In These Times

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• • 13 Dec 05
  • 6:40 pm

  I disagree; Mr. Vonnegut states that all of histories guessers "gave us the illusion that bad luck and good luck were understandable and could somehow be dealt with intelligently and effectively". But there is no illusion. We do in fact control our destiny, and we can manage our secular affairs precisely because it has nothing to do with "luck". Here's an example: If George Bush the Second decides to cut taxes for the rich, and lie to persuade the American people to invade Iraq, the following will happen: Deficits will rise because tax revenues have declined and wars cost money. The …

  Posted to Your Guess Is as Good as Mine

• • 14 Dec 05
  • 2:37 pm

  Responding to M Goodwin; Yes, there is guesswork and bad luck involved in natural disasters like hurricane Katrina. But I still stand by my statement that we are victims of bad policy, not bad luck. The war in Iraq, our trade and budget deficits, the corruption of Bush Inc, these are not the results of bad luck, or poor guesses. And I would also like to mention that I am a huge fan of Mr. Kurt Vonnegut. My previous post to his essay is my first comment on this site and I hope no one found it offensive. ...

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• • 15 Dec 05
  • 3:18 am

  Uhh; This is becoming a very strange thread for the discussion of Mr. Vonnegut's essay. ...

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• • 15 Dec 05
  • 3:21 am

  I went out and bought a copy of Slaughterhouse Five today, with my last eight bucks, and I just finished reading it. There are numerous references in the book to God, Jesus, the serenity Prayer ect. After reading his essay about one's guess being as good as another, I cannot figure out if Mr. Vonnegut is secular or not. ...

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• • 15 Dec 05
  • 7:06 pm

  wileywitch; Your posts and arguement with marge did not offend me or make me uncomfortable, but I think those posts were off topic. As for spiritual/religious versus rational/secular, what I'm asking is does Mr. vonnegut believe that things will work out in the end. In Slaughterhouse Five, Billy Pilgrim learns that each moment is not right or wrong, good or bad, it just IS. If that is true then why fight the good fight? What if George Bush the Second is neither good nor bad, what if he just IS? These questions do matter Ghostrabbit. ...

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