Re: The best SF novel of all time

On Apr 1, 8:39 am, "Mark K. Bilbo" <gm...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:16:38 -0700 in
> vaq4v3pievhent68i8pfv6h24m38p1p...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 John Schilling
>
>
>
> <schil...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > On Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:55:32 -0500, "Mark K. Bilbo"
<gm...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > wrote:
>
> >>On Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:15:12 -0400 in
> >>65717fF2ecii...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 "Robibnikoff"
> >><witchy...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> >>> "Mark K. Bilbo" <gm...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> >>>news:sjt1c5-lih.ln1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >>>> On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:39:31 -0700 in
> >>>> 9f8ou3t9evofmqtu5gbb073nh782p0a...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Douglas Berry
> >>>> <penguin_...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> >>>>> On  Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:22:57 -0700 Bob Cain
> >>>>> <arc...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> carved the following into the hard
stone
> >>>>> of alt.atheism
>
> >>>>>>Move to California and live any of the many places where the
Mexican
> >>>>>>Indians are taking over.  Won't take you too long to acquire some.
> >>>>>>Experience based intolerance and tribal dislike, however, is not
> >>>>>>quite the same as prejudice.
>
> >>>>>>Come armed.  They are.
>
> >>>>> Grew up in California, pendejo. What "Mexican Inidians"? Most
> >>>>> Latinos are descended from colonists, just like we are.
>
> >>>> I dunno, I'd think the vast majority are mixed but there's pretty
> >>>> obviously heavy Indian blood in the nations to the South.
>
> >>>> Funny, must be guilty consciences that drives some folk to fear
that
> >>>> the Injuns are coming...
>
> >>> Hey, I just found out that I'm 1/16 Native American on my bio dad's
> >>> side.
>
> >>> George's first comment was "Can you get a check from the
government?"
> >>> D'oh! :)
>
> >>Why do people think there are "checks from the government"?
>
> >>Reservations are among the most impoverished places on the planet, not
> >>just the US but EARTH, yet people think there are "checks". Where the
> >>hell does that idea come from?
>
> > Probably from all the checks the government actually does send out to
> > Indians, in some cases for no other reason than that they are members
of
> > a particular Indian tribe.  For example, if there are grazing, timber,
> > or mineral leases on tribal land, those are generally administered by
> > the Federal Government, and each member of the tribe gets a monthly
> > check from the Department of the Interior for his or her share of the
> > revenues.
>
> After theft expenses of course. Or maybe you've not heard of the two
> billion dollar "oopsie"?
>
> > If it baffles you that A: some Indians recieve government checks and
B:
> > some Indian reservations are impoverished, you might want to ponder
the
> > actual meaning of "some", and the difference between "check" and
"check
> > for enough money to lift someone out of poverty forever no matter
what".
>
> No, it's the quite common misconception that "Indian" equals "check".
> That simply is not true. Further, the tribes that have trusts are not
> getting a check "from the government" per se. It's a trust administered
> by the BIA. There's a difference.
>
> > And if you think that any Indian reservation is really among the most
> > impoverished places on EARTH, I'm guessing you really haven't spent
much
> > time outside the US.
>
> Well, maybe it's just the shock of seeing third world conditions smack
in
> the middle of the world's richest nation.

Maybe it's because they insist on being called a "nation".

 But I did say "among", not
> "the".
>
> Then again, I could say the reverse. I find it exceedingly rare to
> encounter a non-Indian USer who actually knows anything about
> reservations ...

Hi, glad to meetcha.

And, to answer an earlier question:
IF: this (the US) nation were conquered and taken completely over, AND
(important criterion) there was NO chance of rebellion, uprising,
throwing the bastards out, etc.
THEN: I would have the choice to sit and whine or join the new
reality.  My choice would be clear -- the new reality.

cheers

oz