How then, do we move backwards? How does a society, with most of the people having no clue of future events, move from being dependent on a vast and intertwined network of goods and services produced by the indigenous people of whereever, to a local resource and renewable energy based society, and do so in the timeframe available (20-30 years using the most liberal extimates, 10-20 with resonable estimates, 5-10 with worst case scenarios), all the while prices on everything increasing, world politics getting more militaristic, governments continuously reducing civil liberties, shortages of goods on the market and weather patterns resembling bad Hollywood movies?
Joined: Aug 04, 2005 Posts: 421 Location: Traded the man in front of the tank for a cat playing the banjo
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:49 am Post subject: Revenge
This Christmas I listened to an amazing conversation, it was from one of my relatives from Argentina. The story is as follows. This guy is a self made man, self employed, strong work ethic, has worked hard his all his life... you get the picture. So he gets married and puts all his life savings into buying a nice apartment very well located, since he had worked and saved for a long time he can pay off the house in only two years, once the last payment is made he finds out he's been ripped off, the house does not belong to him and he can't get the money back, the guy who sold it to him just ripped him off. He is mad, you can imagine, but this is Argentina in the 70's and there is a military government, so he goes to see a friend from his childhood who works for a general. The friend sees no problem at all: "we arrest and torture him untill he gives you your money back and then we make him dissapear, we do it all the time dude". My relative and his wife both freak out in his office but try to look calm.
So what would you choose? If you knew you had this options, what'd you do? Get your money back knowing that there'll be no legal consecuences for you? Forget it?
They choose to forget it and went the legal way, they could only get 25% of their money back. Didn't want to have to deal with a death all his life they say.
But if you ask me... The only reason I wouldn't do it is for not owing anything to this guys. As far as any morals are concerned, if you f*** me... _________________ When someone interprets as derogatory almost anything that is said about him (or about groups with whom he identifies) we conclude that he has inferiority feelings or low self-esteem.
Joined: May 10, 2007 Posts: 2616 Location: The Entropisphere
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:18 am Post subject: Re: Revenge
It also assumes a closed universe without any unforeseen consequences. If, at some later date, the secret files are opened and the finger points to you, for example.
The universe is not a closed system and we cannot foresee all of the consequences of our actions. All the more reason to be conservative in the best sense of that word. _________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain."
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:41 pm Post subject: Re: Revenge
I would want to get my money back. The scum that will fleece the life savings of another person get no sympathy for me. (That goes for all the multi million dollar CEO's pretending to "add value") it appears with the current financial market fiasco and Peak Oil headed our way that some day in the not to distant future heads may roll.
And why would you call getting your entire life savings back revenge? If I stole something off you, got caught, you get your stuff back and I go to goal and get butt raped is that revenge? I don't think so. _________________ "Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box."
-Italian Proverb
Joined: Oct 18, 2004 Posts: 1715 Location: kiwibush
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:51 pm Post subject: Re: Revenge
I reserve my perspective for the system we have created, not those within who are confined by its limits, no matter how loathsome they are. _________________ Bugger me, I hear oil's runnin out mate!
Joined: Jun 13, 2007 Posts: 3262 Location: Minniesotuh
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 4:00 pm Post subject: Re: Revenge
kevincarter wrote:
So what would you choose? If you knew you had this options, what'd you do? Get your money back knowing that there'll be no legal consecuences for you? Forget it?
Interesting.... A part of me would do all the research to make sure there would not be such a problem in the first place.
A part of me would say, if the situation above occurred, go the legal route; if I only got 25% back, I would keep fighting for the rest.
A part of me would want to financially destroy, er, I mean punish, the guy who ripped me off. But, I certainly would not want to be in a place where I owed someone a payback.
I grow more xenophobic with age-you leave me alone, and I will leave you alone. _________________ "RRrrruuuunnnn!!!" ~Apocalypto
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