My friends and I can support the libertarian movement and this website along with its creators' activities both financially and intellectually as long as its values and morals stay in alignment with Ron Paul's. That is to say, religion friendly, family oriented, responsibly minded freedom. I will withdraw all support once I notice that Break the Matrix or any of its enterprises become notably corrupted by sexuality, drugs, or nonconstructive "free speech" (usually lots of four letter words with no point under the guise of art or something.) This means no flesh parades on the main site and such- including advertisements and the like. This means a respect for the decency of all human beings regardless of color or creed. This means freedom without chaos; freedom not just for the sake of being obnoxious; freedom with responsibility.
If you can't imagine Ron Paul doing it, you shouldn't do it either. Anything I would not like to be viewing in front of my wife or children will be grounds for my (and my friends) permanent withdraw. I intend to make my whole family and my lineage part of the movement. I will not be supporting a media takeover in order to replace the status quo with the status quo!
"Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor."
~1 Peter 2:16-17.
(Let Ron Paul be the emperor!)
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No reason for pessimism.
Yes, you are absolutely right, and that is why I decided to withdraw my comment. (I would have just deleted it if I had the option) :)
Sorry for the miscommunication!
-Miss Green
"Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it."
lol. The joys of writing. R
I hate to be pessimistic, but this thread is starting to feel like it's composed of people who want freedom for themselves, but no one else.
After reading that statement, I had to go back a couple of pages to see if I missed something. I didn't find it. So, I looked again and still couldn't find anything that would support your statement. Could you, please, reference something in particular. Apparently you have seen something I continue to miss, Miss.
God bless,
Nick
Quotable quote:
"Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment"~?
I decided to withdraw my comment because I don't think I worded it correctly. But, what I was talking about was on the first pages, not recently.
-Miss Green
"Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it."
Without a doubt, this has been one of our most helpful and instructive threads to date. But is the issue now "resolved?" Of course not-- these sorts of matters do not lend themselves to simple and satisfying answers, and we at BTM are not so foolish as to think we'll make everyone happy all the time. We're in the news and entertainment business, and there are a lot of different views, values and tastes out there in the mainstream audience that we will be looking to reach. Such is life. R
You are right that the issue seems to be of one which can not be resolved. Since many freedom lovers are not opposed to advice from our founding fathers I would like to ask that people contemplate George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.
"Today many, if not all of these rules, sound a little fussy if not downright silly. It would be easy to dismiss them as outdated and appropriate to a time of powdered wigs and quills, but they reflect a focus that is increasingly difficult to find. They all have in common a focus on other people rather than the narrow focus of our own self-interests that we find so prevalent today. Fussy or not, they represent more than just manners. They are the small sacrifices that we should all be willing to make for the good of all and the sake of living together. " ~Taken from the introduction to the piece in the above link.
I myself could learn a lot from these rules.
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." ~Voltaire
I've got an even easier code!
Say what you will, but keep it constructive and marketable.
Listen to others, and give them the benefit of the doubt if they appear uncivil or nonconstructive.
Don't be too sensitive if someone has said something that offends you; swallow your pride.
Apologize, and mean it, if you offend another. Speak up if you are honestly offended (more than just your pride.) Listen considerately if you have offended another.
When all else fails, smash them with a ball peen hammer.
“Money will be put under the direction of government, and the government will be put under the direction of money.”
~Philip Freneau
I am in no way suggesting that all 110 of these "codes of conduct" be implemented, I'm just giving an example of the organization of public behavior at the time our country was liberated. It was just something to think about. I think it plays a large role in the speed and efficiency in which they were able to achieve their cumulative goals.
If we think about it, there is something we are missing which has allowed all of the abuses of government besides the day to day distractions of media bias. Media was simply a tool in implementing a new morality and a change in our expectations of conduct. We have a great opportunity or a great burden. The Matrix and The Ring of Power are very similar. We would use it with a desire to do good, but there is no promise that we know how to use the influence either. We are all victims of the Matrix, remember?
On my path since being awakened I have reassessed my outlook on life and how so much of who I was trying to be was formed by the material world around me. You will have to forgive me, I am around children all day and I watch and see how much media effects them. It effects us all, so it was just a concern as to what type of behavior this site would condone. In my area of study I have found that half of who we are comes from external sources and the remaining half is instinct.
Just as I wouldn't want my tax dollars spent on projects I do not believe in, I do not want to invest in a company I do not believe in. This is not about profit for me, it is about making better decisions. I'm not trying to force others to adopt any of this, I'm just sharing my point of view.
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." ~Voltaire
The abetment of a liberty that is dissociated from traditional codes of conduct and disregards conventional standards of behavior, a liberty that is fully disconnected from the notion of moral absolutes and relies on individual personalities to be the exclusive facilitators and arbiters of all that is behaviorally valuable to the encouragement of our social and cultural advancement would be a critical mistake.
Individual personalities are inherently prone to misapprehensions and occasionally require reminders of where the boundries exist. I am of the opinion that it would be foolish of BtM's administrators to refuse to publicly adopt clearly defined parameters of acceptable behavior for themselves and for the individuals that will make up this community.
It's pretty simple. Either they will or they won't. We, as individuals, will either accept that or we won't. They and we will assign weights to what we think is most important to us, actions vs. consequences, and we'll, each, respond accordingly. When you boil it down, that's all there is to it.
God bless,
Nick
Quotable quote:
"Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment"~?
Absolutely, it is a choice.
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." ~Voltaire
Sure it makes sense, morals/values/ethics posts are a bit complex I guess
RonPaulican,
I don't think we should be so worried about offending people that everyone has a right to point to what they don't like and have it removed.
I can see why you think it's pandering. Their are probably some lonely guys who don't mind it.
Also, I wouldn't want to subject BTM to the standards of whether or not an individual is embarrassed to tell their mother to visit the sight.
In the free market perspective -- if no one clicks on it it will go away because the advertiser will be losing money.
I'm just offering my point of view, not trying to change minds that aren't open to change. I'm just making suggestions and supporting my reasons for those suggestions. I'm not speaking for any one but my own thoughts on the issue. I have this habit of changing my perspective to try and understand others, which could lead one to believe I am thinking for them, but it is really just thinking of them. Does that make any sense?
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." ~Voltaire
As a strong believer in the individual I wish people would speak as individuals - in other words on behalf of themselves and no one else:
this includes - members of a certain gender, religion, or geographic location, group,
and includes family members over the age of 18
For example, "me and my friends" nope
"on behalf of all women" sorry
"I think I speak for all christians, muslims, etc." you don't
"It's not me I'm worried about but people who...." no thanks
"On behalf of all Texans, (insert geographic location)" whatever
"My (family member over the age of 18) would simply not apprecitate this" they are capable of speaking for themselves
Unless someone is a deaf mute who asks you to speak for them, or you are an official spokesperson for a group, please speak only for yourself....
Also, I hereby authorize no one to speak for me or on my behalf!
Just a suggestion!
"We The People"
you hate that one too?
If you don't have a pastor then how do you know what a pastor would be comfortable with?
My imaginary pastor would get a chuckle from the ad.
I have edited my previous post to clarify my point. It seems you would pick apart my wording rather than address the issue. The issue being, it is necessary?
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." ~Voltaire
Ronpaulican, you don't think your pastor or mother could handle a picture of a girl in a bikini? Are you sure you want to entrust your soul to someone that weak?
Entrust my soul? I said my pastor... if I had one. "If" because I do not have a pastor and "if" I did my soul would not be entrusted to them but to the one they serve. My desire not to recommend the site would not come from their weakness, but from my own modesty and possible embarrassment to have been to a site that would advertise mail order brides, or maybe it would be out of respect for the way they choose to live their life? Likely both.
As far as my mother, she has no idea that such things are out there and common place and acceptable. She would not take the site seriously, nor would she then take me seriously having been to such a site. This is the way many people are. So why would I refer her here if I could refer her to a more appropriate site for her level of being? Same for a pastor, whom I would think might be more comfortable at a site that refrained from such pandering.
Edited to clarify my thoughts.
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." ~Voltaire
I'm not sure this was started because anyone was offended. I think this was started as a suggestion to the creation of the new media world, to attract and be agreeable with the greatest number of patriots possible. I thought it was a suggestion that alternatives be sought to the same types of media and advertising we are accustomed to. I was merely attempting to be a part of the conversation in finding other ways to generate revenue than to advertise things unrepresentative of our goal.
To quote a passage from The Revolution: A Manifesto (p.4,5)
"The mainstream media had no idea what to make of it, since we were breaking all the rules and yet still attracting such a varied and passionate following. I began making this a central point of my public speeches: the reason all these different groups are rallying to the same banner, I said, is that freedom has a unique power to unite us.
In case that sounds like a cliche, it isn't. It's common sense. When we agree not to treat each other merely as means to our own selfish ends, but to respect one another as individuals with rights and goals of our own, cooperation and goodwill suddenly become possible for the first time.
My message is one of freedom and individual rights. I believe individuals have the right to life and liberty and that physical aggression should be used only defensively. We should respect each other as rational beings by trying to achieve our goals through reason and persuasion rather than threats and coercion. That, and not a desire for "economic efficiency," is the primary moral reason for opposing government intrusions into our lives: government is force, not reason."
***
To be as clear as possible, it is only my intention to persuade others to cooperate with reasonable requests, especially where image and virtue is at issue.
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." ~Voltaire
So I have now read this thread 2x thru.
Everyone will eventually find some ad that they are offended by. If you don't like the ad hit refresh and you will get a new one.
Doesn't seem to be that big a deal. It is not like it is porno or something.
Someone could be offended because they see and Obama ad and he is a socialist. Someone could be offended by McCain ads and he is a socialist.
So everyone needs to relax... let this site get up and coming.. when they have more $ they can find some ads that won't be so offensive (although it seems like people get offended by everything these days)
www.ronpaulhq.com
Oh great, these Jesus people are taking over BTM already?
Who just thought that?! Was that my former atheist self still in there? I thought I kicked your butt out? *GOLEM, GOLEM!*
Please don't be upset about the presence of religious or moral debaters- they are part of philosophy, and key to the silly notion of "freedom" that the human mind has invented but never achieved.
*GOLEM!*
“Money will be put under the direction of government, and the government will be put under the direction of money.”
~Philip Freneau
I once refused the church and it's control methods. That was until I researched Ron Paul and his message of freedom. Only through self governance can we be free from the governance of man.
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." ~Voltaire
I don't think it is unreasonable to request that such advertising not be allowed on this site. I would rather have every patriot possible here than an ad about mail order brides. Are people seriously ready to defend this ad over a fellow patriot? It seems to me that some who have read this or responded to this have felt the need to defend this ad or it's right to be here. Who among us would be offended or morally compromised in it's absence? Who does not have the common sense to know there is a time and place for everything? Ron Paul would not support a candidate that did not have the same convictions as he, so why should it be so hard to believe that one who follows this mindset would not support a group which undermines their convictions?
If this is going to be a community without consequences some of us would like to know before we invest our hearts and souls to it's cause. Our hearts and souls being worth much more than ad revenue, or maybe not.
"All sects are different, because they come from men; morality is everywhere the same, because it comes from God." ~Voltaire
Now, you can argue that there is no God, so if you are one of those who does not believe in God then what do you believe about instinct? It is instinct that we have modesty. Mainstream Media has done a fine job of whittling away at modesty, especially modesty because sex sells and when it is about profit there is always some willing to take advantage of that. I thought break the matrix wanted to break away from that mindset.
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." ~Voltaire
I just ordered my Ukrainian bride!
Sweet! Thank BTM!
www.ronpaulhq.com
and the winner of this years "Best comment award" goes to... ;)
Sorry, but that was funny.
I think some need to lighten up a bit and look at the Big Picture.
Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.
~Bob Newhart
Amazing! Great thought provoking intellectual debate without vulgarities and name calling.
Is this heaven? :)
Here's my 2 cents for those of you who would like to hear it:
2 rules... treat others how you would like to be treated, and do as you want, as long as you are not harming anyone else.
If everyone were to abide by these rules, then we would all be content.
As for vertebrae8, I just ask that you must remember that some things are not as they seem. Like, marijuana. Many of the "older conservatives" look at marijuana as a "drug" and would not likely support a site that promotes it.
I realize this, and that is why my articles concerning the harmless plant are modest and rational.
That being said, I see why your concern for modesty is important, but with freedom comes responsibility.. and that includes being open-minded. So, if you bring someone to this site that sees an article about marijuana and wants to automatically leave, it is they who are in the wrong, not me.
-Miss Green
"Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it."