Thoughts of the night from the late Robert Heinlein, from his novel Friday
“A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot…â€
What made me think about that quote was a minor confrontation this morning. I went to the community gym, and this lady saw me right behind her and still didn’t even bother to hold the door into the community center. I was right behind her going to the door into the gym area. She again failed.
On the way out, I didn’t bother holding the door for her (it was serendipitous that we left at same time. Was not planned). She started laying into me, saying how rude and nasty I was. When I pointed out that she had done the same thing twice, she told me that was different, and was talking about herself. I just turned and left. Along with the gross growth of the Entitlement mentality has also brought on a loss of politeness and manners, a loss of consideration.
I’m sure we each run into this little losses on a daily timescale. People not only think they’re entitled, but the do it at the expense of others.
A few others:
- “‘Bread and Circuses’ is the cancer of democracy, the fatal disease for which there is no cure. Democracy often works beautifully at first. But once a state extends the franchise to every warm body, be he producer or parasite, that day marks the beginning of the end of the state. For when the plebs discover that they can vote themselves bread and circuses without limit and that the productive members of the body politic cannot stop them, they will do so, until the state bleeds to death, or in its weakened condition the state succumbs to an invader—the barbarians enter Rome.â€
- “There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.â€
- “The first principle of freedom is the right to go to hell in your own handbasket.â€
- “Taxes are not levied for the benefit of the taxed.â€
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empathize! Not holding door at the end probably felt good.. Don’t fall for the cheap thrill.
The meek shall inherit the earth..
My memory’s a bit vague, but as I recall Heinlein also wrote something along these lines:
“It’s true that the meek shall inherit the earth. But it’s usually small plots, about 6 feet by three”.
If appalled by rudeness… stop being rude yourself.
The idea that our democracy is being destroyed by the poor is ridiculous. If the impoverished voters the plutocrats and their minions wish to disenfranchise were stealing the dreams of the rich, wouldn’t the impoverished be less impoverished?
Conservatives hate democracy because it stands in the way of the plutocrats.
Each year, our economy produces some $50,000 for every man, woman and child in this nation. Even with welfare, Reagan’s EITC, Medicare and Medicaid, how many families of 4 do you know receive their $200,000?
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.â€
― Robert A. Heinlein
Jeffery writes: “Every year, our economy produces . . . . ”
Yeah, that’s how it works, “our economy produces”. What a lovely combination of ownership–“our”–and lack of personal accountability–it’s the amorphous “economy”, not hard-working individuals, that “produces”.
Magic! Hahahaha!
–Andrew, @LawSelfDefense
Law,
I guess I consider us all in this together. Must have been my Christian upbringing (which I’ve since dropped – but I just can’t shake those early teachings of humankind’s most influential liberal, Jesus).
One of our central issues is that conservatives largely think only white men in suits work hard, and that only they deserve the benefits of our economy.
Unfortunately, our government policies have stifled the wages of many tens of millions of hard-working Americans – men, women, white, black, Hispanic, gay and straight. Our lack of concern and our lack of action keeps the working classes at near record levels of long-term unemployment. Our GDP, our productivity climbs, but only our wealthy benefit. How do we reverse this? Certainly you agree that America needs a working class.
Jeffery writes: “One of our central issues is that conservatives largely think only white men in suits work hard, and that only they deserve the benefits of our economy.”
Oh, for Pete’ sake. Never mind.
–Andrew, @LawSelfDefense
Jeffrey, how sad for you that you have dropped your Christianity and replaced it with an over developed sense of self worth, that most liberals have.
I see what Teach said in this post, and have felt it. I ALWAYS make sure to thank others for door holding, and have held doors for both men and women aplenty. It is usually young people who don’t think it necessary, and I bet their parents would either be saddened to know it, or else completely not give a crap. It is a small but significant sign of what’s ahead, the loss of civility.
Perhaps the stupidest think I have ever heard a liberal spew is this: “One of our central issues is that conservatives largely think only white men in suits work hard, and that only they deserve the benefits of our economy.”
Wow, what an assinine comment. If that were true then how come so many of us are blue collar working class and many liberals are teachers, lawyers, movie stars and bankers?
You don’t know much about conservatives, only what you have been indoctrinated to believe. In our world, we live and let live. In yours- it’s your way or the highway. Well, things are going to change, because we have finally realized that this is the good fight. I’m not going to roll over for you or any other lying liberal clown.
Jeff,
A little history lesson to show you how your observations and values are shaped and how you are a racist. When the Yankees invaded the South, they went on a program of looting and stealing everything of value. They were approached by blacks that asked why were they taking their stuff and burning their homes. The Yankees laughed and said they were lying as blacks could not own anything in the South, just as in the North. It turns out that the greatest proportion of the middle class was black and many of the slave owners were black. So when you go on communistic jargon, check your facts.
One thing I have found that makes me superior to others is that I treat them better than they do me. As to a woman fussing at you, just say “you poor thing” and walk away. Works every time.
Who said “the poor”? Parasites do not have to be poor.
We don’t have a democracy, chump. Conservatives love the notion of a Federal Republic. Liberals/Progressives pretend to love democracy, but at their heart they are fascists who want to force Everyone Else do something (which they themselves refuse to do, like pay more taxes, give up fossil fuels, etc).
As for that Heinlein quote you trot up, religions aren’t just about gods. You Lefties pay homage to the state, being the good little fascists you are, and attempt to force this on everyone else by legislation and regulation. You essentially worship the state.
wt,
Good. Perhaps I misunderstood your point. I thought you were complaining that the indolent masses would vote themselves “bread and circuses” at the expense of the hard working patriots. Perhaps, like me, you detest the plutocrats who have corrupted our republic, engineering all manner of laws and policies to take from the poor and give to the rich!
Fascist doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Progressives do not worship the state, but rather recognize the value of the state in protecting the weak, the poor, and the minorities from the depredations of the powerful and the majority. I know there are all manner of Tea Party types who imagine that any federal law that interferes with their desires is unconstitutional. But constitutional is what the Supreme Court says it is, so you can be constitutionally compelled to pay federal taxes and limit your machine gun use.
And this is where progressives get it wrong.
Government is not instituted to protect just the “weak, the poor, and the minorities,” but to protect the rights of all people not matter what their race, wealth, or station in life.
Progressives believe that the government should be used to bludgeon those with whom they disagree.
Progressives want to decide what rights a person has, and what rights can be restricted.
Progressives believe that they have the right to decide the limits of achievement a person may obtain – to the point of taking the fruits of the labor of others.
Progressives aren’t for freedom or rights, they are for tyranny.
My main point was about the loss of civility, of manners. I threw in the others because I found them interesting. But, the problem is not necessarily people “voting themselves” money (for that extra quote), it is that politicians have created a system where that’s how they get themselves re-elected. And there are huge numbers who are “parasites”, even ones who are producers. Consider the net effective taxes corporations like Google and GM pay. They’ve effectively lobbied Congress to get all sorts of breaks (along with other companies) that dramatically reduce their net tax.