Yeah, but Texas has no income tax, and housing is affordable. But you do have to put up with 2 groups of jerks: a sizable portion of the texas population (and even a bigger chunk of elected/appointed officials)
the rest of the country who constantly trys to put *everyone* in texas in that group
Ohhh, you mean *those* Texans, the same ones that saw to it that Texas had no income tax and that housing prices remained relatively reasonable.
You like the results, even happy to benefit from the results, but you *don't* like the ideas & policies that accomplished them, nor the people that saw that those ideas and policies were implemented?
I just don't know what can possibly be said, faced with such a critical-logic disconnect.
What you don't seem to understand is that we are all cutting our figurative throats and theirs too if we don't address the problem.
That's something that's still in question (that man is contributing the majority of climate change pressure). Many credible sources say that even if the entire US carbon footprint disappeared overnight, it would only result in *at most* 6-tenths of one degree less global average temperature increase (not NO increase...just slightly less) after 100 years.
Sorry. Humans simply have not yet become advanced enough to be capable of collecting enough data (or even know *what data* to collect) and understanding what it means to a sufficient level of certainty to reduce the living standards, increase death rates, and economically impoverish entire continental populations.
Medieval doctors also thought "bleeding" patients was a perfectly valid treatment for Syphilis. Humans are at a comparable level of understanding regarding planetary climate systems. Anything done may be a case of the cure being worse than the "disease".
But stupid, xenophobic, myopic people like you won't be satisfied until the water is lapping at your feet.
I don't need to say anything here. Your words damage you far more than I could.
If the west doesn't cut back then why should developing nations? The west still produces the most carbon emissions so they don't have any moral authority to insist that China, India or whoever not do the same things that the west has been doing the years
China, India, and the others don't care a whit whether the West does anything concerning carbon or not. They are going to do what they perceive is in their best interests of making themselves richer & more powerful. They simply laugh at the West cutting it's own figurative & collective throats while they eat our lunch.
Well sure, carbon credits are far from perfect, but it provides a financial incentive for a company to relocate to a less-heavily-regulated country (so they can compete and stay in business).
FTFY
Unless the West is willing to go to war with China, India, and the other countries that are rapidly increasing their carbon emissions and who have absolutely no intention of slowing, anything the West does to cut back will have a negligible effect and serve only to reduce the standard of living for everyone and cause more deaths among the poor.
Just because it makes you feel good deep down in your little green cockles doesn't mean it's a good thing.
Now that that stupidity is out of the way (I almost didn't reply because I generally dismiss those who start a post with an ad-hominem as too stupid and clueless to make any rational arguments)...
I no more want the government telling me what I can and can't do with my reproductive system than you want them telling you whether you can or can't purchase and own a firearm.
Agreed. I don't swear any allegiance to either party. I hated the damage the Bushs did. I hated the damage the Clintons have done. Obama is just the latest in a long line from both parties. Both parties are rife with corruption and put reelection above doing the right thing and their oaths of office.
As far as the TEA Party goes, I fail to see any threat there. I've actually taken the time and trouble to find out from first-sources what it *actually* stands for, and not what gets spoon-fed to the clueless and the kool-aid drinkers.
They're nothing like they've been made out to be by those who are *exactly* the same people that want to see more of our freedoms, independence, and hard-earned wealth taken away. Why do you think the "old boys" in *both* major parties attempt to minimize TEA Party influence when politically possible?
Gee, the people actually *in* the government *doing* these things to everyone is saying not to take the grass-roots TEA Party opposition seriously.
Gosh, really? I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you!
Those people with the power who are screwing us wouldn't lie to us about what and who the TEA Party is and what it stands for. Right? I'm sure they wouldn't distort the truth and spread outright lies & propaganda just because voters are organizing to rein-in both party's power. I just hope the TEA Party keeps the special-interest money and "deal making" temptations at bay among their ranks.
The TEA Party, since it *is* a collection of local grass-roots organizations, attracts members with widely-differing social/religious/ideological views. What it's *for* in general terms is smaller, less-intrusive government that doesn't trample people's rights, lower taxes, less over-regulation and interference in the economy, and a more constructionist view of the Constitution.
There's no test to join. There are Bible-thumpers, atheists, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, Mormons, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Methodists, Hindus, blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, etc etc. Each with their own societal views and viewpoints. They've simply found common ground in what the TEA Party stands for as roughly outlined above, as more freedom benefits all people.
By the way, you're aware that there's no "official" national TEA Party leaders or even platform, right? Every local/regional group has different members with differing views outside of the handful of common core principles.
I'm keeping an eye on the TEA Party. If they "sell out" to "establishment" political "Beltway" interests, I'll be right out there in loud & vocal opposition. I'm already not too happy with a couple of the recently-elected Representatives that professed agreement with TEA Party principles that aren't "walking the walk".
Really? Look at it this way: when Germany turned fascist and cheered Hitler, people abroad saw what was happening, and everyone said "Why don't they see where this is going, why won't anyone there stand up and stop it?!".
During the early years of the rise of German National Socialism and Italian Fascism, both governments were widely admired in the US, with a quite large number of US Nazis who were cheered as they held parades, published newsletters, and organized.
They even had a number of large military-style camps. They were widely admired among the Liberal/Progressive "intelligentsia" of the day, as was Il Duce and his fascist Italy.
Unfortunately, nothing much has changed, as current-day US Liberals/Progressives still push for large, powerful, intrusive central government with a top-down, vertical command-&-control view of governance. Even bigotry against Jews has again started to regain popularity among Liberal/Progressives and many of their various organizations like Code Pink.
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was...
Hunger for power & control, with no compunctions against genocide as a political tool.
Taking root *again* right here in the US where, after cleaning up places like Auschwitz, we said as a People; "Never again!".
And we as a people don't want to end up paying for your stupidity.
Fine. Stop paying for it!
I've always been irritated by the "logic" that says "we're implementing a system that forces everyone to participate in the system and that pays for everyone's stupidity, therefor you *must* lose your freedom to make your own choices because your choices might, in some people's opinion, be stupid/risky".
Just another variation on the idea that people cannot be trusted to make any choices for themselves or be expected to take any responsibility for their own actions.
It's one of the most insidious and society-destroying forms of tyranny.
Wouldn't more reasonable prices for new games take the wind out of the huge second-hand games business?
You're crazy.
We set the price. You pay it.
Failure to comply in any way (including just not buying, even if you don't pirate or buy used) makes you a criminal, and we've purchased or are purchasing the laws to prove it.
You've just conceived of the scenario where the possession of a simple incandescent light bulb could be grounds for a charge of treason and punishable by death.
The incandescent light bulb ban might have a secondary benefit; it might increase border security with Mexico.
If "contraband" incandescent bulbs are being smuggled in at the Mexico/US border, the EPA and Progressives will have anti-personnel landmines laid, missile-equipped Predator drones patrolling, and automated gun turrets installed at the border before you can say "mass graves".
Anyone not convinced of your Jewishness need only look to your sig.
Enjoy your weekend.
[sarc] Jesse Jackson, is that you?
A fine example of tolerance, open-mindedness, and a non-bigoted world view. [/sarc]
One need not be Jewish to know that Capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty and given more people a higher standard of living than any other system ever tried. Even China has been forced to acknowledge that fact. One also need not be Jewish to recognize an ignorant bigot. You must be one of the "enlightened, open-minded, and tolerant" Liberal/Progressives.
I'll say a prayer for you that you may become a better, less hateful & bigoted person.
BTW, I'm not Jewish. I'm intellectually honest. I *have* been called a "mensch" a time or two by those who are Jewish, though.:)
Sounds more like an entry for the Darwin Awards than anything that should affect US policy. Or does it not matter when they kill Palestinians, but one cute white American girl and we should go nuts?
Oh no, not at all.
The world gets it's collective panties all in a knot when a Palestinian launching rockets at civilians or a Liberal/Progressive American idiot supporting them gets killed.
Israeli families and children being murdered is OK however, no matter the means or circumstances.
Frankly, I'm amazed the Israelis have shown the restraint they have by not completely and utterly wiping out the West Bank & Gaza.
How do you think that'd work out if the Israeli/Palestinian roles were reversed? I'd be betting there would be a Wiki entry for the "Second Holocaust".
Meanwhile, individuals still have power 1 per person, and both the big governments and corporations begin to see individuals as resources to be harvested instead of fellow power-holders.
Spot on. Brilliant explanation of relative power relationships in the context of this discussion.
[Laurence Fishburne] Welcome to the *real* Matrix, Neo. You have become a commodity, nothing more, existing in an economic and political illusion, kept unaware of your true status with indoctrination masquerading as education while being fed lies by media, incited to class-hatred to keep you divided from your fellows, and having your entire culture and nation's history rewritten to suit the agendas of those in control of the rule and regulation makers that seek to control every aspect of life, even down to thought itself. [/Laurence Fishburne]
what we need is a system with no big governments and no big corporations, where no individual economic unit can accumulate enough power (which capital serves as a proxy for) to be be coercive
So, your solution is to keep everyone equally poor. 0_o
Sure, that'll work out well for the citizens. What a great place that would be to live!
It does have one positive aspect: It would solve the illegal immigration problem. They've got plenty of nothing back where they came from, why travel for it?
Unfortunately that requires many, many politicians & officials across the entire nation with hefty salaries to be covered by taxpayers.
Done and done.
We call them Governors, State Legislatures, and Mayors. We've already got them. We already pay them. We just need to give back much of the power that was taken from them and given to the Federal Government.
There is *ONE* hearing officer doing all of this for every domain and every request. One person. I'm sure he's going to do all the appropriate due-diligence making sure the complainant is a legitimate company who actually sold some vacuum cleaners. Perhaps even a site visit to be sure.
This.
It will end up like the DMCA take-down process in that bogus domain-seizure filings will be rampant and there will be little or no oversight to punish or prevent abuse by those with money & a team of lawyers on retainer.
Just another step on the way to turning the internet into the digital equivalent of "The Shopping Channel".
Either that or you're just ignorant, since if you really believe that capitalism as it's actually practiced in the real world has anything at all in common with F/OSS...
I never said that. Strawman.
In point of fact, I don't believe "Capitalism" IS being currently practiced. At best, it's a type of "Crony Capitalism".
I get the feeling that you feel proud of a system where money can buy anything.
I get the feeling you feel there's actually any real-life "system" where enough money can't buy anything. It's only a matter of price, blatantness, and which things are cheaper than others.
There isn't any system where money can't corrupt, because the system is people and people have been, are, and will forever continue to be corruptible as long as people are people.
The only defense is to make government as weak/small as possible on the national Federal Government scale to make it necessary for a would-be briber to have to bribe many, many politicians & officials across the entire nation instead of a handful or one to have national effect.
The more power given to the current massive central government the more a target for corruption it becomes and the more damage that can be inflicted on the citizens, and the more power shifts to the rich political elite who have the connections and can afford to play.
This is basically just systems analysis, people! A distributed system is less vulnerable to attack at a single or even multiple points. It can also be looked at as the US Constitution representing FOSS and Liberalism/Progressivism representing closed-source proprietary software.
Hold on, hold on people! This isn't some troll/flame. Take a few moments to read and think about it.
FOSS advocates for a distributed, volunteer method of development (Constitutional democracy, checks and balances, & free-market Capitalism) whereas closed-source proprietary software advocates for a central control with closed development and no source code access, restrictive EULA's, TOS's, etc (Liberal/Progressive top-down government command-&-control, centrally-planned/controlled economy, legislation/regulation control of people's behavior).
I know I shouldn't be shocked, but it never ceases to amaze me how many times I hear and read comments from strong FOSS advocates against proprietary software using much of the same logic and many of the same arguments that invalidate Liberalism/Progressivism as viable, fair systems, yet are vocal supporters of the Left when it comes to politics and sneer at the very same logic and arguments they themselves used regarding FOSS vs closed-source proprietary software.
Known Space ends up being pretty big and - Kzinti aside - pretty safe for humans.
Well, except for that whole massive explosion at the core of the galaxy thing, but we've got a couple tens of thousands of years to figure that out, right?:)
Well, if the core explosion has an intelligence behind it's cause, then your sig posits one possible intent:
"This Space Intentionally Left Blank"
Who knows? Might be the initial site-prep for a hyperspace bypass. You could always check at the office on Alpha Centauri. (Helpful Hint: Bring leopard-repelling rock.)
You want an answer? It stops when there are no rich people or poor people.
I want unicorns and ponies to fly out of Janet Napolitano's ass too. Just about as likely to happen. You want a change in basic human nature. As long as humans are human, there will always be rich and poor.
Capitalism is actually the best system ever known for lifting poor people out of poverty and empowering them. It has lifted more people out of poverty and given more of them a higher standard of living and greater economic power than any other system in the history of mankind. It's what enabled the US to go from a joke as a world power to become the most powerful nation on Earth with the highest standard of living for even it's poorest. You can't argue with success.
Capitalism is the only system where wealth is a renewable resource and wealth-creation is possible for anyone regardless of where they start on the economic scale.
Too many people believe falsely that anyone becoming rich takes wealth away from others. It's not a zero-sum game.
What does "reducing the size and scope of the Federal Government" have to do with making the government work for us? If anything, a small government is less able to work for us - it either does nothing, or is more easily captured by the rich and powerful.
A small, relatively-weak Federal Government, by it's very nature of being weak, removes itself almost completely from corporate targeting for control, as there is relatively little a weak Federal Government can do to tilt economic and other factors to any great effect.
Which, of course, is *why* corporations and others spend so much money and go to such lengths to influence those in positions of power in the Federal Government. Why briW^W^W^lobby a politician that doesn't have the power to help you?
As to government working for us, with a smaller/weaker Federal Government comes a shift of power to the States and local government. That puts those politicians who have the most effect on citizen's daily lives and interactions closer to the local voter, and so one person's vote will have more of an effect on their everyday lives.
Instead of, for instance, having to defeat a President and/or Congress to be able to install a toilet of your choice, that regulatory power would be controlled at the State, county, or city level housing codes, and so you are more easily able to empower change in your area without forcing that decision on anyone else in another city/county/State, nor require their approval/vote in turn. This allows for more flexibility in governance. One size doesn't always fit all.
Low-flow toilets might be a worthy thing to enact in places where water supplies are scarce/expensive. It's a waste of time and money, along with being an unneeded imposition on freedom, in places that have far more water than they know what to do with.
All government is local, and so the reverse is true...local government should have the most power as it relates to the governing of individual citizens. Taking power away from local governments like States, counties, cities, etc and giving it to the Federal Government is taking power away from the citizens to control with their vote how & how much government affects their lives.
HAHAHAHAHAHAAA! Funniest thing I've heard all day. Will anyone who thinks our government is working for us speak up?
[crickets]
Thought so...
...And yet, the largest grass-roots citizen group whose goal is to reduce the size & scope of the Federal Government precisely to avoid this kind of heavy-handed un-Constitutional crap is regularly ridiculed and disparaged by most of the posters here who claim to hate this sort of government intrusion and overstepping of powers.
I should form a company and grab some ad space on/. to sell "foot-guns". I'd be able to buy-out both Trump and Soros in a year.
I propose a second "Rule #1" for politicians and government bureaucrats:
Rule #1 For Politicians/Bureaucrats On Board Commercial/Civilian Space Flights: "All flights must be computer-piloted, and must attain maximum possible velocity just before impacting Washington, DC."
Win-win.
The no exploding rule is more important than you think. The damage or destruction of satellites, space stations and spacecraft from collision with debris in Earth's and orbit will become a major problem.
Well, I agree to the extent that a ship-full of politicians & bureaucrats should not explode until it reaches maximum-effect air-burst height over D.C.
It should not go wandering around above sub-orbital altitudes, exploding where it'll create garbage. The whole idea was to reduce garbage to start with.
Think of the mars-children!
I think that's illegal in "red" states, isn't it?:P
That's fine for civilian-crewed/passengered space flights.
I propose a second "Rule #1" for politicians and government bureaucrats:
Rule #1 For Politicians/Bureaucrats On Board Commercial/Civilian Space Flights: "All flights must be computer-piloted, and must attain maximum possible velocity just before impacting Washington, DC."
Slashdot Mirror
Yeah, but Texas has no income tax, and housing is affordable.
But you do have to put up with 2 groups of jerks:
a sizable portion of the texas population (and even a bigger chunk of elected/appointed officials)
the rest of the country who constantly trys to put *everyone* in texas in that group
Ohhh, you mean *those* Texans, the same ones that saw to it that Texas had no income tax and that housing prices remained relatively reasonable.
You like the results, even happy to benefit from the results, but you *don't* like the ideas & policies that accomplished them, nor the people that saw that those ideas and policies were implemented?
I just don't know what can possibly be said, faced with such a critical-logic disconnect.
Strat
What you don't seem to understand is that we are all cutting our figurative throats and theirs too if we don't address the problem.
That's something that's still in question (that man is contributing the majority of climate change pressure). Many credible sources say that even if the entire US carbon footprint disappeared overnight, it would only result in *at most* 6-tenths of one degree less global average temperature increase (not NO increase...just slightly less) after 100 years.
Sorry. Humans simply have not yet become advanced enough to be capable of collecting enough data (or even know *what data* to collect) and understanding what it means to a sufficient level of certainty to reduce the living standards, increase death rates, and economically impoverish entire continental populations.
Medieval doctors also thought "bleeding" patients was a perfectly valid treatment for Syphilis. Humans are at a comparable level of understanding regarding planetary climate systems. Anything done may be a case of the cure being worse than the "disease".
But stupid, xenophobic, myopic people like you won't be satisfied until the water is lapping at your feet.
I don't need to say anything here. Your words damage you far more than I could.
Strat
If the west doesn't cut back then why should developing nations? The west still produces the most carbon emissions so they don't have any moral authority to insist that China, India or whoever not do the same things that the west has been doing the years
China, India, and the others don't care a whit whether the West does anything concerning carbon or not. They are going to do what they perceive is in their best interests of making themselves richer & more powerful. They simply laugh at the West cutting it's own figurative & collective throats while they eat our lunch.
Strat
Well sure, carbon credits are far from perfect, but it provides a financial incentive for a company to relocate to a less-heavily-regulated country (so they can compete and stay in business).
FTFY
Unless the West is willing to go to war with China, India, and the other countries that are rapidly increasing their carbon emissions and who have absolutely no intention of slowing, anything the West does to cut back will have a negligible effect and serve only to reduce the standard of living for everyone and cause more deaths among the poor.
Just because it makes you feel good deep down in your little green cockles doesn't mean it's a good thing.
Strat
Don't be such a tool.
But your mama *likes* my tool.
Now that that stupidity is out of the way (I almost didn't reply because I generally dismiss those who start a post with an ad-hominem as too stupid and clueless to make any rational arguments)...
I no more want the government telling me what I can and can't do with my reproductive system than you want them telling you whether you can or can't purchase and own a firearm.
Agreed. I don't swear any allegiance to either party. I hated the damage the Bushs did. I hated the damage the Clintons have done. Obama is just the latest in a long line from both parties. Both parties are rife with corruption and put reelection above doing the right thing and their oaths of office.
As far as the TEA Party goes, I fail to see any threat there. I've actually taken the time and trouble to find out from first-sources what it *actually* stands for, and not what gets spoon-fed to the clueless and the kool-aid drinkers.
They're nothing like they've been made out to be by those who are *exactly* the same people that want to see more of our freedoms, independence, and hard-earned wealth taken away. Why do you think the "old boys" in *both* major parties attempt to minimize TEA Party influence when politically possible?
Gee, the people actually *in* the government *doing* these things to everyone is saying not to take the grass-roots TEA Party opposition seriously.
Gosh, really? I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you!
Those people with the power who are screwing us wouldn't lie to us about what and who the TEA Party is and what it stands for. Right? I'm sure they wouldn't distort the truth and spread outright lies & propaganda just because voters are organizing to rein-in both party's power. I just hope the TEA Party keeps the special-interest money and "deal making" temptations at bay among their ranks.
The TEA Party, since it *is* a collection of local grass-roots organizations, attracts members with widely-differing social/religious/ideological views. What it's *for* in general terms is smaller, less-intrusive government that doesn't trample people's rights, lower taxes, less over-regulation and interference in the economy, and a more constructionist view of the Constitution.
There's no test to join. There are Bible-thumpers, atheists, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, Mormons, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Methodists, Hindus, blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, etc etc. Each with their own societal views and viewpoints. They've simply found common ground in what the TEA Party stands for as roughly outlined above, as more freedom benefits all people.
By the way, you're aware that there's no "official" national TEA Party leaders or even platform, right? Every local/regional group has different members with differing views outside of the handful of common core principles.
I'm keeping an eye on the TEA Party. If they "sell out" to "establishment" political "Beltway" interests, I'll be right out there in loud & vocal opposition. I'm already not too happy with a couple of the recently-elected Representatives that professed agreement with TEA Party principles that aren't "walking the walk".
Strat
Really? Look at it this way: when Germany turned fascist and cheered Hitler, people abroad saw what was happening, and everyone said "Why don't they see where this is going, why won't anyone there stand up and stop it?!".
During the early years of the rise of German National Socialism and Italian Fascism, both governments were widely admired in the US, with a quite large number of US Nazis who were cheered as they held parades, published newsletters, and organized.
They even had a number of large military-style camps. They were widely admired among the Liberal/Progressive "intelligentsia" of the day, as was Il Duce and his fascist Italy.
Unfortunately, nothing much has changed, as current-day US Liberals/Progressives still push for large, powerful, intrusive central government with a top-down, vertical command-&-control view of governance. Even bigotry against Jews has again started to regain popularity among Liberal/Progressives and many of their various organizations like Code Pink.
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was...
Hunger for power & control, with no compunctions against genocide as a political tool.
Taking root *again* right here in the US where, after cleaning up places like Auschwitz, we said as a People; "Never again!".
Will we ever learn?
Strat
And we as a people don't want to end up paying for your stupidity.
Fine. Stop paying for it!
I've always been irritated by the "logic" that says "we're implementing a system that forces everyone to participate in the system and that pays for everyone's stupidity, therefor you *must* lose your freedom to make your own choices because your choices might, in some people's opinion, be stupid/risky".
Just another variation on the idea that people cannot be trusted to make any choices for themselves or be expected to take any responsibility for their own actions.
It's one of the most insidious and society-destroying forms of tyranny.
Strat
This is so going to be made illegal when more people start taking high resolution pictures of police/DHS/ATF//border activities.
FTFY
Strat
Call me crazy... but...
Wouldn't more reasonable prices for new games take the wind out of the huge second-hand games business?
You're crazy.
We set the price. You pay it.
Failure to comply in any way (including just not buying, even if you don't pirate or buy used) makes you a criminal, and we've purchased or are purchasing the laws to prove it.
Anything not mandatory is verboten!
~Gaming Industry
We should invade Australia to help bring democracy to the region?
Please do. We keep getting screwed by higher prices and region locked on Steam, so if you make us a US territory it'll work out for everyone!
Tell you what.
We'll invade *you* and hang all *your* crap politicians, if *you* will agree beforehand to invade *us* and hang all *our* crap politicians afterwards.
Deal?
BTW, I doubt if either of our armed forces would fire a shot. Only toss back a few. :)
It would give a whole new meaning to "fair-trade" agreements, that's certain!
Strat
You've just conceived of the scenario where the possession of a simple incandescent light bulb could be grounds for a charge of treason and punishable by death.
The incandescent light bulb ban might have a secondary benefit; it might increase border security with Mexico.
If "contraband" incandescent bulbs are being smuggled in at the Mexico/US border, the EPA and Progressives will have anti-personnel landmines laid, missile-equipped Predator drones patrolling, and automated gun turrets installed at the border before you can say "mass graves".
Strat
Anyone not convinced of your Jewishness need only look to your sig.
Enjoy your weekend.
[sarc]
Jesse Jackson, is that you?
A fine example of tolerance, open-mindedness, and a non-bigoted world view.
[/sarc]
One need not be Jewish to know that Capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty and given more people a higher standard of living than any other system ever tried. Even China has been forced to acknowledge that fact. One also need not be Jewish to recognize an ignorant bigot. You must be one of the "enlightened, open-minded, and tolerant" Liberal/Progressives.
I'll say a prayer for you that you may become a better, less hateful & bigoted person.
BTW, I'm not Jewish. I'm intellectually honest. I *have* been called a "mensch" a time or two by those who are Jewish, though. :)
Strat
Sounds more like an entry for the Darwin Awards than anything that should affect US policy. Or does it not matter when they kill Palestinians, but one cute white American girl and we should go nuts?
Oh no, not at all.
The world gets it's collective panties all in a knot when a Palestinian launching rockets at civilians or a Liberal/Progressive American idiot supporting them gets killed.
Israeli families and children being murdered is OK however, no matter the means or circumstances.
Frankly, I'm amazed the Israelis have shown the restraint they have by not completely and utterly wiping out the West Bank & Gaza.
How do you think that'd work out if the Israeli/Palestinian roles were reversed? I'd be betting there would be a Wiki entry for the "Second Holocaust".
Strat
Meanwhile, individuals still have power 1 per person, and both the big governments and corporations begin to see individuals as resources to be harvested instead of fellow power-holders.
Spot on. Brilliant explanation of relative power relationships in the context of this discussion.
[Laurence Fishburne]
Welcome to the *real* Matrix, Neo. You have become a commodity, nothing more, existing in an economic and political illusion, kept unaware of your true status with indoctrination masquerading as education while being fed lies by media, incited to class-hatred to keep you divided from your fellows, and having your entire culture and nation's history rewritten to suit the agendas of those in control of the rule and regulation makers that seek to control every aspect of life, even down to thought itself.
[/Laurence Fishburne]
Strat
what we need is a system with no big governments and no big corporations, where no individual economic unit can accumulate enough power (which capital serves as a proxy for) to be be coercive
So, your solution is to keep everyone equally poor. 0_o
Sure, that'll work out well for the citizens. What a great place that would be to live!
It does have one positive aspect: It would solve the illegal immigration problem. They've got plenty of nothing back where they came from, why travel for it?
Strat
Unfortunately that requires many, many politicians & officials across the entire nation with hefty salaries to be covered by taxpayers.
Done and done.
We call them Governors, State Legislatures, and Mayors. We've already got them. We already pay them. We just need to give back much of the power that was taken from them and given to the Federal Government.
Strat
There is *ONE* hearing officer doing all of this for every domain and every request.
One person.
I'm sure he's going to do all the appropriate due-diligence making sure the complainant is a legitimate company who actually sold some vacuum cleaners. Perhaps even a site visit to be sure.
This.
It will end up like the DMCA take-down process in that bogus domain-seizure filings will be rampant and there will be little or no oversight to punish or prevent abuse by those with money & a team of lawyers on retainer.
Just another step on the way to turning the internet into the digital equivalent of "The Shopping Channel".
Strat
Either that or you're just ignorant, since if you really believe that capitalism as it's actually practiced in the real world has anything at all in common with F/OSS...
I never said that. Strawman.
In point of fact, I don't believe "Capitalism" IS being currently practiced. At best, it's a type of "Crony Capitalism".
Hello. That's the problem I'm talking about.
Reading comprehension. It's a wonderful thing.
Why not try it?
Strat
I get the feeling that you feel proud of a system where money can buy anything.
I get the feeling you feel there's actually any real-life "system" where enough money can't buy anything. It's only a matter of price, blatantness, and which things are cheaper than others.
There isn't any system where money can't corrupt, because the system is people and people have been, are, and will forever continue to be corruptible as long as people are people.
The only defense is to make government as weak/small as possible on the national Federal Government scale to make it necessary for a would-be briber to have to bribe many, many politicians & officials across the entire nation instead of a handful or one to have national effect.
The more power given to the current massive central government the more a target for corruption it becomes and the more damage that can be inflicted on the citizens, and the more power shifts to the rich political elite who have the connections and can afford to play.
This is basically just systems analysis, people! A distributed system is less vulnerable to attack at a single or even multiple points. It can also be looked at as the US Constitution representing FOSS and Liberalism/Progressivism representing closed-source proprietary software.
Hold on, hold on people! This isn't some troll/flame. Take a few moments to read and think about it.
FOSS advocates for a distributed, volunteer method of development (Constitutional democracy, checks and balances, & free-market Capitalism) whereas closed-source proprietary software advocates for a central control with closed development and no source code access, restrictive EULA's, TOS's, etc (Liberal/Progressive top-down government command-&-control, centrally-planned/controlled economy, legislation/regulation control of people's behavior).
I know I shouldn't be shocked, but it never ceases to amaze me how many times I hear and read comments from strong FOSS advocates against proprietary software using much of the same logic and many of the same arguments that invalidate Liberalism/Progressivism as viable, fair systems, yet are vocal supporters of the Left when it comes to politics and sneer at the very same logic and arguments they themselves used regarding FOSS vs closed-source proprietary software.
Strat
Known Space ends up being pretty big and - Kzinti aside - pretty safe for humans.
Well, except for that whole massive explosion at the core of the galaxy thing, but we've got a couple tens of thousands of years to figure that out, right? :)
Well, if the core explosion has an intelligence behind it's cause, then your sig posits one possible intent:
"This Space Intentionally Left Blank"
Who knows? Might be the initial site-prep for a hyperspace bypass. You could always check at the office on Alpha Centauri. (Helpful Hint: Bring leopard-repelling rock.)
Strat
You want an answer? It stops when there are no rich people or poor people.
I want unicorns and ponies to fly out of Janet Napolitano's ass too. Just about as likely to happen. You want a change in basic human nature. As long as humans are human, there will always be rich and poor.
Capitalism is actually the best system ever known for lifting poor people out of poverty and empowering them. It has lifted more people out of poverty and given more of them a higher standard of living and greater economic power than any other system in the history of mankind. It's what enabled the US to go from a joke as a world power to become the most powerful nation on Earth with the highest standard of living for even it's poorest. You can't argue with success.
Capitalism is the only system where wealth is a renewable resource and wealth-creation is possible for anyone regardless of where they start on the economic scale.
Too many people believe falsely that anyone becoming rich takes wealth away from others. It's not a zero-sum game.
Strat
What does "reducing the size and scope of the Federal Government" have to do with making the government work for us? If anything, a small government is less able to work for us - it either does nothing, or is more easily captured by the rich and powerful.
A small, relatively-weak Federal Government, by it's very nature of being weak, removes itself almost completely from corporate targeting for control, as there is relatively little a weak Federal Government can do to tilt economic and other factors to any great effect.
Which, of course, is *why* corporations and others spend so much money and go to such lengths to influence those in positions of power in the Federal Government. Why briW^W^W^lobby a politician that doesn't have the power to help you?
As to government working for us, with a smaller/weaker Federal Government comes a shift of power to the States and local government. That puts those politicians who have the most effect on citizen's daily lives and interactions closer to the local voter, and so one person's vote will have more of an effect on their everyday lives.
Instead of, for instance, having to defeat a President and/or Congress to be able to install a toilet of your choice, that regulatory power would be controlled at the State, county, or city level housing codes, and so you are more easily able to empower change in your area without forcing that decision on anyone else in another city/county/State, nor require their approval/vote in turn. This allows for more flexibility in governance. One size doesn't always fit all.
Low-flow toilets might be a worthy thing to enact in places where water supplies are scarce/expensive. It's a waste of time and money, along with being an unneeded imposition on freedom, in places that have far more water than they know what to do with.
All government is local, and so the reverse is true...local government should have the most power as it relates to the governing of individual citizens. Taking power away from local governments like States, counties, cities, etc and giving it to the Federal Government is taking power away from the citizens to control with their vote how & how much government affects their lives.
Strat
Remember, they're working for you, on your dime.
HAHAHAHAHAHAAA! Funniest thing I've heard all day. Will anyone who thinks our government is working for us speak up?
[crickets]
Thought so...
...And yet, the largest grass-roots citizen group whose goal is to reduce the size & scope of the Federal Government precisely to avoid this kind of heavy-handed un-Constitutional crap is regularly ridiculed and disparaged by most of the posters here who claim to hate this sort of government intrusion and overstepping of powers.
I should form a company and grab some ad space on /. to sell "foot-guns". I'd be able to buy-out both Trump and Soros in a year.
Strat
I propose a second "Rule #1" for politicians and government bureaucrats:
Rule #1 For Politicians/Bureaucrats On Board Commercial/Civilian Space Flights: "All flights must be computer-piloted, and must attain maximum possible velocity just before impacting Washington, DC."
Win-win.
The no exploding rule is more important than you think. The damage or destruction of satellites, space stations and spacecraft from collision with debris in Earth's and orbit will become a major problem.
Well, I agree to the extent that a ship-full of politicians & bureaucrats should not explode until it reaches maximum-effect air-burst height over D.C.
It should not go wandering around above sub-orbital altitudes, exploding where it'll create garbage. The whole idea was to reduce garbage to start with.
Think of the mars-children!
I think that's illegal in "red" states, isn't it? :P
Strat
No exploding
That's fine for civilian-crewed/passengered space flights.
I propose a second "Rule #1" for politicians and government bureaucrats:
Rule #1 For Politicians/Bureaucrats On Board Commercial/Civilian Space Flights: "All flights must be computer-piloted, and must attain maximum possible velocity just before impacting Washington, DC."
Win-win.
Strat