We interrupt your regular scheduled programming for this puplic service announcement and rambling from a forum member. Had this been an actual emergency, you would have been inundated with pop-ups, and advised to reboot.
I for one, prefer adherence to the institutional tenets of democracy, and have resolved that capitalism is indubitably the most democratic of all economic systems. Each and every time one spends a dollar, or refrains from spending a dollar, one is casting a vote. This is why so many people seemingly hate capitalism, because, with capitalism, the world in which we live, is merely the sum total result of each of our individual actions. In other words, capitalism makes people responsible for their own actions, whether they like it or not. As it is most often extremely frightening to look into the mirror, most people subscribe to a different philosophy. A philosophy that is common to Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, blacks and whites, Christians and Moslems and Jews, environmentalists and industrialists, virtually every social-political group you can think of. That common philosophy is scapegoatism, which basically states that all the world's problems are someone else's fault. People refuse to see how they are contributing to the very problems they are condemning. A simple example of this misguided conduct would be an objectional post on a public forum avering that all are "mean-spirited". Is this not in, and of itsself, mean-spirited?
If each of us would examine our own acts, many of the problems in this world would be significantly reduced, if not eliminated.
For example, the reason we have nuclear power plants is because people voted for them. "What?!" you respond, "I never voted for nuclear power plants!" Oh, yes you did! Not on a public ballot, but every time you turned on an electric appliance and every time you paid your electric bill. You cannot demand absolutely unlimited electricity with absolute 100 % reliability at dirt cheap cost and at the same time deny every possible means of generating and transmitting that electricity.
Another example and closer to being 'On - Point': The reason there are so many solicitors is because you voted for them. How? By patronizing them. "But I never patronize solicitors!" you indignantly respond. Never? What about your college alma mater calling for donations? Or your favorite charity? Or that satellite TV service that gave you free equipment and installation? "But it was such a good deal," you counter. Or the house painting service you used? "But I was going to get my house painted anyway and this just saved me the trouble," you respond.
Anytime you make ANY exception and patronize ANY solicitor, you have cast a vote for solicitors.
Unlike the ballot box, capitalism is not a 'majority rules' form of democracy. In many ways, that is good, for this feature of capitalism has allowed such a wide diversity of goods and services and activities to proliferate in our society. That is why we have stamp collecting, bungee jumping, rock climbing, FlaMacian fallacious advise, and even solar power present and available in our society. That is also why we have such technological innovation in our society. With capitalism, we do not need a majority of the population to be interested to allow a good, service, or activity to exist and be available. We require only enough people who contribute enough money and effort to support any associated expenses for that good, service, or activity to exist. That is also bad since it allows many of the things the majority may consider undesirable to continue to exist.
For example... One solitary response will justify the narcisstic and sanctimonious. One positive response in 50 will justify a telephone solicitor's efforts. One positive response in 10,000 to justify email spam existence.
Whatever there is in this world that you think needs to be changed, first honestly examine your own life to see if and how you are contributing to the very problem you are condemning. Once you clean up your life to minimize your contribution to the problem, then you can ask others to make a similar change in their lives. It is much easier to change your own life than to make others change their lives.
I therefore must now declare and commit myself to the excruciating task of "non-response" to the few on this board whom either solicit, seemingly post to invoke ire in the logically sane and rational, have narcisstic personality disorder, or newbies attempting occupational suicide. Subsequently, if I can attain this lofty level of tolerance and patience, I will then ask others to comply.
I now return you to your regular scheduled programming.
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