I am not disagreeing with you, nor arguing, nor was I there, nor do I know the person. But consider that in Fla. there may still even be holocaust survivors, and they may know exactly what they're talking about. That is, maybe they know a “fucking nazi fascist pig” when they see one. — tim wood

The woman yelling that wasn’t a Holocaust survivor. There may have been one in one of the golf carts she was yelling at as they passed by. I can’t imagine how that would feel.

Now I have a hint of what NOS must feel like. :lol:

No, it was a PST (public senior tantrum).

One estimate I read (can't locate the source) is that the planet could sustainably (i.e. employing organic farming practices) feed around 200 million, one fortieth of the current population. — Janus

I wouldn’t have guessed the number was that low.

Same story with China and other countries, I understand. Don’t know.

I noticed a news article this morning that the woman yelling “fucking nazi fascist pig” at Trump supporters was getting major props online. I seriously don’t get it. I imagine it might feel good on some base level to vent frustrations at those you feel deserve it. A tantrum, basically.

The sadist part of the dilemma, besides the mass extinction of species, is that the modern materialistic consumer lifestyle isn’t all that great in terms of actual ‘well-being’. Greater well-being could be had with far far less material consumption. That would require a major cultural shift, however, and there’s probably not enough time left before the shit hits the fan.

It’s true that there’s still a lot of capacity, but the cost of the capacity or resource extraction will get increasingly higher as time goes on. All the easy to access cheap energy (fossil fuel) and minerals have been taken. It’s also costly to deal with the effects of climate change and to purify water. Capitalistic economic growth simply isn’t possible when the future is ever more expensive, at least not with the current global financial system.

Sustainability will require more than depopulation but could have unexpected rewards, if it’s at all possible.

That's not what I said. — Enai De A Lukal

True. You did however mention my ideology. What you meant by that is less clear now than it was initially. In case it has any relevance, I too think that Trumps brand of populism enlists an element of racism.

You think that I’m a Trump supporter? :snicker:

So, you don’t expect to make a difference?
— praxis

Mmmm, I feel a trick question coming up.

Do I expect to make a difference? I expect myself to face up to the ennui. — Brett

Ah, you see the ennui but don’t experience it yourself. That wasn’t clear until now. Good for you.

I did, and that seems like quite the leap based on the short interaction we can see in the clip, and especially in light of all the other relevant context here... — Enai De A Lukal

The “other relevant context” could be skewing perception.

They guy was being taunted with “where’s your white hood?” and the like, just for showing Trump support. I’d have difficulty not responding sarcastically to such childishness, personally.

So, you don’t expect to make a difference?

It reeks of ennui. — Brett

I’d wager there have been people say this throughout history.

Sarcasm, that's really what you're going with? — Enai De A Lukal

That’s my honest impression, though I could be wrong.

Did you watch the video?

Be not so quick to judge the elderly. They may be smarter than you; they may be better educated than you; they may be more experienced than you in almost every way, and they sure as hell have been around longer and seen more. Does't mean they're right, but their age also doesn't mean they know less than you. — tim wood

I’m not being an ageists. Did you watch the video? I can’t imagine you condoning their behavior. It’s obviously absurd and counterproductive to yell at a Trump supporter that they’re a nazi fascist pig merely for publicly expressing their support.

They're not just saying that Trump sucks, they're calling his supporters stuff like "Nazi fascist pig," etc. The kind of things that sound better coming from Antifa kids. It's embarrassing to hear it come from the elderly who one might hope would have acquired a bit more wisdom in their long lives.

Looks like the guy saying "white power" is being sarcastic, and quite frankly his sarcasm is warranted, given the behavior of the anti-Trumpers. Lots of nasty old retirees in Florida, apparently.

Folks generally will believe what suits them. — Wayfarer

Indeed.

I think he's calling you a damn Nazi.

Anecdotal rather than empirical evidence.

Accidentally hit the reply button to your post. Meant the one below yours.

Wish I saw this 5 minutes ago.

corruption, terror and other stupidity - completely anti-west. — Oku

The West has a fine tradition of corruption and stupidity, just look at who we’ve freely elected as our leader. Truly terrifying.

(anti-white and anti-American)

Are you suggesting that being anti-white is being anti-American?

I’m completely with you, nevertheless, I think we’re too ignorant (in the general sense) to say this is true.
— praxis

Explain where. — TheMadFool

In general. For example, it may have once been reasonable to conclude that the earth was flat. Today it's highly reasonable to say that the earth is spherical or even to say that it's true that the earth is spherical.

Feel free to do so. — TheMadFool

Let's start with inconsistencies in the foundational principles of rebirth and emptiness. I imagine there are countless vague and tenuous ways to make these concepts appear consistent with each other, but none are reasonably sound.

For an essence or soul-like thing to be reborn in another body, it would need to be immaterial or unaffected by matter, and therefore separate and unchanging, which is the very antithesis of emptiness.

I could not have asked for a better job. — NOS4A2

For once we agree, anything short of "the next Hitler" looks pretty good and better than expected.

This is what is unique to Buddhism - it always has some connection, even if vague and tenuous, to some sound logical principle. — TheMadFool

A vague and tenuous connection to sound logical principles. :chin: :lol:

absence of inconsistencies

I think you’re guilty of seeing what you want to see. I could point out some glaring inconsistencies though, if you like.

Look at my reply to wayfarer

I’m completely with you, nevertheless, I think we’re too ignorant (in the general sense) to say this is true.

The promise of a warning doesn’t give me any peace of mind, and if I were warned I don’t think my behavior would change. If I were in the middle of an interesting discussion I might try to up the quality, as far as I’m able, in order to pursue the topic, but generally I’d continue with my level of quality, such as it is.

he’s still doing a better job than any grandiloquent, Ivy-league lawyer that has dominated the position until now. — NOS4A2

I am not confident in Trump’s re-election.

Obama brought the country out of the Great Recession, and was re-elected. I think that even Trump’s supporters realize on some level that he’s far too incompetent to deal with the current state of affairs.

Consciousness is what it feels like when your brain is working.

Only a once-in-a-century pandemic could disrupt such a term, which is amazing considering all that was thrown at it. And here you guys promised us the next Hitler... — NOS4A2

I assume you're joking, a wide range of things could disrupt so fragile an economy. Not the current administrations' fault, though I think it could be argued that they've made it less stable.

11. No top 11 lists.

Buddhism opts for a reasoned approach, basing itself on not metaphysics but on the empirical - impermanence is its foundation and who, in his right mind, can deny the truth of the ever-changing nature of reality? — TheMadFool

Someone discovered empirical evidence for karma, rebirth, etc. and didn’t tell me? :sad:

Such simplicity with such profundity is missing even in the dominant faiths of present times.

The alleged simplicity has you expressing curious thoughts like ‘cause is the engine of impermanence’, I notice. Anyway, you could just as easily reduce Christianity to ‘love’ or whatever, claim its simplicity, and be equally wrong.

This, however, isn't the case which proves that it's not ignorance in and of itself that's the obstacle but ignorance of certain truths,...

We can’t say that something like ‘emptiness’ is true, can we?

In a way the Buddha got what he wanted - he meditated furiously on impermanence and came to the conclusion that change is the only constant. — TheMadFool

I hate to nitpick but he might have included stuff like time or gravity. Maybe he wasn't as observant as they say.

Perhaps not, his desire to exit the causal web, cause being the engine of impermanence, and attain nirvana (extinguishment) - his hope was to transcend impermanence by extricating himself from the causal web and, in that, achieving something eternal. — TheMadFool

According to the doctrine, impermanence isn't the cause of suffering but ignorance. Ignorance of our true nature (emptiness). If we could realize our true nature or 'make emptiness real' then we wouldn't suffer, so they claim. That actually makes sense. For instance, a rock doesn't suffer when it's broken because it has no illusory sense of self that it wishes to sustain. For the rock, there's no before or after, no gain or loss, no cause or effect... nothing at all to stress over. People are not rocks, however, but a subdued sense of self definitely reduces existential anxiety and can lead to greater well-being.

That’s an odd take on Buddhism, a basic tenet being that everything is impermanent.

I've been practicing that with swimming, taking 5-9 strokes between breaths at a moderate pace. Can feel a slight headache sometimes.

what I mean is that if you truly desire something and think you can achieve it then by all means go for it. Why hold back? — Gitonga

The topic is about happiness, isn't it? Granted there's an amount of satisfaction that can be gained in merely pursuing a goal, of any sort, and achieving it.

So instead of pretending to be satisfied with the little you have, strive to achieve and get more. — Gitonga

That sounds like a bad habit to me, and bad advice to reinforce it.

You are a victim of cultural conditioning.

It convinced me to become a dedicated nose breather. I had already been doing some breath work in meditation over the last few years but have stepped it up after reading the book, with the immediate goal of no longer snoring, for my wife's sake :grimace:, which is supposedly an attainable goal with the various practices and techniques outlined in the book.

This is more a subject for Zen meditation. There one learns, or experiences one's "I" as a fabrication. Instead of "I am aware" there is only awareness. An instant of realization is worth more than a lifetime of philosophical dialogue.
— jgill

I think you ought to mean a life time of practice is worth more than an instant of realization. :P Especially if there is "nothing" to realize. — Nils Loc

:grin: Instances of realization appears to have the unfortunate effect of inflating the ego in many cases, oddly enough.