David Simon: 'There are now two Americas. My country is a horror show'

[zitothebrave]

Thought we were talking about the US in the early 1900s?

Boop

[goldfly]

Yes, despite what they may say most Americans want a balance between socialism and capitalism. And that's what we have now.

i don't think it is what we have at all

[sturg33]

Thought we were talking about the US in the early 1900s?

Why you have thought that, when the conversation was about capitalism?

[sturg33]

In 1887 Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:

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 always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.

[weso1]

i don't think it is what we have at all

Poor word choice on my part. I meant more of a mix rather than a balance.

[The Chosen One]

In 1887 Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:

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 always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.

What an oracle. Now show me thr part where he predicted greed on wall street, robots and machines replacing manual labor, technology wiping out industries of jobs, nuclear weapons, and automatic rifles.

[cajunrevenge]

Can you give me an example, either contemporary or historical, of a free society?

Estonia.

[Julio3000]

Why you have thought that, when the conversation was about capitalism?

That's a clown evasion, bro.

[Julio3000]

Estonia.

Thanks for answering the question. What qualities, in your opinion, set Estonia apart from the US?

[weso1]

Thanks for answering the question. What qualities, in your opinion, set Estonia apart from the US?

They can buy booze on Sunday morning.

[jpx7]

They can buy booze on Sunday morning.

So can (and do) I.

[weso1]

So can (and do) I.

You live in Estonia?

[jpx7]

You live in Estonia?

Nope: just a permissive little corner of the good ol' Land o' Lincoln.

[Oklahomahawk]

You live in Estonia?

That would explain a lot wouldn't it???

[Julio3000]

You live in Estonia?

Maybe Colorado, where you can get legally estoned.

[The Chosen One]

Maybe Colorado, where you can get legally estoned.

[jpx7]

You live in Estonia?

That would explain a lot wouldn't it???

[Oklahomahawk]