I get your point Arch. When I use the word 'barbarian' I generally think of the Mongol variety rather then the Germanic variety. Not that it matters much. Who am I to judge? I am eagerly awaiting the Genghis Khan exhibit coming to HMNS at the end of the month. I plan to learn something.
dj On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 4:33 PM, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > 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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