Text-mode apps (Was :Who are the "spacists"?)

[Rick Johnson]

On Sunday, April 2, 2017 at 3:49:43 PM UTC-5, Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Sunday 02 April 2017 12:26:40 Steve D'Aprano wrote:
> > On Sun, 2 Apr 2017 04:41 pm, Terry Reedy wrote:
> > > On 4/1/2017 12:00 PM, Steve D'Aprano wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > example of the Ugly American.
> > > 
> > > As an American I resent your promotion and perpetuation
> > > of an ugly ethno-centric stereotype.
> >
> > I'm glad you didn't try to describe it as a *unfair* or
> > *unjustified* stereotype, because (let's face it) after
> > November 8th 2016, that simply wouldn't fly.
> 
> While I too detest that label, I will have to admit that I
> am one of the conservatives, believing our Constitution and
> Bill of Rights have been used as TP by the "establishment"
> over the last 65+ years, who enabled that surprise. 

Saying what you just said, in _this_ group at least, can
bring some nasty rebukes. And not because it is wrong, no,
but because the proggie-bots will accuse you of being (1) a
racist opining for the return of slavery, (2) a homophobic
who would throw people from rooftops, (3) a bigot, (4)
something else that is equally "bad", or (5) all of the
above.

Hopefully though, like me, you're undeterred by lies and
slander because your skin is thicker than that of the
average grape. As for me, i do not want america society to
return to 1950, no, i want to american _ideals_ to return to
July 4, 1776. And this time we would: "get it right". The
first order of business would be to re-write the
constitution in a manner that will remove the subtle
semantical errors that have caused so much trouble for these
last 200+ years. Starting with the Declaration of
Independence. 

(emphasis *MINE*!)

  "When in the course of human events, it becomes
  *NECESSARY* for one people to dissolve the political bands
  which have connected them with another, and to assume
  among the powers of the earth the *SEPARATE* and *EQUAL*
  station to which the laws of nature and of [the natural
  processes that] *ENTITLE* them, a decent respect to the
  [reputation] of [humankind] requires that they should
  declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
  
  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
  [people] are created equal, that they are endowed by their
  [existence] with certain unalienable rights: that among
  these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. --
  that to *SECURE* these rights, governments are instituted
  among [people], deriving their just powers from the
  *CONSENT* of the governed, -- That whenever any form of
  government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the
  *RIGHT* of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to
  institute new government, laying its foundation on such
  *PRINCIPLES* and organizing its powers in such *FORM*, as
  to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and
  happiness."
  
  "Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long
  established should *NOT* be changed for _light_ and
  _transient_ causes; and accordingly, all experience hath
  shewn, that [humankind] are more disposed to suffer while
  evils are "sufferable", than to right themselves by
  abolishing the forms to which they are "accustomed". But
  when a *LOOOONG* train of abuses and usurpations pursuing
  invariably the same [*GOALS* -- to achieve an absolute
  despotism --], it is their *RIGHT*, it is their *DUTY*, to
  throw off such government and to provide new guards for
  their future security. -- Such has been the patient
  sufferance of these [people]; and such is now the
  *NECESSITY* which constrains them to alter their former
  systems of government. The history of the present [United
  States Of America] is a history of repeated injuries and
  usurpations [-- and quite frankly, a charade of vile
  hypocrisy! --], all having in direct object the
  establishment of an absolute tyranny over these [people].
  To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world."

  [List of modern grievances snipped for bandwidth]
      

Simply removing all the misogynist references and
patriarchal terms is a good start. But what is important to
realize, is that, removing these mistakes does not undermine
the intent of this document, no, it merely broadens and
purifies that intent. The fact is, this document has caused
a social transformation that has reverberated around the
world.

(Rhetorically i ask...)
    
What _is_ "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"? 

Is it merely the monotone words of a random child standing
on a random grade-school stage reenacting the events of our
forefathers for the sake of mere "cute spectacle"? Or is it
something more? -- I believe it be. -- I believe it to be
one of the most *PROFOUND* realizations of social justice
that the human mind has *EVER* conceived. A culmination of
many thousand years of trial and error, and the product of
much pain and suffering. The American Declaration Of
Independence marks an epoch in our collective human social
and intellectual evolution, a specific time, when a flash of
profundity *RENDERED* the blurry concepts of "self-evident
truths" and "just social contracts" *CRYSTAL CLEAR* -- for
*ALL* humans to see... 

Anyone who can read those famous lines i quoted above
without having a small tear well-up in their eye -- the same
kind of joyous and fearful tear that would well-up when
watching the first man walk on the moon -- is not a healthy
human being. Something vital is missing from this person.

> Wash., DC has been turned into a polluted swamp that needed
> drained and cleaned up, and the Donald was the only one
> that wasn't part of the same old, same old, bull crap
> establishment, and with enough money to run.

The Dems and Repubs have run this country into the ground
long enough. It's time for these antiquated parties, one of
which whom, was the party of slavery, to step aside, and
allow the next generation to take the reigns.

> However, I'll be the first to admit I am less than
> impressed with his efforts vis-a-vis global warming. He, I
> suspect, will be a 1 term president unless he starts
> listening to the technical people's warnings.

Short of a massive and sudden temperature increase, I doubt
he'll loose the election over global warming. With North
Korea, China, Russia and radical islam, we have many more
pressing existential matters which require our immediate
attention. Nuclear war is far more dangerous to this planet
(and its inhabitants) than global warming or climate change
could ever be. And for those who think we've already lived
through the darkest days of nuclear threat, well, think
again, because thanks to the spread of terrorism (and roque
states like NK) we are about to enter the most dangerous
stage of this evolution. Mutually Assured Destruction
fizzles away in the face of crackpot tyrants and brainwashed
god bots.

> I'd also make the prediction that the 2020 winner will
> _not_ be from the establishment. Maybe not even from the
> two party system. I am hoping that this will cause all
> (surviving) parties to do some navel gazing,

I'm hoping it will finally drive a wooden stake through
both of their hearts!

> and contemplating not how to enrich the constituent
> businesses they own under the table, but maybe, actually
> work for the common good. 

  The American Republic will endure until the day Congress
  discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's
  money -- Alexis de Tocqueville
  
That dire prediction became true the day FDR wiggled his
obese behind into the presidents desk chair in the oval
office. So, now, not only are we a welfare state, our
politicians are firmly planted in the pockets of
multinational corporations. Both parties!

> Taking money completely out of the equation would be one
> way, 

Many people may disagree on where exactly the line between
power and absolute power is drawn, but one things for sure:
the power to print money, command the economy, *AND* use
coercion against citizens -- is far too much power in the
hands of one entity. Alexis knew what would happen. Sadly,
we ignored him.

> but you could hear the gored oxen that would wound fatally
> clear out to Pluto, without a radio. Human avarice being
> what it is, whether I'll live long enough to see that
> happen isn't up to me. At 82, it doesn't look like near as
> big a chance as it did when I was 60.

There will always be corruption...

There will always be crime...

There will always be hate...

There will always be intolerance...

Etc...

Don't fall for the fallacy of believing that these things
can edradicated from our universe. We can reduce them, but
we cannot destory them. Personally, I'm convinced that every
process in our universe is just as important as any other.
We humans become confused because we attempt to interpret
the meaning of our universe from a self-centric viewpoint.
But this analysis is wrong (GIGO!). The universe does not
exist for our sake. Realizing this simple truth is the first
step to understanding what our universe truely _is_, and how
we fit into it. All else will follow logically...

> > 
> > Not all Americans, perhaps not even a majority or a
> > plurality, are Ugly Americans, but there are enough of
> > them to screw it up for everyone else.
> >
> Generally, I try to stay out of the Ugly camp. Then I look
> in the mirror and know its hopeless. :(

Hey, don't be so judgemental about yourself, that's what
everyone else is for. Those are good paying Union jobs, and
we don't give them up without a fight. ;-)