Gratian once said that pretending to be ignorant when you're clever is the most clever thing of all, and is a form of socratic irony. Any corrupt old liar can preach crusade to get their subjects to do their dirty work, but that doesn't mean that they believe their own lies.
The cold war is over, and new power structures are emerging. It won't be the end of the world or history any more than 9/11, The Hapsburg Revolutions, Prague Spring, or whatever else captures the popular imagination. Perhaps that's the most terrible thing of all, that it won't end.
The reason your 'choice' is so simple, as you say, is because you don't get killed, but your life style depends on blood of others (assuming you live in US; if not, my appologies).
Your lifestyle doesn't depend on the blood of others? You nation achieved ascendancy without ruthlessly exploiting and manipulating other nations in it's climb? Somehow, I doubt that. You apologized for assuming I am an american. What if I was English? Would my global empire have been excused then? French? Don't tell the Algerians! Russian? Spanish? I'm sure you get the idea.
That aside, the real reason is basic math:
Cambodia: 1.5 to 3 million murdered out of a population of 8 million Great Purge: 20+ million with possibly more from artificial famines The Great Terror: Roughly 48,000 out of 27 million during a one year period
versus
Iraq: Roughly 39-43,000 civilian deaths out of 29 million since 2001
It's easy to be against war, but what if the alternative isn't peace?
don't politicians in the US care only about money? is the US better off then?
I think that if I had to choose between Russia during the purges, France during the Terror, Cambodia under the Khymer Rouge, and the USA of the present it wouldn't be a real hard choice.;P
Seriously, I think most politicians are motivated by what motivates the system they work in: Power. This has a brutality all it's own. To really crank up the body count to insane levels though, you need to have some True Believers trying to make their utopia a reality regardless of who they have to kill to do it.
The post you were replying to wasn't whining, and you retorted with a strawman attack that implied that him not giving a shit about the Mac platform was the equivalent of tacitly supporting war and atrocities.
"There's money in them thar hills" is not an excuse for twiddling your thumbs and doing nothing. In fact, caring about nothing but money has led to some of the worst atrocities, of all kinds (wars, bullshit laws, dictatorships, you name it) in history.
That sounds to me like the typical lazy-ass "I don't want to change because it'd cost too much or cost actual effort" general-public bullshit answer. It's easier to name-call than actually try, right?
Let me let you into a little secret about why people make games: They like making games, and will do what they can to keep making them. Noone inside much gives a shit about the platform. If you can't make games that sell you won't have an opportunity to make them long. Getting market share for the Mac is Apple's problem. Not EA's, not Bioware's, not anyone else's.
Your strawman argument is pretty amateurish, even by Slashdot standards. I would argue that misdirected idealism is the cause of most of the bloodshed throughout history, not apathy. If Pol Pot, Stalin, and Robespierre had cared about nothing but money their homelands might well be better off.
I don't think there's anything more rewarding (and few things more restful) than working your ass off doing something you love and believe in. Contrariwise, it's hard to work like a dog doing something you think is stupid or worthless.
I always figured most people don't really like their jobs, and slack off as a form of passive aggressive rebellion. It's understandable, but counterproductive. It ends up taking more energy to be lazy than to improve your own situation, whether that be getting ahead where you are or finding something better.
If you automatically assume anyone who disagrees with you is either stupid or paranoid, you are depriving yourself and the the other of a chance to both learn and teach.
I do not this that an event of this possible magnitude is free of political opportunists on both sides. The cold war is over, and the opportunity to influence environmental policy would give both the UN and Non-Aligned Movement influence of a sort they've never really had before.
There's a big difference between pro-intellectual and pro-technically skilled. A useful metaphor might be the difference between science and technology.
Slashdot Mirror
The fact that next to noone will use these chips.
I thought it was because of Gore's relentless skills at self promotion, but if it feels better to just insult people, don't let me stop you.
It's a space station.
It came nearly ten years earlier, when the web was just taking off.
Yeah, Geocities. A lot of people made their first (crappy) webpage there and got their feet wet that way.
Gratian once said that pretending to be ignorant when you're clever is the most clever thing of all, and is a form of socratic irony. Any corrupt old liar can preach crusade to get their subjects to do their dirty work, but that doesn't mean that they believe their own lies.
The cold war is over, and new power structures are emerging. It won't be the end of the world or history any more than 9/11, The Hapsburg Revolutions, Prague Spring, or whatever else captures the popular imagination. Perhaps that's the most terrible thing of all, that it won't end.
The reason your 'choice' is so simple, as you say, is because you don't get killed, but your life style depends on blood of others (assuming you live in US; if not, my appologies).
Your lifestyle doesn't depend on the blood of others? You nation achieved ascendancy without ruthlessly exploiting and manipulating other nations in it's climb? Somehow, I doubt that. You apologized for assuming I am an american. What if I was English? Would my global empire have been excused then? French? Don't tell the Algerians! Russian? Spanish? I'm sure you get the idea.
That aside, the real reason is basic math:
Cambodia: 1.5 to 3 million murdered out of a population of 8 million
Great Purge: 20+ million with possibly more from artificial famines
The Great Terror: Roughly 48,000 out of 27 million during a one year period
versus
Iraq: Roughly 39-43,000 civilian deaths out of 29 million since 2001
It's easy to be against war, but what if the alternative isn't peace?
don't politicians in the US care only about money? is the US better off then?
;P
I think that if I had to choose between Russia during the purges, France during the Terror, Cambodia under the Khymer Rouge, and the USA of the present it wouldn't be a real hard choice.
Seriously, I think most politicians are motivated by what motivates the system they work in: Power. This has a brutality all it's own. To really crank up the body count to insane levels though, you need to have some True Believers trying to make their utopia a reality regardless of who they have to kill to do it.
Editor? More like a compiler. ;P
I was referring to your name calling. If that wasn't obvious, this probably won't be a fruitful conversation for either of us...
The post you were replying to wasn't whining, and you retorted with a strawman attack that implied that him not giving a shit about the Mac platform was the equivalent of tacitly supporting war and atrocities.
"There's money in them thar hills" is not an excuse for twiddling your thumbs and doing nothing. In fact, caring about nothing but money has led to some of the worst atrocities, of all kinds (wars, bullshit laws, dictatorships, you name it) in history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawman
Whether or not it sounds like an excuse to you is a burden we'll all carry to our graves, I'm sure.
That sounds to me like the typical lazy-ass "I don't want to change because it'd cost too much or cost actual effort" general-public bullshit answer. It's easier to name-call than actually try, right?
Physician, heal yourself.
Let me let you into a little secret about why people make games: They like making games, and will do what they can to keep making them. Noone inside much gives a shit about the platform. If you can't make games that sell you won't have an opportunity to make them long. Getting market share for the Mac is Apple's problem. Not EA's, not Bioware's, not anyone else's.
Your strawman argument is pretty amateurish, even by Slashdot standards. I would argue that misdirected idealism is the cause of most of the bloodshed throughout history, not apathy. If Pol Pot, Stalin, and Robespierre had cared about nothing but money their homelands might well be better off.
Really, is that any worse defining yourself by your favorite bands or TV shows?
I don't think there's anything more rewarding (and few things more restful) than working your ass off doing something you love and believe in. Contrariwise, it's hard to work like a dog doing something you think is stupid or worthless.
I always figured most people don't really like their jobs, and slack off as a form of passive aggressive rebellion. It's understandable, but counterproductive. It ends up taking more energy to be lazy than to improve your own situation, whether that be getting ahead where you are or finding something better.
It sounds retarded, but I swear it's true.
oh okay
This is a surprise to me and everyone here.
Or maybe Atlantis, for that matter. 9_9
If you automatically assume anyone who disagrees with you is either stupid or paranoid, you are depriving yourself and the the other of a chance to both learn and teach.
I do not this that an event of this possible magnitude is free of political opportunists on both sides. The cold war is over, and the opportunity to influence environmental policy would give both the UN and Non-Aligned Movement influence of a sort they've never really had before.
Maybe call it the 'Neo Geo'. :P
There's a big difference between pro-intellectual and pro-technically skilled. A useful metaphor might be the difference between science and technology.
Cripple fiiiight!
Either that, or the english are terrible shots. ;)
They've made their decision, now let's see them enforce it.
Pity he's batshit insane.
Well, not totally from scratch. Ayn Rand showed them how.