You Have the Power!

[Narz]

People think politicians and the government runs things. But actually the common person has much more power than he or she thinks he does. The government is like the weather, you can complain about it or hide from it or you can accept it and use it to your advantage.

It seems these days everyone wants the government to solve their problems. People complain about Bush not doing enough to promote renewable energy but meanwhile they buy bigger and bigger "cars" each year.

People complain about taxes but don't do their research on ways to aviod them.

People complain about war and how politians are dishonest and manipulative and then go home and lie to and manipulate their kids and watch TV (hmmm, what type of stuff is on TV mostly... violence & deceit - and a few stupid sitcoms ).

You are free! What you do makes a difference! Don't be a spectator or wait for someone else to give you what you want because no one really knows what you want but you.

 

[Johann MacLeod]

yeah, but this is a country of stupid people that can't put 2 and 2 together and that think Sienna is just a car...

 

[napoleon526]

We're not really free. Our lives are the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the matrix.

I get what you're saying, though.

 

[Moss]

We are free to a certain extent, there are still things that we have no control over.

But I agree with what JM said.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Thank you for the wakeup call Narz. It's people like you who change the world, you know

Now you go on ahead and change politics, and I'll concentrate on changing the weather.

*sun shine sun here it comes doot da doot dum*

 

[Narz]

There are always things we have no control over but still, we're mostly free, every day we make thousands of little consious decisions that effect us. For example, be conscious of your body right now. I bet you probably shifted positions, didn't you? Even just a little bit? Now that small shift, moving your leg and straightening your back or whatever will have a small but significant impact on your mood, energy, everything. It is easy to be unaware and wonder why feelings physical and emotional "come upon you" but it's really all cause and effect (of your actions and reactions). The outside world will always present challanges but you always have the choice of how to react.

Originally posted by napoleon526
We're not really free. Our lives are the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the matrix.

For lack of a better word - huh?

 

[Tragdor]

Were all free.......... but a modern democracy is a dictorship of 51% and about 70% of the population still thinks Washington had wooden teeth and the Richard Nixion had horns and a tail. Its no wonder certian things are as they are.

THAT"S WHY I WILL BE KING TRAGDOR OF AMERICA

edit you said it wrong its not "huh" its 'whoa"

 

[Narz]

Originally posted by Pontiuth Pilate
Thank you for the wakeup call Narz. It's people like you who change the world, you know

Now you go on ahead and change politics, and I'll concentrate on changing the weather.

*sun shine sun here it comes doot da doot dum*

Thanks!
Good luck with the weather!

 

[napoleon526]

Originally posted by Narz
For lack of a better word - huh?

I guess you haven't seen "The Matrix Reloaded."

 

[amadeus]

Of course we have the power, it's just that some people would rather find a scapegoat for where they have failed.

The government won't sue you for defamation of character or making them a scapegoat.

 

[ETO_Peregrine]

Originally posted by Narz
For example, be conscious of your body right now. I bet you probably shifted positions, didn't you? Even just a little bit? Now that small shift, moving your leg and straightening your back or whatever will have a small but significant impact on your mood, energy, everything.

Stop messing with my mind, man! Stay out of my head!

Cynic checking in. There are hard limits on what a person can achieve without the cooperation of others and society as a whole. Even though society is a collection of individuals and not a conglomerated system (take that, Al Gore), the average person will not be put in touch with many individuals even during a lifetime.

What about democratized media such as the Internet, you say? Well, by reading my post thus far you are wasting time you could spend tuning in to other sources (ha-ha!). Your personal preference for Civfanatics and its denizens has already limited the information you will read. People have finite time and short attention spans, so content produced by high-profile producers will tend to gather the most eyeballs.

So to further your "change the world" agenda, you'll have to use any one or combination of popularity, manipulation, coercion, brute force, or frank and open discussion of ideas. As far as I know, the last item rarely works.

So, go out, talk, vote, change the world. But someone else can shout over you, vote the other way, and change it back. How you deal with that problem is up to you. Complain, maybe?

 

[Greadius]

[dance]
Woo! I feel so empowered I'm going to go sit on the couch and watch TV... any program I want... that happens to be on

 

[Narz]

Originally posted by ETO_Peregrine


Stop messing with my mind, man! Stay out of my head!

Cynic checking in. There are hard limits on what a person can achieve without the cooperation of others and society as a whole. Even though society is a collection of individuals and not a conglomerated system (take that, Al Gore), the average person will not be put in touch with many individuals even during a lifetime.

What about democratized media such as the Internet, you say? Well, by reading my post thus far you are wasting time you could spend tuning in to other sources (ha-ha!). Your personal preference for Civfanatics and its denizens has already limited the information you will read. People have finite time and short attention spans, so content produced by high-profile producers will tend to gather the most eyeballs.

So to further your "change the world" agenda, you'll have to use any one or combination of popularity, manipulation, coercion, brute force, or frank and open discussion of ideas. As far as I know, the last item rarely works.

So, go out, talk, vote, change the world. But someone else can shout over you, vote the other way, and change it back. How you deal with that problem is up to you. Complain, maybe?

Of course you are right. There are always limits. One person cannot do everything but if you put your mind to it and really believe and work at something (I have yet to ever have this kind of dedication) then you can do anything (within reason).

 

[sysyphus]

Very true Narz, I'm glad you said this.

One thing I hate is people who are very negative about voting and democracy saying that politicians are elected and just do what they want.

That is only because they are well aware of how apathetic the populace can be. Diligent voters will keep politicans on their toes.

They need your vote, they can't do anything without it. Make them earn it!

 

[ComradeDavo]

Well.....we have power to a certain extent.

But not that much.

Examples:

I went to an anti-war protest of around 2 million people in London on Febuary 15th, yet the government of the country I live in (UK) still went to war.

Laws on drugs mean that it is governments rather than people who decide what people can and cannot subject themselves to.

I do not decided what goes on TV, the TV companies do.

I do not decided what gets played on radio, the radio companies do. And even when they play requests they will only play songs acceptable to them.

But then:

I decide whether I want to watch the TV, listen to the radio whatever.

I am the one who makes descions to boycot companies, rather than giving in to advertising.

So:

I have some power. But only to a cetain extent. And if I choose to use my power in a way demmed unaceptable by government, then I would be breaking the law. So I would be using that power I have illegally.

 

[Narz]

Originally posted by ComradeDavo
Well.....we have power to a certain extent.

But not that much.

Examples:

I went to an anti-war protest of around 2 million people in London on Febuary 15th, yet the government of the country I live in (UK) still went to war.

Protests are ineffective because you are trying to convince other people what to do. Now if the government tried to force you personally to go to war I'm sure you could find a way out of it.

Laws on drugs mean that it is governments rather than people who decide what people can and cannot subject themselves to.

People subject themselves to all sorts of drugs the government does not approved of all the time.

I do not decided what goes on TV, the TV companies do.

The TV companies are trying to please the people. If they incorrectly judge was a large amount of people want to see their shows don't last long. If you don't like whats on TV, rejoice for you differ (probably favorably) from the common man.

I do not decided what gets played on radio, the radio companies do. And even when they play requests they will only play songs acceptable to them.

Yeah mainstream radio stinks. You could always start you're own band (and even your own radio or Internet radio station) though.

But then:

I decide whether I want to watch the TV, listen to the radio whatever.

I am the one who makes descions to boycot companies, rather than giving in to advertising.

Right.

So:

I have some power. But only to a cetain extent. And if I choose to use my power in a way demmed unaceptable by government, then I would be breaking the law. So I would be using that power I have illegally.

Nothing wrong with using your power illegally (I thought you were a revolutionary ). Every law begins as something that is not law until it's law. I have massive amounts of MP3's (illegal), I j-walk, do unlawful u-turns in my car when the coast is clear, I feed the pigeons in front of the "Do not feed the pigeons" sign and ride between the subway cars in front of the sign that forbids that. As long as you don't get caught you're alright and even if you do, keep in mind, even cops are people too and often with the right attitude you can remain unreprimanded.

 

[stormbind]

Neanderthals had the most freedom.

During parts of the middle ages freedom of expression through murder was acceptable.

Today we are bound to beauracratic rules and regulations.

 

[ComradeDavo]

Originally posted by Narz

Protests are ineffective because you are trying to convince other people what to do. Now if the government tried to force you personally to go to war I'm sure you could find a way out of it.



People subject themselves to all sorts of drugs the government does not approved of all the time.


The TV companies are trying to please the people. If they incorrectly judge was a large amount of people want to see their shows don't last long. If you don't like whats on TV, rejoice for you differ (probably favorably) from the common man.


Yeah mainstream radio stinks. You could always start you're own band (and even your own radio or Internet radio station) though.


Right.


Nothing wrong with using your power illegally (I thought you were a revolutionary ). Every law begins as something that is not law until it's law. I have massive amounts of MP3's (illegal), I j-walk, do unlawful u-turns in my car when the coast is clear, I feed the pigeons in front of the "Do not feed the pigeons" sign and ride between the subway cars in front of the sign that forbids that. As long as you don't get caught you're alright and even if you do, keep in mind, even cops are people too and often with the right attitude you can remain unreprimanded.

Good points (edit: apart from protests, I disagree with you there) And I agree, nothing wrong using power illegally

But stormbind has it right when he says:

Today we are bound to beauracratic rules and regulations

 

[sysyphus]

Originally posted by stormbind
Neanderthals had the most freedom.

During parts of the middle ages freedom of expression through murder was acceptable.

Today we are bound to beauracratic rules and regulations.

Please don't tell us you wan to revert to a Neanderthalic society

 

[thestonesfan]

Neanderthals only had the freedom to hunt, gather, sleep, and breed, because they didn't have time to do anything else.

Besides, they're extinct, so it's a pretty bad example.