tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post4146542108001249620..comments2024-03-29T00:39:31.629-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Crushing CrazyDavid Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-33781930536803748392019-05-29T20:27:36.283-07:002019-05-29T20:27:36.283-07:00onward
onwardonward<br /><br />onwardDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-57041545469369621472019-05-29T19:00:51.061-07:002019-05-29T19:00:51.061-07:00A wide-ranging interview during our recent appeara...A wide-ranging interview during our recent appearance at BayCon, the wonderful SF Bay-area science fiction convention (which broke all attendance records.) Fanboy Planet Podcast Episode 550. <br /><br />http://fanboyplanet.com/fanboy-planet-podcast-episode-550-a-conversation-with-david-brin/David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-61729019523192999812019-05-28T14:53:35.533-07:002019-05-28T14:53:35.533-07:00AHF you are welcome here. But your lack of histori...AHF you are welcome here. But your lack of historical perspective is disturbing. Please name another nation across 60 centuries that was tempted by great power, that applied their time as "Pax" with greater respect and popularity in the world... or that admitted its mistakes, as we do re: Vietnam etc. And empires, even well-meaning ones - make huge mistakes.<br /><br />Name another that taught its children - and the world - to be critical and reflexively attack their own tribal elders. You cannot.<br /><br />The American Pax, for all its many faults, allowed 90% of nations to spend 5% of GDP or less, rather than history's normal 50%, on arms and defense. Are you even dimly aware of what that meant?<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-43663145201790272372019-05-28T02:46:29.205-07:002019-05-28T02:46:29.205-07:00"Liberals, dump your obsolete reflexes! This ..."Liberals, dump your obsolete reflexes! This is a time to recognize the men and women of the U.S. military -- despite their crewcuts -- as allies in saving America and the world."<br /><br />There'll never be any progress until USA ends its global empire. Ayman Hossam Fadelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02971214697650068561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-20722015316931678082019-05-26T07:12:03.134-07:002019-05-26T07:12:03.134-07:00Well since no one else is around, allow me to hija...Well since no one else is around, allow me to hijack the microphone.<br /><br />And this columnist is actually a conservative, although a sane one who has never been on board with Benedict Donald:<br /><br />https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/steve-chapman/ct-perspec-chapman-abortion-alabama-rape-incest-20190524-story.html<br /><i><br />...<br /><br />The logic of “pro-lifers,” however, would justify even greater violations. Thirteen people die every day in this country awaiting kidney transplants, according to the National Kidney Foundation. We could prevent those deaths by requiring kidney donations to those in need, from anyone with whose organs would be suitable. But we don’t.<br /><br />And we’d all agree that if someone needing a kidney tried to extract one from someone without her consent, she would be justified in using force in self-defense, including deadly force.<br /><br />That’s not because we put no value on the lives of those who would be saved. It’s because we put a higher value on the personal freedom and bodily integrity of those who would be compelled to save them.<br /><br />To force women to go through pregnancy and give birth is a violation of the most severe and intimate kind. It’s not an affirmation of life. It’s a denial of the humanity of women.<br /></i>Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-18885782517877302972019-05-26T03:12:17.787-07:002019-05-26T03:12:17.787-07:00Testing. Is this thing on?Testing. Is this thing on?Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22170416612117278942019-05-24T15:24:08.358-07:002019-05-24T15:24:08.358-07:00Duncan Cairncross:
I have noticed that my son'...Duncan Cairncross:<br /><i><br />I have noticed that my son's generation are nothing like as eager to get their driving licences as we were - in their mid twenties and about a third of them don't have driving licenses<br />That may be a country thing<br /></i><br /><br />No, the only "country thing" is that we say "driver's licence" over here. :)<br /><br />I've noticed the same thing among my daughter and her contemporaries. They do get their licenses, but they're not in the same hurry that we were. Incidentally, the same thing goes for sex. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but they don't seem nearly as obsessed as teenagers were in my day. I think that's because the boys and girls hang out more comfortably with each other all day long--the gender opposite isn't a mysterious other they way it was in my day.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-32152478475860045522019-05-24T15:20:36.250-07:002019-05-24T15:20:36.250-07:00scidata:
Perhaps an end-run around much of the ch...scidata:<br /><i><br />Perhaps an end-run around much of the cheating and skullduggery could be accomplished by harnessing and leveraging the power of Mayors.<br /></i><br /><br />Although he is no longer mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emmanuel was great at that during his term. I'm sure the mayors of New York City and Los Angeles are also thinking along those lines.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-13723967693571521302019-05-24T14:30:37.957-07:002019-05-24T14:30:37.957-07:00Hi Dr Brin
Motor registration is better than nothi...Hi Dr Brin<br />Motor registration is better than nothing but I have noticed that my son's generation are nothing like as eager to get their driving licences as we were - in their mid twenties and about a third of them don't have driving licenses<br />That may be a country thing duncan cairncrosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14153725128216947145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-10998076922794057192019-05-24T14:08:30.131-07:002019-05-24T14:08:30.131-07:00After the fall of Rome, one of the most powerful o...After the fall of Rome, one of the most powerful offices in Europe was Mayor. An example was Charles Martel (Charlemagne's grandfather). Asimov picked up on this in Foundation. Perhaps an end-run around much of the cheating and skullduggery could be accomplished by harnessing and leveraging the power of Mayors. De-facto power is mightier than pomp.scidatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07152319593457629592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-9341651527514918522019-05-24T13:15:41.833-07:002019-05-24T13:15:41.833-07:00Seriously, the biggest unspoken outcome from all t...Seriously, the biggest unspoken outcome from all this is what it reveals about Democrats. Essentially clean. DT is already desperate to expose anything he can find, so are Rupert Murdoch/Fox, plus Barr and the entire Koch-Mercer-Adelson-Putin right-o-sphere. After 25 years (and half a$billion) in utterly fruitless Clinton-Obama diggings, we’re supposed to be afraid of their frenzy now?In fact the biggest outcome from all this is the glaring, nova-level fact that they've got nothing! They are reduced to raving that Peter Strzok's comments dissing Trump and the Steele Dossier had supposed bias is amazing in this era of "whatabout Hillary's emails!" When the “tainted fruit” legal doctrine has nothing whatsoever to do with legitimate prosecutorial leads.<br /><br />The idea that the dems are restraining impeachment because they fear light is stunning drivel! It is part of the desperate “all politicians are corrupt” magical incantation on the right, that you must stomp down, hard. (The parties are in fact diametric opposites when it comes to honesty. There are a few, isolated, slightly corrupt democrats, as there are a few, residual, slightly sane republicans.)<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22895614503284631392019-05-24T11:12:24.848-07:002019-05-24T11:12:24.848-07:00Duncan that's why many blue states are doing m...Duncan that's why many blue states are doing motor voter, automatically registering you with a driver's license, unless you opt out. <br /><br />the idea (jim) that the dems are restraining impeachment because they fear light is stunning drivel! DT is desperate to expose anything he can find, already, so are Rupert Murdoch/Fox, plus Barr and the entire right-o-sphere. In fact the biggest outcome from all this is the glaring, nova-level fact that they've got nothing! That they are reduced to trying to rave that Peter Strzok's comments dissing Trump and the Steele Dossier had supposed bias is amazing in this era of "whatabout Hillary's emails!"<br /><br />Baloney. I believe her reason. The Senate would refuse to convict and we'd have more Mueller-Barr shouts of "exoneration!" <br /><br />Time it right.<br />1- prove them all crooks and cauterize them with civil servants armed with court judgements, who ignore every Presidential nuttery.<br />2- lead in the polls so much you get some GOP defectors.<br />3. impeach only when you have a Senate, even if that means he's ousted only a week before inauguration, so a crook doesn't stand on the Capital Steps.<br /><br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-30872896784532640302019-05-24T10:55:52.296-07:002019-05-24T10:55:52.296-07:00A. F. Rey,
Before impeaching, the Democrats firs...A. F. Rey,<br /><br /><i> Before impeaching, the Democrats first have to find an actual crime to impeach him for. </i><br /><br />We already have a list and it is growing.<br /><br />It starts with "Conspiracy to Defraud the United States". The hush money paid to Stormy Daniels was also a crime, but the effort to cover it up involved a conspiracy to defraud us. <br /><br />To that can be added obstruction charges and to that can be added contempt of Congress charges.<br /><br />As they continue to work, I'm sure they will also find the bank and insurance fraud Cohen pointed out in his Congressional testimony. Since Trump is trying to block those investigations, we get to add obstruction and contempt charges too.<br /><br />We already have enough to write the first few articles of impeachment, but I don't mind if they want to keep looking for more. Just call it what it is, though. The House Judicial committee is conducting an impeachment inquiry even when they avoid calling it that.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-28201163319548392352019-05-24T10:08:31.513-07:002019-05-24T10:08:31.513-07:00Over at Eschaton, Duncan Black said this:
"I...Over at Eschaton, Duncan Black said this:<br /><br />"I'm not a mindreader and I don't have any inside knowledge about why Pelosi doesn't think crimes are important, but I have one guess. No one in Congress (or, enough of them don't) wants the Barr Justice Department shining a flashlight up their asses. "<br /><br />There certainly are (at least) several elected democrats that are corrupt and a far greater number can be investigated and portrayed as corrupt. <br /><br />Now I don't know if Duncan in right but it sure seems to me that our federal government has become very dysfunctional. <br /><br />I thought the dysfunction was bad under Clinton, but it became way worse under Obama, and now I can't believe how bad the dysfunction is. (and what is even worse is that federal government did function under Bush II and what the government actually did was pretty horrible in my opinion.) jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07865068658069680309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-56040361369647290822019-05-24T09:46:31.280-07:002019-05-24T09:46:31.280-07:00Before impeaching, the Democrats first have to fin...Before impeaching, the Democrats first have to find an actual crime to impeach him for.<br /><br />Obstruction of justice ain't gonna cut it until we know exactly what he was (is?) hiding and how serious that crime is. Otherwise, 40 percent of the country will excuse his behavior as a justified overreaction to a "fishing expedition" by the Democrats. :(<br /><br />During Nixon's time, we were horrified by the idea that the President would actively try to cover-up an investigation. But that charge has been leveled at the Presidents so often since then, and the country has become so polarized, it is no longer such an outrage. We need something that will taint Trump to those who don't already see him as tainted. It won't work otherwise.<br /><br />So the Democrats need to investigate everything they can about him. But until they find that smoking gun, impeachment ain't gonna be on the table.A.F. Reyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08102355714883828348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-51249027684762605192019-05-24T08:54:31.874-07:002019-05-24T08:54:31.874-07:00I should have read ahead. From that same NY Times...I should have read ahead. From that same NY Times article:<br /><i><br />Besides, the notion that Republicans suffered a devastating rebuke as a result of the Clinton impeachment is overblown. Republicans kept the House in the 1998 midterms, though Democrats gained five seats. Clinton was damaged enough that his vice president, Al Gore, held him at a distance while running to succeed him. In the 2000 election, Republicans won the presidency, kept the House, and narrowly took the Senate, giving them trifecta control of government for the first time in nearly half a century. Can this really be the cautionary tale that’s frightening Democrats from doing all they can to hold a lawless president to account?<br /></i>Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-13763267001359265872019-05-24T08:53:16.253-07:002019-05-24T08:53:16.253-07:00https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/opinion/trump-p...https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/opinion/trump-pelosi-impeachment.html<br /><br /><i><br />Some Democrats might fear a repeat of the mistakes Republicans made when they impeached Clinton two decades ago, but this suggests a lack of faith in their own leadership. Clinton was impeached for covering up sex with an intern. Were Trump to be impeached, it would be for covering up his entanglements, financial and otherwise, with a hostile foreign power, blatantly profiting from his office, declaring himself above the law, and demanding freedom from oversight as the price of fulfilling ordinary presidential responsibilities. If Democratic politicians don’t believe they can make the public see the difference between these two impeachment scenarios, perhaps they are in the wrong line of work.<br /></i>Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-78635103091305213142019-05-24T08:50:07.639-07:002019-05-24T08:50:07.639-07:00"Both parties are corrupt"
I usually fo..."Both parties are corrupt"<br /><br />I usually follow up with "Then why do you get wound up when people vote for Dems then?"john fremonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06505620790054721035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-8355393956906666712019-05-24T07:46:55.231-07:002019-05-24T07:46:55.231-07:00Alfred Differ:
People who learn hopelessness migh...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />People who learn hopelessness might admit it someday, but even then they probably won’t try to do anything about it.<br /></i><br /><br />Yes, I know too many people who repeat as mantras "Both parties are corrupt" or "Voting doesn't change anything" as a justification for not participating in democracy. They still complain when things don't go their way, though.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-91299250330676296972019-05-23T17:44:12.549-07:002019-05-23T17:44:12.549-07:00Matthew,
I partially agree, but the toolset for r...Matthew,<br /><br />I partially agree, but the toolset for reaching each type is different. A Conservative who is actively trying to defend against a particular change and is active in their community is probably a voter. A non-voter might vocally complain, but probably isn’t as active in their community. Why should they try? The chance is high that they have learned hopelessness. Literally. Like those old drowning rats in a barrel experiments. Teach someone hopelessness and they don’t try to save themselves because they don’t think they can.<br /><br />My experience with consistent non-voters is they have learned hopelessness to some degree. They can be harder to budge than the misguided conservative who tolerates mental dissonance. Both are worth some effort, but I find that hopeless people are harder for me to move because their attitude is contagious. I can only face them in small numbers with relief time in between. I’ve learned this from experience involving former friends of mine. So… give me a misguided zealot any day. Their energy might be misdirected, but it energizes me.<br /><br />People who learn hopelessness might admit it someday, but even then they probably won’t try to do anything about it. It takes a lot of effort to pull them out of their personal abyss.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-37620109069561916762019-05-23T17:16:56.903-07:002019-05-23T17:16:56.903-07:00Re-Getting out the vote
The USA has very low voti...Re-Getting out the vote<br /><br />The USA has very low voting numbers compared to the rest of the west<br /><br />BUT<br /><br />The number of registered voters voting in the USA is not that bad - it's worse but not terrible<br /><br />The area where the USA is way behind other western nations is NOT "voter turnout" but voter REGISTRATION <br /><br />A drive to get ALL eligible voters registered would have more effect than getting all registered voters to the pollsduncan cairncrosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14153725128216947145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-78248913009959724492019-05-23T16:18:09.431-07:002019-05-23T16:18:09.431-07:00matthew I agree with you. But the DP is already be...matthew I agree with you. But the DP is already bent on huge get out the vote drives. What use is my contrarianism with that?<br /><br />There are other elements needing attention:<br /><br />1- preventing provocateurs from inciting civil war on the Union side.<br /><br />2- crushing any Steins or Naders, like bugs... except where there's preferential balloting, so they'll learn to make THAT their issue.<br /><br />3- shattering the mesmerinc spell keeping RASRS in the GOP coalition.<br /><br />You do not grasp that importance. each added vote in a city is vastly less effective than one less GOP one in a purple battleground. Think it through.<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-49396720403216612662019-05-23T14:57:23.465-07:002019-05-23T14:57:23.465-07:00I think getting the 70% of Americans that do agree...I think getting the 70% of Americans that do agree on solutions to all actually vote is a hell of a lot more important than trying to peel 10% off of the GOP that do vote. David's RSARs are *hard* to convince because it entails getting them to betray their tribe. <br /><br />Getting the 50% that don't vote but they agree with 70% with sane policy goals...? That is politics. Obama did it by offering a post- racism society and it worked so well that every racist in the world freaked out. <br /><br />Build networks, register allies. These things matter. Wasting time trying to scrape a few more RASRs away from their cult? Not nearly as important as mobilizing the youth, the drug users, the hippies and the queer. <br /><br />matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-71426108594586296822019-05-23T14:34:42.512-07:002019-05-23T14:34:42.512-07:00What I said earlier about Alfred & jim.What I said earlier about Alfred & jim.<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-58736915175624800142019-05-23T14:34:28.722-07:002019-05-23T14:34:28.722-07:00I am not the only one to point this out, but there...I am not the only one to point this out, but there does seem to be a reactionary - I don't use the word conservative for these people any more, because they aren't - wave building in politics worldwide. India and Australia, two justly admired democracies, just returned reactionary governments to power. Britain is still busy Brexiting its own economic grave. Japan has taken steps to reglorify its fascist past. <br />The odds of concerted international effort to deal with global warming keep dropping, and we don't have much time left. I'm starting to wonder if this is deliberate - the frog turning off its heat sensors because it's just too much bother to hop out of the pot.<br /><br />PappenheimerUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08628667566485965800noreply@blogger.com