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Subject: How do we define "riches"


Author:
Bruce (Canada)
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Date Posted: 15:31:11 11/04/04 Thu
In reply to: Paddy (Scotland) 's message, "Capitalism vs Socialism" on 12:56:30 11/04/04 Thu

We need to be very careful about how we define words such as "riches". More and more we are in a world where quantity is used to define quality or even replace it. As we go faster and faster in an attempt to acquire more "riches" when do people stop to determine what the REALLY want for their lives and for their children or can we afford to allow them time between bread a circuses. Does a hampster wheel sound descriptive? Has anyone thought of the trap that cell phones have become to the younger generation ansd what the long term effects of that will be?

In the recent US election and indeed in many of our so called 1st world countries we now see a completely polarized view of what life is and can be all about. The fear of not having enough of "whatever" has supplanted the faith in the collective working together for the benefit of all. Ironically those who most fear are gathering together as evangelical fundamentalist again as a way of finding their "peace".

Is their room for balance or is it time merely to say that "those who forget history ........."?

" The job of the Progressive Conservative Party is to make good on the word 'Progressive.' - that means to save all that is worth saving from the economy of the past, and supplement it by all that is worthwhile from the new knowledge of today. It means the building back into our economy of one essential to it's success - the confidence it needs and must have, if it is to function properly; and it means providing for one major change in the attitude of the State towards its economy and its human resources - human welfare must be made the primary function of the State and not just one that is incidental or secondary or a byproduct of some system".

I am a Progressive Conservative

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Replies:
[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Progressive Conservatism


Author:
Ed Harris (Venezia)
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Date Posted: 16:08:41 11/04/04 Thu

Your views seem to be more Disraelian conservative... "We have forgotten the difference between comfort and civilisation" and all that. Not that I have a problem with this: I heartily approve!

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: My views (which no one asked for)...


Author:
Ian (Australia)
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Date Posted: 20:28:19 11/04/04 Thu

1. A society should ensure that each of its citizens has a decent start in life (education, health) so that they can make the most of their talents.

2. What they do with their talents is then up to them, and they should be allowed to profit from them, provided that...

3. They pay their taxes so that everyone can have a decent start in life.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Yep


Author:
Dave (UK)
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Date Posted: 20:48:30 11/04/04 Thu

Good old Ozzy common sense!

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: What if their talents are mugging old ladies? :P


Author:
Roberdin
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Date Posted: 21:35:44 11/04/04 Thu


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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: an argument could be made for restricting the definition of "talents" to exclude such possibilities...


Author:
Ian
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Date Posted: 22:59:37 11/04/04 Thu


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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Talents...


Author:
Ed Harris (Venezia)
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Date Posted: 23:07:05 11/04/04 Thu

No-one in my family has shown any talent for anything except sleeping and eating for 160 years...My brother 'phoned me up at lunchtime today, and opened the conversation with the words, "Ah, it's not too early for you, is it, old boy?"

Do you think that we could arrange society so as to maximise the usefulness and recognition of our rare gifts for sloth and gluttony?

But anyway, let us follow Hobbes and define liberty as the freedom to do as one pleases, up to the point where that freedom starts to interfere with other people's liberty. Mutual self-restraint, based on mutual self-interest: I don't want to be mugged, so I agree not to excercise my physical ability to mug other people.

I don't think that mugging old ladies is much of a philosophical problem in a society whose laws are based on these laudable principles.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Actually...


Author:
Roberdin
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Date Posted: 23:23:17 11/04/04 Thu

I tend to sleep in until Lunchtime when possible. My conclusion for this is that I'd rather see the morning begin (ie, at 00:00), than end (at 11:59:59) :-P

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: ..Indeed...


Author:
Ed Harris (Venezia)
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Date Posted: 23:25:46 11/04/04 Thu

You're in good company. The philosopher Descartes boasted that he never got out of bed before mid-day. This was apparently true even when he was living in a disused oven in emulation of Diogenes' barrel.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: "...sleeping and eating for 160 years..."


Author:
Ian (Porto Alegre)
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Date Posted: 23:49:28 11/04/04 Thu

Now if you had said "eating and sleeping for 160 years" I could have said something witty. Damn.

As far as Hobbes and liberty, yes, I think he got it right. "Mutual self-restraint, based on mutual self-interest" is as good a definition of society as I can think of.

Giving everyone a decent education should produce a cleverer society, because you get more people sufficiently trained to be capable of coming up with bright ideas, so it is also self-interest on the part of the society as a whole, if we can abstract that far.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: ?


Author:
Ed Harris (Venezia)
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Date Posted: 23:52:47 11/04/04 Thu

And what would have been the witty comment?

And, by the way, you seem to be moving around rather a lot!

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: But...


Author:
Ed Harris (Venezia)
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Date Posted: 00:47:34 11/05/04 Fri

Having said that, I can't argue with your choice of location... Rio Grande do Sul, Gauchos, churrasco, all that stuff. Top hole.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: moving, sleeping, eating, etc


Author:
Ian (southern hemisphere)
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Date Posted: 01:38:53 11/05/04 Fri

Well, actually I live in Porto Alegre and have done for ages, but I normally identify myself as "Ian (Australia)" to indicate what my perspective on Commonwealth things is. Have you been to Rio Grande do Sul?

After eating an enormous churrasco, sleeping for 160 years is quite a reasonable thing to do. This Sunday a good friend of mine will be having a 40th birthday churrasco, so my intestines will have a rough start to the week.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Nah


Author:
Ed Harris (Venezia)
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Date Posted: 14:55:42 11/05/04 Fri

Never been to Brazil... am attempting to avoid being inhaled by alligators, shot full of poisoned darts, kidnapped by communists etc.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Also...


Author:
Ed Harris (Venezia)
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Date Posted: 15:56:50 11/05/04 Fri

Also, having sweated away like a slave in an attempt to learn Castellano Spanish, I'm damned if I'm learning Portuguese! I'd keep getting confused and start to think that I was speaking Croatian or something... weird-sounding language.

On the other hand, I met some extremely pretty Brazilian girls when I was in India... perhaps there's something in it after all...

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Well,


Author:
Dave (UK)
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Date Posted: 15:59:13 11/05/04 Fri

On the other hand, I met some extremely pretty Brazilian girls when I was in India... perhaps there's something in it after all...


You are in Italy though - bella bella and all that...

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