I was about to preface this blog post with words like "unpopular" and "view as". In truth, I have the great benefit of living in the United States. I do not have to preface anything. Others in much of the world are free to read it, comment on it, be angered, be bored, be disinterested. This is the beauty of freedom.
Communication (and perception in general) is subject to interpretation. We all interpret things differently. I felt it was only fair to give others a glance into my own interpretations.
Someone says: "I'm not racist but..."
I hear: "I'm about to make a racist comment. I'm trying to apologize for it. I am actually a racist, but I'm apologetic. Deep down I know that doesn't make it better."
Someone says: "Big Government"
I hear: "I have no problem with fascism."
Someone says: "welfare reform"
I hear: "I am about 15 years behind the times. The program I am mentioning no longer exists, but if it did, I would let them all starve."
Someone says: "welfare state"
I hear: "I am about 15 years behind the times. The program I am mentioning no longer exists, but if it did, I would let them all starve."
Someone says: "You should need to take a drug test before..."
I hear: "Let them all starve."
Someone says: "Tea Party"
I hear: "The criminally insane"
Someone says "DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act)"
I hear: "Legislated hate"
Someone says: "Conservative"
I hear: "An individual who has no problem with fascism."
Someone says: "Partial Birth Abortion"
I hear: "I have no knowledge regarding actual medical procedures. I listen to whatever hatemongers are spewing at the moment."
Someone says: "The breakdown of the American family"
I hear: "I listen to whatever hatemongers are spewing at the moment."
Someone says: "Family Values"
I hear: "I listen to whatever hatemongers are spewing at the moment."
Someone says: "Protect Intellectual Property"
I hear: "Several ridiculously large organizations have paid me a great deal of money."
Someone says: "Internet Piracy"
I hear: "I'm looking for some lame excuse, but in the end I have no problem with fascism".
Someone says: "ObamaCare"
I hear: "Let them all die of easily treatable diseases."
Someone says: "Super PAC"
I hear: "The first step to fascism"
Someone says: "This is a Christian country"
I hear: "I have no idea where I live and am completely unfamiliar with the history of my own country."
Someone says: "Waste your vote"
I hear: "I have no problem with fascism."
Someone says: "I don't vote"
I hear: "I have no problem with fascism."
Someone says: "A simpler time"
I hear: "The McCarthy Era"
I do realize that my remarks may seem harsh. However, pretending to ignore the repercussions of certain policies is inhuman. Pretending that lowering taxes will only reduce the bureaucracy and waste (which I fully admit is a matter of concern) is to walk through life with blinders on. Pretending that large corporations will "reinvest" more money if their taxes are reduced is to claim you live in a world without greed. Pretending that not voting has any effect other than allowing the votes of extremists to carry more weight is denying that 0 is not equal to 1. Pretending that "Family Values" is anything but a euphemism for "enforcing my limited world view on others" is to deny most of modern history. Idolizing the 1950's is to idolize nuclear proliferation, witch hunts, segregation, dumping of toxic chemicals without any knowledge of their long-term effects, and the treating of women as a permanent underclass.
There are sides. The game cannot be avoided, it is the price of citizenship in the Untied States. If you do not choose a side, you lose.
I now walk away from the soapbox. It was never that effective a communication tool anyway.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Traveling... again...
I've always loved trains. My most enjoyable commutes have been via train. We ran rails over a good portion of this country. But the East Coast is their origin. Here we laid rail for over 100 years. We laid intracity rail and intercity rail. Although passenger service only operated on a small fraction of the lines, one can still travel by rail to nearly every city on the East Coast.
Although other mass transit exists, the very scope of rail travel is amazing. A train carrying hundreds can be operated by 10 people. In some small scale cases their operation has been automated. One can travel from Philadelphia to Baltimore in less than 2 hours via rail. In many cases, rail travel is faster than personal vehicle.
I have spent my whole life near rails. I commuted across the city of Philadelphia to go to school... To go to work... One can traverse much of Philadelphia underground.
Mass transit allows one to read, to type... As one is still on the ground, terrestrial communication networks are still available when traveling via rail. One can travel via rail without having their rights violated.
The other differences between rail travel and other modes are learned via experience. Suffised to say, when traveling by rail one often arrives refreshed rather than worn out. The rails might not run everywhere, and a cross-country trip becomes more of an expedition via rail than many would like, but when available, the rails make for an amazing trip.
Although other mass transit exists, the very scope of rail travel is amazing. A train carrying hundreds can be operated by 10 people. In some small scale cases their operation has been automated. One can travel from Philadelphia to Baltimore in less than 2 hours via rail. In many cases, rail travel is faster than personal vehicle.
I have spent my whole life near rails. I commuted across the city of Philadelphia to go to school... To go to work... One can traverse much of Philadelphia underground.
Mass transit allows one to read, to type... As one is still on the ground, terrestrial communication networks are still available when traveling via rail. One can travel via rail without having their rights violated.
The other differences between rail travel and other modes are learned via experience. Suffised to say, when traveling by rail one often arrives refreshed rather than worn out. The rails might not run everywhere, and a cross-country trip becomes more of an expedition via rail than many would like, but when available, the rails make for an amazing trip.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Watch us evolve... It won't take that long...
We can see in every generation our roots. Just as we can see embryonic stages reticent of our special ancestors. Children and teens show us the way.
We were pack hunters not herd animals. There were alphas. Children played. Adolescents competed with one another. The strong mated as they chose, the weak had limited options. But, we were different. Our strength could be varied. We began devising different ways to hunt. The individual that could throw a rock the furthest may not have been the individual that could throw with the most accuracy. However, simple competitions could resolve rank.
And then we shifted. The pack became the tribe. A tribe generally has 2 leaders. Although a chief may make the ultimate decision, most seek the advice of a wise woman or shaman. Roles start being assigned. Those roles still have a hierarchy. The tribe generally prefers the best hunter to the best gatherer. However, as hunting moves from innate ability or talent to skill, it becomes an occupation. Individuals arise that take on tasks for the whole tribe. Weapon quality varies by the maker and the tribe benefits from well equipped hunters.
And so professions arose. Humans stopped moving. Farming and raising of livestock allow us to settle. The tribe becomes a village. A village may have one leader, but generally it does not. Elders are respected for their knowledge and so are cared for. Trades form. Metalworking, masonry, carpentry; these can only be sustained while food is plentiful. Commerce must begin. It becomes nearly impossible to designate an alpha. The blacksmith's forge allows the plow. The plow allows the harvest. The harvest allows the blacksmith to eat. Just as evolution always had, we filled niches. Now, those niches were among ourselves. A new ecosystem built on top of the existing one composed entirely of 1 species.
However, no resource is unlimited and the need to hunt has been replaced with the need to protect. It is easier to take than to grow and so another niche arises. Super predators arose: pillagers. The need for alphas returned. However, pillaging is not sustainable. The enemy will only be at the gates every once in a while. The professional soldier is not necessary at first. The blacksmith makes weapons, a basket weaver turns fletcher, a carpenter becomes a bowyer. The fighters are often praised and success is often rewarded just as it had been in the pack, but a town guard is not promoted to high ruler. The pillagers are not always defeated. From time to time the take control and demand tribute. However, a dictator can not be sustained by a village, that requires a town or city.
For better or worse, we continued to specialize.
We were pack hunters not herd animals. There were alphas. Children played. Adolescents competed with one another. The strong mated as they chose, the weak had limited options. But, we were different. Our strength could be varied. We began devising different ways to hunt. The individual that could throw a rock the furthest may not have been the individual that could throw with the most accuracy. However, simple competitions could resolve rank.
And then we shifted. The pack became the tribe. A tribe generally has 2 leaders. Although a chief may make the ultimate decision, most seek the advice of a wise woman or shaman. Roles start being assigned. Those roles still have a hierarchy. The tribe generally prefers the best hunter to the best gatherer. However, as hunting moves from innate ability or talent to skill, it becomes an occupation. Individuals arise that take on tasks for the whole tribe. Weapon quality varies by the maker and the tribe benefits from well equipped hunters.
And so professions arose. Humans stopped moving. Farming and raising of livestock allow us to settle. The tribe becomes a village. A village may have one leader, but generally it does not. Elders are respected for their knowledge and so are cared for. Trades form. Metalworking, masonry, carpentry; these can only be sustained while food is plentiful. Commerce must begin. It becomes nearly impossible to designate an alpha. The blacksmith's forge allows the plow. The plow allows the harvest. The harvest allows the blacksmith to eat. Just as evolution always had, we filled niches. Now, those niches were among ourselves. A new ecosystem built on top of the existing one composed entirely of 1 species.
However, no resource is unlimited and the need to hunt has been replaced with the need to protect. It is easier to take than to grow and so another niche arises. Super predators arose: pillagers. The need for alphas returned. However, pillaging is not sustainable. The enemy will only be at the gates every once in a while. The professional soldier is not necessary at first. The blacksmith makes weapons, a basket weaver turns fletcher, a carpenter becomes a bowyer. The fighters are often praised and success is often rewarded just as it had been in the pack, but a town guard is not promoted to high ruler. The pillagers are not always defeated. From time to time the take control and demand tribute. However, a dictator can not be sustained by a village, that requires a town or city.
For better or worse, we continued to specialize.
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