Where are We At?

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Aslkahuna
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Where are We At?

#1 Postby Aslkahuna » Thu Jul 08, 2004 7:56 pm

The following quote from Alexander Tyler-a Unversity of Edinburgh history
Professor who wrote this in 1787 (about when we adopted our Constitution) about the Fall of the Athenian Republic, was printed in our local newspaper yesterday.

" A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a
permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority will always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship." Sound familiar?

"the average age of the world's great civilizations from the beginning of
history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations have always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From great courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy: <---
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage."

The arrow is where I place us. What's your opinion?

Steve
8-)
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#2 Postby wx247 » Thu Jul 08, 2004 8:15 pm

I would place us probably from abundance to complacency. I don't think we are apathetic yet.
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#3 Postby mf_dolphin » Thu Jul 08, 2004 8:26 pm

I'm leaning more toward Steve. I thought we woke up after 9-11 but I'm not sure we aren't slipping back...
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#4 Postby Stephanie » Thu Jul 08, 2004 8:39 pm

I'm leaning toward where Steve has the arrow as well. I've seen that quote before. It's scary.
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#5 Postby Skywatch_NC » Thu Jul 08, 2004 8:43 pm

Complacency to apathy

Eric
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#6 Postby wx247 » Thu Jul 08, 2004 8:46 pm

Are we truly apathetic though? If we are that is a scary thought.

Apathetic defined: "Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent" (dictionary.com)

I think that the majority of Americans are concerned.
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#7 Postby CaluWxBill » Thu Jul 08, 2004 8:47 pm

wx247 wrote:Are we truly apathetic though? If we are that is a scary thought.

Apathetic defined: "Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent" (dictionary.com)

I think that the majority of Americans are concerned.


We had a wake-up call.
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#8 Postby Lindaloo » Thu Jul 08, 2004 8:51 pm

We did get our wake up call on 9/11. However, I do believe alot of people have forgotten. THAT is the scary thing to me.
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#9 Postby wx247 » Thu Jul 08, 2004 8:55 pm

I agree Linda, but I think 9/11 is when we lost our abundancy of lots of things... including innocence and invincibility. Now that we are a few years past the event, I don't think we are indifferent to terrorism or any other major issue in society. I think we are more complacent.
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#10 Postby Lindaloo » Thu Jul 08, 2004 8:58 pm

wx247 wrote:I agree Linda, but I think 9/11 is when we lost our abundancy of lots of things... including innocence and invincibility. Now that we are a few years past the event, I don't think we are indifferent to terrorism or any other major issue in society. I think we are more complacent.


Good point.
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#11 Postby Aslkahuna » Thu Jul 08, 2004 11:50 pm

Well, we were complacent before 9-11 and we are so concerned that in the past three Presidential elections voter turnout as been just barely over or even below 50% with the rest of the people not caring that less than 30% are deciding how the Country will be run.

Steve
8-)
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#12 Postby opera ghost » Thu Jul 08, 2004 11:53 pm

I would argue that we are currently at apathy- and moving towards dependance....

But only time and history books will tell.
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#13 Postby azsnowman » Fri Jul 09, 2004 9:14 am

mf_dolphin wrote:I'm leaning more toward Steve. I thought we woke up after 9-11 but I'm not sure we aren't slipping back...



I have to agree, we ARE slipping back into "Naaah, it CAN'T happen HERE AGAIN!"

Dennis
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#14 Postby pawlee » Fri Jul 09, 2004 9:33 am

complacently apathetic...

(or is it constipatedly apologetic? too anal to stand up for what is right.)
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