Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby Chris12 » Thu Nov 13, 2014 11:41 am

So with Iraq and and Syria besieged by the modern day equivalent of the Mongol horde, Putin risking WWIII by terrorizing eastern Europe, and all that it does seem things haven't looked this bleak since the end of the cold war right?

Well it hasn't but apparently we may have reason to believe the biggest threat to any of us, war may be closer to getting out of fashion then to start our collective doom,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbuUW9i- ... 1rDPwtNM8Q

In this video a guy discuss the difference between today and the past and the relevant numbers to show that the biggest and most dangerous wars, those between states are at an all time low.

An important reason the desire for war is so low is because we are all connected these days and going to war will lose us far more then we can possible gain from looting our defeated foe. Weirdly he doesn't mention nukes in this but alright.
I think most of us already noticed this one as well. A worrying factor in that theory however is that we seem to loose our teeth because it cost us to much. We should have crushed Isis by now with our overwhelmingly superior resources but everyone in power seems to afraid to do so. Why? Because there is no profit in it to offset the population your about to piss off if you send the boys to war.

Another thing he theorizes lessens our apatite for war is Democracy which I'm not entirely convinced of but of but I suppose giving more people a saw decreases the chance for war because most people don't want it.

In any case being told war is at an all time low and not likely to start again may relieve some worry for those bummed out about the doom and gloom we got since this summer.

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby mikeybound » Thu Nov 13, 2014 11:52 am

Personally, I feel that being able to frequently choose leaders could actually increase the desire to throw your 22 yard, double barreled Navy cannons around. However, I agree with the rest. The stronger relationships that groups have, the more you stand to lose if you ruin them. And what civilian would wanna go to war with a nation when it's one of 5 different places where they have pen pals?
Another thing to consider is that the Information Age makes propaganda more difficult to use. The Soviets didn't invent that, you know. Armies constantly paint the other side as uncultured savages to put down, and when you can see a group for what it really it, that humanizes them.

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby Jason Toddman » Fri Nov 14, 2014 8:06 am

It's pretty convincing - provided war was the number one reason people feel gloomy and pessimistic about the future. In my case though, it isn't.
My pessimism is caused more by the ever-souring economic picture (rich get richer, poor get poorer), climate change (and all the idiots who deny anything needs to be done about it), and, most of all, the rapidly increasing and unsustainable world human population (this video actually rated as a plus) which is causing all sorts of havoc with the environment, resource management, and so on.
As (the British biologist and TV personality) David Attenborough once put it (and I'm loosely paraphrasing here), "Man has used his burgeoning technology to control the environment to sustain an ever-growing population. Perhaps now it ispretime to control the population to sustain the environment."
Otherwise, Man faces a future right out of Revelations only without a Rapture of the saved and no Second Coming of Christ to save us from ourselves.
Dare to be different... and make a difference.
To boldly go where no one in their right mind has gone before...

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby mikeybound » Fri Nov 14, 2014 10:38 pm

A thought that's been bugging me. Population growth is becoming a problem, even if we're not exactly neck deep in each other yet. Also, there are many adoption centers filled with underprivileged orphans with poor prospects.
So why don't more people think of adopting someone and giving them a future, instead of contributing to resource strains?

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby NemesisPrime » Sat Nov 15, 2014 12:21 am

mikeybound wrote:A thought that's been bugging me. Population growth is becoming a problem, even if we're not exactly neck deep in each other yet. Also, there are many adoption centers filled with underprivileged orphans with poor prospects.
So why don't more people think of adopting someone and giving them a future, instead of contributing to resource strains?

Cause of abstinence-only education.

But here's something to cheer you up Jason, the US and China have struck a landmark agreement to cut carbon emissions and reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.

Here's to hoping otherwise we face a future not unlike the one seen in Interstellar.
Everyone speaks in multiple languages...But gag talk is universal and a sock in your mouth is the perfect translator!

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby mikeybound » Sat Nov 15, 2014 1:32 am

NemesisPrime wrote:Here's to hoping otherwise we face a future not unlike the one seen in Interstellar.

Wasn't that a series of crop plagues? I'd actually prefer the carbon emission crisis. That, we can do something about.

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby NemesisPrime » Sat Nov 15, 2014 3:31 am

mikeybound wrote:
NemesisPrime wrote:Here's to hoping otherwise we face a future not unlike the one seen in Interstellar.

Wasn't that a series of crop plagues? I'd actually prefer the carbon emission crisis. That, we can do something about.

It's implied that climate change had created a global dust bowl which over time caused the crops to fail.

It's explained in the book: "The Science Of Interstellar"
Everyone speaks in multiple languages...But gag talk is universal and a sock in your mouth is the perfect translator!

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby Jason Toddman » Sat Nov 15, 2014 5:55 am

mikeybound wrote:A thought that's been bugging me. Population growth is becoming a problem, even if we're not exactly neck deep in each other yet. Also, there are many adoption centers filled with underprivileged orphans with poor prospects.
So why don't more people think of adopting someone and giving them a future, instead of contributing to resource strains?

Partly because it's human nature to prefer to breed your children than to raise the child of someone you never knew... which strikes me as idiotic and unfortunate... and partly because of cultural mores and overly restrictive laws that make it difficult for many people to adopt (such as gay couples) without expensive legal hassles and long delays.
But I agree with you; more should be done in this area - perhaps that would encourage more people to bring unwanted babies to term rather than abort them if they knew their child would be loved by someone rather than merely be a 'burden on society' as some people (even many right-to-lifers) would tend to think of them. But especially much needs to be done to encourage birth controls through unwanted-pregnancy prevention in the first place without the religious extremists chiming in about sinfulness - which only worsens the problem rather than reduce it.

NemesisPrime wrote: But here's something to cheer you up Jason, the US and China have struck a landmark agreement to cut carbon emissions and reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.

But it doesn't. It's only one small on a long journey, and even that is being opposed by greedy special interests and the conservative politicians they've bought who short-sightedly are more focused on jobs now rather than the environmental problems they help create that future generations will have to deal with. Those same people opposed to this will now try to run that Canadian pipeline down our throats in the name of jobs (and 'campaign contributions' for themselves aka legalized bribes) and cheaper fuel prices.
Dare to be different... and make a difference.
To boldly go where no one in their right mind has gone before...

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby mikeybound » Sat Nov 15, 2014 12:02 pm

I honestly don't care why they do it so long as carbon emissions actually end up being cut. Anyway, bribes aren't necessarily a bad thing. Lincoln bribed Democrats for votes to ratify the 13th amendment. Reason didn't work in some cases, so he appealed to greed. Besides, running a campaign these days is expensive! If a down on his luck fellow has enough charisma and force of personality to gain enough "campaign contributions" to play on even footing with rich political veterans, I'm happy with that.

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby Jay Feely » Sat Nov 15, 2014 12:06 pm

Ukraine and Russia better not go to war.
You will have to subdue me to restrain me. I been a bad boy so make sure you torture me too with anything but pain.

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby Chris12 » Sat Nov 15, 2014 1:11 pm

They already are. Any declaration of war is just a formality.

It weren't the rebels that defeated the Ukrainian army this summer but groups of Russians that were either on ''vacation'' or just ''lost''

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby Jason Toddman » Sat Nov 15, 2014 4:30 pm

mikeybound wrote:If a down on his luck fellow has enough charisma and force of personality to gain enough "campaign contributions" to play on even footing with rich political veterans, I'm happy with that.

Do you really think such a thing is even remotely likely to happen these days? Sounds like a nice plot for a novel, but real life? Forget it.
Dare to be different... and make a difference.
To boldly go where no one in their right mind has gone before...

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby NemesisPrime » Sat Nov 15, 2014 7:22 pm

Jason Toddman wrote:
mikeybound wrote:If a down on his luck fellow has enough charisma and force of personality to gain enough "campaign contributions" to play on even footing with rich political veterans, I'm happy with that.

Do you really think such a thing is even remotely likely to happen these days? Sounds like a nice plot for a novel, but real life? Forget it.

It's happened before. Just ask Elisabeth Warren. Personally I feel before we can tackle the problems affecting our climate and anything else we have to get money out of politics.

Also here's the perverse thing. You think it's the politicians begging for money but really it's a form of extortion by them to get more money out of the rich. I always found that to be funny and very depressing at the same time.
Everyone speaks in multiple languages...But gag talk is universal and a sock in your mouth is the perfect translator!

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby Jason Toddman » Sun Nov 16, 2014 5:44 am

NemesisPrime wrote:
Jason Toddman wrote:
mikeybound wrote:If a down on his luck fellow has enough charisma and force of personality to gain enough "campaign contributions" to play on even footing with rich political veterans, I'm happy with that.

Do you really think such a thing is even remotely likely to happen these days? Sounds like a nice plot for a novel, but real life? Forget it.

It's happened before. Just ask Elisabeth Warren..

I'm thinking more of Presidential races than senatorial ones, but even so one example doesn't make a case. I read of another case recently though where some fellow (unfortunately a conservative) won a local race without even trying against a big-spending incumbent (I'd cite the source but can't find it now, even though I saw this just recently - I didn't read it thoroughly enough to recall important details like names or location). Even so, usually it's the one with all the dollars who gets the vote, regardless of his other qualifications (or lack of them).
Dare to be different... and make a difference.
To boldly go where no one in their right mind has gone before...

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby mikeybound » Mon Nov 17, 2014 8:05 am

I wasn't talking about Presidential elections either. I'm just saying that crowd sourcing can help anybody get into the political game. Also, one would think you would remember details from such a recent story, considering it stands out so strongly against the degeneration and corruption that you seem to believe affects everyone on earth except for you. I will say this, though. I'm sorry for anyone coming here taking the thread title at face value and finding such cynicism.

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby Jason Toddman » Mon Nov 17, 2014 10:39 am

mikeybound wrote:I wasn't talking about Presidential elections either. I'm just saying that crowd sourcing can help anybody get into the political game. Also, one would think you would remember details from such a recent story, considering it stands out so strongly against the degeneration and corruption that you seem to believe affects everyone on earth except for you. I will say this, though. I'm sorry for anyone coming here taking the thread title at face value and finding such cynicism.

1. what gives you the idea I think such things affects everyone on Earth but me? Disagree with me if you like, but please don't belittle me or make me seem like a fool (or a psychotic, as you just did here). I don't appreciate it.
2. I think you're view of how to get known in politics is naive at best. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule, but damned few of them.
3. I only glanced at the story in question because, unlike folks like Drawscore, I have better things to do or read about than our political system and have numerous interests that are stronger than my political interests.
Dare to be different... and make a difference.
To boldly go where no one in their right mind has gone before...

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby drawscore » Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:31 pm

"When in worry,
Fear, or doubt;
Run in circles;
Scream and shout!"

Drawscore

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby Jason Toddman » Wed Nov 26, 2014 6:11 pm

Now this, on the other hand, gives me some hope. Sort of.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-wal ... lp00000592
Dare to be different... and make a difference.
To boldly go where no one in their right mind has gone before...

Re: Feeling down about the world? This should help. Maybe

Postby ________Tornado_________ » Thu Nov 27, 2014 3:20 pm

I am one of those deppressing figures in the world that says, "We are all going to die." True, but in these worthless wars and economy problems, is anything actually changing for the greater good?
Money is power in this world.There are lots of rich people, who could, combined, stop this all. So why don't they? I say this: "All that gain great power are afraid to lose it." Take the 2000 JUBILEE. Banks were all filthy rich, with more money than I could imagine. And they had the chance to stop this happening, End poverty, Stop all debts, but they say no.
Even if were are all on the verge of dying,it will be solved politically. By the time they would have reached a decision, we would all be dead.
Never give up.