Nickname of Afghanistan

The Graveyard of Empires

Click and think.

What We Must Sacrifice.

"Here, have some more of this swiss chocolate. Just the best for my plumpkin."
I broke off a moderately small piece and with feigned gratitude I put it in my mouth.
"Go on. Take everything. I want you to."
"No, thanks, I'm stuffed."
"Oh, just take it. Do you know how much we paid for that? And remember, we're doing it all just because we love you."
I didn't ask for any of it, I thought. Yet, since I was an obedient boy, I suppressed my urge to vomit and ate the rest of it.

My smartphone started ringing. 
"Daddy, would you excuse me, please?"
"There's no need for that, plumpkin. Whatever they want from you is not nearly as important as an evening with family."
However, I was curious. All men desire knowledge, right? At least that's what the hairy old person in my textbook said.
I carefully looked at my phone underneath the table. It felt like I was undertaking a great risk doing so. The screen read:  Missed Call (1): Timmy

Timmy was my best friend. He was the only poor kid on my school. He got a scholarship, because he was smart. A lot of people used to make fun of him, but I liked him. He was nice. I wasn't allowed to visit him, though, because he lived in a neighborhood that wasn't as nice as the one my family lives in. That's why my dad got a cellphone for Timmy. Timmy's parents couldn't afford it and my dad wanted me to be able to keep in touch with my best friend. We used to call a lot. When dad got him this phone, he allowed him to have only one number saved: mine. But why would Timmy call me now? I was very curious.

"Plumpkin, what are you looking at? Rather take a look at this, a documentary about dolphins! It's lovely and very educating. I'm sure you love dolphins."
I hate dolphins. Fuck dolphins.

xxx

Next morning I got up and went to school. Like all the good kids do. 7:53 and I was at my locker. Perfect, just like always. Except Timmy wasn't there. He's always there at 7:53.
He didn't show up in school at all that day.
Only his parents came in the afternoon. They were crying.
I never saw Timmy again.

Small talk is about people.
Academic discussion is about ideas.

For us to ever progress and evolve we need a steady supply of problems.
Solving of petty problems however is nowhere as fulfilling as the mere effort to solve those larger ones.

You could replace the entire subject of American History with...
...Comparative Politics that will teach you the "American" part of it
...and Philosophy that will teach you the "History" part of it

"Why would they behead Charles?! That's mean!!!"
-"He was a particularly creepy looking guy"

Are you civilized?

I was told that Eastern Europe may appear to Americans like the "biggest shithole"
Well, lemme tell y'all "civilized" Americans.
US may appear uncivilized to foreigners as well.
Most of foreign relations are mutual.
There's a strong look-at-those-miserable-capitalists regime in Russia. That made nations disrespect Russia just as much as Russians disrespect other nations.

It's hard to love someone who hates you.
(let me get real deep here: meanwhile most people would agree that aforesaid statement is true, what about: "It's hard to hate someone who loves you."?)

Also, I think, strict patriotic movements tend to conservatively depend on their own uncivilizedness. Global knowledge is almost unlimited. "American" knowledge, or "Czech" knowledge, or "German" knowledge are just pieces of the puzzle. We want the whole puzzle, right?

Also, is something civilized because it's stable?
Some would say the small European countries seem like savages, because the regime changes too often. Traditional countries like USA, where constitution and regime never really changed are way more "civilized".
Or are they? Well, constant changes even though they are potentially very violent, help responding to the most current trends.
Example: It was completely fine for everyone to possess a gun in 17th century. It wasn't even that dangerous; by far not everyone could afford it. However, nowadays, everyone's ability to get a gun  in certain African locations or USA is a major reason for violence. Our civilization simply overgrown the need for everyone to posses an automatic rifle. Whichever country changed since acknowledged that.

I'm gonna end this with a Philosophy textbook quote:
 "For Cosmopolitans diversity is just a fact."

Don't we all?

"I have this strange obsession with god. It's rather silly. I argue with him all the time. Problem is, he doesn't respond. But I'´ll kick his butt."
-Mr. Carson

I just found out that one person was linked to my blog by searching "art that makes you think" in google.

I feel glorious.