Other words of wisdom
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.
William Penn
I don't know what word in the English language–I can't find one–applies to people who are willing to sacrifice the literal existence of organized human life so they can put a few more dollars into highly stuffed pockets.
The word 'evil' doesn't even begin to approach it.
Noam Chomsky
Watch out for people who are always bragging about who they are.
A lion will never have to tell you it's a lion.
Stupidity is the same as evil if you judge by the results.
Margaret Atwood
It is foolish to be convinced without evidence, but it is equally foolish to refuse to be convinced by real evidence.
Upton Sinclair.
It's the truth I'm after and the truth never harmed anyone.
What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.
Marcus Aurelius
There are two ways to be fooled.
One is to believe what isn't true
The other is to refuse to believe what is true.
Soren Kierkegaard
Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Those are all great, Nancy. Thanks for sharing them!
Agree 100% Susan. Every single one is spot on and timely. Unfortunately. Oh my friends. This was a long-term design and attack on our systems, wasn’t it? I say “our” even though I’m Canadian, but we are being targeted too by the same forces. And I can clearly see that one of our political parties is just like one of yours, with some high level strategists being MAGA. We have our own fight coming up soon, so we will see.
I think Noam Chomsky’s quote is resonating most with me at the moment. I just do not understand the motivation. I think there might actually be some mental illness at play.
I understand what you’re saying, Katherine. And I share your concerns. A lot of the things going on here in America are also going on in other countries round the world, and it seems to bring out the worst in people, not the best. I understand that desperate people sometimes grasp at the thinnest of straws, but I really don’t understand how some few people who have so much are never satisfied and always want more, more, more, and value “winning” over peaceful coexistence. What motivates a person to want to achieve world dominance instead of making the world a better place for all its citizens? Since when is “diversity” a dirty word?
I don’t know a ton about Canadian politics, but I’ve tried to educate myself a bit, and I see that you have some potential shifts in government, and some extreme views may start looking very appealing to some of your citizens, just like they did here. Beware of that. People often want easy answers; to be told that they don’t have to think very hard about anything because this or that leader will tell you everything you need to know and think. That wrong can be OK if you have enough power and can get away with it. That some “types” of people are more precious than others. Watch out for “buzz words” brought out and spoken regularly that are designed to trigger knee-jerk reactions and stir people up instead of encouraging them to stop and think. You need good, strong, smart, moral, decent leaders, now more than ever. Good luck. I hope you find them. Wish we had that. They seem to be in short supply here at the moment.
I should clarify that I was referring to the billionaires in my comment about mental fitness. After your first billion, how many more do you really need, and how can you value a number and the power to rule over others over the beauty of a human life? That is what I just don’t understand. I do think there is mental illness in wanting to see people suffer or die, or not caring if people suffer or die due to your own unnecessary actions. Loss of humanity, extreme narcism, psychopathy.
I have some sympathy and compassion for the supporters, although not for the very aggressive and violent ones. Most have been mislead and lied to repeatedly and unfortunately have fallen for the lies. Common sense would say to believe people who have committed their entire lives for common good (e.g. scientists, medical professionals, etc), but many people don’t have common sense. And they need guidance, support and education. But it’s easier to follow someone who tells them that they have all the answers and is confident and knows how to manipulate than more others who have no interest in controlling them and will only offer suggestions to enable them to think for themselves.
You’re so right though Susan. This is a global problem and we see this wave rippling throughout the world. We have very similar problems in Canada as you have in the States. And we have people in leadership positions of major parties who were actually kicked out of political parties for being too extreme and crazy. But we are also lucky to have good people in leadership positions too. It’s a difficult job – one that I certainly would not want regardless of pay, benefits or power.
I think people are mostly good though. And in our tolerance and compassion, we allow the bad ones to go too far before taking action to protect society. I think perhaps that might be one of the many, many issues that prevent us all from just enjoying a peaceful existence together.