muggins by name muggins by nature

[MU]

"Son of a Windows Repair Man."

*lol* that's real hard *gg*

[Dougal]

(you can't say anything good about him- that makes you a Nazi)

that's - sorry - bullshit.
The problem would be to say:
Nazis are cool, because Hitler was a vegan.

I was referring to the fact that people like those in Antifa would label you a Nazi and give you trouble. All the self-righteous do-gooders who are so keen on "fighting the Nazi threat" that they end up oppressing people themselves.

Hitler wasn't a vegan, just a vegetarian.

Maybe calling someone a Nazi is the only "politically correct" insult? After all, Nazis are considered evil, so nobody cares if they hurt a Nazi's feelings.

The problem nowadays is that 'Nazi' has been made synonymous with 'evil' and people take it both ways: if I'm not a Nazi, I can't be evil.
The best example for this is the Jewish settlers in Hebron and the area- anyone who tries to oppose them is labeled a Nazi (since they're "against the Jews") while they, themselves, can do whatever they want: they're Jews, hence not Nazis, hence not evil.

I don't think it should be acceptable to hurt a Nazi's feelings, while avoiding hurting others.
I believe in poking fun at everybody. And I mean everybody.

[Flash]

I once read a philosopher who defined a nation in words something like "A people united by a shared delusion of their history--and a hatred of their neighbors." I can't remember who. Anyone know?

[deshlab]

i think i came to the conclusion that nationalism is the most ridiculous thing even before we discussed germany's nazi history in school).

like, how can people feel proud about the history of their country?

of course it can be inspiring to look at great things people from your country have done, but you can have much more inspiration if you look at the great things other humans have done. also i'm confused by people who can glorify the past of their country despite the occasional bloodshed.

and after all, it's not your decision of what nationality, skin colour and where on the world you are born - so you might feel lucky about these things if they turn out as advantages for you, but why feel proud?


(ps: maybe the Lobster knows about deciding about you life at/before birth, he has some nice insights into these things... )

[muggins]

flash,

i vaguely recall that quote, & had brief google, but couldn't find it. but there are some other good ones:-

Every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud, adopts as a last resource pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and happy to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority.
- Arthur Schopenhauer, Aphorisms

Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.
Author: Charles de Gaulle

Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.
Author: Albert Einstein

Our true nationality is mankind.
Author: H. G. Wells

Nationalism is power hunger tempered by self-deception.

George Orwell

[Lobster]

(ps: maybe the Lobster knows about deciding about you life at/before birth, he has some nice insights into these things... )

It is almost as if you are suggesting I know something . . .
- gosh - can it be true . . .

When you are insignificant (speaking of myself) it is important to look down (or up in my case) at fish or others. It is also important to realise that the crazier and more irrational a belief the easier it is latch into peoples emotional psyche.

So for example some forms of Buddyism (friendlier Buddhism) suggest they are born again fruit bats or are going to come back as a human. A likely story - not!
You would have to be pretty child like to believe the dead enter another dimension and then [do some weird stuff - like continue]. The evidence is so flimsy as to be Void.

It is very difficult to take religion seriously because it is often akin, related and dependent on a form of mental illness that leads to ridiculous assertions and actions. Is that true - or did my psychiatist plant the suggestion . . .

So you have to find the good within and for yourself.

There is some controversy and many Buddhist scholars contend that the Buddha did not really teach reincarnation - it was a Hindu myth. Just as it was part of early Christian doctrine and then deemed heritical by "the management".

What we can talk about is causation and our dependence on it. For example MU mentioned how he was once ashamed of being German because of recent history. I am ashamed to be British because of our involvement in war-mongering. Others see recent war efforts as something to be proud of. We each have different associations, perspectives and histories.

Different life experiences have caused different Beings and "truths". Through our life we may change and grow (a form of being born into different ways of being) We may lose or gain faith. Move left right or indifferent, politically.

Often passion and urgency indicate little about the importance or merit of ideas but illustate our own internal nature.

The Buddha also talked about a Middle Way (in between extremes) of being in the world but not completely adhering to its vagaries.

He also suggested that 'the self' - our ideas and beliefs are a caused and dependent construct. GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) - remember that?

So be Kind - you may get something better out of your future self.

[deshlab]

There is some controversy and many Buddhist scholars contend that the Buddha did not really teach reincarnation - it was a Hindu myth. Just as it was part of early Christian doctrine and then deemed herical by "the management".

i always liked the concept of reincarnation since it might give people a reason not to take a devil-may-care attitude. the "you only got one try, make the best of it" slogan doesn't work that well for me...

Different life experiences have caused different Beings and "truths". Through our life we may change and grow (a form of being born into different ways of being) We may lose or gain faith. Move left right or indifferent, politically.

you're much too liberal there! every political/religious/something extremist is stupid and every wise man becomes a meditating hermit and cultivates mountains. (i plan to do that someday when my beard growing capabilities have reached the required level.)

The Buddha also talked about a Middle Way (in between extremes) of being in the world but not completely adhering to its vagaries.

i had to look up "vagaries"
for all non-english readers: it has nothing to do with vegetables. or has it?

GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) - remember that?

sure, that's the philosophic equivalent of the sociologist TV-in-Garbage-out concept.

err, what was the thread about again?

ps: also, Lobster are you mocking my typo in your topic subject?