is not. It is probably better suited to another thread and is an observation made entirely without judgement, but religion, for example, plays a much bigger role in the US than it does in Australia.

[Larks2242 251]

637.

 

630: Thanks for covering that Astro.
 

The problem with democracy is that you end up with idiots voting for Tony Abbot.

The problem actually is, that there are a hell of a lot of people like Larks who think the exact same thing about us, that voting for Labor is stupid and against our best interests. It's just the way things are. Some of Abbott's policies appeal to some.

And ultimately, that's democracy. You have to accept what you perceive as bad with the good. The "you're allowed to have your own opinion, but only if it conforms to mine" never works.

 

What amazes me most, is that people have this idea that everyone shares the same views and are unable to comprehend why someone would choose a different party or candidate then them.

 

The way the government election system works is an entire mess, we end up using CA as an example with 52% of the state telling the rest how to get married, or half a state making it legal to have people smoking pot.

 

Or even a city dictating how people in the country should carry guns, all these things I consider to be rights that should not be politicized. 

 

I'm not stating my stances on it, but there needs to be more focus on an individual's freedom, instead of a majority's freedom.

 

To vote for a president is one thing, but when are people going to live their life and not be bullied or pushed around by government?

 

Also one more thing, TO all the people who seemed to forget history or distort fact, this sums up why I am so proud of my party.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_YQ8560E1w

 

(Dukedit: fixed your link)

[Duke87 1,070]

(638)

Your YouTube link is broken, but that may just be my phone...

[timmie 988]

639

 

The way the government election system works is an entire mess, we end up using CA as an example with 52% of the state telling the rest how to get married, or half a state making it legal to have people smoking pot.

 

I'm not stating my stances on it, but there needs to be more focus on an individual's freedom, instead of a majority's freedom.

 

That's not really consequent. You say you are pro individual freedom, but you define same-sex marriage or the right to smoke pot as something a majority imposes? I think the right to marry a person of the same sex is an individual freedom. The right to smoke pot is an individual freedom. Nothing is imposed on other people. Same-sex marriage doesn't impact people who don't want to get gay married. The freedom to smoke pot doesn't impact people who don't want to smoke pot. It is not as if a majority of the people decides that everyone should smoke pot. In this aspect, both examples can be compared with the right to bear arms.

 

Same-sex marriage, the right to smoke pot, the right to bear arms: they are all individual rights. It allows people to do what they want. It however doesn't require that all people do that. So if you think 'individual freedom' is the most important, you should be happy people have the choice to do what they want.

[Vahr 341]

640

 

It does confuse me when people who wish to have a smaller government and less regulation also wish for the government to dictate marriage or pot... (equal or more "regulation" than before).

If you're gonna say "leave me and my guns alone," but then say "oh you can't marry him/her because they're the same sex as you"... its kinda hypocritical.

 

 

52% of the state telling the rest how to get married

I don't think we're all now forced to marry the same sex...

[Mr Saturn64 742]

641

The trouble with politics is that your trying to manage millions of people with very different viewpoints.

[Cpt Johnny 58]

642

(638)

Your YouTube link is broken, but that may just be my phone...

You're using dial-up?

[Duke87 1,070]

(643)

 

 

52% of the state telling the rest how to get married

I don't think we're all now forced to marry the same sex...

 

Actually, in the case at hand, we're talking about 52% of the state voting against gay marriage, so yes it is telling people how they can and can't get married.

 

 

Your YouTube link is broken, but that may just be my phone...

You're using dial-up?

 

Nope. I was posting from my smartphone. I was still at work.

 

Now I'm home on my regular computer and regular (cable) internet connection... aaand the link is still broken. Let me see if I can use my awesome mod powers to fix it...

[Muck308 55]

644

 

Mod powers were successful!

[Mr Saturn64 742]

645

On the topic of moderators, how does one become a moderator on Simtropolis?

[Duke87 1,070]

(646)

 

Candidates for moderators and chat ops are selected internally by existing staff, with admins making the final decisions. You don't do anything to become a mod... indeed, asking to be one is a sure fire way to guarantee you won't be, as is looking in any way like you're deliberately trying to become one. It's one of those jobs where the more you want it, the less qualified you are to have it. Like being a politician.

 

But, if you have what it takes, you may one day unexpectedly find a PM in your inbox from an admin asking you if you'd like to join the staff. It is then up to you whether to accept the invitation (I feel like I should make a red pill/blue pill joke here but I got nothin').

[Cpt Johnny 58]

647

 

Some people are definitely not qualified to be a moderator.

 

BTW, I'm not interested becuz I'm a pirate  

[ROFLyoshi 1,760]

648: Yea, I got a PM around Trixie time asking if I wanted to join staff, I gladly accepted and now I mod the chat, City Building Concepts and Current Events boards.

And no, we agree there are some not qualified. But that being said, I was a bit of a troublemaker 4 years ago but I smoothed out and well here I am.

[AkemiAzula 280]

649. First saw The Matrix earlier this year at my cousin's in Brighton. 

[Durfsurn 539]

650

 

Who has seen World War Z? I was planning to go see it. Any good?

[Cpt Johnny 58]

651

 

I was asking the same thing in the other thread, I think the feller said no good/not interested.

[ROFLyoshi 1,760]

652: Haven't seen it, no intention to.
It takes a good movie (or the request of a friend) for me to leave the Yoshicave and go see a movie in cinemas.

[Duke87 1,070]

(653)

 

I have no objection to seeing a movie in theaters but action flicks really aren't my cup of tea unless we're talking superhero movies. Otherwise I'm more of a comedy guy.

[Cpt Johnny 58]

654

 

My favorite western comedy: Just For Laughs Gags

 

My favorite action flick: Fist of Fury (I know it falls under the martial arts category, but I don't care)

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

655

 

Hahahahaha, they made me a moderator!   Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

 

I like action movies.  Superhero movies in particular.  The comics are always better, though.  I love comic books.  Lovelovelove.

[Mr Saturn64 742]

656

I don't watch too many movies, but action/superhero movies are always cool.

[AkemiAzula 280]

657  I don't mind action movies but I'd rather there was more of a point to the movie than purely action. 

[Duke87 1,070]

(658)

Then I guess you wouldn't like River Tam Beats Up Everyone.

[Muck308 55]

659

 

(I feel like I should make a red pill/blue pill joke here but I got nothin').

 

Nothin'? Not even something concerning the Simtropolis bunnies and a rabbit hole? Oh well.

 

As some of you know, I am a big fan of movies. Last movie I watched?  The Rum Diary  with Johnny Depp. I too prefer comedy over action, but in a case like the movie Hot Fuzz you get both! 

[Cpt Johnny 58]

660

 

I think that most superhero movies are boring compared to Bruce Lee.