tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.comments2008-04-28T20:43:21.773-04:00Soul and MeatUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-39667527463064262052008-04-28T20:43:00.000-04:002008-04-28T20:43:00.000-04:00I can't say what my most importan issues are, but ...I can't say what my most importan issues are, but i agree with sweet jane - if hilary wins, I won't vote. <BR/><BR/>Actually, take that back. I won't vote even if Obama wins dems because i don't believe that it really makes a dif. <BR/><BR/>But I sure do hope obama takes the cake to the the oval office.forresthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13166575430486305807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-31087902074435557292008-01-31T13:08:00.000-05:002008-01-31T13:08:00.000-05:00I'm really, really concerned about health care. I...I'm really, really concerned about health care. If I get into even a minor accident right now, I'm completely screwed. The thought of getting some horrible disease and not being treated because I'm uninsured also really worries me, so a nationalized health care plan is very important to me.<BR/><BR/>Legalizing gay marriage is also an issue I am concerned about.<BR/><BR/>I'm concerned about many other things, but those two issues are at the top of my list. Obama seems poised to really make some breakthoughs in health care reform, but honestly, I don't know if he'll be able to do it. He's at least going to try, though.<BR/><BR/>If Hillary wins the Democratic nomination, I think I might not be able to vote this time around.Sweet Janehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02338648426536079108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-49985058688423901932008-01-16T18:47:00.000-05:002008-01-16T18:47:00.000-05:00No stories, but here are some of the things I saw:...No stories, but here are some of the things I saw:<BR/><BR/>A man walking down the street carrying two three-foot long bags of popcorn.<BR/><BR/>A man who asked me for a piece of paper so that he could write down the price of the coffee where I work. He then drew a picture of a clock, only he substituted cryptic symbols for all of the numbers.<BR/><BR/>Tractor square dancing on the public access cable channel.Sweet Janehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02338648426536079108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-41203500198745141422008-01-16T00:52:00.000-05:002008-01-16T00:52:00.000-05:00My most important issues are, in order:1. Ending t...My most important issues are, in order:<BR/><BR/>1. Ending the war in Iraq (and mending the damage that has been done in relations with Iran, Venezuela, N. Korea, etc.)<BR/>2. Ending torture and illegal imprisonment.<BR/>3. Restoring/maintaining civil rights. Fixing/eliminating the Patriot Act.<BR/>4. Net neutrality.<BR/>5. Government reform.<BR/><BR/>Obama and Edwards score 100% by my top issues... Hillary supported the war in Iraq, and is unlikely to support any government reform.<BR/><BR/>Of the republicans, I respect McCain for his anti-torture stance (can you blame him?) and his desire for government reform, but his support of the Iraq war and opposition of net neutrality are big negatives.<BR/><BR/>I like Ron Paul because he's refreshingly honest and consistent... in fact, i don't really believe he's a republican, but really a libertarian... I also like his opposition to the war in iraq, and his opposition to american imperialism. I'm not a fan of his position on net netruality, and while I respect him, i don't share his confidence in the free market.<BR/><BR/>michael bloomberg (although not yet a candidate) is interesting. he is strongly in favor of the war in iraq, which is a huge strike against him... but i agree with him on almost everything else. <BR/><BR/>the other republican candidates are nothing short of catastrophic possibilities in my opinion.thecrazydreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11829060795346199159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-50201560601431661662008-01-16T00:01:00.000-05:002008-01-16T00:01:00.000-05:00well, the most interesting thing I can think of is...well, the most interesting thing I can think of is there's this co-worker who's infamous for being absurdly disrespectful to his wife when she calls him while he's at work (and of course she calls him all the time at work). Here are a few of my favorite quotes that I've overheard:<BR/><BR/>"What do you want? That's it? That's what you're calling me about? You really didn't think this could've waited until I got home?"<BR/><BR/>"Well, you spent $200-- Yes, I understand that, but what I'm trying to tell you is that now I don't have any money to buy Christmas presents. No, you've ruined Christmas. No, you're going to have to get your own checking account. I can't deal with this right now."<BR/><BR/>"Stop calling me at work. I don't have time right now for your stupidity."<BR/><BR/>(and at the risk of being too one-sided, all of my co-workers assure me that his wife is a truly evil person, so while it's obviously an abusive relationship, at least its a mutually abusive relationship)thecrazydreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11829060795346199159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-34060474273740891592007-12-27T16:31:00.000-05:002007-12-27T16:31:00.000-05:00Ooops, sorry if I offended by my recent comment!xo...Ooops, sorry if I offended by my recent comment!<BR/><BR/>xoSammeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11698526606418044557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-21930996874925448712007-12-26T00:32:00.000-05:002007-12-26T00:32:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Sammeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11698526606418044557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-41639821573882970862007-12-26T00:29:00.000-05:002007-12-26T00:29:00.000-05:00I don't really think anything peculiar happened to...I don't really think anything peculiar happened to me yet this month. I'm waiting, because I really want to share something, but so far no cigar. Happy Christmas to everyone, though!Sammeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11698526606418044557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-20630261709801439432007-09-14T11:06:00.000-04:002007-09-14T11:06:00.000-04:00Two things about Freud before I answer the questio...Two things about Freud before I answer the question. One is that as far as I know, he remained a staunch atheist to the end. Although he was a Jew, as soon as he began his studies it became apparent to him that there was no God. Having become an atheist at a young age, I would be surprised if he considered religion the <I>only</I> thing that would advance intellectuality. Second, I have to say that his argument seems more than a little faulty, and I think a lot of people who study him think so as well; "Moses and Monotheism" is definitely not considered one of his best works, and in general he is thought to have gone awry in his logic (especially) when it came to anything outside psychology and psychoanalysis.<BR/><BR/>But my main problem with this thought is the idea that there would be a "triumph of intellectuality over sensuality." Maybe this is quibbling, but our senses <I>enable</I> our thinking about the world and what's in it, or not in it. Sensory data is how a person might even begin to make sense of an idea like God. If what is important is to think about things or people "whom one cannot see," then thinking about God would be just as useful an addition to intellectual life as would thoughts about Zeus, unicorns, Mickey Mouse, Socrates, Thomas Jefferson and aliens. Or science, for that matter. <BR/><BR/>Rather than religion, maybe it's better to start with someone like Descartes, whose questioning of the outside world has set up one pretty good way of building a foundation of knowledge on an abstract idea. <BR/><BR/>The only way I can buy this argument is on a personal basis. When examining someone's life, it might end up being accurate to say that the thing that caused <I>that</I> person to be able to think abstractly was religion. In my own life, for instance, I would certainly have to give it a little credit, even though I also believe it was the restrictions of religion that prevented me from taking seriously some of the most important ideas.The Unapologetichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02958637167634952540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-9303941610195966312007-07-25T16:53:00.000-04:002007-07-25T16:53:00.000-04:00That argument makes a lot of sense to me, tcd, but...That argument makes a lot of sense to me, tcd, but I feel like it must be missing something. People feel so passionately about this issue on both sides, so I feel like there must be a sentiment on the opposing side that makes sense also. <BR/><BR/>Anyone?The Unapologetichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02958637167634952540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-9212689231093771512007-07-25T10:38:00.000-04:002007-07-25T10:38:00.000-04:00I am sorry I haven't posted sooner, but I've been ...I am sorry I haven't posted sooner, but I've been really busy lately. I do want to throw in some opinion and try to stir the pot a little for conversation.<BR/><BR/>My proposal is that we simply open the flood gates. Make a couple simple rules: 1. If you can get a legal job, and 2. If you can get a legal residence, you're welcome and you're a citizen.<BR/><BR/>I hear a lot of complaints against immigration, like immigrants taking our jobs (dey took arrr jobs). I wonder if a Texan who had this complaint would be just as upset about a boy from Chicago moving down to Texas and taking a job, or if its simply racially/nationalistically motivated. Regardless, anytime there's a large number of people in a free market, it's going to create jobs not just fill them.<BR/><BR/>I've heard overpopulation as an excuse. I don't buy it. I live in a city with 3 million people, and I get along just fine. What I'm saying is, cities can support lots of people. And there are about a million cities in the U.S. with fewer people than that. Sure, it's going to take work to get a city's infrastructure established to handle more citizens... but if the immigrants are paying taxes, then you've got the resources to do it.<BR/><BR/>It may initially be a strain on the economy to provide education and health care for a large number of immigrants, but if they're legal, they'll be sharing the burden and eventually carrying the burden for the rest of us.<BR/><BR/>All that to simply suggest that the problem is illegal immigration, the solution is legal immigration.thecrazydreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11829060795346199159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-25532185276278275032007-07-20T09:03:00.000-04:002007-07-20T09:03:00.000-04:00Welcome back, Indubitably. Hope the trip went wel...Welcome back, Indubitably. Hope the trip went well and look forward to "hearing your voice" on here.The Unapologetichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02958637167634952540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-23375770997637747272007-07-20T08:24:00.000-04:002007-07-20T08:24:00.000-04:00Hey guys-I was on a long bike trip when I recieved...Hey guys-<BR/><BR/>I was on a long bike trip when I recieved an invitation to contribute to soul and meat, and it seems like the site has really taken off. Every one of the posts I've read so far has been worth reading. Is it too late to join up? I'm afraid my invite expired and I'm looking at the site with a healthy amount of respect and writerly jealously.Sam the Fiction Writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10758662250105759451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-8900416022492882602007-07-17T12:25:00.000-04:002007-07-17T12:25:00.000-04:00I am so uninformed and confused about the immigran...I am so uninformed and confused about the immigrant issue. I think we should research how other smaller countries that have a high intake of immigrants navigate the issue and work against over-crowding and over-use of national resources. For instance, the UK is much, much smaller than the USA and also has a history of immigration, although illegal immigration is more difficult because of the country being an island. <BR/><BR/>I honestly never know what to say about the immigrant issue. What exactly are the GOP's issues? They are concerned about national resources, right? Do they really think that's a problem?Sammeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11698526606418044557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-8182174733678890942007-07-16T11:24:00.000-04:002007-07-16T11:24:00.000-04:00This is a topic on which I'm anxious to hear from ...This is a topic on which I'm anxious to hear from others. I don't know where to start researching this issue and hope that I can start to have at least a <I>slightly</I> informed opinion about it.<BR/><BR/>I do have to admit, though it may be extremely disgusting to some of you, that I am a pretty patriotic American. I love this place and think we do a lot more right than we do wrong. (I am very aware of the long list of things anyone could say we do wrong.) Immigration policy plays a serious part in where our country is headed socially, culturally, politically, religiously and economically, so while I recognize its importance, I just am not informed enough on the issue to know how best to manage it.<BR/><BR/>Can't wait to hear your opinions.The Unapologetichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02958637167634952540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-70308935956093221912007-07-12T12:56:00.000-04:002007-07-12T12:56:00.000-04:00Since there are so many responses to Edge’s questi...Since there are so many responses to <I>Edge</I>’s question, I thought I’d point out a few I thought were particularly interesting, for obvious reasons. <BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.edge.org/q2007/q07_1.html#dennett" REL="nofollow">Daniel Dennett’s response</A>: “I’m so optimistic that I expect to live to see the evaporation of the powerful mystique of religion.” (tcd, Dennett’s response echoes your optimism and the sentiment that racism, bigotry and general small-mindedness are quickly becoming extinct as technology advances and spreads.)<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.edge.org/q2007/q07_12.html#dawkins" REL="nofollow">Richard Dawkins’s response</A> also talks about the demise of religion, in his case due to physicists discover the “theory of everything” and pairing it with Darwin’s solution to the biological problem, resulting in a sufficient explanation for life.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.edge.org/q2007/q07_5.html#harriss" REL="nofollow">Sam Harris’s response</A> is about moral progress, and has a good, short summary of the answer to the question, “How do we know if things are right or wrong if there’s no God?”<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.edge.org/q2007/q07_2.html#shermer" REL="nofollow">Michael Shermer’s response</A>: That science is winning out over magic and superstition.<BR/><BR/>I don’t do much positive thinking. Instead, I always assume things will go well while imagining that the worst will happen. Sure, I look forward to new scientific discoveries and innovative technologies, and I can’t wait for grad school this fall. I look forward to moving in to my very own apartment, buying my groceries and picking out the best places in the library to study. Long-term, I do hope that there is an afterlife, that injustice gets rectified, that religious people become less fanatic and that technology and science lead to a better-informed, more moral society, but I couldn’t say I’m <I>optimistic</I> about any of it.<BR/><BR/>In fact, optimism is so foreign a concept that I looked it up on dictionary.com to make sure I knew what it is: <I>disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome; expecting the best in this best of all possible worlds</I>. That last part I can definitely say I <I>don’t</I> ascribe to, and am not even really sure I know what it means (yes, I know it’s referring to Leibniz and other optimists, but I believe this world just <I>is</I> and that it can’t be the “best” or “worse” in any meaningful sense). My assumption that things will be fine is based on my experience that is has always been fine, relatively speaking. If suddenly I encountered massive amounts of tragedy, I have to be honest and say that I would be surprised by it, even though I know it’s always possible.<BR/><BR/>Through and through, I am a realist. I’ve watched enough news, read enough novels and seen enough films that I know that unexpected things happen all the time, that we must make the best of this one life we have and that things don’t always happen according to reason. Affecting certainty concerning the outcome of events is not helpful to me and I believe can only lead to disappointment. I hope for the best, know the worst and almost always come out somewhere in between. The one area where I am unrealistically optimistic is when it comes to death: I’ve never really known anyone who’s died. I am optimistic (subconsciously, because I find myself contemplating my own and others’ deaths on a regular basis) about everyone I know staying alive. <BR/><BR/>I’ve been finishing up Alain de Botton’s <B><I>The Consolations of Philosophy</I></B>, in which he reviews six major philosophers and the ways in which a person might use their ideas to better equip herself for life. One of the philosophers, Seneca, experienced quite a bit of injustice and tragedy. As a Stoic philosopher, one behavior Seneca advocated was knowing the worst – that is, death, or the nothingness which is the same nothingness before birth – and by knowing it to be unafraid of it. (Also, to prepare yourself for misfortune by voluntarily experiencing hunger and poverty on an occasional basis as you accept the good things that come your way, prepared for dealing with everything being taken from you.) <BR/><BR/>One thing that lingered from my former Christian life is the fear of hell or whatever awaits us after death, so if I’m hopeful or optimistic about anything, it is that I will lose that fear and become unafraid of death. I do not, however, anticipate that that will happen any time soon.The Unapologetichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02958637167634952540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-9372903350922903322007-07-11T12:55:00.000-04:002007-07-11T12:55:00.000-04:00optimism"every day, in every way it's getting bett...<B>optimism</B><BR/><I>"every day, in every way it's getting better and better."</I><BR/><BR/>there are a lot of things i am optimistic about, and here are a few:<BR/><BR/>it's cliche, but think about how much has changed in the last 20 years, and imagine what we'll have 20 years from now. technology is changing the world, and i believe it's changing it for the better.<BR/><BR/>i think its no coincidence that the most dogmatic (the racists, the religious, the misogynists, republicans, etc.) are the least technologically savvy in the world. it's easier to hate black people, heathens, women, homosexuals, or whoever if you've never met one. it's easier to hold onto those beliefs if everyone you know takes those beliefs for granted. but with things like the internet, and cell phones, and more accessible travel options, these people are being exposed to different beliefs. this won't always change a person, but it will often confront them with their belief and possibly make them feel the need to justify it or rethink their position. while i was evaluating my basic religious beliefs, i was able to chat with a buddhist through instant messenger, and hear from a unique perspective. that is a perspective that i would've never known if not for the technology, because i've still to this day never met a buddhist in real life.<BR/><BR/>education is changing drastically, too. no longer is school going to be about memorizing facts. it will become about actually teaching children how to learn, and how to find things out, and how to evaluate data. i think about my school experience, and those things were never really taught (though i managed to learn them). instead i have a million "facts" in my head that are distorted as my memory fades and are simply not reliable. imagine 13 years of education where the focus is on applying knowledge instead of simply acquiring it.<BR/><BR/>politically, we're already seeing the pendulum swinging away from the religious right. not even the republican candidates are willing to associate with those right-wing nutjobs anymore. the neo-cons are all being sent to prison, one by one (though everyone knows they'll all be pardoned on bush's last day in office). there's a handful of candidates with a legitimate shot at the presidency, and i only have serious complaints against a couple of them.<BR/><BR/>I'm also optimistic about my personal life. I am excited about my new portfolio, and the prospect of eventually finding a new job to transition to. And I'm definitely optimistic about my relationship with wyd becoming even stronger when she moves to chicago.thecrazydreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11829060795346199159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-84347899191630527332007-07-07T21:49:00.000-04:002007-07-07T21:49:00.000-04:00"What are you optimistic about and why?" I'm opti..."What are you optimistic about and why?" <BR/><BR/>I'm optimistic about...the potential for human change, on a large scale, and if you zero in on Anna-world, I'm more directly optimistic about the potential change in my life, the adventures and traumas, all the dualities that are going to grow and bloom and pass on again throughout this life I have to live. I'm optimistic about becoming a great saleswoman, about my future with editing, about the love my B and I have, about having children and trying to do a great job of raising them, I'm optimistic about being able to watch them grow and try all sorts of things and ideas and substances and whatever else interests them on for size, I'm interested in the passage of time from now until my death and all the people that come through my life and affect me and how I become affected and how I grow, then and at the very end of it all, I'm optimistic and curious about my death.<BR/><BR/>In terms of thought experiment, I agree with tcd about "defending" Oprah. As for myself, I think often of the value of positive thinking but not to the extreme of living with my head in the clouds or stuck in the mud. But I've found that the statements "Be careful what you wish for" and "Be careful what you say" often fall true. <BR/><BR/>But I think, on the whole, its not so much positive thinking and mantras and visualization that I focus on, but rather attitude. I really do think everyone has a choice (ok, not everyone but most people--some people really do have imbalanced hormones or other excuses) in how they see the world. Some of the most unlucky people have found a way to stay positive, keep themselves less stressed out and those around them happy. It's your choice. It's my choice to get over the hurt, trauma, whatever that was "done" to me. The losses that I've taken. And move on or not. <BR/><BR/>So, pretty much, the thought experiments that I practice most frequently have to do with discovering ways I can most relax myself (quit feeling stressed and worried) and ways I can benefit, grow, improve, learn something new.<BR/>Sometimes it does involve telling myself to quit repeating negative tapes, sometimes I try to reverse the negative tapes with positive mantras, but mostly I just occasionally talk to myself, convince myself to change my core way of thinking about something. Especially if I've had advice from others in my life that my sight is off, my understanding imbalanced, wrong, or stupid.forresthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13166575430486305807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-69688946425229040232007-07-06T20:09:00.000-04:002007-07-06T20:09:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.forresthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13166575430486305807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-31101529609243104252007-07-06T19:51:00.000-04:002007-07-06T19:51:00.000-04:00Negative thinkingWhen I hear the phrase negative t...<B>Negative thinking</B><BR/><BR/>When I hear the phrase negative thinking I initially interpret the word "negative" as unconstructive or harmful. But really, there can be very constructive negative thinking like having acknowledging risk and preparing contingency plans. At the same time, there's destructive negative thinking like worrying, panic, and self-fulfilling pessimism. <BR/><BR/>I can't speak for Oprah, but I would imagine her perspective is seeing the overwhelmingly negative perspective the people she's trying to reach have. She might assert that poor black women living in the ghetto's of Chicago need an escape of hope for a better day for the one hour they spend watching her show far more than they need to be reminded of their devastating reality. I doubt she'd advocate abandonment of constructive negative thinking.<BR/><BR/>Obviously there are people who swing too far to either direction. There are the gamblers who just don't realize they could lose, and the hopeless who don't realize they could make more of themselves.<BR/><BR/>To make this personal, I'm applying for a new job right now. I'm fully aware of the negative outcomes that are possible: the job isn't right for me, they don't want me, my boss finds out I'm interviewing for a new job and he's not happy... even silly things like my new job might want me to wear a suit and tie to work or might expect me to be in to work by 7am every day. I evaluate the situations and reassure myself of my course of actions and that things will be okay regardless. If they don't hire me, I'm fortunate enough to have a good job right now. If the job isn't right for me, I'm fortunate enough to be able to turn it down, etc. This seems to me to be a better approach than swinging either direction too far. If I am too optimistic, I might not prepare for the interview well, I might accept a job that isn't right for me, or I might even do something crazy like quit my current job before I've procured a new one. On the other hand, I could be too negative, and not even bother applying, or even if I applied, my lack of confidence may become self-fulfilling and I may be passed up for the job because of it.<BR/><BR/>Like most things in life, it seems like it comes down to a balance.thecrazydreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11829060795346199159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-15838673439885263392007-07-04T00:02:00.000-04:002007-07-04T00:02:00.000-04:00As a member of the yoga industry, this thought exp...As a member of the yoga industry, this thought experiment has surfaced in several different instances. Lululemon is fairly influential in these parts, and seems to be permeating the international scene. I recently wrote a letter to one of their staff member criticizing their support of "The Secret". The influence of "The Secret" didn't stop there. A studio where I teach held an evening viewing of the movie. I didn't rock the boat over that one: I choose my battles, I guess. Needless to say, I find the sort of sloppy self-help represented by this movie/oprah-cult reprehensible.<BR/><BR/>Thus, I am interested in how 'negative' thinking can be useful. I like to think of it as 'practical' thinking. For instance, wearing a helmet while riding my bike requires some negative thinking. Further, investing in private healthcare requires, in my case, some quite serious negative thinking; the sort that, apparently, I'm not quite ready for. <BR/><BR/>In some cases, it's a matter of number crunching. Is it more expensive for me pay monthly (out-of-pocket) for health coverage or to cover the appendix operation? I'm betting on the former being more cost-effective. But, what are the chances of me getting appendicitis (pretty f-ing slim).<BR/><BR/>I digress: into the many, many issues surrounding health-care. <BR/><BR/>The question remains: What am I most optomistic about?<BR/><BR/>Well, I think it might be human potential. We live in an exciting time. It's dangerous, sure. <BR/><BR/>But, I like to remain optomistic about the ability of science and human intelligence to solve problems: of climate change and environmental isssues. There are catastrophes happening every day. And every day we have the opportunity to affect change, to meet the world where it is and find solutions!!<BR/><BR/>I think it is a meeting of the world and the human mind that will be astonishing!<BR/><BR/>[I haven't read the links yet. But, I this is a great thought experiment.)Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17943670605660529138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-18982043851638079232007-06-28T21:03:00.000-04:002007-06-28T21:03:00.000-04:00I don't think powerful corporations are all bad (K...I don't think powerful corporations are all bad (Kellogg's is an example of a pretty stellar company with a fantastic track record), just like I don't think powerful governments are all bad. The problem with companies, as with governments, is that you run the enormous risk of having an evil dictator or an evil CEO take control. While governments exist (in theory) to serve society, corporations (and this is the frightening part, <I>in theory</I>), exist to serve the bottom line. The problem with our current system is that CEOs and board members have to actually choose to do the right thing, even if it means sacrificing profit. Corporate powers aren't (yet) held to any standards but market ones. An evil dictator is considered an outrage, while an evil CEO usually isn't considered as such until he or she stops making money (Enron, etc.)Sweet Janehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02338648426536079108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-29511477914953338142007-06-28T16:37:00.000-04:002007-06-28T16:37:00.000-04:00I'd just like to add, by way of clarification, tha...I'd just like to add, by way of clarification, that I *don't* actually think that big corporations are bad, in and of themselves, for municipalities or for individuals. It's the practices that they sometimes adopt that are bad. <BR/><BR/>I think that Jane worker *could* be treated just as fairly if she worked at wal-mart as she would be working at mom-and-pop-mart. This is clearly not always the case. But, it is possible. <BR/><BR/>We need corporations that are responsible. The good thing about climate change (if that's possible) is that the new environmental responsibility being enforced might be accompanied by some social responsibility. (maybe, in a more perfect world)Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17943670605660529138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-87291746750917614922007-06-28T08:51:00.000-04:002007-06-28T08:51:00.000-04:00This is something that I've been thinking about si...This is something that I've been thinking about since I was in high school, and I'm still struggling to find an answer. Like most high-minded teenagers I it was as simple as, "Corporations are evil, and I will try as hard as I can not to support them. I will also try to get others to do the same thing." I still, to some extent, adhere to the same line of thinking, minus the last part. <BR/><BR/>I try as hard as I can (not all the time, it must be admitted) to shop local, eat local, etc. For the most part, it's fairly easy because I live in a city. While I know McDonald's doesn't really miss the twenty or so dollars I might spend there every month, I know for a fact that that twenty dollars or so a month from regular customers like me is a big deal to the guy I buy falafel from down the street.<BR/><BR/>I'm certain that if I were to debate some pro-corporation economist on this matter, she would win, fair and square. My reasons for supporting local businesses are fairly simple, and frankly not very well thought out. At the end of the day, I'd much rather give my hard-earned cash to someone I know (someone who lives a few blocks away from me) rather than to some mythical giant like Ray Crock, about whom I know nothing. At the end of the day, I'd rather buy <BR/>a t-shirt made in the US, where I can bet with reasonable certainty that it was made by someone able to make a decent living than a shirt made by an exploited worker in China.<BR/><BR/>The thing I don't like thinking about is this: say we're right about corporations being generally bad for the world. How in god's name do we stop Joe Middleclass from buying the cheap, plentiful goods that come from a corporate, global economy, when someone like me still buys her toilet paper from Target? Further, who the hell am I to tell someone like Jane Poverty that she should buy the local, organic apples that cost double the supermarket ones? I think the global situation is going to have to get a lot worse before people wake up and realize the true cost of the inexpensive widgets companies have been throwing our way.<BR/><BR/>Now let's say we're wrong, that global corporations are, in the long run, actually good for society at large. I'm still going to try my hardest to continue supporting local businesses because even if I'm wrong, I still don't want to spend my money on a shirt made by a ten-year old in Bangladesh. There's got to be a better way to do business.<BR/><BR/><BR/>By the way, I just want to say that I am by no means perfect when it comes to shopping. I have skirts from the Gap, sponges from Target, butter from Land O' Lakes, etc. I've actually just gone through a bit of a bad spell of simply not caring lately. I stink.Sweet Janehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02338648426536079108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3677853252774264031.post-14819600185213491672007-06-26T17:34:00.000-04:002007-06-26T17:34:00.000-04:00Ok, you got me. I don't shop at Wal-Mart anymore....Ok, you got me. I don't shop at Wal-Mart anymore.<BR/><BR/>I guess your answer is similar to mine in that somehow the government should protect the citizens from these conglomerations forming monopolies. What I can't imagine, though is how or why that would ever occur.<BR/><BR/>First, there's no secret about the amount of corporate money in the pockets of politicians anywhere from the national to the local level. Politicians have almost universally been convinced that what is best for the largest corporation in their state is what's best for the people of their state. It's all some perversion of trickle down economics, I think. And in a sense, they're right. Any nation, state, or city that doesn't embrace the mega corporations faces major problems.<BR/><BR/>But even assuming we were to elect a whole new political regime free from the constraints of corporate lobbyists and noble in their pursuits of justice... what could they even regulate? Do they put a cap on the amount of money a company can make? Or how big it can grow? That doesn't seem to make sense. Do they it dictate to Wal-Mart that it may not undercut the prices of their competition? What can it do about someone like Microsoft who already has a monopoly? Insist that they give up some of their market share?<BR/><BR/>It seems to me like the best hope right now is where mega-corporations are doing battle with each other. Since Google has taken on Microsoft, the entire technology sector has benefit. A quick glance at the history of software would show how lazy Microsoft became once they solidified their domination of the software market; Three new operating systems in four years: Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP (2001) and then nothing for six years until this year when they release Vista. Now that they are threatened by a mega-corporation with the assets and innovation of Google, they've returned to developing again. This competition is obviously good for the consumer, but it seems to be a fragile situation at best. If Google manages to best Microsoft and win out majority of the market share, there's little to stop them from hitting the same pitfalls that accompany Microsoft.thecrazydreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11829060795346199159noreply@blogger.com