"Drug cartels, insurgants in Iraq, they exist due to the lack of government power. You really believe that when you remove that power that all will be fine?"
Well, we have a dilemma then don't we. Everything has a cause and effect going back for eternity, so that there is no way to get people to leave each other alone (leave me alone and I'll leave you alone-rule). In the case of Iraq insurgents (Many, if not most, not actually from Iraq), they'll say that we messed with them first, to which we'll reply that Saddam invaded Kuwait and on and on backwards. Same with any other "conflict"
And there is nothing wrong with government power as long as it doesn't become an end unto itself, as it currently is. We do need some level of societal governance, to the extent that it must exist, it should be limited.
At some point, we must defeat all those that oppose the governance of the people, by the people. The group doesn't have the right to restrict personal freedom for the sake of the group. However the personal freedom we have, stops at our own arms length. My personal freedom doesn't mean I can punch the next guy; the moment personal liberty ends is the moment it starts affecting others.
I may have the freedom of speech and religion, but that doesn't give me the right to make you listen or believe as I do. The case of Islamofacists is such that they want to force everyone, world wide into their particular view of things.
My particular views also affect things such as environmentalist. Society has a right to stop a person from polluting the stream and ruining it for those that live downsriver, because while they have the right to do whatever they want, the moment it affects others, the others have the right to restrict those very actions, to the extent that it affects them.
"Drug cartels, insurgants in Iraq, they exist due to the lack of government power."
Actually that is the long lasting result of not applying rules of freedom and responsibility earlier. Drug cartels are there because the government seeks to restrict people acting freely, in the vain attempt of trying to protect people pro actively. If drugs were legal, and we left people to destroy their own lives, everything would be fine, no need for drug cartels, and people violently defending their livelyhood.
"Since this is not an exclusive choice between cars and guns, your comment is pretty non-sensical."
Not really. The result of improper use of a gun and the improper use of Ted Kennedy's car is the same. Saying one is bad (guns) while the other is okay (cars) is a gross fallacy. Both are inanimate objects incapable of acting by themselves. So the responsibility for the results goes to those behind each.
Because you have a world view that inanimate objects are "good" and "bad" while people aren't is 180 degrees backwards.
"And no, I am not arguing to forbid all guns, I am pointing at a problem with your argument, specifically, it is simplistic and not at all related to this thing called reality."
Occam's Razor does apply here. Even if you don't realize it. Ever increasing complicated sets of laws isn't helping.
"Well, last time I checked, Paris Hilton and Al Gore aren't 'groups of people' yet."
They are singular examples of types of people (including groups) that think the rules shouldn't apply to them. I also gave a Group example (Congress). I dare say that Paris Hilton has more influence and power than I do, if only for her money, and what it buys from others who cede to her corruption and influence, for the sake of gaining wealth.
""Afraid how our words and actions may be perceived years later and taken out of context, the lack of forgetting may prompt us to speak less freely and openly.""
"The only way to deal with it is knowing that it happens and put a halt to it before it gets out of hand."
So, you into mind reading?
"In case of libertarians, they don't have a working solution simply because the power of your own gun also corrupts."
Which is harder to stop, the corruption of one, or the corruption of an organized many? See Drug Cartels for example. You cut off one head, and many more replace it. See Iraq, you kill Zarkawi and three more take his place.
As you can see, true power comes from "groups" who want to take from everyone else, not the one guy with a gun. BTW, I own two, and I've never used them to increase my power. I know this is a hard concept to explain, but I usually explain it this way. Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my two guns have. Who has more power? Who should have more power?
True corruption is defined by people who think the rules don't apply to themselves. Paris Hilton? Congress, Al Gore (big eco sucking house).
"Ah, and there is no level of 'the libertarian way is best' in your post at all..."
Sure there is. Leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone. Mess with me, expect to be messed with back. Pull a gun and try shooting the school up, expect to be shot by 4 of your gun toting friends.
An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life. --Robert A. Heinlein
Want to know why people act like assholes? Because there is no law against being an asshole. But respond to the asshole by giving him a punch in the nose, and you go to jail (Assault and Battery, causing bodily harm, 1-5 Prison). Assholes never learn this way, they just become bigger assholes (insert Goatse guy pic here).
Indeed it does. You voting for Libertarian, where each of us is responsible for ourselves, or are you going to vote for another party that thinks it knows what is best for everyone else and use the power of the government to dictate those ideals????
As far as I can tell, Libertarians are the only ones promoting the idea that each of us has the power and authority to be self reliant and self responsible. Greens, Peace n Freedom, Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Communists etc all think THEIR way is the best, and will codify those beliefs into law. In a word, they all are "elitists" in one way or another.
How about doing a comparison of buying electric power to store in batteries during off-peak hours, and using full battery + solar for daytime usage during Peak hours. I'm not sure of the efficiencies of converting power to and from battery vs the cost of buying off-peak power and storing it until you need it during the day.
The idea here is to use Solar as a boost to battery power during the day, and using lower cost electricity to charge the batteries during the night. I think the whole thinking of using Solar and standard power during the day by itself is futile, at least using the conversion rates of solar, and the cost of the higher peak use electricity costs.
Someone with better knowledge of the conversion % loss and Electric Rates can do the math to see if this is actually better alternative....
So do you when you view DVD (CSS), use VCRs(Macrovision), NDISWrapper and proprietary drivers etc, and since you claim that "they" aren't keeping you from your media. Okay Buy a brand new DVD, and break it (snap it in two) before you do anything, and see if you have access to your "media". You have no legal tools to backup, convert to your mobile media player etc. So, you are restricted to DVD players and DVD discs that have DRM throughout.
And, you've "chosen it" because you "don't have a choice". Makes you quite hypocritical, at least here. Which is why I pointed to all those other DRM and Proprietary items in the previous post, which you conveniently ignore for the sake of bashing Apple for doing essentially what you are doing every time you use Proprietary or DRM encumbered products.
"I also will likely never buy a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD device or media."
I'd be willing to take the bet that in 10 years, you will have viewed at least 1 BR or HD-DVD or OTHER DRM/Proprietary encumbered media.
"But otherwise these companies are not involved in keeping me away from my media."
Sure they are, that is what DRM does. You put a DVD into a DVD player you are doing exactly what iPod and iTunes does. One is media that only works with approved devices (DeCSS notwithstanding), and so is the other. You break the DVD, you're out a DVD, and have to replace it. You break your iPod and don't have a backup (tools provided by Apple), and you're out nothing. Apple provides a means for backup, which is at least better than DVDs!
So, go ahead and call me names, it doesn't bother me and it makes you look bad.
I agree with most of what you said. It is about balance of perspective. I will take a couple things you said, and expand on them.
"I'd like to point out however that the USA considered Stalin an ally against Hitler, and that that same USA actively supported quite a number of (fascist or otherwise) dictators including a certain Saddam."
Enemy of my enemy is my friend. Stalin was a brutal dictator, and we knew it even during WWII. In fact, there is rumor that Paton (I think it was him) wanted to invade SU because he knew what Stalin was. But we didn't because the country was weary enough from the last war. We got 50 years of "Cold War" instead.
The next case I'm going to use is the Shaw of Iran, which was an "ally" in the ME. Carter thought he was a rogue and dictator and refused to support him any longer, and he was overthrown in a Jihadist revolution we are still dealing with today. In fact the current president of Iran was one of the ring leaders of that revolution.
EVERYTHING has consequences. Hindsight is always better than foresight. The biggest problem we have as a country is not who we are, it is that we have LOST SIGHT of the ideals we need to strive for. This is something both the (D) and the (R) parties have lost, since all they can see is power.
"Even after that, Apple is still the only company with compatible DRM, and many people will still purchase DRM-enabled songs."
DRM isn't caused by Apple. Apple didn't choose it. Apple is fighting DRM. And still you blame Apple for DRM on what they distribute. Interesting.
"Even after that, Apple is still the only company with compatible DRM, and many people will still purchase DRM-enabled songs.
"I never said it was impossible. I said Apple made it difficult."
So, you're whining about nothing. Okay, so we are down to you are against iPod, iTunes for what?? Because it is "hard"???
"I should never need a third-party tool to avoid vendor lock-in!"
Its not vendor lock in if you can get your stuff off your iPod, using tools made by Apple (see the link I provided). Now you're complaining about something that is not even a real problem, as if it were. Interesting.
"Apple signed up to distribute DRM and DRM-encrypted media. They are part of the problem. Period, end of story."
I expect you to never use DVDs, Windows, Apple or any other "DRMed" product. EVER. I don't think you should even go to the movies and support the MPAA consortium or watch TVs, buy VCRs.... because they all include Macrovision. You simply should not consume ANY product that contains DRM or any "anti copying" technology simply because if you do, you are "part of the problem".
And lets not forget Linux, you should avoid all propriarary drivers using only fully open and free source based ones, no more nVidia, ATI or other drivers for you. No using NDISWrapper for your wireless networking drivers either, since that supports a third party application.
So, please, turn in all propriatary applications, cell phones, PDA, misc hardware, OSes, DVDs, VCRs, DVD Players, your new Hi Def TV......... immediately. Anything less is hypocritical.
And unlike you, who would just blindly accept being a hypocrite, at least Apple (through Jobs) is trying to fix the problem instead of whining about it. Apple should be given a huge dose of credit for doing the right thing, with regards to DRM.
I do have issues with Apple about other things, but this is not one of them.
Everyone starts out at 0, what they do to me and others moves them up or down the scale. I meet someone, and what they do starts the dial moving up or down the scale. It is a Log scale so 10 is harder to reach than 9, etc and -10 is harder to reach than -9.
Everyone is "equal" and created that way. what they do with it, raises or lowers their score. I'm not trusting my life to just anyone, neither will I trust someone who has earned a minus score with much of anything. People earn and lose respect, based on what they do, and their attitudes. I suppose you put everyone at +10 at the start, huh?
"And if you're not using one of the two operating systems they support, then "works on both Mac and Windows" sounds an awful lot like "Oh, we got both kinds. We got country *and* western"."
So Apple should support EVERY OS out there, like Amiga, and BeOS? How about Win 3.1? You just mean YOUR OS???
ACC (non-DRM) is available for play on... Microsoft's Zune, Sony's PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3 and some Walkman MP3 players, and lots of Nokia and Sony Ericsson mobile phones. I even hear there is a TCPMP for many phones, which will play ACC just fine (reportedly).
Now iTMS has only recently started selling NON-DRMed ACC, but to blame Apple iPod, iTunes and iTMS for this is just stupid. Blame the record companies, which require it, not Apple, who is (through Jobs) trying to undo it.
"I have a feeling that if your system is deauthorized (new install of system+iTunes would count) that you won't be able to get that music out."
Your "feeling" makes it a fact, and more than enough evidence to come to the whopping conclusion you did. Awesome. Can you get a feeling that I can have 1 Billion $ US?
Besides this, you need to be aware of Tansee iPod Transfer (program, windows), that will pull all your files off your ipod for you. There are at least three other applications that do the same doing a quick look on Google. However Apple gives the following link for doing exactly what you "feel" can't be done...
You missed the point. Perhaps it is iTunes and iPod together which makes them better than the alternatives. Creative Rio could have done the same thing, all the other MP3 players could do the same thing.
iPod without iTunes is just a slightly above average Music Player, that "costs too much".
The other companies could do the same thing, but they don't want to. They want to leverage WMP and WMA and MP3 and plays not-fer-sher etc. They bought into the whole M$ monopoly gig, and it sucks for them. They got screwed, twice, by M$.
That is definition of monopoly. The power changes course and screws people. If Apple changes course with iPod and iTunes it doesn't screw anyone.
Of course it isn't easy for you to understand. I already said that here, "not sure I can explain it to you in a way that you can understand"
Apparently you don't understand the distinction between a single device doing a single thing well (appliance) and a general purpose computing device's OS that has certain anti competitive and lock in/lock out mechanisms and the implied threat that if you create anything actually useful, that the manufacturer of the OS might come in and either compete directly or even give away a competing applications.
[quote]they are not meant to be, they are meant to be correctional facilities that rehabilitate criminals for return to regular society.[/quote]
Right, life in prison is designed to be "correctional" for the inmate. This isn't an XOR problem, as you seem to suggest. Prison isn't supposed to be "nice", specifically because it is supposed to be punishment! The word used is PENAL, meaning having to do with punishment.
Case in point, Paris Hilton is spending time in the slammer, not to be "rehabilitated" but rather as punishment for repeated transgressions.
"If you consider gitmo inmates so hardened that you can't rehabilitate them, then incarceration is all that should be done."
I thought prison was for Correctional, isn't that the premise of the first quote I had??? You are simply confused and mixed up. I'm sure that complex isssues like this are hard for you to follow, but at least try to follow the bouncing ball.
"After all, if you endorse torture as a means of extracting information, you suspect that they know some pretty damn good information, in which case, why does it matter if they even have done anything bad?"
Before we can go further, please define Torture. Without a common reference, it is nothing more than nebulous term... like porn. What is Porn to me may not be porn to you, and what is porn to the Muslim may not be porn to either of us. Same with Torture.
"Affluence breeds a certain contempt toward the lower classes; the fact that you're far more affluent than the people you claim to be able to judge whether they're good or bad leads me to believe you're no better than the King in finding all poor people guilty."
What Elitist snobbery! I have no contempt for anyone, only contemptable behavior and attitudes. Want my respect?? Respect me for who I am. It doesn't even matter if I agree with you or not, I'll at least respect who you are, as a person.
"Just remember, indulging in pleasurable activities is addictive, and once all the members of gitmo die of old-age (which given their conditions won't be long), you'll be finding some other group to fuel those inherent needs of yours (I'm not convinced this desire of yours to hate is extrinsic and belongs to the group you dislike"
Right, because we don't have regular inspections by Red Cross or oversight by anyone. You are drinking too much Koolade. I've seen the reports of the "abuse" at "Gitmo" and quite frankly there isn't any "there" there. The complaint people like Amnesty International have against Gitmo isn't really about "abuse" but rather that they've been locked up without a trial by a civilian court.
"Muslims are not poor, they're all terrorists!"
I never said that. In fact, the Silent Majority of Muslims may not be. However they are just as guilty of terrorism if they don't speak out against it, whenever and wherever some illiterate Imam decides to spew the hate screed from the pulpit while they sit silently listening. The reason they don't speak out is because the radicals will kill them right then and there if they do.
Cowering in fear doesn't prevent terrorism, it feeds it. That is why its called "Terrorism". If we weren't terrified, it wouldn't have the grip it does. This is the error of the Bush (and Clinton) administration. We shouldn't be running "terror drills", we should be running "Bravery drills", where we teach people to be positively reactive, rather than negatively reactive.
"I'm not saying you _cant_ hate; it's your right to, but please don't kid anybody that you're doing this for our well-being and admit that you take pleasure in seeing a certain group whom you hate suffer."
Well, let see. I'm very much LIBERTARIAN and don't "Hate" anyone. Leave me the hell alone, and I'll do the same. We'll meet up when we have things in common, otherwise we'll leave each other be. One of my my colleagues here at work and I don't agree on much, but he and I can discuss things we do have in common.
Can I play MP3s on anything other than an iPod??? Yes Can I play ACC on anything other than an iPod??? Yes Can I Download Music from anywhere other than iTMS???? Yes Can I use another interface to manage my music collection besides iTMS??? Yes.
So, exactly where is the "Monopoly" (virtual or otherwise)?
Is it because iPod and iTunes ? Is it because iTunes and iTMS ? Is it because iPod, iTunes, iTMS ?
You see, this is where Monopoly probably comes in, because iPod, iTunes, iTMS all work seamlessly to provide an OUTSTANDING experience. However, I might remind you that iPod and iTunes were WAY Popular before Apple had iTMS.
If you don't see the difference between a solution to a SINGLE issue (Mobile Music Player) and an Operating System. OS is general purpose, it doesn't "do" anything (and restricting which applications run, and competing with those very same applications)??
Okay, not sure I can explain it to you in a way that you can understand. But heck, let me try, in baby terms you might understand.
Okay there is this Sandbox, made by SoftyMicro and there are a whole bunch of toys one can play with in the sandbox. Except that SoftyMicro has made the sandbox in such a way that it's own toys compete with all the other sandbox toys, and those other toys sometimes don't work right because SoftyMicro keeps changing the configuration of the sandbox. Then there was the case where SoftyMicro didn't actually have this certain kind of toy that Sandscape was making for the sandbox. After a while, it figured out that the Sandscape toy was a "threat" to all the other toys, and even the sandbox itself, and decided to compete with Sandscape's toy, and give the toy away to ANYONE buying the sandbox.
Now the Sandscape company is only an example of this philosophy, and there are many other toys that SoftyMicro makes that it gives away so that others, even though they aren't really part of the sandbox.
Along comes this company Peaches that has built this neat little toy called tToy, that plays in the sandbox, and even works on Peaches own Monkey Bars play area. This toy just is fun to play with, and has all sorts of interesting options and configurations. Additionally, some of those options are only available from Peaches tToyStore, but also has accessories and options available from many other places.
There are also other toys very similar to Peaches tToy, some are less expensive, have some more features, but not nearly the same playing experience that tToy has.
Now there is a group of kids who don't like the sandbox (too sandy), nor the Monkey Bars, and they play on the Swings. They complain about tToys "monopoly" (not related to the board game) because tToy and all the options are hard to get working while playing on the swings.
"When you invade other countries, hell, when you put over 700 military bases in foreign countries, establish an international influence-pervert-abduct-torture network, establish a global disinformation campaign, spend more money on the rule of force than the rest of the world combined, work with tyrants, and work hand-in-hand with industry to shift capital and control away from sovereignty everywhere, well, people will be pissed off."
Right! I suggest that the US pull out of every country, and leave the rest of the world to its own devices and NEVER send troops anywhere, ever again, or at least until the rest of the world is killing each others.
You forget, the reason why those troops are stationed across the ocean and on foreign soil is that we've already sent 100's of thousands over seas to fight and die in wars against dictators and fascists. Somehow, short sighted people forget about a guy named HITLER, and STALIN, and POL POT. Not to mention the Modern version of them today.
Quit being so naive. When things go bad, who does the world come running to? Tsunami? Genocide in Darfur, Mid East, Korea........ If it wasn't for the US, there'd be no freakin peace. We do a hell of a lot more "good" than people like yourself are capable of admitting to.
Do we F Up? Sure we do. Could we do better? Sure we can. But to blame the US for everything wrong in the world is insane.
"When you put a military base on holy land of a competing militant religion and use it to create more displaced refugees--oh look, suicide bombers."
Hey, lets just kill all the Jews! Since they are the source of all the worlds problems. If they just didn't exist, the world would be much safer. The Muslims wouldn't be so angry. (/sarcasm)
"I'm saying that spending a trillion dollars annually on international education/propaganda and diplomacy rather than military aggression would have resulted in greater security for the USA"
Naive childlike thinking. You really believe that? You scare the crap out of me.
"your own comments about not giving RATS ASS about "muslim sensitivities" and the acts this lack of caring would lead you to being a perfect example of that."
Define "evil". I don't care about Muslim Sensitivities because their view is that you are either Muslim or you are SHIT(Poo, crap, fecal matter). The difference is that while I don't see keeping Pigs (I keep Kosher BTW) is "evil", yet they do. So, is it evil to have pigs, eat ham sandwich on a table next to them, have a seeing eye dog trying to take a taxi, not wear a burkah if you are a female etc.
There is no compromise with these people. It's their way (Isamofacists) or the Highway to Hell (head removed by sword or knife).
Again, is it evil to have pigs in the same cell as muslim terrorists? Depends upon who you ask. It isn't a "lack of caring" because quite frankly, I care a great deal. I care that people like yourself can't see the forest for the trees. You think that they aren't going to push you around given the chance and if you are all "nice" and bend over for them, they'll leave you alone?
"But if you do evil things (such as torture people),"
Again, define torture. Is keeping a muslim in a pig pen "torture"??? I guess it depends upon who you ask, doesn't it?
And so you know, I don't support nor condone "torture", at least my definition of it. But then again, my idea of what is torture may be different from your's . Some people think that locking a person in a cell is "torture" and "cruel" punishment.
Whose definition are we going to use? Mine, yours, the Muslims, the pacifists?
No such thing as "unbiased news". All News is Biased. Picking on Fox because it appears to be "right wing" is hypocritical. Compared to CBS (Dan Rather forging documents) and NBC (Dateline exploding vehicles) etc, I'm sure you'll agree.
Noo These "news" organizations aren't "biased". Which is why I get my news from a variety of sources, and read commentary from lots of viewpoints, INCLUDING CBS, NBC and (gasp) FOX. Oh the HORRORS.
Apple doesn't have a "Monopoly" in any sense of the word. They have a complete vertical market solution, which is not the same as monopoly. You are free to choose other market options that are reasonably close facsimile of what Apple produces, but you'll be giving up the virtually seamless integration by doing so.
Apple's iPod and iTunes both handle two INDUSTRY standards for encoding, and ONE proprietary DRM feature, a DRM feature they (via Jobs) are trying to remove.
I never got the gripe of you Anti-Apple whiners. Go, use Rio, or Zune, or whatever else is out there for playing MP3s and WMA (proprietary format) nobody is holding a gun to your head. Go, Use allofMP3 and any other source for Downloading Music. Hopefully you don't have to be a technical genius to get it all to work right, because if you do, then you're obviously missing the point of iTunes, iPod, iTMS and the whole integration thing. It Just Works (TM).
I gave my wife an iPod last year for her birthday, she didn't even know what it was! The she picked up and used it, and started Ripping her CDs to the iPod right away. It just works for her, and it is "easy" for her. Which is the whole point, isn't it? Point Click Rip Sync.
We got it hooked into the car, the iHome in the kitchen, the Main Whole House Stereo system, because "It Just Works(TM)".
If you want to call that a Monopoly, fine, go ahead. I call it building a better mousetrap, and Apple has done a great job in making a Music Player Experience that is pleasant. Sorry if it doesn't support Ogg or Linux or whatever else you think it ought to. It does support MP3 and ACC, both open formats, and can rip, burn CDs quickly and easily, and support from many third party add-ons, and works both on Mac and Windows.
So, I don't know what the beef is all about. It isn't the monopoly you think it is.
I'm sorry, "Torture Lite"?? There is no such thing. But something the lefties fail to do is actually define "torture". Apparently is is much like Porn, in that nobody can define it, but everyone knows what it is.
Let us define "torture" so that we can use some measure of forced coercion on people hell bent on killing as many people as they can before they die.
If I were in charge of Gitmo, I wouldn't give a RATS ASS to the "muslim sensitivities" of the inmate population, and I would stock the cells with pigs, dogs and monkeys. But then, the lefties would claim that would be "torture" and "cruel and inhumane".
These people are "not nice" and given the chance would cut your (an my) throat. You realize that to them, you are nothing more than SHIT (poo, crap, fecal matter), quite literally. AND they are winning, because most people don't know how to deal with fanatics, out to covert of kill everyone.
The difference between "good" and "evil" is good doesn't want to do evil, while evil desires to do it.
Oh, and I blame Cater for the whole mess in the Middle East. We should have bombed Iran back into the stone ages for what AmadJihad and his cohorts did to those American Hostages. Yes, it was THAT guy who was among the Hostage takers. Failure to act then, has a direct impact on who is running the place today.
When we wake up, and Israel or New York is a smoldering pile of nuclear waste, I'm gonna ask you if it was worth it to whine about a little water boarding.
Protected Free Speech is also oxymoronic. Free Speech is free, not protected, except by those exercising it. It ceases to be protected when it is assaulted.
Actually, it was more like "We Won't Debate on Fox, because Fox is a bunch of Right Wing Bomb Throwers"
Democrats are a bunch of hypocrites who claim to be all for "free press" etc. But when push comes to shove, they don't really want a "free press", they want to control what goes on in the press with laws and the reinstatement of the "fairness doctrine" which is hardly fair, as all the flaming left wing propoganda will be touted as "truth" and "fact" while anything from the right will be instantaneously labled "hate speech".
So, it is with mild amusement that I view such actions while they run chicken from a venue that may not be favorable. The Republicans have no such luxury.
And before the leftwing liberals mod me down, I'm not a Republican but rather a Libertarian. Many of my views are not supported by the (R) party, and fit better with the (D) party. However, the government isn't the solution, its the problem. We don't need more, we need less, and in all areas.
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"Drug cartels, insurgants in Iraq, they exist due to the lack of government power. You really believe that when you remove that power that all will be fine?"
Well, we have a dilemma then don't we. Everything has a cause and effect going back for eternity, so that there is no way to get people to leave each other alone (leave me alone and I'll leave you alone-rule). In the case of Iraq insurgents (Many, if not most, not actually from Iraq), they'll say that we messed with them first, to which we'll reply that Saddam invaded Kuwait and on and on backwards. Same with any other "conflict"
And there is nothing wrong with government power as long as it doesn't become an end unto itself, as it currently is. We do need some level of societal governance, to the extent that it must exist, it should be limited.
At some point, we must defeat all those that oppose the governance of the people, by the people. The group doesn't have the right to restrict personal freedom for the sake of the group. However the personal freedom we have, stops at our own arms length. My personal freedom doesn't mean I can punch the next guy; the moment personal liberty ends is the moment it starts affecting others.
I may have the freedom of speech and religion, but that doesn't give me the right to make you listen or believe as I do. The case of Islamofacists is such that they want to force everyone, world wide into their particular view of things.
My particular views also affect things such as environmentalist. Society has a right to stop a person from polluting the stream and ruining it for those that live downsriver, because while they have the right to do whatever they want, the moment it affects others, the others have the right to restrict those very actions, to the extent that it affects them.
"Drug cartels, insurgants in Iraq, they exist due to the lack of government power."
Actually that is the long lasting result of not applying rules of freedom and responsibility earlier. Drug cartels are there because the government seeks to restrict people acting freely, in the vain attempt of trying to protect people pro actively. If drugs were legal, and we left people to destroy their own lives, everything would be fine, no need for drug cartels, and people violently defending their livelyhood.
"Since this is not an exclusive choice between cars and guns, your comment is pretty non-sensical."
Not really. The result of improper use of a gun and the improper use of Ted Kennedy's car is the same. Saying one is bad (guns) while the other is okay (cars) is a gross fallacy. Both are inanimate objects incapable of acting by themselves. So the responsibility for the results goes to those behind each.
Because you have a world view that inanimate objects are "good" and "bad" while people aren't is 180 degrees backwards.
"And no, I am not arguing to forbid all guns, I am pointing at a problem with your argument, specifically, it is simplistic and not at all related to this thing called reality."
Occam's Razor does apply here. Even if you don't realize it. Ever increasing complicated sets of laws isn't helping.
"Well, last time I checked, Paris Hilton and Al Gore aren't 'groups of people' yet."
They are singular examples of types of people (including groups) that think the rules shouldn't apply to them. I also gave a Group example (Congress). I dare say that Paris Hilton has more influence and power than I do, if only for her money, and what it buys from others who cede to her corruption and influence, for the sake of gaining wealth.
""Afraid how our words and actions may be perceived years later and taken out of context, the lack of forgetting may prompt us to speak less freely and openly.""
He is going to regret saying this one day!
"The only way to deal with it is knowing that it happens and put a halt to it before it gets out of hand."
So, you into mind reading?
"In case of libertarians, they don't have a working solution simply because the power of your own gun also corrupts."
Which is harder to stop, the corruption of one, or the corruption of an organized many? See Drug Cartels for example. You cut off one head, and many more replace it. See Iraq, you kill Zarkawi and three more take his place.
As you can see, true power comes from "groups" who want to take from everyone else, not the one guy with a gun. BTW, I own two, and I've never used them to increase my power. I know this is a hard concept to explain, but I usually explain it this way. Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my two guns have. Who has more power? Who should have more power?
True corruption is defined by people who think the rules don't apply to themselves. Paris Hilton? Congress, Al Gore (big eco sucking house).
"Ah, and there is no level of 'the libertarian way is best' in your post at all..."
Sure there is. Leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone. Mess with me, expect to be messed with back. Pull a gun and try shooting the school up, expect to be shot by 4 of your gun toting friends.
An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life. --Robert A. Heinlein
Want to know why people act like assholes? Because there is no law against being an asshole. But respond to the asshole by giving him a punch in the nose, and you go to jail (Assault and Battery, causing bodily harm, 1-5 Prison). Assholes never learn this way, they just become bigger assholes (insert Goatse guy pic here).
"Power corrupts, no news there."
Indeed it does. You voting for Libertarian, where each of us is responsible for ourselves, or are you going to vote for another party that thinks it knows what is best for everyone else and use the power of the government to dictate those ideals????
As far as I can tell, Libertarians are the only ones promoting the idea that each of us has the power and authority to be self reliant and self responsible. Greens, Peace n Freedom, Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Communists etc all think THEIR way is the best, and will codify those beliefs into law. In a word, they all are "elitists" in one way or another.
How about doing a comparison of buying electric power to store in batteries during off-peak hours, and using full battery + solar for daytime usage during Peak hours. I'm not sure of the efficiencies of converting power to and from battery vs the cost of buying off-peak power and storing it until you need it during the day.
....
The idea here is to use Solar as a boost to battery power during the day, and using lower cost electricity to charge the batteries during the night. I think the whole thinking of using Solar and standard power during the day by itself is futile, at least using the conversion rates of solar, and the cost of the higher peak use electricity costs.
Someone with better knowledge of the conversion % loss and Electric Rates can do the math to see if this is actually better alternative
Does insulting people make you feel better?
"Apple most certainly did choose to use DRM."
So do you when you view DVD (CSS), use VCRs(Macrovision), NDISWrapper and proprietary drivers etc, and since you claim that "they" aren't keeping you from your media. Okay Buy a brand new DVD, and break it (snap it in two) before you do anything, and see if you have access to your "media". You have no legal tools to backup, convert to your mobile media player etc. So, you are restricted to DVD players and DVD discs that have DRM throughout.
And, you've "chosen it" because you "don't have a choice". Makes you quite hypocritical, at least here. Which is why I pointed to all those other DRM and Proprietary items in the previous post, which you conveniently ignore for the sake of bashing Apple for doing essentially what you are doing every time you use Proprietary or DRM encumbered products.
"I also will likely never buy a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD device or media."
I'd be willing to take the bet that in 10 years, you will have viewed at least 1 BR or HD-DVD or OTHER DRM/Proprietary encumbered media.
"But otherwise these companies are not involved in keeping me away from my media."
Sure they are, that is what DRM does. You put a DVD into a DVD player you are doing exactly what iPod and iTunes does. One is media that only works with approved devices (DeCSS notwithstanding), and so is the other. You break the DVD, you're out a DVD, and have to replace it. You break your iPod and don't have a backup (tools provided by Apple), and you're out nothing. Apple provides a means for backup, which is at least better than DVDs!
So, go ahead and call me names, it doesn't bother me and it makes you look bad.
Thanks for trying
I agree with most of what you said. It is about balance of perspective. I will take a couple things you said, and expand on them.
"I'd like to point out however that the USA considered Stalin an ally against Hitler, and that that same USA actively supported quite a number of (fascist or otherwise) dictators including a certain Saddam."
Enemy of my enemy is my friend. Stalin was a brutal dictator, and we knew it even during WWII. In fact, there is rumor that Paton (I think it was him) wanted to invade SU because he knew what Stalin was. But we didn't because the country was weary enough from the last war. We got 50 years of "Cold War" instead.
The next case I'm going to use is the Shaw of Iran, which was an "ally" in the ME. Carter thought he was a rogue and dictator and refused to support him any longer, and he was overthrown in a Jihadist revolution we are still dealing with today. In fact the current president of Iran was one of the ring leaders of that revolution.
EVERYTHING has consequences. Hindsight is always better than foresight. The biggest problem we have as a country is not who we are, it is that we have LOST SIGHT of the ideals we need to strive for. This is something both the (D) and the (R) parties have lost, since all they can see is power.
"Even after that, Apple is still the only company with compatible DRM, and many people will still purchase DRM-enabled songs."
.... because they all include Macrovision. You simply should not consume ANY product that contains DRM or any "anti copying" technology simply because if you do, you are "part of the problem".
......... immediately. Anything less is hypocritical.
DRM isn't caused by Apple. Apple didn't choose it. Apple is fighting DRM. And still you blame Apple for DRM on what they distribute. Interesting.
"Even after that, Apple is still the only company with compatible DRM, and many people will still purchase DRM-enabled songs.
"I never said it was impossible. I said Apple made it difficult."
So, you're whining about nothing. Okay, so we are down to you are against iPod, iTunes for what?? Because it is "hard"???
"I should never need a third-party tool to avoid vendor lock-in!"
Its not vendor lock in if you can get your stuff off your iPod, using tools made by Apple (see the link I provided). Now you're complaining about something that is not even a real problem, as if it were. Interesting.
"Apple signed up to distribute DRM and DRM-encrypted media. They are part of the problem. Period, end of story."
I expect you to never use DVDs, Windows, Apple or any other "DRMed" product. EVER. I don't think you should even go to the movies and support the MPAA consortium or watch TVs, buy VCRs
And lets not forget Linux, you should avoid all propriarary drivers using only fully open and free source based ones, no more nVidia, ATI or other drivers for you. No using NDISWrapper for your wireless networking drivers either, since that supports a third party application.
So, please, turn in all propriatary applications, cell phones, PDA, misc hardware, OSes, DVDs, VCRs, DVD Players, your new Hi Def TV
And unlike you, who would just blindly accept being a hypocrite, at least Apple (through Jobs) is trying to fix the problem instead of whining about it. Apple should be given a huge dose of credit for doing the right thing, with regards to DRM.
I do have issues with Apple about other things, but this is not one of them.
-10 ..... 0 ..... +10
Everyone starts out at 0, what they do to me and others moves them up or down the scale. I meet someone, and what they do starts the dial moving up or down the scale. It is a Log scale so 10 is harder to reach than 9, etc and -10 is harder to reach than -9.
Everyone is "equal" and created that way. what they do with it, raises or lowers their score. I'm not trusting my life to just anyone, neither will I trust someone who has earned a minus score with much of anything. People earn and lose respect, based on what they do, and their attitudes. I suppose you put everyone at +10 at the start, huh?
"And if you're not using one of the two operating systems they support, then "works on both Mac and Windows" sounds an awful lot like "Oh, we got both kinds. We got country *and* western"."
So Apple should support EVERY OS out there, like Amiga, and BeOS? How about Win 3.1? You just mean YOUR OS???
That's why you AC isn't it.
ACC (non-DRM) is available for play on ... Microsoft's Zune, Sony's PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3 and some Walkman MP3 players, and lots of Nokia and Sony Ericsson mobile phones. I even hear there is a TCPMP for many phones, which will play ACC just fine (reportedly).
...
0 173
Now iTMS has only recently started selling NON-DRMed ACC, but to blame Apple iPod, iTunes and iTMS for this is just stupid. Blame the record companies, which require it, not Apple, who is (through Jobs) trying to undo it.
"I have a feeling that if your system is deauthorized (new install of system+iTunes would count) that you won't be able to get that music out."
Your "feeling" makes it a fact, and more than enough evidence to come to the whopping conclusion you did. Awesome. Can you get a feeling that I can have 1 Billion $ US?
Besides this, you need to be aware of Tansee iPod Transfer (program, windows), that will pull all your files off your ipod for you. There are at least three other applications that do the same doing a quick look on Google. However Apple gives the following link for doing exactly what you "feel" can't be done
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=30
Again the problem isn't iTMS, iPod, iTunes or Apple, it has to do with DRM. Your issue isn't with Apple, it is with the DRM Mafiaa.
I love it. Vendor "lock-in" = what per se? The Music on my wife's iPod I can get out anytime I need/want. I've never used iTMS either.
I just know, my wife isn't nagging me about her iPod, except she wants a bigger one. Go Figure.
You missed the point. Perhaps it is iTunes and iPod together which makes them better than the alternatives. Creative Rio could have done the same thing, all the other MP3 players could do the same thing.
iPod without iTunes is just a slightly above average Music Player, that "costs too much".
The other companies could do the same thing, but they don't want to. They want to leverage WMP and WMA and MP3 and plays not-fer-sher etc. They bought into the whole M$ monopoly gig, and it sucks for them. They got screwed, twice, by M$.
That is definition of monopoly. The power changes course and screws people. If Apple changes course with iPod and iTunes it doesn't screw anyone.
"easy to understand"
Of course it isn't easy for you to understand. I already said that here, "not sure I can explain it to you in a way that you can understand"
Apparently you don't understand the distinction between a single device doing a single thing well (appliance) and a general purpose computing device's OS that has certain anti competitive and lock in/lock out mechanisms and the implied threat that if you create anything actually useful, that the manufacturer of the OS might come in and either compete directly or even give away a competing applications.
[quote]they are not meant to be, they are meant to be correctional facilities that rehabilitate criminals for return to regular society.[/quote]
... like porn. What is Porn to me may not be porn to you, and what is porn to the Muslim may not be porn to either of us. Same with Torture.
Right, life in prison is designed to be "correctional" for the inmate. This isn't an XOR problem, as you seem to suggest. Prison isn't supposed to be "nice", specifically because it is supposed to be punishment! The word used is PENAL, meaning having to do with punishment.
Case in point, Paris Hilton is spending time in the slammer, not to be "rehabilitated" but rather as punishment for repeated transgressions.
"If you consider gitmo inmates so hardened that you can't rehabilitate them, then incarceration is all that should be done."
I thought prison was for Correctional, isn't that the premise of the first quote I had??? You are simply confused and mixed up. I'm sure that complex isssues like this are hard for you to follow, but at least try to follow the bouncing ball.
"After all, if you endorse torture as a means of extracting information, you suspect that they know some pretty damn good information, in which case, why does it matter if they even have done anything bad?"
Before we can go further, please define Torture. Without a common reference, it is nothing more than nebulous term
"Affluence breeds a certain contempt toward the lower classes; the fact that you're far more affluent than the people you claim to be able to judge whether they're good or bad leads me to believe you're no better than the King in finding all poor people guilty."
What Elitist snobbery! I have no contempt for anyone, only contemptable behavior and attitudes. Want my respect?? Respect me for who I am. It doesn't even matter if I agree with you or not, I'll at least respect who you are, as a person.
"Just remember, indulging in pleasurable activities is addictive, and once all the members of gitmo die of old-age (which given their conditions won't be long), you'll be finding some other group to fuel those inherent needs of yours (I'm not convinced this desire of yours to hate is extrinsic and belongs to the group you dislike"
Right, because we don't have regular inspections by Red Cross or oversight by anyone. You are drinking too much Koolade. I've seen the reports of the "abuse" at "Gitmo" and quite frankly there isn't any "there" there. The complaint people like Amnesty International have against Gitmo isn't really about "abuse" but rather that they've been locked up without a trial by a civilian court.
"Muslims are not poor, they're all terrorists!"
I never said that. In fact, the Silent Majority of Muslims may not be. However they are just as guilty of terrorism if they don't speak out against it, whenever and wherever some illiterate Imam decides to spew the hate screed from the pulpit while they sit silently listening. The reason they don't speak out is because the radicals will kill them right then and there if they do.
Cowering in fear doesn't prevent terrorism, it feeds it. That is why its called "Terrorism". If we weren't terrified, it wouldn't have the grip it does. This is the error of the Bush (and Clinton) administration. We shouldn't be running "terror drills", we should be running "Bravery drills", where we teach people to be positively reactive, rather than negatively reactive.
"I'm not saying you _cant_ hate; it's your right to, but please don't kid anybody that you're doing this for our well-being and admit that you take pleasure in seeing a certain group whom you hate suffer."
Well, let see. I'm very much LIBERTARIAN and don't "Hate" anyone. Leave me the hell alone, and I'll do the same. We'll meet up when we have things in common, otherwise we'll leave each other be. One of my my colleagues here at work and I don't agree on much, but he and I can discuss things we do have in common.
The moment you start to tell
what the heck is a "virtual monopoly"???
Let see:
Can I play MP3s on anything other than an iPod??? Yes
Can I play ACC on anything other than an iPod??? Yes
Can I Download Music from anywhere other than iTMS???? Yes
Can I use another interface to manage my music collection besides iTMS??? Yes.
So, exactly where is the "Monopoly" (virtual or otherwise)?
Is it because iPod and iTunes ?
Is it because iTunes and iTMS ?
Is it because iPod, iTunes, iTMS ?
You see, this is where Monopoly probably comes in, because iPod, iTunes, iTMS all work seamlessly to provide an OUTSTANDING experience. However, I might remind you that iPod and iTunes were WAY Popular before Apple had iTMS.
If you don't see the difference between a solution to a SINGLE issue (Mobile Music Player) and an Operating System. OS is general purpose, it doesn't "do" anything (and restricting which applications run, and competing with those very same applications)??
Okay, not sure I can explain it to you in a way that you can understand. But heck, let me try, in baby terms you might understand.
Okay there is this Sandbox, made by SoftyMicro and there are a whole bunch of toys one can play with in the sandbox. Except that SoftyMicro has made the sandbox in such a way that it's own toys compete with all the other sandbox toys, and those other toys sometimes don't work right because SoftyMicro keeps changing the configuration of the sandbox. Then there was the case where SoftyMicro didn't actually have this certain kind of toy that Sandscape was making for the sandbox. After a while, it figured out that the Sandscape toy was a "threat" to all the other toys, and even the sandbox itself, and decided to compete with Sandscape's toy, and give the toy away to ANYONE buying the sandbox.
Now the Sandscape company is only an example of this philosophy, and there are many other toys that SoftyMicro makes that it gives away so that others, even though they aren't really part of the sandbox.
Along comes this company Peaches that has built this neat little toy called tToy, that plays in the sandbox, and even works on Peaches own Monkey Bars play area. This toy just is fun to play with, and has all sorts of interesting options and configurations. Additionally, some of those options are only available from Peaches tToyStore, but also has accessories and options available from many other places.
There are also other toys very similar to Peaches tToy, some are less expensive, have some more features, but not nearly the same playing experience that tToy has.
Now there is a group of kids who don't like the sandbox (too sandy), nor the Monkey Bars, and they play on the Swings. They complain about tToys "monopoly" (not related to the board game) because tToy and all the options are hard to get working while playing on the swings.
Can you see the difference now?
Hey Kettle, Long Time No See. Yours truly --- Pot.
Nice Ad Hominem.
"When you invade other countries, hell, when you put over 700 military bases in foreign countries, establish an international influence-pervert-abduct-torture network, establish a global disinformation campaign, spend more money on the rule of force than the rest of the world combined, work with tyrants, and work hand-in-hand with industry to shift capital and control away from sovereignty everywhere, well, people will be pissed off."
........ If it wasn't for the US, there'd be no freakin peace. We do a hell of a lot more "good" than people like yourself are capable of admitting to.
Right! I suggest that the US pull out of every country, and leave the rest of the world to its own devices and NEVER send troops anywhere, ever again, or at least until the rest of the world is killing each others.
You forget, the reason why those troops are stationed across the ocean and on foreign soil is that we've already sent 100's of thousands over seas to fight and die in wars against dictators and fascists. Somehow, short sighted people forget about a guy named HITLER, and STALIN, and POL POT. Not to mention the Modern version of them today.
Quit being so naive. When things go bad, who does the world come running to? Tsunami? Genocide in Darfur, Mid East, Korea
Do we F Up? Sure we do. Could we do better? Sure we can. But to blame the US for everything wrong in the world is insane.
"When you put a military base on holy land of a competing militant religion and use it to create more displaced refugees--oh look, suicide bombers."
Hey, lets just kill all the Jews! Since they are the source of all the worlds problems. If they just didn't exist, the world would be much safer. The Muslims wouldn't be so angry. (/sarcasm)
"I'm saying that spending a trillion dollars annually on international education/propaganda and diplomacy rather than military aggression would have resulted in greater security for the USA"
Naive childlike thinking. You really believe that? You scare the crap out of me.
"your own comments about not giving RATS ASS about "muslim sensitivities" and the acts this lack of caring would lead you to being a perfect example of that."
Define "evil". I don't care about Muslim Sensitivities because their view is that you are either Muslim or you are SHIT(Poo, crap, fecal matter). The difference is that while I don't see keeping Pigs (I keep Kosher BTW) is "evil", yet they do. So, is it evil to have pigs, eat ham sandwich on a table next to them, have a seeing eye dog trying to take a taxi, not wear a burkah if you are a female etc.
There is no compromise with these people. It's their way (Isamofacists) or the Highway to Hell (head removed by sword or knife).
Again, is it evil to have pigs in the same cell as muslim terrorists? Depends upon who you ask. It isn't a "lack of caring" because quite frankly, I care a great deal. I care that people like yourself can't see the forest for the trees. You think that they aren't going to push you around given the chance and if you are all "nice" and bend over for them, they'll leave you alone?
"But if you do evil things (such as torture people),"
Again, define torture. Is keeping a muslim in a pig pen "torture"??? I guess it depends upon who you ask, doesn't it?
And so you know, I don't support nor condone "torture", at least my definition of it. But then again, my idea of what is torture may be different from your's . Some people think that locking a person in a cell is "torture" and "cruel" punishment.
Whose definition are we going to use? Mine, yours, the Muslims, the pacifists?
"completely innocent"
Uh huh.
"Also, 24 is a documentary series"
I've never watched it.
"____ News is completely unbiased"
No such thing as "unbiased news". All News is Biased. Picking on Fox because it appears to be "right wing" is hypocritical. Compared to CBS (Dan Rather forging documents) and NBC (Dateline exploding vehicles) etc, I'm sure you'll agree.
Noo These "news" organizations aren't "biased". Which is why I get my news from a variety of sources, and read commentary from lots of viewpoints, INCLUDING CBS, NBC and (gasp) FOX. Oh the HORRORS.
Apple doesn't have a "Monopoly" in any sense of the word. They have a complete vertical market solution, which is not the same as monopoly. You are free to choose other market options that are reasonably close facsimile of what Apple produces, but you'll be giving up the virtually seamless integration by doing so.
Apple's iPod and iTunes both handle two INDUSTRY standards for encoding, and ONE proprietary DRM feature, a DRM feature they (via Jobs) are trying to remove.
I never got the gripe of you Anti-Apple whiners. Go, use Rio, or Zune, or whatever else is out there for playing MP3s and WMA (proprietary format) nobody is holding a gun to your head. Go, Use allofMP3 and any other source for Downloading Music. Hopefully you don't have to be a technical genius to get it all to work right, because if you do, then you're obviously missing the point of iTunes, iPod, iTMS and the whole integration thing. It Just Works (TM).
I gave my wife an iPod last year for her birthday, she didn't even know what it was! The she picked up and used it, and started Ripping her CDs to the iPod right away. It just works for her, and it is "easy" for her. Which is the whole point, isn't it? Point Click Rip Sync.
We got it hooked into the car, the iHome in the kitchen, the Main Whole House Stereo system, because "It Just Works(TM)".
If you want to call that a Monopoly, fine, go ahead. I call it building a better mousetrap, and Apple has done a great job in making a Music Player Experience that is pleasant. Sorry if it doesn't support Ogg or Linux or whatever else you think it ought to. It does support MP3 and ACC, both open formats, and can rip, burn CDs quickly and easily, and support from many third party add-ons, and works both on Mac and Windows.
So, I don't know what the beef is all about. It isn't the monopoly you think it is.
I'm sorry, "Torture Lite"?? There is no such thing. But something the lefties fail to do is actually define "torture". Apparently is is much like Porn, in that nobody can define it, but everyone knows what it is.
Let us define "torture" so that we can use some measure of forced coercion on people hell bent on killing as many people as they can before they die.
If I were in charge of Gitmo, I wouldn't give a RATS ASS to the "muslim sensitivities" of the inmate population, and I would stock the cells with pigs, dogs and monkeys. But then, the lefties would claim that would be "torture" and "cruel and inhumane".
These people are "not nice" and given the chance would cut your (an my) throat. You realize that to them, you are nothing more than SHIT (poo, crap, fecal matter), quite literally. AND they are winning, because most people don't know how to deal with fanatics, out to covert of kill everyone.
The difference between "good" and "evil" is good doesn't want to do evil, while evil desires to do it.
Oh, and I blame Cater for the whole mess in the Middle East. We should have bombed Iran back into the stone ages for what AmadJihad and his cohorts did to those American Hostages. Yes, it was THAT guy who was among the Hostage takers. Failure to act then, has a direct impact on who is running the place today.
When we wake up, and Israel or New York is a smoldering pile of nuclear waste, I'm gonna ask you if it was worth it to whine about a little water boarding.
Protected Free Speech is also oxymoronic. Free Speech is free, not protected, except by those exercising it. It ceases to be protected when it is assaulted.
"we won't debate unless the video is CCed"
Actually, it was more like "We Won't Debate on Fox, because Fox is a bunch of Right Wing Bomb Throwers"
Democrats are a bunch of hypocrites who claim to be all for "free press" etc. But when push comes to shove, they don't really want a "free press", they want to control what goes on in the press with laws and the reinstatement of the "fairness doctrine" which is hardly fair, as all the flaming left wing propoganda will be touted as "truth" and "fact" while anything from the right will be instantaneously labled "hate speech".
So, it is with mild amusement that I view such actions while they run chicken from a venue that may not be favorable. The Republicans have no such luxury.
And before the leftwing liberals mod me down, I'm not a Republican but rather a Libertarian. Many of my views are not supported by the (R) party, and fit better with the (D) party. However, the government isn't the solution, its the problem. We don't need more, we need less, and in all areas.