OT – FIFA officials arrested in Switzerland

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=flu]
Some younger people these days tend to be more full of shit….

Spends considerable amount of time dwelling at how sucky things are, how things *should* be. But then does nothing to change the status quo, and at the same time enjoys some of the very benefits from the status quo.[/quote]

You thinking is all or nothing.
Life is full of paradoxes like the paradox of thrift.

If you want to affect change, you need money because money commands respect and can command people to act.

Being poor won’t do anyone any good.

[an]

[quote=FlyerInHi]You thinking is all or nothing.
Life is full of paradoxes like the paradox of thrift.

If you want to affect change, you need money because money commands respect and can command people to act.

Being poor won’t do anyone any good.[/quote]
No it doesn’t. You just need conviction and follow through. Just ask all the poor people who rise up and gave birth to Communist China/Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos/etc.

[FlyerInHi]

Actually communism appealed first to the intelligentsia and ever the nobility.

[an]

[quote=FlyerInHi]Actually communism appealed first to the intelligentsia and ever the nobility.[/quote]It doesn’t matter who it appeal first. It matter more who it appeal to the broadest and deepest and who’s willing to lay down their lives for the cause.
Last I checked, it’s the intelligentsia and nobility who were killed by the khmer rouge.

[FlyerInHi]

AN, you and flu imply you have to either embrace the establishment or go live in the woods. It’s not that simple.

You can change the establishment by being part of it. There’s no hypocrisy. Think Warren Buffet.

You can also have high ideals and not live them. Think Thomas Jefferson. The fact that he owned slaves and kept his slave maid as his mistress for decades doesn’t diminish his work.

[Coronita]

[quote=FlyerInHi]AN, you and flu imply you have to either embrace the establishment or go live in the woods. It’s not that simple.

You can change the establishment by being part of it. There’s no hypocrisy. Think Warren Buffet.

You can also have high ideals and not live them. Think Thomas Jefferson. The fact that he owned slaves and kept his slave maid as his mistress for decades doesn’t diminish his work.[/quote]

It is simple. There are so many ways to make money in this country. Why does one who has an issue with this country’s equity market find it necessary to participate in it if he/she hates ? Especially for that one person that professes to be much smarter than most other Americans in this country that have made more money by being “dumber?” Or perhaps one isn’t as smart as one thinks.

[FlyerInHi]

I like George Soros. I read his writings. He takes issue with many aspects of finance.

But if he see an imbalance he can profit from, then he would do so. Why not?

[an]

He’s free to do what he wants. It just make him a hypocrit. Some people don’t care if they’re hypocrit. Just don’t try to justify your position and convince others that you’re not a hypocrit. Like I said, it’s easy to talk the talk but it’s much harder to walk to walk.

I’m not the one who bash the establishment. If you really hate everything America stands for, then feel free to leave or run for office and make the change. Talking/bash/etc are like talking the talk. I don’t care about your particular stance. I’m just pointing out the hypocrisy of whining about something on one hand and taking advantage of the thing you’re whining about for your own personal gain on the other. That is hypocrisy.

[Coronita]

[quote=AN]He’s free to do what he wants. It just make him a hypocrit. Some people don’t care if they’re hypocrit. Just don’t try to justify your position and convince others that you’re not a hypocrit. Like I said, it’s easy to talk the talk but it’s much harder to walk to walk.

I’m not the one who bash the establishment. If you really hate everything America stands for, then feel free to leave or run for office and make the change. Talking/bash/etc are like talking the talk. I don’t care about your particular stance. I’m just pointing out the hypocrisy of whining about something on one hand and taking advantage of the thing you’re whining about for your own personal gain on the other. That is hypocrisy.[/quote]

+1

I will never understand people that apparently hate this country so much at the same time enjoying all the benefits from our system. That is not to say things can’t be improved. But if you really think it would be better elsewhere, just leave….

[spdrun]

Ah, the old “love it or leave it” shit. You’d have been right at home waving a crowbar during the Hard Hat Riots during the Vietnam War. This is exactly the kind of attitude that makes Americans a laughingstock of the wider world.

Have you ever thought that anyone who “bashes” the US on any sort of public forum IS making a difference? Maybe a small one, but having one’s opinions read by any sort of audience is already making a difference.

I admit that I’d never be able to run for office. Far too rageful, outspoken, and unwilling to compromise.

[an]

You can say anything you want. I don’t give a rat’s ass. I was just pointing out the hypocrasy. If you don’t want to be a hypocrit, then love it or leave it or change it. If you don’t love it but don’t want to leave it or change it either, then you’re a hypocrit. Why does it offend you that I’m stating the fact? Is it so bad being a hypocrit?

[Coronita]

[quote=spdrun]

Have you ever thought that anyone who “bashes” the US on any sort of public forum IS making a difference? Maybe a small one, but having one’s opinions read by any sort of audience is already making a difference.
[/quote]

Perhaps by someone that puts things eloquently worded..Yes, maybe. However, I don’t think you will find many people who would share a similar Schadenfreudism viewpoint that actually wants people to fail or suffer and get a high from it. Well except for maybe the tiny percentage of the population that are borderline socialpaths…. 🙂

Because again… Things in life are not all zero-sums games, in which you can only “win” if someone else loses…And so I’m not exactly sure why one would enjoy seeing others consistently “losing”…

[spdrun]

I’m not terribly empathetic to people who buy into bubbles (housing, stocks, tulips, whatever) hoping to make a quick buck. They’re playing in a casino, and they should know the rules.

I’m quite empathetic to many other people. I’m horrified by people being beaten or shot by police without good reason and by the general culture of official violence in the US. Same with victims of criminal corporations, like people affected by the Gulf oil spill. Tainted food or drugs? Sure. Victims of genocide and endless war, often ignited by superpower meddling? Definitely. Everyone has selective sympathy.

Thing is, people who buy a house, look at the numbers, and have them make sense probably won’t get burned since the long-term trend is up. Same with people buying diversified stock portfolios and holding long term.

I didn’t create the bubble-and-bust cycle. If I were emperor of the world, I’d probably get rid of it, but I’m not, so I aim to play it as best I can.

[Coronita]

[quote=spdrun]I’m not terribly empathetic to people who buy into bubbles hoping to make a quick buck. I’m quite empathetic to many other people. Can one have selective sympathy?

Thing is, people who buy a house, look at the numbers, and have them make sense probably won’t get burned since the long-term trend is up. Same with people buying diversified stock portfolios and holding long term.

I didn’t create the bubble-and-bust cycle. If I were emperor of the world, I’d probably get rid of it, but I’m not, so I hope to play it.[/quote]

There’s a huge difference between

(a) being indifferent for people who make bad financial decisions, but nevertheless trying to profit off a good deal that results from it…

versus

(b) actually enjoying seeing people eat shit and hoping people eat shit… just for the sake of seeing people eat shit to boost one’s ego in his/her viewpoint or conviction…

In (a), it’s a pure financial transaction. One does it because the opportunity is available, and one takes it to financially benefit from it.

In (b), one want people to lose their financial security (whether it’s a business or a job), take pleasure in seeing people lose their financial security, and if it really were up to oneself, would probably make that person lose his/her financial security, and rub it in all at the same time…Even those who are just as financially responsible as you yourself proclaim you to be, because in one mind, that’s the only way one can get ahead relative to everyone else.

(a) is business, not personal.

(b) I’m not sure WTF it is besides unnecessary ax grinding. And it definitely isn’t “venting against establishment” to effect change. I don’t think any sane person would interpret that to be as such…

————————————–

Let’s put this in perspective. If some lady posts on this blog that she purchased a rental property in Texas, had a lot of trouble managing it, and had to sell it at a loss, what would one’s initial reaction be?

(a) Since one can’t possibly financially benefit from this, indifferent. Maybe curious as to what happened, maybe some suggestions on the future…etc

or

(b) Laugh, rub it in, without even knowing the details….Because one takes pleasure in seeing others fail.

[FlyerInHi]

To fair spd wasn’t showing glee at people’s suffering. He made some pointed comments on US policy and overreach.

I think spd does see how other countries see us and dislike us because of our arrogance. US citizens arrested abroad is always a huge issue for us and our government moves mountains to free them. But we arrest foreigners in our country everyday and don’t even bother to notify their consular services. We even reach out extraterritorially to arrest foreigners.

Americans should be more fair and consider that Americans do go abroad and commit crimes such as business fraud, prostitution, drug dealings, visa violations, etc…

Americans in general are insular and don’t understand the principles of sovereignty and reciprocity among nations. Americans do have a cowboy mentality.

[Author]

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