Forget working within society's existing frameworks and threaten violence when someone in authority does something you don't like. Where have I seen this behavior before?
The US Government's foreign policy and domestic drug policy?
It basically comes down to the fact that he biggest difference between a Saturn V, or any other rocket used for non-weaponized space access (Atlas, Delta, etc.) and an ICBM is the payload.
"Woo-hoo! We're gonna go to SPACE! We're gonna colonize Mars!"
No we're not. We're just going to develop more weapon payload delivery systems. Just like we did the first time around.
within the last 5 years the US's main enemies have acquired or are quickly acquiring nuclear weapons.
No, the defense department has had them for a bit longer than 5 years. There were some pretty damned impressive displays of their effect on civilian populations about 62 years ago. That was terrorism on a scale not seen since.
A foreign policy of "shoot first and don't bother asking questions" is a greater enemy to the US then any sovereign nation ever could be, especially coming from a nation with a track record such as ours.
Whatever reason there was for the suppression of the Saturn V plans I'm sure it has nothing to do with spreading peace and understanding, nor coming to common ground to work out differences.
Because one of them wags a stick around for food and the other claims that Germany should take responsibility for their own war crimes? WTF? This makes them "tangible enemies"? How, exactly, are either of these nations affecting YOUR life in the least?
The most "tangible" enemy of the American people at this point in time is the American Government's overreaching power grabs and the American people's consumptive apathy.
No, just didn't think they required mention in the framework of the disucssion. "lol" What's your point?
I also didn't mention World War I, Vietnam, Korea, Grenada, Gulf War I, The Spanish American War, the Cold War, CIA interventions in Central and South America, the War of 1812, the wholesale slaughter of the pre-Colombian peoples, the MkUltra program, etc.
My original point is the usage of the term "unprovoked.". There was not provocation on the part of Iraq in reference to the U.S. If provocation is required for one country to attack and occupy another then the U.S. is WAY out of bounds in this whole affair.
If possession and willingness to use WMDs is required for one country to attack and occupy another, then the U.S. is a HUGE hypocrite on the global scene, considering we are the only country, in history, to "go nuclear." And we did so not on a standing army, but on a civilian population. TWICE!
What is the meter stick that makes full-scale attack and invasion "OK"?
Genocide? If that's the case then where the hell was the rest of the world when Yugoslavia was falling apart? Or Darfur? Or the Congo? Or? Or? Or?(Too little too late now.)
Lack of Democracy? If that's the case then why the hell are we friendly with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia?
Racial Inequality? BWAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
Just admit it. Some people in this world get a hard-on for war. And many of those people are in positions of power and in positions to make a handsome profit from war. The bullshit excuses just give me a headache.
"No, I'm not addicted to herion, I just need it to sleep."
"No, I'm not addicted to bombing the shit out of (fill in populace here), it's just in the National Interest."
What provocation?
Grandstanding and acting macho? Squandering resources on luxury goods? Aspiring to military might? Using Weapons of Mass Destruction on civilian populations? War Crimes?
If these are ground for invasion I think the US might want to re-think its priorities.;)
Are you saying that we might have a Squirrel Gap?
What if the enemy has 100 Squirrels? Shouldn't we have 150 Squirrels ready to deploy at a moment's notice?
Ladies and Gentlemen, let us not fall behind in the oh so vital area of RBE (Rodent Based Espionage)!
If we let countries like Iran, North Korea or France get ahead of us in this arena we are NUTS!
Like any good government or religion (in this case both), they think their population is fairly stupid. Fair to medium amount of stupid, yes, that's about right. Medium stupid.
With all of this obvious propaganda and lies you hear from them, you would think it'll be only so long before Ahmadinejad and his cronies fall out of favor.
Point 1: If it's such obvious propaganda why is there a serious (and not so serious) discussion going on about this? Not all that obvious considering the experiments and project that nations undergo to gain an intelligence advantage over real or imagined enemies.
Point 2: Ahmadinejad and his cronies falling out of favor would require that they have ever BEEN in favor. Often militant religious fundamentalists that occupy office for an extended period of time end up more hated than loved. One has to look no further than the U.S. political environment to see this.
I hear Iran has some very well funded faith-based initiatives these days.
This is nothing new, only an expansion of power that was already there and has been proven effective for years.
This is not an exaggeration, the powers that be do not care about you or those you love. What is "perfectly normal" today may tomorrow be outlawed. Once those laws are made they are there to be enforced no matter how shortsighted or foolish. The powers that be care only about being "right" at any cost.
Don't trade my rights to ease your fear.
We need stronger laws on this matter. It's not just that the WORDS are on the street, on the airwaves and in the homes, but the components that can be USED to MAKE the words are EVERYWHERE.
The ingredients, or "precursors" of these words can be found in the average American kitchen right at this very moment.
I for one propose this:
We have an outright ban on precursors to foul and offensive language with stiff punishment for attempts to procure those component parts, or for being in possession of them! That will show those "word users."
**As I have procured the proper paperwork for usage of some of the banned precursors please disregard any and all usages of them in this post.**
3) Post lies, threats, harassment like threats to kill you, post pictures of your kids with name and address and an invitation for pedos to have a a go etc.
6) Steal your onlien banking info and move all your funds to an account in Ukraine or whereever, which will be empty in a day and the money never seen again.
And me without my FUD-proof hip waders. I'm more afraid of being stung to death by bees to be honest.
There are some pretty heavy issue of personal freedom and personal responsibility at play here. Hard and fast rules in cases of social mores, non-destructive personal freedoms and the protection of personal property tend not to work on global scales. This (the conglomeration of human societies) is such a varied and multifaceted that I understand reactions such as this laundry list can be a very effective tool in convincing others that "more laws", "more control", "more police action", "more vigilance" is "required." The world can be a very scary place, and you might get some stuff taken from you that you didn't want taken away. People might find out things about you that you don't want them to find out. Stuff happens. It's OK. Take a deep breath. Now think about the fact that governments don't unmake laws. Governments don't give up power. In an environment like the internet any and all mechanisms that can be put into place that will override the powers of government and place it back into the hands of the people are good things. People don't wage wars on things, or ideas, or nations, or peoples...governments do. And once you come to be on the wrong side of that government's war, then you will value your options to retain your civil liberties. Services like tor and this Anonymizer product protect all, equally. Both the "good" and the "bad" can reap rewards from systems like these.
Please, don't give up my freedoms to ease your fears.
Nothing new here, really. In the auspices of the "War on Drugs" property is seized all the time, without due process involved.
The rights of the American Citizen have been undermined well before September 11, 2001.
The American populace didn't care when it only affected the drug using portion of the populace, and they won't care now that it only affects those that may or may not be aiding the enemy or hindering the progress of a group of hand selected corporations.
This game has been over for longer than many would like to imagine and the citizenry lost.
I'm curious as to why you wouldn't go with Ubuntu Server? It's pretty stable,
Yes, that certainly inspires confidence.
I think I'll stick with a distro that can be described as "actually stable" when it comes to production servers.
Wouldn't it make much more sense to just switch to a jury-duty service style system for selecting public servants and public offices. A purely random lottery would be held every four years for pres, two for reps and six for oligar...er...aristoc...um..senators. And have the pay level commeserate with the level paid for jury duty. Simple solution. I mean, yeah, so some downs syndrom patient might end up in control of the "big red button", but it can't be any worse than what we've lived with for the last four years, and MUCH cheaper, too.
And while we're at it, let's switch to a purely sales-tax based taxation system. A flat 30% ought to do it. Makes everything nice and squared away. All you so-called "conservatives" can go and yell "woo-freakin-hoo" about having a cheap government, and all you "liberals" can continue to rely upon the government to be yo' daddy.
I mean, it's not like the founding fathers were trying to get RID of a priveliged and un-questioned ruling class or anything. No reason to think of having some "un-qualified" (read as commoner) person in office. You know, like some common actor (Regan?) or some common thief (Nixon?) or some common Playa (Clinton?) or some common warmonger (FDR?) or some common socialist (Carter?) or some common religious fanatic (Bush I, Bush II?).
A bunch of screwed up people with no concept of the price of living or what it's like to try and find a job.
I've seen the word "qualified" thrown around in this discussion, however, what, exactly does that mean? How is Bush II "qualified" to select appointments for senior positions, judges, and vetos? He probably has little concept of what the taste of generic peanut butter is. Capiche?
And as for Kerry....AT LEAST HE WENT TO A WAR! Then came home and remained wealthy, privilaged, etc. What a pair to choose from.
Good thing I voted high, otherwise I might remember what mistake I made.
Leaving this decision up to a group of people who "must see TV." The mind boggles, and rings with echoes of "but Saddam..." this and "but Saddam..." that. Question....WHAT has Saddam F. Hussein EVER done to you? Did he piss in your rice crispies?
But don't get me wrong. I'm all for war. Depopulation at anytime is a good thing.
Pro-war != Anti-abortion.
Either you want to send them to "jezuz" or NOT.
And, frankly, since EVERYONE loves babies, why not send them, too?
I mean, you don't get to see jezuz until you're dead, and jezuz MUST love babies, so get to killin those babies. Puppies and kittens, too! Don't worry, we can paint them brown, first, so you don't feel so bad about it.
More government involvement != Better families
Hey there, democrat! Yeah, you with the t-shirt! Don't you realize that social services LOSES children on a daily basis? Wouldn't those children be better off at home with a parent? Less chance of losing them.
Slashdot Mirror
The US Government's foreign policy and domestic drug policy?
Just a guess.
Considering the current state of propulsion technology and the lifespan of the average human, where would "we" go to?
The moon? Not unless we need to have a fully operational battle station.
Mars? Have fun landing in one piece and surviving once you get there.
Asteroids? Probably your best bet, but not much of a colonization objective, is it?
No, the United States isn't evil, just a HUGE hypocrite when it comes to international nuclear policy.
People on here bring up Godwin's Law as if a mention of Nazis NEVER has merit or validity. Wake up and smell the Fascism for once.
"Woo-hoo! We're gonna go to SPACE! We're gonna colonize Mars!"
No we're not. We're just going to develop more weapon payload delivery systems. Just like we did the first time around.
And we still don't. Unless you count our own military.
Stop giving up MY freedoms to ease YOUR fear.
No, the defense department has had them for a bit longer than 5 years. There were some pretty damned impressive displays of their effect on civilian populations about 62 years ago. That was terrorism on a scale not seen since.
A foreign policy of "shoot first and don't bother asking questions" is a greater enemy to the US then any sovereign nation ever could be, especially coming from a nation with a track record such as ours.
Whatever reason there was for the suppression of the Saturn V plans I'm sure it has nothing to do with spreading peace and understanding, nor coming to common ground to work out differences.
Because one of them wags a stick around for food and the other claims that Germany should take responsibility for their own war crimes? WTF? This makes them "tangible enemies"? How, exactly, are either of these nations affecting YOUR life in the least?
The most "tangible" enemy of the American people at this point in time is the American Government's overreaching power grabs and the American people's consumptive apathy.
Stop giving up MY freedoms to ease YOUR fear!
Did you know that silent e can turn a cap into a cape?
It's spooky.
I know, I just wish I knew how to stop. Wonder Woman, Huntress, female cops and firefighters...you name it. My bread and butter.
I also didn't mention World War I, Vietnam, Korea, Grenada, Gulf War I, The Spanish American War, the Cold War, CIA interventions in Central and South America, the War of 1812, the wholesale slaughter of the pre-Colombian peoples, the MkUltra program, etc.
My original point is the usage of the term "unprovoked.". There was not provocation on the part of Iraq in reference to the U.S. If provocation is required for one country to attack and occupy another then the U.S. is WAY out of bounds in this whole affair.
If possession and willingness to use WMDs is required for one country to attack and occupy another, then the U.S. is a HUGE hypocrite on the global scene, considering we are the only country, in history, to "go nuclear." And we did so not on a standing army, but on a civilian population. TWICE!
What is the meter stick that makes full-scale attack and invasion "OK"?
Genocide? If that's the case then where the hell was the rest of the world when Yugoslavia was falling apart? Or Darfur? Or the Congo? Or? Or? Or?(Too little too late now.)
Lack of Democracy? If that's the case then why the hell are we friendly with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia?
Racial Inequality? BWAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
Just admit it. Some people in this world get a hard-on for war. And many of those people are in positions of power and in positions to make a handsome profit from war. The bullshit excuses just give me a headache.
"No, I'm not addicted to herion, I just need it to sleep."
"No, I'm not addicted to bombing the shit out of (fill in populace here), it's just in the National Interest."
Grandstanding and acting macho? Squandering resources on luxury goods? Aspiring to military might? Using Weapons of Mass Destruction on civilian populations? War Crimes?
If these are ground for invasion I think the US might want to re-think its priorities.
Are you saying that we might have a Squirrel Gap?
What if the enemy has 100 Squirrels? Shouldn't we have 150 Squirrels ready to deploy at a moment's notice?
Ladies and Gentlemen, let us not fall behind in the oh so vital area of RBE (Rodent Based Espionage)!
If we let countries like Iran, North Korea or France get ahead of us in this arena we are NUTS!
Point 2: Ahmadinejad and his cronies falling out of favor would require that they have ever BEEN in favor. Often militant religious fundamentalists that occupy office for an extended period of time end up more hated than loved. One has to look no further than the U.S. political environment to see this.
I hear Iran has some very well funded faith-based initiatives these days.
This is nothing new, only an expansion of power that was already there and has been proven effective for years. This is not an exaggeration, the powers that be do not care about you or those you love. What is "perfectly normal" today may tomorrow be outlawed. Once those laws are made they are there to be enforced no matter how shortsighted or foolish. The powers that be care only about being "right" at any cost. Don't trade my rights to ease your fear.
Yes. That's why I'm glad that food, water, healthcare, clothing and safe housing are free!
We need stronger laws on this matter. It's not just that the WORDS are on the street, on the airwaves and in the homes, but the components that can be USED to MAKE the words are EVERYWHERE. The ingredients, or "precursors" of these words can be found in the average American kitchen right at this very moment. I for one propose this: We have an outright ban on precursors to foul and offensive language with stiff punishment for attempts to procure those component parts, or for being in possession of them! That will show those "word users." **As I have procured the proper paperwork for usage of some of the banned precursors please disregard any and all usages of them in this post.**
There are some pretty heavy issue of personal freedom and personal responsibility at play here. Hard and fast rules in cases of social mores, non-destructive personal freedoms and the protection of personal property tend not to work on global scales. This (the conglomeration of human societies) is such a varied and multifaceted that I understand reactions such as this laundry list can be a very effective tool in convincing others that "more laws", "more control", "more police action", "more vigilance" is "required." The world can be a very scary place, and you might get some stuff taken from you that you didn't want taken away. People might find out things about you that you don't want them to find out. Stuff happens. It's OK. Take a deep breath. Now think about the fact that governments don't unmake laws. Governments don't give up power. In an environment like the internet any and all mechanisms that can be put into place that will override the powers of government and place it back into the hands of the people are good things. People don't wage wars on things, or ideas, or nations, or peoples...governments do. And once you come to be on the wrong side of that government's war, then you will value your options to retain your civil liberties. Services like tor and this Anonymizer product protect all, equally. Both the "good" and the "bad" can reap rewards from systems like these.
Please, don't give up my freedoms to ease your fears.
Nothing new here, really. In the auspices of the "War on Drugs" property is seized all the time, without due process involved. The rights of the American Citizen have been undermined well before September 11, 2001. The American populace didn't care when it only affected the drug using portion of the populace, and they won't care now that it only affects those that may or may not be aiding the enemy or hindering the progress of a group of hand selected corporations. This game has been over for longer than many would like to imagine and the citizenry lost.
How about Weverywhere?
Or Webiquity?
Or Meta-Uber-Highway?
Or P3n1s_P1llz?
Wouldn't it make much more sense to just switch to a jury-duty service style system for selecting public servants and public offices. A purely random lottery would be held every four years for pres, two for reps and six for oligar...er...aristoc...um..senators. And have the pay level commeserate with the level paid for jury duty. Simple solution. I mean, yeah, so some downs syndrom patient might end up in control of the "big red button", but it can't be any worse than what we've lived with for the last four years, and MUCH cheaper, too.
And while we're at it, let's switch to a purely sales-tax based taxation system. A flat 30% ought to do it. Makes everything nice and squared away. All you so-called "conservatives" can go and yell "woo-freakin-hoo" about having a cheap government, and all you "liberals" can continue to rely upon the government to be yo' daddy. I mean, it's not like the founding fathers were trying to get RID of a priveliged and un-questioned ruling class or anything. No reason to think of having some "un-qualified" (read as commoner) person in office. You know, like some common actor (Regan?) or some common thief (Nixon?) or some common Playa (Clinton?) or some common warmonger (FDR?) or some common socialist (Carter?) or some common religious fanatic (Bush I, Bush II?).
A bunch of screwed up people with no concept of the price of living or what it's like to try and find a job.
I've seen the word "qualified" thrown around in this discussion, however, what, exactly does that mean? How is Bush II "qualified" to select appointments for senior positions, judges, and vetos? He probably has little concept of what the taste of generic peanut butter is. Capiche? And as for Kerry....AT LEAST HE WENT TO A WAR! Then came home and remained wealthy, privilaged, etc. What a pair to choose from. Good thing I voted high, otherwise I might remember what mistake I made.
Leaving this decision up to a group of people who "must see TV." The mind boggles, and rings with echoes of "but Saddam..." this and "but Saddam..." that. Question....WHAT has Saddam F. Hussein EVER done to you? Did he piss in your rice crispies?
But don't get me wrong. I'm all for war. Depopulation at anytime is a good thing.
Pro-war != Anti-abortion.
Either you want to send them to "jezuz" or NOT. And, frankly, since EVERYONE loves babies, why not send them, too? I mean, you don't get to see jezuz until you're dead, and jezuz MUST love babies, so get to killin those babies. Puppies and kittens, too! Don't worry, we can paint them brown, first, so you don't feel so bad about it.
More government involvement != Better families
Hey there, democrat! Yeah, you with the t-shirt! Don't you realize that social services LOSES children on a daily basis? Wouldn't those children be better off at home with a parent? Less chance of losing them.
Just my $0.39 worth (adjusted for inflation)