| Oct 15 @ 8:42 PM |
Ancient wisdom
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newlife2006
Posts: 859
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I have a confession to make - I got distracted from listening to the sermon last weekend while leafing through the commentaries in the prayer book. One quotation of some sage ( the name escapes me now ) drew my attention , it sounded timeless , indeed :
" One should pray for the well-being of the government . If not for them, people would be eating each other alive "
Now, that's quite a thought... 
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| Oct 15 @ 9:28 PM |
Ancient wisdom |
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SensualGemini
Posts: 6,858
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NewLife: Now, that's quite a thought...
...Yes and if you say it three times, really fast, is promised to lead to serious nightmares.
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| Oct 15 @ 9:36 PM |
Ancient wisdom
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capobeachguy
Posts: 4,737
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Pray for the well-being of the administration, for were it not for fear of the government, one man would swallow another. --Rabbi Chanania
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| Oct 15 @ 9:38 PM |
Ancient wisdom |
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SensualGemini
Posts: 6,858
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...Now, that one makes some sense. 
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| Oct 15 @ 9:47 PM |
Ancient wisdom
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Jankia
Posts: 11,892
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Heres another...One should pray for the well-being of free people . If not for them, government would eat its country alive.
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| Oct 15 @ 10:55 PM |
Ancient wisdom |
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CentsofHumor
Posts: 23
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One thang cannot be argued with "NewLife"..and that is...every time something
goes wrong.or somebody gits screwed, or fails to read the fine print..or..and the list goes on......hooz the first to whine.."The Goverment Should Do Something
About That"..EVERYBODY !!! "There outta be a law" !!! "Why doesn't Congress
pass a law against that !!! "..."How can they git away with that, where's our
system of Justice ?????//"
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| Oct 15 @ 11:56 PM |
Ancient wisdom
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willowy1
Posts: 9,181
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Homosexual politics 
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| Oct 16 @ 4:47 AM |
Ancient wisdom |
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SensualGemini
Posts: 6,858
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Cents: EVERYBODY !!!
...It is obvious from your spelling and grammar, that the US is not your origination. Well, I suppose it could be a product of ghetto education, but nevertheless, your "everybody" holds no merit.
...The further government stays out of my life, the better I like it and I am far from being alone. I cannot think of anything that government has touched, that they have not managed to screw up or corrupt.
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| Oct 16 @ 9:10 AM |
Ancient wisdom
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SimplyImp
Posts: 1,051
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Pray for the well-being of the administration, for were it not for fear of the government, one man would swallow another.
--Rabbi Chanania
And the government just hates competition!
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| Oct 16 @ 5:33 PM |
Ancient wisdom |
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newlife2006
Posts: 859
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Jankia
Heres another...One should pray for the well-being of free people . If not for them, government would eat its country alive.
 Amen to this, Rabbi Jankia!... 
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| Oct 16 @ 5:55 PM |
Ancient wisdom
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newlife2006
Posts: 859
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SimplyImp
..the government just hates competition!
LOL...The only competitor who wishes referee were not there is the one who is not playing by the rules ... Government's original function in society is to keep competition honest , prevent "players" from abusing each other either physically or financially.
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| Oct 16 @ 6:30 PM |
Ancient wisdom |
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newlife2006
Posts: 859
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SensualGemini
Cents: EVERYBODY !!!
... spelling and grammar ...your origination...ghetto education...
I wonder what does Cents' ( or anyone else's for this matter ) origination or education have to do with the topic, SG ...  In case you didn't notice - the thread is NOT about flaws of US educational system. ( And even if it were , personal attacks on your opponents would be hardly intelligent "debating strategy" , not to mention that being rude doesn't make you look better. In fact , it makes you sound just like SimplyImp ( which might arise certain suspicions regarding these two profiles of yours ...  ) , you should know better than that... )
The good thing about MD is - we have people from all over the world on this site
( as well as in this country ) and everyone's welcome to participate , no matter what level their English is .
( btw, SG, judging from your posts, your "first language" is hardly Queen's English either ... )
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| Oct 18 @ 10:41 PM |
Ancient wisdom
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lacyvsq
Posts: 6,161
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Samuel Adams said, 'When the people fear the government they have tyranny, when the government fears the people they have freedom.'
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| Oct 19 @ 12:19 AM |
Ancient wisdom |
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newlife2006
Posts: 859
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When people turn to be feared - it's not "freedom" , it's anarchy / "ohlocracy"...  Tyranny of people is not better than tyranny of government.
Unfortunately, esteemed author of the quotation was himself product of society based on slavery , therefore his mentality was slavery mentality : the only relationship he could imagine was based on fear. The idea of partnership based on mutual respect was not invented yet back then.
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| Oct 19 @ 10:03 AM |
Ancient wisdom
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capobeachguy
Posts: 4,737
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The only fear that the government has is that the people might actually force them to uphold and execute their oaths of office or be defeated in their re-election attempts.
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| Oct 19 @ 12:01 PM |
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Nightowl001
Posts: 7,493
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The only fear that the government has is that the people might actually force them to uphold and execute their oaths of office or be defeated in their re-election attempts. "The Government" as you refer to it is apparently the U.S. Government, I take it? Since there are a number of governments that need not fear failure of reelection and/or reappointment in the world. But, hey, we'll go with that. We'll say it's just OUR government that the OP applies to.
Of course, the quote above ignores the reality that if they are found to violate their oaths of office, governent officials can usually not only be oustered, but criminally prosecuted. But it's an anti-government soundbite that will no doubt elicit a chorus of affirmation from the currently disgruntled. That's all that really counts, right?
It also completely ignores the reality that the vast majority of "government" is not elected or appointed officials, but civil servants who just go to work every day, do their jobs to higher or lower degrees of competence and efficency, and go home at the end of their workdays. There are more staff sargeants and social workers who have retired from "the government" in this country than elected officials.
One doesn't pray, of course, for the well being of a despot, but instead for the military junta that overthrows him? And which is truly "the government"? How effective would the elected officials be with, not only no cooperation, but outright antagonism from the entire body of non-elected/non-appointed "government" workers?
What I find truly amazing is that some who have been so personally successful under the current and recent past U.S. administrations, the ones who have been able to accrue their personal wealth, or whatever their tiny personal ambitions have been, criticize the very system that allowed them to achieve that. For so many of them, they can look back and see that it, indeed, "worked" for them. All the while that you bitch and piss and moan about what government will not let you do, you ignore the fact that in the process, it doesn't let other people do it to you. You can't make a fortune by price gouging and charging everything the market will bear, thus taking advantage of the unfortunate? And do you honestly think you would be where you are had others been allowed to do that to you?
Again and again, I point out, that in a Monopoly tournament, at the end of the game (and thankfully, it is not real life, but only a game), ONE person winds up with everything, at the expense of everyone else, who winds up with nothing. I am just flabbergasted by the number of people who have such huge egos that they believe that they alone will wind up the winner if "the government" would just get out of their way.
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| Oct 21 @ 11:16 PM |
Ancient wisdom
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SensualGemini
Posts: 6,858
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Night: All the while that you bitch and piss and moan about what government will not let you do, you ignore the fact that in the process, it doesn't let other people do it to you. You can't make a fortune by price gouging and charging everything the market will bear, thus taking advantage of the unfortunate? And do you honestly think you would be where you are had others been allowed to do that to you?
...The ignorance of those that have never achieved, always conclude someone must have got screwed in the deal when someone else does succeed. 
...The ignorance of those that have never achieved, do not realize that government stops nothing, as we have due process. There is no law that says government has to protect anyone and as proven by the WorldCom's, the Enron's, the Bernie's, as once it is gone, it is gone. The same with rape, murder, or any other trespass, as the trespass has to first be made.
...The ignorance of those that have never achieved, do not realize that those that do, don't want government out of their way, but rather an insatiable government to manage their own 'business,' before being the beggar wanting more of another, because they are as those that never achieve and became politicians.
...The ignorance of those that have never achieved, do not realize achievement has nothing to do with government, as there are those that do in every country in the world.
And let me repeat....
...The ignorance of those that have never achieved, always conclude someone must have got screwed in the deal when someone else does succeed.
...There are good profits and bad profits, while those that gather by bad profits, do not last long. Karma has a way of biting one in the ass and has nothing to do with government, which is proven to be corrupt itself.
...But, nobody expects a self proclaimed Socialist to understand succeeding, as they have already self admitted defeat and want everyone to be equal, as long as they are standing in that same line...
...Yet, it is ludicrous to ever expect equality, as some people will always be more intelligent, more talented, more gifted, more ambitious and if you have a problem with this, then take it up with God, as government did not have a damn thing to do with that either.
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| Oct 22 @ 8:43 AM |
Ancient wisdom |
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musicianfriend
Posts: 2,269
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When we were young...we trusted an embraced our parents...we looked to them for everything...expecting that they would be there for us....and they raised us to be independent...and able to thrive on our own...
But these days...the people have grown up..moved out of their home...and replaced their parents with government.....looking to the gov. for their substance....like little children...
Our population is growing older...but its not growing up......not maturing.
I find it odd that more folks attend college than in all of time in America...but they are not maturing...
I believe its all the communist crap taught in our colleges...the molestation of the childrens minds...
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| Oct 22 @ 9:49 AM |
Ancient wisdom
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SimplyImp
Posts: 1,051
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Interesting that those that support socialism.....
are living in a "free" country.
Perhaps, if socialism is so great, those that support it, should move to a socialist country... instead of attempting to change a free country to their socialist ideals.
And for those that proclaim they only want a little socialism in certain areas... it is like saying they only want to be a little pregnant. There is no such thing. Once the pregnancy (socialism) begins, the belly steadily grows and bulges, until it finally births it's occupant. In the case of socialism - more socialism, more government control, and more government workers.
What socialists do not seem to understand, is that it does not eliminate 'classes'. It eliminates the middle class. Period. There are still the wealthy (government workers) and the poor.
If socialism is so wonderful... why are, and have, so many emigrated from their socialist country's to North America?
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| Oct 22 @ 10:48 AM |
Ancient wisdom |
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,602
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are living in a "free" country.
Perhaps, if socialism is so great, those that support it, should move to a socialist country... instead of attempting to change a free country to their socialist ideals.
Perhaps because it IS a free country, which even from the very beginning was expected to evolve. Government in any country is a reflection of its citizens, not a monolithic entity that exists separate from the people it supposedly 'governs.' I'm saying 'supposedly governs' because the government is indeed elected by those same people, and derives its powers from them as well. If enough people want to see a change, whether towards liberalism or towards conservatism, that change can only be driven by the people.
"Never doubt that a small group of people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead
Enough people have felt that the drive towards concentration of wealth among a relatively tiny group of people needed to be changed, and that's part of what brought about Obama's election. Whether that equates to a drive towards socialism would still remain to be seen, but the increased concentration of wealth (and the incredible shrinking middle class) are measurable facts, measured by the Gini index, which clearly shows it. Back in the 80's, under Reagan, the top tax bracket began at an income of about 120K per year, and was taxed at 50%. If Obama did the same thing now, he'd be accused of having a Socialist agenda, when in fact he's actually going back to a truer conservative model - which in fact I hope he does, even though it's going to make my taxes skyrocket.
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