conspiracy theories....

[Pirog]

Don't confuse apathy with skepticism.

They are quite dependant on each other.
It is no coincidence that the entertainment is mass produced in such a fasion nowdays, apathetic people aren't sceptical. (in general)

You can't educate the apathy out of people.

I believe you can.
The amount of highly educated people rotting away in front of the TV is much lower than compared to uneducated, poor people.
rklenseth would say that they are apathetic because they are lazy bums, I say they are lazy because they lack education for finding a more stimulating environment.
(But yes, some people are just lazy bums )

Paranoia is independent.

Well, yes...but paranoia isn't a good thing

On the EU thing. It is trying to make a large state like the USA but don't worry it won't be like the USA. Too many Europeans in it.

And where the hell do you think most Americans came from originally?
But I really hope you are right.
I would hate to see the unique cultures and traditions in European countries go to waste...I hate the damn standardization that the Western world is trying to pull. EU byreucrats (spell check?) have complained about our meatballs and strawberries being to small, our milk to fat and so on...

[Meh]

On the EU thing. It is trying to make a large state like the USA but don't worry it won't be like the USA. Too many Europeans in it.

And where the hell do you think most Americans came from originally?
But I really hope you are right.
I would hate to see the unique cultures and traditions in European countries go to waste...I hate the damn standardization that the Western world is trying to pull. EU byreucrats (spell check?) have complained about our meatballs and strawberries being to small, our milk to fat and so on...

It takes about three generations to be blended into a culture without sepeartion being a tradition. The only way to make the EU seem like the US is to move all the EU here for 60 years and then put them back. Of course this would have to be done slowly over time. There are more people in the EU than in the USA so the net effect would be to make the USA into EU if done all at once.

And with that parilmentary system means the green party always has a seat to stir things up. Our system does not support that even if the same percentage of people supported it. Ours is locational. The green party would have to concentrate all their members in a single state or region to be a majority to be part of the goverment here at any level.

[Darth Tiberius]

*sighs* I don't see why the EU and the US have to be at competition.

[west]

economic penis envy

[Guest]

Goodwin>

And with that parilmentary system means the green party always has a seat to stir things up.

You make it sound that they are some kind of terrorist organization

I would guess your media is not focusing very much on envinmental issues, since a "green" party seems to have no chance at all to gain influence in USA, so while you see them as bad I see the them as a very important party.
Chances are pretty big that civilisation as we know it will start to crumble during our life time. That is why the rest of the world was so disappointed when USA refused to sign the Kyoto agreement.

But you are right that they often end up in a role where they get much influence even though they have few voters.
But they don't have much political influence in matters other then the environment.

[Pirog]

Darth Tiberius>

It is rather natural.
As long as the Soviet Union existed there was a form of balance politically, although it was upheld in rather scary ways.

Now USA can, or at least believe they can, do whatever they want since they are the only super power.
(In fact, USA would crumble in days if the rest of the world started bojcoting (spell check?) them, but they doesn't seem to understand/admit this.)

[Solfius]

...

You can't educate the apathy out of people.

I believe you can.
The amount of highly educated people rotting away in front of the TV is much lower than compared to uneducated, poor people.
...

I'm studying GCSE geography, and having done a unit on Rural Urban Fringe issues, and how cities are expanding and gorwing, find myself much more interested in new developments near my home than I used to be. Particularly the building of a new town in a large greenfield valley of 4000 homes.

So I'm inclined to agree that education does encourage a non-apathetic approach to life by informing people about the world at large

[Solfius]

bojcoting (spell check?)

If you want a spell check, I believe it's spelt "boycotting"

[Meh]

*sighs* I don't see why the EU and the US have to be at competition.

Not competion. Different.

[Darth Tiberius]

There is no envy! I'm American in blood actually so why am I jelous of a nation I'm proud of to a certain degree.

Also, I realise that it is only natural to compete to see who will be the superpower but in doing so the thruid world is being hit by the different competitions between the US and the EU. Instead we should all cokme togehter ro work towards doing that to a certain degree. Only I know that'd probably never happen. But there are many reasons why this sompetition is damaging. A lot more than what I've said.

And don't think that I know nothing about economics.

[Solfius]

For someone passionately anti-left, those ideas about ending competition and working together sounded very socialistic....

[Darth Tiberius]

I said it once. And I'll say it again.

I have many both left and right viewpoints!!

I am not anti-left. I am center! It doesn't mean I am luke warm or do not have a political preference. Center is a well established political stance!

[Solfius]

I find it is very painful to sit on the fence, especially picket fences, or fancy iron railings.

[Meh]

Goodwin>

And with that parilmentary system means the green party always has a seat to stir things up.

You make it sound that they are some kind of terrorist organization

I would guess your media is not focusing very much on envinmental issues, since a "green" party seems to have no chance at all to gain influence in USA, so while you see them as bad I see the them as a very important party.
Chances are pretty big that civilisation as we know it will start to crumble during our life time. That is why the rest of the world was so disappointed when USA refused to sign the Kyoto agreement.

But you are right that they often end up in a role where they get much influence even though they have few voters.
But they don't have much political influence in matters other then the environment.

They're not bad just small. I wasused them as an example because they are small.

[kroner]

And I'd like to point out that the Green Party tipped the last presidential election.... for Bush