Category: Politics
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Are we better than the Inquisition?
Watched the movie “The Fountain” last night, which contains horrific scenes from the Spanish Inquisition. What makes our modern world different than the “Dark Ages”? Technology Freedom of thought and respect for human rights While these may seem connected (freedom of thought –> science –> technology), they can be separated. The Nazi’s used advanced technology…
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Propaganda
I have a number of friends on social media who share political posters. They vary from extreme liberal to extreme conservative. I find all propaganda, regardless of political persuasion, to be irrational. And I hate irrationality more than any specific political view. It doesn’t matter if it’s something you agree with or not. Propaganda is…
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Gun control
I’ve heard arguments for and against gun control, and I feel confused about which approach is best. The Constitution protects our right to defend ourselves, which implies that we have access to as much deadly force as anyone else. OTOH, easy access to military grade weapons seems to enable mass shootings. I think there are…
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The Value of Life
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” “But who is my neighbor?” Doesn’t that capture the heart of it? We don’t truly value life, certainly not the lives of others. I dream of a world in which everyone has enough, and they are free to grow into the fullest potential of their minds and bodies.…
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Torture
One meaning of “litmus test” is a single issue on which you judge a candidate. Someone who says the right thing on, for example abortion, gets your vote regardless of any other moral failings they have. A candidate’s position on torture should be a litmus test. Of course, this would never be adopted by the…
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1984 belongs to all of us
I recently took the plunge and decided to read George Orwell’s 1984. Turns out that because I am a US citizen, I cannot have free access to 1984 until 2044! But that is only if Congress does not pass another law, extending copyright length yet again. I paid to read the book. Along with the…
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Google owns my soul
There’s an old superstition that if someone can create an image of you, they have power over you, even to the extent of imprisoning your soul. In order to make this blog visible, I am taking the easy path. I let WordPress tie into my installation. And this morning I linked my G+ account, allowing…