Foolosophy wrote on Mar 9^th, 2011 at 11:17pm:


You are a looney.

Sappho....debate (with yourself) the relative worth whether today is Sunday or not.

Soren wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2011 at 10:25pm:


Oh I'm speaking sense alright. And since you mention US might... lets use that to explore what I mean. The US refuse to recognise the International Tribunal at the hague which hears war crimes amongst other things. So straight up... how on earth can you question the US on their war crimes, in a very serious manner, if they refuse to be answerable for those war crimes?

What's more, with people like you willing to turn a blind eye to the profound abuses of this dominant might lest you or your children or your children's children loose that mighty ally... again, how can they be questioned in any serious way and made answerable for their crimes?

Cicero said "Laws are silent in time of war." Nothing has changed on that score... yet only the law can question in any serious way, war crimes.

I note with irony the support the US gave to the Nuremberg Trials.

Therefore... whilst might is not necessarily right, neither is it so wrong as to be questioned in any serious way.

Sappho wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2011 at 8:50am:



Err, WRONG, imo!

THAT, is the way of Cain, the murderer.

Sappho,

What you are committing to, imo, is the principle that;
Being an oppressor of other men [and women], is what makes a [ strong] man 'wealthy' [....and a weak man poor].

IMO, PROSPERITY [the love of wealth], is a false god [...which is worshipped by many/most men].

James 4:1
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.


Sappho,

consider this logic circle...

TRUTH [free and open] brings JUSTICE.
JUSTICE brings PEACE.
PEACE brings PROSPERITY.
PROSPERITY brings GREED, ENVY and PRIDE [vanity] to the hearts of men.
GREED, ENVY and PRIDE are the servants of EVIL [intent].

TRUTH is the 'cornerstone' of the [transient] building, PROSPERITY.
But, TRUTH is hated and despised by the EVIL heart.
And, if the love of TRUTH in men is displaced, by their embrace of EVIL, then....
When EVIL abides in the hearts of men [empowered by its servants GREED, ENVY and PRIDE],
....JUSTICE and PEACE will be, destroyed by EVIL.
....[and the 'building'] PROSPERITY, will then quickly crumble into dust.
WAR and DESTRUCTION cannot be far off.
POVERTY and WAR abide together, until they destroy PRIDE [in the heart of men].
When PRIDE is absent, TRUTH will then seek [but is not assured] a presence.
If a love a TRUTH is again embraced [among men], EVIL [intent] will be banished from among them.


+++

IMO, wealth from oppression [warfare] is not sustainable.

Wealth from oppression [warfare] must always be fleeting.

IMO, using oppression, as a path to wealth, is like an irrational man who is cold, who, coming upon a locked [secure] house, decides to set the house alight with fire, so as to be comforted by the warmth of the burning house.
That is fine, and the man will be comforted, while the house still burns.
But once the house has been consumed by the fire, all that the man will be standing in front of, is a pile of cooling ashes.
i.e.
Oppression [warfare, the 'fire'] ultimately brings poverty.
IMO, warfare [and poverty] is the 'fruit' of an irrational, wicked heart.


Look at the USA.
Once a mostly just and peaceful, and very wealthy nation.
The past wealth of the USA, imo, was built mostly on the consequence of that nation embracing principles of truth and justice.
[Though the oppression of the native people of the USA was an aberrant and unjust episode in its history.]
IMO, in recent decades [and for the whole of the 20th century ? ] corporate USA [acting through the executive government of the USA] have sought wealth, from the oppression and the exploitation of the people of other nations.
How long can such immoral conduct be sustained ???
IMO, such conduct is always, ultimately, self destructive.


+++

IMO,
PROSPERITY [wealth] among men, is a consequence of PEACE.

And PEACE is a consequence of a functioning JUSTICE system.

A functioning JUSTICE system, requires a respect among men, for free and open TRUTH [...to the point that men are prepared to defend TRUTH].

TRUTH [free and open] brings JUSTICE, brings PEACE, brings PROSPERITY [wealth].

Sappho wrote on Apr 4^th, 2011 at 11:12am:




Sappho,

I concede, i can't.

Men have always corrupted themselves [reverted to warfare among themselves].


Sappho 1

Yadda  0


But, contentious as i always am    , i would still argue that my logic is still correct, as to, that poverty is a consequence of warfare among men.

And that prosperity is a consequence of peace [stemming from a functioning justice system] among men.






+++


"Men have always corrupted themselves [reverted to warfare among themselves]."


Quote:

Sappho wrote on Apr 4^th, 2011 at 11:12am:


Switzerland. Finland. Singapore, Sth Korea. Germany. Norway. Lichtenstein, Luxembourg.

Soren wrote on Apr 6^th, 2011 at 11:04am:



Yes, Singapore is a particularly good example of the prosperity that can be achieved, with peace and human enterprise.

Soren wrote on Apr 6^th, 2011 at 11:04am:


Having removed germany from the list... what actually makes those nations great of themselves?

Please don't include things that they have taken from other 'great' cultures.