License Plate Surveilance

[Richard]

Try to understand that your focus and your fears are not universal.

If I may step into this particular vein of conversation...

The facts are universal. And they apply across the board to all of us, whether we're focused on them, or fearful of them, or not. This becomes an important point in a moment...

It's great that you're interested in this and passionate about it, but also respect that my view is different.

When it comes to facts, individual views are largely irrelevant. Simply put, 2 + 2 = 4; no 'individual view' necessary

I simply do not care about any of this

Well, caring or not caring is a personal choice. No one can take that from you. That said, it's hard to see how one might consider oneself part of a community and yet not care when something affects that community detrimentally. Please don't misunderstand me here: I'm not presuming anything about whether you're part of the community. That's not for me to say. Instead, I'm pointing to an apparent conflict between the ideas of  'being a member of a community' and 'not-caring about something that hurts the community'. Can you see where this is leading?

if you need to name that based on your experience, that is your thing, not mine.

Actually, 'naming that' has been a fairly consistent trend over time. Regarding Athenian democracy, their culture made a point of distinguishing between members who took seriously their civic duty/responsibility, and members for whom such duty/responsibility was unimportant. Those in the latter group were called... well, you can look it up here (but please don't think I'm calling you that; I'm not).

Apparently 'they' don't teach that in school anymore because, well... we can't have people today taking such things seriously, right? I mean, what would the culture look like if 'we, the people' actually cared as a community about facts that negatively affected us as a community?

I spend my time seeking joy, trying to share time and space with other loving people.

Wishing you peace.  :heart:

I'm all for seeking joy and loving people. It's not a mutually exclusive proposition. We can seek joy, and spend time with loving people, and still make time to care about things that negatively affect our community.Does that seem to you a fair conclusion drawn from all this?

And, because I want not to be misunderstood in tone or intent, I want to be very clear that I'm replying thoughtfully vs. off-the-cuff. I'm doing so because I believe that important topics deserve a bit more time and attention. It's been my experience in the past that when I offer a thoughtful reply, some people misinterpret it as unfriendly. That in itself seems to me an indictment of our dominant culture, where thoughtful people who take time to consider an important topic are villified for their consideration. What is this world coming to these days?

To wrap up, it seems to me that there's a time for setting aside the uncomfortable truths about a dysfunctional and declining culture. If anyone was to focus on the negativity exclusively, it may very well drive them mad. I'm not suggesting that any of us go mad, but what I am suggesting is that there's a legitimate context wherein we would do better to come to terms with the facts, and to explore the implications of those facts, then to just shrug-off that opportunity as an irrelevant topic.

If we are a community--a tribe--then what affects any one of us ought to be considered as something important to all of us. If not, then perhaps it would do us all some good to revisit the meaning and implications of 'community' and 'tribe'. I mean, can you imagine a scout comes back from scouting to warn the tribe of impending danger, and some of the members of the tribe are like, 'Oh, well, that doesn't interest me so please respect that'.

It'd be weird, right?

 

[Queen]

The list of things that impact the tribe is very very long, what we choose to focus on is an individual decision.

Richard, you seem to enjoy a deep detailed discussion, and I'm sorry if I disappoint, but I just don't want to anymore. For those of you that do, truly, more power to you. For me, I've done my time in the trenches and I'm tired, I'll let others step up and have a go now.

 

[DrJean]

Yes the government is out to control everything they can... and that includes us.

That they have allowed us to know about the license plate surveillance now means they are on to bigger and better things for themselves, imo.

It isn't being paranoid if they really are out to get you. Just like it can't be a phobia (insert any word you wish ahead of it xxxxxxphobia) if there are rational reasons to be concerned. Too many are too brainwashed by the educational system and compliant with government that provides for them (I doubt too many here are in this category) to think otherwise. They no longer have the capacity for critical thinking (meaning that they haven't learned how to spot a problem and thus cannot imagine even needing to find a solution to it.)

License tag readers.. yep. And yes, I wish I didn't have to sell my old 2002 car because it doesn't have the black box etc and surely doesn't have the Federal ability for the engine to be shut down like my new 2017 Van has.

Many laws of control are created through fear. It's for our own safety that....... fill in the blanks. Then, if there's resistance and the funding might fall through for their latest controls, they default to the fears of "funding will be cut to police and fire and teachers..." at least these 3 are always in the mix of their rants to fear the populace back into compliance.

Yes, we need to resist and contact our representatives. Mine won't listen to me... but at least if we oppose and tie up their phones they KNOW they aren't representing "us".

We have to have hope to continue to live and to work at a better life. The current administration has at least voiced this fact. That alone makes me a little more hopeful. But my hope is not in this life... this is not my "home", this world... I'm here for the better good for as long as I'm here. Truth justice and the American way (yes because we are special!)

Now... what if we could have one of those flip license plate apparatus on our vans?

 

[GotSmart]

Today I met AbuelaLoca.  In the three hour conversation we found that we agree on a lot of things, but completely dissagre on many others.  We moved on, as there is no way either of us was going to immediately change our lifelong attitudes.  Then we spent another hour going over the different ways a van can be set up including solar. I for one had a great day. 

One thing we agreed on, is that if we comletely removed the upper levels of government, everyone would get along much better. 

As I previously stated, I am not worried.  I have spent many years doing service work in peoples homes from many countries and many walks of life.  I have worked with the mentaly ill.  I have judged college level debates.  I can honestly say I have talked to people in every situation, from crack addics to captians of industry to high level political figures.

 Pontificate all you want.  I am not worried. 

Nothing said here is going to make me worry.  

Those whining, screaming, and throwing a fit over the _________  situation will at some point cause changes.  More power to you.  I can sleep at night.

 

[Ballenxj]

If I may step into this particular vein of conversation...

<----snip---->

If we are a community--a tribe--then what affects any one of us ought to be considered as something important to all of us. If not, then perhaps it would do us all some good to revisit the meaning and implications of 'community' and 'tribe'. I mean, can you imagine a scout comes back from scouting to warn the tribe of impending danger, and some of the members of the tribe are like, 'Oh, well, that doesn't interest me so please respect that'.

Very thoughtful and well written. This is what a Tribe should be, Kinda like an extended family.
And no, I don't think it's weird. For the record, every Tribe has it's scouts or centurions. If they are educated, all the better, because it would be much harder to fool them.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I'm no fan of the government's over reaching capabilities but i'm also not worried about it. Can they track your every movement if they want too? Sure they can. But as already mentioned.....there are 320 million of us, can't watch us all at all times. We can't control all the people in Iraq or Afghanistan either. They can't even find everyone on the most wanted lists.

Life's short. We're here for a short period and then we're gone. Gotta pick and chose your battles wisely. Because at the end of the line, it's all irrelevant anyways.

 

[DannyB1954]

If you have a cell phone, they already know just about where you are. All cell phones are required to have gps encoders.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

^That's what prepaid cell phones are for. Buy it with cash, fill it with cash. And if you're really paranoid throw it away every few months and buy a new one.

I'm not paranoid and i'm not a drug dealer so a regular monthly cell plan is good enough for me. If anyone wants to know where I am, i'd be more than happy to just tell them.

I have a cell phone, an EZ pass for tolls, Sirius satellite radio, and Onstar, so from the looks of it, I'm not hiding from anyone anyways!

 

[GotSmart]

 I'm not hiding from anyone anyways!

That is why we are on the "not a problem" list.  

To get clearance to be a substitute teacher, I had to get cleared by the FBI. (CHRI) 

If I can pass that, no worries. 

 

[John61CT]

Try to understand that your focus and your fears are not universal.  It's great that you're interested in this and passionate about it, but also respect that my view is different.  I simply do not care about any of this, if you need to name that based on your experience, that is your thing, not mine.

I spend my time seeking joy, trying to share time and space with other loving people.

Wishing you peace.  [emoji813]

Thanks!

And you misunderstand, I am not fearful at a personal/emotional level about these issues, my days are also full of joy and light.

I am just aware that precious aspects of our political economic social systems, which most citizens take for granted are in fact fragile and fleeting without active support from lots of us working together.

So I put time learning energy money into these matters in my normal daily life, with joy and faith that things will be as good as possible for future generations.

And has been so for decades, I just don't like the evidence of geometrically accelerating trends in the direction of that essential project getting harder.

If your work is in other realms, PROJ ON!

 

[John61CT]

If I may step into this particular vein of conversation

You may good sir, anytime, 'twas well put a thing of beauty!

I've spent most of my life part of real organic communities, truly poor but well functioning. The modern world has barely an inkling what that is like.

The most macro-powerful aspects of modern society seems to work as if designed to make the whole idea of true universal community an "unrealistic idea" or even one to dispute, as opposed to an obvious precondition for our survival long term.