Can I ask you two deeply personal questions?

[ThomWV]

I just wonder how people feel about things. Do you fear a coming time of utter financial turmoil, collapse, something so bad that the old monetary and finance systems are gone and something different emerges to take its place? And second question is; with or without reference to religious beliefs do you fear death? Like I said, very personal. I suspect that the thinking of people who self-identify as Democrats on these two questions is much different than that of either closet or overt Republicans.

[SmileyRose]

1. No and No

If the power elite decide to actually blow up the basics of the monetary system if won't be in my lifetime - but I doubt they will. It's in their interest to string us along at the lowest quality of life level that we'll tolerate without revolution.

I am not afraid of dying but I am not in a hurry. I am afraid of having a long period of dependence before I go.

[BeFree]

2. Sure

1st. The changes are already happening.

2nd. If you fear death, like I do, it means you really do want to live.
Death means you are no longer alive and can't post on DU, and who wants that?

[SheilaT]

3. To the first:

No. I've read far too many prophecies of gloom and doom to take that kind of scenario seriously. I also read lots of science fiction, much of which concerns itself with such scenarios. Yes, we are in for hard times, and this country is well on the downward slope of its power and influence. It will be made worse if we continue our ludicrous military policies, but I don't see the kind of total collapse you mention.

As for the second, I don't fear death. In my case, my beliefs about survival after death are very much why I don't fear it.

[Marrah_G]

4. Yes and No

[BOHICA12]

5. No .... and No

No ... I figure if it gets too far gone, we hit the reset button, do the big default, and start farming the medians.

No ... I fear sucking the life out of my family with a lingering illness.

[itsallhappening]

6. The first is already underway, in some respects. Members of both parties

and the fat cats on Wall St. along with big corporations get us divided over social issues to the point we're yelling at each other over abortion and gay marriage...meanwhile members of both political parties and the corporate and Wall St. fat cats are running away with the money.

It's been going on for a while. Now is no different.

[RagAss]

7. Fear death?

Life is a temporary interruption of Bliss.

[Blue_In_AK]

28. I like that.

I'm agnostic on the whole life after death thing, but it would be great if you're right. :)

[RagAss]

59. I'm an atheist.

It is the absence of life which is the bliss I refer to.

[Blue_In_AK]

64. I get what you're saying

and I certainly understand the sentiment, but doesn't bliss infer something or someone to experience said bliss?

I figured you for a Buddhist, actually, given your comment.

[RagAss]

77. Yes...good guess.

Eliminate the "self" in the equation. Bliss does not require an imaginary entity to experience it. Only an ego sees it that way.

peace my friend.

[sad sally]

34. Once the Earth turns tens of thousands of time, all of this -

all of today - justs gets wiped away, like cleaning a blackboard.

[socialshockwave]

8. No and Kind of

I don't fear the collapse of the finanical markets.

But I do kind of fear death; Not in the stupid way, but in a way that I hope I'm worthy enough as a good person to stand before the Almighty and be judged a good man.

[Lucian]

9. To the first question: no.

I don't fear that. I would like to see the bartering system come back myself. :P

To the second question, absolutely do I fear death. I consider myself a Secular Humanist, and to me, death is final. There is nothing after that. What we have here on Earth is it. This isn't a test. This isn't a game. There is no Heaven. That was invented to take away the fear of death. We have to make the best of what we've got while we're here. We only have once chance to get things right.

[dkf]

10. Kind of and no.

I'm worried that it will be a bad situation and that we will have gotten ourselves in too deep a hole to keep the comforts of life we know, but we will still be stuck with the same system. It's going to be too bad to save everyone and it will be a case of being unhappy or being unbearably miserable.

As to death, I fear pain more than death. If it's that bad I would rather be put out of my misery.

[Ineeda]

11. No and no, but

although I don't fear death, I do fear the process. Like all of us, I'm sure, I hope to have a sudden and painless death.

[MichiganVote]

12. I lament them both-when or if they occur

[kiranon]

13. Yes and no.

[piratefish08]

14. 1. the economy is probably forever fucked.

2. i expect to find the next 14 billion years to be every bit as peaceful as the last 14 billion....... nothing to fear there.

is there an extra credit question?

[muffin1]

15. Yes and yes.

I think this country is headed down the drain faster than we think.

And after turning fifty this year, I find myself thinking about death quite a bit. And I fear what will happen if hubby dies first. We've been together for twenty years, and while we're more 'friends' now than romantic partners - well, I just can't even imagine.

Goodness. Time for bed.

[louslobbs]

16. I think we're already in the midst of the first if we don't vote corporate Republicans out of power

and the answer to your second question is no.
Lou

[holdencaufield]

17. No and No...

I've made adequate preparations for both eventualities.

[handmade34]

18. No fear.

...just have to get that farming collective together soon

...since a serious motorcycle accident almost 20 years ago, I have no fear of death - and I learned that the body and mind takes care of the intense pain for us... no worries

[FarLeftFist]

19. Yes and No.

[Newest Reality]

20. Sure you can ask!

It looks like we are in for a massive amount of change that will accelerate. That's the generic point. While change and potentially disruptive chaos can be frightening for very good reasons, I do find it uncomfortable since stability and security seem to be important issues. If this system continues to function while becoming progressively Fascist and controlling, then I could find comfort in the potential for alternatives so that we can live more in balance and connected to our home planet.

I did find that I had much less fear about it the more I became aware of what is happening and why. When you are not in denial and are able to open your eyes and peer into the monolithic face of the beast, you then find something more akin to courage. Trying to live in the current simulation based on the old paradigm -- currently being regurgitated and propped-up by media, politics, etc. -- is really a way to set yourself up for confusion and ultimate shocks.

As for death, well the idea of dying seems to naturally evoke a fear of doing it, and being dead, well that is another matter. I am only fearful of death on alternate days, but laugh at myself for anticipating the inevitability of it by frightening myself. If death is a finality for my consciousness/awareness/identity then it cannot be a problem at that point and, in that sense the Universe was born with me and will die with me; my whole life will be nothing since ceasing to exist is not a black box or even nothing when there is nobody to have any kind of experience whatsoever.

Even if there is something after this ride, (I can be agnostic about it at times) I'm not so sure I want to have "more" experience and go on and on. When you extrapolate on immortality, how many hundreds, or thousands, or billions of years would it take for you to tire, or even get sick of being you and having experiences as a separate entity. Would the hunger for more ever cease?

A wise dude once said, "All that dies is that which does not want to die." It makes sense to me.

[bluestate10]

21. Financial change is a zero sum event.

For every loser, there is one winner. What I want is to have the winners being people that have a robust humane spirit running through their core and will help others. I don't fear death. Why should I? When I was born the day would come when I die. All I want is a quiet passage, no funeral or memorial, burn me and toss my ashes wherever they can be tossed.

[Art_from_Ark]

40. That might be how it is in sports

but in the world of finance, you can have one or a few winners and LOTS of losers.

[dixiegrrrrl]

22. No fear to both questions.

1. financial turmoil is coming, have no idea how bad it will be,
have some idea of how bad it can get,
but I also know that Mr. dixie and I have good survival skills.
and we have the option of deciding how much we want to put up with as things progress.
We have, for several years, positioned ourselves the best we know how for worse case scenario.

2. I have many fewer years ahead of me than behind me, the thought of death becomes more frequent.
The idea is at times sad, it has been an interesting journey on this level, I have no fear, sometimes I have resentment about knowing death will come.
My comfort is my deep knowing that there is another level of "being " besides the one we hold in common "here".
My concern is more for the people I love who I will be leaving behind.

[tammywammy]

23. No and no n/t

[joshcryer]

24. No and no.

Capitalism is still going on quite strong particularly as populism attracts a new neoliberal variant where supposed populist candidates raze forests in the name of freedom, etc.

[Blue_In_AK]

25. I've thought about the financial collapse scenario.

That's why I never feel too comfortable, even though we've got a little IRA stash (not much). I fully expect that it could be snatched away at any time (just like my social security), but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. But as for death, no, I don't fear it. A lot of people have died around me in my life since a very early age, so I just kind of accept that it happens. I kind of subscribe to the Jimi Hendrix philosophy: "I'm the one that has to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life, the way I want to."

[glinda]

26. yes on both

[Lyric]

27. I think that everyone fears death, wther they admit it or not.

As for me, I no longer give a damn about myself. I will do what I have to do for my son's benefit. My own best interests don't matter so much anymore.

~B

[taught_me_patience]

29. No and yes

Financially, I'll be fine.

I fear death more than anything in the world. I fear my last thought before death will be one of regret. I am agnostic.

[rug]

30. .

1. :wow:

2. :hide:

[scarletwoman]

31. Of course you "can" ask - you have the ability, as evidenced by the fact that you have done so.

If you are asking permission the proper construct would be: "MAY I ask, etc..."

And you may ask your questions, as you have done - however, how many are willing to answer the questions in your OP is another matter altogether. Permission to ask a question is not at issue. What you are actually after is a response. Therefore the question in your OP would be more accurately framed as: "Are you willing to respond to these questions?"

Grammar lesson out of the way, here are my responses:

"Do you fear a coming time of utter financial turmoil, collapse, something so bad that the old monetary and finance systems are gone and something different emerges to take its place?"

Answer: Such a thing may or may not happen. The financial powers will bring all they have to bear to prevent such a collapse. If their efforts fail, then those who have been quietly building alternative systems of community-based economic models could possibly manage the shift with minimal damage.

The rest, perhaps not so much at first, but they might be able to learn how to shift into a different paradigm that will at least support bare survival. The will to live is extremely strong in all animals, including humans. We do not actually need banks and money to live, we simply need food, water, and shelter. Cooperative effort is the key.

Of course, if cooperative effort is not exerted, then we'll end up with a Road Warrior world. But I'm fairly certain I'll be dead by the time it comes to that. I'll have done my bit to uphold the side of Light, that's all any of us can do.

"...do you fear death?" No. It seems exceedingly silly to fear something that's inevitable. Far better to accept that death is where all living beings are headed toward and enjoy the journey as much as you can along the way.

sw

[boppers]

49. Thank you, fellow pedant. eom

[jtuck004]

32. Don't fear the first. It will happen, and although I think we are the main course on a slow-

cooking Wall Street BBQ, I don't think they have enough skill to string us along forever. They will screw up, or something will happen that was either ignored or wasn't seen because of greed or ignorance and a global set of interrelated pieces will fall in an avalanche. May not be as bad as people suggest, but in comparison to our old life it may seem miserable. We will survive, I suspect. Wouldn't be the first time I didn't have anything.

No to the second. I may enjoy returning to the energy pool, though I would prefer it happen later rather than sooner.

[wickerwoman]

33. Yes and no.

I don't exactly fear coming financial turmoil, but I think in the face of climate change and peak oil that capitalism-as-we-know-it's days are numbered. We simply can't continue with a model based on infinite growth and cheap energy in a world where nature is clearly asserting the limitations of both. But I think that people are capable of adapting. We can live on a lot less than what we do at present and its mostly a question of organising ourselves better in terms of where we live and how we consume. I don't think that's going to happen without a few hiccups, but I don't think we're facing a Mad Max type scenario at least in the developed world.

And I don't fear death. Like the man said, "I didn't exist for millenia before I was born and it wasn't that bad".

[demwing]

35. I fear the economy of the near future

but I firmly believe that God, the Universe, Nature, Gaia, or just "Time" has a bias toward love and liberty.

I just know that I may not be around to see it all, which isn't bad, but I fear for my children's sake.

On the other hand, I am so unafraid of death, I am nearly excited by the prospect. It is the one great adventure, the ultimate mystery, and I can't wait to see whats on the other side of the door.

[DeSwiss]

36. With respect to.....

...the first part of your query, my answer is no. While I don't so much look forward to the societal turmoil it will wrought, such is part of life. Storms can be terrifying, but they are also a necessary component to any natural system's ability to thrive. The dead, weakened and useless must be torn away and recycled. And it has always been thus. Strangely, for some reason when we think of Nature, we speak about it as if we're outside of it instead of being a part of it.

With respect to the second part of your query, again my answer is no. I've actually had some experience with this, so it from this vantage point that I speak. What I now know is that there is no death, only transitions to other forms of consciousness. Energy is never destroyed, only manifested into other forms.


- I look forward to my own transition, because I've outgrown these present digs. And I've grown weary and so tired of watching the barbarians sully, trash and destroy this beautiful planet......

[emilyg]

37. yes and yes

[cherokeeprogressive]

38. No and Yes.

[kestrel91316]

39. No and no. I don't fear an end to our monetary system. I fear a continuation

of the system that values corporations far above actual humans, and corporate profiteering above the "general welfare".

And I don't "fear" death - I simply want it to hold off a long time because I have a lot of living yet to do, and when it comes, I want the dying to be painless.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

41. I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born........

"I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it." Mark Twain

[MilesColtrane]

42. I don't fear the collapse of the present system.

Not because it may not happen, but because there is nothing I can personally do to prevent it from happening.

It's kind of like getting on an airplane for a trip somewhere. You just have to take a deep breath and tell yourself that you are not in control of whether the plane goes up or down while in the air, so you may as well enjoy it and not make yourself miserable thinking about anything horrible that could happen.



As for death, I do fear it, but only because I can't imagine it. The closest the human ego can get is for it to imagine being asleep forever without dreaming, or being in a dark void forever.

This, of course, is silly because without a functioning brain there will be no sensory input of ANY kind. It won't be like being buried underground forever, fearful and isolated.

It will simply be...nothing.

Unless there is some kind of a spiritual afterlife, in which case I will be pleasantly surprised.

[Crunchy Frog]

43. Yes and yes. n/t

[Mojorabbit]

44. Yes and No

I think we are in for a huge collapse. I have also positioned myself to be as prepared as possible. I would not worry about it much if I were younger and more able but I am older and have a disability so feel a bit vulnerable.
I also worry if things get bad enough that a smooth talking fascist might end up in charge.

I am not in any hurry to cross over but accept it as part of the journey. I really feel no fear of death at this particular time in my life.

[Kennah]

45. Yes and No

We're already seeing things unwind, and I don't believe we are yet anywhere near the bottom. We have a lot further to fall.

I have some fear over the pain I might suffer in death, but not death itself.

I am First Kennah, and I am dead. As of this moment, we are all dead. We go into battle to reclaim our lives. This we do gladly, for we are Progressives. Remember: victory is life.

[ohheckyeah]

46. No and yes.

I think this whole dying gig stuff sucks.

[Raine]

47. No and Yes

I'll be OK financially but I don't want to die, I like being alive. The thought of dying is horrifying to me. :scared:

[boppers]

48. No and No.

Fear, however, plays a strong role in political identity.

[shanti]

50. no

to both. not going to worry about something i have no control over.

[Arthur3284]

51. I'd like it if the financial and monetary systems were cleaned up.

Wall street and their cronies in government robbed us all and are still in power. I don't carry any great fear of death around with me but if it were about to happen I assume my survival instincts would kick in and I'd be afraid.

[Zookeeper]

52. I don't think we'll have a total financial meltdown, I think most...

of us in the U.S. could end up like frogs in a pot of water slowly heating to the boiling point. By the time it's unbearable for the poor and former middle-class, the corporatists, oligarchs and fascists will be firmly in power. I suppose we'll revolt or die.

As far as death: Since I've reached middle-age, I think often of how much time I have left. I'm not exactly afraid of death, but I am antsy about all of the things I still want to experience, learn, create and BE. I'd like to live 50 more years, provided I remain reasonably healthy.

[nadinbrzezinski]

53. Very personal answer

Bad times are comming. Really bad times that may include the kind of unrest we have not seen in a lifetime or two...

Death, no I dom't fear it.

[Cerridwen]

54. The financial turmoil has, and continues to, occur in some segments of US

society. The fact that you question such leads me to believe you are in a financially secure (for the moment) position.

Homeless people in the US are already working through the collapse.

Those unemployed in poverty are scrapping by, "by the skin of their teeth," if they have any teeth left.

Those who are employed and in poverty, are also, barely scrapping by.

Congratulations to those who are not yet there. You are truly "brilliant," "sophisticated," and your breath is minty fresh.

My most dreaded fear with regard to death is that I die before my animals. I have no children so should I become disease-ridden and in excruciating pain, I'll just have to deal...or make a decision.

My #2 dreaded fear is that those closest to me die before me. Living with their deaths is some of the most painful emotions I've experienced.

[saras]

55. It's hard to tell, and no.

Whether some particular part of the collapsing empire will smash my toes, or crush me flat like a cartoon - it's a fear where the odds are largely unknown, so it's fairly arbitrary how much fear it's "worth". It varies between "What? Me worry? Not with a guitar." and "Listen, asshole, the fucking SKY is FALLING. I don't CARE if a chicken said it first." in a Brownian motion drunkard's walk.

But death? Fearing death is like fearing sex. It's perfectly normal if you aren't ready for it yet, or if you've been abused, but it's an abnormal sort of normal.

Near-death experiences have convinced me that, if I'm going to just disappear after death, then I'm not going to know it. I'm going to think I've got something a lot better coming.

[Caliman73]

56. Not really and not really

I think that we are in for a prolonged financial crisis, but like the Depression, there will come a time when enough people are affected that the system will have to attend to them. I actually find that somewhat more depressing than upheaval and reinvention. As far as death, the only thing I fear about it is that I would not bee around to help my children or wife out. I certainly would not do things to bring about an early demise, but I do not fear flying or heights or other dangers because I might die.

[LeftishBrit]

57. The first - no, but I do fear something like the Great Depression

As for the second, to quote Woody Allen: 'I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to be there when it happens.'

[steve2470]

58. first, thanks for a good thread

I fear we are headed for the second official Great Depression. How deep and painful it gets, no one knows. If Obama loses in 2012, the Republicans damn sure won't cure the economy. If we get into GD II, we will either devolve further into our version of fascism or, I hope, strengthen the social safety net even more.

Death ? I hope the end comes quickly and relatively painlessly when it does and that my son and family are not burdened. Yes, I'm afraid of it a bit but hopefully my spiritual beliefs have some validity. If not, oh well, I'll be dead :)

[Wait Wut]

60. No and no.

And, I don't think those are "deeply" personal questions. I've had those discussions with passing acquaintances.

[Broderick]

61. I think I am already dead

and live in hell.

Just saying.

[TBF]

62. Financial turmoil - yes, Fear death - no and I would call myself agnostic

nt

[DerekG]

63. "No" to the second query

I'd eat a bullet if things ever got dire.

No kids = freedom

[Stinky The Clown]

65. Man, you sound as cheery and upbeat as I often do.

I don't fear death, though. I might fear dying painfully, but the actual dying doesn't scare me at all.

To your other question, I think we're financially fucked. I blame the whole fucking system.

[JuniperLea]

66. No and No... I only fear the fear...

And you can take that to the bank.

Ramping up the fear factor, enraging the masses... all is scary shit.

What did the Pubbies say to this, do you know?

[hifiguy]

67. Yes and no, respectively

I am a structural Marxist and an atheist, which probably explains my answers.

[RebelOne]

68. No to both questions. n/t

[bluedigger]

69. Those are interesting questions!

For the first, no, I welcome a change away from our current economic system, as it appears to be leading us to catastrophic failure regardless. It would be nice to have a smooth and easy transition to a sustainable economy, but history argues against it.

And no, I don't fear death. It comes to us all. I do fear a painful death, but I don't dwell on it, as there is no point worrying about what we cannot control.

[FromMadera]

70. No & No n/t

[MorningGlow]

71. No and yes BUT

regarding the death thing--I just don't want to go too soon. I have a child to raise, and I'd hate to leave him to grow up without me. Of course, that could be completely selfish and myopic on my part. I do realize (in my belief system) that once I get to the Other Side I'll have better perspective on the whole thing. But it's my lizard brain that fears departing when I still have stuff to do. Once I'm an old lady, I'll look forward to going. I hear it's a lot of fun Over There. :)

[Creideiki]

72. Expect it and expect it

Still, I don't think I'm anxious to get to experience either any time soon. I think both are inevitable, though. Definitely the former.

[BlueIris]

73. Yes and no.

I know a long and painful depression and economic reorganization is inevitable. And I have not feared death since I was six years old.

[a la izquierda]

74. No and No.

The first thing has happened many times over and human civilization does not cease to exist. It adapts. Thank god I'm a historian. It gives me peace (believe it or not) in times like this.
And as to the second point, no. A poem I read in high school always makes me feel better when I become fearful. I'll post an excerpt (the poem is rather long):

Thanatopsis- William Cullen Bryant

...Yet not to thine eternal resting-place
Shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish
Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down
With patriarchs of the infant world--with kings,
The powerful of the earth--the wise, the good,
Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past,
All in one mighty sepulchre. The hills
Rock-ribb'd and ancient as the sun,--the vales
Stretching in pensive quietness between;
The venerable woods; rivers that move
In majesty, and the complaining brooks
That make the meadows green; and, pour'd round all,
Old Ocean's grey and melancholy waste,--
Are but the solemn decorations all
Of the great tomb of man. The golden sun,
The planets, all the infinite host of heaven,
Are shining on the sad abodes of death,
Through the still lapse of ages. All that tread
The globe are but a handful to the tribes
That slumber in its bosom...

[TheKentuckian]

75. 1. Not at this time but it does make me a mushroom cloud laying mofo

since the whole deal is not only avoidable but we probably are within a few generations of not having to worry about it at all, if the vampire class wasn't so hell bent on being the vampire class.

And

2. No. "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter".

[LWolf]

76. Okay.

I feel a rapid increase in devolution. I feel the forces of greed, intolerance, and fear gaining ground, and I feel hope dying.

For our species, for those we take down with us, for our planet while this era is ascendant. It's not just financial. That's a symptom, not the root source. I don't know if that equates to "fear," but that's what I feel.

I don't think it will last forever, but I no longer expect to be alive when what is left of humanity finally moves forward into something new and better.

I don't fear my own death.

[madokie]

78. I think they'll fix the problem with the money rather than make a big change

not this crew in congress mind you but I think cooler heads with be in charge again after the election. On the death part, I'm a non-believer in all things god and I'm not afraid of dying. I know I have to someday so why worry with it.

[scheming daemons]

79. No and Yes.

The economy will recover.


Yes... I fear death. I know we only have one go-around and then we cease to exist. There is no heaven, hell, or god. You're just worm-food when you die. So I want to live as long as possible.

[Shagbark Hickory]

80. Hell no and fuck no.

[Douglas Carpenter]

81. if a major catastrophic war in the Persian Gulf region should occur - it would be probable

that a total economic collapse would result. Baring that - our economic living standard is more apt to simply sputter on with a gradual but relentless decline.

I doubt that there is anyone who does not have at least some fear of death. Fear of death is a major force in keeping us all alive. Then again, the knowledge that in the end we all must die is part of what makes all trials and tribulations bearable. Death establishes a limit on how bad anything can get.

"Now I lay me down to sleep. I prayer dear Lord my soul you'll keep. If I die before I wake...feed Jake..he's been a good dog."

[mdmc]

82. no and no

[Auntie Bush]

83. No and kind of....I fear Alzheimers, cancer, pain, nursing homes...then death would be a pleasure.

[Vidar]

84. Yes and no.