Bill Maher Issues A Wake-Up Call For Your Lazy Friends

[Playinghardball]

We bet you can think of someone who fits this description!!

[ZombieHorde]

1. There is no "derelict of duty" because there is no such thing as duty.

The concept of duty is just made up BS for the purpose of persuasion.

Duty is just Santa Clause for grown ups.

[99th_Monkey]

2. How about "responsibility" or "obligation"?

or are those BS notions in your universe as well?

[ZombieHorde]

3. Yes, those are BS in my universe as well. If we are going to be honest, we should just call them

"expectations." People have expectations for other people's behavior, and call those expectations "duty," "responsibility," "obligation," and so forth.

People may or may not live up your or my expectations, but no one actually "lives up to their responsibility" or "fails to do their duty."

Those labels are just persuasive rhetorical devices.

[99th_Monkey]

4. interesting point of view. ~nt

[ZombieHorde]

17. I took a philosophy class in college, and my professor fucking hated me.

Last edited Thu Apr 26, 2012, 02:41 AM - Edit history (1)

He was really into Kant, and my arguments against Kant's philosophy made him turn red. Kant was really into duty.

After a few weeks into the class, he stopped debating me, and would just tell me I was wrong instead. I thought this was pretty funny.

I still enjoyed the class, but I decided I probably shouldn't take any more philosophy classes. My obsession with subjective thought versus objective thought seems to upset some people.

[jerseyjack]

5. I agree.

The concept of duty is bullshit. Put forth in political discourse, it is used in conjunction with patriotism.

Patriotism was introduced and then exploited by Napoleon.

To understand duty and patriotism, read the biography of General Smedley Butler.

[HangOnKids]

10. Quick question, How old are you?

Not as a slam but I would like to know. You sound like someone in their mid to late 20'S but I could be wrong.

[ZombieHorde]

13. I am 37-years-old.

You sound like someone in their mid to late 20'S but I could be wrong.

I look that way too. Most people think I am much younger than I actually am.

[HangOnKids]

18. Thanks

You have a young spirit!

[Sherman A1]

6. Perhaps

Duty is a poor choice of words on his part, however paying attention and understanding just what is going on, then communicating to your elected representatives along with voting oneself, is most likely a pretty good idea.

[DirkGently]

14. Absolutely the point. But I think "duty's" fine.

I don't agree with the suggestion others are making that "duty" in this context would be anything remotely comparable to jingoistic calls to war or blind loyalty or the general subversion of ideas like "patriotism" by American conservatives. There's no glib flag waving in what Maher's saying.

I think Maher's suggestion is simply that if we want some kind of free society, we have to work on that.

[ZombieHorde]

16. I think paying attention and voting is an excellent idea, but that is my standard. nt

[Bandit]

19. So you feel you have no Civic duty/responibility?

You want everything handed to you on a silver platter? There is indeed a civic responsibility and the reason America is in the shape it is, is because there are way too many people that just can't understand that simple concept...

[LanternWaste]

20. The phrase is no more, nor no less concrete or fictional than is politics itself.

The phrase is no more, nor no less concrete or fictional than politics; as both duty and politics exist nowhere but our imaginations (although we do realize that there are indeed physical manifestations of both).

I suppose we could rationalize the reality of the one, while denying the others' existence, or (and just as validly) we could also suppose that Politics is just Santa Claus for grownups.

I imagine we often trivialize the imaginary things others hold dear, while simultaneously holding dear our own imaginary constructs.

[ZombieHorde]

21. I very much agree with your claims about politics.

The political system is imaginary, but yet it manipulates behavior. Religion is the same way.

I imagine we often trivialize the imaginary things others hold dear, while simultaneously holding dear our own imaginary constructs.

Trying to distinguish between subjective thought and objective thought is a big part of my personal philosophy, but my motivation is not to belittle things. My motivation is to understand the world around me the best I can.

To me, just because something is strictly imaginary does not mean it is without personal value, as opposed to inherent value. For example, marriage is imaginary, but I still love being married to my wife.

[Fumesucker]

7. I tried that line the other night with someone who "just doesn't want to know"...

All it does is piss them off, they might miss Dancing With the Stars or General Hospital..

[radarluv]

8. Or they might miss a Zombie horde movie

If you get my drift.

[ZombieHorde]

11. My hands are on my hips, and I am sending you a disapproving look. nt

[baldguy]

9. If they're not going to bother to pay attention, they shouldn't bother to vote.

Instead, they vote for the guy with the best hair, or they guy they'd "like to have a beer with", or they guy who seems to be "jus' plain folks".

And who do we get as a result? This guy:



And a generation ago, we got this guy:




The hair is out of a can. They don't drink beer, and wouldn't drink with you anyway. And their seemingly open, honest & simple presentation is as phony as a $3 bill. But the fools that don't pay attention just eat that ship up.

[treestar]

12. I agree. If they are above it all, why sully their purity by voting?

I had a friend once who boasted of never voting. He thought it made him really cool.

[Honeycombe8]

15. TRUE!!!! He says so many things that Democratic leaders should be saying! nt

[Ninga]

22. Co-existing with human nature is the challenge.

Only 3 to 7 percent of all registered voters actually read in depth about politics, have some knowledge of policy, think about elections and choices well before casting their ballots, and generally care.

The rest. Not so. Their sphere of interest remains tight to their core, and are called the low information voters for a reason.

I am not as interested in changing human nature as I am about messages that have a chance to provoke thought.

In that spirit, Bill Maher's word use of duty will be overlooked by a preponderance of readers...and it is what it is.
Because at the end of the day, IMHO, Maher's message is not negated by the use of the word "duty."

Just sayin'