Skeptic Project

I watched part of Rebel Without a Cause on TCM the other night, and it struck me as a ridiculous movie. What did these white middle class teens in 1950's L.A. really have to complain about? A free country during peacetime? A booming economy? All the food they could eat? Their own automobiles? Plenty to see and do? Access to the world's cultural resources?

Anne Frank, a teenager who had real grievances about her life if anyone ever did, would have gladly exchanged her problems for theirs.

Yet the CT'ers' contrived grievances about the Federal Reserve System, fiat money, depopulation plots, etc., make them sound just as petty and foolish. Sure, the economy needs some work, and we have wasteful conflicts and occupations in some Asian countries. But on the whole we have it pretty good in early 21st Century America, if people would just put things into perspective, take full advantage of their opportunities and not get caught up in infeasible fantasies like a Ron Paul presidency, the Venus Project, secessionist state movements, libertarian seasteading or taking the next starship to Pandora. Why waste your life worrying about conspiracies which don't exist, when you can build things with your life that can exist?

'Contrived grievances'?? I haven't seen the movie you mentioned by it seems YOU need some perspective. The US is run by Fascist thugs who control our elections, own our politicians and our media and couldn't care less about the Constitution. So what's in that for you?? Listen to this BBC program about an attempted coup on all the way back in '33...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/document/document_20070723.shtml

Did these CONSPIRATORS go away or just take their agenda behind the scenes?? Even if we assume they don't INTEND to destroy the standard of living in America, to see people suffer here and die under bombs abroad...THAT IS THE NET AFFECT isn't it?? They look for the biggest fruit and with no tangible ROI in social necessities like educating people or helping the sick and homeless, WAR on the other hand has the 'double dipping' appeal...huge profits destroying stuff AND huge profits rebuilding it. Our 'elected' politicians and media sell the cover story and whether or not the stated objective is met, the Fascists STILL CASH IN.

Take the reasons we were given for invading/occupying Iraq, clean off the sugar coated BS and your left with imperialism, war profiteering and genocide. And given this was all justified after the 9/11 false flag operation - now exposed world wide - we're also talking about murder and treason. And how about the unprecedented defense spending and waste?? Even before 9/11 - one day to be exact - Rumsfeld reported the Pentagon could not account for $2.3 TRILLION dollars in transactions. Guess what office, among others, was destroyed in the 'surprise' Pentagon attack?? And do you think the Fed is any better with their record keeping??

http://dailybail.com/home/there-are-no-words-to-describe-the-following-part-ii.html</p>

What else would convince you Democracy is dead in America with a major economic implosion almost inevitable?? How about trends in wages and income gaps, even just since Reagan?? How about college tuition costs?? How about our manufacturing sector and the loss of jobs and entire industries?? Who is advocating for America when things like NAFTA and 'free trade' - created by politicians working 'for the people' - REWARD companies for finding cheaper labor elsewhere and screw 'the people' in the process???

Keep comparing America to third world nations and we'll look like a shining star every time. Compare America to what it COULD and SHOULD be and you'll be ready to engage in reality. Good luck.

Oh jeez, here we go.

"The US is run by Fascist thugs who control our elections, own our politicians and our media and couldn't care less about the Constitution."

Which fascist thugs, exactly? Names please.
Who controls our elections? Evidence, please. I think there can be a case made that there has been one national election in the past 125 years that can arguably said to have been "controlled," and that was 2000. It was controlled legally, by legal process. I disagreed with that legal decision, but it was a legal decision. Not sure what other examples you want to point to.

If people in power don't care about the Constitution, why do the federal courts exist? I have personally participated in at least 25 legal matters where the correct meaning and interpretation of the US Constitution was at least a significant issue in the case, if not THE major issue in the case. How many constitutional legal cases have you participated in, Truther2001?

Regarding the 1933 coup attempt:
"Did these CONSPIRATORS go away or just take their agenda behind the scenes??"

What is your evidence that the CONSPIRATORS (mimicking your bizarre capitalization) took their agenda behind the scenes?

"And given this was all justified after the 9/11 false flag operation - now exposed world wide..."

There is no evidence whatsoever that 9/11 was a "false flag" operation, much less that it has been "exposed" world wide. Let me guess...you believe 6 of the hijackers are still alive!

"What else would convince you Democracy is dead in America with a major economic implosion almost inevitable??"

Evidence. That silly link you posted is an editorial, not evidence.

"How about trends in wages and income gaps, even just since Reagan?? How about college tuition costs?? How about our manufacturing sector and the loss of jobs and entire industries??"

How exactly do these things, as regrettable as they are, rise to the level of "democracy being dead in America?" I say they're evidence of poor governance, shoddy economic policy and an economic downturn. You can have all three of those things in spades before you even get close to fascism.

"Compare America to what it COULD and SHOULD be and you'll be ready to engage in reality."

And by "reality" you mean conspiracy theories, right?

>> [...] no interest in the concept and in fact found it abhorrent.

That's true, they considered it "rule by the rabble"

>> The US has never been a pure democracy.

For some reason I get a lot of pleasure pointing this out to people. Really in the US the word "democracy" means "Some sort of parliamentary-style republic with free markets."

>> truther2001 you will get used to it they think they know everything.

This coming from the guy who didn't read anything he claimed was damning to debunkers.

I thought what he was asking was reasonable. Now don't be afraid to read the Bilderburg documents now College Boy.

@ truther2001:

How about trends in wages and income gaps, even just since Reagan?? How about college tuition costs?? How about our manufacturing sector and the loss of jobs and entire industries??

I don't understand your grievance. Nobody has an entitlement to a certain income level; nobody has an entitlement to an "affordable" college education; and nobody has an entitlement to a job in any industry. You can try to argue that the political process should construct these entitlements, but you face opposition from people who think differently, including many business owners.

God you are dumb.

"You can try to argue that the political process should construct these entitlements, but you face opposition from people who think differently, including many business owners."

There are many Americans who feel that things like education and healthcare should be entitlements, myself included.

But as soon as I get a whiff of Trutherism, any common ground I may have had socially or politically with someone like truther2001 just flew out the window.

The sad part about hyperbolic retards like truther2001 is they don't see how they are ruining the chances of getting such things.

@ Matt:

There are many Americans who feel that things like education and healthcare should be entitlements, myself included.

But these entitlements require ongoing political construction to work. A lot of Russians depended on entitlements they had from the Soviet government (health care, pensions, university educations for their children, etc.), until that government failed and the entitlements disappeared. Governments don't have to supply a great many of the things people would like for them to give as entitlements, even in wealthy countries; you should view the wealth transfers you do receive from the government as gifts or privileges, not as rights, because they could disappear literally overnight for reasons of, say, force majeure.