That is, I love the American people, but I despise with a passion the American government. I have some gripes, but all in all there's no existing government I'd rather live under. I've always been intrigued by the idea that large organizations may develop a kind of "sentience" and act according to survival-oriented principles that may have little to do with the goals that led to their formation. This is an ominous idea, but there is one glimmer of hope: in the last several decades, there has been a considerable accumulation of theory and history to support the idea that some of the highest ideals people can expect from a government -- for example, an acknowledgment that individuals have inherent rights that a government is obliged to respect -- almost always redound to the advantage of the government that implements them. So if there is some grain of truth to this sentience theory, it's entirely possible that the American government will continually better itself over time. I also think that the introduction of the Internet is serving a very useful role in speeding up America's thought process, so to speak. | |
I've always been intrigued by the idea that large organizations may develop a kind of "sentience" and act according to survival-oriented principles that may have little to do with the goals that led to their formation. Yeah, and if this idea isn't true then what the hell do you think we are? I'm fairly certain that each and every cell of our bodies thinks of itself as an independent, free-willed organism, and I wouldn't be surprised if electrons believe (correctly, as far as it goes) that they move towards protons of their own free will, for reasons that make sense within their frame of reference. | |
So maybe... Where all little cells of god and we just THINK we choose what to do but we dont 0.o Imma be thinking about this all night Lexy
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Governments do what they feel is best for their own wellbeing as a country, not whats good for the people. They could care less about the people.
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Yeah, and if this idea isn't true then what the hell do you think we are? Why, /mob/player, of course! I'm fairly certain that each and every cell of our bodies thinks of itself as an independent, free-willed organism True, it's pretty unlikely that cells have much of a concept of serving a higher whole -- though I suspect such phrases as "thinks of itself as..." or "has much of a concept of..." do more to romanticize/anthropomorphize the cell than to provide a picture of what really goes on in whatever spark of consciousness it may have. I doubt that cells have anything like what we would consider to be sentience, if only because they lack language (as far as we can tell, anyway!) and I think abstract thought is almost impossible without the presence of words or symbols to manipulate mentally. | |
You don't think about the people who are reading this topic and live in Canada. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they don't exist! I think you need to grow up and realize it doesn't matter where you come from! We're all one race: Human.
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True, it's pretty unlikely that cells have much of a concept of serving a higher whole -- though I suspect such phrases as "thinks of itself as..." or "has much of a concept of..." do more to romanticize/anthropomorphize the cell than to provide a picture of what really goes on in whatever spark of consciousness it may have. I doubt that cells have anything like what we would consider to be sentience, if only because they lack language (as far as we can tell, anyway!) and I think abstract thought is almost impossible without the presence of words or symbols to manipulate mentally. Is this what the Roman Catholic Church thinks of the individual people that make it up? | |
Nope; Canada is descended in no way from the U.S. It's actually Britain's child nation by France, although it was a stormy relationship and custody was awarded to the U.K. in the divorce proceedings. Technically it's the United States' half-brother, not son.
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Lesbian Assassin wrote:
Yeah, and if this idea isn't true then what the hell do you think we are? I'm fairly certain that each and every cell of our bodies thinks of itself as an independent, free-willed organism, and I wouldn't be surprised if electrons believe (correctly, as far as it goes) that they move towards protons of their own free will, for reasons that make sense within their frame of reference. A good reference for this line of thought is Richard Dawkins' book, "The Selfish Gene". Also find Douglas Hofstadter's book, "Metamagical Themas" and read the chapter on 'Viral sentences and self replicating structures." | |
Jotdaniel wrote:
You mean they actually have a military? Hee hee. In actuality, the Royal Canadian Air Force is almost as formidable as the British Royal Navy. During the Cold War, Canada was often depended on to keep its fighters ready, in case the Russians tried to cross the 60th parallel and enter North American airspace. On a related note, if the bureaucrats in Ottawa hadn't vetoed the program (forcing 3500 people into unemployment and throwing the Canadian aerospace industry back several decades), Canada would have been the pioneer of the fastest fighter jet on the planet -- the Avro Arrow. If it was not disassembled (in a stroke of sheer bureaucratic brilliance, the plans were destroyed too), it would still be more powerful than the vast majority of the USAF's fighters today. We manufacture all forms of small arms and missiles for sale to the United States, and sell uranium and plutonium as well. We also make sure to keep all of our military gear up to the technological standard and in good repair. We lack a Navy, however -- we depend on the Americans for that -- and the armed forces are only designed to act as a peacekeeping and/or deterrent force. If America wanted to, they could easily annex Canada; their military is twenty times the size of ours. But the United States prefers to keep us as partners, and the U.N. wouldn't look on military expansion very lightly either. ;-) (Bush and the North Carolina/Washington logging industry are making that friendship a little strained, thanks to their lumber tariffs on what is supposed to be a free trade agreement. But that's an issue for a different thread.) Canada also happened to be storming one of the beaches of Normandy in World War II (the Brits stormed another, and the Americans stormed another three thanks to their numbers), and were front-line troops in World War I as well. Most of the western Canadian ground forces are situated in two major ground bases: near Abbotsford, B.C., and near Calgary, Alberta. Each of those bases has thousands of troops. I don't know how the military is spread out in the east, however -- all Canadians are completely ignorant of what happens across the mountains in either direction. (I try to make myself an exception, but I'm still only human. ;-)) | |
Lesbian Assassin wrote:
I've always been intrigued by the idea that large organizations may develop a kind of "sentience" and act according to survival-oriented principles that may have little to do with the goals that led to their formation. Your statement is only reinforced by cancer, which causes cells to self-replicate. If cells had any concept of serving a higher purpose, they would realise that cancer is malignant and either self-terminate or prevent their own replication. The cells, however, believe cancer is perfectly healthy: "You mean I get to replicate whenever I want? Cool! More is even better!" Of course, a brainless organism actually stringing together a thought process like that is next to impossible, but the program in the DNA is almost assuredly coded such that "More is even better" -- cancer just tweaks the "as long as it doesn't take up too much space" part. | |
One thing I don't like is that some people turn it around and then say"Yeah, Americans are jerks"
That's racism right back! Anyway, I personally am jealous of the Canadians...I think that Americans are picked on a lot=P I just think that Canada is cool...besides, how could you hate someone because they were born/live somewhere else? Just laugh with them, because although all humans have about the same size brain(and NEVER different just because of country)you know that that person uses only about half=P ~Calm | |
(Friendly warning: changing the letters doesn't justify using the word -- the policy is pretty well-defined on that.)
You have nothing to worry about. As I've said before, and I'll say it again, I love Americans, but I hate the United States of America. That is, I love the American people, but I despise with a passion the American government.
I'm under the current worldly belief that governments do not represent the population's interests, but rather their own, and I have yet to see anything that disproves that theory.
If I had my way, I'd buy an island and start my own darned country -- making sure to join the U.N. and draft a free-trade agreement with Canada and the United States, just in case some other country decides my new island would be a nice territory to annex. I'd have to sit in the nosebleeds section in the U.N., but at least I'd be capable of living my life free of oppression. ;-)