Yes gabby, I agree that it needs to be broken up or deconstructed and reconstructed, that is why I used the figure of putting "a match to the straw". The point being made is exactly like you say; "who has the right..." and the answer is no one. The fact though is that it is about social classes and retaining wealth, old money and new money. It has been this way throughout history. When someone uses a phrase like that I have to question the intent in doing so. What Pat says is valid to me but not for everyone. Having said that I realize that there are vast differences in "what unites us" or at least the perception of such. One thing that should unite us all is concern for the common good, however, by means of rhetoric, the many are fooled by the few.
On Apr 16, 4:53 am, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > And who has the right to define what the whatever basis for whatever > comparison is? Nah, there is noway out other than breaking up this > political construct "what unites us is" into its active and its > passive aspect. Breaking it down it could mean to move and search for > people you have more in common with than what seperates you and learn > to avoid the BS preachers. Hello @Lee, I'm right with you! :-) > > On Apr 15, 3:52 pm, DarkwaterBlight <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > While I agree very much with what you are trying to say here arch, I > > cannot help but default to the position that if those who make it to > > the top of the proverbial pole remember where they come from and are > > commited to the greater good then we are united. Those who have their > > roots in the aristocracy have no basis for comparison as they are > > where they came from. So an individual coming up out of the dross must > > learn to validate his/her self through communication by means of ideal > > linguistics and having a better argument. Aside from the trivial, that > > individual does not forget the struggles of getting where they need to > > be in order to have an impact. There is, I shall assume, much > > alienation involved in 'becoming someone'. I shall also assume that > > those who have no basis for comparison use phrases like “What unites > > us is > > greater than what divides us!” a means to relate/appeal to the masses. > > But we are not all blind and throughout history have been known to put > > a match to the straw. > > > On Apr 5, 7:41 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Habermas wrote a lot on a communicative action in the lifeworld that > > > unites us, but also on the pathological system that tends to subsume > > > this. Our neighbours gave us some brioche yesterday, saying it's just > > > what people do at Easter in Bulgaria. We have lost nearly all such > > > space Molly - I'd call it the 'hayrick time'. Such stuff has been > > > taxed and 'efficiency-gained' to death. Christianity has become > > > Xtianity, not something to be part of in collective action but bought > > > and watched. The wrong habits have been broken. Even in China they > > > are bull-dozing ordinary communities to build more of the new dross > > > that makes money for a few. It may well be hard to talk of what > > > unities us because power has taught us to be silent in some very nasty > > > ways. 'Affluence in privacy' may well have destroyed us, our > > > 'farewell from the working class' (old books now). > > > We have grim warnings about returns to 'year zero' in history, yet > > > something even in this may well be why we can't talk about unity - > > > because it is something to leave behind, rise above and succeed by > > > leaving, by greasing our way up the pole of hierarchy. All our > > > political messages are about this, a success that leaves one on top of > > > others to be forgotten, yet abused as losers. > > > > On 5 Apr, 13:17, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I suppose if what unites us will outlive what divides us, it would be > > > > the greater. It does seem easier to identify what divides us, than > > > > what unites us - including the "no." Finding identity in not-me - or > > > > "no" is part of human development, albiet an immature part. > > > > > On Apr 5, 2:33 am, vamadevananda <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > What unites us, the ' thing,' may seem more conceptual than real. But > > > > > it would outlive the divisive trivia and arch over conflicting > > > > > ambitions. To that extent, it's more real than the trivia and the > > > > > ambitions. > > > > > > We do choose to size and prioritise our own realities, though ! > > > > > > On Apr 5, 11:14 am, iam deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > I agree politicians are not interested in a united front only in > > > > > > the trivia > > > > > > that divides.. > > > > > > > the one for all and all for one has fallen by the wayside it seems > > > > > > that > > > > > > politicians are not interested in what makes the world strong only > > > > > > in what > > > > > > allows them to plunder mankind.. > > > > > > I don't see signs of man waking up soon ,, unless this is a sign of > > > > > > the call > > > > > > for arms/ > > > > > > Allan > > > > > > > On Mon, Apr 5, 2010 at 2:25 AM, archytas <[email protected]> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > The answer currently seems to be 'no' Molly. Trivia is being > > > > > > > raised > > > > > > > to heightened levels to divide us. > > > > > > > > On 5 Apr, 00:24, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > "All for one and one for all." > > > > > > > > > United we stand, divided we fall." > > > > > > > > > I'm sure these sentiments have been around 10's of thousands of > > > > > > > > years. > > > > > > > What > > > > > > > > I believe it's all about is survival. And when that is taken > > > > > > > > for granted > > > > > > > > then we unite for prosperity. Ambition unites us. > > > > > > > > > dj > > > > > > > > > On Sun, Apr 4, 2010 at 1:30 PM, Molly <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > There is a phrase that I think is important, but is overused > > > > > > > > > and well > > > > > > > > > on its way to becoming a cliché and that is: “What unites us > > > > > > > > > is > > > > > > > > > greater than what divides us!” President John F. Kennedy > > > > > > > > > used it in > > > > > > > > > his 1961 address to Canadian Parliament: “Geography has made > > > > > > > > > us > > > > > > > > > neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made > > > > > > > > > us > > > > > > > > > partners. And necessity has made us allies. Those whom > > > > > > > > > nature hath > > > > > > > > > so joined together, let no man put asunder. What unites us > > > > > > > > > is far > > > > > > > > > greater than what divides us. > > > > > > > > > > The current US President, Barack Obama also used the idea in > > > > > > > > > his > > > > > > > > > speech this past Martin Luther King Junior Day: “through > > > > > > > > > times of > > > > > > > > > great challenge and great change, we have remembered that > > > > > > > > > fundamental > > > > > > > > > American truth - that what unites us is always more powerful > > > > > > > > > than what > > > > > > > > > divides us.” > > > > > > > > > > But the idea is not strictly American, as the > > > > > > > > > Secretary-General of the > > > > > > > > > United Nations, Ban Ki-moon has recently used it in two > > > > > > > > > different > > > > > > > > > speeches. First, in April of 2009, in his address to the > > > > > > > > > Alliance of > > > > > > > > > Civilizations forum in Istanbul, “What unites is so powerful > > > > > > > > > it could > > > > > > > > > easily overcome what divides us.” Next, in November of 2009 > > > > > > > > > in his > > > > > > > > > speech to the Summit of Religious and Secular Leaders on > > > > > > > > > Climate > > > > > > > > > Change in London, “We are united by the belief that what > > > > > > > > > unites us as > > > > > > > > > human beings is stronger than what divides us.” > > > > > > > > > > What is it that unites us all? Is it greater than what > > > > > > > > > divides us? > > > > > > > > > What do YOU think? > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > > > > > > > > Google > > > > > > > Groups > > > > > > > > > ""Minds Eye"" group. > > > > > > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > > > > > > > > [email protected]. > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > > > > [email protected]<minds-eye%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups > > > > > > > > > .com> > > > > > > > <minds-eye%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups .com> > > > > > > > > > . > > > > > > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > > > > > > >http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en. > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > > > > > > Google Groups > > > > > > > ""Minds Eye"" group. > > > > > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > > [email protected]<minds-eye%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups > > > > > > > .com> > > > > > > > . > > > > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > > > > >http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en. > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > ( > > > > > > ) > > > > > > I_D Allan- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > ""Minds Eye"" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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