NationStates

Ayytaly wrote:Former colonies have no proper identity. Even England, technically an Anglo-Saxon and Norman colony, has no true discernible culture of its own. Not even football, which is Chinese in origin.

Hakons wrote:I find the last paragraph to be very powerful. From my Catholic lense, it breathes with the philosophy of the pro-life movement. It cuts against the modern idea that bearing children into poverty is worse then preventing them from living at all.

Hakons wrote:Let's keep the litterary sharing going with my favorite passage from A Christmas Carol.

“A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!”

Which all the family re-echoed.

“God bless us every one!” said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

He sat very close to his father’s side upon his little stool. Bob held his withered little hand in his, as if he loved the child, and wished to keep him by his side, and dreaded that he might be taken from him.

“Spirit,” said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, “tell me if Tiny Tim will live.”

“I see a vacant seat,” replied the Ghost, “in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.”

“No, no,” said Scrooge. “Oh, no, kind Spirit! say he will be spared.”

“If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race,” returned the Ghost, “will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”

Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.

“Man,” said the Ghost, “if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man’s child. Oh God! to hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust!”

I find the last paragraph to be very powerful. From my Catholic lense, it breathes with the philosophy of the pro-life movement. It cuts against the modern idea that bearing children into poverty is worse then preventing them from living at all.

Kowani wrote:No, it cuts against the idea that people have the right to decide who lives or dies (and also against overpopulation Malthusian nonsense). Not against abortion specifically.

Fahran wrote:

Hakons wrote:I find the last paragraph to be very powerful. From my Catholic lense, it breathes with the philosophy of the pro-life movement. It cuts against the modern idea that bearing children into poverty is worse then preventing them from living at all.

I've always found that argument grotesque, that it is better to die, possibly quite painfully, than to live in poverty.

Salus Maior wrote:

Kowani wrote:No, it cuts against the idea that people have the right to decide who lives or dies (and also against overpopulation Malthusian nonsense). Not against abortion specifically.

Abortion is about deciding whether one lives or dies.

Salus Maior wrote:

Kowani wrote:No, it cuts against the idea that people have the right to decide who lives or dies (and also against overpopulation Malthusian nonsense). Not against abortion specifically.

Abortion is about deciding whether one lives or dies.

Salus Maior wrote:

Kowani wrote:No, it cuts against the idea that people have the right to decide who lives or dies (and also against overpopulation Malthusian nonsense). Not against abortion specifically.

Abortion is about deciding whether one lives or dies.

Bear Stearns wrote:America in 1981 would have handled the coronavirus 15x better.

Nakena wrote:

Bear Stearns wrote:America in 1981 would have handled the coronavirus 15x better.

How so?

Also being in home for weeks in 1981 would x15 worse. At least. like a few channels on a shitty TV, no internets and no vidya really.

The Alma Mater wrote:

Nakena wrote:
How so?

Also being in home for weeks in 1981 would x15 worse. At least. like a few channels on a shitty TV, no internets and no vidya really.

But books. Lots and lots of books.
Which arguably is better for ones mental health than the influx of Netflix, prime, disney+ etc. etc.

Nakena wrote:

The Alma Mater wrote:
But books. Lots and lots of books.
Which arguably is better for ones mental health than the influx of Netflix, prime, disney+ etc. etc.

But I have already read all my Books.

The Alma Mater wrote:

Nakena wrote:
But I have already read all my Books.

Reread them ? After reading a few thousand you are bound to have forgotten the contents of some.

Nakena wrote:

The Alma Mater wrote:
Reread them ? After reading a few thousand you are bound to have forgotten the contents of some.

I have quite a couple but not that many.

The Alma Mater wrote:

Nakena wrote:
I have quite a couple but not that many.

Back in the 80s you would have
Admittedly many would not have been "books" but those cheap pockets with e.g. crappy scifi or murder mysteries; but hey. There was no Temptation Island, Tiger king or twitter back then.

Bear Stearns wrote:

The Alma Mater wrote:
Back in the 80s you would have
Admittedly many would not have been "books" but those cheap pockets with e.g. crappy scifi or murder mysteries; but hey. There was no Temptation Island, Tiger king or twitter back then.

We were better for it.

The Alma Mater wrote:Happily, that is not a pro-choice argument Visit any abortionthread to learn more -it is not like there is a shortage of them.

The Alma Mater wrote:

Nakena wrote:
I have quite a couple but not that many.

Back in the 80s you would have
Admittedly many would not have been "books" but those cheap pockets with e.g. crappy scifi or murder mysteries; but hey. There was no Temptation Island, Tiger king or twitter back then.

Albrenia wrote:Books are pretty awesome. Something just seems more comfy about them instead of using a tablet or whatnot... although obviously the ease of access is firmly in technology's favour.

Bear Stearns wrote:America in 1981 would have handled the coronavirus 15x better.

Albrenia wrote:Books are pretty awesome. Something just seems more comfy about them instead of using a tablet or whatnot... although obviously the ease of access is firmly in technology's favour.

Diahon wrote:

Albrenia wrote:Books are pretty awesome. Something just seems more comfy about them instead of using a tablet or whatnot... although obviously the ease of access is firmly in technology's favour.

ah yes speak of my kinks

Hakons wrote:Let's keep the litterary sharing going with my favorite passage from A Christmas Carol.

“A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!”

Which all the family re-echoed.

“God bless us every one!” said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

He sat very close to his father’s side upon his little stool. Bob held his withered little hand in his, as if he loved the child, and wished to keep him by his side, and dreaded that he might be taken from him.

“Spirit,” said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, “tell me if Tiny Tim will live.”

“I see a vacant seat,” replied the Ghost, “in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.”

“No, no,” said Scrooge. “Oh, no, kind Spirit! say he will be spared.”

“If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race,” returned the Ghost, “will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”

Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.

“Man,” said the Ghost, “if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man’s child. Oh God! to hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust!”

I find the last paragraph to be very powerful. From my Catholic lense, it breathes with the philosophy of the pro-life movement. It cuts against the modern idea that bearing children into poverty is worse then preventing them from living at all.

Nakena wrote:Also old books have their own scent.

Diahon wrote:

Nakena wrote:Also old books have their own scent.

...

... you will not break my inhuman ardor, bookhater

rah