-=> Kaelon wrote to Dr. What <=-

Ka> It's a very strong indictment of the quaintness of our federalist
Ka> system. Our institutions have veered so far from Hamilton and Madison
Ka> that the way in which the Federal Government and States interact
Ka> monetarily is a profane "saving the phenomenon" that doesn't ultimately
Ka> benefit constituents or citizens at any level.

Oh, ya. But I figured that the Elitists and their hangers-on have been slowly
perverting the system since the start.

Sometimes they overstep and get caught, but not often enough.

Ka> In Massachusetts, like much of the Northeast, we deal with a typical
Ka> inbalance. We pay far more in taxes - both locally and federally - than
Ka> we receive back in services. The Federal Government redistributes
Ka> income taxes collected to poorer and less developed regions of the
Ka> country.

And it's made worse because a good chunk of that money is skimmed off by
various people through the process. Contracts to do something given to a
buddy, for example. Grants made to others, which kick the money back in the
form of political donations. Etc.

Ka> Elitists. And now, we have a vastly stupid population that believes
Ka> things like:

Ka> - Science is a lie.

Plus what they claim to be "science" is not science, but rather the musings of
the Ignorant Elitists who happen to have a worthless degree.

Ka> - Truth is all relative.

Postmodernism has been around a long time. Mostly in the ignorant
"intellectual" classes.

Ka> - People cannot be trusted.

A general breakdown of society helps them seize power.

Ka> Welcome to 1984.

Maybe closer to "Atlas Shrugged".

Ka> the West, at least, not anytime soon. You rightly point out that our
Ka> Strategic Defense Initiative, and other intense military spending under
Ka> President Reagan, precipitated the Soviet Union's collapse. But this
Ka> was possible less due to financial systematic reasons, and much more
Ka> due to the limited resources available to Russia to actually marshal
Ka> and harness production capabilities to match the rest of the Western
Ka> Alliance.

But my point was that we basially had a "military spending war" and we won
because we had more money to spend. If we have less, such a war isn't going to
turn out good for us.

Ka> I completely agree. The United States is so far ahead of the rest of
Ka> the world - not just in sheer military capacity, but also in absolute
Ka> military technology and innovation

But we are squandering that lead. The amount of wokeness in the military is
truely alarming.

And the Dems have been pushing to cut military spending for a long time now.
It's hard to keep up if you can't move forward.

.... ...I multi-task, I read in the bathroom.
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Re: Re: Recession to Depressi
By: Dr. What to Kaelon on Fri Jul 22 2022 08:33 am

> Oh, ya. But I figured that the Elitists and their hangers-on have been
> slowly perverting the system since the start.

I completely agree. I feel that we've at least had some calibrating events throughout our history to dislodge elitists, inject some populism, and balance it out with merit. But I think the last time we really had an infusion of this was during President Nixon's administration, and to call it truly meritocratic is to look the other way on some of the inescapable abuses of power.

> Sometimes they overstep and get caught, but not often enough.
> And it's made worse because a good chunk of that money is skimmed off by
> various people through the process. Contracts to do something given to a
> buddy, for example. Grants made to others, which kick the money back in the
> form of political donations. Etc.

Yes. Unions in the Northeast are a disaster, largely because they have outlived their longevity. I don't disagree that new Unions are needed to help workers organize and engage in collective bargaining in cases where there is limited competition and corporations aren't engaging with a long-term vision in mind (such as Starbucks, Amazon, and the like). But construction work is notoriously corrupt, and construction unions are an absurd abuse by and large because union management - not the workers - skim the real deals struck with government and big business.

> Plus what they claim to be "science" is not science, but rather the musings
> of the Ignorant Elitists who happen to have a worthless degree.

Absolutely spot on.

> Postmodernism has been around a long time. Mostly in the ignorant
> "intellectual" classes.

I am reminded of Pope Benedict XVI's admonition against the "dictatorship of relativism." When there is no truth, then the only reality is whatever those in power mandate it to be. And then there can be no "right" or "wrong," no "good" or "evil," only what is promoted to be ostensible and whatever runs afoul of power.

> A general breakdown of society helps them seize power.

There is no doubt that Elitists remain in power thanks in large part to Roman-style bread-and-circuses. I mentioned elsewhere that if we managed to break down the cycle of junk-food entertainment ("infotainment") and genuine malnutrition of the vast majority of the population, conditions would start to change quickly.

> Maybe closer to "Atlas Shrugged".

It's definitely a dystopia.

> But my point was that we basially had a "military spending war" and we won
> because we had more money to spend. If we have less, such a war isn't going
> to turn out good for us.

I am less concerned about Russia's capability to match the United States, let alone the entirety of the Western Alliance, with military or economic means. It is, by and large, a third-rate power that has been exposed being geopolitically beholden to second-world countries. It is a tremendous humiliation for Putin. China, on the other hand, has what it takes and has been embarking on a very concerted push.

> But we are squandering that lead. The amount of wokeness in the military is
> truely alarming.

You think there's "wokeness" in the military? I would love to understand why you think that. I think there is an absolute authoritarian and fascist bent, especially among junior officers and rank-and-file who have not really been thoroughly indoctrinated into the civic virtues that the Armed Forces are renowned for instilling in their organization. I would attribute this to an institutional breakdown of onboarding and adoption, but not a proliferation of "wokeness." There is significant organizational resistence to "woke" measures like allowing women and men to co-mingle in battle, permitting openly-gay members of the military to serve, and even gender-reassignment. All of these "woke" measures are seen for what they are - contributing to the general breakdown of the organization's cohesiveness and subverting military discipline. Individuals need to be prepared to shed their individual concerns if they are to truly be a part of a military tradition.
_____
-=: Kaelon :=-

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