The corporate interests were in power before Bush and will stay in power after him. The illusion that a new set of puppets will change things is childish.
"I had a whole set of strange-looking pliers of different lengths and weird angles with curved padded jaws for just this purpose in my tool box, along with small hand-held extend-able flexible-tubing-mounted inspection mirrors and flashlights with the head on flexible tubing as well."
You certainly worked Avionics. I won't tell anyone about the Vise-Grips and Channellocks in the other drawer...
(Note to readers: invent connector pliers that have both padded jaws and actual traction and the world will beat a path to your door.)
One workaround is for technically civilian agencies like police and so forth to use them instead. Another is to classify an operation as "other than war".
Treaties are amusing, but there is no logical reason not to use non-lethal agents in fighting, so I agree with working around rules like the above. If its fine and dandy to kill and maim someone, it is logically fine and dandy to use non-lethals to lessen the level of violence.
"his signature is all over the documents authorising the cover up of child-raping priests. he would be in jail if not for the diplomatic immunity he has as head of state for Vatican City."
"Of course atheism is a religion, it is a system of belief about the supernatural nature (or lack there of) of this universe."
Atheism in my case is simply the absence of theism. I don't have any "belief' about the universe, though I agree with asking questions about how it works.
That professed atheists often advocate alternative belief systems does not mean that any of these constitute atheism.
"It's the null religion. Do you believe that zero is not a number? Or perhaps that a null pointer isn't a pointer at all?"
That implies a "religion metric". I don't define my non-religion in religious terms any more than I would define my beliefs in terms of all the other possible beliefs I do not share.
"He was drafted into the army by a fascist state. Not something he had any choice over or should be blamed for." Plenty of Germans, including youth, resisted the Nazis and were killed for it. Coerced choice is still choice, especially for one whose religion is supposedly central to their life. If Ratzinger had a crisis of conscience it is not indicated by any action at the time.
It can be very reasonably argued that there wasn't much conflict between Fascism and the Catholic Church. It did not excommunicate Fascists, and after WWII was over the Vatican helped rescue Fascists from prosecution.
"It just means your are an ignorant bigot... in both cases."
Race is not ideology.
It is perfectly OK to mock secular political beliefs, so why should religious belief get a pass? The earnest emotional attachment of believers is not a reason to defer to their belief.
It is OK to mock cults (religions without political power) so why should religions with a broader base be exempt? If I mocked Peoples Temple. Heavens Gate, or the Branch Davidians I'd not hear a peep of objection.
"I'm sorry, but questions like "where did we come from," "why are we here," and "what is my moral duty to others" are important questions that have been part of rational discussion for literally thousands of years."
To religious believers, these questions are answered and the only task left is to destroy opposing thought. It took hundreds of years of violent and non-violent resistance to pry the fingers of these superstitious loons off the throat of European civilization.
The idea that generational die-off will lead to more "freedom" is questionable. Every generation brings with it replacement "rabbit people" who want to restrict all sorts of things that frighten them.
People often feel that way about any process affecting governmental decision making.
As an NRA member I'm fine with using PACs. The video game and especially the computer industry should IMO be far more aggressive politically. If you want results, do what gets those results.
"All of us self-respecting geeks realized, years ago, that it was far cheaper," Maybe on the electric bill, but next to my welding gear whatever my PCs draw is trivial. "easier," Setting up a m0n0wall box from free leftovers was easier than buying and flashing a Linksys, and if my ghetto router poots I can fix it free from my spare parts box. It has been running 24/7 since 2000 with no problems (and the Asus P55T2P4 mobo/Magitronic case/PSU are years older). "and better to run OpenWRT/DD-WRT/Alchemy on a WRT54G from Wal-Mart, than to maintain yet-another-fucking-PC at home." Maintain? I blew the dust out a couple of years ago. Passive CPU heatsink and low power draw lets me ignore it. I could probably disconnect the PSU fan, but that's too much like work.
"Why do we keep penalizing those individuals who have the fortitude to stand up and point out security issues, and then let those responsible for said flaws get away clean? "
In order to teach whistleblowers that the best way to point out security issues is to post the 'sploit anonymously and watch the enemy agency get hammered. It is obvious that these government agencies resent attempts to "help" them and will attack those who try. Stop Trying.
A school does not belong to the students nor an employer to the employees. It's a business arrangement. Just as I wouldn't give a damn what happened to an employer I wouldn't care if a school screwed up. I owe zero loyalty to either. I'm free to vote with my feet and leave, but throwing rocks at the management while still depending on them for something isn't good strategy.
"the logic of paying contractor truck drivers 120k per year to drive truck in Iraq when a regular soldier makes about 1/6th of that. But that's another tale."
A wage comparison isn't a valid metric.
Soldier wages are just part of the overall soldier cost, which includes training, medical care, housing or housing allowance if living off-post, educational benefits, retirement pay, disability pay, etc.
Contract workers OTOH can be cut loose after hostilities cease.
Another reason is that no consumer-level hardware is going to be reliable enough to go driverless. Cars are built to compete in the battle of features, not the battle of system reliability. Even with MilSpec hardware, there is no way to ensure Joe Dumbshite will care for it properly.
They are still transport aircraft (AC-130 gunship excepted), and civil versions (L-100, etc) have been in use for many years. C-130s are comparable in size and features to many other civil aircraft, so a MANPAD system that can bag them (BTW, 130s are tough airframes) can certainly take out other transports.
"So if we legitimately have to shoot down an hijacked airliner as we should have in September 2001, we won't be able to shoot an AIM-9 at it, we'll have to get close enough in order to shoot it down with the fighter's gun?"
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You can download an eComstation live CD for free:
http://www.ecomstation.com/democd/
The corporate interests were in power before Bush and will stay in power after him. The illusion that a new set of puppets will change things is childish.
"It'll never happen though."
A guy who tells the truth, or anyone voting for him?
USAF "Buddy Care" basic First Aid training is basically that, and it has saved its share of lives.
"I had a whole set of strange-looking pliers of different lengths and weird angles with curved padded jaws for just this purpose in my tool box, along with small hand-held extend-able flexible-tubing-mounted inspection mirrors and flashlights with the head on flexible tubing as well."
You certainly worked Avionics. I won't tell anyone about the Vise-Grips and Channellocks in the other drawer...
(Note to readers: invent connector pliers that have both padded jaws and actual traction and the world will beat a path to your door.)
One workaround is for technically civilian agencies like police and so forth to use them instead. Another is to classify an operation as "other than war".
:)
Treaties are amusing, but there is no logical reason not to use non-lethal agents in fighting, so I agree with working around rules like the above. If its fine and dandy to kill and maim someone, it is logically fine and dandy to use non-lethals to lessen the level of violence.
UN forces using tear gas:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=10768&Cr=liberia&Cr1=
I doubt we'll see anyone prosecuted for using non-lethals instead of firing into a crowd.
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/4/3/214326.shtml
Non-lethals like tear gas are considered harassing agents and the US has not signed any agreement banning them.
Some countries do consider tear gas a chemical weapon, but there is IMO no logical reason for the US to give up a non-lethal riot control agent.
"his signature is all over the documents authorising the cover up of child-raping priests. he would be in jail if not for the diplomatic immunity he has as head of state for Vatican City."
Links please?
"Of course atheism is a religion, it is a system of belief about the supernatural nature (or lack there of) of this universe."
Atheism in my case is simply the absence of theism. I don't have any "belief' about the universe, though I agree with asking questions about how it works.
That professed atheists often advocate alternative belief systems does not mean that any of these constitute atheism.
"It's the null religion. Do you believe that zero is not a number? Or perhaps that a null pointer isn't a pointer at all?"
That implies a "religion metric". I don't define my non-religion in religious terms any more than I would define my beliefs in terms of all the other possible beliefs I do not share.
"He was drafted into the army by a fascist state. Not something he had any choice over or should be blamed for."
Plenty of Germans, including youth, resisted the Nazis and were killed for it. Coerced choice is still choice, especially for one whose religion is supposedly central to their life. If Ratzinger had a crisis of conscience it is not indicated by any action at the time.
It can be very reasonably argued that there wasn't much conflict between Fascism and the Catholic Church. It did not excommunicate Fascists, and after WWII was over the Vatican helped rescue Fascists from prosecution.
Google "vatican ratlines" for more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratlines_(history)#The_Roman_ratlines
"It just means your are an ignorant bigot... in both cases."
Race is not ideology.
It is perfectly OK to mock secular political beliefs, so why should religious belief get a pass?
The earnest emotional attachment of believers is not a reason to defer to their belief.
It is OK to mock cults (religions without political power) so why should religions with a broader base be exempt? If I mocked Peoples Temple. Heavens Gate, or the Branch Davidians I'd not hear a peep of objection.
"I'm sorry, but questions like "where did we come from," "why are we here," and "what is my moral duty to others" are important questions that have been part of rational discussion for literally thousands of years."
To religious believers, these questions are answered and the only task left is to destroy opposing thought. It took hundreds of years of violent and non-violent resistance to pry the fingers of these superstitious loons off the throat of European civilization.
"HAHA! We're coming for you obsolete clowns."
The idea that generational die-off will lead to more "freedom" is questionable. Every generation brings with it replacement "rabbit people" who want to restrict all sorts of things that frighten them.
People often feel that way about any process affecting governmental decision making.
As an NRA member I'm fine with using PACs. The video game and especially the computer industry should IMO be far more aggressive politically.
If you want results, do what gets those results.
"have cloned meat than meat pumped full of growth hormones."
The two are not mutually exclusive.
"All of us self-respecting geeks realized, years ago, that it was far cheaper,"
Maybe on the electric bill, but next to my welding gear whatever my PCs draw is trivial.
"easier,"
Setting up a m0n0wall box from free leftovers was easier than buying and flashing a Linksys, and if my ghetto router poots I can fix it free from my spare parts box. It has been running 24/7 since 2000 with no problems (and the Asus P55T2P4 mobo/Magitronic case/PSU are years older).
"and better to run OpenWRT/DD-WRT/Alchemy on a WRT54G from Wal-Mart, than to maintain yet-another-fucking-PC at home."
Maintain? I blew the dust out a couple of years ago. Passive CPU heatsink and low power draw lets me ignore it. I could probably disconnect the PSU fan, but that's too much like work.
"Why do we keep penalizing those individuals who have the fortitude to stand up and point out security issues, and then let those responsible for said flaws get away clean? "
In order to teach whistleblowers that the best way to point out security issues is to post the 'sploit anonymously and watch the enemy agency get hammered. It is obvious that these government agencies resent attempts to "help" them and will attack those who try. Stop Trying.
A school does not belong to the students nor an employer to the employees. It's a business arrangement.
Just as I wouldn't give a damn what happened to an employer I wouldn't care if a school screwed up. I owe zero loyalty to either. I'm free to vote with my feet and leave, but throwing rocks at the management while still depending on them for something isn't good strategy.
"the logic of paying contractor truck drivers 120k per year to drive truck in Iraq when a regular soldier makes about 1/6th of that. But that's another tale."
A wage comparison isn't a valid metric.
Soldier wages are just part of the overall soldier cost, which includes training, medical care, housing or housing allowance if living off-post, educational benefits, retirement pay, disability pay, etc.
Contract workers OTOH can be cut loose after hostilities cease.
C. You can store your data elsewhere, protecting it from notebook theft as well as from the authorities.
Another reason is that no consumer-level hardware is going to be reliable enough to go driverless.
Cars are built to compete in the battle of features, not the battle of system reliability. Even with MilSpec hardware, there is no way to ensure Joe Dumbshite will care for it properly.
They are still transport aircraft (AC-130 gunship excepted), and civil versions (L-100, etc) have been in use for many years. C-130s are comparable in size and features to many other civil aircraft, so a MANPAD system that can bag them (BTW, 130s are tough airframes) can certainly take out other transports.
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraftsearch=Lockheed%20L-100-30%20Hercules%20(L-382G)&distinct_entry=true
"So if we legitimately have to shoot down an hijacked airliner as we should have in September 2001, we won't be able to shoot an AIM-9 at it, we'll have to get close enough in order to shoot it down with the fighter's gun?"
AMRAAMs aren't IR and have longer range tham AIM-9s.
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/aim-120.htm
If the AMRAAMs for some SMS reason wouldn't fire, attacking aircraft could also shoot 9s from above.
Those parachutes would cost more to transport over the aircraft life-cycle. The airlines would nix that pronto.
Smaller transport aircraft have been downed in Iraq (three C-130s), and a civilian DHL transport was hit but not destroyed.
Pod-mounted engines helped buy some time:
http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/DHL_SAM_attack1.aspx