myata

Always better (more beneficial in the longer run) to think with own brain. It was there for a reason, taking billions of years to develop. 50,000 years of history and counting.

So why there's a mindless mob cheering for him (OK that happens with mindless populations) and why thinking and conscious Republicans choose to stay silent or play into it? This will be the end of the party, and possibly the democracy. A duty of an intelligent and active citizen is to observe, bring to the light and prevent or stop any misuse or abuse of power. Whatever party they support and whoever was involved, the value of democracy is always higher (or has to be) than partisan interests and gain. Some Republicans stood up to the principle and were ostracized. I hope many Democrats will do the same if abuses committed by their leaders.

There was a report that found that what was the number, 50%? 70% of the bureaucracy does essentially nothing for the useful output. So by naive logic if you do nothing 3 days a week rather than, that's less of nothing so has to be net positive... right?

Yes if it is a clearly stated lawful obligation. No it it's an attempt to judge values and decisions of hundreds years ago by today's standards. This is nonsense, but it works great to score goodness points and to distract attention (and resources) of the society from its real actual problems.

Public service in Canada. Renewing passport took weeks if not months? the last I heard. Can't wait to find out what miracles a 3-day work week will do (with the same salaries and benefits, even better).

In WWII Germany, France, the UK and Poland were on different sides of a great war that caused immeasurable losses. That was 80 years, three generations back. Today they are partners in a community of prospering nations. The events of settlement and slavery happened hundreds of years back. People of today have no materially possible ways of going back and changing the past. This is an objective fact. And one of the key postulates of justice: one cannot be responsible for an act they had not committed or contributed to. Had no way of contributing. Not physically possible in this universe. Obvious, from all points and perspectives: logic, physics, laws of causality and fundamental justice. People of today carry no responsibility, moral and obviously, legal material etc for events of long past, over which they could have no influence or contribution to. The answer to these problems is not in going back to the past, and cannot be found there because, simply: it is not there. The time to find out and act for residential schools was in 1890-1950. That time, and opportunity to see, act, correct the wrongs as and when they were happening and change things for the better is gone. We don't have that chance now, only a mirage, illusion that we are creating for ourselves to look cuter in the mirror. And now is the time to see, honestly and objectively, and act on the problems of today. This time is now, not five decades on, later. Not to the goodness mob. By the same trick of loud, rightful shouting they are trying to drown and shut down objective view of reality and critical thought. They can gain all kind of goodness points for their very real and practical goals and they will not stop. It's working for them already and not so bad. Why would they? But all the goodness talk does not change or fix any real problems because it can't. Because the cause is in the wrong place, and wishful goodness talk rarely changes much in the real world. And so no problems are going to be fixed but the amount and volume of goodness talk rise (public funding as well, obviously), the only factors that can be controlled, easily. Are we good with that? Or just couldn't care less? It will lead to a dead end of course. There are no good surprises and wonderful discoveries where objective perception of reality is gone and critical thought switched off. No, it's one and the same thing, coming from the right or left. The ends do not matter and they'll make no difference in the final count.

This thread is a good illustration of a mob mentality. This is a film, I haven't seen it personally but read about it and can see absolutely nothing wrong with the theme. Did someone here want to claim that there's no human trafficking problem in many God-forsaken places on this planet? The first page of daily news will tell anyone with a grain of objective mind otherwise. Is it (being kidnapped, sold, made fight and so on) somehow "less of a problem" than suffering severe consequences of the events two to five generations back? No no. There are no good mobs for any good reasons that are claimed. Turned off critical thought, limiting the range of intelligent reactions to "hurray!!!" or "booo!!!" is never good for making reasonable choices in the complex reality of today's world. Just doesn't work.

That's a what was the word, "misrepresentation"? Trump's quotes (direct quotes). Not a single fact of verified evidence, mind you. But that's not a problem with some individual, like I would be concerned if someone showed me such facts about my behavior, but that's highly individual. The problem for the democracy and the society arises when significant part of the population assumes mob mentality: anything coming from the Idol is taken as the final truth and anything contradicting it, a "lie", "fake", threat and anathema. No, you don't need to go far for an example, only to the nearest mirror. And of course, populist loudmouth politicians and media always oblige to drive less educated, higher influenced folk to that state of a mindless mob (see the OP). Was Trump ever wrong in his political statements? Yes or no? Do you know many folks whose every word is a shining example of wisdom and universal truth? Is he the Universal Modest Genius? (please don't be shy) Had he ever lied (see the quotes btw)? Can you still think critically and objectively? Why in a community of civilized, thinking and responsible people a different thought would be ostracized and shut down? Are you a political party, or a mob? Nominating a pathological liar and quite possibly by that time, a convicted felon would be a failure of epic proportions, of thought, courage, will and act: a failure of the duty of a democratic party to the society. There can be no explanations and reasons for that. I don't believe there could be coming back from that, writing it off: to what? Collective blindness of reason syndrome? But it can create a new normal, new low and eventually down this path, pull the society with it into the state of dark chaos. You can see in many instances (not first world, and little to do with democracy) when results of elections are instantly challenged by competing mobs. This is the destination, make no mistakes. And why wouldn't it be.

In PS will do wonders... for the PS.

Did Trump attempt to overturn a democratic election without any evidence of massive fraud that not a single court has admitted? Yes or now, a simple question. This is a simple fact of reality. And if and when a significant part of the population chooses to ignore it for the sake of blind belief, fear, promises of good life or personal gain, whatever the democracy will be in trouble. And trouble to follow, commonly.

Blind mobs worshiping their Idols. Rejoice and cheer or else. What democracy?

Oh, flying the banners of the allies during WWII was all wrong? Maybe we should have been less "nationalists" and stayed home, waiting for the Axis to raise as a world power (RuZZia; Iran; North Korea; and somewhere back in the vague haze, China)? Sure let's revisit it! Like we can always take a different turn as see what happens, right?

And I can suggest one of the easier ones: as soon as the clown is nominated, just quit it. Done deal: it's gone insane and not viable no explanations needed and traditions long past. From a lunacy of this magnitude there's no coming back to the rational world but you can drag the society, the country still deeper into the hole. Only facts, all already happened. No explanations needed. Don't vote for the other guy. Begin new, taking and understanding the lessons of the past. It may live. This thing, that's gone out of its rational mind so far away: no way. You can still think with your own brain, remember? Why would you need it, otherwise?

Nonsense, no logical connection. Who started it, the President's own party and his appointed AG? But as said already, no logic or brain ever needed to cheer as loudly as blindly and thoughtlessly for the new Idol. We have seen it. We know how it ends. It's nothing to do with democracy. This crowd does not understand even the point of it, the democracy the need for it. Why have all these complexities, the useless stuff when the Guru will profess the truth of the day and that's all they need to live happily (not ever after: to the next disaster). Democracy is in danger, and there are no quick fixes. Polarization is easy to unleash, but may take a lot more thought and effort to put back in the bottle.

Clearly, these people just don't understand the difference between their guesses, dreams even and the reality. Independent institutions, checks and balances, independence of courts, all three centuries of careful conscious work in building world's most powerful and one of the longest democracies have to go down the drain because the Red Clown said so today (important, because yesterday he said something else). They don't understand that they are the product, the result of degradation of democracy by extreme partisanship. Democracy simply cannot exist on these terms, mindless mobs blindly worshiping their idols and trashing everything else around. This is a different, opposite in fact society and they wouldn't want to think and even notice that.

Trump tried to overturn a democratic election. He had no evidence of fraud. Multiple courts have found no evidence of fraud. The party that would decide to support him regardless will be behaving irrationally. I think that if that happens conscious and thinking Republicans either a silent majority or a large minority should be quitting the party. Expressing dissatisfaction won't do - will change nothing. Refusing to vote will change nothing. Voting for the other party wouldn't change much about the future of the Republican party. Yes proud traditions sure and no, nothing to do with protest but an entity that has lost its rationality in this kind of proportion and on such an issue simply has no viable future. This kind of idiocy will stick for generations. Not to mention the precedent for the future.

There you go, QED. The result, the destination demonstrated in vivo. Can you have a democracy with folks who take every word of their Supreme Guru as a scripture to worship? No you can't - beyond the limits of possible. What if Trump told you what the Sun will not rise tomorrow, fakenews? Just curious.

Trump said "I'm the only one who can win it for you". No whys or ifs, at what cost to us, to what end. Win by any means all what matters. And we have a well known member who will sign to it word for word. That's the result, the destination. What "dialogue"?

This is difficult to believe yet the reality beats reasonable analysis: rival's silence on Trump. From here, it's a high possibility for a string of new lows complete with nomination of a convicted felon by a major party. But at the heart of it, clear and entirely predictable phenomenon: extreme, unbounded polarization. The loudest, most aggressive clique wins. Thinking and behaving rationally and objectively does not offer any benefits. Negative selection: unconditional loyalty, loud mindless cheering and of course, readiness to say anything including: lie to achieve the desired goal. One has to choose between supporting the mob, even tacitly or being ostracized. Race to the bottom in full swing and few good exits. FPTP creates extreme polarization and partisanship in the political system spreading to the wider society. It is a danger to democracy. And it will degrade, undermine and kill it, with time and our complacency and indifference.

So in Europe agriculture has several essential roles: it is a traditional industry; a source of food security; a foundation of employment; and a way of life. As a result, in many or most country, one can get high or top quality product at reasonable price. Once more: the reason, and the result of the policy are both clear; and real. What is the purpose of our policies here? (and as an extension, governments). We grow the same stuff. Negotiated a bunch of agreements and paying a ton to bureaucrats. But there's no product that is both cheap and high quality! Also as we hear regularly, farmers complain that it's not beneficial to them. Who is it working for then, I mean the system? Unless mostly for itself as wound up two centuries back and drumming. Oh yeah there's shortage in Africa. That should explain everything. Not everybody has a knack for it, time etc. Are you saying there wouldn't be a demand for fresh, locally baked this morning, great taste and quality cheap bread? Even in a small town.

Suburbs have malls so why would anyone buy supermarket stuff (even if claimed "own" baked somewhere some time) if there's a fresh and cheaper alternative in the same strip? No it's something weird, air? that somehow suppresses ground level market activity the way it's common in other places.

Yeah may have a few ideas. Tuscany? Or Lisbon, maybe Faro? What do you think? (I know you can be generous with a good advice ? )

Whoa? The wholesale price of wheat is under $1 a kilo ok make it retail. How the ***k would it make any sense in market economy? You open your home shop sell it for half price and several blocks up line up because you're the only one doing that every morning. No something is very not right. The suck-bread" was 1.99 before the pandemic, went 60% to 100% in three years. Whoa? How does that work? Only in your local monopoly.

I don't insist on knowing all the truth. Let's see how this situation is. I can name one within 15 min drive (Starbucks and Hortons aside) but that's an exquisite a la France stuff, you get the prices. One local store claims locally baked bread (it's a chain though doesn't look like they make it in store). Prices begin at $5.

Dont you laugh how would you know our big monopolistic retailers aren't doing it already?