Deep thought of the day:

PlanetADnD's general chat area. Post freely in here about all non D&D related topics. Share your daily thoughts, but please keep any profanity to a minimum. *NOTE* ALL religious and/or political topics will be deleted on sight if they are not related to D&D.

Moderators: Stik, Cole

User avatar
Stik
Master Scribe
Master Scribe
Posts: 757
Favorite D&D Edition: 2nd Edition
Location: Long Island, NY

Deep thought of the day:

Post by Stik »

Does anyone else feel like the world we are living in today is not the one we are supposed to be living in? Things are just off, and have been for the past several years.
It's like a video game where someone has installed a bunch of unauthorized mods which are interacting with each other in unexpected ways and causing the entire game to be glitchy?
"No matter where you go, there you are."
User avatar
New Hegdeh
Merchant
Merchant
Posts: 490
Favorite D&D Edition: 2nd Edition

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by New Hegdeh »

What makes you say that? Is it Trump?
Every minute is a year of struggle
User avatar
garhkal
Baronet
Baronet
Posts: 2141
Favorite D&D Edition: 2nd Edition
Contact:

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by garhkal »

I certainly do.. All no-thanks to the leftists in the media, congress and schools..
User avatar
Lukafio
Artisan
Artisan
Posts: 309
Favorite D&D Edition: BECMI / RC
Location: Mystara
Contact:

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by Lukafio »

Stik wrote:Does anyone else feel like the world we are living in today is not the one we are supposed to be living in? Things are just off, and have been for the past several years.
It's like a video game where someone has installed a bunch of unauthorized mods which are interacting with each other in unexpected ways and causing the entire game to be glitchy?
    • Without the need to address any political connotations, yes it has felt odd. I noticed the 'glitches' about ten years ago and have watched them get worse. In hindsight I can trace them back even further. Oddly it mimics the growth of technology, an increase the general social desire for instant gratification, the decline of selfless service, and a severe uptick of selfishness.

      ... are we in The Matrix?
:mage "Some terrifying space monkeys maybe got loose?"
User avatar
New Hegdeh
Merchant
Merchant
Posts: 490
Favorite D&D Edition: 2nd Edition

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by New Hegdeh »

There are no leftists of power in the USA, by world standards the USA is spread between centre right (democrats) and far right (democrats and republicans) and further right (republicans)... The red scare did a good number there.

Back on track:

This rings too much of the truman syndrome to me, or some other sort of misidentification syndrome... I mentioned Trump because he is the odd political actor whose behaviour seems glitchy. But that is as far as I can go. All that is wrong with the world is wrong yet naturally so to me, my country's flaws for instance come off us as part of its rotten heritage, not some vile software manipulation... The covid however is certainly an out of left field experience, out of the blue to me, even with Bill Gates Ted Talks warning us about it. I was concerned before and I am even more concerned now.
Every minute is a year of struggle
User avatar
Cole
Webmaster
Webmaster
Posts: 1814
Favorite D&D Edition: 1st Edition
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by Cole »

I hear yeah. In 2020 the world took a sharp turn for the worse. American politics aside, I see nothing good in the future. My kids are going to be paying for this covid bs the rest of their lives. I'm hoping to set them up and give them the ability to let them live in another country of their choosing as Canada is quickly following the USA down the toilet bowl or socialism.
The Borg of Dungeons & Dragons
User avatar
Cole
Webmaster
Webmaster
Posts: 1814
Favorite D&D Edition: 1st Edition
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by Cole »

Lukafio wrote: a severe uptick of selfishness.

... are we in The Matrix? [/list][/list]
That's exactly what's happening. Everyone feels they deserve a free ride. Again, that's where socialism gets you.
The Borg of Dungeons & Dragons
User avatar
New Hegdeh
Merchant
Merchant
Posts: 490
Favorite D&D Edition: 2nd Edition

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by New Hegdeh »

I haven't been seeing good things in the future for years, Australia and Europe were going down the drain with islamophilia despite all the mysogyny and abuse on part of the missile men, Japan was well kept but it was pretty tense for non-Japanese, and still is, Latin America and Africa were stuck in their ways, the US was far right and Canada seemed ok but both were overtaken by antivaxxers, flat earthers, climate change denialists, other science denialists and even holocaust denialists... I didn't get hope until I learnt of the situation in Iceland, that and how the current Peruvian government or at least its president have been putting a strong fight against corruption. Socialism works in moderation, it worked for Europe, what was wrong there was this believe that islam is a race (it ain't, its a religion, and one of the worst in regards to human rights).
Every minute is a year of struggle
User avatar
garhkal
Baronet
Baronet
Posts: 2141
Favorite D&D Edition: 2nd Edition
Contact:

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by garhkal »

Cole wrote:I hear yeah. In 2020 the world took a sharp turn for the worse. American politics aside, I see nothing good in the future. My kids are going to be paying for this covid bs the rest of their lives. I'm hoping to set them up and give them the ability to let them live in another country of their choosing as Canada is quickly following the USA down the toilet bowl or socialism.
Add to that, our kids and even grand kids are going to be paying for the now, 26 trilion of nation deficit..
User avatar
JadedDM
Guildmaster
Guildmaster
Posts: 711
Favorite D&D Edition: 2nd Edition
Location: Washington, USA

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by JadedDM »

Cole wrote:Canada is quickly following the USA down the toilet bowl or socialism.
Sorry, what? Canada is following the US in socialism? I...what socialism? As someone who lives in America, I have no idea what you are even talking about Cole.

Did you know I haven't been to see a doctor in over a decade, because even a single check-up would bankrupt me? Did you know my girlfriend back in high school died of an aneurysm caused by a brain tumor that was operable, but her family was too poor to treat her? She was only 18.

What socialism?

Did you know I never finished college? I dropped out before I could get my degree, because I ran out of money. I can't afford to go back, and so never have. This is probably why I make less than $10k a year. Meanwhile, the CEO of the company I work for made over $17m last year, and he's not the one putting his life on the line every day during a global pandemic. I'm not even getting hazard pay.

Again, I ask, what socialism?

I don't know where you're getting your information from, but I can promise you, there is nothing socialist about the US. Especially nowadays.
User avatar
Cole
Webmaster
Webmaster
Posts: 1814
Favorite D&D Edition: 1st Edition
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by Cole »

I guess that depends on your definition of "socialism" J.M. I quickly googled the word and it apparently falls into multiple categories.

Myself, I was referring to the recent push in the USA and Canada for everything to be given away, free of charge for all who want it.

Eg: Free homes for the homeless, free drugs to drug users, free money to whoever wants to collect it, free, free, free.

People don't seem to realize NOTHING is free and it's the taxpayers that pay for all these bad decisions/programs. Everyone seems to want a handout nowadays and people are slowly, but surely draining the system for all it's worth. I have seen a slow decline in society for decades now. I strongly believe if you want something, then go earn it.

I personally don't have anything, because I don't earn it. Like yourself Jaded, I don't make more than $10k a year because I don't do anything to change that. Like others, I always seem to have an excuse for why I can't make more than that, or if I do, it never lasts long because I get pushed out of a job for someone with a better education or is simply motivated more than me. BOTH of which are my fault.

So like allot of folks, I believe in basic capitalism. You earn every cent you make and just because others are not willing to make (sometimes severe) sacrifices, doesn't punish you because of that. Why should someone who worked their asses off for their entire lives be forced to pay extra taxes for a bunch of welfare, drug using, non working, little effort people. That is what socialism is in my mind and many others.

Socialism is a system that simply doesn't work period unless it's to the far extreme (google a list of socialistic countries). Never mind I'll do it for you; China, Cuba, Vietnam, lao, North Korea etc. And nobody wants that right?

As we see non stop on the news right now we see prime examples of how the extreme left are pushing both counties towards a divide. I use the term "left" here loosely as it refers to liberals mainly. In Canada is could mean Liberals, NDP and even the Green Party (which are far left as it goes).

So even though I feel your pain Jaded in the fact that EVERYONE should have free health care (like in Canada), I still feel this recent push in our countries is for the worse. Socialism in it's intended philosophy is a nice thought, but it only leads to the breakdown of a proper and well ordered system.

Defunding police, burning cities to the ground, Pushing #BLM on everything and everyone etc isn't going to help anything or anyone, it's only going to make it worse. So my definition of Socialism is what's happening in the USA and Canada (somewhat). People fighting for injustices that don't exist. People burning down the very places that are trying to support their communities, people asking for handouts from the Government that clearly don't deserve them. That's all derived from a socialistic standpoint. We don't have, thus we shall take attitude. Natzi Germany comes to mind.

Now I'd like to make the point of huge companies being Capitalists. That's just a fact of life. Big companies hire thousands of people and keep them employed. I don't agree that someone like ourselves should always be given minimum wage or a crap salary just because they can control that, but I do understand that the person that made that company shouldn't feel bad because they worked hard and they don't see the need to give it all away to those that don't. I see that's a slippery slope for some reading this... but again, I'm one of the broke people, so don't think I'm speaking from a well off position.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation Jaded. I can appreciate that for sure. :( Life is just a drag that way. I don't have a degree either, but neither does Elon Musk and many many other well off people. I honestly believe the only person that held me back, was me. I'm not blaming my parents, nor the town I grew up in, nor my Government for my lack of education/ability to get a degree. I'm sure in the USA, just as Canada anyone can get a student loan and get that degree if they want it bad enough (correct me if I'm wrong).

I can see how the word Socialism can be taken many different ways and the fact you mentioned a checkup bankrupting you and your GF dying because of a crap medical system hurts you deeply, but many other counties have great health systems including my own without pushing for socialism. In fact Canada's system was originally planned under a conservative government (1867).

So total Socialism seems to be the direction allot of people are pushing for in both countries and when that is achieved (hopefully never), all the big companies will leave, thus all the jobs will be gone and then everyone can have their FREE stuff because nothing will be available at that point.
The Borg of Dungeons & Dragons
User avatar
JadedDM
Guildmaster
Guildmaster
Posts: 711
Favorite D&D Edition: 2nd Edition
Location: Washington, USA

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by JadedDM »

Here's the way I see it:

The idea that everyone must work to survive--not just live well, mind you, but actually not die--is a flawed system that will eventually fail entirely. Consider this. Every year the population goes up. There were only 4.6 billion people on the planet when I was born in 1982. Now there's 7.8 billion. That's almost doubled in my lifetime, and I'm not even 40 yet. Also consider this: every year, there are fewer and fewer jobs. Automation has eliminated many, and will continue to eliminate more. A job that might have taken an entire crew of people can now be done with a single person at a computer. We're already seeing machines replace people entirely--self-check outs at grocery stores, and self-driving delivery trucks, etc.

Plus, corporations will do anything to save a buck. How many times have you been stuck in line at a grocery store because they'll only have one cashier at a time on duty, because they don't want to pay multiple ones to keep the lines down? I don't know if it's this way in Canada, but here in the States, many people have to work two or even three jobs just to make rent, because corporations will only give them 10-20 hours a week, and pay less than a living wage to boot.

So what happens once we cross that threshold when there are far more people than there are jobs? I'd say at that point, our choices are either UBI (Universal Basic Income) or thousands starve to death in the streets.

Can I just get a loan and go back to school? No, and most people can't here. Even if I had any credit (I don't) and was able to secure a loan, how am I supposed to juggle both school and work at the same time? Even if I did, lots of people my age are still hundreds of thousands in debt from their school loans, despite having graduated 20 years ago. What good is having a better paying job if I am that much in debt? And that's assuming my degree would secure me a good job, which is no guarantee.

(By the way, all those countries you mentioned are communist, not socialist. Not the same thing. They're also all communist dictatorships, which is an important distinction. A communist democracy has never existed before, so we don't even know what that would look like.)

You say that everyone should have free healthcare. I agree! Which is why I think it's funny to say that Canada is following the US in socialism, because the US doesn't even have that much. But why limit it only to healthcare? If people deserve a right to good health, why don't they also deserve a right to a home, or higher education, or the ability to buy food, clothes and gas, as well? Even from a pure economic standpoint, it's a good idea. The rich hoard their wealth, but the poor spend it. The more money we have, the more money goes into the economy. If we didn't have to live paycheck to paycheck, worried about having to decide between buying food and paying the electric bill, we would spend more.

Millionaires and billionaires don't earn their money. They get it off the backs of their many workers, and many inherit it from their parents. They don't pay taxes and they hoard it all to themselves in off-shore bank accounts. Why can they sit back in their mansions and do nothing, but the rest of us have to work everyday and still can't even pay rent?

"Defunding police, burning cities to the ground, Pushing #BLM on everything and everyone etc isn't going to help anything or anyone, it's only going to make it worse." Worse for who, though? Blacks are being killed by the police and those police see no consequences for their actions. How much worse can it get for them? What would you do if one of your kids was murdered by a cop, and the only consequence was the cop got a paid vacation for it?

But this is my own perspective on things. When I see a person suffering, who needs help, I don't think to myself, "But do they deserve help?" Everyone deserves to eat, everyone deserves a warm place to sleep at night. I see those things as fundamental human rights, not things that must be 'earned.' Work hard to earn your own personal yacht or plane? Sure. Work hard to earn a big mansion or a nice car? Absolutely. Work hard or you die from starvation, exposure, or disease? That strikes me as rather harsh.

I'd hope one day we will live like they do in Star Trek. No money, no poverty, no hunger or disease. People work to better themselves or humanity, not to survive. I don't know how we can get to that point, but I don't believe our current system will ever get us there.
User avatar
Cole
Webmaster
Webmaster
Posts: 1814
Favorite D&D Edition: 1st Edition
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by Cole »

Yup, I can see many of your points with eas
JadedDM wrote: "Defunding police, burning cities to the ground, Pushing #BLM on everything and everyone etc isn't going to help anything or anyone, it's only going to make it worse." Worse for who, though? Blacks are being killed by the police and those police see no consequences for their actions. How much worse can it get for them? What would you do if one of your kids was murdered by a cop, and the only consequence was the cop got a paid vacation for it?
The only thing I see flawed here is this, it's a common thought right now that it's only the black folks being shot and killed without just cause. When in fact it's almost always with cause. Only 1%, if that are without cause. Even George Floyd. Wasn't the cops fault at all. He was in fact in the right to put his knee on the back of his neck. It's a trained tactic. Secondly the autopsy clearly stated he was high on drugs at the time and had an elevated heart rate and conditions to begin with. Now the cops camera footage was released and you can clearly see he did everything he could to calm and subdue him. Everyone blames the cops until they are in their shoes. It's also fact that more white people are killed by cops in the USA than blacks.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/585 ... e-by-race/

So this false narrative of the evil cops is just a joke. This is probably the hardest and most stressful job on the planet. People need to start realizing that and train and pay these people appropriately.

But everything else you point out I'm of the same thinking. Although I think people should earn what they want, I do think both the USA and Canada are headed for a universal basic income. Everyone should have the rights you mention.... however, paying taxes for drug users to get more drugs to ween themselves off of such things is a choice they made and a poor life discussion. I strongly believe you sleep in the bed you make and if you die off because of those choices, then you deserve that ticket. Same goes for homeless people. I have 1 really good friend that lived in the worst part of Vancouver (Akin Seattle) and one day he told me... "I just woke up and thought to myself, this is BS and I'm going to go find work". Sure enough he did and he is the lead chef that taught me how to cook in a fine dining restaurant. Your only homeless because your lazy for the most part. The rest are typically drug users (refer to above opinions).

I hate a society that caters to these individuals. However I can empathize with the few that actually landed on hard times and need a helping hand. Those people I am always there for and have helped in the past.

I do feel those who at least try to be a productive person in society should get a basic income of some sort. You may not work a 9-5 job, but you can offer a skill other people require often, then you should be able to prove that and at least get enough to pay your rent, bills and food. (Like myself). I have tons of coding/computing/construction etc for skills, but I simply cant find a job willing to pay me for it. But I suffer anyway :(

As for student loans, I guess that's different here in Canada. Here you don't need credit of any sort as a student. You simply need to prove your going to school and do it. Tons of my friends have gone on to get degrees and simply went bankrupt after they did that as they couldn't afford to pay the loan back. Even a doctor associate of mine did that. Then they started their own practice with no debt at all. ;)

But overall, I like your points. I'm not trying to be a dickhead here if someone thinks that... it's just how I was raised and what experiences I've had IRL that lead me to these somewhat harsh opinions. I'm sure allot of things are different in the states, but in Canada, everyone wants a free ride and that's just gonna make a great country a poor country. :(
The Borg of Dungeons & Dragons
User avatar
New Hegdeh
Merchant
Merchant
Posts: 490
Favorite D&D Edition: 2nd Edition

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by New Hegdeh »

Paris Hilton earns more than you despite her family cutting her from her inheritance just because she had her sex tape released and because she went around making poor people eat dog kibble and laugh at them for that... That's capitalist justice for you... Uber capitalism where a few guys by themselves own more than millions put together. Uncontrolled capitalism isn't meritocratic, its just uncontrolled.
Every minute is a year of struggle
User avatar
JadedDM
Guildmaster
Guildmaster
Posts: 711
Favorite D&D Edition: 2nd Edition
Location: Washington, USA

Re: Deep thought of the day:

Post by JadedDM »

He was in fact in the right to put his knee on the back of his neck. It's a trained tactic.
That we train cops to kill people doesn't make it right, nor does it mean they have the right to kill unarmed civilians.
Secondly the autopsy clearly stated he was high on drugs at the time and had an elevated heart rate and conditions to begin with.
And so he deserved to die?
It's also fact that more white people are killed by cops in the USA than blacks.
So it's okay for cops to kill black people, because they kill white people, too? Cops aren't supposed to kill the people they are sworn to protect at all. That's just more evidence they should be defunded and retrained.

But that's just George Floyd. What about Breonna Taylor, who was sleeping in her own bedroom when cops bust in and shot her 8 times? What about Atatiana Jefferson, who was killed in front of her 8 year old nephew when a cop shot her through her own window? What about Stephon Clark, who was shot 20 times by cops for holding a cell phone in his grandmother's backyard? What about Bothan Jean, who was shot and killed in his own home because a cop mistook his apartment for her own? What about Philandro Castille, who was pulled over and killed when he informed a cop he had a legal firearm? Eric Garner? Tamir Rice? Michael Brown? Trayvon Martin (not shot by a cop, granted, but his killer did walk free)? How many examples do you need before you feel this isn't random coincidence?

Again, I don't know what it's like up in Canada. But down here, I have never felt safe around cops. The few experiences I have had with them, they've all been bullies. I was once pulled over by one for speeding. I never speed, ever. My family even makes jokes about how I drive like an old woman. But he pulled me over and insisted I was speeding. When I told him I wasn't, he then said he would write me a ticket for having a broken speedometer instead. That was my choice; a ticket for speeding or a ticket for broken equipment. The only way I got out of it was dropping my grandfather's name (he was a retired sheriff deputy at the time), which got him to drop it. I recognize that being the grandson of a cop gave me a special privilege, and how much harder it would have been otherwise.

Speaking of which, my grandfather used to tell me stories of his days on the force. About how his fellow cops would keep their white robes and hoods in the backseat of their cars. That was back in the 50's, and I don't think all that much has changed since then.
Your only homeless because your lazy for the most part. The rest are typically drug users (refer to above opinions).
I was homeless once. I was a kid at the time, and my step-father lost his job. We (my step-father, mother, sister and myself) lived out of our car for a couple of months until he could get a new one. Even if you want to make the claim that my step-father was 'lazy' and that he 'deserved' to be homeless, what about my sister and I? Did we deserve it?

For a brief time in my 20s, I worked two jobs and still could only eat each night if someone was nice enough to buy me some food at work. Literally every cent I made went to rent and bills and nothing else. I had a big jar of peanut butter a friend had given me, and some nights I'd just eat a spoonful or two from it, just so I would have something in my stomach each day, to keep up my strength. I rationed out that jar until it was gone. Luckily, by that point, I had scraped together enough money to start buying food more regularly. But was that dark period a consequence of my own laziness? Did I deserve to go hungry all those nights, that I hadn't done enough to 'earn' to each a meal each night?

People do have a responsibility for their own actions, but I think it's possible to take that belief way too far, to the point that one starts to believe that only good things happen to good people and only bad things happen to bad people. Once you're in that mindset, then it's impossible to enact social change, to better society, because there's nothing to improve.
Post Reply