The Birdfeeder

[ChemEng]

Is the military a socialistic entity?

I dont even think this point is debatable.

Is someone who defends capitalism a socialist?

Not necessarily. There are many people who make quite a good living off of defending capitalism--just ask Blackwater, Lockheed Martin, SAIC, and numerous other contractors. I can assure you their motivations are extremely capitalistic.

But doesn't having an active TSP account mean I'm more CAPITALISTIC?

Again, not necessarily. Remember that many countries with socialist economic systems also have an 'open' market as well. (Think of China here.) Im sure there is some version of a Chinese TSP somewhere in their system.

I think you are getting hung up on the idea that we are either purely capitalist society or we are completely socialist. That model is completely wrong. In fact there have been lots of smart people that talk about how purely capitalistic societies are just as 'bad' as other theoretically pure economic systems.

(This, by the way, is another point of great discussion well beyond the scope of this message board. Ayn Rand is a good place to start exploring this topic a bit although she can be a bit---dry.)

 

[Griffin]

My birdfeeder keeps the cats from next door fed. Can that be plugged into the analogy?

Absolutely - that's all we need are enough cats - well trained cats that can sniff out the trouble makers.

You hear the "we didn't cross the border, the border crossed us bs" - I say CATS, with uparmored HMMWV's and Ma Deuce.

When a few up and coming General Officer fat CATS of the likes of both north and south (i.e. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and co) were sitting in Mexico City and using Santa Ana's leg as a stool, the birds weren't chirpin so loud.

Them birdies have a home by the graces of limited troop supplies and yellow fever - they have a home, but if they want to be a guest in mine, then they better live by the rules, and they need to leave that "the drugs didn't cross the border - the border crossed the drug dealers" garbage where it belongs - in Mexico, because the CATS are out there. If you set up bird feeders (or barrels of water ) in the desert - don't cry when the CATs snag the birds.

All we need now is someone who knows how to herd CATS - maybe someone who has fought organized crime and kows how to handle a crisis without losing his cool......hmmmmmm...who fits that bill....dare I say Rudy?

 

[Wolverine]

Birchtree........I like your example here, short and to the point.

Budnipper1........I like your point also with all this.

 

[Show-me]

Ewww, interesting discussion.

Bud,

Nice point. IMO it IS about subsidies and freebies. Mexico’s government puts out a brochure telling/showing its citizens how to come to the U.S. and get some. I wonder why. The tax payer has to foot the bill for the educating and health care of those that need or want it.

Everyone,

Here is what happened here a few weeks ago.

We had a murder in a small community near here and the accused is an “undocumented worker”. The small town government is at a loss because they do not know how to handle the problems that are accruing because so many “undocumented workers” are inundating the system there. The “undocumented workers” are working at a local meat packing plant that has been raided more than once.

Who pays for the accused meals, health care, clothing, and defense attorney? Is the accused home country going to reimburse the local government? To me that’s a lot of bird feed going to a bird that I can not even get a positive ID on.

I don’t have a huge problem letting folks into the U.S. to make a better life for them. I just want to make sure they are not criminals or are just trying to “work the system” at our expense.

We have seen what letting a flood of people unchecked into other countries has done to their systems and culture. France, Germany, U.K., Netherlands, etc.

JMO

 

[Birchtree]

Dumbing down our kids is the worst sin the socialist liberals commit. Make everyone the same so all have the same level of competence and selfesteem. And no one learns anything because the bar is set so low. Perhaps an example would demonstrate these consequences.

When my daughter was a sixth grader and a victim of forced busing to maintain a certain racial parity, she had a science course. There were 26 chapters on basic science - the study of the earth, clouds, etc. During that particular school year they managed to complete only six chapters. I was so torqued I went and bought the book and made her read it during her summer vacation. I then had to hire a lawyer to get her transfered to our neighborhood school - what a hassel they gave me. Saying one girl moving would disrupt the political correctness of racial parity - bullshit. Come to find out when this particular school published their government report card there were 1,500 other families that did the same thing. This particular school had a poor rating on in school discipline and rated even lower on expulsion of the most disorderly punks. Talk about the virtues of multiculturalism. My daughter is now serving in the Army and I'd bet a good proportion of her then class mates are now serving the liberal constituency from prison or are on the public dole in some manner.

 

[budnipper1]

The bird feeder in this analogy is the US. I dont really see taking it down as a viable option.

No, the analogy is related to the government subsidies (freebies) handed out by the government through ridiculous legislation. The government IS NOT the U.S. The government is supposed to work FOR the U.S!

Now lets see....... our government gives out free food, subsidized housing,
free medical care, free education and allows anyone born here to be
an automatic citizen.

Then the illegal's came by the tens of thousands.

Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are
housing 5 families: you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room
doctor: your child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over
half the class doesn't speak English: Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual
box; I have to press "one" to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people
waving flags other than "Old Glory" are squawking and screaming in the
streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.

Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.

Theres many socialized institutions in the US that get along just fine in spite of our "bird-sized" brains.

The entire military, police departments, public libraries, fire departments, public schools, prisons--literally everyone that has an active TSP account has it because of some aspect of this evil socialism ideal.

What I said was:

The exaggeration might not be quite so far-fetched since this birdfeeder story offers a suggestion directly to humans with governmental empowerments. Washington's lawmakers act and legislate as though the majority of hardworking, American citizens do not have the capacity to recognize the dangers of unbridled socialism because we function and reason with "bird-sized" brains. Grandma's analogy led to a logical, grass-roots conclusion that made perfect sense to me.

I don't know to whom you are referring by saying ["our having "bird-sized" brains]", but I previously stated that this is how Washington's lawmakers depict the general population of our country. I personally don't share that opinion and have a reasonably normal-sized brain.

 

[Frixxxx]

.......--literally everyone that has an active TSP account has it because of some aspect of this evil socialism ideal.

Interesting point, however, I am in an awkward position. I'm in Civil Service and the military. Is the military a socialistic entity? Is someone who defends capitalism a socialist? I can see the argument building into an organized chaos.

Also, I am an advocate for the NSPS pay system which is to be based on performance. More performance – More Pay. This is a capitalistic approach.

The general schedule is designed for just showing up. And even then, it shows unequal pay for equal position.

But doesn't having an active TSP account mean I'm more CAPITALISTIC?

 

[ChemEng]

Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.

The bird feeder in this analogy is the US. I dont really see taking it down as a viable option.

American citizens do not have the capacity to recognize the dangers of unbridled socialism because we function and reason with "bird-sized" brains.

Theres many socialized institutions in the US that get along just fine in spite of our "bird-sized" brains. The entire military, police departments, public libraries, fire departments, public schools, prisons--literally everyone that has an active TSP account has it because of some aspect of this evil socialism ideal.

 

[budnipper1]

And the "American Culture" is what exactly if its not accepting of people coming inside its borders?

Comparing a bird to a human borders on hyperbole.

The exaggeration might not be quite so far-fetched since this birdfeeder story offers a suggestion directly to humans with governmental empowerments. Washington's lawmakers act and legislate as though the majority of hardworking, American citizens do not have the capacity to recognize the dangers of unbridled socialism because we function and reason with "bird-sized" brains. Grandma's analogy led to a logical, grass-roots conclusion that made perfect sense to me.

Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.

 

[CountryBoy]

And the "American Culture" is what exactly if its not accepting of people coming inside its borders?

Lets just to it legally. Fix the law, don't break it.

CB

 

[ChemEng]

Another multiculturalist rises to the occasion.

And the "American Culture" is what exactly if its not accepting of people coming inside its borders?

 

[charmed855]

Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.

Let's just build a fence around the bird feeder. That way, we can keep the good birds in and keep the bad birds out!

 

[offtrack]

My birdfeeder keeps the cats from next door fed. Can that be plugged into the analogy?

 

[Birchtree]

Another multiculturalist rises to the occasion.

 

[ChemEng]

Comparing a bird to a human borders on hyperbole.

 

[grandma]

QUITE AN ANALOGY

I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed.

Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous
flow of free and easily accessible food.

But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above
the table, and next to the barbecue.

Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the
table...everywhere.

Then some of the birds turned mean:

They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of
my own pocket.

And others birds were boisterous and loud:

They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and
night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.

After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore.

I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone.

I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over
the patio.


Soon, the back yard was like it used to be...... quiet, serene and no one
demanding their rights to a free meal.


Now lets see....... our government gives out free food, subsidized housing,
free medical care, free education and allows anyone born here to be
anautomatic citizen.

Then the illegal's came by the tens of thousands.

Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are
housing 5 families: you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room
doctor: your child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over
half the class doesn't speak English: Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual
box; I have to press "one" to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people
waving flags other than "Old Glory" are squawking and screaming in the
streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.

Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.



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