Thursday, August 11, 2011
My Persian Rug of the Bomb
This cool image is part of the Nevada Test Site - home of hundreds of atomic and hydrogen bomb tests. The second Persian rug is my neighborhood with both images created using Rorschmap. Please check it out and be hypnotized as you discover the world through a kaleidoscope. Warning: This program seems to only work with Internet Explorer or Safari - sorry Firefox. When you get there you can type in your fav location and scroll around to move the image or zoom in and out just like Goog earth. www.rorschmap.com
Poll: Muslims, atheists most likely to reject violence
The article at the link equates, just as the title implies, that Muslims and atheists are most likely to reject violence, at least in the US.
LINK
How does that make an atheist feel? Gallup tells us that atheists are second to American Muslims in saying there is not justifying war. It is understandable that American Muslims are against war being justifiable as the sentiment of their neighbors have forced this opinion upon them in many ways as the nations current climate provides spectacular persecution of those Muslims who might believe otherwise. Of course Muslims, in general, do not consider themselves a warlike people, despite the social stereotypes and radicals in their midst. I imaging that the core belief in the justification of war within the Muslim community, without the social pressures resulting from 9/11 is no less of a level than the Christians cited. I submit that a pure comparison might find that Muslims are less likely to justify war, in general than Christians, in any match up in the US. The mainstream Christian philosophies seem to play in America as being closely linked to the do for yourself capitalist dogma. Christians have a long history of justifying war based upon religious dispute or fervor which can be spun from Christian belief. Both sides in the American Civil war justified their actions on Christian beliefs they each extracted from the Bible. Our Capitalist society encourages competition at all cost which is played out in business and the violent games in which Americans indulge. I have seen Many Americans ridicule soccer fans and Canadians for loving the game versus the winner. The US has a stunning record of warlike engagements throughout it's history which outdoes every developed country in the world over the last 250 years. The US has an unwritten and generally, un-admitted, penchant for getting into a fight under the guise of its own self righteousness.
Again, how does the atheist fit in? The atheist has trouble justifying his or her actions on belief in a greater power who places unbending rules on how humankind must think and act. As war is almost always couched as a battle of good and evil and most atheists generally see this as a gray area subject to relativist discussion, the atheists willingness to take a side is limited. War is an extreme act of protest where a person needs to determine that the principle they stand behind is worth themselves, or most often others, to fight and potentially die. Those extreme principles are not where an atheist comes from. Atheists try to see the others opinion and try to assess it rationally rather than on faith. This forces reflection, which when contracted with war, makes decision to not support such an action appear obvious. Therefore, the poll results.
Wait, Wait, Wait!!! What about the 24% who agreed is is possible to justify war. When injured and atheist, like most people, will defend themselves. If an atheist believes his or her rights to live are being threatened they may stand up and say stop. Is this standing up and saying stop a justification for war? Maybe, but this is not connected to a religious belief, rather it is connected to a belief in other principles of life which the atheist believes are worthy of a fight. I might may choose to fight for my property or right to believe what I wish but I might not say that I entering this fight based on my religious convictions.
One more thing. Most US atheists were raised in Christian households, in a Christian society, in a capitalist system, which glorifies winning at all cost, and ranks violence less distasteful than the nipple. Where does this upbringing lead a persons first decision?
LINK
How does that make an atheist feel? Gallup tells us that atheists are second to American Muslims in saying there is not justifying war. It is understandable that American Muslims are against war being justifiable as the sentiment of their neighbors have forced this opinion upon them in many ways as the nations current climate provides spectacular persecution of those Muslims who might believe otherwise. Of course Muslims, in general, do not consider themselves a warlike people, despite the social stereotypes and radicals in their midst. I imaging that the core belief in the justification of war within the Muslim community, without the social pressures resulting from 9/11 is no less of a level than the Christians cited. I submit that a pure comparison might find that Muslims are less likely to justify war, in general than Christians, in any match up in the US. The mainstream Christian philosophies seem to play in America as being closely linked to the do for yourself capitalist dogma. Christians have a long history of justifying war based upon religious dispute or fervor which can be spun from Christian belief. Both sides in the American Civil war justified their actions on Christian beliefs they each extracted from the Bible. Our Capitalist society encourages competition at all cost which is played out in business and the violent games in which Americans indulge. I have seen Many Americans ridicule soccer fans and Canadians for loving the game versus the winner. The US has a stunning record of warlike engagements throughout it's history which outdoes every developed country in the world over the last 250 years. The US has an unwritten and generally, un-admitted, penchant for getting into a fight under the guise of its own self righteousness.
Again, how does the atheist fit in? The atheist has trouble justifying his or her actions on belief in a greater power who places unbending rules on how humankind must think and act. As war is almost always couched as a battle of good and evil and most atheists generally see this as a gray area subject to relativist discussion, the atheists willingness to take a side is limited. War is an extreme act of protest where a person needs to determine that the principle they stand behind is worth themselves, or most often others, to fight and potentially die. Those extreme principles are not where an atheist comes from. Atheists try to see the others opinion and try to assess it rationally rather than on faith. This forces reflection, which when contracted with war, makes decision to not support such an action appear obvious. Therefore, the poll results.
Wait, Wait, Wait!!! What about the 24% who agreed is is possible to justify war. When injured and atheist, like most people, will defend themselves. If an atheist believes his or her rights to live are being threatened they may stand up and say stop. Is this standing up and saying stop a justification for war? Maybe, but this is not connected to a religious belief, rather it is connected to a belief in other principles of life which the atheist believes are worthy of a fight. I might may choose to fight for my property or right to believe what I wish but I might not say that I entering this fight based on my religious convictions.
One more thing. Most US atheists were raised in Christian households, in a Christian society, in a capitalist system, which glorifies winning at all cost, and ranks violence less distasteful than the nipple. Where does this upbringing lead a persons first decision?
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Free Market Pot
I'm not a pothead. In fact I never smoke the spliff. Despite that I'm all over the concept of legalizing the stuff. In Louisville there are no less than 30 places you can buy booze or get totally sauced. is not drink a gateway drug. A gateway to job loss, accidents, traffic fatalities, ruined family, and prematrue death.
Why the double standard? Why does weed get the bad rap?
The war on most drugs is a extreme waste of not only money but of the spirit and potential of the young people in this country. It creates a gateway for criminal activity, it causes chaos at our borders, it creates a blatant and foolish double standard within our society. It separates us from the rest fo the developed word.
Does this cartoon resonate at all with you?
Why the double standard? Why does weed get the bad rap?
The war on most drugs is a extreme waste of not only money but of the spirit and potential of the young people in this country. It creates a gateway for criminal activity, it causes chaos at our borders, it creates a blatant and foolish double standard within our society. It separates us from the rest fo the developed word.
Does this cartoon resonate at all with you?
Monday, August 1, 2011
Where Is the Debt?
The relentless fiction about the debt and where is goes and comes from is imposing. The fiction is not that there is a spectacular US debt but that those that speak of it seem to have no idea where it comes from or where it goes.
In the Denver post Sunday there is an interesting article titled "US has wealth and resources, but it's paid for past priorities". Click on the title to see the link.
The cool thing for me was the accompanying graphic that shows where the debt is owed and which administrations accumulated it.
Foreign ceditors account for about 32% of the debt - that's not trivial. Does China own the US? Not quite the credit China has granted accounts for about 8.5% of the total. We certainly aren't owned by China.
The big debt (44%) is where we have borrowed is from the Social Security Trust, other Government trusts ( i.e. Fed pension funds) and the Federal Reserve. These are loans from the you and I which I personnally don't recall authorizing. It seems like every piggy bank the Government has has been dipped into.
The last 24% is for those who invest who enter the game assuming a risk but a low risk , to date, on Government securities.
So why is China the bad guy? Becasue China has had money nthe last few years. When W wanted cash for his littel war with Iraq is so happens that China was minding the bank and loaninghte cash. I wonder how much of that $6.1T in Bush debt is from China. I bet alot.
In the Denver post Sunday there is an interesting article titled "US has wealth and resources, but it's paid for past priorities". Click on the title to see the link.
The cool thing for me was the accompanying graphic that shows where the debt is owed and which administrations accumulated it.
Foreign ceditors account for about 32% of the debt - that's not trivial. Does China own the US? Not quite the credit China has granted accounts for about 8.5% of the total. We certainly aren't owned by China.
The big debt (44%) is where we have borrowed is from the Social Security Trust, other Government trusts ( i.e. Fed pension funds) and the Federal Reserve. These are loans from the you and I which I personnally don't recall authorizing. It seems like every piggy bank the Government has has been dipped into.
The last 24% is for those who invest who enter the game assuming a risk but a low risk , to date, on Government securities.
So why is China the bad guy? Becasue China has had money nthe last few years. When W wanted cash for his littel war with Iraq is so happens that China was minding the bank and loaninghte cash. I wonder how much of that $6.1T in Bush debt is from China. I bet alot.
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