The destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center was such a horrendous event that it required a strong response. But the President committed a fundamental error in thinking: the fact that the terrorists are manifestly evil does not make whatever counter-actions we take automatically good. What we do to combat terrorism may also be wrong. Recognizing that we may be wrong is the foundation of an open society. President Bush admits no doubt and does not base his decisions on a careful weighing of reality. For 18 months after 9/11 he managed to suppress all dissent. That is how he could lead the nation so far in the wrong direction.
So far all I have heard from the right has been personal attacks on Soros ("what about the Hitler jibe," "what about all his money") rather than actually try to refute anything he actually says. He must be doing something right.
George Soros is many things, but a liberal lefty he ain't! Ever read his book 'On Globalisation?' Interesting read, if a bit difficult to get a grasp of some of the concepts since I don't have an economics degree. But he isn't one of these clueless anti-globalisation protesters who wear Gap T-shirts. He has well-considered views about how the international financial institutions (IMF, WTO, and World Bank) could be reformed to help them better achieve their stated goals.
Virgin launched the worlds prototype discount airline
Actually, it was Freddy Laker's 'Skytrain' launched in 1973 that was the first no-frills airline. You turned up at the airport like at a train station, no advance booking, food for sale on the plame if you want it, or bring your own fish & chips.
Laker found himself falling victim to dirty tricks from BOAC, (a forerunner of British Airways) that put him out of business. I remember a documentary showing Branson talking to Laker years later when BA were up to their old tricks against Virgin and Laker's advice was straightforward. "Sue the b@$#@*&s!" he said.
According to the Wikipedia article, "As a tribute to Laker Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways later named one of its Boeing 747s The Spirit of Sir Freddie."
Since wishing it away is not going to end the two-party system at Presidential level, would it not be better if people of a 'green' persuasion were to try and influence policy from within the Democratic party?
9 terrestrial channels in UK
on
Ceefax Turns 30
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· Score: 1
If you live in Northern Ireland you can get BBC1, BBC 2, ITV, Ch4, then the southern channels RTE1, RTE2, TV3, and TG4. Because you're in the north, you don't have to pay the license fee for the semi-state broadcaster RTE, but you do have to pay the license fee for the BBC. I also believe that people on the west coast of Wales can pick up the RTE signal.
I've refuted this line of 'reasoning' in my jounral. Have a look. Flash, when implemented properly, is the perfect tool for delivering content in certain applications where a lot of interaction is required. It is a lot more efficient than re-loading a whole page of HTML just for the sake of updating a few words on it. If the whole page changes, then HTML begins to have an advantage.
Please don't present an argument about technical issues based on how you 'hate' a technology. We have to examine technologies and their implementation on their own merits, not based on emotion.
Oh please don't mention Flash on here, the Flash-bashers will be on to you in a flash denouncing this Flash-based interface because it's implemented in Flash.
Re:Rest of the world doesn't have free press
on
Mock World Vote
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· Score: 3, Informative
Considering the the we are one of the very few countries that has the freedom of the press written into our core documents....
Then perhaps you can point me in the direction of the American media that reported that Hugo Chavez of Venezuala didn't resign but was actually kidnapped during the failed coup attempt (allegedly CIA-backed) several years back? Perhaps you can tell me where in the American press I can read about in-depth investigations into the theft of the Florida election in 2000? I'd love to know because so far I've had to get that info from the BBC!
Free press in the US? Give me a break!
Re:Fear... Anger... Aggression
on
Mock World Vote
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· Score: 1
In American politics, the opinion of the rest of the world amounts to about the same as toilet water.
It's a nice idea, but it brings its own problems. There was an experiment at the last local elections in the UK where some councils were elected exclusively by absentee ballot. There was anecdotal evidence that some people (mostly Indian/Pakistani women) were pressured by male family members in which way to vote. The advantage of a polling booth is the privacy of it.
While paper is invaluable in testing, it becomes a more complex issue in actual voting, because now you have 60,000,000 pieces of paper to deal with. Which means machine counting of those pieces of paper, which brings us back to square one...machines we might not trust.
Only if you assume that the paper has to be counted by machine. If the paper is countable by hand, it is verifiable by hand in the event of a recount.
Recently, they had a recall election in Venezuela. Because of the long history of cheating in Venezuelan elections, Chavez asked Jimmy Carter and his merry crew of election monitors to certify that the election was valid. He did so, and Chavez remains in power.
Except Thursday it was reported in the Wall Street Journal that Carter got hoodwinked.
Well if it's in the Wall Street Journal then it must be true! Does the Wall Street Journal show the same scepticism about the 2000 election in Florida as it does about Mr Chavez? Of course not. Hugo isn't a market fundamentalist, so how could he possibly have won fair and square? Never mind that the people actually support him. The Bush administration is quoted as saying that Chavez's being elected by "a majority of voters" did not confer "legitimacy" on the Venezuelan government. But then Mr Bush would know all about that, wouldn't he?
Excuse me, but has anyone actually stood up and listed the benefits of electronic voting? I have yet to see any tangible benefits. The only advantage I can think of is that the news networks get the result a little earlier. Potentially losing democratic control is a bit of a high price to pay for satisfying the impatience of.... whoever it is that wants to see the election results a few hours sooner. What's the ruch to see the results so soon anyway? It's more fun to sit there overnight watching the results come in as they are counted by hand. Hell, election night in the UK is great entertainment. I remember getting the beers in and holding an overnight vigil with my brothers, watching the 'safe' Tory seats drop one by one as tony Blair was swept to victory for the first time. Nice!
However, I digress.
Electronic voting does not encourage more people to vote, they still have to get off their backsides and go to a polling station regardless of whether they are greeted by a CRT or a pencil and paper. This idea that electronic voting is better for democracy is nothing but a myth.
Slashdot Mirror
So far all I have heard from the right has been personal attacks on Soros ("what about the Hitler jibe," "what about all his money") rather than actually try to refute anything he actually says. He must be doing something right.
George Soros is many things, but a liberal lefty he ain't! Ever read his book 'On Globalisation?' Interesting read, if a bit difficult to get a grasp of some of the concepts since I don't have an economics degree. But he isn't one of these clueless anti-globalisation protesters who wear Gap T-shirts. He has well-considered views about how the international financial institutions (IMF, WTO, and World Bank) could be reformed to help them better achieve their stated goals.
Are you sure you read the article? You can print the piece of paper from their website.
I made an omelette.
Since wishing it away is not going to end the two-party system at Presidential level, would it not be better if people of a 'green' persuasion were to try and influence policy from within the Democratic party?
If you live in Northern Ireland you can get BBC1, BBC 2, ITV, Ch4, then the southern channels RTE1, RTE2, TV3, and TG4. Because you're in the north, you don't have to pay the license fee for the semi-state broadcaster RTE, but you do have to pay the license fee for the BBC. I also believe that people on the west coast of Wales can pick up the RTE signal.
I don't know why you were modded down for that, it's a perfectly reasonable comment which I happen to agree with.
Letter to Slugger O'Toole
Please don't present an argument about technical issues based on how you 'hate' a technology. We have to examine technologies and their implementation on their own merits, not based on emotion.
Oh please don't mention Flash on here, the Flash-bashers will be on to you in a flash denouncing this Flash-based interface because it's implemented in Flash.
MS is To Hurt Linux Via USB Enhancements according to Cringely. I bet you didn't know that!
"False analogy" would be more appropriate.
Free press in the US? Give me a break!
A study funded by British Nuclear Fuels today found that men who live near the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria have bigger dicks.
It's a nice idea, but it brings its own problems. There was an experiment at the last local elections in the UK where some councils were elected exclusively by absentee ballot. There was anecdotal evidence that some people (mostly Indian/Pakistani women) were pressured by male family members in which way to vote. The advantage of a polling booth is the privacy of it.
However, I digress.
Electronic voting does not encourage more people to vote, they still have to get off their backsides and go to a polling station regardless of whether they are greeted by a CRT or a pencil and paper. This idea that electronic voting is better for democracy is nothing but a myth.
Indeed. Like The Italian Job. How dare they re-make The Italian Job! It was a timeless freaking classic!
Sorry, I've been living in America too long and I seem to have ended up thinking that guns make people safer.