I saw the Body Worlds exhibit last week and it was fascinating(last day was today). I always enjoy seeing art and science combined to create something extraordinary although I'll never look at a rack of BBQ ribs quite the same way again.
The neo-con in me doesn't want to give up the ground we've gained(not worth the blood and treasure surely, but still gained). I see problems ahead and we need entrenched military posts in that region. I don't trust Saudi Arabia or the UAE or Turkey to remain our 'friends' when all hell breaks out. I'm afraid our enemies smell blood with all the weakness we are showing and will take every advantage. Isolationism in this day and age is simply not in our best interest. Or the interests of the world I'd wager. I hope I'm wrong. But I don't think I am. I'm afraid we'll need all of the President's prodigious charisma to get this country through the coming hard times. He may very well reinstate the draft and compulsory service. Democrats have been pushing for this for some time and now they can pretty much get whatever they want. It would be one way to remove young people from the domestic job pool and shore up a stretched thin military force. The future is scary. We certainly live in interesting times. Ancient Chinese curse and all. dj On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 6:35 PM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > Don, really, the abandonment may be a good thing, though as you say it > might turn out to be the killing field. What I'm thinking is, let it > happen and it will all settle out one way or another. The reason we > are always concerned about it is because 'We' want it to turn out in > our favor. We, the US, have had our own killing field here, > historically, and so it just settled out the way it did. How many > lives have been needlessly lost thanks to intervention? I think > barbarianism spans multiple cultures and in a sense has permeated > societies in cult oriented microcosms. We are not aware of the > atrocities until they appear on the nightly news and then we are > shocked and dismayed to think that this stuff still goes on. > The exhibit sounds intriguing and I might consider a drive over from > SA. My wife is always hinting that she wants us to go somewhere. It > 's only a few hours off and I'm thinking about the great restaurants > available there. It's something to consider and her birthday is on > the 3rd but in all actuality I will first have to decipher her desire > to witness a Genghis Khan exhibit. Maybe I can Khan her into it! > > > On Feb 22, 5:02 pm, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: >> 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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