How about everything privatized with each person paying for the services he or she requires. No pooling of funds allowed that could lead to a social contract and government. If you need police, call Blackwater. For fire, pewrhaps we could go back to the days of three or four private firefighting companies responding, then brawling to see who gets to fight the fire. Education - slate and chalk by firelight. National defense goes to Blackwater again - you probably want to buy their stock, they might become the megacorp of the future. Of course, they may also take your money and run because there'd be no one to tell them they couldn't. LOL
Religion is far too concerned with controlling behavior through fear of an angry deity. A significant number of friend who have left churches because they were told that if they didn't do this or that they would be punished by God or if they did this or that, regardless of their asocial behavior, they'd be rewarded with a ticket to heaven. It's all based on control - has been for centuries.
On the other hand, most of, if not all, these same people speak of a deep and abiding faith in a power greater than themselves that has lifted them to a life of contentment if not joy. And tithing means helping without expectation of reward, not giving a tenth of your earnings to someone who tells them they are living in sin.
So - the headline is misleading. The article revealing - perhaps churches with all their self serving rules and regulations are a thing of the past.
Don't get me wrong - I'd love to see Lewiston connected to Amtrak. In fact, if common sense prevails, it will happen some day.
Unfortunately the specs for tracks to carry passengers is different than the specs for freight. The tracks will require a major upgrade which will permit higher speeds and safer passage.
Don't worry Paul - mass transit will return and trains are more efficient than busses. It may be more like the old inter-urban light rail of the early 20th century than full blown trains, but Lewiston, and maybe even Jay, will reconnect to the rest of the world.
Growing up, I could walk to the end of my street and using public transit only go to Katmandu if I wanted. I didn't need a car or even a bicycle.
God forbid the creators of jobs in Southeast Asia (China's getting expensive, folks) should have to help with the cost of government. Let the full cost fall on the backs of those who've had a free ride all these years, the poor and the middle class.
For those who wonder - I'm tired of pointing out the obvious, so I've resorted to agreeing with the (expletive deleted by me).
But, it runs counter to the philosophy that pain - other peoples' pain - is good. The result is that you could duct tape LePage and his sycophants in the legislature to their chairs, force them to listen to a reading of Mr. Rooks' column, and they would squeeze their eyes shut and drown out the wisdom with,"nanananana..."
As for Boehner, McConnell, Cantor Freres, might I suggest a mandatory viewing of "Tale of Two Cities" for that is what will come to them - figuratively if not literally. I'm going to learn to knit.
The real solution is to vote this coming fall. I'll make it easy to decide for whom you vote, does that person really give a rat's patoot about you and people like you or is he or she more concerned with the deep pockets types who fund the campaigns.
The easiest and surest way to decertify a union is to eliminate the jobs its members hold.
As a Wilton taxpayer, may I ask what letting go custodial/bus driver staff will save Wilton taxpayers per thousand of assessed value. I suspect I may be limited in the vacation I might be able to afford - perhaps having the money for gas to drive to Small's Falls or maybe even the coast.
Will unemployment and the inevitable increase in demand for services laid off staff can no longer afford offset my savings or has LePage been taking care of that already?
I guess an H&K submachine gun, even one modified to semi-automatic only, complete with a silencer is the ultimate phallic symbol.
Personally, I'd prefer an M-60 to hand hold the way Stallone did if I wanted to impress a woman or intimidate a man. My first instinct was a quad mount 40 like we had on my old ship in the 60's - they should be fairly cheap surplus - but the ammunition for an afternoon of turning the neighborhood into a war zone might be a little expensive.
Still - exercising my 2nd Amendment right to pretend to be John Wayne...
And Republican legislators are caught between a rock and a hard place. The rock being a very noisy minority that calls itself the Tea Party and their hero LeRoi LePage. The hard place being a lot of voters who are not happy with the legislature's imitation of an omega dog - on its back with all four paws in the air.
LeRoi has a couple of more years. Thanks to Deb Plowden, recall wasn't even given talking room at the committee level, so future bullies can continue to bully. But legislators face the voters this fall. Presumably LeRoi will be returned to Marden's as defective merchandise in 2014.
I think it would be a good idea to turn off DWTS and whatever other pablum is current in the fall TV season and begin to pay attention to who's running and how badly the Koch's want them in office. If Koch brothers money is being poured into ads for legislator X, you can bet he or she is far to the right of Genghis Kahn. You need to vote for the other guy or woman.
That's 2/3rds of the total retirement income of many. Of course, the conservative response is that that is the fault of the worker who didn't save enough of his minimum wage to allow him to live high on the hog.
Then again - if Republicans are given free rein, these poor retirees will die off rather quickly with no health care, housing or food so, with a little small print, that $400/mo given to the bankers will become the property of God's chosen.
This letter is just another example of how clueless the "haves" are about how the "have nots" live.
Eliminate government
How about everything privatized with each person paying for the services he or she requires. No pooling of funds allowed that could lead to a social contract and government. If you need police, call Blackwater. For fire, pewrhaps we could go back to the days of three or four private firefighting companies responding, then brawling to see who gets to fight the fire. Education - slate and chalk by firelight. National defense goes to Blackwater again - you probably want to buy their stock, they might become the megacorp of the future. Of course, they may also take your money and run because there'd be no one to tell them they couldn't. LOL
Faith doesn't mean religion
Faith implies a spiritual connection.
Religion is far too concerned with controlling behavior through fear of an angry deity. A significant number of friend who have left churches because they were told that if they didn't do this or that they would be punished by God or if they did this or that, regardless of their asocial behavior, they'd be rewarded with a ticket to heaven. It's all based on control - has been for centuries.
On the other hand, most of, if not all, these same people speak of a deep and abiding faith in a power greater than themselves that has lifted them to a life of contentment if not joy. And tithing means helping without expectation of reward, not giving a tenth of your earnings to someone who tells them they are living in sin.
So - the headline is misleading. The article revealing - perhaps churches with all their self serving rules and regulations are a thing of the past.
@paul Don't get me wrong -
@paul
Don't get me wrong - I'd love to see Lewiston connected to Amtrak. In fact, if common sense prevails, it will happen some day.
Unfortunately the specs for tracks to carry passengers is different than the specs for freight. The tracks will require a major upgrade which will permit higher speeds and safer passage.
Don't worry Paul - mass transit will return and trains are more efficient than busses. It may be more like the old inter-urban light rail of the early 20th century than full blown trains, but Lewiston, and maybe even Jay, will reconnect to the rest of the world.
Growing up, I could walk to the end of my street and using public transit only go to Katmandu if I wanted. I didn't need a car or even a bicycle.
Pain is a good thing
as long as it's someone else's pain.
God forbid the creators of jobs in Southeast Asia (China's getting expensive, folks) should have to help with the cost of government. Let the full cost fall on the backs of those who've had a free ride all these years, the poor and the middle class.
For those who wonder - I'm tired of pointing out the obvious, so I've resorted to agreeing with the (expletive deleted by me).
Correct again
But, it runs counter to the philosophy that pain - other peoples' pain - is good. The result is that you could duct tape LePage and his sycophants in the legislature to their chairs, force them to listen to a reading of Mr. Rooks' column, and they would squeeze their eyes shut and drown out the wisdom with,"nanananana..."
As for Boehner, McConnell, Cantor Freres, might I suggest a mandatory viewing of "Tale of Two Cities" for that is what will come to them - figuratively if not literally. I'm going to learn to knit.
The real solution is to vote this coming fall. I'll make it easy to decide for whom you vote, does that person really give a rat's patoot about you and people like you or is he or she more concerned with the deep pockets types who fund the campaigns.
Coincidentally
The easiest and surest way to decertify a union is to eliminate the jobs its members hold.
As a Wilton taxpayer, may I ask what letting go custodial/bus driver staff will save Wilton taxpayers per thousand of assessed value. I suspect I may be limited in the vacation I might be able to afford - perhaps having the money for gas to drive to Small's Falls or maybe even the coast.
Will unemployment and the inevitable increase in demand for services laid off staff can no longer afford offset my savings or has LePage been taking care of that already?
Heavy sigh
I guess an H&K submachine gun, even one modified to semi-automatic only, complete with a silencer is the ultimate phallic symbol.
Personally, I'd prefer an M-60 to hand hold the way Stallone did if I wanted to impress a woman or intimidate a man. My first instinct was a quad mount 40 like we had on my old ship in the 60's - they should be fairly cheap surplus - but the ammunition for an afternoon of turning the neighborhood into a war zone might be a little expensive.
Still - exercising my 2nd Amendment right to pretend to be John Wayne...
Mr. Rooks is exactly correct
And Republican legislators are caught between a rock and a hard place. The rock being a very noisy minority that calls itself the Tea Party and their hero LeRoi LePage. The hard place being a lot of voters who are not happy with the legislature's imitation of an omega dog - on its back with all four paws in the air.
LeRoi has a couple of more years. Thanks to Deb Plowden, recall wasn't even given talking room at the committee level, so future bullies can continue to bully. But legislators face the voters this fall. Presumably LeRoi will be returned to Marden's as defective merchandise in 2014.
I think it would be a good idea to turn off DWTS and whatever other pablum is current in the fall TV season and begin to pay attention to who's running and how badly the Koch's want them in office. If Koch brothers money is being poured into ads for legislator X, you can bet he or she is far to the right of Genghis Kahn. You need to vote for the other guy or woman.
Where to begin?
"As little as $400..."
That's 2/3rds of the total retirement income of many. Of course, the conservative response is that that is the fault of the worker who didn't save enough of his minimum wage to allow him to live high on the hog.
Then again - if Republicans are given free rein, these poor retirees will die off rather quickly with no health care, housing or food so, with a little small print, that $400/mo given to the bankers will become the property of God's chosen.
This letter is just another example of how clueless the "haves" are about how the "have nots" live.
KO - not so much
You forgot Colbert.
Otherwise, you're correct.