Thinking Intellectuals do you feel we (human beings) are on a collision course with ourselves?

PO3 Phyllis Maynard — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 13:16:47 -0400

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2017 1:42 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 13:42:08 -0400

Isn't our entire history a series of conflicts with humans colliding with other humans?

Response by PFC Lisa McDonald made Sep 12 at 2017 1:43 PM

PFC Lisa McDonald — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 13:43:20 -0400

I think we have always been on a collision course with each other.
I do not believe we can change the psychology that leads to it either.

Response by PO2 Rev. Frederick C. Mullis, AFI, CFM made Sep 12 at 2017 1:48 PM

PO2 Rev. Frederick C. Mullis, AFI, CFM — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 13:48:59 -0400

This is such a loaded question. You assume that Intellectuals, actually think. Intellectuals are those who should be those who take time to achieve higher levels of education, but as we see more and more on news broadcasts. Many of those intellectuals who choose never to get out into the public sector and learn what life is all about but decide to become educators in halls of higher learning and vie for professorships and tenure, so no matter what vile stupidity they regurgitate from their mouths they cannot be fired. If a Student attempts to use logic in their classrooms they are blackballed as extremists or kooks or some other terrible name and thrown out of class. there is no debate any more in the halls of higher learning only indoctrination. It is quite possible that Communication is becoming a lost art. The ability of one to express their thoughts in such a way they the receiver can understand without threat or fear what the initial idea was. Is the culprit the US Dept. of Education who decides what states gets the big money for their schools based on what the NEA tells them? or is it the NEA who has been completely consumed by the socialist realm of operations. and forgetting about what Johnny needs to know to succeed in life. Just look at this new crap they are teaching now. no longer can you simply subtract 123 from 456 and get 333, now you have to use 37 steps to do what we learned to do in 3 steps. Its foolish. Now a days a kid cannot do anything without a calculator, all I had was a pencil paper and maybe a slide rule if I was doing calculus. kids today do not even know what a slide rule is. I even learned how to use an abacus. Schools today are Pitiful. Thinking Intellectuals... Naaa No collision unless they have a TomTom or a Garmand they sure cannot read a map.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Sep 12 at 2017 2:32 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 14:32:04 -0400

When haven't we?

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2017 4:19 PM

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:19:46 -0400

"Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!--All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

Abraham Lincoln
The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions:
Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois
January 27, 1838

Response by Cpl Mark A. Morris made Sep 12 at 2017 5:14 PM

Cpl Mark A. Morris — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 17:14:28 -0400

The question, "... with ourselves." Sometimes. For example: Yesterday, I told myself to get up and PT. I responded with, I can PT tomorrow. Then, I responded to myself with Get Out Of Bed You Fat ****!
I swear, the fight with myself is on going.

Response by SSG Alan Pelletier made Sep 12 at 2017 10:14 PM

SSG Alan Pelletier — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 22:14:34 -0400

Great question!
There are so many things we can do with this but here goes.

The short and easy answer is No.
In the paradigm and dynamic of human beings as your starting point we have been here and worse has played out. Each round as a species we collectively become wiser to the human condition. Now as a Culture and a Country then yes BUT inevitable to take place on the timeline of existence.

I'm confident this was in context of current cultural roles being upside down and the chaos spewed out from every corner we look. From that regard yes but needing to take place. This is such a complex issue with many layers, I won't bore you with details through writing you can call and I'm more than happy to argue this out. Few things going on here as a high level header...

Only in recent history have the leaders of academia been able to regard themselves in public policy. Throughout most of history rulers (monarchs) have dictated political and public policy and intelligentsia have been subdued within the halls of their respective fields. With Democracy pushing against the grain these same highly educated people are now able to push their opinions into areas they have no knowledge base. Think of a professor in biology talking (shooting off at the hip) about political science or economics... These thought influences are highly educated and consider themselves intelligent but the reality is they cannot compete with the intelligence of a few hundred people when it comes to economics (it's how the true free market self-regulates itself).

The second equally important factor is the current age group of the generation considering themselves activists and social justice warriors. Almost to a body they are in their 30's and grew up in upper middle-class families. This demographic frighteningly aligns with the "Every Kid Gets a Trophy" upbringing. With such structured environments they never truly learned how to play with others in the playground. This leads to petulance and it's precisely what we're seeing with this same activist age group. This is also highly complicated and multi-layered and a gross over simplification of the scenario. Your question also has other layers that we can unpack. Let's start with this comment and you can reach out any time.

The only way to course correct as a culture is for each of to maintain ourselves in the 1% zone and strive for a constant and consistent conscious and not necessarily in the meditative way. The second is to stop hiding and hoping things get better. Completely natural to hide as we're hard-wired to seek a protective stance. You and I and everyone else in this forum are warriors so what are we running from? Warriors stand up for what they believe and protect what they hold dearest.

My intent was to offer a small explanation and perhaps a bit of guidance. Best bet is to dive deep into the history and literature, find your own solution, and be the best you can be.

Response by PO2 Carl Menger made Sep 12 at 2017 10:17 PM

PO2 Carl Menger — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 22:17:46 -0400

Yes, I think we will, in our greed and ignorance, poison ourselves to death. I have made peace with feeling that that human race probably has only a few centuries at best left on this planet.