I think you are confusing a view of reality with a moral approval of it. I don't have to approve of status quo in order to assess it. You are also trapped into too much wishful thinking and seeing your world through overly rose colored glasses.
>> Yes... that was true in Nazi Germany, in the former Soviet Union, and, before them, it was true in the monarchies from which they inherited their concepts of governance...However, this is not...
First read this:
amazon.com
Then quantify your claim...i.e. quantify how different the existing system is from say Stalin's. For example, if you pose a serious threat to diminishing the existing system, how much gentler will you be treated.
>> There is no reason at all to consider the choices "arbitrary"...
Then explain why your choices are not arbitrary. Power gets you wealth and wealth gets you power. You can try to separate this chicken and egg issue, but your division will be arbitrary both from the theoretical pov, and from a pragmatic one given that at the end of the day you are dealing with a single package given that power and wealth always go hand in hand.
>> I'm not a slave...
Really?! Do tell when was the last time that you seriously defied the government or rocked the boat of anyone powerful? What happened in those cases? And if you've never tried, is it because you approve of everything the government has been doing? Do you approve of what your local lords and marquis do (figuratively speaking). And if you do not approve of them, but nonetheless are unable/unwilling to challenge them in a meaningful way, then what is the difference between you "choosing" to live by their rules and a slave who is forced to do so?
>> Democrats STILL support slavery and the institutions that enable it...
I couldn't give a rat's fart for what democrats (or republicans for that matter) support. They are both part and parcel of the same system and prolong it. It is a stupid sitcom show to keep the people distracted from real issues and give them the illusion of freedom. Reminds me of the bank rubbery scene in " Take The Money And Run".
Anyway, once again SI has proven to be a black hole of time that could be well spent.
On a final note, have a look here: http://michaelscharf.blogspot.ca/2014/02/a-new-equation-for-intelligence-f-t-s.html
It is a good discussion of what intelligence really is. One key element, intelligent beings/systems behave in a way to maximize their future options. They key being shaping the future towards freedom. Those who do nothing, cannot be considered intelligent, no matter how much thinking they do.
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