John F. Kerry

.... there are so many problems these days, countries seeking nukes, countries in debt, countries with internal and external turmoil... terrorism, etc etc etc.... energy crisis, oil spills...


....so why isnt there more anger or crazyness as people get pissed about these things?


its kinda crazy how our world today is so "good" that even tho we have all these problems, most people (not in america, but across the world from america to australia to the cities of china) are relatively comfortable these days.

people dont need huge expensive libraries and huge expensive technology to entertain themselves.... a 300 dollar computer with free wi fi can let u learn anything from mandarin chinese to how to study for a PhD. u can travel to other parts of the world on youtube, and u can see what people in south korea think about the world with a few clicks.


...much more so than in 2000, the world is linked thru shared prosperity....and its clear that even in times of economic downturn, there are plenty of people in china, india, europe , etc that have an interest in the status quo -that are mostly satistied with the world we live in- etcetc..


a couple of years ago i would worry that this caused people to run the risk of being apathetic about world problems....that europe wouldnt care about iranian nukes because they have it so good and they dont think iran would ever attack THEM.... but today i think the world is more mutually concerned about large scale problems.


it might not have been popular in 2004, but today i dont think you'll find a government in the world (except 2 or 3) that isnt against terrorism isnt against violence (at least in words) and doesnt want an increasingly connected and prosperous world.... even in a place like the middle east u have countries like the uae, dubai, reaching for the future and spending their time building awesome buildings instead of fighting over oil and religion...


as a person who believes in Realpolitik, i see that the world has come together not because of some amazing kumbaya or desire to love one another- but because countries across the world have an interest in peace, stability, no violece, connection to the outer world, and interconnected commerce....even in a downturn, if anything, countries unlike in 1930 when they turned isolationist, today countries are falling over themselves to "rescue" other countries so the systemic risk doenst spread.


germany has an interest in "saving" greece- when u think about that its amazing- it means the Us doesnt have to worry about greece and other places so much anymore, not because germany is doing us a favor, but because germany recognizes its own interest in stability- just like the US has for 60 years....


its a different ballgame when countries like russia chose to side with the United States over Iran, because russia knows that in the long run a solid relationship with america is better than some easy flowing gas from a nuclear power....


china seems to understand that it has to keep a lid on kim jong il.... america doesnt even really have to worry about n korea because china would clearly be pissed as fuck if n korea did anything outrageous....


....it almost seems like the United Nations could finally start acomplishing some of the loftier goals it had when it was founded.


....so a combination of apathy about a good life, desire to maintain the status quo which is better for most people than ever in history, and an understanding about how instability , terrorism, nuclear weapons in rogue states...etc... are bad, not just for the big bad US of A, but even for places u once might have thought would be against this kind of thing just to stick it in the us's eye like germany, and russia.


any thoughts ? sorry there hasnt been a new post in a and p for a while so i figd i had to come spluge all over this forum

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Nasa under Obama

stoneric

As always, you get some slams on Iran that are unfounded. Iran attacking Europe? With nukes? Why?

stoneric

What Russia knows is that Russia can get more for Russia by using the u.s. instead of using Iran. Fool.

John F. Kerry

isnt that what i said? Friend?

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Nasa under Obama

Waves

Cuz american idol is on dummy

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On this life that we call home
The years go fast and the days go so slow

stoneric

No, you said Russia was siding with us and I'm saying Russia is using us. Big difference.

Grieves

The shift will come when people realize how the global economy is just a pyramid scheme that is rapidly deflating, and when oil production slows due to poor management and a lack of a viable alternative...

If anything happens in 2012 it will not be a natural disaster, it will be an economical disaster/collapse that will make us change the way we think/approach every aspect of our lives...

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HTAM

I think it's ironic and somewhat humourous that the theme of your post is about stability, and you have the dubya pic for your profile.

The US has the largest air force on the planet. The second largest air force belongs to the US Navy.

And then there's the inventory of missiles and bombs that are available too.

That's what stability means in this country. Power to defeat. It's gone way beyond 'defend'. In other countries stability is infrastructure and the largest part of that infrastructure is the people. Particularly the education and well being of the people.

Really, how much more money needs to be alloted for Military production? Not research and development, just production?

People DO need Libraries, because the internet is not free to everyone. More importantly, there is a VAST amount of literature and human knowledge available that has yet to be digitally archived. And even more importantly, the Library is a place where you can freely explore topics without restraint. Some of them are only open 4 days a week, with reduced hours at that, due to funding shortages. For THAT part of the budget.

i see that the world has come together not because of some amazing kumbaya or desire to love one another- but because countries across the world have an interest in peace, stability, no violece, connection to the outer world, and interconnected commerce

Hot damn, am I looking forward to the day American Government catches that bus. I mean, I feel like many Americans just 'need' something to fight about because of the general behaivour on both sides of the aisle.
Look at the petty shit that is argued every day in the Political Arena. BP is funding a slush fund to redistribute wealth? Really? Standing on platforms of morality, carrying a torch for family, and getting a little 'strange' on the side. Yea, it's been going on for decades with Politics. Slavery went on for decades too, and we cleaned that up.

You know when 9/11 went down, business as usual was interrupted in all of our lives because of the scale of loss. We sat silent as we listened to the leadership of this county for an answer. We were all stunned. But it was a common bond for everyone. Everyone.

Week 9 in the NFL came around, and the Broncos were playing the Raiders. And there at the neighborhood bar, I'm watching the game and this scrap developing between two tables of dudes supporting their respective teams. And they end up in a shoving match and get kicked out of the bar. Over a game that you learn to play as a kid.

Just weeks earlier we were all Americans, United We Stand.

Except for everything that we don't like, don't understand, don't believe in, perceive as a threat, or the worst, fear.

I accept that I kinda cherry picked your post, but those two things really stood out to me.

Ego Tripping

Some Dave Matthews here feels right...

I'm actually with J...we're evolving, we're just evolving at different rates and towards different levels. The world will unite at some point, thats an inevitable prerequisite for survival. Does that mean we could easily exterminate ourselves? Yes, but not bloody likely in this world of incredibly easily accessible e-information. We're uniting, but just depends on whether its due to synergy or strife. I'm banking on the former and many are banking on the latter, but it might just be somewhere in between.

An afterthought (as I always have when I post here); I'm a relentless optimistic, I have to be if I want to help, but I do realize the gravity of what I am saying, which is the heart of Man is actually changing, 'Human Nature', if you will. Yes, I realize that could be construed as 'naive.' But necessity is the mother of all invention.

I reference this often, but if anyone is interested to read:

We're Getting Nicer Everyday (pdf)

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