tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post925839505921696795..comments2024-03-28T18:18:37.133-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: "The Circle?" - Watching the Watchers of the WatchersDavid Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-44207931836327233532017-10-16T15:33:35.056-07:002017-10-16T15:33:35.056-07:00In the film version of the Circle which I admitted...In the film version of the Circle which I admittedly saw a long time ago, the protagonist flips the script and ends up actually believing what to her bosses was just a bullshit excuse for power, and does expose them, rather than help conceal them. <br /><br />Is this a different ending than the book? Or did I misremember it?<br />Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00883550049182904367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-39249593614237000892014-09-30T11:39:56.699-07:002014-09-30T11:39:56.699-07:00...onward...onwardDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-67792484069317748572014-09-30T06:56:05.172-07:002014-09-30T06:56:05.172-07:00@Matthew. China cannot give in without huge loss o...@Matthew<i>. China cannot give in without huge loss of face.</i><br /><br />I agree. I was in HK shortly after the British handed it over to China. The HK Chinese I knew wanted to get out desperately, but were unable to. Since then China has steadily increased its control over the island. This recent move may or may not be a breaking point. If HK succeeded in defying China, it would send a message to the mainland that more autonomy is possible and this in turn would undermine one party rule. <br /><br />I wish HK all the best, but I fear that this may end in tears. We can predict that the rest of the world won't lift a finger to help. We should also feel empathy for the Taiwanese as China also plays its long game to recapture this island. They must be following events in HK very closely.Alex Tolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01556422553154817988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-37609972144596628962014-09-30T06:14:51.920-07:002014-09-30T06:14:51.920-07:00There can be no optimism on the situation in HK. C...There can be no optimism on the situation in HK. China will respond with increasing force until there is a Tiananmen Square-style massacre unless the protesters go home. For China to allow HK to freely select their candidates would encourage the rest of China to protest. The "one nation, two systems" era was over the moment the decision to vet the candidates was announced. China cannot give in without huge loss of face. They will kill many times many to avoid that perception.<br /><br />And the western media will downplay the protests. The media owners do not want any protest movements to succeed. See the media coverage of the Climate Protests just last week for further proof. matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-6016088801746102382014-09-30T05:17:39.291-07:002014-09-30T05:17:39.291-07:00China gets a black screen on mentions of HK on CNN...China gets a black screen on mentions of HK on CNN<br />http://pbs.twimg.com/media/ByxBRJ-CcAA8xex.jpg:large<br /><br />But Firechat is used to avoid cell towers and WiFi for HK protestershttp://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/09/29/352476454/how-hong-kong-protesters-are-connecting-without-cell-or-wi-fi-networks<br /><br />I'm fiddly with optimism and fearful of Arab Spring chaos...Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09707861909013671695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-32751270797614418322014-09-29T22:26:08.224-07:002014-09-29T22:26:08.224-07:00Heh, Tacitus, you clever dog.
As for Blue -Red I ...Heh, Tacitus, you clever dog.<br /><br />As for Blue -Red I recall it being anchored in the early nineties. The reason was obvious. If they had assigned red to democrats it would be viewed as a value judgement or political statement. Assigning it to the GOP was relatively implication-free. It worked. Now the terms are their own in 21st century context, free of last-century connotations.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-28122899468678151232014-09-29T21:51:25.763-07:002014-09-29T21:51:25.763-07:00Tacitus2,
I think it is an unfortunate bit of hi...Tacitus2, <br /><br />I think it is an unfortunate bit of history that the GOP uses red. I'm sure there is an explanation for it dating back to some electoral accident, but I've usually associated red with the communists and other statists. I'm enough of a libertarian to think many in the GOP ARE statists, though, so I have to smile a bit at the intended analogy.<br /><br />David,<br /><br />I signed up with a FB group dedicated to trolling in order to learn a thing or two about how they do it and why. From that experience, I'm fairly sure you make a poor target for them. I think it boils down to the fact that when you react you use too many words. If you could just boil things down to a FB jpeg or emotionally loaded phrase a five year old could understand, I'm sure you'd draw them to you. It would be much more fun to poke you with a sharp stick if you did not ask us to think so much16505. 8)Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-89603044421091958472014-09-29T21:45:11.377-07:002014-09-29T21:45:11.377-07:00David wrote:
Mr raito, thanks for cogent input. B...David wrote:<br /><br /><i>Mr raito, thanks for cogent input. But some issues are less monolithic than Fox News would have us believe. Many liberals (not leftists) are not opposed to cautious nuclear power. Many liberals (not leftists) are okay with cautious GMOs.</i><br /><br />You could even say the same about many "leftists", including me. I'd like to be able to get all our power from solar or wind (or local suns / fusion), but recognize that such isn't viable in the short term and that fission power is likely the best option. I think that a lot of 'GMO's (terrible term) are stupidly produced and/or stupidly used, but there is nothing wrong (and indeed a great deal <i>right</i>) with genetic engineering, and many valuable things have been produced. And while I don't own a firearm, I have used them and am in no way a pacifist.<br /><br /><i>Would you please show me the “people whose mantra is that everything the government does is good…”? I wonder if you know even one.</i><br /><br />Here again, you'd be hard pressed to find the most extreme "leftists" (even revolutionary communists) who would endorse the position that 'everything the government does is good'.greg byshenknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-19219112045695452852014-09-29T21:16:19.633-07:002014-09-29T21:16:19.633-07:00Alfred, interesting point. I guess I put up with ...Alfred, interesting point. I guess I put up with dopes and a few trolls on FB because they are inevitable spume in a mostly intelligent sea and frankly, I seem to attract less trolling than ANY of my peers... and I remain confused as to why! I do not shy from controversy, can be abrasive at times and toss bombs even in friendly directions (e.g. liberals who think they are "leftist-lite."<br /><br />I guess I react a little stronger here because you are strong personalities to me and "family..." one of the oldest communities on the Web.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-29646588498516803142014-09-29T19:41:56.982-07:002014-09-29T19:41:56.982-07:00Oh dear. I do see the problem with that bumper st...Oh dear. I do see the problem with that bumper sticker slogan.<br /><br />Actually Wisconsin used to have some significant elected socialists. Mayors of Milwaukee for a while back in the early 20th century. I think a simple Green Elephant might be nice and subtle.<br />Thanks for the suggestion.<br /><br />TacitusTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-89066512329799259922014-09-29T19:05:08.528-07:002014-09-29T19:05:08.528-07:00Alfred Differ:
I have to admit that on first read...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />I have to admit that on first reading I thought you meant 'vote red' as 'vote socialist/communist'. I'm American and should know better, but it took me a while to make the mental shift. Too many of my green friends ARE unaware socialists, so it wasn't easy.<br /></i><br /><br />Heh. That takes me back to college days in the 1980s when the right-wingers of the time tarred environmental groups with the brush of communism. A popular epithet was that Greenpeace, etc, were "watermelons"--that is, green on the outside, but red on the inside.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-17759717416125983172014-09-29T17:03:16.490-07:002014-09-29T17:03:16.490-07:00David,
If you take any break in posting, I would ...David,<br /><br />If you take any break in posting, I would suggest it be from FB. The strawmanning you describe is pretty thick over there, so there is a danger you bring the thousands of paper cuts you receive there back here.<br /><br />The folks here are mild compared to what I've seen shoveled in your direction elsewhere. There are days when I wonder why you put up with it, but then you usually post something that makes it clear and I can easily imagine you walking in support of some unpopular protest. 8)Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-15997820189668261802014-09-29T16:56:00.418-07:002014-09-29T16:56:00.418-07:00Tacitus2,
I have to admit that on first reading I...Tacitus2,<br /><br />I have to admit that on first reading I thought you meant 'vote red' as 'vote socialist/communist'. I'm American and should know better, but it took me a while to make the mental shift. Too many of my green friends ARE unaware socialists, so it wasn't easy.<br /><br />You might need a bit of work on your custom bumper sticker if you intend it as 'vote GOP'. Maybe a green elephant would help? 8)Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22809605304937577752014-09-29T16:51:14.363-07:002014-09-29T16:51:14.363-07:00locumranch said:
>>>This is why David...locumranch said:<br /><br />>>>This is why David's mutual surveillance argument, climate change action & bipartisanship is doomed to fail. It is too reasonable; it assumes that all parties are 'non-cheaters' who will negotiate in good faith; and it confuses transparency with accountability. <br />------------<br /><br />Anyone who has taken even a little bit of time to read what David writes knows he doesn't make the 'no cheaters' assumption. He even offers a plausible explanation for our drive to cheat relating to our mammalian inheritances as manifested by social constructs that can secure advantages we win for our children.<br /><br />This goes beyond strawman construction. It goes all the way to blind commenting or a failure to comprehend the obvious surface messages. One doesn't have to agree with David to realize he DOES address cheating in the system he thinks could serve us better than the current mess.<br />Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-2907868528360907112014-09-29T16:31:23.406-07:002014-09-29T16:31:23.406-07:00Humour is one of the easier things to misread.
Ta...Humour is one of the easier things to misread.<br /><br />TacitusTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-36504482663568514922014-09-29T15:58:34.220-07:002014-09-29T15:58:34.220-07:00Hi Dr Brin
Please ignore Robert
I find the comment...Hi Dr Brin<br />Please ignore Robert<br />I find the comments to be as much fun as your main posting,<br /><br />Maybe we should all try to end with some humor?<br />To keep the mood good<br /><br />I like Locumranch's finish to each comment - Best -<br />(normally much more than I like the comment)<br /><br />I will try and emulate him in finishing in an upbeat way<br /><br />Why fit in when you were born to stand out?<br />Dr SeussDuncan Cairncrossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-57990477826539470042014-09-29T15:23:32.403-07:002014-09-29T15:23:32.403-07:00I am listening to advice and will try to take it. ...I am listening to advice and will try to take it. But let me reiterate. The one thing that infuriates me is others telling me (or others) "what brin means"... and reiterating their tendentious wish-falsehood despite my protests that they are cramming words and meanings into my mouth opposite to those I hold.<br /><br />That is not paraphrasing. It is strawmanning. And when it is reiterated, despite the victim's clear correction, then it is lying.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-25876625855066126142014-09-29T14:57:34.395-07:002014-09-29T14:57:34.395-07:00Dr. Brin, I'm going to suggest something.
Tak...Dr. Brin, I'm going to suggest something.<br /><br />Take some time off from commenting on here. Let your essays stand as-is. Because you have been attacking people and being insulting. A number of people have noticed and commented on it.<br /><br />Sometimes I get really stressed at the Internet and commentary on it and need to take a vacation from it. It might do you some good to do the same. Yeah, conversations on your blog seem to become quieter when you don't participate... but right now we're not really having much in the way of conversations. Instead, people say things and when you disagree you become insulting. You phrase things in a way that it's a slap on the author rather than the author's idea.<br /><br />Time off from constant commenting could help. Heck, maybe you have a story that's trying to work its way out and it's trying to catch your attention or something. You never can tell.<br /><br />Still. Do consider taking a break from commenting on your essays after you post them. Let them stand as-is. Don't even bother logging on to read comments. Because ultimately it doesn't matter. And with some rest... maybe you'll find your patience has been restored and your tolerances back to normal.<br /><br />Rob H.Acacia H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07678539067303911329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-85040225234212584242014-09-29T14:37:34.286-07:002014-09-29T14:37:34.286-07:00@raito
What I obviously didn'rt make clear is ...@raito<br />What I obviously didn'rt make clear is that there is a difference between video captured by a security cam or randomly sited camera, and purposely framed and edited video. The former is a just a recording of events, while the latter is composed to tell a story or make a point. Directors are paid to do the latter. Obviously the difference isn't always sharply defined, but I don't think directors have to worry too much about raw footage taking their jobs away :)<br /><br /><br />@matthew<br />It is a bit misleading to say Republicans want to ban Teslas. What is going on is the battle by car dealers to be the sole venfors of autos. I'm surprised that this is still true today, but it is all about protecting franchises. It is about time this barrier was torn down. I'm sure car dealerships have plenty of money to provide to friendly politicians to maintain their business model.Alex Tolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01556422553154817988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-1732443796494133422014-09-29T14:21:05.098-07:002014-09-29T14:21:05.098-07:00Perhaps every earnest comment on a matter of impor...Perhaps every earnest comment on a matter of importence reinforced by a stern condemnation of the recalcitrant and the perverse should be following by a short quip, rather like the damper rods in a nuclear pile, and for much the same reasonrewinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14008105385364113371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-38337978199453023532014-09-29T13:13:24.728-07:002014-09-29T13:13:24.728-07:00This is a pretty decent article on political dysfu...This is a pretty decent article on political dysfunction in the US. Ignore the clickbait headline. The article is pretty well written and I'm interested in the book it is drawn from. Any book entitled “Enlightenment 2.0: Restoring Sanity to Our Politics, Our Economy and Our Lives” seems to be promising.<br /><br />http://www.salon.com/2014/09/28/straight_up_propaganda_fox_news_charlatans_conspiracy_theorists_and_the_religious_fanatics_endangering_democracy/matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-13909292026274350882014-09-29T12:17:45.148-07:002014-09-29T12:17:45.148-07:00Oh, and Doc, I am worried about your insults to vi...Oh, and Doc, I am worried about your insults to visitors also. Perhaps time to take a break for a bit? I like it here, but your patience with all of us seems to be a bit strained. matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-39250549848814027162014-09-29T12:16:41.171-07:002014-09-29T12:16:41.171-07:00Tacitus, I'm frankly confused why anyone would...Tacitus, I'm frankly confused why anyone would "Drive Green / Vote Red?" If enough people vote red, no one will be able to Drive Green. See: Republican efforts to outlaw the Tesla Electric car. <br /><br />Frankly, your loyalty in "voting red" is a symptom of the disease. "Voting Red" is voting for a bunch of oligarchic sociopaths. I'm sure you could find responsible conservatism by "Voting Blue." The Democrats are a centralist party (much to my disgust). There are plenty of conservatives in the Dems.<br /><br />Not trying to be insulting, but unless you really are trying to vote in a fascist theocracy, "voting red" is not going to help very much.matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-45324807424346530462014-09-29T09:51:26.569-07:002014-09-29T09:51:26.569-07:00Mr raito, thanks for cogent input. But some issue...Mr raito, thanks for cogent input. But some issues are less monolithic than Fox News would have us believe. Many liberals (not leftists) are not opposed to cautious nuclear power. Many liberals (not leftists) are okay with cautious GMOs. And especially… Many liberals (not leftists) started arming themselves, quietly, during the Bush years, and have no problem with basic, safe gun ownership.<br /><br />Would you please show me the “people whose mantra is that everything the government does is good…”? I wonder if you know even one.<br /><br />In contrast, the other side IS monolithic, doctrinaire, dogmatic and fanatical. The New Confederacy wants all “government of/by/for the people” to perish from the Earth. <br /><br />It is an important tool for civilization. Not the only one! And it needs watching! (See The Transparent Society.) But the fanatics are loony.<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-70627814431155071062014-09-29T08:48:51.655-07:002014-09-29T08:48:51.655-07:00Responding to my recent comments about rape & ...<br />Responding to my recent comments about rape & social coercion, the universe has responded & declared itself a liberal progressive, redefining rape as any type of sexual contact either lacking in consent as defined as 'an affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement' or associated with any type of coercion including 'intoxication', 'lies', 'false promises' or breach-of-contract. <br /><br />Welcome to a world where 'I didn't do it' is now a criminal offense.<br /><br />http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29406138<br /><br />http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/09/22/rape-cdc-numbers-misleading-definition-date-forced-sexual-assault-column/16007089/<br /><br />Bestlocumranchnoreply@blogger.com