When we speak of "absolute right and wrongs", we are speaking of societal determinations, not personal determinations.
True, but when you throw in "absolute" you start to dabble into the metaphysical and assume a worldview such that anything CAN be absolute. This is an easy trap to fall into in a Judeo-Christian culture and even easier when the majority of the world subscribes to one monotheistic faith or another.
What you're really trying to assert when you say "absolute right" is that God agrees with me and thus cannot be trumped. Unfortunately, Different all-powerful gods happen to say different things sometimes creating two absolute rights in complete opposition. Guess that always leave moral relativism, doesn't it?
The thing that really scares me about this whole mess is listening to Ashcroft's impassioned pleas demanding powers to seize the assets of terrorists and those who support them, just like the war on drugs. If I can be any more obvious: this is a Bad Thing(tm). First look at the total failure property confiscation has been as a deterrent to narcotrafficing, then discover the rampant corruption of law enforcement, say things like targeting people based on the value of their homes (which are confiscated before trial), instead of their danger to society.
This isnt just an erosion of personal liberty, this is an avalanche. Consider how loosely terrorism can be defined and how closely it seems to parallel sedition.
Band's proceeds from Rage Against the Machine album sales? "They're mine now," sayeth Uncle Sam, "Your lyrics are obviously inciting acts of terrorism, and thus you are complicit."
The UH-60 Blackhawk and AH-64 Apache/Longbow are not your father's helicopters. Both are twin engined and armored to withstand 14.5mm direct hits and 23mm flak
Can't speak for the Apache, but having flown in the Blackhawk, it is a tin can. Twin engines are nice, but the armor just allows small arms fire to ricochet in the cabin to lethal effect. Blackhawks are fragile, note the famous "Blackhawk Down" over Somalia which was dispacted with an rpg.
The chorus of that Song goes "The Stars and Stripes of Corruption, Let's bring it all down!"
Now the guys who flew those planes into the buildings had 1) Serious issues with the United States, be it with the government and/or the capitalists who arguable impose some form of imperialism upon the third world (let's call 'em "developing countries" so then our paternalism toward them will seem more appropriate). and 2) Great Big Huge Brass Balls that they were willing to die for their cause, not in some knee-jerk, fall on the grenade sort of manner, but in a long, well-planned conspiracy.
Now doesn't that sounds a little like what Jello was singing about? Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge DK fan (although Jello comes off as a self important Rockstar at his talks. I try to forgive him, i agree with most of what he says). I think these guys were trying to cause radical revolutionary change in the world by destroying some capitalist institutions, and also by provoking the US into an asymetrical war against elusive targets, something we (Vietnam, War on Drugs) and other large, lumbering powers (Russia in Afganistan, Chechnya) have shown we're not particularly good at.
Sort of like swinging a baseball bat at a swarm of hornets.
May I suggest the first black hole should be placed right on those responsible for yesterday's attck?
Re:MSNBC Article on BinLaden and CIA
on
More On Tragedy
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· Score: 2
In America, we have a figure from history from 1897 named Teddy Roosevelt. He was a wealthy man, who grew up in a privileged situation and who fought on the front lines. He put together his own men - hand chose them - and went to battle. You are like the Middle East version of Teddy Roosevelt.
How dare that fucking bastard compare bin Laden to Roosevelt.
The current administration supposedly believes very strongly in principles of federalism.
I think what you meant to say is how the Republican Party in general are stalwart anti-federalists. Consider when Jesse Helms announced he would not seek re-election (good riddance), he listed among his party's acheivements during his tenure the large amount of power that was devolved from the federal to the state governments. It's all that states' rights crap that southerners bring up as their "real" reason why the Civil War was fought.
Having this in mind, it was very interesting how the Republicans about faced when the Presidential Election was decided at the federal level by the Supreme Court. It again proves your point that they will cave in when real money is on the table.
No, Marriot is ran by _A_ Mormon, not the whole Mormon Church. Big difference.
Ok, the corporation is not run by the church. It is however run by influential church members (plural, it's not just Mr. Marriot), who are generally fundamentalist and extremely conservative. This is of course, mitigated by the fact that Marriot is a publicly traded corporation accountable to shareholders. This mitigating factor probably has alot to do with why you can rent pay-per-view porn in their hotel rooms.
My whole point was that it is possible to divorce oneself of hangups about porn when there is $$ involved. Especially when you're company is in the red. Why not explore all possible markets for your technology?
I work for a company (albeit in a very junior position) which is big into Haptic IP, liscencing technology and such. We do all kinds of neat stuff with haptics, but porn has always been the big inside joke, yuk-yuk, can't wait til we get our liscencing agreement with RealDoll...yuk-yuk.
In all seriousness, what's the big deal? Porn's is big business, and it's good money. Just because we could make money off of it doesn't mean we become nasty porn mongers. I mean, look how much money people like Marriot, run by the friggin mormons, makes off of pay per view porn. Doesn't make them a porn company.
I really think we need to develop this market. Maybe then my options could be worth something...
In all honesty, paying attention to your actions is the same thing any brick and mortar shop owner can do why watching you walk down the aisles
No. I am using my hardware, and my bandwidth and watching it in my home. This is more like Victoria's Secret setting up an X10 in my bathroom to do "market research" on how i view their catalog.
I wish I had moderator points for this terrific comment. Having none, I will therefore sacrifice karma to the ill-tempered god of off-topic meta-moderation.
I'd mention Weird Stuff in Sunnyvale, CA with it's friggin WAREHOUSE full of used..well..stuff. but then again, if you live in the valley, you know about this place already..right?
Slashdot Mirror
Question: is your sig a refence of the Get Up Kids or straight back from Pee Wee?
if im going to spend 420, I'm going to smoke it too.
PULL!
True, but when you throw in "absolute" you start to dabble into the metaphysical and assume a worldview such that anything CAN be absolute. This is an easy trap to fall into in a Judeo-Christian culture and even easier when the majority of the world subscribes to one monotheistic faith or another.
What you're really trying to assert when you say "absolute right" is that God agrees with me and thus cannot be trumped. Unfortunately, Different all-powerful gods happen to say different things sometimes creating two absolute rights in complete opposition. Guess that always leave moral relativism, doesn't it?
This isnt just an erosion of personal liberty, this is an avalanche. Consider how loosely terrorism can be defined and how closely it seems to parallel sedition.
Band's proceeds from Rage Against the Machine album sales? "They're mine now," sayeth Uncle Sam, "Your lyrics are obviously inciting acts of terrorism, and thus you are complicit."
Where is John Galt when we need him?
True. If you go back and re-read the article, Gartner recommends replacing IIS with CowboyNeal.
Can't speak for the Apache, but having flown in the Blackhawk, it is a tin can. Twin engines are nice, but the armor just allows small arms fire to ricochet in the cabin to lethal effect. Blackhawks are fragile, note the famous "Blackhawk Down" over Somalia which was dispacted with an rpg.
How did this really make it on Slashdot? and from a website called "whatreallyhappened" gimme a break.
Maybe if there were some theory about how Bill Gates is using XP as a tool to gain dictatorship..
sick...but damn funny.
The chorus of that Song goes "The Stars and Stripes of Corruption, Let's bring it all down!"
Now the guys who flew those planes into the buildings had 1) Serious issues with the United States, be it with the government and/or the capitalists who arguable impose some form of imperialism upon the third world (let's call 'em "developing countries" so then our paternalism toward them will seem more appropriate). and 2) Great Big Huge Brass Balls that they were willing to die for their cause, not in some knee-jerk, fall on the grenade sort of manner, but in a long, well-planned conspiracy.
Now doesn't that sounds a little like what Jello was singing about? Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge DK fan (although Jello comes off as a self important Rockstar at his talks. I try to forgive him, i agree with most of what he says). I think these guys were trying to cause radical revolutionary change in the world by destroying some capitalist institutions, and also by provoking the US into an asymetrical war against elusive targets, something we (Vietnam, War on Drugs) and other large, lumbering powers (Russia in Afganistan, Chechnya) have shown we're not particularly good at.
Sort of like swinging a baseball bat at a swarm of hornets.
May I suggest the first black hole should be placed right on those responsible for yesterday's attck?
How dare that fucking bastard compare bin Laden to Roosevelt.
OT, but you get mega bonus points for having a FEAR sig.
I think what you meant to say is how the Republican Party in general are stalwart anti-federalists. Consider when Jesse Helms announced he would not seek re-election (good riddance), he listed among his party's acheivements during his tenure the large amount of power that was devolved from the federal to the state governments. It's all that states' rights crap that southerners bring up as their "real" reason why the Civil War was fought.
Having this in mind, it was very interesting how the Republicans about faced when the Presidential Election was decided at the federal level by the Supreme Court. It again proves your point that they will cave in when real money is on the table.
/END LIBERAL RANT
Don't Blame Me, I Voted Green.
I guess I'll have to start planning early for the next party in 2032.
Ok, the corporation is not run by the church. It is however run by influential church members (plural, it's not just Mr. Marriot), who are generally fundamentalist and extremely conservative. This is of course, mitigated by the fact that Marriot is a publicly traded corporation accountable to shareholders. This mitigating factor probably has alot to do with why you can rent pay-per-view porn in their hotel rooms.
My whole point was that it is possible to divorce oneself of hangups about porn when there is $$ involved. Especially when you're company is in the red. Why not explore all possible markets for your technology?
In all seriousness, what's the big deal? Porn's is big business, and it's good money. Just because we could make money off of it doesn't mean we become nasty porn mongers. I mean, look how much money people like Marriot, run by the friggin mormons, makes off of pay per view porn. Doesn't make them a porn company.
I really think we need to develop this market. Maybe then my options could be worth something...
No. I am using my hardware, and my bandwidth and watching it in my home. This is more like Victoria's Secret setting up an X10 in my bathroom to do "market research" on how i view their catalog.
Good Job Angst, terrific post.
Didn't anyone else get laid off? Was your Bush tax refund just a little bigger than mine?
I can't read these articles anymore. I'm going back to my Top Ramen.
May I direct you to here [no joke]
I'd mention Weird Stuff in Sunnyvale, CA with it's friggin WAREHOUSE full of used..well..stuff. but then again, if you live in the valley, you know about this place already..right?
At least its a little more appropriate...
i nominate CowboyNeal for next year's Hugo.
http://198.182.127.234/~weirdcrap/chick/