Are we falling right into an Orwellian Society?

The Patriot Act set us on the road towards it.

Ah, so now we see the truth. It seems that it only takes a little bit of prodding to reveal someone’s underlying delusions. First, (according to you) Barack Obama is leading us to a global economy. Next, its not really Obama, but rather secret societies (the Illuminati) that are going to run things. I’m sure that we’ll next hear that a secret cabal of rich bankers (read, jews) are pulling the strings. Oh boy.

…(humming).....paranoia will destroy ya…..

Paranoia, paranoia, everybody’s comin’ ta get me, just say you never met me… I’m going underground with the moles

I asked myself this same question when Bush was selected as president.

Its ironic that you’re asking about doublespeak….

Just come out and say it! “I’m terrified of absolutely everything and am therefore nursing hostility towards the world. I’m going to go on a website and spew my nationalistic views from my safe little mask and waste people’s time! My life! Fulfilled!”

wtf do you think the patriot act was?

watchman, your name is in perfect sync with all the inflammatory posts you make, as well as the paranoic ones. based on your posts and you familiarity with the bible, i am confident that i am not wrong.

to the other posters, you may notice that i do not type correctly when i am lambasting someone. in my more coherent and laudable posts, my grammar is impeccable.

watchman – fluther is not a place for you to post propaganda. and this, my friend, is what you are doing. you pose a question for which you have set beliefs, and you spend the length of the thread explaining your view.

stop it.

Manipulate humanity? Hmm…seems like I pretty much did what I wanted to do yesterday. I got up. Sold some things. Put a ham in the oven. Had ham and cheese on some fine Rye bread that I bought at the store earlier in the day. Bought a bottle of wine. Drove to a local pub for Karaoke night and then went home. Woke up today. Didn’t see a single soldier on my drive to the bank. Been sitting at my computer. Actually looked at some porn for the first time in ages. I’ll go to the airport tomorrow and go through security and feel safe to fly the friendly skies. I live. We live. We define who and what we are and how we live. Don’t give into these thoughts of domination by unseen forces. It isn’t happening. Go outside and take a deep breath of your life.

I have to encourage caution, squirbel. Be careful not to assume propaganda just because watchman’s views differ from the majority here on Fluther. I personally have posted some very biased topics….they just went over better because so many people seem to have a similar slant. I’d hate for us to be accused of censorship (or even intolerance).

No – the difference, syz – is knowing the answer to a question before posting it. Knowing your view, and guiding or trying to change people’s position.

Fluther is the place you go to to ask questions or look for help from the collective. You need to really want to know. Propaganda is where you post a question, looking to evoke a response – but have your set view.

If Fluther wants to be a forum for that sort of thing, so be it.

I just want some quality questions to answer.

@b I agree about Bush. Quite frankly if it really is bigger than Democrat or Republican which I believe it is. Than it really has an entirely different motivation.

The rest of you.
Do you really think that people are not pursuing power?
And no I do not think the Jews are behind it all.

As a christian I support the Judaic roots of my own faith.

Evil does not know any nationality. It has no political bounds.

My question is valid…an Orwellian SOciety will bascially demand that the government step in and give them the protection that violates all their civil and God given rights.

That seems to be the way we are going. If I introduce a subject to Fluther, it is because I am interested in knowing…what I would assume is the younger generation’s opinion.

How old are you all? I am 35, married 14 years, father of 4 kids. I would bet that a majority of you are 20 something years old and in college. But hey I could be wrong. But if I am right or wrong, it is certainly my intention to gauge the opinion of a public forum, of primarily Americans.

All kinds of questions…are valid…including mine.

Thanks

@squirbel.

watchman is in fact my name. Directly translated from my first name of Gregory.

My middle name of Bryan means strong.

I frequently go by the name strongwatchman. And I think it profound that God has blessed me with a mind to ask questions and keep the watch in spiritual realms. From a spiritual watchtower.

I am not so concerned with every day life, except as it leads us towards an eventual spiritual outcome.

Be it life or death, I will stand watch, and call out danger where ever I see it. That perhaps others might see something coming and take note.

Jesus commands His peoople to be vigilant and watch. Am I then foolish because I obey that command and take it seriously?

Are these not serious times?

@watchman, don’t you see then, how it all starts with fear? Who is doing Th fear mongering? “We have to have the right to listen to your phone calls for your own safety,” “Obama is a Muslim who is going to turn our country over to terrorists.” For an Orwellian society to take root we have to first be terrorized. Don’t be afraid. That’s one of the most frequent commands Jesus gave.

@watchman. Be careful of your assumptions. I am a 36 year old father and scientist. I don’t subscribe to conspiracy theories, nor do I believe that the writings of uneducated people more than 2000 years ago somehow apply to our present day.

@shi
with all due respect, the apostle Paul was probably highly educated as he was a Jew AND a Roman Citizen. My response to watchman was directed at him because I know that we share the same faith. I’m not expecting anyone else to accept my logic.

@Judi. What I mean by “uneducated” is that there was no capacity to understand the world around them. Events which we readily explain today, like the cycles of planets, tides, seasons, weather, diseases, etc. were unexplained, so naturally, people attributed these phenomena to the workings of a higher power. Having to invoke a supernatural being then leads to the development of deities and prophets, which is why we have religion today. Just look at all the strife the Scientologists face now. Why is that? Why is their version of religion skewered, while Judaism or Christianity is not? Who decides what is real?

41, mother of 3. “The only thing to fear is fear itself.”

Please don’t let this type of thinking (conspiracy, end of days, etc.) take over your life. I do see where you’re coming from, but I am not afraid. If such a thing really does happen (and I don’t think it will), it wouldn’t take long for Americans to rise up as a people and put a stop to it.

@shilo;
I would never try to change our religious views, but you must admit that wisdom did not just happen in this generation. Socrates and Aristotle, and what about the wisdom that died when the library in Rome burned to name a few. Wisdom about human nature has been around for Milena

(I’m 47 by the way)

@Judi. My point was meant to refute the invocation of Jesus (and the apocalypse) by watchman (and so many others) as their rationale for their paranoia. How could the people who wrote the bible about 2000 years ago know what would happen today? Seriously…

I don’t think it is necessary to bad mouth anyone’s religion to make the argument.

Touche. Conversely, I don’t think it is necessary to invoke someone’s religious beliefs ad nauseum as a rationale for day-to-day events.

Some people use their religious beliefs as a compass. I know you don’t get it, but it is very personal.

Well, your defense is appreciated judi.
SHilolo…you are also entitled to your point of view.

Though I discuss these things that have their base in fear and paranoia as some think. I am neither afraid nor paranoid. Some people just don’t see what is coming. And it has been coming for a long long time. I am seriously just trying to make people pay attention.

Suppose it all is true. SUppose all the conspiracy is true. Ok…then what. There would be nothing we could do about it anyway…except to be prepared for it.

If it is not true, then you can call me what you want? I don’t care.

But I sincerely do not think I am crazy. And I also know that my opinions are unpopular. But I feel that someone must voice this difficult opinion…I am not the only one who shares this opinion.

Those who do share this opinion of conspiracy are sometimes more and sometimes less paranoid or fearful. Myself…just gauging people’s opinion about this subject. And I am not afraid because God is in control. Ok Judi? I apppreciate your concern though.

I had the same fears going back to the Regan revolution. I couldn’t understand why Christians were praising as “their guy” the fellow whose wife brought astrologers into the White House. I understand your concern, I just think it’s misdirected.

@Judi. Getting back to your point about wisdom, I agree 100%. Wisdom and knowledge of human nature have accumulated over the millennia. Aristotle and Socrates were brilliant men as were many other philosophers. Like the bible, the Jewish Talmud is an amazing compendium of discourse regarding Jewish laws and customs. In essence, the foundation of Jewish practices and laws.

As books describing customs and laws, I see no problem with the Judeo-Christian tradition framed by the bible and other writings. However, my problem lies with the tradition of using the bible (and other religious texts) as the final verdict on past, present and future behaviors. They are, in fact, archaic texts written by people almost 2000 years ago. Times have changed, and we should too.

A comedy show, yes. But pointed, none the less:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/40292/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-tue-oct-21–2008

And very effective at pointing out the hypocrisy of the McCain Plain campaign.

And more on the subject:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/41135/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-mon-oct-27–2008

shilolo,

You clearly don’t understand the nature of the Bible.
It is both a road to salvation and a light to the world. It condemns sin, and offers salvation. It provides a historical example of God’s relationship with people.
It offers prophetic words that have been fulfilled.
And it offers future prophecies that I truly believe will be fulfilled.
THe fact that they are archaic, does not render them useless. In fact it simply adds even more value to the scriptures as they are fulfilled again and again. And as they will be in the future.
It seems you are not terribly familiar with what is prophecied to come.
A one world economy. A one world order. And then Jesus comes to bust it all up.

Oh, good grief.

@Syz. Amen.

@watchman. So, the fact that books are old gives them greater value? Lots of old books say the Earth is flat, the Sun revolves around the Earth, and that diseases are caused by evil humors that have to be released by blood letting. I don’t think they are particularly valuable, except as historical insight into the thought processes of our ancestors.

The fact remains that religion was an invented construct of people who sought some meaning in the world and a refuge from the challenges of daily living. That you choose to blindly follow one version of this construct is your choice. Don’t foist it onto the rest of us.

Hey, shilolo, have you seen the bumper sticker “Piss off a conservative, think for yourself!”?

Happy in my little atheist world :)

And kudos on using “foist”, I’ve never been able to work that into a conversation

shilolo, the books you mentioned don;t have anything to do with prophecy. Which was the main point of my last post.

Prophecy which has already been fulfilled. Scriptures that were written hundreds, even thousands of years before coming to pass. And they were fulfilled with exact accuracy.

No other book has a claim like the bible.

Your position that religion is a construct of the people is only partly correct. Most religions I would agree are exactly as you say. But I am talking about the book not the religion in this case.

As I said before.

_It is both a road to salvation and a light to the world. It condemns sin, and offers salvation. It provides a historical example of God’s relationship with people.
It offers prophetic words that have been fulfilled.
And it offers future prophecies that I truly believe will be fulfilled._

I don’t think you got Shilolo’s point, watchman. I’ll paraphrase:

HEY! STOP SHOVING YOUR RELIGION DOWN OUR THROATS!!

Thank you, and good night.

You did not get my point either…but so be it.

HEY! Stop shoving your secular humanism down the throats of AMerica!

Thank you…and go get some sleep grump butt.

Why not respect each others viewpoint and disagree agreeably?

OK….truce!

Thanks. I like peaceful discourse.

Holy Schitt. I just read through from top to bottom the comments this page… Look at where they have us. We all sense it in our daily lives, feel it when we wake, smell it when we get the rolled up dribble off the front porch or when we eat our breakfast of partially hydrogenated high fructose corn syrup wash is down with some nice milk of growth hormone get up and head to the bathroom, sit down and endure the product of the aforementioned breakfast of yesterday while reading the dribble from the porch keeping us from linking cause and affect…. so on and so forth through out the day each one of us goes and around about and within us all grows a pressure.. like a splinter wiggling further into consciousness. We keep it within, we have to… but it does not go away, for the the freemen inside of every human will not let it thus heavily do the things that do thumb us weigh upon our hearts. disgruntled our freemen inside does grow each unto his own seeking any place to discharge for heavily it does effect our health. And to where does it find you need only look above. ... or go listen to how people talk to one another on Xbox live.. whew, We are there . Knock it off.