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Author Topic:   Phat's Bookshelf
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 106 of 174 (904657)
01-04-2023 2:35 PM
Reply to: Message 105 by Taq
01-04-2023 11:48 AM


Re: its The Marketplace, stupid
Again, my argument is basically this:
Hard assets are more likely to have a set value that is at a bedrock level. They are unlikely to ever become worthless, as can a fiat currency or a bitcoin.
The only other thing that we now use to back fiat currency is humans. People. The trust of the people.
This, however, is far from a bedrock value. Humans are fickle. Changing.
I prefer a hard asset, as will everyone once the fiat currencies implode.
Feel free to call me ignorant and uninformed, as does Theodoric. I would best him in an IQ test any day of the week.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 105 by Taq, posted 01-04-2023 11:48 AM Taq has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 110 by nwr, posted 01-04-2023 4:06 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 111 by Theodoric, posted 01-04-2023 4:35 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 115 by Theodoric, posted 01-04-2023 8:42 PM Phat has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 107 of 174 (904658)
01-04-2023 2:39 PM
Reply to: Message 104 by ringo
01-02-2023 11:07 AM


Re: its The Marketplace, stupid
A video (or documentary) is quite capable of going into every bit as much depth as is a book. You just don't like them because you can't see them on the library computer, and have given away too much spare change to afford basic home internet. Jesus might approve, though. I doubt He would like the internet either.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 104 by ringo, posted 01-02-2023 11:07 AM ringo has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 112 by Theodoric, posted 01-04-2023 4:43 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 114 by ringo, posted 01-04-2023 7:41 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 108 of 174 (904659)
01-04-2023 2:40 PM
Reply to: Message 101 by AZPaul3
12-30-2022 7:09 PM


Re: its The Marketplace, stupid
Democrats are quite capable of convincing people that there is only one way and that they are that way.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 101 by AZPaul3, posted 12-30-2022 7:09 PM AZPaul3 has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 109 by Taq, posted 01-04-2023 3:11 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Taq
Member
Posts: 9973
Joined: 03-06-2009
Member Rating: 5.6


(2)
Message 109 of 174 (904662)
01-04-2023 3:11 PM
Reply to: Message 108 by Phat
01-04-2023 2:40 PM


Re: its The Marketplace, stupid
Phat writes:
Democrats are quite capable of convincing people that there is only one way and that they are that way.
All Democrats are saying is that there is one reality. That seems too much for Republicans to handle given their propensity for inventing fantasy worlds and alternate facts.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 108 by Phat, posted 01-04-2023 2:40 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 113 by Theodoric, posted 01-04-2023 4:46 PM Taq has not replied

  
nwr
Member
Posts: 6408
From: Geneva, Illinois
Joined: 08-08-2005
Member Rating: 5.1


Message 110 of 174 (904664)
01-04-2023 4:06 PM
Reply to: Message 106 by Phat
01-04-2023 2:35 PM


Re: its The Marketplace, stupid
Hard assets are more likely to have a set value that is at a bedrock level.
Do you have a measure of hardness of an asset? Is there a level that can compare when something is at bedrock level?
They are unlikely to ever become worthless, as can a fiat currency or a bitcoin.
Gold could become near worthless.

Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity

This message is a reply to:
 Message 106 by Phat, posted 01-04-2023 2:35 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9076
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.7


(3)
Message 111 of 174 (904666)
01-04-2023 4:35 PM
Reply to: Message 106 by Phat
01-04-2023 2:35 PM


Re: its The Marketplace, stupid
You have never explained what "bedrock level" means.
They are unlikely to ever become worthless, as can a fiat currency
But hard assets can become worth much less than they were. Or much more. Either is not good for economic stability.
I know you think this is a bad thing, and you would be wrong, but the government can control a fiat currency to keep the economy within the guard rails. If the faith and credit of the United States of America fails there will be bigger problems than fiat currency.
Still waiting for your proposal of how we go back on to the gold standard. Instead of educating people, building bridges and paying our military, we should instead be buying trillions of dollars of gold? How is buying that much gold going to effect markets and the economy? Currently, the US owns about $375 billion worth of gold. There is currently over $2 trillion of US currency in circulation. Present a plan. Or just crawl back under your rock.
BTW IQ tests are meaningless and inaccurate. I last had one when I was a junior in high school. I did well. Better than I thought I would. If it was accurate than I seemingly did not live up to my intellectual potential.
More important than some meaningless measurement of intelligence, is what I call the curiosity quotient. How curious is one to understand something or to find out if something is accurate. Much more important than raw intelligence.
Keep up your sophomoric attacks. I think I and Rep Ocasio-Cortez do not feel threatened.

What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. -Christopher Hitchens

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

"God did it" is not an argument. It is an excuse for intellectual laziness.

If your viewpoint has merits and facts to back it up why would you have to lie?


This message is a reply to:
 Message 106 by Phat, posted 01-04-2023 2:35 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9076
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.7


(2)
Message 112 of 174 (904667)
01-04-2023 4:43 PM
Reply to: Message 107 by Phat
01-04-2023 2:39 PM


Re: its The Marketplace, stupid
A video (or documentary) is quite capable of going into every bit as much depth as is a book.
Bullshit. An book worth writing is 100's of pages long. Videos are just snippets of what the presenter wants to present. A book that discusses anything on an intellectual level has footnotes and bibliographies so we can look at the source material.
Books(those worth reading)are written by authors with credentials we can assess. The videos you present are by charlatans, grifters and liars with no credentials. You are one of the anti-intellectual mob, that is offended by the very concept of expertise.
There is a reason it takes years to get a Bachelors degree. Then more years to get a Masters and then even more years for a Doctorate. This stuff is hard. It takes years to be an expert. Some expert are wrong, very wrong. That is why we don't just listen tp one expert. We listen top the consensus of the experts.
These are concepts you are unable to conceive of let alone understand. But evidently you have a high IQ. Go you.

What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. -Christopher Hitchens

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

"God did it" is not an argument. It is an excuse for intellectual laziness.

If your viewpoint has merits and facts to back it up why would you have to lie?


This message is a reply to:
 Message 107 by Phat, posted 01-04-2023 2:39 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9076
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.7


Message 113 of 174 (904668)
01-04-2023 4:46 PM
Reply to: Message 109 by Taq
01-04-2023 3:11 PM


Re: its The Marketplace, stupid
Just one asteroid could make gold worthless. If we could harness it and mine it.

What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. -Christopher Hitchens

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

"God did it" is not an argument. It is an excuse for intellectual laziness.

If your viewpoint has merits and facts to back it up why would you have to lie?


This message is a reply to:
 Message 109 by Taq, posted 01-04-2023 3:11 PM Taq has not replied

  
ringo
Member (Idle past 412 days)
Posts: 20940
From: frozen wasteland
Joined: 03-23-2005


Message 114 of 174 (904671)
01-04-2023 7:41 PM
Reply to: Message 107 by Phat
01-04-2023 2:39 PM


Re: its The Marketplace, stupid
Phat writes:
A video (or documentary) is quite capable of going into every bit as much depth as is a book.
Nonsense. As I have pointed out before, a book is always there; You can go back to a specific page or a specific paragraph or a specific sentence. You can't do that with a video. They're not that precise.
Phat writes:
You just don't like them because you can't see them on the library computer...
I could see them on the library computer if I wanted to. I don't like them because they're a poor source of information.

Come all of you cowboys all over this land,
I'll teach you the law of the Ranger's Command:
To hold a six shooter, and never to run
As long as there's bullets in both of your guns.
-- Woody Guthrie

This message is a reply to:
 Message 107 by Phat, posted 01-04-2023 2:39 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9076
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.7


Message 115 of 174 (904673)
01-04-2023 8:42 PM
Reply to: Message 106 by Phat
01-04-2023 2:35 PM


Worthless fiat currencies
Please list fiat currencies now worthless and explain how they became worthless.
I remember not so very long ago you talked up crypto. So why no longer?

What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. -Christopher Hitchens

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

"God did it" is not an argument. It is an excuse for intellectual laziness.

If your viewpoint has merits and facts to back it up why would you have to lie?


This message is a reply to:
 Message 106 by Phat, posted 01-04-2023 2:35 PM Phat has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 116 by Phat, posted 01-05-2023 1:29 AM Theodoric has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 116 of 174 (904681)
01-05-2023 1:29 AM
Reply to: Message 115 by Theodoric
01-04-2023 8:42 PM


Re: Worthless fiat currencies
First off, I have never talked up crypto. I knew that it was a Ponzi scheme from the very beginning. Now if it were backed by gold that would be another matter.
Theo writes:
Please list fiat currencies now worthless and explain how they became worthless.
I will have to do some research. Right now, im going to sleep.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 115 by Theodoric, posted 01-04-2023 8:42 PM Theodoric has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 117 by Theodoric, posted 01-05-2023 8:33 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Theodoric
Member
Posts: 9076
From: Northwest, WI, USA
Joined: 08-15-2005
Member Rating: 3.7


Message 117 of 174 (904685)
01-05-2023 8:33 AM
Reply to: Message 116 by Phat
01-05-2023 1:29 AM


Re: Worthless fiat currencies
I apologize. At times it is hard to keep the gold bugs separate from the crypto dudes. They both trade in the same type of unevidenced arguments. I confused you with another nutjob.
So you make these profound claims about how fiat currencies fail and will fail, but you know nothing about any fiat currency that has?
Then you wonder why no one believes or trusts any of the crap you spout.

What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. -Christopher Hitchens

Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

"God did it" is not an argument. It is an excuse for intellectual laziness.

If your viewpoint has merits and facts to back it up why would you have to lie?


This message is a reply to:
 Message 116 by Phat, posted 01-05-2023 1:29 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 118 of 174 (904810)
01-08-2023 9:03 AM


FANTASYLAND by Kurt Anderson
My latest book is quite entertaining and informative. Initially, as I began to listen to it, I realized that it was not necessarily a pro Christian worldview book, and I began to feel a bit of anxiety. After praying about it, I felt a green light and a thumbs up in regard to reading it and studying it as deeply as I have my other books. The full title of this book is Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire (from authors own website).
Actually, I think that of all of my books presented thus far, this book would be one that most of the peanut gallery would approve of and agree with. In all honesty, I think it allows me to see the perspective that many of you have regarding organized religion and the shaping of America as we now know it today.
Even as a true believer, I can only gain a more complete perspective by reading this book.
Here is an article that Kurt Anderson(the author) wrote in the Atlantic:
How America Lost Its Mind

Replies to this message:
 Message 119 by Phat, posted 01-08-2023 9:30 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 120 by nwr, posted 01-08-2023 1:27 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied
 Message 121 by ringo, posted 01-08-2023 1:44 PM Phat has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 119 of 174 (904811)
01-08-2023 9:30 AM
Reply to: Message 118 by Phat
01-08-2023 9:03 AM


Re: FANTASYLAND by Kurt Anderson
I have listened to the book up through Chapter 9. This is a book worthy of serious study.
I just purchased the book on Kindle to add to my Audible copy.
Here I will share with everyone the Table Of Contents:
Kurt Anderson:
Chapter 1: Now Entering Fantasy land
Part 1: The Conjuring of America: 1517-1789
Chapter 2: I Believe,Therefore I Am Right: The Protestants
Chapter 3: All That Glitters: The Gold Seekers
Chapter 4: Building Our Own Private Heaven on Earth: The Puritans
Chapter 5: The God-Given Freedom to Believe in God
Chapter 6: Imaginary Friends and Enemies: The Early Satanic Panics
Chapter 7: The First Me Century:
Religion Gets American
Chapter 8: Meanwhile, in the Eighteenth Century Reality-Based Community
Part II: United States of Amazing:
The 1800s
Chapter 9: The First Great Delirium
Chapter 10: The All-American Fan Fiction of Joseph Smith,Prophet
Chapter 11: Quack Nation: Magical but Modern
Chapter 12: Fantastic Business: The Gold Rush Inflection Point
Chapter 13: In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Conspiracy Theory Habit
Chapter 14: The War between States of Mind
Chapter 15: Ten Million Little Houses on the Prairie
Chapter 16: Fantasy Industrialized
To be continued. As I said, Ive just started Chapter 9.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.” - Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You (1894).
When both religious and non-religious people reach the same conclusions then you know religion isn't the reason.--Percy
Democrats should not be the only party. Respect the two-party system. -Phat, in December 2022
We see Monsters where Science shows us Windmills.~Phat, remixed

This message is a reply to:
 Message 118 by Phat, posted 01-08-2023 9:03 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
nwr
Member
Posts: 6408
From: Geneva, Illinois
Joined: 08-08-2005
Member Rating: 5.1


(3)
Message 120 of 174 (904827)
01-08-2023 1:27 PM
Reply to: Message 118 by Phat
01-08-2023 9:03 AM


Re: FANTASYLAND by Kurt Anderson
"Fantasyland" -- that sounds like the world that Phat lives in.

Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity

This message is a reply to:
 Message 118 by Phat, posted 01-08-2023 9:03 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
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