quote:

Originally posted by Lebezniatniko Has anybody else noticed a serious downturn in the quality of threads and posts in PDD lately? Keys to a successful post in PDD: -Make a thread about possible wars in the Middle East -Talk about your favorite conspiracy theory with vague allegations and implications -Use Youtube videos to replace independent thoughts -Blame everything on evil bankers, liberal journalists, or big corporations -Create a new account, make controversial and incendiary posts, and then run from the thread.

Aye it's not great is it!

Me personally, I prefer to blame the big corporations!

quote:

Originally posted by George Smiley Me personally, I prefer to blame the big corporations!

Personally I blame ADD/ADHD college kids that can't keep on task longer than the latest new blurb about Britney Spears....
Plus also, if its not found on Youtube its just crap

quote:

Originally posted by shaolin_Z Yeah, tell me about it, the 19 Arab hijackers conspiracy theory and the pancake theory are fucking retarded, as is the illusion of democracy and freedom. The coperation is your friend, and the bankers don't extort you or the rest of society. What is wrong with these people?

Critical consumption of information, for one. Half of the people posting here seem to get their information from documentaries posted anonymously on youtube. I know it's expecting a lot from a message board on a site dedicated to electronic music where the norm is a thread entitled "omg drugs and lazers" but it would be nice if people brought in some actual academic sources from time to time. There are a few that do, but the overwhelming majority of posters are full of unsubstantiated claims and would rather call other opinions stupid than engage in debate.

My main point being this. This forum is full of threads about 9/11, a possible war with Iran that will never happen, inexhaustive and inconclusive complaints about the media, and dozens of threads begun with a simple youtube video.

Meanwhile:
- 45,000 people are dying in the DRC every single month and no one notices. Our conflict resolution and international development strategies are failing to bring stability to the heart of Africa. Why?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/w...ica&oref=slogin

- There is a genocide going on in the world, which has not even been mentioned. I'm sure the common thought here is that "it's in Africa, who cares?" And yet, for those Americans here at least, Africa is a sphere of influence that is fast becoming solidly the possession of China's through a process of neo-colonialism that will likely stifle indigenous development and make human rights abuses like Darfur completely ignored.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/o...ion&oref=slogin
http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/china-sudan/

- Kenya is still on fire, something that only Arbiter seems to have even noticed. The entire region is being strangled economically. The crisis is bringing up serious questions about the nature of governance and democratic process in a country where there cannot be a majority rule.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0124/p04s01-woaf.html

- People seem content debating democracy in the Middle East, but Burma is still the most repressive society on the planet and has garnered attention only for people to say "attacking monks is bad."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7093716.stm

- There are literally hundreds of demographic and environmental issues that are much larger threats than the possibility of a long-shot war against Iran.
http://t21.ca/refugees/index.htm
http://t21.ca/environ/index.htm
http://t21.ca/poverty/index.htm
http://t21.ca/population/index.htm

- The over-arching systems-level analysis of America's position in the world, and whether or not there is a unipolar or multipolar system. The transatlantic rift over Iraq, Kyoto, etc. The ascendancy of China and the relative decline of the US. IR stuff.
http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~pnorris...0leadership.pdf

These are just a few of the big issues in the world that get no attention, and yet everyone here is content to argue the authenticity of the latest anonymous user's 9/11 conspiracy theory youtube video. I am only trying to say that I think the quality of discussion on this forum could really improve by taking up a wider range of important issues and dropping the "youtube video as my opinion" shtick and getting into some actual intellectual debate.

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^^ i think the problems there kalashnikov is that you probably wouldnt find too much disagreement in those situations.

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quote:

Originally posted by shaolin_Z Yeah, tell me about it, the 19 Arab hijackers conspiracy theory and the pancake theory are fucking retarded, as is the illusion of democracy and freedom. The coperation is your friend, and the bankers don't extort you or the rest of society. What is wrong with these people?

Just let the sheepdogs do their work. It can be fun to watch

quote:

Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN ^^ i think the problems there kalashnikov is that you probably wouldnt find too much disagreement in those situations.

Isn't it more nonsensical that there IS disagreement about 9/11 and the "New World Order"?

Stop being such a sheeple.

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quote:

Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov Isn't it more nonsensical that there IS disagreement about 9/11 and the "New World Order"? Stop being such a sheeple.

always love your work mate!

edit: oh, and i notice the evil corporate controllers of the internet have given you your "V" back. hmmmm, what did you give them in return i wonder?

you've been co-opted!

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quote:

Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN and yet you guys STILL havent provided anything that makes sense instead.

A narrow minded indoctrinated individual will never be able to make any of any sense of information that compromises their world veiw. If you're stupid enough to think that the only element that factors in to human beings decision making process is pure rational thought, well, you're pretty fucking naive. I have little resspect for most people who call themselves 'rationalists' or think they fit in to that mold, as they're fairly hypocrtical, intellectually and otherwise, not to mention a host of inconsistancies in their world veiw, and ofcourse are probably the most completely ignore other human faculties and cognitive functions. We've had several thread touching upon different aspect of this 'debate' back when it was possible to have one on PDD. Hopefully you gave a genral idea of what I'm talking about because I really don't have the desire or inclination to waste my time diggin up old threads I'm vaguely referring to, for a left brain prisoner that is.

___________________
"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller

quote:

Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN always love your work mate! edit: oh, and i notice the evil corporate controllers of the internet have given you your "V" back. hmmmm, what did you give them in return i wonder? you've been co-opted!

Haha, I just really hate the word sheeple and anybody who has actually tried to use it seriously.

And I just noticed the v too! I put in a request to Swamper a few weeks back and it looks as if my prayers have finally been answered by the forum Gods!

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quote:

Originally posted by shaolin_Z A narrow minded indoctrinated individual will never be able to make any of any sense of information that compromises their world veiw. If you're stupid enough to think that the only element that factors in to human beings decision making process is pure rational thought, well, you're pretty fucking naive. I have little resspect for most people who call themselves 'rationalists' or think they fit in to that mold, as they're fairly hypocrtical, intellectually and otherwise, not to mention a host of inconsistancies in their world veiw, and ofcourse are probably the most completely ignore other human faculties and cognitive functions. We've had several thread touching upon different aspect of this 'debate' back when it was possible to have one on PDD. Hopefully you gave a genral idea of what I'm talking about because I really don't have the desire or inclination to waste my time diggin up old threads I'm vaguely referring to, for a left brain prisoner that is.

Soooo... in other words... one has to abandon rational thought to believe in 9/11 conspiracies? So it's kind of like the Bible, and you just have to have faith that what you believe is real, despite scientific evidence to the contrary?

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quote:

Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov Critical consumption of information, for one. Half of the people posting here seem to get their information from documentaries posted anonymously on youtube. I know it's expecting a lot from a message board on a site dedicated to electronic music where the norm is a thread entitled "omg drugs and lazers" but it would be nice if people brought in some actual academic sources from time to time. There are a few that do, but the overwhelming majority of posters are full of unsubstantiated claims and would rather call other opinions stupid than engage in debate. My main point being this. This forum is full of threads about 9/11, a possible war with Iran that will never happen, inexhaustive and inconclusive complaints about the media, and dozens of threads begun with a simple youtube video. Meanwhile: - 45,000 people are dying in the DRC every single month and no one notices. Our conflict resolution and international development strategies are failing to bring stability to the heart of Africa. Why? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/w...ica&oref=slogin - There is a genocide going on in the world, which has not even been mentioned. I'm sure the common thought here is that "it's in Africa, who cares?" And yet, for those Americans here at least, Africa is a sphere of influence that is fast becoming solidly the possession of China's through a process of neo-colonialism that will likely stifle indigenous development and make human rights abuses like Darfur completely ignored. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/o...ion&oref=slogin http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/china-sudan/ - Kenya is still on fire, something that only Arbiter seems to have even noticed. The entire region is being strangled economically. The crisis is bringing up serious questions about the nature of governance and democratic process in a country where there cannot be a majority rule. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0124/p04s01-woaf.html - People seem content debating democracy in the Middle East, but Burma is still the most repressive society on the planet and has garnered attention only for people to say "attacking monks is bad." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7093716.stm - There are literally hundreds of demographic and environmental issues that are much larger threats than the possibility of a long-shot war against Iran. http://t21.ca/refugees/index.htm http://t21.ca/environ/index.htm http://t21.ca/poverty/index.htm http://t21.ca/population/index.htm - The over-arching systems-level analysis of America's position in the world, and whether or not there is a unipolar or multipolar system. The transatlantic rift over Iraq, Kyoto, etc. The ascendancy of China and the relative decline of the US. IR stuff. http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~pnorris...0leadership.pdf These are just a few of the big issues in the world that get no attention, and yet everyone here is content to argue the authenticity of the latest anonymous user's 9/11 conspiracy theory youtube video. I am only trying to say that I think the quality of discussion on this forum could really improve by taking up a wider range of important issues and dropping the "youtube video as my opinion" shtick and getting into some actual intellectual debate.

If you're that interested, please take a look at my earlier posts when this place didn't go to shit. You won't exactly find many 'youtube videos' and such, not that I care what medium is used to disperse information as I don't have hang ups like most people that consider themselves 'intellectuals.' The quality of discussion and discourse dropped here dramatically well before you arrived (at least as a regular poster on PDD). So spare me your ignorant response, and I mean nothing personal by that but you can interpret it which ever way you like. BTW, the foundation of any world veiw is based on the degree of trust and critical evaluation of information sources and ideas incorperated to build it. I think it's beyond stupid to be highly skeptical of alternative information and ridiculed veiws in any society, especially in the post modern age where we have plenty of examples blatant propaganda and flat out fiction in mass media, including "respected" jounalistic sources. Anyways, I could go on and expand on all that but I've learned it's pointless and a complete waste of time.

___________________
"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller