My pledge to the world.

[Zeke Zabertini]

The following was originally going to be posted in the World News forum, but it turned out to really contain no news or relevant debate, so I chose to post it here instead because it's too good to just let go to waste.


Gas prices will not go down because of this. There's no practicable reason to even do it. Private transportation and industry is where most of this oil goes. Too much of it is going into the hands of those that use it least efficiently. Mass transportation must be expanded to save on oil, and personal vehicles severely restricted nationwide.

You interpret freedom as the freedom to buy, the freedom to waste, the freedom to gratify yourself. When freedom hurts society, freedom has gone too far. The United States government must take control of these money leaks or we'll all pay the price. We must conserve and recycle, not expend. Conservatives ruin us by distracting us, ignoring the real issues and substituting them with their own motives. For individuals and society, now and in the future, we must progress beyond the pettiness of our small lives and begin working towards a future in which we can all live happily.

Instead of trying to eliminate foreign dependance on oil by drilling here, eliminate it by finding alternative energy. Instead of spending money to fight others' wars for them, save it by keeping young men and women at home. Instead of bickering over the effects of pollution, improve methods for cleaning it up and preventing more. Republicans are great at solving the problems that they want to solve and fooling others into thinking they're acting for the good of everyone when in fact they act in direct violation of the very principles they preach so loudly as justification for their actions.

This debate on oil drilling is just one of many like it in which the conservatives attempt to pass off a bid for private profit as an attempt to help the average worker. It is a farce, and a poor one at that. I cannot make those who believe the lie disbelieve. I cannot even prove half the lies are not truthful. Republicans call upon moral authority to justify their views for a lack of logical capability and realistic perception. I now say this to Republican_Man, LightningBoy, and all their kind with all three under my command:

"What you believe is your right to believe. What you say I cannot argue. What you desire is all your own, but I will vye for power. I will seek the power to bring true justice to this American nation. I will seek the power to do away with the products of greed and corruption. I will seek the power to mute the voice of business, mute the voice of religion, and give the voice back to the individuals behind the organizations; and no matter how many times I am damned for it I will not shift from my knowledge of what I think is right! I stand, now, with my morals, and though I may never have the power to carry out my will, the fire in my soul will never die out! Mine is a personal vandetta for all of this nation and all of humanity! Let your swords cut me through and through, for another will rise in my place. For all people and all religions, I submit my vision. Mock me if you will, belittle me if you will. Paradise eludes only those blind to its true meaning, what it means for everyone."

[Republican_Man]

I admire that you have such passionate views, but I just simply disagree with them
But your attack on Republicans...me no-likey

[Annatar]

Well spoken! Except for the freedom.. If anything, there's a lack of freedom in the United States as of late. Always with the "Don't say that" and the "protection" of people with frivilous institutions such as the FCC. Freedom of expression is frowned upon above all these days. Wouldn't you say?

Overall, well said.. And Republican_Man, there's a difference between "Conservatives" and "Republicans" you know.

[Theresa]

I've been asked by the CC mods to keep the more "serious" stuff in WN, so... here you go.

[zero]

I think it would be so cool to see Republican Man and Zeke Zabertini go head to head in becoming president of the united states.

My vote would go to Zeke.

And very well said

[Republican_Man]

[Puck]

Your ideas remind me too much of communism, and personally I don't really like them at all. I do however respect the fact that you at least take the time to think about what you believe and formulate it, instead of just adopting "democrat" or "republican" veiws.

[Founder]

Zeke? You seem like a cool guy, but your political affiliation(I'm pretty sure you're Communist or something damn close to it) is destructive. Again I mean no offense, but how dare you spout off all that Anti-Republican LIES? You didn't even back up anything with proof. You're just like "Conservatives lie and blah blah blah". Half of the post was "I can't offer proof or disaude your opinion." Wow, that wasn't a good post, it was just an attack. Never once have I made a topic about how communists lie and God knows Communists do A LOT. You all come forward with tales of freedom and equality for all. Yeah, freedom and equaltiy for those who support their corrupt government and evil visions for a future that leaves them in power and screws over anyone else. Cuba is a prime example of Communism in power. I hate to say this about my own country, but its a poor S**t hole. Why? Thanks to the lovely perks communism offers. Poverty, pain, and death. Yay for Communism! Thankfully Communist nations are dieing out. Many will argue with me and be like "Communism is great!" Is it really? No it isn't. I hate the whole idea of giving everything I have to someone else. "Its your brother/sister human!" I don't care. What is mine, is mine. I will give what is mine to those who earn my trust and loyalty. Humans are not a perfect race. So the idea of sharing everything with anyone is sickening. Its not like that happens anyways, because once a Communist government is put into place then the Governement gets everything. You might say "China is a powerful and communist nation! See it works!" You mean the country where you'll get mowed down by a tank for saying something different from the government? Yeah...it works. I'm sorry to all the socialists in this site, because a lot of them are actually cool. But I know Communism firsthand, and looking at it disgusts me. I'll gladly take the "evil" Republicans over the "pure" communists.

[Republican_Man]

[Starbuck]

Zeke, you are quite possibly the most brilliant man I know.

[Theresa]

I'm with Founder. Communist ideals, as good intentioned as they may be, have never worked. Wonder why that is.

[Hitchhiker]

[Theresa]

Wouldn't such a state, theoretically, cause stagnation? People work and create now to better themselves, and yes, their communities. Take Microsoft. Bill Gates is a genius, there is no disputing that. But if he had nothing personally to gain, do you think he would have worked as he did? You have to be honest, Windows did revolutionize much of the computer industry.
I'll always agree that it's a nice idea, but there is always one fatal flaw. Humanity is involved, and human nature can't, IMO, change swift enough to support such a system.

[Founder]

[Hitchhiker]

Indeed, free-market economies offer persuasive incentives for human development. This is directly linked with human ambition: prior to our creation of that wonderful fiction known as the economy, incentives for creating new technologies were linked to advancement in social status and accumulation of power. When money came along, it was a perfect outlet for this desire.

Addressing the problem of human nature: all systems of government that we have presently, whether they are communist, capitalist, et cetera, are imperfect systems that have major flaws. Obviously a perfect system is not within our grasp--because no matter how much of "human nature" we can change, imperfection remains. Yet we should continue seeking a system.

At our current stage of cultural development, one could argue that the ideal government system would be one in which all people are equal, all people can express their own ideas, and all people have a tolerable quality of life. Opinions on how to get this system obviously vary from person-to-person, which means that unless we drastically change the system through a revolution, this new form of government also requires some mechanism whereby people can have such forms of radically different opinion, and with these opinions contribute to the process of government.

Democracy attempts to do this by offering representation of one's views in a legislative assembly. Unfortunately, this is often ineffective because it can lead to polarization, deadlock, and further bureaucratic waterlog that can paralyze the decision making process.

Logically, anyone who wishes to lead cannot be allowed to lead. I don't have my copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on me (I lent it out ) but from what I recall, the universe is ruled by a man who does not know it. He has no real concept that people are affected by his decisions, and in fact doesn't know he is making decisions at all--according to him, all that happens is these men in suits and black spaceships show up occasionally and ask him questions.

This form of government is not perfect by any means, and it may seem rather stupid and idiotic . . . so it obviously fits right in with our current systems.

EDIT

[Zeke Zabertini]

Those of you that condemned my statement as an attack are correct. Many parts of it were. I generally do not take partisan sides, but I wanted to really let loose for once against what I see as destructive and even evil ideology. Now, I realize it's all about opinion. Most things in politics are. I apologize for any offense I caused, but I do not retract my statements.

About my personal political beliefs: I am not a communist. I believe in the communist ideal, but communism does not work. That said, the "communist" nations of the world are poor examples for arguments against communism as they are almost invariably the ultimate product of an autocratic bid for power under the guise of equality and justice for all to win the hearts of the people. These nations are not communist; they are simply two-bit dictatorships sullying the name of the international ideal for their own purposes.
I don't have a party affiliation for a reason: I don't think any of them are right. I am not willing to sacrifice half, a quarter, or even one of my views just so I can claim myself a part of a like-minded posse of bureaucrats and activists. I am not a communist. I am not a socialist. I am not a democrat. I am Ezekiel Edwardo Zabertini. I am me and nothing else, and as I always say, you are free to agree or disagree with me as you will.

[Jeremy]

[webtaz99]

I don't get it. Please state your pledge.

[Zeke Zabertini]

Please read it.

[webtaz99]

I read it. I still don't get it. You say you're gonna stick by your guns. Big Deal.

Like Jim Malone (Sean Connery) said in "The Untouchables":

What are you going to do?

[webtaz99]

[Zeke Zabertini]

Fortunately for me, taz, I don't answer to you.

[madlilnerd]

Well I liked your speech/essay and I agreed with the bits my eyes managed to absorb. People waste too much and care too much about oil. I care so much about people wasting stuff that I even set up my own cult.

Stand up for what you believe in Zeke, and don't let small minded wasteful berks get in the way.

I follow my own code of morals too. Infact, my concience is so underdeveloped I had to stop myself stealing a broken camera from the props cupboard in the drama room yesterday. I was going to take it home and fix it, how is that stealing it? I was gonna give it a good home where it would be used and loved instead of thrown around and abused. Humph!

[Link, the Hero of Time]

I continually hear communism doest work. It worked in the short run under Lenin, and it works under a different Ideal in a little place called Walden Two.

The community is called Los Horcones and it's worked since 1973.
http://www.loshorcones.org.mx/

[madlilnerd]

I'd love to live in a commune. I think I'll do it once I've finished my A levels