The American Righteous Cause — Then and Now Freedom, like reason, needs faith to sustain it.

AlexB23 · Jul 8, 2024

RocksInMyHead said:
Thank Valetta for that - I just quoted his post.

Yeah, OP could have read the study a bit more, that 5 seats is a pretty low number, though, it is nonzero. I would like to see that 5 seats get reduced to 1 or 2 seats, or ideally zero, but hey, 5 is very low.

If I am not mistaken, there are 435 house seats, so 5/435 = 1.1% of seats impacted by illegal immigration. That is a really low percentage. However, if we can get that down to 0.2%, that would be great.

RocksInMyHead · Jul 8, 2024

AlexB23 said:
If I am not mistaken, there are 435 house seats, so 5/435 = 1.1% of seats impacted by illegal immigration. That is a really low percentage. However, if we can get that down to 0.2%, that would be great.

While it would be ideal to have an illegal population of zero, the practical reality is that that's next to impossible. The amount of money that it would cost, the freedoms that we'd have to surrender, and the moral difficulties associated with the measures we'd have to adopt in order to achieve it mean that it just wouldn't be worth it. There are certainly ways to reduce the illegal population in the US - we can advocate for stricter enforcement of employment law, work to improve conditions in the countries that immigrants are coming from, hire more judges to speed up adjudication of asylum cases, work on removing those illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the US, and increase border enforcement where practical. But Trump's plan of "mass deportations" does not seem realistic.

And, it should be noted, my point was that - ideologically - those 5 seats are likely a wash in the sense that neither Democrats nor Republicans would would be likely to gain (or lose) significantly with the way that they would re-shuffle.

AlexB23 · Jul 8, 2024

RocksInMyHead said:
While it would be ideal to have an illegal population of zero, the practical reality is that that's next to impossible. The amount of money that it would cost, the freedoms that we'd have to surrender, and the moral difficulties associated with the measures we'd have to adopt in order to achieve it mean that it just wouldn't be worth it. There are certainly ways to reduce the illegal population in the US - we can advocate for stricter enforcement of employment law, work to improve conditions in the countries that immigrants are coming from, hire more judges to speed up adjudication of asylum cases, work on removing those illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the US, and increase border enforcement where practical. But Trump's plan of "mass deportations" does not seem realistic.

And, it should be noted, my point was that - ideologically - those 5 seats are likely a wash in the sense that neither Democrats nor Republicans would would be likely to gain (or lose) significantly with the way that they would re-shuffle.

Isn't there a mathematical law of this, named the Law of Diminishing Returns? Where 80% of the effort goes into the last 20% of a task? Hence, why clean rooms are hard to keep free of bacteria, or why it is impossible to make a system filter out particles perfectly, or build a car that is over engineered under a certain budget? So, in order to reduce those 5 seats to 1 seat, would take excessive amounts of effort?

It has been a while since hearing of Diminishing Returns, so I am not sure if it applies here. And yes, Trump's plan is not well thought out. It does not mention fair judgement at all.

But yeah, it is good that those 5 seats do not pose any advantage to either party.

Landon Caeli · Jul 8, 2024

Most people I see around me aren't even Americans. Not real Americans anyway. They never heard of Happy Days or Walter Payton or anything I grew up with... So it's no surprise they don't believe in freedom.

I've never felt so alone in my own country.

essentialsaltes · Jul 8, 2024

Landon Caeli said:
They never heard of Happy Days or Walter Payton or anything I grew up with... So it's no surprise they don't believe in freedom.

I've never felt so alone in my own country.

While you may be nostalgic for Rubik's Cubes and ALF, those cultural references have little to do with understanding freedom.

Landon Caeli · Jul 8, 2024

essentialsaltes said:
While you may be nostalgic for Rubik's Cubes and ALF, those cultural references have little to do with understanding freedom.

I hope I leave this world soon.

AlexB23 · Jul 8, 2024

essentialsaltes said:
While you may be nostalgic for Rubik's Cubes and ALF, those cultural references have little to do with understanding freedom.

Haha, agreed. The guy who you are replying to is on my blocked list (for reasons I am not gonna state here), but apparently, Rubik's cubes can be "freedom" related.

At least America ranks in the top 20th percentile for freedom, but there are still at least a few dozen countries that have higher freedom, so we are free by North American standards, but not as much by Western European standards.

Freedom Index: Countries and Territories

Some company made an American flag cube. How anyone can solve it baffles me, cos all the sides are the same pattern:

essentialsaltes · Jul 8, 2024

Landon Caeli said:
I hope I leave this world soon.

I'm sorry to hear you feel so discouraged about the state of the nation.

Despite the handwringing in the OP, things are not so bleak.

Help is available if you're really demoralized.

Landon Caeli · Jul 8, 2024

Yeah, I'm demoralized. I wanna go home. I want my mom.

AlexB23 · Jul 8, 2024

essentialsaltes said:
I'm sorry to hear you feel so discouraged about the state of the nation.

Despite the handwringing in the OP, things are not so bleak.

Help is available if you're really demoralized.

Agreed. For the guy, I recommend that he reads these two verses. Both tell Christians to fear not. For myself, my anxiety for the state of the world has reduced after prayers. While this might not help agnostics and atheists, this verse should help Christians, such as the guy who you are replying to.

-------------------------------
For Christians here on this thread who are fearful about the state of the nation or world, or for daily usage to overcome anxiety (regardless of political affiliation):

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV): "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Joshua 1:9 (NIV): "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

wing2000 · Jul 8, 2024

Valletta said:
Many Americans no longer want the faith of their fathers.

True. Many "Evangelicals" put their faith in one one man...and his name is not Jesus Christ.

Pommer · Jul 9, 2024

AlexB23 said:
Haha, agreed. The guy who you are replying to is on my blocked list (for reasons I am not gonna state here), but apparently, Rubik's cubes can be "freedom" related. At least America ranks in the top 20th percentile for freedom, but there are still at least a few dozen countries that have higher freedom, so we are free by North American standards, but not as much by Western European standards.

Freedom Index: Countries and Territories

Some company made an American flag cube. How anyone can solve it baffles me, cos all the sides are the same pattern:

View attachment 351287

“Flag Code”? What is that even?

AlexB23 · Jul 9, 2024

Pommer said:
“Flag Code”? What is that even?

I have no idea about the specifics of flag code, except it is some strange law about how to hang the flag. There is a graphic of it on the Veteran's website: U.S. Flag Code

Also, I do not own any flags, and if I did have any symbols in my house, I would get a Christian cross instead, cos Jesus is the only one I look up to, not some flag.

However, I first have to work on being a better Christian, one who judges folks less, cos I have been known to have little patience.

Valletta · Jul 9, 2024

Landon Caeli said:
Most people I see around me aren't even Americans. Not real Americans anyway. They never heard of Happy Days or Walter Payton or anything I grew up with... So it's no surprise they don't believe in freedom.

I've never felt so alone in my own country.

The dishonesty and corruption in government has been going on for a long time, but it gets more entrenched as time passes. And the anti-Christian secular movement that took hold in the 1960s creeps into more and more of our society.

Pommer · Jul 9, 2024

AlexB23 said:
However, I first have to work on being a better Christian, one who judges folks less, cos I have been known to have little patience.

In general, 24 year-olds aren’t known for their patience and lack of judgmentalism, that comes with time and the ability to understand that no matter how well we (as individuals) see the world about us, it’s skewed to our view, (which may well be entirely incorrect).

Questioning one’s own beliefs and how one came to hold them is a big step and usually comes in most folks’ thirties.

Relax, you’ll do fine.

AlexB23 · Jul 9, 2024

Pommer said:
In general, 24 year-olds aren’t known for their patience and lack of judgmentalism, that comes with time and the ability to understand that no matter how well we (as individuals) see the world about us, it’s skewed to our view, (which may well be entirely incorrect).

Questioning one’s own beliefs and how one came to hold them is a big step and usually comes in most folks’ thirties.

Relax, you’ll do fine.

That is true. Most folks my age are not known to be patient. We all have a bias of sorts. But hey, remind me in 10 years, if I have improved a lot by then.

But, I will always remain a Christian, but will eventually be less judgemental of others, though, I will still have limits. Brain is not fully developed until age 26 or 30, if I am not mistaken.

Thank you, brother for the encouragement.

Pommer · Jul 11, 2024

AlexB23 said:
That is true. Most folks my age are not known to be patient. We all have a bias of sorts. But hey, remind me in 10 years, if I have improved a lot by then. But, I will always remain a Christian, but will eventually be less judgemental of others, though, I will still have limits. Brain is not fully developed until age 26 or 30, if I am not mistaken.

Thank you, brother for the encouragement.

Don’t call me “brother”, buddy, and I ain’t planing on spending another decade in this miserable rock, (if’n I can help it) so you’ll be on yer own, then.

AlexB23 · Jul 11, 2024

Pommer said:
Don’t call me “brother”, buddy, and I ain’t planing on spending another decade in this miserable rock, (if’n I can help it) so you’ll be on yer own, then.

Well, for Christians, we look forward to meeting Jesus in the end of our lives, and He gives me hope and keeps me mostly upbeat on our miserable rock we call our home. But yes, I might be on my own in the future. Hopefully, you can live a nice 80-90 years if possible, though for myself, I would hate to live longer than 90.

Pommer · Jul 11, 2024

AlexB23 said:
Well, for Christians, we look forward to meeting Jesus in the end of our lives, and He gives me hope and keeps me mostly upbeat on our miserable rock we call our home. But yes, I might be on my own in the future. Hopefully, you can live a nice 80-90 years if possible, though for myself, I would hate to live longer than 90.

Oh! You missed the chance to say “I’m not your ‘buddy’, pal!” (South Park)

AlexB23 · Jul 11, 2024

Pommer said:
Oh! You missed the chance to say “I’m not your ‘buddy’, pal!” (South Park)

Ooh, I have only seen a few episodes of South Park as a kid in 2015 or so. It was a little too edgy and racist for me, and as a man in his 20s, it still is a little too edgy.

If I had to watch a cartoon sitcom, it would probably be Futurama.

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