What's going on around the world/why so much chaos

[SFGIANTSGUY28]

MEDIA.

 

[nammac]

Many good and valid points have been made in this thread. And just about all
of them I find myself nodding in the affirmative.

While it's true that technology has shrunken our world and the elites are busy trying to control it...

The truth is the common man for the most part has lost his moral compass... He's lost that one grounding point in his life...

Honestly, broken families, lack of morals, devaluation of human life, personal greed, lack of compassion, blurring the lines between right and wrong, political correctness, participation awards, everyone wins even when they've really lost, it's not Johnnies fault he murdered, raped or stole, he's just a victim of his circumstances, are all contributing factors to our downfall... We have made excuses rather than take responsibility...

Perhaps if we stopped murdering our unborn, put God back in our schools, included him in our daily lives and behaved as if one day we would be judged on what we've done, if we could just regain our collective conscience...

Then perhaps there would be hope for this once great society... And the world as a whole...

My rant is over and I've got the flame retardant underwear on...

 

[wired]

The world is still shifting around after the end of the Cold War and ultimately since the end of WWII. The Soviet Union fell a little too fast and they are rebuilding their empire. America over expanded after the Cold War and is still flexing its muscle as an empire and as an imperialist nation we have areas under our control that dont want us there and are fighting back.

 

[Pops1911]

Good morning forum members. With great trepidation I would like to add my .02 worth to this important thread...
Back in the late 1990s there was a book written [study actually] called "The Fourth Turning" written by Strauss and Howe. It was a thought provoking and startling look at Western patterns of history since 1360AD. The quick book review was that history itself is not linear [despite what most have been taught] but it is cyclical and always repeating although with different generations. The authors re-discovered what the ancient philosophers already knew. History plays out [repeats if you will] over an approximate 80-100 year cycle called a "saculem"... the life span of a long lived human being. Each generation of new people live through their own saculem. The saculem was further divided into 4 specific generational experiences called "turnings". I apologize here that a lot of you probably already know of this. However, I want to lay a very basic framework of understanding for those unfamiliar with The Fourth Turning insights.
Each of these turnings correspond to Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter. When each generation [20-25 years] is born they experience the turnings in order. For those of us born in the First Turning 1945-1965 have experienced a different life experience than those born in the 1980s for example. That's why for me I can honestly say the times we are now living in remind me of the 1960's on steroids! I'll quickly cut to the chase here In about 2008 all of us have entered the Winter [Fourth] Turning. Like winter, more cold and stormy days are ahead for everyone. This cycle has played and replayed every 80-100 years since the 1300s. There are great charts about this in the book. Yes, we are all feeling the generational pressure of dis-ease and we don't exactly know what to do. I believe my last sentence sums up the sentiments I have been reading on this thread. What is happening is to be expected given the Fourth Turning saculem the world has just entered. That's the helpful news. The scary [for me] part is EVERY 4th Turning has ended with nasty world wars. WW2 was the last winter turning. Before that it was the Civil War. Before that it was the American Revolution. This Fourth Turning is expected to last until about 2025. So, we are all in it for the long haul so to speak. If this interests you there are numerous sites on the web dealing with The Fourth Turning. The book itself is still on Amazon. I own two dog eared and marked up copies myself.
My final intent with this response is to simply lay out some framework that has been helpful to me and hope it gives others the same help and understandings. I am NO EXPERT and I have nothing to sell. But, you already know that about me. Thanks for reading this. Pops

 

[wired]

I think while there are always going to be small wars the cycle of big wars ended with the advent of nuclear weapons.

 

[Howard1955]

Many good and valid points have been made in this thread. And just about all
of them I find myself nodding in the affirmative.

While it's true that technology has shrunken our world and the elites are busy trying to control it...

The truth is the common man for the most part has lost his moral compass... He's lost that one grounding point in his life...

Honestly, broken families, lack of morals, devaluation of human life, personal greed, lack of compassion, blurring the lines between right and wrong, political correctness, participation awards, everyone wins even when they've really lost, it's not Johnnies fault he murdered, raped or stole, he's just a victim of his circumstances, are all contributing factors to our downfall... We have made excuses rather than take responsibility...

Perhaps if we stopped murdering our unborn, put God back in our schools, included him in our daily lives and behaved as if one day we would be judged on what we've done, if we could just regain our collective conscience...

Then perhaps there would be hope for this once great society... And the world as a whole...

My rant is over and I've got the flame retardant underwear on...

Nammac,

What you're describing is what the Bible calls Repentance. I wholeheartedly agree - this is what the USA needs, if it is going to survive.

 

[HuckleberryFun]

Good morning forum members. With great trepidation I would like to add my .02 worth to this important thread...
Back in the late 1990s there was a book written [study actually] called "The Fourth Turning" written by Strauss and Howe. It was a thought provoking and startling look at Western patterns of history since 1360AD. The quick book review was that history itself is not linear [despite what most have been taught] but it is cyclical and always repeating although with different generations. The authors re-discovered what the ancient philosophers already knew. History plays out [repeats if you will] over an approximate 80-100 year cycle called a "saculem"... the life span of a long lived human being. Each generation of new people live through their own saculem. The saculem was further divided into 4 specific generational experiences called "turnings". I apologize here that a lot of you probably already know of this. However, I want to lay a very basic framework of understanding for those unfamiliar with The Fourth Turning insights.
Each of these turnings correspond to Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter. When each generation [20-25 years] is born they experience the turnings in order. For those of us born in the First Turning 1945-1965 have experienced a different life experience than those born in the 1980s for example. That's why for me I can honestly say the times we are now living in remind me of the 1960's on steroids! I'll quickly cut to the chase here In about 2008 all of us have entered the Winter [Fourth] Turning. Like winter, more cold and stormy days are ahead for everyone. This cycle has played and replayed every 80-100 years since the 1300s. There are great charts about this in the book. Yes, we are all feeling the generational pressure of dis-ease and we don't exactly know what to do. I believe my last sentence sums up the sentiments I have been reading on this thread. What is happening is to be expected given the Fourth Turning saculem the world has just entered. That's the helpful news. The scary [for me] part is EVERY 4th Turning has ended with nasty world wars. WW2 was the last winter turning. Before that it was the Civil War. Before that it was the American Revolution. This Fourth Turning is expected to last until about 2025. So, we are all in it for the long haul so to speak. If this interests you there are numerous sites on the web dealing with The Fourth Turning. The book itself is still on Amazon. I own two dog eared and marked up copies myself.
My final intent with this response is to simply lay out some framework that has been helpful to me and hope it gives others the same help and understandings. I am NO EXPERT and I have nothing to sell. But, you already know that about me. Thanks for reading this. Pops

"All this has happened before. All this will happen again...
and again... and again..." --Battlestar Galactica wisdom

 

[Gene Rojas]

I'm a practicing Christian, so most of you already know my belief for the explanation of recent events and how everything seems to be getting worse each day- I won't preach or missionize here, I know many of you share my beliefs as well. But I also have friends down here and up in the Northwest who are not Christians, and I still remain friends with them too.

If you think things are bad now, imagine how it will be after a major catastrophe. Other than prepping for a natural or man-made catastrophe, there's not really much anything we can do to stop it- just be prepared and ride it out. In a worst case scenario where the government cannot render enough aid and assistance, unprepared people will resort to stealing, acts of violence and murder to get the basic necessities like food, water, and shelter. Those who prepped will gather in their homes or bug-out locations, prepare their defenses, and wait. If it gets worse and the government can no longer maintain order, watch for groups of roving marauders who will try to take what they need by numbers and force- it will play out like scenes from "The Walking Dead", but without the fantasy of zombies.

As unrealistic and corny as this scenario may sound, I've lived through the Rodney King riots in 1992 and the Northridge earthquake in 1994- a combination of these two actual events would bring widespread kaos, panic, looting, destruction and death for any cities near it's epicenter. For the Northwest, I can see a major volcanic eruption bringing and end to the peaceful, tranquil existence and great natural beauty that Oregon and Washington share. Yellowstone's caldera erupting would change the appearance of the Northwest and west coast for sure.

Geno

 

[Howard1955]

Common sense seems to be thing of the past.

<broken link removed>

 

[nammac]

Common sense seems to be thing of the past.

<broken link removed>

View attachment 314574

But don't have a pledge of alligence with the word God in it... Too many double standards...

The parents need to protest this, there's many way to do so... It should start with the school board and escalate from there...

 

[HuckleberryFun]

Same thing here in Portland: "Satan worshippers" saying that if schools allow after school Christian prayer meetings then they MUST allow the Church of Satan too. Here, though, it seems to be more of a Portland-y lark rather than real devil worshippers.

Ridiculousness aside, they do bring up a serious and real legal point. Under both the equal protection clause of the Constitution as well as the "no establishment of religion clause," if the govt. (at any level) allows one religion to meet on its property then they have to allow them ALL, even the unpopular ones. Christians are not supposed to get special privileges. Muslims, Buddhists, or whatever all can demand the same. If you are a die hard Constitutionalist then you have to concede this point even if you are yourself a Christian. Fudge on this point and you (IMHO) give up the moral/legal high ground on our cherished Second Amendment too.

 

[Jamie6.5]

Same thing here in Portland: "Satan worshippers" saying that if schools allow after school Christian prayer meetings then they MUST allow the Church of Satan too. Here, though, it seems to be more of a Portland-y lark rather than real devil worshippers.

Ridiculousness aside, they do bring up a serious and real legal point. Under both the equal protection clause of the Constitution as well as the "no establishment of religion clause," if the govt. (at any level) allows one religion to meet on its property then they have to allow them ALL, even the unpopular ones. Christians are not supposed to get special privileges. Muslims, Buddhists, or whatever all can demand the same. If you are a die hard Constitutionalist then you have to concede this point even if you are yourself a Christian. Fudge on this point and you (IMHO) give up the moral/legal high ground on our cherished Second Amendment too.

To a point you're correct. When it comes to children, what their wants are and what they're exposed to, brings limits with it. Limits set by parents and laws both.
Children should not be exposed to, or granted access to hardcore porn via the school system regardless of constitutional law and the wishes of Larry Flint and the ACLU. That is upheld by the courts, on the grounds it is considered "obscene," and opens the door for abuse.

In addition, as long as children and their conduct are considered the responsibility of their parents, said parents must have, and should have a greater voice in the determination of whether or not satanic services/studies serve the children's common good, along with most other proposals that have the potential impact on a child's life that this one carries with it.
I can easily see a scenario where the PTA would/could be successful in having the satanists tossed out in most communities, regardless of any equal time arguments made before the school board.

I certainly wouldn't bet on PDX public school parents to exhibit that level of common sense however.
That would go against the grain of the "Keep Portland Weird" crowd.

 

[HuckleberryFun]

To a point you're correct. When it comes to children, what their wants are and what they're exposed to, brings limits with it. Limits set by parents and laws both.
Children should not be exposed to, or granted access to hardcore porn via the school system regardless of constitutional law and the wishes of Larry Flint and the ACLU. That is upheld by the courts, on the grounds it is considered "obscene," and opens the door for abuse.

In addition, as long as children and their conduct are considered the responsibility of their parents, said parents must have, and should have a greater voice in the determination of whether or not satanic services/studies serve the children's common good, along with most other proposals that have the potential impact on a child's life that this one carries with it.
I can easily see a scenario where the PTA would/could be successful in having the satanists tossed out in most communities, regardless of any equal time arguments made before the school board.

I certainly wouldn't bet on PDX public school parents to exhibit that level of common sense however.
That would go against the grain of the "Keep Portland Weird" crowd.

The children and porn reference is a red herring, so I'll ignore it.
The rest is the infamous "but what about the children?" argument. Let's use that in a Second Amendment context:
"Yes, the Constitution says you can have guns, but guns are a danger to children. Therefore if you have children in your house your right to have guns should be taken away or restricted. For the children!"

People who disagree with you may have a bit more common sense than you give them credit for. Well, we'll see...

 

[Jamie6.5]

The children and porn reference is a red herring, so I'll ignore it.
The rest is the infamous "but what about the children?" argument. Let's use that in a Second Amendment context:
"Yes, the Constitution says you can have guns, but guns are a danger to children. Therefore if you have children in your house your right to have guns should be taken away or restricted. For the children!"

People who disagree with you may have a bit more common sense than you give them credit for. Well, we'll see...

We're not talking about satanists and/or porn in the home. We're talking about satanists and porn in the schools.

And if you think restrictions on guns in schools hasn't passed constitutional muster in the courts, I have some bad news for you.
Red herring indeed. Grow up. The "free society" argument goes both ways.

In the case of schools and what school facilities paid for by taxpayers are used for, the taxpayer has a voice, and that voice should be considered as well. School boards that allow crap like this always sound so clueless when they can't pass a bond measure, and I always laugh.

Parents should be free to restrict their children's access to things they deem improper. If that includes restricting their own children's access to guns or porn or religion, they should be free to do that. Until the child's general health and welfare becomes jeopardized because of the decisions of the parents, there's little reason to argue otherwise.
Once the child reaches adulthood, they're free to do whatever is within the law. But that's no longer the parent's decision.

 

[Gene Rojas]

Alot of so-called religious faiths practiced in the US are supposedly good and family-oriented, but if it can be shown that a faith has elements that are against local laws and go against accepted American morality (like the Muslim practice of men having sex with children or certain Satanic rituals practiced naked), then should they also be allowed into public schools where children are present? I don't know a single parent who would tolerate these things- nor should a school board ever be allowed to make these decisions for children who aren't their own.

If all the Portlandian or Seattle liberals are okay with their kids associating with Muslim pedophiles and kids seeing naked adults worship Satan on school property, then it's safe to say the end of the world is coming.

As far as guns and children are concerned, Americans have been teaching their kids gun handling and safety for years. Plenty of adult shooters have handled weapons for years safely, thanks to their parent's training. Of course it's the parents' responsibility to keep the weapons locked up and secure too- in cases where children have gone on shooting sprees, the minor obtained an unsecure weapon or killed a parent to gain access to the weapons.

Geno

 

[PaulB47]

The world has become devoid of leaders.

And good riddance. People want leaders so they don't have to think for themselves. The more the people hate and mistrust politicians, or ignore them, the better off we are.

As to schools:
"The fundamental point to be made about parents and students is not that they are politically weak, but that, even in a perfectly functioning democratic system, the public schools are not meant to be theirs to control and are literally not supposed to provide them with the kind of education they might want. The schools are agencies of society as a whole, and everyone has a right to participate in their governance. Parents and students have a right to participate too. But they have no right to win. In the end, they have to take what society gives them."
-- John E. Chubb & Terry M. Moe, Politics, Markets and America's Schools [1990]

Fortunately that is no longer so. Don't like what is going on in schools? Pull your kids out. Time to get off the welfare dole anyway.

 

[Libertas7]

And good riddance. People want leaders so they don't have to think for themselves. The more the people hate and mistrust politicians, or ignore them, the better off we are.

It depends on on how you define "leader".

 

[PaulB47]

Yep. The difference is coercion. I have no problem with anyone who leads by example, and never imposes. Needless to say, nobody in politics fits this definition of "leader".

 

[teflon6string]

It all comes down to instant gratification. Cut somebody's head off, promise to build a wall or refuse to bake a cake? You're gonna be on the "news."

 

[Brutus57]

Pretty sure the Arab idolization of Hitler has much to do with his near total annihilation of the Jewish ethnicity.

Brutus Out