OT: cd's again... one last question....

[Fairlight]

> On Sat, Oct 28, 2006, John Esak wrote:
> ...
> >Yes, I think global warming is a crock  Please don't send me the fractured
> >"scientific" studies which cause you to believe otherwise.... the Earth will

On the contrary, I wish they'd make the book "Kicking the Sacred Cow"
required reading.  Even if some of the facts are a bit off (just as
possible as with the "real" scientific evidence), it would at least get
people conditioned to opening their minds and exercising critical
judgement.

Unfortunately, it's been my personal experience that our schools are meant
to do just the opposite.  The grinder scene from "The Wall" and what it was
intended to symbolise comes dreadfully close.  Actually, I just thought
of something for the first time:  The educational system is the civilian
equivalent of the military's basic training, meant to strip away all
vestigates of individuality and critical thought, and indoctrinate one into
one unified machine working off one set of "known good" data.  "Known good"
because the people at the top of the chain of command say so, of course.

Damn...and I just think of this parallel NOW?  I'm feeling like I've been
extraordinarily thick for years.  But that's a scary parallel, after
seeing what the military consequences can be.  There's nothing quite so
destructive as a mob mentality, no matter how it's fostered.  Not to
mention the interesting similarities between soldiers not being able to
take the strain and letting loose with domestic abuse or other such, and
kids going ballistic in schools.  Which point is -not- meant to belittle
our servicemen in general.  I'm just saying, under similar stressors,
people will react similarly in similar proportions.  It's suddenly more
understandable when you take into account bullying, etc.  (Don't get
me wrong, the bullying worry of the last 3-4 years is an overrated PC
neurosis bordering on a bogus political point--I was beat the hell out of
in grade school and high school and I wouldn't hurt anyone intentionally
except in self-defense or to protect family.  But it -does- exist...I just
have to wonder where the PC crowd was 20-30 years ago when I was getting
my ass kicked on a regular basis along with a lot of other unpopular
non-conformist kids.  As if it's a "new" problem in schools with this
generation.  It's not.)

At any rate, there -is- a fair amount of the similar pressures to conform
in both environments, and I suspect it might be why -some- just "lose it".
Unfortunately, you get "drafted" into the educational system until you're
at least 18.  Given the parallels, it's no wonder not many people can't
think outside the box--hell, it's no wonder there's a box at all, as it's
been constructed by the establishment.

> >take care of itself, no matter *what* we do to it. Thousands of H-bombs set
> >off simultaneously in all parts of the globe wouldn't even  trouble it... a
> >short, half life from then, everything would be back to normal with

So, was the half-life after the nukes an intentional pun, or does your
subconscious get double points?  :)

mark->
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