I believe you're still looking for specific external events. I do agree with you on most of your argument, however it's also important to recognize that the Soviet Union (which was not really a true Communist country, but really a socialist state which operated more as a form of state controlled capitalism) had to exist within the context of global capitalism. Pointing out the military failure in Afghanistan tends to obscure the issue; by the same logic we could argue that the US was not a superpower because of the inability to wipe Vietnam off the map.
People within the Soviet Union may have also rejected the system largely because of comparison with the rest of the world. Of course there were tons of flaws with the system; they were unable to feed their own people; the system basically did NOT work in many circumstances (as your mention of the Solidarity protests illustrates), however nothing occurs or changes within a vacuum. Thought requires a point of reference.
Of course we cannot be certain about what specific elements "caused" the collapse of the Soviet Union; there was a certain level of overdetermination ocurring; a multitude of factors working together, each of which could be sufficient, but not necessary, let to the collapse. One (not necessarily me) might suggest that it was an inevitability, whether it was due to internal frustrations or external pressures or both (or other factors which we haven't even begun to discuss).
The Soviet Union did not fall because of Reagan, or any policy of the West. It fell because its own people rejected it, first in the satelite states, finally in Moscow.
there may be some elements of truth in this, however events like this do not occur in a vacuum. Why did the people reject it?
Place this in the context of a cold war, wherein the Soviet Union, which was nowhere near as wealthy a country than the US, was forced to spend a much greater percent of their GDP on defense (yes, the US spent more, but the Soviets spent a higher percent). What happens is that money which could have been spent on other things (such as feeding the people) gets re-directed to missle silos. As a result, you end up with a highly disgruntled population.
so, yes... the Soviet Union may have crumbled as a result of internal pressure, this pressure existed within the global context of the cold war. I suppose this may be semantic to you, but it is significant enough not to disregard external influences.
well... you could blame the users, who've been stuck into a work environment with machines that they barely understand, or you could blame the security departments for incompetence and inconsistent policies.
for instance, where i work, they've decided to block any web-based email (through a fairly thick piece of software, which just blocks any site with sendmail includes). This makes some sense, because you really can't trust people, no matter how many times you tell them, not to open attachments... they can't filter through each of these sites which bypass the main email systems..
however... here's the absurd part... they still seem to allow rampant use of peer-to-peer connections. People use AIM all the time... as if this were secure! And security argues that it serves a "business need." ahem.
I mean, if that were the case, nobody would be using AOL (or outlook express, for that matter).
sure this version isn't doing that well, but when the Borg sets it targets on an area of the market, you can be fairly certain that it will eventually be assimilated.
okay... now i'm getting a funny mental image of someone walking around with all that gear...
how many pockets would you need anyway? I think it's time for a neural implant so you can just think about whether you have mail or not and you'll know instantly...
Yes, this is to be granted. However much of alternative medicine is a modern form of snake oil, except for one extremely important point:
Those selling it actually believe that it works, making it much more dangerous.
granted, there is the possibility that some of these methods work, but after removing the placebo effect, many (if not most) do not stand up to rigorous empirical tests. The problem lies in the fact that most people do not even come close to understanding scientific method... people often fear and mistrust what they don't understand. (albeit selectively; it doesn't stop that many from climbing into a plane or getting behind the wheel of car... maybe it should).
absolutely. Amazon understood a basic principle of commerce and marketing... BRANDING.
Most people associate even the concept of purchasing something online with Amazon... they were pioneers, and managed (using linking, etc) to embed themselves in the mind of the consumer. I must admit; even though I may like to think of myself as one who resists marketing, when I need to buy a book online, where's the first place I think of going? Amazon.
Insidious, ain't it?
I am the village idiot i don't have anything to do with this pathetic little opera i just felt like passing through... - PDQ Bach
you are wrong. For instance, there are numerous organizations in germany which are illegal to be a member of...(such as Bader Meinhoff) this is not true in the US.
what Germany does have is a law which forbids the creation of any laws which demean humans, which the US does not have. This is interpreted to include things such as the death penalty (which most of the civilized world considers abhorrent anyway)
It all depends on interpretation of international law. Germany does not have any specific laws which protect freedom of speech (and following that, freedom of expression); you can be prosecuted for saying certain things... it will be interesting to see whether or not German courts can have any effect on an American company.
of course this is all ridiculous anyway... if you don't want people to read it, DON'T PUT IT ONLINE.
the most likely way of tacking on fees would be to give the music an expiration date, such as one month from the date of "purchase." I believe some companies are already doing this...
the recording industry has been looking for years of ways of making people pay for each listen..
quite realisitically, it's not the "superstars" who are the driving force in this business, but the massive amounts of money made by the various recording companies (RIAA).
The role that the "superstars" play is to create a "carrot on the end of a stick" for kids who aspire to be stars, providing an endless supply of wannabe bands. It actually serves the industry well, as long as people believe there's a chance of being successful; it's much like playing the lottery, except that there seems to be an unusual level of delusion among musicians.... a tremendous number actually believe that they will actually be successful. The truth (as anyone who can step far enough away from it to pay attention) is far from that.
However... just because there's a huge market for crap, does not mean that there is not good music elsewhere. Look for those musicians not obsessed with "success"... find the ones doing it because they love playing, and you'll find a lot of gems.
As a general rule, I believe that when money gets mixed with art, the latter suffers.
I really not sure how this exists as evidence against evolution... one really has nothing to do with the other.
changes in climates may change water levels resulting in a city being drowned. If you are arguing that this is somehow some "act of god," though this may be suggestive of such a thing, there is no evidence that confirms your position.
or have I just been trolled?
Slashdot Mirror
People within the Soviet Union may have also rejected the system largely because of comparison with the rest of the world. Of course there were tons of flaws with the system; they were unable to feed their own people; the system basically did NOT work in many circumstances (as your mention of the Solidarity protests illustrates), however nothing occurs or changes within a vacuum. Thought requires a point of reference.
Of course we cannot be certain about what specific elements "caused" the collapse of the Soviet Union; there was a certain level of overdetermination ocurring; a multitude of factors working together, each of which could be sufficient, but not necessary, let to the collapse. One (not necessarily me) might suggest that it was an inevitability, whether it was due to internal frustrations or external pressures or both (or other factors which we haven't even begun to discuss).
there may be some elements of truth in this, however events like this do not occur in a vacuum. Why did the people reject it?
Place this in the context of a cold war, wherein the Soviet Union, which was nowhere near as wealthy a country than the US, was forced to spend a much greater percent of their GDP on defense (yes, the US spent more, but the Soviets spent a higher percent). What happens is that money which could have been spent on other things (such as feeding the people) gets re-directed to missle silos. As a result, you end up with a highly disgruntled population.
so, yes... the Soviet Union may have crumbled as a result of internal pressure, this pressure existed within the global context of the cold war. I suppose this may be semantic to you, but it is significant enough not to disregard external influences.
NOW! Brand new on the Market: MS Relativitiy (future patches coming soon!)
gah, it turns out it was only slightly related... like a third cousin.
(smack me, i know it's an obvious joke)
okay, this one ranks up there with "trees cause pollution" and "ketchup is a vegetable"
uh oh.
of course there's always been public television for avoiding commercials. oh wait... most people aren't interested in intelligent programming anyway.
my approach? turn the damn thing off and go do something else. you only get so much free time in a day anyway.
With just a small amount of Pb, you can get all the Au and Ag you want...
kernel the frog
for instance, where i work, they've decided to block any web-based email (through a fairly thick piece of software, which just blocks any site with sendmail includes). This makes some sense, because you really can't trust people, no matter how many times you tell them, not to open attachments... they can't filter through each of these sites which bypass the main email systems..
however... here's the absurd part... they still seem to allow rampant use of peer-to-peer connections. People use AIM all the time... as if this were secure! And security argues that it serves a "business need." ahem.
I mean, if that were the case, nobody would be using AOL (or outlook express, for that matter).
sure this version isn't doing that well, but when the Borg sets it targets on an area of the market, you can be fairly certain that it will eventually be assimilated.
how many pockets would you need anyway? I think it's time for a neural implant so you can just think about whether you have mail or not and you'll know instantly...
can we get this in monads?
apparently Carrie Nation lives...
Software copying = demon alcohol?
am I stretching this?
not with a bang but with a whimper right? read some of this guy
Those selling it actually believe that it works, making it much more dangerous.
granted, there is the possibility that some of these methods work, but after removing the placebo effect, many (if not most) do not stand up to rigorous empirical tests. The problem lies in the fact that most people do not even come close to understanding scientific method... people often fear and mistrust what they don't understand. (albeit selectively; it doesn't stop that many from climbing into a plane or getting behind the wheel of car... maybe it should).
Most people associate even the concept of purchasing something online with Amazon... they were pioneers, and managed (using linking, etc) to embed themselves in the mind of the consumer. I must admit; even though I may like to think of myself as one who resists marketing, when I need to buy a book online, where's the first place I think of going? Amazon.
Insidious, ain't it?
I am the village idiot i don't have anything to do with this pathetic little opera i just felt like passing through... - PDQ Bach
That would depend on what your definition of "is" is.
what Germany does have is a law which forbids the creation of any laws which demean humans, which the US does not have. This is interpreted to include things such as the death penalty (which most of the civilized world considers abhorrent anyway)
of course this is all ridiculous anyway... if you don't want people to read it, DON'T PUT IT ONLINE.
the recording industry has been looking for years of ways of making people pay for each listen..
The role that the "superstars" play is to create a "carrot on the end of a stick" for kids who aspire to be stars, providing an endless supply of wannabe bands. It actually serves the industry well, as long as people believe there's a chance of being successful; it's much like playing the lottery, except that there seems to be an unusual level of delusion among musicians.... a tremendous number actually believe that they will actually be successful. The truth (as anyone who can step far enough away from it to pay attention) is far from that.
However... just because there's a huge market for crap, does not mean that there is not good music elsewhere. Look for those musicians not obsessed with "success"... find the ones doing it because they love playing, and you'll find a lot of gems.
As a general rule, I believe that when money gets mixed with art, the latter suffers.
I really not sure how this exists as evidence against evolution... one really has nothing to do with the other. changes in climates may change water levels resulting in a city being drowned. If you are arguing that this is somehow some "act of god," though this may be suggestive of such a thing, there is no evidence that confirms your position. or have I just been trolled?
uh huh. right. that will work.
as if anyone in those rooms will actually say anything publicly if someone they don't know is in there.
remember, one can always whisper.
A bugaboo is like a bugbear. Essentially it's something that gets stuck in your "craw."
It often serves as a scapegoat.
or even better.... DOUBLE rot-13 encrypt it.