"Better Future" is probably my favorite progressive principles.
When I was thinking about new principles to consider, one was "positive effect." Then I realized that this could easily be placed under better future.
The reason "better future" is an important progressive principle is because it sums up everything we are progressing for. We do not progress for a worse future; that would just be stupid. We progress because we want a better future for ourselves, our loved ones, and our future generations.
Better future is also subjective. We all have our ideas of what could make a better future. The beauty of ProgressiveU is that all these ideas collide (and sometimes they collide with a great deal of strength). Some of the ideas can be pulled together to create and even better future. Others contradict each other and then debates occur as to which is the better of the two. The pros and cons are discussed at length, but conclusions are rarely made. The beauty of a strong mind!
Now, anyone and everyone can give you that information about the term "better future." So what's a better future to me?
A better future for me would not be a utopian society, because that is impossible. However, I would want as close to a utopia as possible. My utopia would be peace throughout the world, where people do not look to their weapons or ability to destruct as an excuse to show power. Where people would look rather to their intellects and solve things diplomatically. My utopia would be a world free from man-made death, where war, abortion, murder, euthanasia, suicide, assisted suicide, and the like did not exist. My utopia would be a world where families were families and we did not have such high rates of abortion and broken families. I come from a wonderful family and I wish everyone could experience the same comforts I have within my family. My utopia would be a world where anyone who wanted to learn could learn. Many of us are on this site in part to try to earn a scholarship. I think it's sad that higher education is so unbearably expensive. I would want cheaper tuition for higher education. In my utopia, all would be protected under rights to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to bear arms, etc, just as our founding fathers hoped for us in America. Oh, and I couldn't have a utopia without CHOCOLATE, sorry.
So that's my "better future." That's what I hope for, I pray for, I aim for with every breath I make. What's YOUR better future?
To see politics and money disappear from our worldly scenery.
Maybe that’s a bit too much to ask for, lol
http://www.wowzone.com/monkey.htm
Awesome better future! If you got rid of politics and money, I'd say you'd probably get rid of a lot of division and greed, and that's definitely a good thing! There's always hope! Keep hoping and make a difference!
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
A better future for me would not be a utopian society, because that is impossible.
About 1/2 to 3/4 of your wish list probably falls in the impossible utopia category.
But the CHOCOLATE part might be doable. We'll just have to exploit some poor little third world country to step up cacao production.
I know that a utopian society is impossible, so I'm not wishing for that. However, I would want something as close to my utopian society as possible. Then I listed my ideas for a utopian society. If it is impossible to get rid of some things, I would at least like to reduce them.
ROFL We'll pay them well in my utopian society ; )
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
This is already taking place, slaves are providing for our CHOCOLATE needs as we speak.
When I say slaves, I mean the real thing!
Its politics which make sure, you don’t know or find about this FACT to be true!
http://www.wowzone.com/monkey.htm
Does this mean that chocolate can not be for a vetter future for ALL...only us?
Love is like a box of chocolates; if you chose wisely you won’t be disappointed and have to spit it out. ~T
Well, It means and clearly shows, from the cacao tree to ones mouth overseas, the seeds path is filled with a grotesque unbalance of revenues, human injustice and suffering. Same is to be witnessed with other goods like coffee, bananas, carpets, shoes or whatever, while with a more recognizable aspect which needs attention: female trade!
Those in political scenes are fully aware but they keep everyone saturated because of demand!
Politicians are providing in needs of the people, those needs are for us all to question upon a deeper level!
Other than that the whole world remains a place in which demands will rise for the happy few, needless to say, the amount of happy few will succumb upon themselves sooner or later.
Only us, maybe, time will tell, I believe it wouldn’t be bad if everyone could have a taste of chocolate, would surely make live less bitter and hopeless for those who have to take it out of the trees for nothing while fearing a beating from the injustice we all support and push in doing so.
Maybe someone should ask his/her teacher who runs trade and why it’s not monitored other than by people who risk their lives to bring out the news of that tasteful chocolates origin.
We all know it grows on trees, other than that it ends up in our mouth!
For now, a future seriously to question more deeply in order to make it better.
Only us approach is a recipe for trouble on the long run.
http://www.wowzone.com/monkey.htm
http://www.wowzone.com/monkey.htm
I watched most of that. It was sad. Slavery has been a way of life in Africa and most of the world for thousands of years. I expect it is a problem that is going to get worse. I was really struck by the portion of the video where they were talking about the relative value of slaves between the historical context and modern times. In earlier times slaves were valuable property and needed to be cared for. Now, they are cheap and disposable. As the Earth's population grows from 7 billion to 9 billion over the next century, I expect the human condition will deteriorate and that slavery will become ever more prevalent. I don't think there is any stopping it because there will always be evil people willing to exploit others and if the world can't police its current population it will be unable to do so when the population is even larger and the world is ever poorer.
Demographics is destiny!
It is why I am so against illegal immigration, want to reduce legal immigration. I want labor to NEVER be cheap in the USA. It is also why I favor abortion and am against long term foreign aid that allows the world's poorest and most over-populated countries to continue to get even more over-populated. In the name of compassion we are doing all the wrong things and the end result is going to be far worse misery including things like slavery but a lot that is even worse.
To bring this post back on topic, utopia is a fading dream and we'll be lucky if we can maintain our current level of civilization. I think we may have peaked and are now on a long descent. And it is all because we like CHOCOLATE!
I have read quite a few of your views around immigration and mostly agree with the things you brought up.
I believe everything will eventually backlash upon itself, some chaos will manifest, we are actually heading towards organized genocide.
It’s already taking place but far more are going to become victimized in order to reduce world population.
People sadly enough carry no clue or understanding of who and what is pulling the strings above their heads.
http://www.wowzone.com/monkey.htm
we are actually heading towards organized genocide
That is a dark prediction.
I think the misery that manifests itself from overpopulation will show up in all sorts of ugly ways. I think genocide will be one of them and I think it is already happening like in Darfur and Rwanda. It is hard for me to imagine the organized genecide you suggest on a global scale but maybe ..... it has happened a couple of times before on pretty massive scales. You have to get people really whipped up in a frenzy of hatred to go along with it. Geneocide usually is some sort of racial/ethnic/tribal sort of deal.
I can easily imagine parts of the world being so over-populated and miserable that the slaves will be the lucky ones because they are the ones that get fed while everybody else fights for scraps and starves. Most unskilled labor around the world is earning about $1 a day. Unskilled labor is not worth much because there is already just so much of it. If you add a couple billion more people the oversupply situation is going to get worse and the going rate for labor is going to fall from $1.00 to maybe $0.01 per day. Unskilled workers will literally be a dime a dozen.
Out of curiosity, who would you consider to be an intellect? What are the qualifications?
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
Umm...IDK, I guess maybe someone who relies on sound argument in an honest search for the truth. I've never really thought much about specifics. Why?
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
My reason is that for asking is that, in previous posts, you have expressed great disdain for the scientific community which is certainly made up of people who should be considered intellects, especially given the definition you gave.
I am curious as to whether or not you consider scientists intellectuals.
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
I don't have disdain for it...I just have disdain over the idea that scientists know everything. I'm not a big scientist myself, but I have nothing against them, as long as they are seeking the truth.
I guess it would depend on the scientist.
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
So, would any scientist who accepted evolution be an intellectual?
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
Theory, yes. Fact, no.
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
seems :tongue:
except of course the FSM
"A person doesn't die when he should but when he can."
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
"close your eyes, clear your heart.."
Fudge
A scientific theory is a well-established, well supported body of evidence. Such theories, other than evolution, include gravity, germs theory, atomic theory, plate tectonics and all major scientific principles. Facts are parts of theories in the scientific use of that word.
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
I'm kinda amused how my innocent (and somewhat random) comment about chocolate spurred on such a discussion. : P But just to clarify, in my "utopia," the chocolate workers would live like kings ; ) I think it's really sad about the slaves...
I did a blog post a few months ago about the history of chocolate, and sawaboof told me about some of them in her comment on it:
http://progressiveu.org/blog/49369-history-chocolate-nectar-gods
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
It’s funny how things can shift and turn around, in this case because of chocolate.
I actually like that a lot, it brings up all the reasons why I love this platform.
I will go and read this blog now,
Thanks,
http://www.wowzone.com/monkey.htm
I definitely agree : ) The most random debates can turn into the most interesting. : )
Sounds great! Hope you like it!
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa