What Abstract Moral Concept can you be fooled into dieing for?

[Conan_The_Barbarian]

I would make this a poll but alas I'm a rather young member.

So here is a fun game, imagine you are you as you are now and you have the responsibility of rowsing a group of individuals exactly like yourself to march off to war over something that is really quite inconsiquential to those that will be doing the fighting. How do you emotionally target and manipulate this group of yourself to have them willfully shoot a rifle at people they don't even know. EVERYONE is manipulatable, and you of all people know how to manipulate yourself best.

[Ava]

1. wtf?

huh? :shrug:

[Kerrytravelers]

2. Maybe you should ask the neo-cons that have taken our White House hostage?

They seemed to have convinced some poor fools... evidently not enough, thought, since the military has been falling short on enlistment.

Two multi-part questions for the OP:
1. a & b) What made you think of this question and what kind of answers are you looking for?
2. a, b & c) How did you choose your screen name? Are you a schwarzenegger (sp?) fan and if yes, do you live in California?

[Conan_The_Barbarian]

12. Answers

A: Decided to read Catch-22 and find the debates between Clevinger and Yossarian entertaining and somewhat thought provoking and asked myself the very same question and decided I'm a big proponent of the Doctrine of Self Preservation.
B: Wasn't looking for any answers I was just wondering if anyone would be able to spot their own weakpoints and see how

2A: Had just watched the movie when I signed up and thought it was Hilarious
2B: As a politician or an actor? I thought he had some good movies but thats about it, as a politician I don't really keep too much track of him as I live in Maine which is probauly as far away from California as possible while still being on the Mainland.

The way I see it the Target Audience of the Neo-cons in marching the nation to war wasn't people on this website, I sincerely doubt anyone here supported the war when Operation "Shock and Awe" commenced. Obivously the approach they used was to manipulate a much larger and much less complex majority, so are you able to objectively sit and think of a way you could see yourself falling into the same trap that the majority of Americans did but from a different angle?

[Kerrytravelers]

19. Just a little suggestion for thread titles in the future:

I would say where the idea is coming from. If I had made the connection to Catch 22, the original post would have made more sense to me. I wasn't sure if it was a since post, or a set up to drag DUers into a fight.

There has been a lot of squabbling lately in GD and some other DU sections. I realize now your intent, but at first, I was suspect.

This isn't meant to start a war, just telling you why I responded the way I did.

kt :hi:

[Richardo]

21. And check your spelling...

It's unfortunate, but posts that are thick with elementary spelling mistakes are perceived (rightly so in many cases) as troll-spawned flamebait.

Also, as a long-time devotee of Catch-22, I don't think the conversation you are referring to was concerned with being 'fooled'. You're reading that into it.


As info:
Dieing = dying
rowsing = rousing
inconsiquential = inconsequential
manipulatable = manipulable

[Conan_The_Barbarian]

22. Owch

I suck at spelling, Spellcheck on MS word has made me so damn lazy about that, the damn thing just spells for me, it's almost like I should just disable it. Hell I wouldn't be surprised if there are at least two errors in this single post alone.

[Kerrytravelers]

31. My number one thing I suck at, too!

:hi: Welcome to DU. Sorry for the delayed response. I've been a bit busy the past day preparing for a trip this weekend to see the parental units!

Even when you use "Check Spelling" before posting, it doesn't check Grammar! I always type "thing" for "think" and "think" for "thing."

[Kerrytravelers]

30. Perhaps I have misread your tone.

I read the above post as a bit snarky. Yes, I forgot to hit "Check Spelling." You got me there. But, since I wasn't being snarky to the OP (not intentionally anyway) and was just giving a quick response to their reply, I simply just forgot. But since I wasn't making fun of any spelling, and never really do use spelling as an indicator of trolls, why snip at mine? A simple search on my name would indicate that I;m hardly a troll.

I am not a devotee to Catch-22. It has been years since I read the book or have seen the film. That is why a reference to the title would have clicked with me sooner. There was no harm in saying so. The OP didn't respond that they were offended. In fact, their response to you is that they, too, "suck at spelling."

If I get a flame in response, I don't respond back. I have made a recent personal policy that when flame to thrown out, I don't take the bait, no matter what is said.



P.S. Edited to add: I will not be at my computer for the next several days as I am on a trip. This is not a post and run.

[wildhorses]

3. is this what Braveheart did....

freedom:shrug:


dunno that I could ever convince my self or anyone else but, it has been done

[Robeson]

4. I'd rather focus my energies on seeing how we can focus people...

...towards peace. I'll leave the warmongering to the right-wing, and other Attila the Hun types.

[Heidi]

5. Sorry, I don't believe in manipulating people.

If those other individuals truly are like myself, they probably don't believe in it, either.

[Conan_The_Barbarian]

13. It's a mind excersize

step out of your frame of thinking and try to objectively analyze yourself and identify your weak points, the better you understand your vices rather than just your virtues the better you know yourself as a whole.

[Heidi]

16. I've done that exercise,

and it resulted in me no longer wanting to manipulate people.

:hi:

[AmericanaAustraliana]

6. 7 virgins and sitar music in the hyperlife

Not 1 virgin less but maybe harps would be okay.

[SacredCow]

27. I've never really understood that "virgin" thing....

Wouldn't a slut with skills be more exciting? :dilemma:

[AmericanaAustraliana]

29. It's not about sex, it's about virtuous heavenly maidens

playing beautiful music, I thought I made that clear;)

[Random_Australian]

7. Making the world a better place forever scores pretty high, but I am going

to do that while living so no point.

So pretty much nothing.

[Conan_The_Barbarian]

14. hhmmm

So you can't think of a single way that you could possibly be mentally manipulated to do something you'd under normal circumstances be horrified at the thought of? If so congratulations on sainthood...

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tjwmason]

9. Fascinating concept.

Can one be manipulated to do good? (presuming that the cause is good.)

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. Ohhhh...I don't know....a cup of coffee maybe...

Except that's not a "Morel...oops, Moral concept". but I'd die for one.

[xchrom]

11. at 40 bucks a pound

i'd kill for a morel.

them are some good shrooms fried in butter with a little sage.

[Squeech]

15. Depends

I'm big on the idea of defending myself, my family, my community.

I'm not so big on the idea of dying for an abstraction, much as I admire that guy who stood in front of the tanks in Tienanmen Square.

I do think that, if America does lapse into police state or Republic of Gilead, my community and my family will be among the second or third roundup to be taken away, so there's no real contradiction.

There's a part of me that would like to stand up for free scientific inquiry, but it's not necessary-- science will ultimately defend itself, probably in some really ghastly way.

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. The abstract moral concept that people who don't put their shopping

carts in the cart coral in parking lots deserve to die!

[Kerrytravelers]

18. LoL!

:rofl:


I hate people who don't flush in public restrooms personally. I might be able to be manipulated in that case!

[genie_weenie]

20. Yikes! Dalton Trumbo has got nothing on you!

Liberty, Freedom, Democracy, Womanhood, Religion. There's a top 5.

[jobycom]

23. Peace. nt

[Anarcho-Socialist]

24. The FSM

The all-seeing, all-existing, all-tasty Flying Spaghetti Monster. I pledge to thee, O flyin' Spag' Monster that I shall stand proudly forthwith, as we hoist th' mainsail and cut thine enemies, who shall die like scurvy dawgs, and we shall plunder swag and enjoy many a fine booty. Yaaaarrrrr, and a barrel o' rum!

O' Plebeians of th' Lounge, trust in th' FSM, and stand on ' main deck, as we spread His noodly word to th' high seas, arrrrrr!

[RandomKoolzip]

25. "Less Filling!" Those "Tastes Great!" fanatics can eat my ass.

MILLER LIGHT UBER ALLES

[XNASA]

26. I'm guessing you mean besides the teachings of the FSM.

I'm a sucker for that FSM shit.

[Deja Q]

28. None. All I want is a reason TO live.