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The thing that makes a functional civilization possible is fragile
Posted on 12/30/25 at 8:34 pm
Posted on 12/30/25 at 8:34 pm
Loading Twitter/X Embed...
If tweet fails to load, click here. Saw this tweet today and it pretty much covers it.
To have a orderly, clean, prosperous, and healthy society means having the overwhelming majority of people buy into and "do the right thing" simply because it's the right thing. How many times in your life have you been presented with an opportunity where you could have lied, cheated, stolen, and likely got away with it and chose not to? That's what makes civilization possible.
There simply isn't enough police or authority available to force people to do the right thing. Society depends on people knowing what is right and doing it by their own volition.
So much of a functional civilization boils down to the "shopping cart theory"
This post was edited on 12/30/25 at 8:54 pm
Posted on 12/30/25 at 8:48 pm to StansberryRules
Well, that explains why the carts at Costco are never returned…
Posted on 12/30/25 at 8:51 pm to StansberryRules
The next time the democrats get in office all hell will break loose. This administration has given them the roadmap for it.
Posted on 12/30/25 at 8:59 pm to Camp Randall
They aren't getting back in power anytime soon. The next time they will be in power is when that party corrects itself and turns more realistic moderate (not fake moderate at the 11th hour of an election)
Posted on 12/30/25 at 9:09 pm to StansberryRules
I first heard of the "shopping cart theory" decades ago, and it is just as valid today as it was then.
Some people are courteous and considerate, and some people are self-centered boors.
The parking lot at Kroger is the easiest place to sort them.
Some people are courteous and considerate, and some people are self-centered boors.
The parking lot at Kroger is the easiest place to sort them.
Posted on 12/30/25 at 9:41 pm to Camp Randall
quote:
The next time the democrats get in office all hell will break loose. This administration has given them the roadmap for it.
As if they needed a roadmap. Was going to happen anyway.
Posted on 12/30/25 at 10:13 pm to FLTech
quote:
They aren't getting back in power anytime soon.
I've heard that all my life.
Every time the Republicans won something I heard that.
Guess what? It wasn't ever true.
Even with Reagan delivering the blistering arse beatings he gave to both Carter and Mondale and Bush pissing on Dukakis, Republicans still never won the House during that entire period and only split the Senate.
And that was the longest time period the Republicans have held the White House since I have been alive.
And the country is significantly more tribal now than it was then.
If enough states can redistrict in Republican's favor that will help them hold onto the House in the future. But the WH is up for grabs every single election. So is the Senate.
If the Democrats had been just 10%-15% more sane this last time around policy-wise, it would have been neck and neck. And that is with possibly the worst, dumbest, least qualified, most obviously inept candidate to ever run for the office running on their ticket.
This post was edited on 12/30/25 at 10:26 pm
Posted on 12/30/25 at 10:16 pm to rob0710
quote:
Was going to happen anyway.
No, probably not.
Trump is pushing significantly harder this time around than he did in his first term and probably harder than any POTUS in my lifetime to expand unilateral Executive power and set new precedents.
I'd say you have to go back to FDR to get to a POTUS who tried harder than Trump is right now.
This post was edited on 12/30/25 at 10:24 pm
Posted on 12/30/25 at 10:18 pm to StansberryRules
That’s why Christianity is so important. Those who love Christ will love their neighbors, and where the gospel goes out, there is a restraining grace on society.
Without God, there is no objective law-giver, no objective moral law, and no judgment beyond this life, so there is no reason not to do as you like, or only be “moral” so long as you benefit from it in this life in some way.
Without God, there is no objective law-giver, no objective moral law, and no judgment beyond this life, so there is no reason not to do as you like, or only be “moral” so long as you benefit from it in this life in some way.
Posted on 12/30/25 at 11:04 pm to FooManChoo
The Red Light in the Middle of the Night on a Country Road Theory.
Posted on 12/30/25 at 11:17 pm to wackatimesthree
quote:You are trying to talk sense to a prototypical Florida Man.
wackatimesthree
Posted on 12/30/25 at 11:19 pm to Judnnc
quote:Similar concept, but without the element of "not doing it is boorish to the next person who needs a cart." By comparison, not stopping at that red light harms no one. It is more a test of conformity, solely for the sake of conformity.
The Red Light in the Middle of the Night on a Country Road Theory.
This post was edited on 12/31/25 at 8:53 am
Posted on 12/30/25 at 11:20 pm to StansberryRules
quote:
There simply isn't enough police or authority available to force people to do the right thing. Society depends on people knowing what is right and doing it by their own volition.
Imma let you finish, but what truly makes a civilization thrive is to import tens of thousands of people from a failed state where the average IQ is 70 and then expect them to act like the people from Lake Wobegon based on some obviously false and stupid assumptions about culture, society, and human nature.
Posted on 12/31/25 at 12:12 am to StansberryRules
All true. But on average higher IQ people self-govern more effectively. Low IQ people make poor decisions with short sighted reasoning. On average the people that abandon the shopping cart are lower IQ because impulse control tracks proportionately with IQ.
We will abort our civilization both by continuing to import low IQ people from their own failed civilizations and incentivizing the population growth of low IQ populations currently here.
What we have is a high trust society. And it only works if it is filled with individuals that act in good faith because they are intelligent enough to see the long term consequences of their actions. Low IQ people fulfill their immediate impulses, like stealing, and are necessarily also low trust people. .
We will abort our civilization both by continuing to import low IQ people from their own failed civilizations and incentivizing the population growth of low IQ populations currently here.
What we have is a high trust society. And it only works if it is filled with individuals that act in good faith because they are intelligent enough to see the long term consequences of their actions. Low IQ people fulfill their immediate impulses, like stealing, and are necessarily also low trust people. .
This post was edited on 12/31/25 at 12:17 am
Posted on 12/31/25 at 1:32 am to WizardSleeve
quote:
All true. But on average higher IQ people self-govern more effectively. Low IQ people make poor decisions with short sighted reasoning. On average the people that abandon the shopping cart are lower IQ because impulse control tracks proportionately with IQ.
We will abort our civilization both by continuing to import low IQ people from their own failed civilizations and incentivizing the population growth of low IQ populations currently here.
What we have is a high trust society. And it only works if it is filled with individuals that act in good faith because they are intelligent enough to see the long term consequences of their actions. Low IQ people fulfill their immediate impulses, like stealing, and are necessarily also low trust people. .
Correct. High IQ people have the ability to see the bigger picture. Low IQ people make decisions based on what they perceive as "best" in the immediate.
So yeah, in general high IQ people are much better are forming advanced societies becuase they avoid base animal impulses much better than low IQ.
Posted on 12/31/25 at 1:52 am to StansberryRules
The Shopping Cart Theory is truly the end all, be all test of good humans vs bad humans.
Posted on 12/31/25 at 2:00 am to StansberryRules
Morals are very important but material conditions of the working class are extremely important especially when the top 1% owns almost 40% of all wealth. You can call it left-wing or socialist or whatever you want but the biggest problem is that people aren't having their needs met and you can't keep placating them with religion or telling them to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.
There are two systems of Justice in the United States and the wealthiest live in a socialist environment where they can get bailed out and subsidies in a time they want while receiving tax breaks for it and everyone else has to live under rugged capitalism.
Important to note that I don't hate capitalism or anything like that. I'm just explaining how the extremely rich literally take advantage of all of us while polluting the political message. It's not even new but liberals and Republicans will argue over the merits while both being taken advantage of
There are two systems of Justice in the United States and the wealthiest live in a socialist environment where they can get bailed out and subsidies in a time they want while receiving tax breaks for it and everyone else has to live under rugged capitalism.
Important to note that I don't hate capitalism or anything like that. I'm just explaining how the extremely rich literally take advantage of all of us while polluting the political message. It's not even new but liberals and Republicans will argue over the merits while both being taken advantage of
Posted on 12/31/25 at 8:39 am to RelentlessAnalysis
I have enough common sense to know what all is about to go down because I pay attention and they aren't winning another election for a very long time.
Posted on 12/31/25 at 8:49 am to FooManChoo
quote:
That’s why Christianity is so important. Those who love Christ will love their neighbors, and where the gospel goes out, there is a restraining grace on society.
Without God, there is no objective law-giver, no objective moral law, and no judgment beyond this life, so there is no reason not to do as you like, or only be “moral” so long as you benefit from it in this life in some way.
I agree, but I’d say it is more of a change in heart than always doing the right thing , as being perfect and consistent in all our actions. Our heart is changed from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh, and so we champion the truth, not fight against the truth. Imperfect in all our ways, but we are no longer enemies of the truth, rather we love and agree with the truth. There is no longer a war over what is right. We know full well what is right because we have believed on God’s word, and so obeyed the gospel by believing upon Christ.
Posted on 12/31/25 at 8:52 am to StansberryRules
If only the Trump administration exhibite such good faith and complied with what it knows is right, rather than act upon Trump’s worst impulses…
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