NationStates Jolt Archive

Myth: The world is going to hell in a hand basket.

Truth: Society is constantly improving.

Summary

Society is not deteriorating, as conservatives would have you believe. In the last 400 years, Western society has seen continual progress under the Scientific Revolution. This has resulted in social, scientific and economic miracles too numerous to mention. Just a few examples include doubled lifespans, mass education, rising standards of living, not to mention the abolition of slavery, the Inquisition, the witch hunts, dueling, pogroms, serfdom, feudalism, etc. The traditional meaning of "conservativism" is the attempt to conserve the various aspects of society, but why anyone would wish to preserve such a sick society is a mystery. The traditional meaning of "liberalism," on the other hand, is openness to progress and change, and the last four centuries bear testimony to its success.
http://home.att.net/~Resurgence/L-socialbreakdown.htm
By: Steve Kangas

I chose to post the above because I think it describes perfectly the big social difference between liberals and conservatives. Stop the Radical Right and help this country progress!

Comments?

bah! ever read the abolition of man by c.s. lewis?

...not to mention the abolition of slavery, the Inquisition, the witch hunts, dueling, pogroms, serfdom, feudalism, etc....

I fully support the abolition of slavery, but I can hardly applaud the Inquisition, or such activities as witch hunts and serfdom.

...not to mention the abolition of slavery, the Inquisition, the witch hunts, dueling, pogroms, serfdom, feudalism, etc....

I fully support the abolition of slavery, but I can hardly applaud the Inquisition, or such activities as witch hunts and serfdom.

so you think witches should be burned at the stake?

...not to mention the abolition of slavery, the Inquisition, the witch hunts, dueling, pogroms, serfdom, feudalism, etc....

I fully support the abolition of slavery, but I can hardly applaud the Inquisition, or such activities as witch hunts and serfdom.

so you think witches should be burned at the stake?

No, I believe he meant the abolition of all the following things he listed.

...not to mention the abolition of slavery, the Inquisition, the witch hunts, dueling, pogroms, serfdom, feudalism, etc....

I fully support the abolition of slavery, but I can hardly applaud the Inquisition, or such activities as witch hunts and serfdom.

so you think witches should be burned at the stake?

No, I believe he meant the abolition of all the following things he listed.

I know...if he's against the abolition of witch hunts, then he thinks they should continue

I can hardly applaud the Inquisition, or such activities as witch hunts and serfdom.

Meaning:
He can't agree with the Inquizition and witch hunts and serfdom, hence why he isn't clapping for them.

Probably from confusion from your original sentence structure, which at first glance seems you are applauding the witch hunts and inquizition rather than the ending of said practices.

I can hardly applaud the Inquisition, or such activities as witch hunts and serfdom.

Meaning:
He can't agree with the Inquizition and witch hunts and serfdom, hence why he isn't clapping for them.

Probably from confusion from your original sentence structure, which at first glance seems you are applauding the witch hunts and inquizition rather than the ending of said practices.

No I wasn't, obviously. If he had any common sense, if he realized it was a pro-liberal mini-essay, he would know that.

"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." - Ecclesiastes 10:2

"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." - Ecclesiastes 10:2

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

oh let me share some liberal biblical enlightenment with you!

"If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." (Matthew 19:21.)

"Truly, I say unto you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." "You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matthew 19:23; 6:24.)

"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15.)

"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (John 8:7; Matthew 7:1,2.)

"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Luke 14:13,14.)

"All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need." (Acts 2:44-45).

"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had… There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need." (Acts 4:32,34,35)

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry." (Luke 6:24,25)

"Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Luke 18:25)

"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil." (1 Timothy 6:9,10)

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." (1 Timothy 6:17,18)

"Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who loved him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?" (James 2:5-7)

"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourself in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you." (James 5:1-6)

Myth: The world is going to hell in a hand basket.

Truth: Society is constantly improving.

Summary

Society is not deteriorating, as conservatives would have you believe. In the last 400 years, Western society has seen continual progress under the Scientific Revolution. This has resulted in social, scientific and economic miracles too numerous to mention. Just a few examples include doubled lifespans, mass education, rising standards of living, not to mention the abolition of slavery, the Inquisition, the witch hunts, dueling, pogroms, serfdom, feudalism, etc. The traditional meaning of "conservativism" is the attempt to conserve the various aspects of society, but why anyone would wish to preserve such a sick society is a mystery. The traditional meaning of "liberalism," on the other hand, is openness to progress and change, and the last four centuries bear testimony to its success.
http://home.att.net/~Resurgence/L-socialbreakdown.htm
By: Steve Kangas

I chose to post the above because I think it describes perfectly the big social difference between liberals and conservatives. Stop the Radical Right and help this country progress!

Comments?

I've rarely seen such a mass of outlandish generalizations used to support this theory of how everything good is due to liberalism. Because that's what the author is saying - that thanks to people with politics like him the world has changed, for the better. Never mind that there's a huge difference between classical liberalism (which resembles modern conservatism) and the mutated version which is current now, replete with its racial quotas and abortion and all the rest of its anti-humanist policies.

The assertion is that we who are conservatives wish to drag the world back to the era of witchhunts and flaying and flogging and all that. How about a new inquisition for non-believers or even those who are simply doctrinally-challenged? Hardly. Conservatives wish to preserve what is best about a culture or society. We believe in stability above all, not change for the sake of change. The modern left is obessed with novelty, with feeling good about one's self, with subjectivism and relativism, with nothing serious at all. "No consequences" should be the left's motto, no matter how destructive the selfishness that is engendered.

Really, the idea that social, scientific and economic progress is only due to "liberalism" is ridiculous. Many on the left have residual sympathy for communism - a system that was economically destructive and socially repressive, to say the least. Even those who are mainstream liberals often support a mixed economy whose motto should be "the equal distribution of poverty". They have no idea about economics. The left wishes to claim all the progress of recent western civilization as occuring under the provenance of people like themselves. This ignores the fact that many who effected scientific and social change were conservative and/or Christian.

Maybe this thread was created by someone who is right-wing but who is trying to make the left look bad. There have been a few of those recently. If so, he did a good job.

Myth: The world is going to hell in a hand basket.

Truth: Society is constantly improving.

Summary

Society is not deteriorating, as conservatives would have you believe. In the last 400 years, Western society has seen continual progress under the Scientific Revolution. This has resulted in social, scientific and economic miracles too numerous to mention. Just a few examples include doubled lifespans, mass education, rising standards of living, not to mention the abolition of slavery, the Inquisition, the witch hunts, dueling, pogroms, serfdom, feudalism, etc. The traditional meaning of "conservativism" is the attempt to conserve the various aspects of society, but why anyone would wish to preserve such a sick society is a mystery. The traditional meaning of "liberalism," on the other hand, is openness to progress and change, and the last four centuries bear testimony to its success.
http://home.att.net/~Resurgence/L-socialbreakdown.htm
By: Steve Kangas

I chose to post the above because I think it describes perfectly the big social difference between liberals and conservatives. Stop the Radical Right and help this country progress!

Comments?

I've rarely seen such a mass of outlandish generalizations used to support this theory of how everything good is due to liberalism. Because that's what the author is saying - that thanks to people with politics like him the world has changed, for the better. Never mind that there's a huge difference between classical liberalism (which resembles modern conservatism) and the mutated version which is current now, replete with its racial quotas and abortion and all the rest of its anti-humanist policies.

The assertion is that we who are conservatives wish to drag the world back to the era of witchhunts and flaying and flogging and all that. How about a new inquisition for non-believers or even those who are simply doctrinally-challenged? Hardly. Conservatives wish to preserve what is best about a culture or society. We believe in stability above all, not change for the sake of change. The modern left is obessed with novelty, with feeling good about one's self, with subjectivism and relativism, with nothing serious at all. "No consequences" should be the left's motto, no matter how destructive the selfishness that is engendered.

Really, the idea that social, scientific and economic progress is only due to "liberalism" is ridiculous. Many on the left have residual sympathy for communism - a system that was economically destructive and socially repressive, to say the least. Even those who are mainstream liberals often support a mixed economy whose motto should be "the equal distribution of poverty". They have no idea about economics. The left wishes to claim all the progress of recent western civilization as occuring under the provenance of people like themselves. This ignores the fact that many who effected scientific and social change were conservative and/or Christian.

Maybe this thread was created by someone who is right-wing but who is trying to make the left look bad. There have been a few of those recently. If so, he did a good job.

Wrong wrong wrong

Nothing you just said was true

Myth: The world is going to hell in a hand basket.

Truth: Society is constantly improving.

Summary

Society is not deteriorating, as conservatives would have you believe. In the last 400 years, Western society has seen continual progress under the Scientific Revolution. This has resulted in social, scientific and economic miracles too numerous to mention. Just a few examples include doubled lifespans, mass education, rising standards of living, not to mention the abolition of slavery, the Inquisition, the witch hunts, dueling, pogroms, serfdom, feudalism, etc. The traditional meaning of "conservativism" is the attempt to conserve the various aspects of society, but why anyone would wish to preserve such a sick society is a mystery. The traditional meaning of "liberalism," on the other hand, is openness to progress and change, and the last four centuries bear testimony to its success.
http://home.att.net/~Resurgence/L-socialbreakdown.htm
By: Steve Kangas

I chose to post the above because I think it describes perfectly the big social difference between liberals and conservatives. Stop the Radical Right and help this country progress!

Comments?

I've rarely seen such a mass of outlandish generalizations used to support this theory of how everything good is due to liberalism. Because that's what the author is saying - that thanks to people with politics like him the world has changed, for the better. Never mind that there's a huge difference between classical liberalism (which resembles modern conservatism) and the mutated version which is current now, replete with its racial quotas and abortion and all the rest of its anti-humanist policies.

The assertion is that we who are conservatives wish to drag the world back to the era of witchhunts and flaying and flogging and all that. How about a new inquisition for non-believers or even those who are simply doctrinally-challenged? Hardly. Conservatives wish to preserve what is best about a culture or society. We believe in stability above all, not change for the sake of change. The modern left is obessed with novelty, with feeling good about one's self, with subjectivism and relativism, with nothing serious at all. "No consequences" should be the left's motto, no matter how destructive the selfishness that is engendered.

Really, the idea that social, scientific and economic progress is only due to "liberalism" is ridiculous. Many on the left have residual sympathy for communism - a system that was economically destructive and socially repressive, to say the least. Even those who are mainstream liberals often support a mixed economy whose motto should be "the equal distribution of poverty". They have no idea about economics. The left wishes to claim all the progress of recent western civilization as occuring under the provenance of people like themselves. This ignores the fact that many who effected scientific and social change were conservative and/or Christian.

Maybe this thread was created by someone who is right-wing but who is trying to make the left look bad. There have been a few of those recently. If so, he did a good job.

Wrong wrong wrong

Nothing you just said was true


In reality everything s/he said was true.