We all get lied to, pretty much every day by everybody. From the tiny white lies to save a person's feelings to the giant ones to make sure we stay out of trouble, lies are almost as important as rationalizations in keeping people sane. However as I get older the lies get harder to believe and my ability to fight the quicksand of being jaded I sink further and further. It's with that noble idea I present the Top Ten Lies Told To All Of Us. These aren't in any real order since they all kind of suck.
1. It's What's On The Inside That Counts: Along with "Beauty Is Skin Deep" this is one of the biggest lies ever told. I think our society has largely proven that the only thing anybody focuses on is what you look like. I don't seem to recall many "Awesome Personality" magazines out there or People doing the "Top Ten Hottest Beach Sweethearts" section. People who are good looking, be they scum of the Earth or not, pretty much get everything handed to them. Look at most of the really attractive actors and actresses who suck but continue to get work. Megan Fox anybody?
2. Government By The People, For The People: Yeah I think we all know what a crock of shit this is. Our Government was bought and paid for a long time ago by Corporations and foreign interests. Want proof? Look at where we are now, look at all the hardship going around to working people, families and plain old normal folks. Government isn't doing anything but playing politics and bailing out industries. Lobbyists, special interest groups and plain old greed burned down, demolished and soiled over any basic ideas of what our Government once stood for long ago.
3. America Was Built On Freedom Of Speech: Hmmm, really? You honestly believe that? Then try and stand in a public square and talk about pedophilia or being a proud racist. You'll be beaten down within minutes or at least have people throwing things at you. People only believe in Freedom Of Speech as long as it doesn't bother or inconvenience them, then they hate it.
I don't agree with what the above would say but I wouldn't shoot them for saying it. Try giving a different opinion in a grocery store about how our Government helped move along what resulted in 9/11, I hope you can box. Plus if you think our Government hasn't tried to shut down, vanish or make life difficult for the outspoken who garner a real following, you're fooling yourself.
4. Money Can't Buy Happiness: Only said by people with money and besides even if it can't buy happiness it can make an unhappy life way less difficult. I don't see too many people barely able to feed and clothe themselves sprouting this fortune cookie bullshit. Walk up to somebody from GM and say "Hey well, money can't buy happiness" and wait to see how long you keep your front teeth.
5. Love Will Conquer All: Yeah, sorry hippies that just ain't how it is. Live long enough on this hell planet and you'll learn that Love Ain't Enough is usually how it works out. Try expressing your love when the rent is due or somebody is going to jack you for your cash or a guy walks into a building with explosives tied to his chest. See how long "Love" wins out then.
6. Money Is The Root Of All Evil: No, PEOPLE are the root of all evil. You let money sit there and it does nothing but maybe blow around. Money never whispered into anybody's ear to kill people or sell millions down the river for profit. WE are the root of all evil, it's just easier to shine the spotlight on money.
7. Workers Rights: Workers have the right to bust their asses for shit pay and then get laid off after the mistakes of the bosses screw things up so badly the company is fucked. Workers have the right to leave their fate in the hands of corrupt Union Heads and to be shouldered with every tax burden imaginable when the Government overspends and is staring down the double barrel shotgun of deficit.
8. God Is All Forgiving: Then explain Hell to me?
9. Karma: Karma is not just a lie but a really stupid ideology that tries to explain coincidence and bad luck. Bad things happen to good people all the time and really awful bottom feeding humans get lucky breaks constantly. There is no great energy loop that evens things out, it just doesn't work that way. If it did all those who exploit the weak to make a profit would be dead or broke or something. They're not and to say Karma Takes Awhile is just spreading the blinders to encompass your whole head
10. You Vote Counts: Do I even need to express how stupid this idea is. My vote didn't count when Bush ran and if you really look at Government most laws, taxes and other such things are handled without the voters at all. Plus usually once you vote a guy in office he works for himself, not you.
OK, enough sunshine from me, I'm off to get an iced coffee.
I posted this somewhere else to get the exchange of ideas flowing, and possibly a debate, and this one interested me the most (again, not my words so don't kill the messenger). This is in two parts by the way.
ReplyDelete1. It's what's on the inside that counts: So other are no awesome personality issues of people? That's because no one would read it. Also, this guy's argument for this point relies SOLELY on celebrities. Obviously people's first impression is important, and a lot of that is based on appearance, but unless you're independently wealthy or an actor, being hot isn't going to actually get you anywhere. Maybe it will get you a job or promotion you weren't qualified for, but you will be quickly fired for it for being a fucking idiot.
2. Government for the People, By the People: You will NEVER have everyone happy with the government. It's interesting that he's bitching about the government bailing out corporations since that period has ended and Obama is trying to turn us into a welfare state as quickly as possible, which is something the liberals should all be circle jerking over. It's interesting how people can take a diatribe like this as gospel even though he offers no proof of anything, not even anecdotal evidence.
3. America Was Built on Freedom of Speech: This is the most absurd argument I've ever heard. You have the right to talk about racism or pedophilia. While I was at school in Miami I heard that there was a meeting being held in the town where I group up by a white supremacist group IN THE FUCKING PUBLIC LIBRARY. The town wanted absolutely nothing to do with this and there was an opposing rally held at a church a block away, but because of freedom of speech there was no way to prevent them from meeting at the public library, even if we didn't want them there. Not only could we not stop them from being there, but there were police guarding the library to ensure that no one tried to fuck up their right of free speech. You could easily get punched for saying something racist, but you can then sue that person. The only time you cannot talk about things like this in public is if you're doing it to incite violence. Oh, and if you need any more proof that freedom of speech exists, NAMBLA and the KKK still exist and meet regularly.
4. Money Can't Buy Happiness: So you're going to get punched in the face by people at GM? This guy's arguments seem to involve a lot of make believe violence that he assumes will happen without any real proof. No what there is proof of, however? There are countless psychological studies that all prove when someone wins a huge sum of money in the lottery, the vast majority of the time they then wind up become deeply depressed after their initial binging of doing "everything they ever wanted to". Afterall, once you've done everything you ever wanted to, what's left to make you happy?
5. Love Will Conquer All: This dude's argument doesn't even make any fucking sense. If a guy is trying to jack you for your cash, unless it's your crackhead boyfriend then chances are you aren't in love with them. I also assume you aren't in love with your landlord either, so none of the situations this guy presents have ANYTHING to do with love. And if someone walked into a building with explosives on his chest obviously the intangibility of love can't disarm the bomb, but I would throw myself on top of my girlfriend to shield her body from the blast without once thinking I should be saving myself instead.
Part 2
ReplyDelete6. Money is the Root of All Evil: This saying (And song from...I forget what musical) may be a little bit inaccurate, but for the purposes of humans it's pretty close. The reality is greed is the root of all evil; in the case of humans, greed just happens to be equated with money. There are things that take place in the animal kingdom that could be considered evil, and greed accounts for those just as it accounts for the evil that humans do. (Greed for land, power, wealth, etc which exist in humans and other predatory animals...not so much the wealth part in other animals though)
7. Workers Rights: He apparently forgot that workers have the right to collectively bargain, strike, and that there are minimum wage laws, laws regarding the number of hours that a person can work, and laws regarding safety conditions of the workers that must be met. Workers not only have a lot of rights, they are also afforded a number of privileges as well such as sick time, vacation time, health care, flex time, and various other privileges depending on the organization. Yes, sometimes people get a raw deal because some corrupt asshole bankrupts a company, but that has nothing to do with workers rights. On a day to day basis, workers have a lot of rights. I dare you to go to Mexico and bitch that our workers don't have any rights.
8. God is All Forgiving: Explain Hell? Simple. God will forgive any sin if you are sorry. This is one of the first things we learned in CCD. All your sins will always be forgiven if you are actually sorry. If I get shot by police tomorrow after killing 10 people and rather than feeling sorry I wish I had killed 10 more, I'm not going to be forgiven; you can't forgive someone who doesn't want forgiveness. (Note: It is my understanding that for it to count as a sin you also need to know it's wrong when you do it. This means if a 8 month old baby crawls into mommy's bedroom, finds a shiny gold ring, and hides it in her crib or something that the baby, while technically stealing, has no concept that what they're doing is wrong)
9. Karma: I don't believe in karma, so perhaps someone who does could argue this guy's point better than I could. Afterall, if he's going to be wrong on 9 of these points, I don't see why it wouldn't be all 10.
10. Your Vote Counts: Of course your vote counts. Everyone's vote counts in that the accumulation of all votes counts. You may feel that your 1 vote doesn't make a difference as there is rarely an election won by a single vote, but whether it made a difference or not, your vote was added to the tally and will remain in official records for all time. And who knows, maybe there will be a presidential election someday that is won by a single vote. And your vote did count when Bush ran. Unfortunately for you, the votes of everyone who voted for Bush counted too. He won the election, case closed. I know for a fact that he legitimately won, and I'm fucking sick of hearing people say how he stole the election and blah blah blah. Get over it, pussies. He may not have been a great president, but he still won the election. And what the fuck sort of argument is it that most laws, taxes, etc. are handled without the voters? We live in a representative democracy. That means we elect people to vote on those things for us. And if the guy works for himself not for you then you vote for someone else next time. A lot of these politicians that are working for themselves have been there for decades. If you stop voting for them then you can have someone who will do their job properly. Welcome to America, dumbass.
Well clearly this person lives in a fantasy world and I kinda wish I could live there to. Sadly I have to live in the real world. Clearly this guy can't debate he has to insult and scream and yell like most typical Americans when they disagree with something. I
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this guy likes lynchins' to?
I thought I posted the thread I started this on earlier but I guess I forgot. In case you care...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sydlexia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=163487#163487
OK, here are some more in depth responses, it's in two parts
ReplyDelete1. RESPONSE: OK well I'm not sure what to tell this guy on this one except he's wrong. First off I have seen this in action where an attractive person is given a job or responsibility he/she doesn't deserve and given numerous chances to correct themselves if they screw it up. I think everybody has worked in a place where attention is lavished on somebody simply because they are good looking.
My point in this was not a "rule" but a lie we're told. If it's what is on the inside that counts then why is the entire world consumed with looking good? Why is that so much more of what garners our attention than what's inside? 20/20, CNN and other news shows have done reports on how people are not helped, served with less attention and even found not guilty in mock trials because the jury (who didn't know it was a fake trial) just thought the better looking defendant seemed innocent.
2. RESPONSE: Once again this guy misses the point and since he is firing across the bow at liberals I can only assume it's because this offends his conservative ideals. Want proof we're not a Government by the people and for the people go to any hall of records and look for the complaints lodged against the Government because they seem to ignore that which special interest groups and lobbyists ask them to.
Look how long the Tobacco industry was allowed to go unmolested while people were dying, to the point that a multi-million dollar lawsuit was filed against them for unscrupulous business leanings. I'm not sure how Obama trying to stop the bleeding caused by the last administration is leading us to a welfare state but I know trying to convince somebody of that is pointless so I won't bother.
3.RESPONSE: Well you just proved my point actually. Everybody wants their point heard until the disagree with it and then they want to go batty and start yelling. If Freedom Speech, the real true idea of it, existed then there wouldn't be a need for police protection when people said unpopular things because we would all understand it was their right to say it and our right to say it's wrong.
I'm not at all saying everybody should shut up but if we all believed in Freedom Of Speech then we could stand across and argue points without police protection. This guy says the rally got held "No matter how much we didn't want it". That means you tried to stop it or at least wanted to. That means you don't believe in Freedom Of Speech which is about the reaction I expected.
4.RESPONSE: Ah yes well a study on the lottery winners should really be the norm because that happens so often to people. My POINT was that people facing starvation, loss of their homes or ability to support their families need money, it buys them the happiness of knowing their kids and families will be taken care of. If you don't think a lack of money equals just as much if not more depression then you've clearly never been poor.
5. RESPONSE: OK this response aggravates me a little because now he's just forgetting what the idea is and deciding to rant and rave. When people say Love Will Conquer All they are speaking in the idea of people coming together and loving each other instead of hating, that compassion will be more important than anything else. That doesn't happen in the real world. Try to stay on point Jeebus.
PART 2
ReplyDelete6.RESPONSE: Well at least we agree here, though I don't know about evil in the animal world.
7. RESPONSE: So, um, the fact that people get treated worse in Mexico means the shaft workers get here is ok? Wow, that's some pretty elitist thinking. As far as "bargaining" shall I bring up all the times people walked out on strike for unfair treatment and were summarily fired? Recently in Boston nurses walked out over health insurance costs and were told report back or be fired, same with public transportation workers. There's that bargaining in action my friend.
Go ask workers if they feel they are really, truly in power and tell me what they say. Are they all just ungrateful? Is that your response to people who are summarily raked over the coals? Going to GM, the management will sit through this fine while 21,000 workers lose their jobs. In your mind they should be glad they don't live in Mexico?
8. RESPONSE: Those are excuses. If there are guidelines to God's forgiveness then he isn't All Forgiving. All Forgiving means just that Forgiving All. Thanks for proving my point for me.
9. RESPONSE: We agree here to though I must point out that I find it scary Jeebus feels that if we don't agree on the other points than I'm "wrong". They had that issue in Germany a while back didn't they?
10. RESPONSE: Well as intelligent as his Dumbass crack makes this argument I'll just ignore that. The very basis of out system rules out that your vote counts. The President is elected based on the Electoral College not the Popular Vote, which means if they people want a President but he doesn't carry the Electoral Collage he loses (go look up the first Bush election). We may vote and elect people but they don't work for us they work for themselves and trying to replace them really hasn't helped. Do you honestly think the American people at large don't believe in their Government and don't trust politicians because they don't get it? Oh and just to point out most new laws, tax hikes, spending, and the like are not left up to us to vote on. Did you not notice that?
I really do appreciate Jeebus taking the time to respond at all though I feel he largely missed the point and sort of botched his responses by throwing in personal insults.
I am glad it sparked some kind of debate, even if it means I'm the bad guy
Thanks a bunch for both.
ReplyDelete