Post Archive
Region: Libertatem
That's cool. I'm a little bit intrigued: In what ways do you borrow from deism and Buddhism, and apply them to your (very rough) Christian faith?
And I'm just sitting here, being atheist.
And telling everybody I am *
Fun fact: most people think that I am atheist, but I was baptized Methodist and I'm a practicing Catholic.
Question:
What do you think is the difference between patriotism and nationalism, if any?
Post self-deleted by Right-Winged Nation.
Patriotism is fundamental to liberty because pride in ones nation-state, and a willingness to defend it if necessary, is the basis of national independence. Patriotism is the courage of national self-determination.
nationalism is patriotism transformed into a sentiment of superiority and aggression toward other countries. Nationalism is the poisonous idea that ones country is superior to somebody elses. Nationalism is intrinsically a cause of war and imperialism.
I learned something today
"Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first." Charles de Gaulle
Huh. I always supposed you were atheistic or agnostic, or something like that.
I use them interchangeably.
I just realized that my economy "is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal." Whoops...
Well, I believe in the basic Christian beliefs of Jesus Christ, the resurrection, God, etc. But I do not believe in hell's existence, being more open to purgatory. I also believe in reincarnation. I think God takes a mostly hands-off role and is very tolerant of different lifestyles. In other words, I believe God is a libertarian. I think a lot of the Old Testament isn't true.
We should be thankful of the last four years of gridlock and inaction, because it's meant that the size of government has been able to shrink. While few of the positive reforms that are needed in America - to entitlements, the tax code, the Federal Reserve and so forth - have materialised, we have largely been spared Obama's agenda. He has been able to accomplish very little aside from Obamacare, which in itself is a very watered-down version of his initial plans. Hopefully over the next two years his legacy will be further weakened, and Republicans can work with him on things like the corporate tax code, lifting the Cuban embargo and - hopefully - balancing the budget.
None. They're synonyms. I do think personally that patriotism sounds better for the United States though. I also personally prefer the word nationalism over its counterpart.
her·e·sy
ˈherəsē
noun
1: belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine.
- "Huss was burned for heresy"
synonyms: dissension, dissent, nonconformity, heterodoxy, unorthodoxy, apostasy, blasphemy, freethinking; More
2: opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted.
- "cutting capital gains taxes is heresy"
Patriotism is love of your country, its people and its values. Nationalism is blind subservience to your country's government and suspicion/hatred towards foreigners.
There are dozens, hundreds, of different sects and splinters of Christianity. My spiritual/religious beliefs still happen to be in development.
However, it's well-known that the concept of hell is relatively recent in the history of Christianity. Purgatory preceded it.
It was a joke, m8. I respect your religious beliefs and support you through whatever religion you wish to follow 100%.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAhEFuq62-I
I had to watch that three times to understand what he was saying.
Which denomination of Christianity (if any) are you, Rotgeheim?
I wish I could have understood a single word of that.
Over on this side of the Atlantic, it's a pretty big deal. That guy got famous because of this - he even recorded a song that reached No. 5 in the charts.
The video accurately describes modern Britain - a drunken cockney man swearing his head off and threatening someone over a football game, with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other. Classic.
Britain -> USA
cockney -> almost anywhere
football -> 'Murican Football
Hey, look, it works for us too. If you change it a little.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFiOe8qIrEQ
Pretty much mate. I didn't realise that you were over here in the UK!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFiOe8qIrEQ
I love what he did with it!
Who tryna hack me bruh? "1 bad login attempt"
Why would anyone try to hack me? I'm not important.
Hump is the most important.
It's been fun here guys, I'm off to go explore other areas of this wonderful website!
Bye, Commie!
"I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it's marked by the blood of those who died defending it." -John Thune
This is, of course, referencing the American flag, but we believe that it stands true today. The RLP stands ready to defend our flag by any means necessary by any government. We will fight for this region, despite a certain president or certain diplomat. Libertatem will remain.
[Paid for and approved by the RLP Central Committee]
Office of the Attorney General
Just a reminder, HOLIDAY has passed but is not ratified without the President's signature. Once the President approves it, the regional holiday system will be recognized by this office.
Regards,
Humpheria
Attorney General
I already put my name on it, but I didn't know it had to be in cursive.
*clears throat* I hereby sign the HOLIDAY Act into law.
*Pops Champagne* We have our holidays now
In memoriam. More than 50 million American children have been killed by their parents and doctors -- denied their opportunities to make friends, receive educations, have careers, meet spouses, and start families of their own -- since the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade on this day in 1973.
Wednesday is the anniversary of the Canadian Supreme Court tragedy R v Morgentaler [1988].
It is quite unfortunate.
Ya...I think thts accurate.
Yes, and please stop masturbating, you're killing millions of potentials children you criminal.
One of these guys.
That's a very unfair argument. A sperm cell on its own is nothing. It has fertilised nothing and has no potential unless it reaches an egg cell. A fertilised egg cell, on the other hand, will become a baby unless it dies.
eweweeweewweeweweweweeweweweewewewe! EW!
Living in a world where people refuse accountability for their actions is bad enough. The world we live in, however, is one where millions die (or are never born) as a result of this irresponsibility.
Anyone seen American Sniper?
It was just a joke. But the scientific condition to be considered as a living creature is to be born.
And after all, this is just a debate about where women are allowed to abort, in a cellar in horrible conditions and a high risk to die, or in a hospital like in a developed civilization.
I would also like to say that so-called pro-life people are often against the use of contraceptives, maybe it would be the time to be coherent...
Is that so? I'd always understood brain signals to be the first sign of life.
Excellent point. People aren't often dissuaded by laws in cases such as these.
Indeed, that's simply ridiculous.
All the sarcasm.
?
I'm a Lutheran, myself. My family is historically Catholic, however, and my grandfather was the reason his children and grandchildren were Lutheran. There is virtually no difference between Catholics and Lutherans in practice. We're basically the same thing.
See for me it's a bit strange. My last name is Ferraro, so if the stereotype held I would be a staunch Catholic, but it has not. My dad was baptized as Catholic, but has not been to church since he was in his twenties, and I have hardly been to church. I don't believe in Catholicism, I am a deist. I think that God created the world, but I don't think that he directly interacts with us like many believe.
Too mainstream.
Eh, at least i'm not one of those obnoxious atheists(this a joke, don't take this personally if you are.)
https://fbcdn-photos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-0/10897012_914455801899558_314737702973685518_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&oh=358417eba488e9fb511f07acf3280d61&oe=5565F441&__gda__=1432713600_3e3aa0fe2da3078ec93cdbef0493abba
Post self-deleted by Rotgeheim.
I can understand that. And Ferraro? If I'm not mistaken, that's a very Italian name.
On a side note about names, I like learning about them. They tell a lot about a family's past just with one simple word. My last name is Horn (used to be Van Horne before my grandpa changed it a few decades ago).
Have you ever played Democracy 3 ? Cause I need advices, I keep being murdered by socialists revolutionaries, or religious zealots... Even with a incredibly high budget for the department of police and intern security, spies everywhere and policemen with machine guns.
This.
Yes it is very Italian
It's literally the Italianest.
Classic.
Ha
It's like having the last name Smith in America
Quiet today.
Don't ruin it.
So, the Cheatriots are at it again. And what are the NFL gonna do about it? Nothing. As per freaking usual.
*Entire Yemeni government resigns to make way for Al Qaeda*
*King of Saudi Arabia dies*
OH MY GOD!!!!!! DEFLATED BALLS!!!!!
Okay, the Patriots won 45 to 7... "deflated balls" was not the reason the Patriots won.
The New Progressive Mitt Romney is the same as the Old Progressive Mitt Romney
http://reason.com/blog/2015/01/23/the-new-progressive-mitt-romney-is-the-s
Mother Jones David Corn has found a new "progressive champion" in a somewhat surprising candidate: Mitt Romney.
Corn is not exactly a committed Romney booster: He helped tank Mitt Romneys 2012 presidential ambitions by publishing Romneys infamous 47 percent remarks, in what was probably the biggest single scoop of the campaign.
But now Corn is arguing that liberals should embrace the newly "remodeled" former GOP governor of Massachusetts, and "encourage him to return to the political battlefield."
"Romney, apparently seeing the error of his severely conservative ways, has become a progressive crusader," Corn writes. Noting early reports that Romney has hinted he might run to the right of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Corn argues that, in fact, "in public remarks, Romney has been sounding like a born-again lefty."
At an investment management conference in Utah this week, Romney told the crowd that a new-and-improved candidate Romney would focus on climate change, poverty, and education. Yes, climate change, poverty, and education. In a bizarre Freaky Friday sort of way, Romney appears to have been body-snatchedperhaps by the ghost of Ted Kennedy.
Corn isnt wrong that this represents a shift from Romneys last presidential bid, and he's right to flag Romney's remarks in light of initial reports about Romney's likely self-branding strategy.
But this is less a body snatching and more of a reawakening. It's a return to Romneys old political personathe moderate, non-ideological Rockefeller Republican he played during his days in Massachusetts politics.
During his first year and a half as governor of Massachusetts, for example, Romney worked on a major climate change proposal, one that, much like President Obamas recent executive order, would have included measures to power plants relying on coal and ramp up reliance on alternative energy sources. Whenever the topic came up, Romney insisted that climate change was both real and caused by human activity. "He was the radical in the room" on the topic, one aide told the Los Angeles Times in 2012.
Ultimately, Romney backed away from those ideas as his term as governor ended and he set his sights on the presidency. But this was his first inclination, and he put a lot of energy into it.
Romney was similarly ambitious on education during his tenure as governor, pursuing significant higher ed reforms (that again, ultimately didnt go anywhere) and signing into law a scholarship program, sometimes described as his signature achievement, for high-achieving high-school students. The scholarship program had problems, but the prominence Romney gave it suggest the strength of his interest.
Its true that as governor, Romney didnt place much emphasis on poverty, and, as Corn notes, during his 2012 presidential run, he explicitly said that hes "not concerned about the poor." They "have a safety net"which he would repair if necessary.
As governor, thats what Romney did. He made a major upgrade to Massachusetts safety net as governor, designing, promoting, and signing into law a health care overhaul that would become the model for Obamacare. He didnt need to channel the ghost of Ted Kennedy while doing so either, because Kennedy was a major backer of the law who worked closely with Romney to get it passed.
At the signing ceremony, Kennedy appeared on stage with Romney, who praised the Senator, saying that his "work in Washington, and behind the scenes on Beacon Hill, was absolutely essential."
Romney was frequently tagged as an arch-conservative during the 2012 campaign, sometimes by himself. But this was never particularly believable given his governing record. Corn is right to sell his fellow progressives on Romney, but his mistake is suggesting that its a new development. Its a return to form for Romney, who has always been a committed technocrat, someone who believes in the transformative power of business managers and government planners working together to design social systems.
Obviously Romney hasnt officially announced a run yet, so it's possible that none of this will matter. And given his history of self-reinventions, he could always go another direction.
But if he pursues this approach, would just be dispensing with the awkward, pretend conservative get-up he adopted for the 2012 campaign and returning to his natural form.
Indeed, back in 2002, when Romney was running for Senate, he offered the following self-description: "Im not a partisan Republican," he said, "Im someone who is moderate and my views are progressive." Progressives like Corn may just now be discovering that Romney is an ally, but Romney has long known hes one of them.
Conservatives and libertarians... DO NOT be fooled again by Romney. He is the ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing.
Wow Pevv ok
You disagree? I'd be interested to hear (or read) your opinion.
Lol, I think he's just surprised to hear that out of the blue.
Now, if you want to argue with someone, you could try my doppleganger. He's been trying to convince my Federal Islands puppet that the Soviet Union never fell for days now :P
Didn't notice today's census.
Good job to the top ten today.
I agree..but walls...so random
Thnx. I beat Pevv!!!! lol jk
So I just watched foxcatcher, it was an amazing film, quite tragic as well.
Just got done watching American Sniper. I feel 2000% American now.
'Twas a pretty great movie....
Remind me to watch that.
Out my window, I can see a car repeatedly driving in circles around a nearby cul-de-sac. That is so weird.
Watch it.
Really guys? 19 hours?
Exit polls are indicating that the far-left party in Greece, Syriza, has captured a majority in the Greek parliament. Hopefully, they'll pull apart the EU and do such an atrocious job governing that they'll dissuade the country from ever falling into the chasm of statism again.
Some of us have lives man
I've worked 16 hours in the last two days. I understand the unfortunate truth of having a life.
But yeah it's been to quite.
Damn, I clicked wrong when I set up my country. Suddenly we're all really spiritual...and we waste taxpayer money on it. How the **** do I get rid of it?
Answer issues accordingly
Post self-deleted by Novum Futurum.
I guessed as much, but I was hoping for a shortcut/edit function. =)
Thanks for answering.
We all want shortcuts...
;)
Sometimes they just aren't there though. And sure...we are usually infinitly more active than this^
http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?t=328084&f=12
Oh deary deary me, someone has a bit of a grudge against us! Haha, quite funny though.
I hope that Merkel will refuse any debt re-negotiation. She's the last hope for Europe, the last leader who knows what created this crisis, the last leader who knows that more public spending will not fix a problem of public spending.
God I hate this continent, I hate those people who saw their States' debts exploding during dozens of years and who just wake up when they are asking to pay it back.
are asked *
I hate this tyrannical ECB who just decide to devaluate the currency of an entire population without any need to ask permission.
I hate so many things tonight.
Euro-Dollars : 1.11
No comment. Inflation will come back in Europe, along with the already huge amounts of taxes people have to pay.
Thanks ECB, thank you Greece.
The RMB is dead with lack of any controversy.
So I shall release my creation, The Flag Act, as I said I would a month ago at the end of January.
http://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=350693
They act so high and mighty...
"The flag shall be 2x3 in size"
Good job specifying what.
The Gadsden Snake has always been a powerful symbol for the liberty movement, from the American Revolution to today. Although it has been partially stolen from us the neo-conservatives in the tea party, it remains one of the most identifiable symbols of libertarianism in the world. The coiled up snake is acted defensive instead of aggressive, like our politics, which is fundamentally reacting defensively towards the evil powers authoritarianism and illiberalism in the world instead of acting aggressively and imperialistically. We will fight to defend what is our own in this world, to preserve the liberties of ourselves and our allies and not to give in wantingly to "evil." I've stylistically chosen a diamond shape and kept the background to our traditional blue color, to keep a nod to the past.
*coughs*
Let me switch that to a width x height standard.
We have an official flag
Way to interrupt the peace and quiet, buddy.
Assembled with Dot's Region Saver.
Written by Refuge Isle.