Why haven't dirty cops sparked the second revolution?

[Exoth XIII]

the reverend silver

Senator Armstrong

the reverend silver

Senator Armstrong

the reverend silver

Senator Armstrong

It's never time. Revolts are bad news.

Also things are not nearly bad enough in the US for the general population to even think about it.

Oh, hello, white middle class America. How was your latte? Didn't spill it on any of your Apple products again, did you? Good, good, those things cost like a week's wages for you.

I too enjoy meaningless platitudes.

I hope you enjoyed that one too, you borgious... bogeous... you middle-class ********.


******** you too, spell-check.

If you think places like Syria have it good, then you really need to rethink some things.

The revolution isn't why Syria sucks. It sucked before that, and people are fighting to make ti suck less.

If you know anything about Syria, you'll know even the American poor have it good.
If we go into civil war, all that infrastructure? Right down the shitter. Things will start to suck bad for everyone.

[the reverend silver]

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Senator Armstrong

the reverend silver

Senator Armstrong

I too enjoy meaningless platitudes.

I hope you enjoyed that one too, you borgious... bogeous... you middle-class ********.


******** you too, spell-check.

If you think places like Syria have it good, then you really need to rethink some things.

The revolution isn't why Syria sucks. It sucked before that, and people are fighting to make ti suck less.

If you know anything about Syria, you'll know even the American poor have it good.
If we go into civil war, all that infrastructure? Right down the shitter. Things will start to suck bad for everyone.

Even you, yes. Even the rich people. You'll have to survive, of course, and maybe a little survival experience will be good for the survivors.

Probably not psychologically though.

Still. They shouldn't have brought it to the point of things being unbearable. An extremist like me, I can't bear one atrocity, but one after another, the sheer shock and impact is sinking in, the way they keep killing people.
Even steel will notice if the hammer strikes enough times.

[Exoth XIII]

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Senator Armstrong

the reverend silver

I hope you enjoyed that one too, you borgious... bogeous... you middle-class ********.


******** you too, spell-check.

If you think places like Syria have it good, then you really need to rethink some things.

The revolution isn't why Syria sucks. It sucked before that, and people are fighting to make ti suck less.

If you know anything about Syria, you'll know even the American poor have it good.
If we go into civil war, all that infrastructure? Right down the shitter. Things will start to suck bad for everyone.

Even you, yes. Even the rich people.

That's adorable, you think I'm "rich." I'm barely middle class, and I had to work my a** off for it.
I'm speaking from firsthand experience. I've BEEN poor.
Compared to, say, being poor in Brazil, or being poor in Ghana? Being poor in America is ******** awesome. You can drink out of a water fountain without getting dysentery. People here are generous enough that in five minutes of begging, you have enough money for a decent meal, and that's assuming you don't want to fill out the paperwork for food stamps, or go to a soup kitchen.

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Still. They shouldn't have brought it to the point of things being unbearable. An extremist like me, I can't bear one atrocity, but one after another, the sheer shock and impact is sinking in, the way they keep killing people.
Even steel will notice if the hammer strikes enough times.

I think you've missed my point.
Your solution is to kill a whole SHITLOAD more people, get a whole shitload of people on your side killed, in the hopes that the system this revolution brings will kill fewer people. (Protip: If your solution is killing people, the people who agree with you, the people who will be building the next system, their solutions will frequently involve killing people.)

[the reverend silver]

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Senator Armstrong

If you think places like Syria have it good, then you really need to rethink some things.

The revolution isn't why Syria sucks. It sucked before that, and people are fighting to make ti suck less.

If you know anything about Syria, you'll know even the American poor have it good.
If we go into civil war, all that infrastructure? Right down the shitter. Things will start to suck bad for everyone.

Even you, yes. Even the rich people.

That's adorable, you think I'm "rich." I'm barely middle class, and I had to work my a** off for it.
I'm speaking from firsthand experience. I've BEEN poor.
Compared to, say, being poor in Brazil, or being poor in Ghana? Being poor in America is ******** awesome. You can drink out of a water fountain without getting dysentery. People here are generous enough that in five minutes of begging, you have enough money for a decent meal, and that's assuming you don't want to fill out the paperwork for food stamps, or go to a soup kitchen.

Begging is dishonorable, only outcasts and bums do that s**t. You get rode in for it if you have any friends to go past and see you.

And yes, that's all very nice. However. Your point? Is our status quo all that's keeping us from becoming Ghana?

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Still. They shouldn't have brought it to the point of things being unbearable. An extremist like me, I can't bear one atrocity, but one after another, the sheer shock and impact is sinking in, the way they keep killing people.
Even steel will notice if the hammer strikes enough times.

I think you've missed my point.
Your solution is to kill a whole SHITLOAD more people, get a whole shitload of people on your side killed, in the hopes that the system this revolution brings will kill fewer people. (Protip: If your solution is killing people, the people who agree with you, the people who will be building the next system, their solutions will frequently involve killing people.)

No, no, no, you're looking at it all wrong. Well, no, if you're a nonviolence advocate, then there's really nothing to do but submit. Isn't there? Didn't you say "control the mind"? Look at you.

[Exoth XIII]

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

The revolution isn't why Syria sucks. It sucked before that, and people are fighting to make ti suck less.

If you know anything about Syria, you'll know even the American poor have it good.
If we go into civil war, all that infrastructure? Right down the shitter. Things will start to suck bad for everyone.

Even you, yes. Even the rich people.

That's adorable, you think I'm "rich." I'm barely middle class, and I had to work my a** off for it.
I'm speaking from firsthand experience. I've BEEN poor.
Compared to, say, being poor in Brazil, or being poor in Ghana? Being poor in America is ******** awesome. You can drink out of a water fountain without getting dysentery. People here are generous enough that in five minutes of begging, you have enough money for a decent meal, and that's assuming you don't want to fill out the paperwork for food stamps, or go to a soup kitchen.

Begging is dishonorable,

Ah. So you HAVEN'T been poor. You're an angry middle class high schooler, or is it college?

I haven't ever had to beg, but I've seen people who DO have to. If 1/10 passers by gives the guy a quarter, he can buy food in about 15 minutes. If you're that poor, you're not going to be worried about what your friends will say, because chances are, your friends will be right there with you.

I HAVE worked as a street magician. It pays almost as well as begging.

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And yes, that's all very nice. However. Your point? Is our status quo all that's keeping us from becoming Ghana?

Um... yes, actually. Without the network of support that we have for the poor, coupled with a revolution targeted specifically at the country's economic elite, we'd pretty quickly become a third world country.

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No, no, no, you're looking at it all wrong. Well, no, if you're a nonviolence advocate, then there's really nothing to do but submit. Isn't there?

On the contrary.
I can talk.
I can find out the source of a problem, and find a way to solve it WITHOUT killing.

You come across a bully, there's two ways you can handle him.
You can fight him. If you lose, he'll keep bullying you. If you win, he'll take it personal, and he'll jump you with more resources.
Or, you can talk. You can control him with your words. Play to his pride, get him to back down without losing face.
But then, that's not the "honorable" thing to do.

[the reverend silver]

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

If you know anything about Syria, you'll know even the American poor have it good.
If we go into civil war, all that infrastructure? Right down the shitter. Things will start to suck bad for everyone.

Even you, yes. Even the rich people.

That's adorable, you think I'm "rich." I'm barely middle class, and I had to work my a** off for it.
I'm speaking from firsthand experience. I've BEEN poor.
Compared to, say, being poor in Brazil, or being poor in Ghana? Being poor in America is ******** awesome. You can drink out of a water fountain without getting dysentery. People here are generous enough that in five minutes of begging, you have enough money for a decent meal, and that's assuming you don't want to fill out the paperwork for food stamps, or go to a soup kitchen.

Begging is dishonorable,

Ah. So you HAVEN'T been poor. You're an angry middle class high schooler, or is it college?

I haven't ever had to beg, but I've seen people who DO have to. If 1/10 passers by gives the guy a quarter, he can buy food in about 15 minutes. If you're that poor, you're not going to be worried about what your friends will say, because chances are, your friends will be right there with you.

I HAVE worked as a street magician. It pays almost as well as begging.

Nope, I'm poor. Always been poor. Ain't had no money. Personally I think it's kinda ******** up but hey, I don't write the rules of honor and reputation. Me, I'd rather do crime than beg. Crime that don't hurt nobody, mind you. People have to survive. When you have to survive, you might commit a crime sometimes. It's human nature to survive.
Nobody's pro-crime, and that's a problem. Crime is dangerous, but it also is the only way for many. We should relax conditions on crimes where nobody gets hurt, so that it's easier to survive. But that's neither here nor there.

And nah, my friends don't beg. Only the crackhead one begs, and he's still good people.

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And yes, that's all very nice. However. Your point? Is our status quo all that's keeping us from becoming Ghana?

Um... yes, actually. Without the network of support that we have for the poor, coupled with a revolution targeted specifically at the country's economic elite, we'd pretty quickly become a third world country.

A second Civil War was never an option. The Blitz on the South was brutal, and precedent-setting. The American government will use total war measures as a punitive tactic. They won't salt the earth, but they'll damn sure come close. Napalm. Mass deforestation. It can't be done like that. Like everything else, one would have to use the shadows.

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No, no, no, you're looking at it all wrong. Well, no, if you're a nonviolence advocate, then there's really nothing to do but submit. Isn't there?

On the contrary.
I can talk.
I can find out the source of a problem, and find a way to solve it WITHOUT killing.

Oh look y'all Doctor Who over here's gonna solve all our problems. Don't get shot by the government like so many before you.
Are you familiar with COINTELPRO?

You come across a bully, there's two ways you can handle him.
You can fight him. If you lose, he'll keep bullying you. If you win, he'll take it personal, and he'll jump you with more resources.
Or, you can talk. You can control him with your words. Play to his pride, get him to back down without losing face.
But then, that's not the "honorable" thing to do.
You can get devious. You have to. He's bigger than you and he has money, and he's the boss of his little group of friends. Shoot him with airsoft guns and he comes back with paintball shooters. Jump him and he'll come back with his goons. So you have to get devious. Go to his house at night and TP it. Spray paint "(X) WAS HERE" on walls. Wreck his bike while he's in class. Spread rumors about him at school, forge a school nurse's slip stating that he shat his pants in class or something. Make every angle of his life hell, so that he knows his enemy is no where and everywhere all at once, and he will eventually lose control, do something too horrible, and no one will stand with him.
If America has taught me anything, that is this: be devious.

[Exoth XIII]

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Even you, yes. Even the rich people.

That's adorable, you think I'm "rich." I'm barely middle class, and I had to work my a** off for it.
I'm speaking from firsthand experience. I've BEEN poor.
Compared to, say, being poor in Brazil, or being poor in Ghana? Being poor in America is ******** awesome. You can drink out of a water fountain without getting dysentery. People here are generous enough that in five minutes of begging, you have enough money for a decent meal, and that's assuming you don't want to fill out the paperwork for food stamps, or go to a soup kitchen.

Begging is dishonorable,

Ah. So you HAVEN'T been poor. You're an angry middle class high schooler, or is it college?

I haven't ever had to beg, but I've seen people who DO have to. If 1/10 passers by gives the guy a quarter, he can buy food in about 15 minutes. If you're that poor, you're not going to be worried about what your friends will say, because chances are, your friends will be right there with you.

I HAVE worked as a street magician. It pays almost as well as begging.

Nope, I'm poor. Always been poor. Ain't had no money. Personally I think it's kinda ******** up but hey, I don't write the rules of honor and reputation. Me, I'd rather do crime than beg. Crime that don't hurt nobody, mind you. People have to survive. When you have to survive, you might commit a crime sometimes. It's human nature to survive.

That, I think, is the difference between us.
You would commit a crime to survive, if the alternative was humbling.

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A second Civil War was never an option.

That's what your revolution would be, though, if it got big enough.

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No, no, no, you're looking at it all wrong. Well, no, if you're a nonviolence advocate, then there's really nothing to do but submit. Isn't there?

On the contrary.
I can talk.
I can find out the source of a problem, and find a way to solve it WITHOUT killing.

Oh look y'all Doctor Who over here's gonna solve all our problems.

Jealousy is unbecoming.

Quote:

Don't get shot by the government like so many before you.

I'm too pro-establishment to get shot. The Doctor is clever like that.

Quote:

Are you familiar with COINTELPRO?

Yeah, it's funny sometimes how stupid that was. They singlehandedly failed to prevent, and in fact may have sped along the advancement of civil rights for blacks.

Quote:

Quote:

You come across a bully, there's two ways you can handle him.
You can fight him. If you lose, he'll keep bullying you. If you win, he'll take it personal, and he'll jump you with more resources.
Or, you can talk. You can control him with your words. Play to his pride, get him to back down without losing face.
But then, that's not the "honorable" thing to do.

You can get devious. You have to. He's bigger than you and he has money, and he's the boss of his little group of friends. Shoot him with airsoft guns and he comes back with paintball shooters. Jump him and he'll come back with his goons. So you have to get devious. Go to his house at night and TP it. Spray paint "(X) WAS HERE" on walls. Wreck his bike while he's in class. Spread rumors about him at school, forge a school nurse's slip stating that he shat his pants in class or something. Make every angle of his life hell, so that he knows his enemy is no where and everywhere all at once, and he will eventually lose control, do something too horrible, and no one will stand with him.

See, that's what I mean by "fight back." You do that, he'll ******** hate your guts. He'll take it personally. When he loses control, god help you if you're nearby.

Alternatively, you could turn him into your own personal meat shield. It would cost you less time and effort, would gain you an ally, and would build you a much more positive reputation.
You and I have two very different ideas of the word "devious."

For me, fighting really only serves one purpose; to win the respect of people with a "warrior" mentality. Even then, you're not supposed to fight to win. You fight to show that you like fighting, and that you respect them enough to let them get in their licks.

[the reverend silver]

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

That's adorable, you think I'm "rich." I'm barely middle class, and I had to work my a** off for it.
I'm speaking from firsthand experience. I've BEEN poor.
Compared to, say, being poor in Brazil, or being poor in Ghana? Being poor in America is ******** awesome. You can drink out of a water fountain without getting dysentery. People here are generous enough that in five minutes of begging, you have enough money for a decent meal, and that's assuming you don't want to fill out the paperwork for food stamps, or go to a soup kitchen.

Begging is dishonorable,

Ah. So you HAVEN'T been poor. You're an angry middle class high schooler, or is it college?

I haven't ever had to beg, but I've seen people who DO have to. If 1/10 passers by gives the guy a quarter, he can buy food in about 15 minutes. If you're that poor, you're not going to be worried about what your friends will say, because chances are, your friends will be right there with you.

I HAVE worked as a street magician. It pays almost as well as begging.

Nope, I'm poor. Always been poor. Ain't had no money. Personally I think it's kinda ******** up but hey, I don't write the rules of honor and reputation. Me, I'd rather do crime than beg. Crime that don't hurt nobody, mind you. People have to survive. When you have to survive, you might commit a crime sometimes. It's human nature to survive.

That, I think, is the difference between us.
You would commit a crime to survive, if the alternative was humbling.

Not humbling. Humiliating. Dehumanizing. Shameful in the eyes of the many.

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A second Civil War was never an option.

That's what your revolution would be, though, if it got big enough.

No, no, no. Most people will not agree with what they are going to do.
Honestly it's kind of like tricking a

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No, no, no, you're looking at it all wrong. Well, no, if you're a nonviolence advocate, then there's really nothing to do but submit. Isn't there?

On the contrary.
I can talk.
I can find out the source of a problem, and find a way to solve it WITHOUT killing.

Oh look y'all Doctor Who over here's gonna solve all our problems.

Jealousy is unbecoming.

I say that because the Doctor has fancy alien powers that allow him to solve any problem with nonviolence. It's the magic blue wand. It does that. What resources do you have to buy your way into the elite circle?
Or are you planning on getting eliminated like every other popular leader?

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Don't get shot by the government like so many before you.

I'm too pro-establishment to get shot. The Doctor is clever like that.

Oh, right.

Speaking of science fiction, have you played Mass Effect 3? A dude in the game kept trying to control the reapers, and they got played. I'm not saying it'll happen to you, but you're one of them basically. You're helping them, by being that voice in the crowd.

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Are you familiar with COINTELPRO?

Yeah, it's funny sometimes how stupid that was. They singlehandedly failed to prevent, and in fact may have sped along the advancement of civil rights for blacks.

And you believe that, in this age of surveillance and "anti-terrorism measures", that our popular leaders' political beliefs are unmonitored and unchecked?

Quote:

Quote:

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You come across a bully, there's two ways you can handle him.
You can fight him. If you lose, he'll keep bullying you. If you win, he'll take it personal, and he'll jump you with more resources.
Or, you can talk. You can control him with your words. Play to his pride, get him to back down without losing face.
But then, that's not the "honorable" thing to do.

You can get devious. You have to. He's bigger than you and he has money, and he's the boss of his little group of friends. Shoot him with airsoft guns and he comes back with paintball shooters. Jump him and he'll come back with his goons. So you have to get devious. Go to his house at night and TP it. Spray paint "(X) WAS HERE" on walls. Wreck his bike while he's in class. Spread rumors about him at school, forge a school nurse's slip stating that he shat his pants in class or something. Make every angle of his life hell, so that he knows his enemy is no where and everywhere all at once, and he will eventually lose control, do something too horrible, and no one will stand with him.

See, that's what I mean by "fight back." You do that, he'll ******** hate your guts. He'll take it personally. When he loses control, god help you if you're nearby.

Alternatively, you could turn him into your own personal meat shield. It would cost you less time and effort, would gain you an ally, and would build you a much more positive reputation.
You and I have two very different ideas of the word "devious."

For me, fighting really only serves one purpose; to win the respect of people with a "warrior" mentality. Even then, you're not supposed to fight to win. You fight to show that you like fighting, and that you respect them enough to let them get in their licks.

You can't control this guy. Yeah, he's "emotionally disabled" as the teachers say, he's a ******** meglomaniac who gets pissed off at the littlest s**t, but he's not stupid. You can fool him, but you can't manipulate him, because he's suspicious, paranoid. He's looking for that.


It's not even a guy, though. It is a thing, cold and hellish and made of steel and bad men. And you cannot reason with it, because you are under it. It is beneath it to reason with you.

"You can't control that thing. I will not take that chance."

[Exoth XIII]

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Begging is dishonorable,

Ah. So you HAVEN'T been poor. You're an angry middle class high schooler, or is it college?

I haven't ever had to beg, but I've seen people who DO have to. If 1/10 passers by gives the guy a quarter, he can buy food in about 15 minutes. If you're that poor, you're not going to be worried about what your friends will say, because chances are, your friends will be right there with you.

I HAVE worked as a street magician. It pays almost as well as begging.

Nope, I'm poor. Always been poor. Ain't had no money. Personally I think it's kinda ******** up but hey, I don't write the rules of honor and reputation. Me, I'd rather do crime than beg. Crime that don't hurt nobody, mind you. People have to survive. When you have to survive, you might commit a crime sometimes. It's human nature to survive.

That, I think, is the difference between us.
You would commit a crime to survive, if the alternative was humbling.

Not humbling. Humiliating. Dehumanizing. Shameful in the eyes of the many.

You live in an area with a lot of republicans, don'cha?

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A second Civil War was never an option.

That's what your revolution would be, though, if it got big enough.

No, no, no. Most people will not agree with what they are going to do.

Ladies and gentlemen, democracy at work.
Bend over guys; it's time for the new regime.

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I say that because the Doctor has fancy alien powers that allow him to solve any problem with nonviolence.

Y'know, 9 times out of 10, that little wand of his is only used to lock/unlock doors, identify things, and activate things. Most of the time, he wins by trickery. That, to be honest, isn't my way. I win by diplomacy, more often than not.

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What resources do you have to buy your way into the elite circle?

A winning smile.

Quote:

Speaking of science fiction, have you played Mass Effect 3?

Nope. I don't do shooters.
They're too realistic these days. The dudes feel too slow and clunky.
I like Minecraft, or Assassin's Creed.

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And you believe that, in this age of surveillance and "anti-terrorism measures", that our popular leaders' political beliefs are unmonitored and unchecked?

Oh. My. GOD. They might actually catch on to the things I'd be saying openly, how was this supposed to intimidate me again?
Machiavelli is dead. You don't rule with secrecy in the information age. Honesty is the best policy. I don't care if they monitor what I say in private, because it'd be a slightly more colorful version of what I say in public.

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You can't control this guy. Yeah, he's "emotionally disabled" as the teachers say, he's a ******** meglomaniac who gets pissed off at the littlest s**t, but he's not stupid. You can fool him, but you can't manipulate him, because he's suspicious, paranoid. He's looking for that.

Are you kidding? I've done it.
Like I said, you play to their pride. YES, they're egotists. YES, he's well aware of what you're doing, but if you're doing it right, he knows YOU KNOW that, and he likes that. He LIKES being in a position of power, such that you flatter his ego "in the hopes that he won't beat your a**."

This is kind of what I mean. If it flatters his ego to let himself be manipulated, he'll do it.

[Ame Yuki Kaze]

Americans remind me of a Chinese story about two dragons I read as a kid.

There was this dragon, who was the pet of a nobleman. He was well-fed, well cared for and spent his days sunning himself on the rocks or swimming in his river. His wings had long ago withered because he never flew.

One day, a wild dragon descended from the heavens for a drink and saw the pet dragon sunning himself on the rock.

"Rise with me, brother! Let us dance in the clouds together and ride the wind!" cried the wild dragon.

The pet dragon blinked an eye, but didn't even respond otherwise.

The wild dragon looked sadly at the tame one.

"He who lives for man shall die for man," he said before flying away.

Within days, the wild dragon's prediction had come true. The nobleman's domain was sacked and the tame dragon killed when the property was invaded.

The end.

[A Court of Owls]

Quite frankly, I fear that whatever springs up after a revolution would be far worse than what is in place right now. Based on sheer numbers alone I am inclined to think that a Christian theocracy could spring from such a revolution and, being an atheist, that is not something I want to see.

[the reverend silver]

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

the reverend silver

Exoth XIII

Ah. So you HAVEN'T been poor. You're an angry middle class high schooler, or is it college?

I haven't ever had to beg, but I've seen people who DO have to. If 1/10 passers by gives the guy a quarter, he can buy food in about 15 minutes. If you're that poor, you're not going to be worried about what your friends will say, because chances are, your friends will be right there with you.

I HAVE worked as a street magician. It pays almost as well as begging.

Nope, I'm poor. Always been poor. Ain't had no money. Personally I think it's kinda ******** up but hey, I don't write the rules of honor and reputation. Me, I'd rather do crime than beg. Crime that don't hurt nobody, mind you. People have to survive. When you have to survive, you might commit a crime sometimes. It's human nature to survive.

That, I think, is the difference between us.
You would commit a crime to survive, if the alternative was humbling.

Not humbling. Humiliating. Dehumanizing. Shameful in the eyes of the many.

You live in an area with a lot of republicans, don'cha?

Yeah. You know, if it WERE socially acceptable, I'd get really stoned and sit in public for a while begging for money. I live in a very economically disparate area, where the middle class literally does not exist, or comprises only at most 15-20 per cent of the population.

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A second Civil War was never an option.

That's what your revolution would be, though, if it got big enough.

No, no, no. Most people will not agree with what they are going to do.

Ladies and gentlemen, democracy at work.
Bend over guys; it's time for the new regime.

Quote:

I say that because the Doctor has fancy alien powers that allow him to solve any problem with nonviolence.

Y'know, 9 times out of 10, that little wand of his is only used to lock/unlock doors, identify things, and activate things. Most of the time, he wins by trickery. That, to be honest, isn't my way. I win by diplomacy, more often than not.

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What resources do you have to buy your way into the elite circle?

A winning smile.

If you were eight years old and sucked a mean d**k you might have a chance. neutral
That's not a joke. Kids disappear and don't get investigated.

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Speaking of science fiction, have you played Mass Effect 3?

Nope. I don't do shooters.
They're too realistic these days. The dudes feel too slow and clunky.
I like Minecraft, or Assassin's Creed.

Assassin's Creed speaks to me. The idea of murdering one by one a totalitarian secret society, just for freedom's sake appeals to me for obvious reasons.
Although it is offputting, the similarities between the Assassin crest and the Masonic one. It could be a stylized hidden blade, see, but it bears resemblance to the caliper, the significance of which you should already be aware of.

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And you believe that, in this age of surveillance and "anti-terrorism measures", that our popular leaders' political beliefs are unmonitored and unchecked?

Oh. My. GOD. They might actually catch on to the things I'd be saying openly, how was this supposed to intimidate me again?
Machiavelli is dead. You don't rule with secrecy in the information age. Honesty is the best policy. I don't care if they monitor what I say in private, because it'd be a slightly more colorful version of what I say in public.

Trust me, it can be done, although keeping the whole thing intact would require a massive effort.

But, those Bilderberg people, the ones accused of being a powerful Secret Society in control of many things? Well, they have the resources to pull something like that off. Bill Gates. Bill Gates alone could become the next Emperor of America if he paid us all off. And he's got friends!

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You can't control this guy. Yeah, he's "emotionally disabled" as the teachers say, he's a ******** meglomaniac who gets pissed off at the littlest s**t, but he's not stupid. You can fool him, but you can't manipulate him, because he's suspicious, paranoid. He's looking for that.

Are you kidding? I've done it.
Like I said, you play to their pride. YES, they're egotists. YES, he's well aware of what you're doing, but if you're doing it right, he knows YOU KNOW that, and he likes that. He LIKES being in a position of power, such that you flatter his ego "in the hopes that he won't beat your a**."

Whoa. And where is your weird power dynamic taking you, other than towards a terrible buggering?

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This is kind of what I mean. If it flatters his ego to let himself be manipulated, he'll do it.

You know what? Goddamn.
Alright, so you've got your pet politico. What now? You've got ONE. Any more and you become a threat, and the fine line between making them believe you and dying in a back alley with a needle full of your first (probably) and last dose of smack jammed into the crook of your arm is...
The police will never catch my sentences, they just run on and on...
Basically, willful suspension of disbelief, specifically with respect to the sincerity of your flattery.

[the reverend silver]

Scarred Sword Heart

Americans remind me of a Chinese story about two dragons I read as a kid.

There was this dragon, who was the pet of a nobleman. He was well-fed, well cared for and spent his days sunning himself on the rocks or swimming in his river. His wings had long ago withered because he never flew.

One day, a wild dragon descended from the heavens for a drink and saw the pet dragon sunning himself on the rock.

"Rise with me, brother! Let us dance in the clouds together and ride the wind!" cried the wild dragon.

The pet dragon blinked an eye, but didn't even respond otherwise.

The wild dragon looked sadly at the tame one.

"He who lives for man shall die for man," he said before flying away.

Within days, the wild dragon's prediction had come true. The nobleman's domain was sacked and the tame dragon killed when the property was invaded.

The end.

What does this mean? What does it mean...?
Double dragons, all the way across the sky...



We should always be wild, and survive. We must, otherwise our wings will wither and atrophy.

[the reverend silver]

Inzoreno

Quite frankly, I fear that whatever springs up after a revolution would be far worse than what is in place right now. Based on sheer numbers alone I am inclined to think that a Christian theocracy could spring from such a revolution and, being an atheist, that is not something I want to see.

Everyone's scared of the big bad tinpot. So what? You really think we're going to let someone push us around because some egotistical jackass says "Revolution over go home, I am king now"?

Historically, post-revolutionary America was very slow to accept authority. If we can all manage to survive on our own, we won't be weak burdens on the world, and we won't have to cry out for salvation from some tin plated pig.

[A Court of Owls]

the reverend silver

Inzoreno

Quite frankly, I fear that whatever springs up after a revolution would be far worse than what is in place right now. Based on sheer numbers alone I am inclined to think that a Christian theocracy could spring from such a revolution and, being an atheist, that is not something I want to see.

Everyone's scared of the big bad tinpot. So what? You really think we're going to let someone push us around because some egotistical jackass says "Revolution over go home, I am king now"?

Historically, post-revolutionary America was very slow to accept authority. If we can all manage to survive on our own, we won't be weak burdens on the world, and we won't have to cry out for salvation from some tin plated pig.

It is difficult to say one way or another, revolutions are so messy and unpredictable, there are certainly a number of ways it could end, both good and bad. I'm just not the kind of person willing to gamble of the chance of things turning out better when they could get a hell of a lot worse, especially when, in the grand scheme of things, we don't really have it that bad here. I certainly prefer living here than living in Syria or Sudan.