Why should I vote like you do?

[Shogon]

Jc why you would skip the christian bit since you're atheist

I never proclaimed to be an atheist. That's something you've ascribed to me. I have professed with my lips and at times believed in my heart (so I thought) that I am a Christian. And I want it to be true. But I don't know. I don't desire to get into a length discussion on this.

[Prometheus]

I never proclaimed to be an atheist. That's something you've ascribed to me. I have professed with my lips and at times believed in my heart (so I thought) that I am a Christian. And I want it to be true. But I don't know. I don't desire to get into a length discussion on this.

I gleaned it from something to the effect of "is this not all one great big nothing and death is the end" that you said. Seemed straightforward. nbd man, do your thing

[Shogon]

I gleaned it from something to the effect of "is this not all one great big nothing and death is the end" that you said. Seemed straightforward. nbd man, do your thing

It's a lifelong struggle that I have not come to terms with one way or another.

[stalkerforlife]

It's a lifelong struggle that I have not come to terms with one way or another.

You're too smart to think there isn't a God.

[Shogon]

You're too smart to think there isn't a God.

What I've found is that thinking about eternity, regardless of what the reality is beyond this life, is horrifying.

There are so many ****ed up things about this world it's hard to even fathom the idea of an infallible and omnipotent God. It's pretty contradictory, no?

Save the Biblical explanation. Been there, done that.

[Prometheus]

I just want to thank everyone who has and will respond to this thread.

I am a trickster, and 99% of my posts/threads are for crafting covert agendas. I am usually not what I appear to be... but this one is completely genuine. This place has a mixed bag of thinkers and I am honestly just trying to extract opinions through which to sift.

I appreciate and love you all. Especially stalker and shogon.

Haven't yet read every word... busy day over here, studying for the FM exam, taking care of my sick girlfriend, playing Catan with my mother and watching the debates. But I will read everything.

[Loco 50]

That first rant is some high school shit. "omg big companies so mean. Creating jobs so mean. Creating stuff I buy so mean. Feeding people so mean"

You asked a basic question. I gave you a basic answer. There are solutions to creating jobs, creating "stuff", and feeding people while not shitting on the environment excessively and taking advantage of people. Money can be allocated towards restoring the environment and workers can be properly taken care of, all while balancing the need for profit. Sometimes you like to play obtuse which makes the conversation feel dishonest.

Doesn't give you the right to regulate them. That's called taxation without representation.

Disagree. When corporations profit off public/natural/human resources then they must repay a fraction of what they take. Fair is fair. Otherwise, it's leeching. I find it amusing how much credit/reward you feel these entities are
entitled to for creating a tradable good.

Highschool indeed, I'd argue it's the golden rule that should have been a requirement to advance to first grade. Play nice with others and share the profits that you all worked for. Entitlement and limitless greed argues otherwise. Guess some of us deserve so much more, eh?

They simply don't have the cultural and political power anymore but people on the left still like to think so otherwise their stereotypes and arguments don't work anymore.

You're correct on the cultural aspect and wrong on the political aspect, but it's unimportant to me. I don't care about what the "left" think. You often extrapolate your own ideas onto the rest of your base as a whole or what you perceive to be the "left" as some kind of unified entity. That's a mistake on your part. The Christian conservative base makes up a vital percentage of your base and the "left" or the "liberals" are a dysfunctional amalgamation that are difficult to unify or pin down on anything which is the conservative are able to pull off elections. It's certainly not by outnumbering your opponents.

I've had discussions with you before. You sometimes speak vociferously about issues that I can tell you don't have much first hand experience in. That's fine, that's your decision. Thankfully, it's not as severe a problem as 6 or Patty Cakes, which is why sometimes I engage, but it can make having a productive conversation difficult.

It'd be best to read up on topics but you've got to diversify your sources. It often feels like I'm getting a lecture from the libertarian jr bible when we talk.

[stalkerforlife]

Same thing for me, OP.

I have always hated politics and still do, but I never talked about them or took sides until the last couple of years.

I want so badly to not talk about them, but there's a deep seeded need to fight for what I think is right.

It's so damn frustrating; I want to ignore it all like I used to, but something won't let me.

I guess having children and wanting the best future for them pushes me to engage in this BS.

I'm just so f ucking sick of blacks.

[Loco 50]

Same thing for me, OP.

I have always hated politics and still do, but I never talked about them or took sides until the last couple of years.

I want so badly to not talk about them, but there's a deep seeded need to fight for what I think is right.

It's so damn frustrating; I want to ignore it all like I used to, but something won't let me.

I guess having children and wanting the best future for them pushes me to engage in this BS.

I'm just so f ucking sick of blacks.

Way too obvious. Only gonna get bites from the white guys that pretend to be black guys here.

[highwhey]

Way too obvious. Only gonna get bites from the white guys that pretend to be black guys here.

pretty much

you can be sure its the same circle jerk crew he runs with too.

[ILLsmak]

To stay on my soap box, the real most important thing is personal relationships and controlling what you can in your life with your own hands and will. The idea that these douchebags are going to change or are even capable of changing life on a personal level is luls.

I hope your politics stage ends with an epiphany. Not trying to sound like an elitist dick but you don't wanna end up thinking politics is so important. You'll end up brainwashed and calling your friends uneducated on the issues.

Let's help each other. Let Washington be the assholes they want to be.

-Smak

[qrich]

You should vote for the candidate YOU believe in.

[Hawker]

You asked a basic question. I gave you a basic answer. There are solutions to creating jobs, creating "stuff", and feeding people while not shitting on the environment excessively and taking advantage of people. Money can be allocated towards restoring the environment and workers can be properly taken care of, all while balancing the need for profit. Sometimes you like to play obtuse which makes the conversation feel dishonest.

Disagree. When corporations profit off public/natural/human resources then they must repay a fraction of what they take. Fair is fair. Otherwise, it's leeching. I find it amusing how much credit/reward you feel these entities are
entitled to for creating a tradable good.

Highschool indeed, I'd argue it's the golden rule that should have been a requirement to advance to first grade. Play nice with others and share the profits that you all worked for. Entitlement and limitless greed argues otherwise. Guess some of us deserve so much more, eh?

Yet you don't name any of those solutions and it's simply your opinion that it's ok for corporations to not have a political stance. There are people with families and those trying to get their career started working for corporations - not evil people rubbing their fingers together figuring out how to screw the average citizen. That's the caricature you're presenting. You can have all that you're asking for while at the same time giving corporations the ability to make political statements. Fair is fair.

And they are profiting off of public/natural/human resources and in return you are receiving a good. That's the trade off. The "sharing off profits" is unnecessary as a result otherwise the "tradable good" would never been incentivized to create in the first place. The individuals are "taking" the good - not the corporations. What they "repay" is in investments, CAPEX and OPEX that stimulate the economy.

You're correct on the cultural aspect and wrong on the political aspect, but it's unimportant to me. I don't care about what the "left" think. You often extrapolate your own ideas onto the rest of your base as a whole or what you perceive to be the "left" as some kind of unified entity. That's a mistake on your part. The Christian conservative base makes up a vital percentage of your base and the "left" or the "liberals" are a dysfunctional amalgamation that are difficult to unify or pin down on anything which is the conservative are able to pull off elections. It's certainly not by outnumbering your opponents.

I disagree with you on this - I don't think the republican party is joined together purely by christian conservatives. It's other issues. It's a false representation purposely perpetuated to continue to make christianity jokes. It's mainly 40+ year old people that still think this stuck in the bush era.

I've had discussions with you before. You sometimes speak vociferously about issues that I can tell you don't have much first hand experience in. That's fine, that's your decision. Thankfully, it's not as severe a problem as 6 or Patty Cakes, which is why sometimes I engage, but it can make having a productive conversation difficult.

It'd be best to read up on topics but you've got to diversify your sources. It often feels like I'm getting a lecture from the libertarian jr bible when we talk.

You just spout feel good, generic platitudes and disparage corporations and private companies like they offer no value in the real world. Like they don't employ people. Your medical devices you use for your job are from corporations as well as pharmaceuticals. There's no balance coming from you. It's extremely predictable and you make statements while offering no backing and just say, "you just don't understand." Like you're offended because I asked you to state your reasoning.

[Loco 50]

Yet you don't name any of those solutions and it's simply your opinion that it's ok for corporations to not have a political stance. There are people with families and those trying to get their career started working for corporations - not evil people rubbing their fingers together figuring out how to screw the average citizen. That's the caricature you're presenting. You can have all that you're asking for while at the same time giving corporations the ability to make political statements. Fair is fair.

I don't think I stated they should have no power. There needs to be some semblance of balance. Currently corporations have a much stronger influence over our politicians than citizens do.

Solutions are simple. Lower profit margins. Invest in community. I can only speak to details concerning my profession. We have our own powerful lobby that has to be used to hold people accountable. It isn't currently doing that.

Yes, corporations provide jobs and some even offer adequate enough pay that people can make ends meet. Others don't.

And they are profiting off of public/natural/human resources and in return you are receiving a good. That's the trade off. The "sharing off profits" is unnecessary as a result otherwise the "tradable good" would never been incentivized to create in the first place. The individuals are "taking" the good - not the corporations. What they "repay" is in investments, CAPEX and OPEX that stimulate the economy.

Nah, if you are damaging the environment in making that good it falls under your care to make reparations. If your workers suffer on the job due to hazardous conditions that your corporation profited from then it's your duty to take care of your workers healthcare costs.

The "tradable good" would have been created because there was a market for it. You have a buyer, you have a market. Disagree. Especially in healthcare where it's vastly different. You know you have a market when developing a drug. It's ensured. It's outright greed that is keeping drug prices and some medical device prices high. They alter the patent ever so slightly to keep them from expiring. Nothing overtly beneficial, just stupid gimmicks like gel coating or extended release. Medical devices same story. Add a new useless gizmo so you keep the patent and keep your desired price point. Greed. Half the time the new gizmo breaks so the patient has to get another one. Nevermind that the addition wasn't of any increased benefit in the first place.

R&D costs are constantly grossly overestimated. I've worked in that industry as well. I've seen it first hand. Don't even need to have that convo.

I disagree with you on this - I don't think the republican party is joined together purely by christian conservatives. It's other issues. It's a false representation purposely perpetuated to continue to make christianity jokes. It's mainly 40+ year old people that still think this stuck in the bush era.

Didn't say purely. I linked you to a credible poll that gave clear numbers indicating that the conservative party is predominantly Christian. They retain a lot of power. Not all, perhaps not even the most influential anymore, but significant.

You just spout feel good, generic platitudes and disparage corporations and private companies like they offer no value in the real world. Like they don't employ people. Your medical devices you use for your job are from corporations as well as pharmaceuticals. There's no balance coming from you. It's extremely predictable and you make statements while offering no backing and just say, "you just don't understand." Like you're offended because I asked you to state your reasoning.

Of course corporations hold value and offer vital services. This is a public forum on a basketball website. Are you asking me to get into the nitty gritty details of numerous industries for an audience of one? I gave a few examples above that are problematic in the medical industry.

Hospitals are a whole nother level of corruption in overbilling, underinforming patients, performing unnecessary procedures,etc etc that are caused by greed and protected by lobbies and the politicians they feed. As in above, I'm not arguing hospitals have no value. C'mon now, we're getting pedantic here.

Finally, the reason I am sounding so extreme in opposition of corporate influence on politics is because the balance has tipped so far in their favor.

People are suffering needlessly. This angers me greatly. When patients die because they can't afford f'n insulin because of patent gimmicks I get f'n pissed. This is why I say you just don't know. You don't know unless you either work in this field or actively seek out those stories or have someone in your circle that has suffered. I don't do it to lord over anyone like I have some secret knowledge. It also doesn't help me personally to talk about shit to an audience of one like this because the anger that if fuels is frankly unhealthy. Risk to benefit ratio is not high enough.

Were I on a forum of public health officials then yeah, I'd discuss more because I wouldn't have to go into unnecessary background information because it's already known. Not trying to offend at all.

I think that was a much more productive exchange. I hope I clarified some and apologize for not going into more detail earlier. I mistakenly thought you were being facetious.

[BarberSchool]

Depends what your goals are, really.

Me personally? I'm partial to the idea of giving tax breaks to the richest people and largest corporations, because ultimately it will voodoo its way down to the most needy. As long as we offset it by slashing Medicare, Medicaid, even Social Security, and other programs proven to cultivate sloth. Oldies gotta work longer despite life expectancy dropping for going on 4 years straight now. Gay people should never under any circumstances be allowed to marry; they stand condemned in the eyes of Christ, our Lord.

We reject the 90+ percent of Americans who want universal background checks on gun purchases. Mass shootings are the price of freedom half the time, the other half of the time gun control wouldn't be a solution anyway. Getting back to the Jesus aspect, we also occasionally dabble in separating little kids from their families at the border. As far as the military goes, our great leader Trump increases the likelihood of nuclear weaponry existing in foreign adversaries' hands and then threatens acts of war while pretending he's anti-interventionist to win votes, unless he decides to call it off 10 minutes beforehand.

On the other hand, you have these far left-wing wackos who want to provide guaranteed health insurance to everyone as a right (like in EUROPE, gross), some of them even advocate peace overseas where possible. Disgusting, equal opportunity-wanting sheep who want burger flippers to make a CEO salary that they are. Progressives want to get corporate money out of the political system altogether, allowing for the will of the people to be represented instead of the whims of the all-knowing rich and powerful job creating patriots.

Get on the Trump train while you still can, his approval ratings are sky-high and you definitely don't want your grandkids finding out one day that you didn't get the opportunity to support this man in real time! I recommend Hannity and Mark Levin, just as a conservative starter pack.

#BoltonHaley2028

LOL Bolton on any ticket / not lol

Ask ourselves how in the hell a psycho like John Bolton is created ?