synthesis

It's just my opinion. Being right (except in cases of morality) is purely conditional.

I might be able to help you out. I've been a dedicated Soto (Japanese lineage) Zen student for over 30 years but do not consider myself an expert. Man...

I really enjoy chatting with different folks but not with people who believe that they know and it's their job to spread the word. That gets old reall...

Perhaps you can help me out here. Why is it when a fair number of people on this forum disagree in a conversation, they assume that it must be the oth...

I believe that most baby boomers would agree that their parents were the first parental generation to really spoil their kids en masse because to the ...

Perhaps you are around the wrong kind of people.

You have the right to free speech, but the responsibility to not shout FIRE in a crowded movie theater (if there is no fire). You have the right to be...

Ideally, you want to somebody who is state-of-the-art AND experienced. As you are well aware, there is learning curve to all things. If this is not a ...

If people do not act responsibly, then there will be a breakdown in order. As an example, there were many "peaceful" protesters that saw fit to destro...

How wonderful to have people like you who can set others straight. With rights come responsibility. If you do not exercise responsibility, you are den...

But why was there an over-abundance of government control? What made Communists believe that they could design a system that could overcome the dysfun...

Because real learning is doing. Do you want to go to a cardiac surgeon that is just trying a new procedure for the first time or would you rather that...

What Zen did for me is correctly ordered things, that is, thinking became subservient to doing. As I became more adept at my meditation practice, I fo...

Manifesting anarchism is sort of like playing out one's sexual fantasies, i.e., it's not going to end well. To me, it was always a philosophy of inter...

Considering that more than two human beings are involved, it's about the best you can hope for... ... in the end (and similar to nearly all communicat...

I also consider myself an anarchist (philosophical) but realized early-in that perhaps the worst groups of all were groups of anarchists. Talk about a...

i get all that, but look at what takes place (institutionally) in the absence of a higher moral structure. Communism (as predicted by many) ended-up b...

Thanks for making my point.

My angle here is that what you learn from experience is far greater than what you can learn otherwise, for two reasons. One is obvious, you learn best...

My apologies for deviating from the political aspects of this interesting conversation but to look at religion in the above light misses the point. Si...

That you both for your piercing insights.

There is a reason why older folks were nearly universally afforded respect by younger people over the previous hundred generations (although none of u...

Look at how fast people adapt to new technology. When a better system becomes available, it will be adopted (albeit not with some struggle from legacy...

Like him or not, the guy defied all odds and went from being a game show host to POTUS. If you don't understand what an incredible accomplishment that...

That's what I thought. Before you criticize other people, consider your own body of work.

I've already told you that it is impossible to know anything. You are the one who believes he knows. As I have told you before, Trump is who he is, bu...

You need to move beyond putting other people down.

It must be quite the burden being the only person in the world who, "gets it." I will leave you to wallow in your genius while I shall try to make due...

When a better system is possible, people will use it. Why wouldn't they? The problem with the present system is mostly corruption and this is problem ...

Japanese, Chinese, Korean,and Indian Americans are all doing very, very well. Do you have statistics that suggest otherwise? Would you like everybody ...

On this matter, my friend, we can agree. There is WAY TOO MUCH socialism in the U.S. ... to the point where it has created grotesque economic distorti...

This isn't school. Doesn't change what? We should be happy to live in age where material is abundant. The economic system is what it is. You make it t...

Again, I am not really sure what you are talking about, but let's talk about lying. Have you never lied? Are you somewhere above the rest of humanity?

It's inequality of effort. I live in a area with a lot of Asians and these people work harder than anybody I've ever known. Why do you think these peo...

The unintended consequences of of such thinking is that you may be under the knife one day when your surgeon doesn't quite make the correct decision a...

Is that why the most successful groups in the U.S. are people of color...Asians. They are successful because they work their asses off.

The difference is that in the former, you earn your success, in the later you are given success regardless of what you do. Are you aware of another fu...

You can say whatever you like...and should. I guess the idea of the saying is that when we are scared enough, we hedge our bets! :)

Something that makes you uncomfortable is making you think and grow. It's a good thing! Religion works on many different levels, and... ...as it is sa...

Why do you think that is? As an aside, I have been a very serious Zen student for over thirty years and at one point took a couple of years off to ded...

Humans, being the way we are, desire perfect systems. Religion is anything but. The Ten Commandments is a good example of a moral foundation. What eac...

Look at it this way. Man had to create God as a giver of that which man ultimately aspires. It doesn't matter if it is man's thoughts and words, only ...

Obviously you all have been very successful in life and have it figured out. I wish you continued success!

Free everybody up and then see what you need.

People have been fighting each other over every damn thing forever, as religion (wealth and power) is always at the top. Much (if not most) of the Mid...

You can critique everything but that doesn't mean you are going to throw everything away. Capitalism is the only economic system there is. It works re...

Would you like a mathematical proof? Again, this is not a black and white issue.

God has been around for a long time and looks like He isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

God is not man's creation of God. You have to transcend the stories and get into the heart of the matter. The stories were written for another time. I...

I've read a lot of Marx and his economic analysis was absolutely brilliant. The guy was a major genius. Beyond economics, though, he was a fool (you c...