The 'barbarians' have just turned out generally to be more peaceful, cultured and so on the Roman (Church) history led us to believe Don. It's only that use I have a bit of a problem with. In Francis' sense the awful stuff sometimes seems everywhere.
On 22 Feb, 22:21, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > It does my heart good to hear Iran and N. Korea referred to as 'piss > ant.' I concur. It remains to be seen whether the 3rd former 'axis > of evil' country will remain liberated after we abandon them to their > neighbors. This is one Obama promise I really hope he does break. > One can argue against the judgment of the original invasion and > certainly the way the war was conducted but abandonment now seems > unconscionable. It will be the killing fields all over again. Is > Obama really prepared to be responsible for such an atrocity? With > his history of voting 'present' I think not. Obama has many favorable > qualities but courage does not seem to be one of them. > > I confess to being a big fan of Dirty Harry. Magnum Force was a > thrill. I highly recommend Eastwood's newest crime drama "Gran > Torino." That said I would never dream of confronting 'punks' like > he does. I am not a police officer. I would only use my weapon to > defend life and for no other reason. Since I have moved to a much > nicer neighborhood there is little chance I will get my day > made.(knock on wood) > > dj > > On Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 11:49 PM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Don, I would strongly agree on the rapid and sometimes rabid > > dissemination of information point. Exposure has it's way of > > awakening those who think their atrocities are OK in their own private > > little minds. China seems to still be chopping heads off in the > > public square and issuing death penalties for corporate mismanagement, > > so I don't know that it is a universal concept. As you say the > > reduction of blatant offenses may be attributed to global exposure but > > the fact is some countries just don't really care. > > Concerning Pinker's historical splay of violence, he might as well > > added the stepping on of ants and insects as a demonstration of > > humanity's penchant for violent behavior. I don't see humanity's > > reduction of violence but rather see it as simply wearing a different > > costume, like the wolf in sheep's clothing. Predators, in recognition > > of the exposure risks, seek new ways to camouflage their devious > > practices. Pinker fails to produce statistics concurrent with > > modernist methods of concealing violence, as in the trendy practice of > > human trafficking for various exploitations. While it is true we no > > longer burn cats for entertainment purpose it is also true that we now > > find reason to exterminate our own children for convenience, and > > anyone else who gets in our way. You have your concealed weapon > > permit and it's only a matter of time before someone will actually > > make your day. Piss ant countries are fine tuning their pernicious > > weapons capability ready to dispense death in a perfunctory manner, > > essentially rendering Pinker's view imaginary. > > I don't know where religion fits in as I don't have any inclination > > towards it. > > I think you are realistically cynical. > > > On Feb 21, 4:17 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Does anyone else have problems taking seriously a grown man in such > >> dire need of a haircut? It's distracting. Anyway, I think he's on to > >> something here. The biggest reason violence is down is the rapid > >> dissemination of information and the difficulty in disguising gross > >> injustice. Governments want the rest of the world to think highly of > >> them and aggressively promote themselves with favorable PR. This > >> reduces the likelihood of blatant, uncalled for aggression. I don't > >> think we are at all nobler but I do think we all like to at least > >> appear to be so. > > >> It ties in nicely with my theory of why religion was invented. An > >> Omnipotent being judging your every move is motivation to behave. I > >> don't believe in Santa Claus any more but I do believe in the power of > >> the Press. And the internet. I wonder how long before our leaders > >> find a way to suppress it or bend it to their will? Oh wait, we're > >> already there. Google in China. Most major American newspapers > >> except the WSJ are in the tank for President Obama. All cheerleaders > >> for waste. We are squandering our global advantage. I understand why > >> international news agencies like the AP and Reuters would be in favor > >> of a socialist president but the fawning of our own papers is a little > >> disconcerting. > > >> Am I a cynic or a realist? Or sadly misinformed? > > >> dj > > >> On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 8:47 PM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> > I do have this tendency to throw public notables out on a bed of nails > >> > to see which of you are inclined to take some steps across them. > >> > Ouch! However, this is not just about curiosity but evaluation of my > >> > views for either reinforcement or modification. > >> > Steven Pinker, the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of > >> > Psychology at Harvard University has a lecture video in which he > >> > asserts humans to be peaceful by nature and merely corrupted by modern > >> > institutions and concluding that we are living very peaceful lives by > >> > historical comparisons. > >> > Pinker writes, "Now that social scientists have started to count > >> > bodies in different historical periods, they have discovered that the > >> > romantic theory gets it backward: Far from causing us to become more > >> > violent, something in modernity and its cultural institutions has made > >> > us nobler." > >> > This approach is a combination of empirical and biological study in > >> > contrast to former assertions formed upon human cultures and > >> > socialization without regard to biological recognition. > >> > Steven Pinker concludes that violence in the world has actually > >> > decreased, and conveys this idea in his "A History of Violence" > >> > lecturehttp://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/163 > >> > I for one never conceived of the notion but have tossed some bones > >> > around with my good friend gruff, who also asserts that mankind has > >> > made significant strides in the quest for a more peaceful existence in > >> > contrast to my view that man is as violent now as ever and desires > >> > aggressive conflict in perpetuity. > >> > I think Pinker's inclusion of such behaviors as cat burning in 16th > >> > century Paris is a stretch to expand the degree of historical > >> > violence, as is reference to human sacrifice, slavery, governmental > >> > conquests, real estate acquisition via genocide, torture and > >> > mutilation as routine punishment, the death penalty, assassination, > >> > massacres, conflict resolve through killing, all of which still take > >> > place in our time. Pinker also references Biblical examples of > >> > genocide and stoning deaths for any number of infractions, also > >> > attributing the same and similar torturous behaviors to historical > >> > accounts of Hindus, Christians, Muslims, and Chinese, etc. > >> > Pointing to a "change is sensibility" Pinker writes: "Violence has > >> > been in decline over long stretches of history, and today we are > >> > probably living in the most peaceful moment of our species' time on > >> > earth." > > >> > Somehow I can't seem to dance to the tune. > > >> > Please take the time to view this lecture, only 19 minutes and respond > >> > as to........... > > >> > Truth or Wishful Thinking? > > >> > State your Stance! --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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