The State. It was a good idea before the the corporations got powerful enough to buy entire governments.
But you've got a point. I guess there is no escape. The State, which should keep the reins on the private enterprise, has become overrun by the greedy profit-mongers.
That's the problem with environmentalists. They're alarmists.
Even if that was true I'd still rather be an alarmist than dogmatically block everything that's contrary to my beliefs in endless economic growth (which is an insane concept, of course).
Alarmist: "Watch out, something's might not be right here! Think about what you are doing! Proceed with caution!"
You: "Don't worry, be happy. There's nothing wrong. Keep on consuming and making more money for me!"
In my opinion the industrialised world could very well reduce the standards of living. I do not mean scaling down something like health care, but limiting private car ownership, non-essential industry etc. Just to be on the safe side.
The State at least makes an attempt in democracy. Corporations would be perfectly happy with pure tyranny of money (=unbridled capitalism). So yes. I will accept the rule by the State instead that of "free corporations" any day. Corporations and free capitalism are giving you a "free society" as long as you are ready to join the pack of predators feeding on the weak of the society. That's how profit's really made.
Your reply is so full of crap that for a while I thought about not even bothering to reply to it.
PCs are not toxic, at least not in any substantial way.
Go ahead. Bury your head in the sand. It won't make the problem go away.
anti-consumerism
This is something I've never understood.
ANYTHING, no matter how well argumented, that even remotely suggests that the insane consumption levels of the natural resources might not be a good thing is instantly labelled as anti-consumerism == socialism == communism == worse than death and straight from satans mind.
Please tell me, how will free trade and consumption benefit you when you and the rest of the human kind has gone extinct because of the crap your precious "free" enterprise produced.
Ok, now that you got your ridiculous commies-are-coming diabtre done, please tell me oh Mr. Right-wing zealot, what practical means do you offer then for controlling this form of pollution?
Or do you side with GWB and his big business buddies and think that the problem goes away by pretending it's not real? That if we should just let the corporations do whatever they want, the world would magically turn into a better place?
If they want money to do this, take it out of one of the useless programs they already spend my tax dollars on.
Let me guess. Health care, research for environmentally safe energy sources, public transportation and schooling but NOT the military? On the contrary, start with the military. It poured ridiculous amounts of money into a bottomless pit of black projects and useless hardware even before the 9/11. Now they got 15% increase in budget, so there's plenty of your tax money going waste there.
Ultima series was not exactly a multiplayer game, but I think it serves as an excellent example of how a brilliant game is destroyed by demands for "realistic" graphics.
With bare-minimum graphics like Ultima III on C64 all the action took place in your own mind -- the best virtual reality/graphics engine ever developed.
When the series moved onto a sort of 3d graphics in Ultima VI the whole atmosphere changed. Suddenly you had these STUPID, squeaky-clean looking characters on the screen instead of the rough bunch of veterans you always had imagined. All the monsters were pitiful caricatures of the nightmares I had fought in the earlier Ultima episodes. In short, the whole game was fucked up because you were being forcefed the (annoying) vision of the game developers.
game graphics will be indistinguishable from real life
Sigh. And what's the point in that when the purpose of the games is to help you to spend some time away from the reality!?
Yes it is going to go over quite fine when you explain the reason for it.
I don't know about you but my otherwise relaxed and liberal grandparents would be ready to impose cruel and unusual punishments on the spammers who keep filling their mailbox with crap.
People abuse drugs. Whos fault is that? People abuse alcohol... whos fault is that? not mine!
You're absolutely right. It is not your fault. It is not my fault. And, sometimes, it is not THEIR fault. To my mind it is OUR fault -- the society has failed. Neither capitalism, libertarianism or communism has provided an adequate solution to this problem. After all the blood, sweat and tears of the human history we still haven't figured out the best form of society.
Yet, as a member of the society you do share the responsibility for these individuals and it also means a financial contribution -- anything else is worth nothing. The primary function of the society is to provide security and decent basic living standards for all. The individual's right to prosperity comes after the primary needs like proper healthcare and food for all are at a reasonable level in the society. If you wish to be a member of the society and enjoy its benefits (like roads, for instance) it is perfectly reasonable to request in turn that you pay for some of its functions. Taxation is the way to do it. And don't complain about not having control over the way your money is being spent. You vote for the people who decide that.
You see, you seem to be so proud of your "hard work to success" that you are blinded by it. Not everyone can achieve the same. There are people who either physically or mentally incapable of getting out of the shithole they were born into. It doesn't mean they are slackers! According to your philosophy the society should just abandon these poor people and wait for themselves to "shape up". That's like saying "get a grip" to a clinically depressed. Both are impossible requests because the reasons for depression and most often poverty are beyond the individual's control. A clinically depressed individual cannot fix his brain chemistry by thought anymore than someone with IQ 80 will find it hard to get a decent job in the current high tech society.
As much as it takes to guarantee a decent standard of living (schooling, transportation and health care) for all.
How long do you think this can go on and remain a functional system?
I wouldn't call a society that chooses to neglect its less fortunate members functional either.
BTW, it is interesting that you used a word "system" which to me suggests that you view the society more as a means of production and profit than a collective of sentient and equally valuable human beings.
Sorry, the poor are poor because of the choices they make.
Yeah, right Mr. Winner.
It's like these people chose to be poor, get abused and abuse themselves and others in turn. There are slackers who could do better if the wanted. They are, however, a minority. Most of the poor people have either a social (being born to a dysfunctional family/poor society) or genetical background (low IQ for instance) to blame.
What you are saying is equivalent to: "Let's kill all the handicapped people. I'm a greedy bastard who doesn't give a shit about fellow human beings and won't give a penny of MY MONEY (!!!) to support these sub-humans. It's really their fault."
why not use a bit of the huge percentage of the taxes used for millitary spending
An excellent idea.
GWB has just made the largest increase (15% !) in the military spending in twenty years. Guess where the money comes from? Correct. Public spending. His tax and spending cuts will put the US Government in deficit for the first time since 1997.
Slashdot Mirror
After looking at it for a while I think I can see a pterodactyl.
Anyone recall Lessig's "Ask Slashdot" answers. He gave us all hell about whining here on Slashdot but doing nothing practical.
I am growing more and more envious of the anti-globalisation people. Hell, at least they DO something else than whine about it!
They both are brilliant innovations by Microsoft that will carry us all into the wonderful future on the information superhighway!
The State. It was a good idea before the the corporations got powerful enough to buy entire governments.
But you've got a point. I guess there is no escape. The State, which should keep the reins on the private enterprise, has become overrun by the greedy profit-mongers.
Even if that was true I'd still rather be an alarmist than dogmatically block everything that's contrary to my beliefs in endless economic growth (which is an insane concept, of course).
Alarmist: "Watch out, something's might not be right here! Think about what you are doing! Proceed with caution!"
You: "Don't worry, be happy. There's nothing wrong. Keep on consuming and making more money for me!"
In my opinion the industrialised world could very well reduce the standards of living. I do not mean scaling down something like health care, but limiting private car ownership, non-essential industry etc. Just to be on the safe side.
The State at least makes an attempt in democracy. Corporations would be perfectly happy with pure tyranny of money (=unbridled capitalism). So yes. I will accept the rule by the State instead that of "free corporations" any day. Corporations and free capitalism are giving you a "free society" as long as you are ready to join the pack of predators feeding on the weak of the society. That's how profit's really made.
My statements makes perfect sense in Corporate-English.
Fair business means unlimited right to profit in corpospeak.
Corporations can get as unconstitutional as they want as long as they can be sure that no-one can sue them up to the Supreme Court.
That's money.
Hence, given the pro big business mentality of the current administration, GPL will be thrown out of the court. Just watch it happen.
PCs are not toxic, at least not in any substantial way.
Go ahead. Bury your head in the sand. It won't make the problem go away.
anti-consumerism
This is something I've never understood.
ANYTHING, no matter how well argumented, that even remotely suggests that the insane consumption levels of the natural resources might not be a good thing is instantly labelled as anti-consumerism == socialism == communism == worse than death and straight from satans mind.
Please tell me, how will free trade and consumption benefit you when you and the rest of the human kind has gone extinct because of the crap your precious "free" enterprise produced.
Then why is MPAA hell-bent on eradicating DeCSS from the face of the earth?
It doesn't promote mass copying since decryption is not required for it.
Face it. MPAA wants to take all your fair use rights away.
Or do you side with GWB and his big business buddies and think that the problem goes away by pretending it's not real? That if we should just let the corporations do whatever they want, the world would magically turn into a better place?
If they want money to do this, take it out of one of the useless programs they already spend my tax dollars on.
Let me guess. Health care, research for environmentally safe energy sources, public transportation and schooling but NOT the military? On the contrary, start with the military. It poured ridiculous amounts of money into a bottomless pit of black projects and useless hardware even before the 9/11. Now they got 15% increase in budget, so there's plenty of your tax money going waste there.
Given the current "business friendly" government, they will probably sue any blockers and win. After all, blocking advertising must hurt the consumer.
Send spam to a million people. Assume standard IQ distribution and you've got PLENTY of people at the bottom of the curve responding to your stuff.
With bare-minimum graphics like Ultima III on C64 all the action took place in your own mind -- the best virtual reality/graphics engine ever developed.
When the series moved onto a sort of 3d graphics in Ultima VI the whole atmosphere changed. Suddenly you had these STUPID, squeaky-clean looking characters on the screen instead of the rough bunch of veterans you always had imagined. All the monsters were pitiful caricatures of the nightmares I had fought in the earlier Ultima episodes. In short, the whole game was fucked up because you were being forcefed the (annoying) vision of the game developers.
game graphics will be indistinguishable from real life
Sigh. And what's the point in that when the purpose of the games is to help you to spend some time away from the reality!?
That's not actually a bad idea. Check out the earlier AC post about cellphone spam to kids in Europe.
I don't know about you but my otherwise relaxed and liberal grandparents would be ready to impose cruel and unusual punishments on the spammers who keep filling their mailbox with crap.
I'd like to see a rebuttal to this drivel by a female Slashdot reader.
Apologies for the atrocious grammar in the parent post... I guess it's about the time to go to sleep.
You're absolutely right. It is not your fault. It is not my fault. And, sometimes, it is not THEIR fault. To my mind it is OUR fault -- the society has failed. Neither capitalism, libertarianism or communism has provided an adequate solution to this problem. After all the blood, sweat and tears of the human history we still haven't figured out the best form of society.
Yet, as a member of the society you do share the responsibility for these individuals and it also means a financial contribution -- anything else is worth nothing. The primary function of the society is to provide security and decent basic living standards for all. The individual's right to prosperity comes after the primary needs like proper healthcare and food for all are at a reasonable level in the society. If you wish to be a member of the society and enjoy its benefits (like roads, for instance) it is perfectly reasonable to request in turn that you pay for some of its functions. Taxation is the way to do it. And don't complain about not having control over the way your money is being spent. You vote for the people who decide that.
You see, you seem to be so proud of your "hard work to success" that you are blinded by it. Not everyone can achieve the same. There are people who either physically or mentally incapable of getting out of the shithole they were born into. It doesn't mean they are slackers! According to your philosophy the society should just abandon these poor people and wait for themselves to "shape up". That's like saying "get a grip" to a clinically depressed. Both are impossible requests because the reasons for depression and most often poverty are beyond the individual's control. A clinically depressed individual cannot fix his brain chemistry by thought anymore than someone with IQ 80 will find it hard to get a decent job in the current high tech society.
Ridley Scott is just doing what George Lucas mastered a long time ago. Gouging the sucke... eh, fans.
As much as it takes to guarantee a decent standard of living (schooling, transportation and health care) for all.
How long do you think this can go on and remain a functional system?
I wouldn't call a society that chooses to neglect its less fortunate members functional either.
BTW, it is interesting that you used a word "system" which to me suggests that you view the society more as a means of production and profit than a collective of sentient and equally valuable human beings.
Yeah, right Mr. Winner.
It's like these people chose to be poor, get abused and abuse themselves and others in turn. There are slackers who could do better if the wanted. They are, however, a minority. Most of the poor people have either a social (being born to a dysfunctional family/poor society) or genetical background (low IQ for instance) to blame.
What you are saying is equivalent to: "Let's kill all the handicapped people. I'm a greedy bastard who doesn't give a shit about fellow human beings and won't give a penny of MY MONEY (!!!) to support these sub-humans. It's really their fault."
An excellent idea.
GWB has just made the largest increase (15% !) in the military spending in twenty years. Guess where the money comes from? Correct. Public spending. His tax and spending cuts will put the US Government in deficit for the first time since 1997.
Even small applications with Swing GUI crawl on a 1+ GHz computer. I am afraid to even think about how slow a Swing desktop would be.