Live data from Hacker News

You're a Slave to Money, Then You Die

churchlifejournal.nd.edu

161–170 of 243 posts

Re: You're a Slave to Money, Then You Die

#161
post #132

Government was always supposed to be influenced 'by the people' those people are usually aristocrats. That is fine if there are enough of them with different ideas. What has happened is the consolidation of the artiscroacy and thus the means of influence of government. This is where we are getting our ugly problems from. What is the first step to fixing this? Bring voting into the 21ST century AND NOT HAVE VOTING SOF…

The problem with democracy is that you end up with mob rule. And as soon as the mob realizes it can vote itself bread and circus, it's all over. The founding fathers said exactly that. And the mob in general is in thrall to the media, which is pretty much a wholly owned operation of the ruling class. So, I guess, in the end, you get what your ruling class wants anyway, with the unwitting mob just a means to its own c…

This is 100% a rightwing talking point, pushed by the likes of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter, and I wish it would go away. Look... if we all want to get along, then we need some way of working together despite disagreements. If 51% of people want to do something, we all must agree that that's okay. Otherwise nothing would ever get done.

Re: You're a Slave to Money, Then You Die

#162
post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground"? It was talking about honest, real work.

The cool thing about language is that it applies to more than just farming. Working any job for a paycheck just so you can buy groceries is also honest, real work.

Not all work is honest, and not all jobs that make money should be called work. Those are the ones that I'm discounting.

Re: You're a Slave to Money, Then You Die

#164
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with democracy is that you end up with mob rule. And as soon as the mob realizes it can vote itself bread and circus, it's all over. The founding fathers said exactly that. And the mob in general is in thrall to the media, which is pretty much a wholly owned operation of the ruling class. So, I guess, in the end, you get what your ruling class wants anyway, with the unwitting mob just a means to its own c…

If a democracy wants authoritarianism Nationalist Party then there is no magic mechanism to stop this, and it might be presumptive to even assume that democracy is most morally harmonious and effective configuration of society. I believe China is seriously contending this assumption, as it races ahead of its Asian and European neighbors with respect to economic optimism. Also, political parties appear part and parcel…

And I would say it also races far ahead of its neighbours on the number of atrocities it commits against its own citizenry.

Re: You're a Slave to Money, Then You Die

#165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Realistically, most people can't and/or shouldn't do this by building a business or working at a startup. Both of these are very risky and won't generally accomplish what I think the parent comment implies. Instead, the more reliable way is to invest as much of your income as you reasonably can in securities like stocks and bonds so that over time you are indeed making money doing nothing. Also, if your company offer…

How does the reasoning of buying stocks and bonds work over time given the current crisis has wiped out all the gains for many people made in the past several years utilizing this strategy, and before that was 2008 which did the same?

You don't need to make gains. You need to spend significantly less than you earn. If you can work for 4 months and survive for 12 then you're there.

Compound returns are a nice bonus if they come, but not necessary. Sensible frugality is the important part.

Re: You're a Slave to Money, Then You Die

#166
Having learned for myself that life has a purpose and there is life after death, with a just judge (and merciful, for the merciful), and that all things will be put in good order (my wording, emphasis on good): that all changes everything, for me at least.

Today is Easter, when we commemorate the empty tomb....

Re: You're a Slave to Money, Then You Die

#167
post #108
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you interview the author? I'd like to read that.

That particular priest of the priestly class seeking to justify their predation of their bronze-age neighbors is probably dead. So, unfortunately, we are only left with their hagiographal and/or mythical prose.

You must be fun at parties.

Re: You're a Slave to Money, Then You Die

#168

Other than the author having the ability to use large words I'm not sure what I was supposed to have come away with from this piece at all, it's just word salad.

Feels a bit like it came from a markov postmodernism generator: http://www.elsewhere.org/pomo/ Postmodernist arguments and critiques are like the blue/gold dress. Some people see it as pure obscurantism, just all white noise. Other people see it as full of interesting ideas. I've never seen these two groups successfully hold a conversation about it without getting progressively angrier at each other, mostly devolving…

its hilarious that comments to this effect have been posted multiple times, when the actual content of the article specifically quotes/supports ideas by people like Terry Eagleton, a marxist (/religious) thinker who specifically oppose postmodernism

Re: You're a Slave to Money, Then You Die

#169
post #161
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with democracy is that you end up with mob rule. And as soon as the mob realizes it can vote itself bread and circus, it's all over. The founding fathers said exactly that. And the mob in general is in thrall to the media, which is pretty much a wholly owned operation of the ruling class. So, I guess, in the end, you get what your ruling class wants anyway, with the unwitting mob just a means to its own c…

This is 100% a rightwing talking point, pushed by the likes of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter, and I wish it would go away. Look... if we all want to get along, then we need some way of working together despite disagreements. If 51% of people want to do something, we all must agree that that's okay. Otherwise nothing would ever get done.

I’m astonished the National Socialist experiment in Germany is being ignored by this commenter. Indeed your premise is antithetical to Western tradition, which is presumably good because of its endowments to humanity. See: the death of Socrates and the death of Jesus.

Re: You're a Slave to Money, Then You Die

#170

Money, particularly fiat currency, is a useful fiction. You're not a slave of money as such, it's a tool of enslavement by those who control how much money is allowed to exist and how much is allowed to circulate. As Iain M. Banks put it, "Money is a sign of poverty".

Wish I.M.B. was still with us...
Post reply on HN