FWIW, the Soviet and Wiemar constitutiions also promised personal freedoms very much like the US constitution does.
The long and short of it is, these documents are never more than a statement of good intentions. Our rights are not granted by the state or the constitution that it purports to follow. Our rights are intrinsic to our humanity, and the reason that we institute governments is to secure those rights. When a government fails to do so, it's the right of the people to overthrow that government.
I think it can basically be argued that there never was a true Communist state, at least as Marx and Engels thought there would be.
Well, that's the standard communist cop-out. "Oh, never mind Stalin and Pol Pot! They weren't real communists." The fact is, every regime that's billed itself as communist has brutally opressed the people under its command. That's why it's just as stupid and evil to be a communist as it is to be a Nazi.
Chinese like to remind me too often that my country only has 200 years history. Eventually I got annoyed by this and said "What are you talking about? Your country has only been around for about 50yrs? (people's republic of china)"
You could also point out that the history of our nation (as opposed to our government) arguably starts with the foundation of Virginia in the 1600's. That puts it in the later Ming dynasty, FWIW.
Her crime was to protest in an unreasonable place, i.e. where the press and public could see her.
What a load of tripe.
They could also see her perfectly well in LaFayette park, right across the street from the white house. Cindy Sheehan has no shortage of publicity.
Getting arrested in DC isn't news. It's standard procedure for anyone who wants to yell "Help, help, I'm being opressed!". A hoard of local DC larval politicians have done it, anti-abortion protestors have done it, tax protestors have done it, commies have done it, Nazis have done it, people opposed to Robert Bork's nomination to the supreme court have done it, and the list goes on and on.
All it is, is a waste of taxpayers' money. When cops are busy obliging the protestors who want to be arrested to get their brownie points, they're not catching burglars or getting drunks off the roads.
All except Cindy Sheehan, who was arrested for protesting in Washington yesterday.
Bullshit. She was arrested for sitting down on the sidewalk, knowing full well that in DC, picketers have to keep moving. That applies to all protestors, right or left.
One acquaintance of mine is convinced that he's entitled to promotions because he got his ticket punched by getting a degree from a fairly decent school about two decades ago. Since that time, he's shown no initiative at all, and just whines when people he considers inferior to him pass him on the career ladder.
So if a child steals from a store that they go to without a parent,
If that happens, the child is dealt with by officers of the court, who are supposed to have some sense of proportion. That is to say, they don't try to get a fine of tens of thousands of dollars as a punishment for stealing a one-dollar soda.
There are quite a few gas wells around the country that don't produce enough to be worthwhile commercially, but are fine for powering a house or two. I know an elderly couple (old friends of the family) who have an old gas well on their property in the hills in Pennsylvania, and they have mostly gas appliances. They haven't gone ahead and installed a gas-powered generator yet, though.
What's the operating cost of your fuel cells like?
They may fight it, but allowing it isn't up to them. Ever since Travis Price won his first lawsuit against Con Ed over the windmill in New York that was driving his power meter backwards, the utilities have been on the defensive.
Well, for the rope hanging from the ballon, the greatest tension will be at the top of the rope. For the space elevator, I believe the greatest tension would be at the center of mass of the entire elevator, including the counterweight.
I have to imagine that this technology will be cost-prohibitive enough to either lack practicality or to be available to the rich.
So what?
Every new medical technology is expensive. Even soap and sterile bandages used to be beyond the reach of the average European peasant. Eventually though, people figure out how to bring the costs down, and more and more people benefit.
Slashdot Mirror
I'll take that as a "no". Thanks for playing.
-jcr
The only sad part is that those few Communists left still take themselves so very seriously.
They're like a latent infection. Whenever there's an economic downturn, they'll boil up again.
-jcr
Since BT is ALREADY free on both sides, where are the dollars coming from?
Content with ads, and sites where you pay to get the tracker.
-jcr
FWIW, the Soviet and Wiemar constitutiions also promised personal freedoms very much like the US constitution does.
The long and short of it is, these documents are never more than a statement of good intentions. Our rights are not granted by the state or the constitution that it purports to follow. Our rights are intrinsic to our humanity, and the reason that we institute governments is to secure those rights. When a government fails to do so, it's the right of the people to overthrow that government.
-jcr
I think it can basically be argued that there never was a true Communist state, at least as Marx and Engels thought there would be.
Well, that's the standard communist cop-out. "Oh, never mind Stalin and Pol Pot! They weren't real communists." The fact is, every regime that's billed itself as communist has brutally opressed the people under its command. That's why it's just as stupid and evil to be a communist as it is to be a Nazi.
-jcr
Chinese like to remind me too often that my country only has 200 years history.
Eventually I got annoyed by this and said "What are you talking about? Your country has only been around for about 50yrs? (people's republic of china)"
You could also point out that the history of our nation (as opposed to our government) arguably starts with the foundation of Virginia in the 1600's. That puts it in the later Ming dynasty, FWIW.
-jcr
Her crime was to protest in an unreasonable place, i.e. where the press and public could see her.
What a load of tripe.
They could also see her perfectly well in LaFayette park, right across the street from the white house. Cindy Sheehan has no shortage of publicity.
Getting arrested in DC isn't news. It's standard procedure for anyone who wants to yell "Help, help, I'm being opressed!". A hoard of local DC larval politicians have done it, anti-abortion protestors have done it, tax protestors have done it, commies have done it, Nazis have done it, people opposed to Robert Bork's nomination to the supreme court have done it, and the list goes on and on.
All it is, is a waste of taxpayers' money. When cops are busy obliging the protestors who want to be arrested to get their brownie points, they're not catching burglars or getting drunks off the roads.
-jcr
All except Cindy Sheehan, who was arrested for protesting in Washington yesterday.
Bullshit. She was arrested for sitting down on the sidewalk, knowing full well that in DC, picketers have to keep moving. That applies to all protestors, right or left.
-jcr
Mind making a suggestion?
I'm using Safari, and I checked the "block pop-up windows" option about, oh, two years ago. I didn't see any pop-ups when I followed the link.
-jcr
One acquaintance of mine is convinced that he's entitled to promotions because he got his ticket punched by getting a degree from a fairly decent school about two decades ago. Since that time, he's shown no initiative at all, and just whines when people he considers inferior to him pass him on the career ladder.
-jcr
There's a flip side to that:
"So, you know how to use an eyedropper and a band-aid?"
"Yes"
"Great! We have a conract to provide Neurology services, and we want you to fake it. Here's your lab coat."
-jcr
If you can make the arguement that society is better off without public funding for any of those things, then you're full of crap.
Can you make an argument without building a battalion of straw men?
-jcr
You're such an asshole.
More to the point, he's a bigot.
-jcr
Never, ever, ever link to a site with that level of popups.
The site has popups?
Why aren't you using a better browser?
-jcr
So if a child steals from a store that they go to without a parent,
If that happens, the child is dealt with by officers of the court, who are supposed to have some sense of proportion. That is to say, they don't try to get a fine of tens of thousands of dollars as a punishment for stealing a one-dollar soda.
-jcr
There are quite a few gas wells around the country that don't produce enough to be worthwhile commercially, but are fine for powering a house or two. I know an elderly couple (old friends of the family) who have an old gas well on their property in the hills in Pennsylvania, and they have mostly gas appliances. They haven't gone ahead and installed a gas-powered generator yet, though.
What's the operating cost of your fuel cells like?
-jcr
The utilities will never allow it.
They may fight it, but allowing it isn't up to them. Ever since Travis Price won his first lawsuit against Con Ed over the windmill in New York that was driving his power meter backwards, the utilities have been on the defensive.
-jcr
Well, for the rope hanging from the ballon, the greatest tension will be at the top of the rope. For the space elevator, I believe the greatest tension would be at the center of mass of the entire elevator, including the counterweight.
-jcr
Taxes are used for the good of the community,
If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you.
-jcr
I have to imagine that this technology will be cost-prohibitive enough to either lack practicality or to be available to the rich.
So what?
Every new medical technology is expensive. Even soap and sterile bandages used to be beyond the reach of the average European peasant. Eventually though, people figure out how to bring the costs down, and more and more people benefit.
-jcr
We're kind of drifiting off the topic, here. You can ping me at jcr at mac dot com if you'd like to know more.
-jcr
Um... I haven't worked for Apple for several months now.
-jcr
God promised that the cure for cancer would be discovered at Oral Roberts University! Oral even said so!
-jcr
They take a blood sample from the patient, and then use the nanowires to test it.
-jcr
Considering the project would be paid by their tax dollars, they are investing their own money.
No.
Since it's tax money, it's not just their own money, but also money taken from those who do not support the project.
-jcr