Retro Uprising - View Single Post

**Kong** · 10-12-2008, 04:18 PM

I haven't read all this topic - been busy/sick this week.

Tenser's point is a very important one. Evolution is a scientific theory. Biology is a science class. Creationism has nothing to do with science. It is not scientifically testable. Evolution can be proven wrong. Example - find a fossil of a complex organism in a strata layer below a simpler organism that should have pre-dated the first.

If you teach Christian Creationism in a public school then you should also have to teach all other creation myths - there are thousands of them. I see no way you could justify teaching only one myth without admitting you are being unconstitutional and pushing one religion over another.

Do the people in favor of this really want to teach Hindu and Scientology creation myths side by side with the Christian one? Seriously if your goal is to make/keep your children Christian then I think this is going to backfire on you. Teaching children about all religions just makes them doubt their own.

Example. When a child learns Santa is not real they might ask if the the Easter Bunny is real and you say no. Then they ask about the Tooth Fairy. And you say no, made that one up too. Then they ask and Jesus too? And you say no, honey, that one is real. If you have a class that teaches about Vishnu, Xenu, and Adam you are going to have the same conversation only stepped up a notch. And there is going to be more doubt in the child's mind. Side note - why do parents lie to children and tell them about Santa and the Easter Bunny. I don't see the point.

So if you want to have a theology class that teaches about every religion, I am all for it. If you want to have a class that teaches only one religion then you are, IMO, un-American. And I said in a theology class - not biology.

Back on topic.

Understanding really big #s is almost impossible. Our national debt is over $10-trillion. That # is so big that it is almost meaningless. Some perspective - find the US on this list.

Most of our debt is borrowed from ourselves - as in taking money from social security - which is why when you retire there will not be any left for you - the next biggest chunk is from individuals - such as CDs - the rest is owed to other countries - mainly Japan and China. America buys all of the cheaply made products from China so it is in their benefit to loan us money to keep us doing that. But if our economy gets bad enough that we stop shopping and our dollar falls enough that we are a bad investment then they are going to want their money back.

Governments, just like individuals, should borrow money only if - 1. It is a good investment, you will make a profit after paying the interest - example borrowing money to create a school or go to school or to start a bussiness. 2. To protect yourself example upgrade water treatment facilities, reduce pollution, have an army for defense. That is it. Any other expense should come from interest free money. Borrowing money to buy a car are start a needless war is a poor investment.

We will owe $451,154,049,950.63 - 4.5Trillion - in interest this year. That means if we spent zero dollars all year, just to keep our debt at 10trillion we would have to give away 4 and a half trillion dollars.

Also when we run out of money and can not borrow it then we print it. This causes inflation. Which is a tax on the poor.

On October 10th the inflation rate was 5.36%. My savings account has a 5% interest rate. So at the end of the year I will have 5% more money but be able to buy .36% less stuff.

We are artificially keeping our economy alive by borrowing money from the future of our country and encouraging shopping.

This system can not last forever - it can last a long time, maybe even my entire life - but the bubble will pop.

I read a story in a magazine once. There was a Russian village that for whatever reason lost all it's food crops that year and they were starving. The only thing they had to eat was the seeds for next years crops. They continued to starve instead of eating the seeds. Many of them died. They said they would not eat the seeds because they did not want to steal from the future.

And slightly on the subject of money and debt, I read the Rich Dad, Poor Dad book several years ago. It was about %99.9 fluff and could be boiled down to one important sentence. Income buys assets; assets buy luxuries. Income (your job) buys assets (investments, business, money that makes money by itself even while you are sleeping or on vacation) buys luxuries (new clothes, car, vacation, things you want but don't need). Your credit card should never buy luxuries.

And about the presidential candidates. I have said this before. I don't like either one of them. A two party system is not a true democracy. We are told we have to vote for one of the two people that have already been bought and paid for. People don't think they can vote for a third party because they are told that is the same as throwing your vote away. I disagree. I know a third part can not win this year. Obama or McCain will be our next president. But if you vote for a third party you are voting for a change. Voting to have a chance to eventually have a third party by showing that you are willing to vote none of the above.

Third party lists
http://www.votesmart.org/election_president.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_th...ial_candidates
http://www.votenoneoftheabove.us/

Ralph Nader and Cynthia Ann McKinney seem like decent choices. I would have voted for Ron Paul but he lost the Republican Primary and he didn't want to run as an independent.

Sorry for the long post. I like to rant sometimes.

10-12-2008, 04:18 PM	#33
Donor Administrator 12,340 posts View Stats	Kong Re: The greater depression? I haven't read all this topic - been busy/sick this week. Tenser's point is a very important one. Evolution is a scientific theory. Biology is a science class. Creationism has nothing to do with science. It is not scientifically testable. Evolution can be proven wrong. Example - find a fossil of a complex organism in a strata layer below a simpler organism that should have pre-dated the first. If you teach Christian Creationism in a public school then you should also have to teach all other creation myths - there are thousands of them. I see no way you could justify teaching only one myth without admitting you are being unconstitutional and pushing one religion over another. Do the people in favor of this really want to teach Hindu and Scientology creation myths side by side with the Christian one? Seriously if your goal is to make/keep your children Christian then I think this is going to backfire on you. Teaching children about all religions just makes them doubt their own. Example. When a child learns Santa is not real they might ask if the the Easter Bunny is real and you say no. Then they ask about the Tooth Fairy. And you say no, made that one up too. Then they ask and Jesus too? And you say no, honey, that one is real. If you have a class that teaches about Vishnu, Xenu, and Adam you are going to have the same conversation only stepped up a notch. And there is going to be more doubt in the child's mind. Side note - why do parents lie to children and tell them about Santa and the Easter Bunny. I don't see the point. So if you want to have a theology class that teaches about every religion, I am all for it. If you want to have a class that teaches only one religion then you are, IMO, un-American. And I said in a theology class - not biology. Back on topic. Understanding really big #s is almost impossible. Our national debt is over $10-trillion. That # is so big that it is almost meaningless. Some perspective - find the US on this list. Most of our debt is borrowed from ourselves - as in taking money from social security - which is why when you retire there will not be any left for you - the next biggest chunk is from individuals - such as CDs - the rest is owed to other countries - mainly Japan and China. America buys all of the cheaply made products from China so it is in their benefit to loan us money to keep us doing that. But if our economy gets bad enough that we stop shopping and our dollar falls enough that we are a bad investment then they are going to want their money back. Governments, just like individuals, should borrow money only if - 1. It is a good investment, you will make a profit after paying the interest - example borrowing money to create a school or go to school or to start a bussiness. 2. To protect yourself example upgrade water treatment facilities, reduce pollution, have an army for defense. That is it. Any other expense should come from interest free money. Borrowing money to buy a car are start a needless war is a poor investment. We will owe $451,154,049,950.63 - 4.5Trillion - in interest this year. That means if we spent zero dollars all year, just to keep our debt at 10trillion we would have to give away 4 and a half trillion dollars. Also when we run out of money and can not borrow it then we print it. This causes inflation. Which is a tax on the poor. On October 10th the inflation rate was 5.36%. My savings account has a 5% interest rate. So at the end of the year I will have 5% more money but be able to buy .36% less stuff. We are artificially keeping our economy alive by borrowing money from the future of our country and encouraging shopping. This system can not last forever - it can last a long time, maybe even my entire life - but the bubble will pop. I read a story in a magazine once. There was a Russian village that for whatever reason lost all it's food crops that year and they were starving. The only thing they had to eat was the seeds for next years crops. They continued to starve instead of eating the seeds. Many of them died. They said they would not eat the seeds because they did not want to steal from the future. And slightly on the subject of money and debt, I read the Rich Dad, Poor Dad book several years ago. It was about %99.9 fluff and could be boiled down to one important sentence. Income buys assets; assets buy luxuries. Income (your job) buys assets (investments, business, money that makes money by itself even while you are sleeping or on vacation) buys luxuries (new clothes, car, vacation, things you want but don't need). Your credit card should never buy luxuries. And about the presidential candidates. I have said this before. I don't like either one of them. A two party system is not a true democracy. We are told we have to vote for one of the two people that have already been bought and paid for. People don't think they can vote for a third party because they are told that is the same as throwing your vote away. I disagree. I know a third part can not win this year. Obama or McCain will be our next president. But if you vote for a third party you are voting for a change. Voting to have a chance to eventually have a third party by showing that you are willing to vote none of the above. Third party lists http://www.votesmart.org/election_president.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_th...ial_candidates http://www.votenoneoftheabove.us/ Ralph Nader and Cynthia Ann McKinney seem like decent choices. I would have voted for Ron Paul but he lost the Republican Primary and he didn't want to run as an independent. Sorry for the long post. I like to rant sometimes.
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