Subject: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 20 Aug 12 - 05:14 AM What do you think should replace it? Who should run the show? How? (:-( O)= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Dave Hanson Date: 20 Aug 12 - 07:08 AM Me and Alex Polizzi. Dave H |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 20 Aug 12 - 07:12 AM A Kingdom? Would people have any say? Or rights? (:-( 0)= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,CS Date: 20 Aug 12 - 07:24 AM My guess is that either: a) the military would establish a military dictatorship, either with or without involving the current monarchy and aristocracy. b) people would come together in small units and begin restructuring society in the form of interconnected networks of small meritocracies and democracies. c) people would come together and establish interconnected networks of small meritocracies and democracies, then the military, either with or without involving our current monarchy and aristocracy would crush those and instead establish a military dictatorship. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 20 Aug 12 - 07:42 AM What if there's no military. They all went home. Armed bands of thugs would rule? Anarchy? How about a government where the people vote on the laws? No representatives. No electoral college. Every man's vote counts on every issue. No lobbyists. No campaigning. Has that ever been tried? (:-( 0)= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: akenaton Date: 20 Aug 12 - 08:46 AM For that to work, one would have to exterminate the media.....not a bad idea in itself. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Richard Bridge Date: 20 Aug 12 - 09:20 AM If my present government collapsed, I'd dance on its grave. If all government in the UK (or England) were to collapse it would probably get a bit messy. We have very little tradition of military coups, so I imagine that there would be speedy descent into anarchy. But at least, unlike the USA, there would not be ready made warlords itching to get cracking with their private armies. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: artbrooks Date: 20 Aug 12 - 09:21 AM No? Has the BNP disbanded, then? |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Richard Bridge Date: 20 Aug 12 - 11:05 AM It's bankrupt and although it has thugs (and the attack-dog wing, the EDL) mostly they do not have the panoply of things ranging from fully automatic assault rifles up to tanks and missile platforms that are collected for legitimate recreational target practice and hunting chipmunks in the USA. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Amos Date: 20 Aug 12 - 11:09 AM I don't think it is likely. If you are asking what the ideal government would be like, I expect it would be a constitutional republic with strong safeguards against corporocratic and fascist impulses. A |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Bobert Date: 20 Aug 12 - 11:32 AM Be a lot of shootin' until only the guy with the biggest gun would be standing... In other words, the military... Yeah, Bubba would shoot a lot of them before getting himself, his wife Billy Jean and his two dogs, Bruiser & Bubba, Jr., blown the hell up in their trailer by a drone strike... B~ |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Little Hawk Date: 20 Aug 12 - 12:17 PM Well, we may find out someday...or we may not. Looking at the situation around here (small town and rural), I think people would pull together, mostly help one another, and rapidly form community associations to get things reasonably in order....but things would not be good at all in the larger urban centres, because there is little or no sense of community there. There would be rioting, violence, gang warfare, and bloodshed in those places. A lot of refugees would start fleeing to the rural parts, and the rural people would have to deal with it somehow. Eventually it would sort itself out one way or another, but a lot of people would suffer before it did. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Bobert Date: 20 Aug 12 - 01:17 PM Yeah, L.H.... I know you ain't into TeeVee but there was a show a couple years ago that was written about what you have described... It was called "Jericho"... Purdy interesting show... Guess that's why it didn't make it... LOL... B~ |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,petecockermouth Date: 20 Aug 12 - 02:17 PM some responses to the authority programme imposed on europe have been quite interesting and positive with communities pooling resources in a collective and mutually supportive way. (see article in the guardian 'The Spanish Robin Hood' a few days ago) some areas is spain, greece,france eg have a history of communal (if not communist) organisation and anarchism. maybe workers organisations could be linked to the present with occupy and similar movements. it would be wonderful to think that we could step over the ruins of capitalism and re-organise ourselves in such a healthy and fraternal way, but.....it hardly seems likely,on any large scale anyway. more likely in the uk is a development along the lines of a (seemingly) more benign scandinavian model -where the excesses of the dead system are done away with (at least in theory) but the 'establishment' retain any power by appealing to the majority of brits with their love of NHS, fairness, gardens,countryside, BBC, tolerance etc. politicians will appear less harsh, more understanding and gain the support of the usually apathetic majority - then they will betray them. again. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: gnu Date: 20 Aug 12 - 02:26 PM Interesting question, Hank. I wonder... are there lessons to be learned in studying what has/is taken/taking place in the Middle East? Chipmonk hunting with assault rifles... I laughed and then... |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Little Hawk Date: 20 Aug 12 - 02:38 PM I have a friend here (fellow musician) who has boasted of killing hundreds of chimpmunks. If I could, I would arm the local chipmunks on his property so they could fight back on an equal basis. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Ebbie Date: 20 Aug 12 - 03:09 PM Chimpmunk? Friends of Chongo? |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,Shimrod Date: 20 Aug 12 - 03:16 PM When we hit 'Peak Oil', very, very soon, we'll all find out. It'll be tougher in the US where you have to drive 5 miles in order to use the toilet (OK - the 'john'). Having said that lots of people in the UK would die in the first week - because they'd rather die than give up their cars. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Donuel Date: 20 Aug 12 - 04:27 PM "King? what king, I didn't vote for ya. I thot we were an ararchistic agrarian collective..." Without government it would be good to be the guy that supplied the electricity. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 20 Aug 12 - 04:37 PM I asked what YOU wanted to see. Not what you think might happen. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: gnu Date: 20 Aug 12 - 05:00 PM Hank... "I asked what YOU wanted to see. Not what you think might happen." Indeed. I used to, as chairman, when having two or three dozen people trying to move their agenda forward in some discussion/meeting/conference, say loudly... "I believe we need to centralize this forum and focus on the reasons we are here so that we can get through this efficiently and get home to our families or glass of wine, as it may be, at a reasonable time. The sooner the better." Same as you just did but a bit less terse. Not that I can't be terse... >;-) |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 20 Aug 12 - 06:08 PM I'd like to see everyone's vote count. George Bush wouldn't have been able to steal the Presidency. He would have been beaten. I'd like to have voted on the two stupid wars. Most all the terrorists were Saudis. I would rather have attacked them. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: gnu Date: 20 Aug 12 - 06:12 PM Attack your allies? That's not quite the way it's done. You attack THEIR enemies... when they can't... and they... well, you know. Global bitching is gonna destroy us all anyway. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 20 Aug 12 - 06:18 PM The Saudis aren't my allies. My allies are the Rastafarians. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Richard Bridge Date: 20 Aug 12 - 06:59 PM I see that the US has care in the community too. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: gnu Date: 20 Aug 12 - 07:23 PM "The Saudis aren't my allies." Hmmm... you buy gas? |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST Date: 20 Aug 12 - 07:56 PM Just watch the Mad Max movies... |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Bobert Date: 20 Aug 12 - 08:07 PM Yup, Mad Max after the Thunderdome is the Ayn Rand model... B~ |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 21 Aug 12 - 03:28 AM So.Mad Max is what you hope for??? I hope for more freedom. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Richard Bridge Date: 21 Aug 12 - 03:30 AM Late in the year for cuckoos |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,petecockermouth Date: 21 Aug 12 - 03:56 AM we could make a (re)start with liberty, equality and fraternity -and compassion. and party. any of you aggressive, bigoted and greedy types who want to continue ripping everyone off can leave us alone, choose your own island and go f*ck yourselves! |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Musket Date: 21 Aug 12 - 04:47 AM When governments collapse, we vote in the next one. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 21 Aug 12 - 05:04 AM Good peter. Someone finally understood what I was asking. They've all gone off and expressed their fears. Not their wants. I want to be able to express ideas without being censored, attacked, namecalled, cursed and edited. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Little Hawk Date: 21 Aug 12 - 11:36 AM Lao-Tse said that "by opposing an enemy, you give him strength". He didn't mean that you won't necessarily win a specific battle or even a war with that enemy by opposing him...what he meant was that when you are hostile and aggressive toward other people, they get hostile and aggressive right back at you. They get riled up. Unpleasant consequences follow for both parties. Therefore, a life that is based on fear, attack, accusation, hostility, and all forms of personal abuse of others becomes a life full of discord, disharmony, pain, and bad feelings of all sorts...and cause pain to others too. That is a truth commonly ignored by a great many people on this forum, and it's the main thing that makes posting here a less than enjoyable experience a great deal of the time. You get back exactly what you give out in life. That's true both in physics, where an action results in an equal and opposite reaction...and in life. I've spent years trying to talk a whole slew of angry and defensive people here into not being such total shitheads toward those they disagree with about something. To no avail. They continue to react to other people's differing ideas with, as Henry says, namecalling, cursing, denigration of the other's character, and all forms of totally immature abuse of the other person. What a shame it is. When I see it happening now, I usually just shake that dust off my shoes, quit posting to the thread and go do something else that makes me happy instead. It's easy to walk away from a useless and negative conversation. Try it. You'll see. And you won't have "lost" anything by doing so. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 21 Aug 12 - 01:07 PM You get high marks from me, little hawk. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: akenaton Date: 21 Aug 12 - 01:10 PM Could someone explain why the President Obama thread has been closed? |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 21 Aug 12 - 01:21 PM Censorship, I believe. Criticize him and you're squelched. (:-( X)= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Don Firth Date: 21 Aug 12 - 01:56 PM No, Henry, it was the general acrimonious tone of the thread as a result of your spittle-spraying attacks on those who don't agree with you. Don Firth |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Richard Bridge Date: 21 Aug 12 - 01:59 PM Excellent, Don! |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Bobert Date: 21 Aug 12 - 02:05 PM GOP position on freedom: 1% get 100% of it... 99% get none... B~ |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,Stim Date: 21 Aug 12 - 03:56 PM If the government collapsed, I would just start another one. 1)I'd get somebody like Little Hawk to stand up and say all that conciliatory that stuff he always says, and point to him as "The New Hope". 2) I'd call Bobert and Gnu and Old Dude "The Three Kind Tough Guys", and have them talk about how, if we want a kinder, freer society, we've got to get tough with a small group of greedy opportunists and malcontents who have spoiled things for everybody, and caused the collapse in the first place. 3)Then I would gather up all the thugs and bullies and gun nuts and give them "New Hope" badges and march them through the streets, to gather up the greedy opportunists and malcontents and restore order for the public good. 4) With each new arrest, the "Three Kind Tough Guys" would talk about how we are building a new future by erasing the injustices of the past. Little Hawk could show everyone that we are finally creating a society that fullfills our ideals. 5) I would get someone like Henry Krinkle to lead armies of "Henry Krinkle Brigades" who plow under the playgrounds of the rich privileged and build large, new cinder block arenas "for all the people". 6) I'd temporarily close the universities and gather up all the lawyers (like say, Richard Bridge) and well meaning but misguided bleeding hearts, (like, say Don and Ebbie), who don't support "The New Hope", and find ways to help them to understand. 7) After months of chaos, I would slowly give everyone their old jobs back, only with less pay, and fewer benefits. Any questions? |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 21 Aug 12 - 04:09 PM I like it. I'm ready to start plowing. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,Stim Date: 21 Aug 12 - 04:24 PM Hope you don't mind if you are, by some chance, martyred. I helps to keep moral up in the brigades;-) |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 21 Aug 12 - 04:31 PM Naw. I'm a fighter. I chased 3 thugs down the street with a piece of steel pipe just last week. They ran like cowards. It's kill or be killed. And I'm not ready to go yet. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,Stim Date: 21 Aug 12 - 04:39 PM Does that mean that you don't mind being a martyr, or that you do mind? We would have asked Akenaton, but "Akenaton Brigades" sounds kind of like an Egyptian Volunteer Fire Department. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 21 Aug 12 - 05:30 PM Do I have to die to be a martyr? Can't I just stub my toe or skin my knee? (:-( 0)= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Allan Conn Date: 21 Aug 12 - 05:40 PM "If the government collapsed, I would just start another one." well certainly here in the UK if the govt collapsed, that is if it completely lost the support of parliament, then there would be an election. Straight forward really! I wonder does the original poster mean if the political system itself collapsed which is a different scenario? |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 21 Aug 12 - 05:49 PM I mean it went kaput. Anarchy. Maybe a nuclear attack. Or plague. Or no way to support it economically. Multiple cities here have gone bankrupt already.. (:-( 0)= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Elmore Date: 21 Aug 12 - 08:40 PM I'd support Bernie Sanders and Barney Frank as co-dictators. They'd fix it. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: akenaton Date: 22 Aug 12 - 03:54 AM Nobody knows......but hey, were all democrats here why should we worry. Our politicians tell us everything is gonna be aaaaall right!! Woo Hoo!!! |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 22 Aug 12 - 05:36 AM Like Bush's reaction to 9-11. Go shopping. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,Eliza Date: 22 Aug 12 - 05:49 AM Last year in Ivory Coast (my husband's country of origin) the government collapsed when the ex-president refused to accept the newly-elected one. Civil war broke out and anarchy prevailed. People were killed, hand grenades were chucked into family courtyards, there was no water and little food. But the famous UN were there in their smart pale blue berets, doing nothing but 'observing'(as they did in Rwanda) Gradually order was restored and the new president took office. But now the other Party are raising their ugly heads once again. Luckily there is a large French contingent of businessmen and residents in Abidjan, and their influence helped to save the situation. My somewhat cynical point is that one can't rely on the UN to do very much in the case of a collapsed regime except stand by and watch. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,Stim Date: 22 Aug 12 - 06:08 AM Thanks for that, Eliza. Lot's of times. For some reason, there are people who regard this as a speculative exercise. We know all to well what happens when governments collapse, when anarchy and plagues strike, even when a nuclear bomb destroys a city. And we know about Rwanda. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 22 Aug 12 - 06:20 AM One of the many reasons everyone should have a gun and be proficient with it. Or be doomed without a chance. (:-( O)= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,CS Date: 22 Aug 12 - 10:38 AM I think it'd be pretty interesting (in the Chinese proverb sense of the term) if the system of 'democratic' government as we know it, were to collapse. I do think (although we may have no history of military coups) the fact we have never destroyed the infrastructure of the Monarchy and Aristocracy (including those resident the second chamber), and the fact that Military types just love to bow and scrape and do the dirty work of their superiors, that the military would probably look to shore up the vestiges of that infrastructure and we'd end up with a military / aristocracy hybrid wannabe dictatorship. I think most of the populace would probably prefer to be embraced by such a dictatorship, while at the fringes of society self-sufficient 'anarchic' networks would strive for independence. It would be intriguing to see how it all played out. But without any production lines running, guns and tanks run out. Thankfully unlike the US we don't have any hard-core crazy religion (well, possibly bar a smattering of radical Islamists) in the UK, so we won't end up with a Magaret Atwood style dystopia, but I do imagine that the CofE will play it's part in helping to stabalise things, as people often look to God when in shock and confusion. Meanwhile society would certainly begin reorganising itself on a local level. The cities would inevitably be in chaos, but rural Britain would get itself on it's feet pretty quickly, there are plenty of capable souls in the countryside. I tend to think that the time has come for society as we know it. I think that as the tower of Babel that is the capitalist economy our current form of society is predicated upon eventually collapses, we will enter another so called 'dark age' but that it won't be so bad, just like the so called dark age post the Roman Empire wasn't all that bad. Not all that bad for the young and healthy in any case. I would rather be a good ten years younger though. Sorry for the ramble, I have a piece of fiction brewing! |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Little Hawk Date: 22 Aug 12 - 11:09 AM Guest, Stim - Hilarious post! ;-D Thanks for the input and the honorable mention. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Ebbie Date: 22 Aug 12 - 01:36 PM "6) I'd temporarily close the universities and gather up all the lawyers (like say, Richard Bridge) and well meaning but misguided bleeding hearts, (like, say Don and Ebbie), who don't support "The New Hope", and find ways to help them to understand." I ain't that well meaning. Seriously, I object to just about every proposed action on your list. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,Stim Date: 22 Aug 12 - 04:09 PM Thanks fo getting it, Little Hawk. Ebbie, of course you object. It's a joke! Well, not really a joke, since it was what the Bolsheviks did, but in this context, it's a joke. I just borrowed a bit from George Orwell and put some Mudcat names in, as sort of a loving tribute(to some of you, others, not so much). |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Richard Bridge Date: 22 Aug 12 - 04:18 PM Don't you just hate it when stupidity and ignorance masquerade as knowledge and wit? |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,nobody in particular Date: 23 Aug 12 - 03:25 PM select 'watch film online' |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: s&r Date: 24 Aug 12 - 03:32 AM Here in the UK it sort of has. My first reading of this was 'if only your government collapsed'. Stu |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: GUEST,nobody in particular Date: 24 Aug 12 - 02:44 PM Take time and watch the video. It was on the Documentary Channel.. I found it very interesting and informative, and certainly sheds light on the illusion of your two party system, and what they are doing, or incapable of doing to fix the economy! And in the meantime, some of you tend to argue and debate in absolute vanity, and are NOT looking at the reality of the global situation, as a result of the ponzi fraud, that funds our governments. Watch the video, it is the best I've seen on the subject! Learn something about what you are talking about, but never addressing the real issue! |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: akenaton Date: 24 Aug 12 - 04:28 PM Yes exactly guest, I've been saying for several years on this forum that we can no longer sustain the standard of living to which we have become accustomed. We run a competitive economy and we cannot now compete there is no one left to exploit and no resources left to steal. UNLESS we organise a nice juicy war, and it certainly looks on the cards. But as you say , on the good ship Mudcat the band plays on...the Dems fight the Pubs......Hillary makes speeches about "gay rights" and Mr Obama shoots Pakistani's with his lovely shiny drones.....men women and children its all the same, Pakistani's dont have "rights" |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 24 Aug 12 - 04:43 PM As long as being wasteful and inefficient makes rich people richer, that's how we'll do things. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: akenaton Date: 24 Aug 12 - 05:00 PM very true! |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Bobert Date: 24 Aug 12 - 05:15 PM Hells bells, people... If Obama wins and the Dems hold the Senate and the TeaPlugs loose a bunch of seats in the House then we'll be in fine position to push on Obama to go long and lay out some sensible fixes... A 2nd term Obama could be very interesting and if the Replugs feel they need to realign then things can happen like: *** Campaign Financing *** Truth and Reconciliation Commissions *** Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United These will go along way toward fixing things... B~ |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 24 Aug 12 - 05:31 PM I think Obama has turned too many people against him. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Don Firth Date: 24 Aug 12 - 08:51 PM It's not Obama who has turned too many people against Obama. It's those who refuse to see what sort of odds he's faced with the Republican Congress hell-bent on trying to kill everything he's tried. The solution is to keep Obama and change Congress. THEN things will move. Don Firth |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Bobert Date: 24 Aug 12 - 09:23 PM Yup... This ain't on Obama... This is on the stupid people who vote against their own interests... Morons, all of them... Dumber that a box of creek rocks... This election is national IQ test... B~ |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Don Firth Date: 24 Aug 12 - 09:34 PM Right, Bobert! And that's what scares the Bejesus out of me!! Don Firth |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Amos Date: 25 Aug 12 - 12:34 AM I am looking forward to Obama operating under Hail Mary type pressure and no secondterm constraints, as Bobez points out. I think it will be an interesting four years. |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: akenaton Date: 25 Aug 12 - 03:00 AM I thought you guys believed in "democracy" |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: Henry Krinkle Date: 25 Aug 12 - 04:52 AM Gore won the popular vote. But Bush became a two term president. Does it really matter who you vote for? The Electoral College picks the president. Not you. (:-( ))= |
Subject: RE: BS: If your government collapsed From: DMcG Date: 25 Aug 12 - 05:11 AM Almost none of us 'civilised' types would stand much of a chance - we know too little about coping without delivered food and water, electricity, fuel ... Those who made it past the first two or three years would cope, but I don't think too many of us would. For what it is worth, there was a reality programme a few years back where people tried to live for a year like a 19C US trapper or similar. The one who was the most experienced and confident hunter was the one who the experts judged had the worst chance of surviving: he would have done all right for meat, but didn't pay anything like enough attention to things like having a usable woodpile ... |