Socialist America a "Rotten Log" Hollow from the inside?

@Charlemagne Said

Ayn Rand's opus Atlas Shrugged opens with a beautiful metaphor prescient of modern America. Eddie Willers, one of its main characters. Eddie is an allegorical reference to the body politic of America, everyman. Eddie gazes at a massive oak tree, a pillar of strength, a living thing that has taken hundreds of years to pass from the improbable seed to the end stage denizen of a climax forest.

On closer inspection Eddie realizes that the great tree has been hollowed out. Its strength has become an illusion; it still stands only because the vicissitudes of life have not seen fit to blow it over. So it is with America, the beacon of liberty, and the unlimited potential of Human Action to create wealth to satisfy the world's wants and needs, has become a hollow oak, a fragile shell of what it once was. The only power the tree has is one last destructive blow as it falls crushing whatever happens to be underneath.

Read it all:

https://www.lewrockwell.com/giles/giles35.1.html

@eL_TinO Said

Nothing quite like a 50 year-old novel to be the entire basis for your world view & political philosophy.

That's not irrational in the least bit. Never mind actual philosophy books. Never mind scientific discoveries. We should all have some utopian vision of the world based on a single novel written by some random person 50 years ago.

I think maybe I'll base my entire political philosophy on Aldous Huxley's work "Brave New World"... or wait, maybe I won't because that would be retarded.

@eL_TinO Said

Nothing quite like a 50 year-old novel to be the entire basis for your world view & political philosophy.

That's not irrational in the least bit. Never mind actual philosophy books. Never mind scientific discoveries. We should all have some utopian vision of the world based on a single novel written by some random person 50 years ago.

I think maybe I'll base my entire political philosophy on Aldous Huxley's work "Brave New World"... or wait, maybe I won't because that would be retarded.

@eL_TinO Said

Nothing quite like a 50 year-old novel to be the entire basis for your world view & political philosophy.

That's not irrational in the least bit. Never mind actual philosophy books. Never mind scientific discoveries. We should all have some utopian vision of the world based on a single novel written by some random person 50 years ago.

I think maybe I'll base my entire political philosophy on Aldous Huxley's work "Brave New World"... or wait, maybe I won't because that would be retarded.

@Charlemagne Said

Sarcasm doesn't become you.

@Marcussextus Said

IMO, that's somewhat of an overstatement, and an attack.

Quote:
A single point of view was offered, with no claim to it being the basis of anything AT ALL.

Quote:
Why not discuss that view-point, from any angle, rather than attempt sarcasm and insult the poster?
I tend to agree with the proffered view.

Quote:
I personally see the USA as a decadent remnant of an almost-empire. There was a moment when it could have ruled the world, but it's own structure and ethos prevented it, and the moment passed, and it's been downhill ever since, on almost all levels. This is a purely personal view, and one I'm prepared to defend intellectually, without resorting to name calling and denigration, are you?

@Marcussextus Said

No intelligent discussion possible with you then, as usual.

Quote:
Do you have ANY personal views or philosophies, or are you just another knocker, slinging off at everyone in sight?

Quote:
Easy, isn't it? Much easier than engaging in an exchange of views, where some actual thinking is required.

@Marcussextus Said

Just can't help yourself, can you?

Quote:
Always have to attack the poster, does that make you feel big?
Smart? Powerful?

Quote:
How sad.

Quote:
When I see intelligent observations or comments from you that don't involve belittling others I'll take you seriously, as it is you just sound like a petulant school-yard bully, only able to feel good by putting others down.

Quote:
Rather betrays a weakness of personality, IMO.

@eL_TinO Said



Now I'll ban myself so I can call you one of the biggest f***tards to ever post on TFS.