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POPSLiving in the Age of Abundance Puts the marvel of modern American life in perspective. Review by George F. Will of Brink Lindsey's new book, The Age of Abundance: How Prosperity Transformed America’s Politics and Culture . Ever since mass affluence, a phenomenon without precedent in the human story, exploded upon postwar America, social and political theorists have wondered, and worried, about the moral and even the spiritual consequences of material conditions. Putting scarcity behind us has been pleasant, but has it been good for us — meaning good for our souls? (Also see How Rich are You? )
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POPSWho is the greediest? Communists or Capitalists?
Although I do not believe that socialism and capitalism necessarily conflict, this article raises a very interesting point. To talk about a slightly different point, I think Communism definitely does make people more greedy and materialistic. Communism (and to be more specific, I refer specifically to Marxism, and large-country model Communism, namely Stalinism and Maoism) is much more complex than simply being the opposite of capitalism, thus it doesn't offer a true counterpoint to capitalism free of other complicating variables. But, even if its not perfect, it provides some valuable insight. From my experience studying the Chinese culture and the way it changed in the last 50 years, communism breeds nothing but greed, materialism and elitism. Most alarmingly it creates a sense of entitlement without the sense of responsibility. It is the freedom of capitalism that saves it. We should be very careful to ensure that our markets are in fact free. Otherwise we are no differen
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POPSWhose reality are you living in? I sometimes let others get in the way of my optimism. It happens quite frequently during the narrow-mindedness, bigotry, and hatefulness I confront. I have to constantly remain grounded in today's world and CHOOSE not to live in the materialist's world and live in my own reality.
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POPSCommunist Personal Adds One of the most sinister legacies of communism is the odd side effect that its radical materialism wound up oposing beauty, love and sex. To this day, Chinese people will insist that traditional Chinese culture does not have a concept of love, that romance is a western notion, and that Chinese marriage is purely an arrangement out of social obligation. This is of course not true, but two generations have now been born under Communist propaganda, and that's long enough for them to forget which values are traditionally Chinese, and which ones are communist indoctrination. It's ironic to me that the reality of Communism is anti-love, anti-peace, probably anti-flower. The truth is that Communism is an ideology that is obsessed with money, materialism, and warfare. Understanding this explains a lot about the current socio-economic milieu in China and Russia.
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POPSPolitical Correctness - From where does it come?
"just as in classical economic Marxism certain groups ( workers and peasants) are good, and other groups ( the bourgeoisie and capital owners) are evil. In the cultural Marxism of Political Correctness certain groups are good – feminist women, (only feminist women, non-feminist women are deemed not to exist) blacks, Hispanics, homosexuals. These groups are determined to be "victims," and therefore automatically good regardless of what any of them do. Similarly, white males are determined automatically to be evil, thereby becoming the equivalent of the bourgeoisie in economic Marxism." For the classical Marxist, it’s Marxist economics. For the cultural Marxist, it’s deconstruction. Deconstruction essentially takes any text, removes all meaning from it and re-inserts any meaning desired. America today is in the throws of the direst transformation in its history. We are becoming an ideological state, a country with an official state ideology enforced by the power of the state.
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POPSAhmadinejad in His Own Words This is from his speech at Columbia University. The whole speech is worth reading. Perhaps he's just another slick lying politician, but perhaps he's a truly religious man sincerely professing his beliefs.
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POPSYoung USA Jews Alienated and Disconnected from Israel
According to the report, which was based on statistics collected as part of the 2007 National Survey of American Jews between December 20, 2006, and January 28, 2007, less than half of Jews under the age of 35 believe Israel's destruction would be a personal tragedy, compared to 78% of those over 65. 66% of Jews aged 50-64 believe it would be a personal tragedy, compared to 54% aged 35-49. "These results are very upsetting," Jewish Agency for Israel chairman Ze'ev Bielski told The Jerusalem Post, blaming a combination of a "comfortable life" in America and growing materialism for the detachment from Israel. "Who would believe that only 60 years after the Holocaust so many of our own people are not connected to the Jewish state." He said the only way to combat this growing trend was to invest more in such programs as birthright, which offers a free 10-day tour of Israel to young Jews, and Masa, JAFI's flagship program for young adults.
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POPSRestoring the Spiritual to Politics and Religion This looks like a powerful site, bringing together intelligent consideration ofpolitical action and the spiritual dimension of human life. Jewish oriented, but non-partisan, it is a great resource for contemplation, information, sharing and understanding.
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POPSI'm afraid I agree with Pat Buchanan We are entering the age of corporate totalitarianism. American companies are now global companies and American sovereignty is secondary to the wishes of the global capitalist. I'm as big a capitalist as anyone, but tyranny can come from any faction. The mainstream of America is being ripped by forces at both ends - Cultural Marxists on one end and corporate totalitarianism on the other.
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POPSThe Drumbeat Oh yes! The will to think and discern and survive has given over to the desire of complete hedonism. Morally corrupt, politically elitist, emotionally and spiritually weak. How the mighty has fallen.
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POPSThe superficiality of liberal-progressivism "Humans in that philosophy are merely bundles of nerves and muscle that respond positively to sensual pleasure and negatively to pain. Intellectuals, therefore, in theory, can structure political societies that will create universal happiness and harmony, effecting paradise on earth. It was this promise that gave us the Soviet Union and National Socialist Germany." Both Freud and Ortega were atheists and regarded spiritual religion as ignorance to be banished by what in the United States John Dewey called progressive education. What Freud and Ortega would not see was that the socialistic materialism spawned by the French Revolution was the true source of civilization’s discontents and the banality and crassness of mass man. "By initiating the destruction of Christianity in Europe, the French Revolutionary version of the Age of Enlightenment effectively decapitated civilization, leaving one-dimensional humans with bodies but little wisdom. "
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