I’d ask for the best, but we all know sliced bread is the best invention in man’s history! That’s why we always say “best thing since sliced bread!” right??? (that was a joke, in case you didn’t catch that.)
I think the worst invention in the history of man is Television and here’s why:
Television has converted the civilized man from one who reads and expands his or her horizons through the written word, imagination, critical thought and reasoning to one who is spoon fed story lines, taught that jokes need to occur every 45 seconds, lost ability to concentrate on objects and it has delivered into the homes a method by which a government can indoctrinate it’s people convincing them that petty issues are life or death or to change their minds to match that of the state.
I, personally, feel that television has robbed us of our manhood as a nation. It has immasculated our rational, our very being as people. It has single handedly converted us from a nation able to stand up against the mightiest nations on the planet and say with one unanimous voice that we will not go queity into the night, we will not allow tyranny to reign without a fight, that the republic will live on, that the republic will survive. In it’s place we find a molly coddled nation asking Mrs. Cleaver if we may please have another while Barney Fife runs our country, the people are left in the dark because they choose not to see the light. A nation that has allowed despotism to reign free in our courts because we no longer go to court for entertainment. A country that cannot concentrate for longer then a commercial’s length of time. And a nation willing and able to be spoonfed the truth by those we have entrusted to spoon feed it to us. (Politicians and the media, to put it bluntly.)
Income Tax Withholding.
An idea whos invention and implementation has allowed the exponential growth of government spending because the true cost of governmetn is hidden from those paying the bill.
If the average everyday taxpayer had to write out a $6000.00 check to the IRS, a $6000 check to Social Insecurity, a $1500 check to Medicare, a $3000 check to the state each April, instead of the fraud of getting a $700 refund, Government would be about 80%-90% smaller than it is.
That depends on what channel you watch!
Stay away from those “people magazine channels”
information channels are the only things i watch:
Discovery science
History
PBS
National Geographic
Food network
Animal channel
Stay away from 2,4,7, KTTV, KCOP,FOX, MTV, E channel etc…
Oh yea forgot the add the worst thing (pet peeve really)
Jen, I agree and disagree… The TV has robbed us of alot, part of the problem is not with the TV though, it is the cheapest baby sitter available, even you can probably attest to that having 2 boys… On the other hand never has Western Society had a tool that captured the images of thought and mobilization so effectively as have the images that are put on TV… Ask anyone about 9/11 and most will tell you that what the 19 did was evil… Why? Not because they had any connection with Victims, but because of the images placed before there very eyes, and the thought that those images were happening at that very instant can captivate as it did our nation just after 9/11 when we invaded Afganistan (not even that I necessarily like how our war on terror has played out but it is the best example)… If the Pearl Harbor bombing Video which flashed around the US had been pictures only, I doubt you would have had such a reaction from the populace, or the reaction would have to sink in before major action would happen… Now this is mentioned only as a weapon of a Government to mobilize its citizens, but we know it could be just as powerful in other hands… Images speak a lot louder then words, even though it takes words to get them on the screen…
Worst Invention? Nuclear Weaponry comes to mind…
GG
Worst Invention? Nuclear Weaponry comes to mind…
ended WWII, idk, kinda a draw from where im sittitng. if there were a way to disinvent it now, i would be all for it however…
worst invention…hmm…
MS Windows?
It didn’t end WW2 it merely expediated that process… Japan was already surrounded by Several Hundred Naval Vessels, Several Thousands Planes, and Millions of Men. They lost all there infrastructure due to bombing, and even before the Bomb was dropped the Japanese had hinted at surrender (if it wasn’t unconditional)… Besides the British had the 16,000 lb. Bombs which devestated whole blocks, load a bunch of B-29’s with those and you get pretty much the same effect… Your chances of losing planes is about the same for the trip over and back…
GG
@Imperious:
Oh yea forgot the add the worst thing (pet peeve really)
- property tax their is no reason why i should pay every year for something i own… i can understand a tax on sale, but not during ownership
- parking meters no reason why i should have to pay to maintain a car on a public street while i am transacting business which i pay a sales tax for.
I just want to point out that 100% of your property tax is supposed to go to fund your local schools. (Local Elementary, Local Jr. High/Middle, Local High School) and is to be used for no other purpose, allegedly.
So your property tax, even if you have no kids of your own, go to allegedly better society by education the other children. It’s probably the only tax other then sales tax I can actually say is a good thing.
If they go to anything it should be to something related… like public works projects…e.g. other buildings…
state income tax should be for education, plus the lottery scam ticket sales…
Red Tape was mans’ worst invention. Beaureaucracy goes right along next to it.
The pure ability to make a simple action so difficult that it becomes something more complicated than it should be.
Filing taxes is something of a mammoth sized headache. So many rules, so many regulations, miss one or screw it up and you go to jail, or the gov’t will come and steal more money out of your pocket.
Or the passing of needless laws that are never enforced, and then clogging the courts with the infractions of the new laws that are, in certain cases, designed to be broken.
The next thing I hate: Speed Traps.
These things are abused to the utmost. And are a large source of revenue for cities and Police Depts. I say we should get rid of them. If people want to speed in the middle of nowhere, fine with me, as long as you don’t do it near a populated area. Just don’t expect any help if you get yourself killed.
Man’s worst invention was woman. Shoulda saved that rib… :-D (kidding, by the way)
TV…a mixed bag. TV isn’t inherently evil. In fact, it’s ideal for channeling information: sights AND sounds (which is why most people are attracted to it). However, what is produced, and what you decide to watch counts. You can always turn it off. So, while we have an ideal form for distributing info, and, with satellites, almost instantaneouly. I think it’s made the world “smaller.” But, we also have to deal with annoying, blaring commercials (always a price tag, I tell you!!!), some crappy programming (I don’t have a tv show I watch regularly), and dealing with the temptation of buying a 60" flatscreen plasma tv.
I could consider nuclear weapons to be one of the worst.
But, how about money? There’s an argument for & against that.
But money isn’t inherently evil, just a medium of exchange…
GG
i disagree, for some reason we consider the accumulation of money to be our prime reason for existence. The money buys us stuff to attempt to make us happy. Why should money make us happy? I dont get it, people do messed up stuff just for money.
Money doesn’t tell you what to do. People think that money tells you what to do and live like that.
But Money is an object, not a sentient being like people.
money is more than an object, its an idea almost. Payment for something. Didnt communists not want money per se. Before minted coin people still had wealth, i.e. money and did terrible things to accumulate wealth, i.e. money. Their land or crops or animals or possesions were their money back then, it wasnt only one object, it was many. The medium of exchange is the idea behind money, and that idea is that either you owe me for something or i owe you. Couldnt it just be in the utopian sense a favor for favor or no payment at all just people happy to help others. Money is what destroys the dreams of a utopian society. I fully believe to be a complete person you must do like jesus or buddha, give away your possesions and free yourself of the bondage of the desire for wealth.
We as humna beings, are naturally selfish. Some more than others.
If we train ourselves to take what is needed, and in moderation, the things we want. Money and wealth no longer become an issue.
Instead, the heart of the issue is the human heart (by heart I mean the state of mind and conscience which in turn lead to action).
Everything begins in the heart. You think it, then you say it. “Urges” and “Drives” can all be toned down and controlled by the state of mind you are in. Train the heart, and you will have conquered the body.
(Sorry for dragging this off topic……Please continue).
@Imperious:
Oh yea forgot the add the worst thing (pet peeve really)
- property tax their is no reason why i should pay every year for something i own… i can understand a tax on sale, but not during ownership
- parking meters no reason why i should have to pay to maintain a car on a public street while i am transacting business which i pay a sales tax for.
I just want to point out that 100% of your property tax is supposed to go to fund your local schools. (Local Elementary, Local Jr. High/Middle, Local High School) and is to be used for no other purpose, allegedly.
So your property tax, even if you have no kids of your own, go to allegedly better society by education the other children. It’s probably the only tax other then sales tax I can actually say is a good thing.
I really don’t like the whole property tax BS, but the one that really gets my blood runnin’ hot is School Tax.
I have NO kids. Probably won’t have any, either. Why the heck should I have to pay for something I get nothing out of? In addition, I am very much against the evolution curriculum (but that’s for another thread), and I am also against the schools teaching homosexuality from a condoning POV (also for another thread). So, I’m paying for the public school system to teach my area children two things I highly disagree with. I think it’s total BS……but probably not the worst invention ever. :-D
That distinction might just be video games. 8-)
WHOA!!! :-o What the hell did he just say? :-o
Now, hear me out. I’ll be the first to admit that they’re alot of fun and I have spent alot of time playing them (still play PC games once in a while), so at least I’m honest about it. :-D But when alot of us were kids, we spent more time playing games OUTSIDE, like street hockey, two-hand touch football, (or tackle 8-))….or other stuff like that. We actually spent more time away from the tv than today’s kids spend in front of it. I think they have far too much Vidgame time…most parents don’t want to make the effort to send the kids outside to play. My neighborhood (and most of yours too, I’m sure) were full of kids playing all kinds of games and whatnot outside from sunup to sundown almost every day it was nice enough to do so. Don’t see kids doing much of that at all anymore.
And if video games aren’t the problem, then lazy parents are.
And if y’all don’t like that one either, then how about Oral Reports/Final Essays? I hated those with a passion. :-P
Rob.
If we are talking taxes… here is one that several Counties in Pennsylvania have…
Occupational Assessment Tax.
It is a tax based on your job TITLE.
If you are in “sales”, then that includes Wal Mart cashiers AND Lexus Salesmen. Both pay the same exact dollar amount based on their job title.
And goddess forbid if some poor retail manager puts down “management” as their title, then they get taxed the same as CEO’s.
When I was in speciality retail management, I listed as “sales”, and my tax was equal to 2 weeks GROSS pay.
Another fun PA tax is the Occupational Priveledge Tax.
Isn’t all that much $$$, relatively speaking……but c’mon, man. They tax us on the priveledge of working in PA.
Far out.
Rob.
I would calculate my taxes, not pay those two, and tell them to slug it out in court if they think it’s worth it. (I know I’d lose, but by and far it IS an un-reasonable tax that is solely aimed at filling the states’ coffers……and to what end?).
Btw, the correct term for “Public Schools” is “Government Indoctrination Center.”
