NationStates Jolt Archive


Religion And Politics

Lyric
10-11-2005, 04:23
Recently, I was reminded of a piece by Scott Beach, titled "Religion And Politics," and it seems a very appropriate piece for modern times, although this was actually written in 1979.
It also seems fairly appropriate to this Forum, because it seems to be perfectly descriptive of American society these days, and these Forums, too.

Read it and you will see what I mean....

(to be read outloud in one breath)

Religion and politics often make some people lose all
perspective and give way to ranting and raving and carrying
on like emotional children they either refuse to discuss it
with reason or else they prefer argumentum ad homeinem which
is a hell of a way to conduct a discussion well anyhow not
long ago I was talking about the elections and how the
campaigns were ignoring the issues and sticking instead
to invective and personal crap that had nothing to do
with the substantive problems of running a government
which is all true as you know if you followed the speeches
and so called debates of the candidates anyhow one of the
guys I was talking with said not a word in the whole
conversation except at the end when he suddenly chuckled
and said we were all full of **** and why didn't we all go
live in Russia or China if that was the way we all hated
the United States of America next thing you know the whole
blooming discussion is more like a brawl and the epithets flew
thick and fast and the noise was incredible someone said "son of
a bitch" and I think he said "bastard" I couldn't be sure it was
all so confusing well anyhow I was attempting to get it all
back on a rational level I tried for example to talk to the
one who had started it all and I asked him just what did he
mean we were all full of **** was he making a statement of
fact as he knew it and where was his documentation to back
up his claim I think Socrates would have been proud of the
way I refuted his argument that is I tried to refute it but
all he could offer by way of rebuttal was more of the same
about how we were all full of **** but he wouldn't say why
he just kept on repeating it that and the part about Russia
and China and Communist dupes and I'll have to confess that
I got a bit angry and told him to stuff his ideas up his ass
which you don't have to tell me is hardly a way to convince
anyone in an argument then he got salty and threatened to
give me a punch in the mouth if I didn't shut up and I really
got hot and the others did too and we all beat the **** out
of Mr. Conservative and after all he had only himself to be
blamed this is still a free country and anyone telling a
fellow like me "brother you're full of ****" better be
good and ready to answer politely when asked if he'd care
to say why!"
Vittos Ordination
10-11-2005, 04:31
I got through 5 or 6 lines and lost interest. Was that the point of it?
Lyric
10-11-2005, 04:35
I got through 5 or 6 lines and lost interest. Was that the point of it?

No. That isn't the point. The point is to read the whole thing. Not my problem if you lost interest. Fact is, the entire piece is a perfect reflection of the culture of american society nowadays, and also a good reflection of the level of civility generally displayed here in General Forum.
The Similized world
10-11-2005, 04:38
No. That isn't the point. The point is to read the whole thing. Not my problem if you lost interest. Fact is, the entire piece is a perfect reflection of the culture of american society nowadays, and also a good reflection of the level of civility generally displayed here in General Forum.
It's hard to not loose interest after 5-6 lines when there's no punctuation in it. My eyes ran out of breath.
Lyric
10-11-2005, 04:39
It's hard to not loose interest after 5-6 lines when there's no punctuation in it. My eyes ran out of breath.

But that is the point of fast-patter. It is done all in one breath, and spoken very rapidly, without punctuation.

Lemme post it again, and break it down for you then.
But it is better in the fast-patter version.
Greater Valia
10-11-2005, 04:41
But that is the point of fast-patter. It is done all in one breath, and spoken very rapidly, without punctuation.

Lemme post it again, and break it down for you then.
But it is better in the fast-patter version.

Perhaps it is something that is better to be heard than read....?
Grainne Ni Malley
10-11-2005, 04:42
I agree with the punctuation/difficulty aspect. I tried five times to get through it and couldn't. I must have adult A.D.D. :(
[NS]Piekrom
10-11-2005, 04:46
you guys did better then me i could not get through three lines
Lyric
10-11-2005, 04:48
Okay, this is the same piece, as above, by Scott Beach, except I have broken it down for those who are unable to appreciate fast-patter.

(to be read outloud in one breath)

Religion and politics often make some people lose all perspective, and give way to ranting and raving and carrying on like emotional children.

They either refuse to discuss it with reason, or else they prefer argumentum ad homeinem, which is a hell of a way to conduct a discussion.

Well, anyhow, not long ago, I was talking about the elections - and how the
campaigns were ignoring the issues and sticking instead to invective and personal crap that had nothing to do with the substantive problems of running a government - which is all true, as you know, if you followed the speeches and so-called debates of the candidates.

Anyhow, one of the guys I was talking with said not a word in the whole
conversation, except at the end when he suddenly chuckled and said we were all full of ****, and why didn't we all go live in Russia or China if that was the way we all hated the United States of America.

Next thing you know the whole blooming discussion was more like a brawl, and the epithets flew thicker and faster, and the noise was incredible - someone said "son of a bitch," and I think he said "bastard" - I couldn't be sure...it was all so confusing.

Well, anyhow, I was attempting to get it all back on a rational level. I tried, for example, to talk to the one who had started it all, and I asked him just what did he mean we were all full of ****?

Was he making a statement of fact as he knew it, and where was his documentation to back up his claim?

I think Socrates would have been proud of the way I refuted his argument - that is I tried to refute it, but all he could offer by way of rebuttal was more of the same about how we were all full of **** - but he wouldn't say why,
he just kept on repeating it...that and the part about Russia and China and Communist dupes - and I'll have to confess that I got a bit angry and told him to stuff his ideas up his ass - which you don't have to tell me is hardly a way to convince anyone in an argument.

Then he got salty and threatened to give me a punch in the mouth if I didn't shut up, and I really got hot and the others did too, and we all beat the **** out of Mr. Conservative - and after all he had only himself to be blamed - this is still a free country, and anyone telling a fellow like me, "brother you're full of ****," better be good and ready to answer politely when asked if he'd care to say why!"
[NS]Piekrom
10-11-2005, 04:50
Good grife finaly cgot through that mess but it sounded more like how to start a fight. I still do not get it
Lyric
10-11-2005, 04:51
Piekrom']Good grife finaly cgot through that mess but it sounded more like how to start a fight. I still do not get it

NOW you get the point!!
The best way to start a fight in this country...or in this Forum...is to talk about Religion and Politics!!
Lyric
10-11-2005, 04:53
Perhaps it is something that is better to be heard than read....?

Actually, yes...the audio version IS much better than trying to read it. Fast-patter doesn't read well. But you have to admire people who can actually PERFORM it. Can you imagine being able to get all that out in one breath...and in about 1 1/2 minutes...which is the time length of the audio piece.
Grainne Ni Malley
10-11-2005, 04:53
Ok, that was much better and I have to concur. I've seen more posts based on religious ideas than politics, though. Religion is like scavies.
Muravyets
10-11-2005, 05:57
NOW you get the point!!
The best way to start a fight in this country...or in this Forum...is to talk about Religion and Politics!!
Actually, I'm thinking the best way to start a fight in this forum or in the US is to ask people to read something that doesn't look like it was copied from a fortune cookie. I think some people have a lot of nerve to complain about that piece of blank verse, based on the way they punctuate their own posts. (Let's not even start on spelling.)

An excellent piece, btw. Thanks.
Isurus Oxyrinchus
10-11-2005, 06:22
NOW you get the point!!
The best way to start a fight in this country...or in this Forum...is to talk about Religion and Politics!!


Agreed, and I would be willing to bet you could replace "country" with "humanity".