Jihad needs scientists

John Larkin wrote:

"T Wake" <usenet.es7at@gishpuppy.com> wrote:
jmfbahciv@aol.com> wrote in message
John Larkin <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
Eeyore<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

The rest of the world loathes the USA. They didn't used to. You've had to
work hard to get to that position.

From a eurocentric point of view, maybe so. But India and China and
Japan and Africa don't count, apparently.

Nor the eastern countries of Europe.

While I don't agree with the rest of the world loathes the US argument, it
is undeniable that most countries in the world have a low opinion of
"America" (as an entity) and it's actions on the world stage.


So all those people are emigrating here accidentally, based on some
misunderstanding about geography?
Accidentally ? I think the Mexicans know which way is North.

Graham
 
On 15 Oct 2006 20:37:59 GMT, "Daniel Mandic" <daniel_mandic@aon.at>
wrote:

John Larkin wrote:

Don't blame the US for American culture, blame the world.

John


You cannot make good use of the rich/fat country. I, in your case, would
anyone await who wants to hit me. And then, when the opponent came
(other form of inging), I would blast them into tiny pieces.
See? Cowboy Culture in action. I'd lay off the Terminator movies for a
while maybe.

But everywhere where you defend something, some goods wander with you.
How wonderous :) yippie, we have Uran, Oil and other Things, emptied
in our own country.

You have the, 'just living' culture. Some of you cannot even use Fork
and Knife, indeed.
A really good burger with fries doesn't need a fork and knife. Hmmm,
Zuni Cafe is just two blocks away, and it's lunch time...

John
 
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:39:24 +0100, "T Wake"
<usenet.es7at@gishpuppy.com> wrote:

snip
So I'm curious how some Europeans see this developing.

Oddly from an outsiders perspective, lots of British people think of
Europeans and Europe as an external entity.
This much I decidedly knew. :)

Jon
 
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:56:48 +0200, "Frank Bemelman"
<f.bemelmanq@xs4all.invalid.nl> wrote:

"T Wake" <usenet.es7at@gishpuppy.com> schreef in bericht
news:zoidnXWyvpSkTa7YnZ2dnUVZ8s-dnZ2d@pipex.net...

Still, I have no doubt that one day it will happen. The die hard Europhobe
in my wants it to be _after_ my lifetime but I am sensible enough to
realise this is an emotional response, not a logical or reasonable one.
Generally speaking though, trying to forge nations without a common
background is fraught with disaster.

All the different languages don't help much either. Lots of little
things that can cause friction. It will take some time, but the
situation in the world urges to speed up the process. The lack
of common background is present and strong, but there's plenty
of common problems and perhaps that is the magic glue we need.
Interesting comments. Thanks.

Jon
 
Jonathan Kirwan wrote:

On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:39:24 +0100, "T Wake"
usenet.es7at@gishpuppy.com> wrote:

So I'm curious how some Europeans see this developing.

Oddly from an outsiders perspective, lots of British people think of
Europeans and Europe as an external entity.

This much I decidedly knew. :)
I doubt it's so true with younger ppl here but we are still a large
island of course.

Graham
 
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:28:58 +0100, Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

John Larkin wrote:

Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:
John Larkin wrote:

Ah, your concern is not about peace. It's not about democracy, or
human rights, or the health or nutrition or safety of the poorest
people in the world.

And the USA'a *IS* ?????

Graham

I think the theory is that a democratic world, with free people and
free trade, will be better for everybody, us included. I've heard lots
worse theories.

What's your version of utopia?

Ceertainly one where you don't go to war to change ppls minds.
I think Kennedy had a finger on it. Reposting this again won't hurt
in this context. It is as good a description as any.

Pres. John Kennedy, June 10th, 1963, American University Commencement:

"I have, therefore, chosen this time and place to discuss a topic on
which ignorance too often abounds and the truth too rarely perceived.
And that is the most important topic on earth: peace. What kind of
peace do I mean and what kind of a peace do we seek? Not a Pax
Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the
peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about
genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth
living, and the kind that enables men and nations to grow, and to
hope, and build a better life for their children -- not merely peace
for Americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our
time but peace in all time."

Jon
 
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:28:58 +0100, Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

John Larkin wrote:

Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:
John Larkin wrote:

Ah, your concern is not about peace. It's not about democracy, or
human rights, or the health or nutrition or safety of the poorest
people in the world.

And the USA'a *IS* ?????

Graham

I think the theory is that a democratic world, with free people and
free trade, will be better for everybody, us included. I've heard lots
worse theories.

What's your version of utopia?

Ceertainly one where you don't go to war to change ppls minds.
Not to change Saddam's mind, when he wanted Kuwait? Not to change Pol
Pot's mind, to end the killing fields?

But you addressed what you don't want the world to look like, or
rather what you're not willing to do to change the world. But what do
you want the world to be like? I mean aside from silly stuff, like "a
world without arrogant Americans"?

John
 
"John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in message
news:9pr7j2pq1hoonvptdpvpimvaaa7v057ib8@4ax.com...
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 06:10:12 GMT, Jonathan Kirwan
jkirwan@easystreet.com> wrote:


Evangelicals in the US account for some 30% of the population. Of
those, the really scary crazy ones are a significant subfraction. But
a potentially very dangerous portion.

If you wanted to visit here, I'd easily drive you to a few huge places
where they have their own special "schools" and fenced homes areas and
I'm pretty sure you'd leave here uncontrollably shaking and preparing
yourself for a coming Armageddon.

It's enough serious that it cannot be ignored as an influence and it
really needs to be nipped, somehow.

Jon


Oh relax. The USA has always had a healthy share of loonies,
Theosiphists and nudists and communists and hippie communes and
golfers and gun nuts. Do you propose to "nip" people who don't vote to
your liking?
Does it only count if other countries don't behave to your liking?
 
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:07:46 +0100, "T Wake"
<usenet.es7at@gishpuppy.com> wrote:


That is the heart of the issue. If Idi Amin or Pol Pot decides to kill
a few million of "their own" citizens, do they have the soverign right
to do so? Is there any such thing as universal human rights? Does the
government of China "own" Tibet or Taiwan? Do we stand aside from
genocides and starvation because intervention is, for some reason,
"unacceptable"?

Well, a good question and one that is very difficult to answer.

There are no "universal human rights" as such a concept would be
unenforceable. For example if the right to life is a universal human right,
the US has violated this every time it's soldiers kill some one. As soon as
there is an "acceptable" casualty rate the universal right is lost for
everyone.
Thet's the Joan Baez argument: killing is immoral, so you can't kill
one person to save a million.

If there is a "universal right" which allows the US to intervene in a
country which is acting in a manner in which it disagrees, that right _must_
also allow other countries to intervene if the US acts in a manner in which
they disagree. This is obviously not the case so that can't be enforceable.

I am fairly sure there are no "universal rights" human or otherwise.
OK, then anything goes. Whoever had the most guns and bombs prevails,
and can kill all he wants, and it doesn't matter to you as long as
it's not you he's after. And you don't matter to us at all.

As to the second issue, should the US intervene? I think an important thing
is that the US, if it wishes to intervene for "good reasons" gets the
support of the international community to avoid looking like it is
profiteering.
So why not profiteer, if power is all the matters?

For me personally, the _most_ important thing is consistency
in actions. If Country X is subject to regime change because of [INSERT
LEADER] then the US should treat all similar countries in a similar way.
Dealing and trading with oppressive regimes while attacking others is
inconsistent and undermines any "just cause" argument.

Invading a country because the ruler is killing lots of people, then killing
lots of people undermines the "just cause" argument.

Intervention in sovereign states is not a straight forward matter. Did the
US invade Cambodia to protect people from the Killing Fields?
VietNam did that; good move.

Or is it the case that the US cherry pick the times they will act and the
times they wont, when they do act it is "just cause" when the don't it is
the "international community" at fault.
The fault of the "international community", whatever that may be, is
that there is no accepted definition of human rights, and no concensus
on enforcing them even if there were a definition.

What criteria should the US use to determine which countries they will
"save" and which they wont?
If there are no standards, and there can't be standards, anything we
damned well please.

John
 
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 22:01:35 +0100, Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

Oh relax. The USA has always had a healthy share of loonies,
Theosiphists and nudists and communists and hippie communes and
golfers and gun nuts. Do you propose to "nip" people who don't vote to
your liking?

Those don't account for 30% of the population who can be persuaded to vote
en-bloc though.
New-York-Times-reading limousine liberals? Yeah, they are scairy.

But seriously, in a 2-party race, it's sort of fundamental that at
least 30% of the people will vote en-bloc.

John
 
"John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in message
news:65s7j2l1evion61o96itfes4sjgabjh499@4ax.com...
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:53:54 +0100, "T Wake"
usenet.es7at@gishpuppy.com> wrote:


"Jonathan Kirwan" <jkirwan@easystreet.com> wrote in message
news:tt66j2l70r5hknfprjg46gl64tdmv70h8t@4ax.com...
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 01:09:39 GMT, Jonathan Kirwan
jkirwan@easystreet.com> wrote:

On Sun, 15 Oct 2006 23:26:55 +0100, Eeyore
rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

JoeBloe wrote:

Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> Gave us:
JoeBloe wrote:
Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> Gave us:

More 'Christian' propaganda you willingly lapped up ?

You're an idiot. Now that you have been pegged, and proven to
be
a
US hater, you try to switch it to Christian hater.

I respect ppl's right to practice religion. I'm offended by any
religion
that inspires ignorance though lies whether that be Christian,
Moslem
or
other.

All of Islam (read the moslems) believe that all others that are not
moslem are "infidels" and that killing them is not, nor should not be
a crime.

I have a problem with that. Do you not have a problem with that?

If it was true I would have a problem with it. It's simply not true
though.
Do you really believe that nonsense ?

Graham

Sometimes I don't think Europeans understand the religious atmosphere
here in the US and probably no imagination for the extreme reaches of
it or how it actually influences politics here. I have a hard time,
too, so here is a page that paints one of the extreme but important
influences:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/12/105122/66

In the latter part of it you will see how "thinking" is blocked and
dismantled.

Imagine living in the middle of this. I do.

Jon

Oh, my. The Europeans _do_ have this in their midst:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061014/sc_afp/polandeducationsciencereligion_061014145504


Quite scary really. Even in the UK, BBC polls show almost a third people
have doubts about evolution and around a quarter think creationism is
correct. Shocking really. When I am made God, and all religion is banned,
these nut cases will be forced into the ocean.


On a radio program this morning, the subject being gender roles and
specifically transgender issues, a couple of biologists agreed that
Darwin's description of sex roles was totally wrong.
They may well be, I am not a biologist. I know very little in the way of
scientific theory survives for ever. Darwin's theories were in place long
before modern advances so not changing them would be strange.

Not having heard the programme I can not comment on the specifics. I suspect
they were not voicing the mainstream opinion which means they are just as
likely to be wildly wrong as they are to be accurate.

And in a book I'm reading about string theory, it seems out that there
are about 10^500 different possible universes, and as few as one may
support life, so some theorists are invoking Intelligent Design to
explain why the particular constants were chosen which allow us to
exist.
Those either theorists are incorrect or the book has explained it badly.
String theory itself is on the "edge" of science (and I don't mean that as
in the complimentary cutting edge) as it has made no testable predictions.
It is, in effect, as good "science" as intelligent design. String theory is
popular with scientists who want to break away from the mould which is
potentially good, but as I said it is just as likely to mean they are full
of crap. String theory does make good books though.

The normal ID-like version of the many worlds theory holds that the universe
_must_ be the way it is because we exist. If it was any different we
wouldn't exist and the question would be meaningless. As you can see, this
carries none of the normal scientific method with it so (IMHO obviously) it
is fundamentally flawed.

Intelligent design is a dead end as far as science goes because it defeats
the quest for knowledge. Comparing a scientific theory to creationism (or ID
or what ever you want to call it) is a basic fallacy. From a logical
position, ID/Creationism can be used to dismantle Monotheistic religions on
exactly the same principle they try to dismantle (for example) evolutionary
theory.
 
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 13:48:06 -0700, John Larkin
<jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:

On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 06:10:12 GMT, Jonathan Kirwan
jkirwan@easystreet.com> wrote:

Evangelicals in the US account for some 30% of the population. Of
those, the really scary crazy ones are a significant subfraction. But
a potentially very dangerous portion.

If you wanted to visit here, I'd easily drive you to a few huge places
where they have their own special "schools" and fenced homes areas and
I'm pretty sure you'd leave here uncontrollably shaking and preparing
yourself for a coming Armageddon.

It's enough serious that it cannot be ignored as an influence and it
really needs to be nipped, somehow.

Oh relax. The USA has always had a healthy share of loonies,
Agreed. But in its generality, that statement loses any useful
judgment value, too. I mean this in this sense: "There has always
been a healthy share of alcoholism in the US." But this doesn't mean
that it isn't a problem to be confronted.

We shouldn't ignore the problem. Especially, as it has actually
become a more nagging problem.

Theosiphists and nudists and communists and hippie communes and
golfers and gun nuts.
Hehe. We'll have some differences of opinion here, which I'm sure you
imagine exactly makes your point.

Do you propose to "nip" people who don't vote to
your liking?
Not at all. I was talking about the problem that results, not the
people. You have obviously twisted this, not so skillfully, to look
otherwise.

In any case, the problem I describe is real and isn't to be ignored.
The issue boils down to this, which I recently wrote and will simply
repost in the interests of time:

: Politics is about finding and bringing to the fore our common goals
: and ideals and about negotiating some kind of respectful middle ground
: that all sides can live with, without necessarily being happy about it
: but at least willing to grudgingly accept it as being something they
: can sincerely work with. We are a large country with a wide variety
: of opinions and values. This is a tough process and it never ends.
: But it is worthwhile, because without this ongoing discovery process
: and a willingness to _seriously_ engage each other to find compromises
: we can live with, ultimately the only other recourse is violence and
: death. Politics is about keeping the social peace, if nothing else.
: And that is done by finding our common values and treating opponents
: with respect sufficient so that some negotiated agreement with them
: will be handled with a serious, earnest and meaningful attempt to
: "meet in the middle."
:
: There must be respect and there must be meaningful compromise.
:
: By contrast, religious belief is dogmatic, inflexible, insincere when
: negotiating because ultimately they "hold the truth" and the other
: side does not, etc. This is why there was a wise, high wall of
: separation between church and state. Not to denigrate religion. Or
: to denigrate the state. But simply because negotiation require a
: willingness to accept and embrace meaningful compromise, a willingness
: to respect and hear out the grievances of those who differ, and to
: accept and seriously engage in supporting arrived at compromises so
: that peace and workable planning on shared common values and goals as
: well as compromises can be had and maintained.
:
: One of the more galling things to me about all of this change, that
: which has gradually developed over my adult lifetime, is that politics
: used to include a lot more respect for opposing positions and a more
: sincere desire to find some kind of negotiated middle ground. As it
: stands right now, it is out and out warfare because those in power
: hold all three branches, are far too many of them willing to mix their
: religious beliefs as dogmatic public policy without real negotiation,
: and simply refuse to provide even the slightest measure of respect to
: any of their opponents. Ever.
:
: This isn't even close to a healthy political process. It's, in fact,
: the manifest example of politics on its death bed. And that does NOT
: bode well.
As I said, politics is about finding common values and where material
differences exist to find sincerely negotiated compromises in order to
avoid what our founders considered the ultimate resort when all other
gov't mechanisms fail -- civil war. The purpose, ultimately, of
political discourse is to avoid the kinds of civil unrest and
ultimately murderous violence and war that occurs when people feel
that is the only way to secure some measure of control and justice in
their own lives.

To achieve that excellent purpose of politics, those from different
viewpoints must have enough respect for each other to engage in the
kinds of meaningful communications that allow them to secure real
compromise, if changing their minds from convincing evidence isn't to
be found. When that level of respect has left, or when the parties
have no intentions at all of negotiating in good faith, then the
system cannot secure its purpose and people are left to find other
means.

Religious belief, as a personal matter, is entirely fine. And
religious belief as a matter of it informing your understanding of
morality and ethics is also fine. And when you apply that to your
voting, that is also just fine. Each of us must find and use what we
value in our own lives to help inform us about our participation in a
larger community.

Organized religious belief is fine, as well, so long as it is not a
material part of governance. This is the separation of church and
state, much talked about in the US. The reason for this is as I
mentioned before, that religious beliefs are a matter of faith and
unshown belief, not a matter of evidence. One cannot _negotiate_ that
belief away nor will one accept evidence to dispel it and then shuck
it. When organized religion enters the political marketplace, it
enters just as a spilled box of wrenches enters an open and
functioning gear box. It brings it all to a halt.

The issue of abortion here in the US is manifest evidence of this
fact. Personal, individual religious views aren't going to change on
this subject. Nor should they. But when organized and brought into a
focus in the political process, there is also no room for compromise
with those who disagree -- which is exactly the good purpose of
politics. Instead, when compromise happens it happens insincerely and
with every intent to confront the entire thing on still another front.
It's both secret and open warfare the entire way. There never is any
real intent or purpose to accept anything at all except complete
victory.

That's because religious dogma is unaffected by objective evidence or
science fact. You either accept the assumptions, or you don't.

This is anathema to politics, which is all about finding ways we can
live together in peace, despite widely different personal views.

So let me restart this, again. I agree with you when you say, "The
USA has always had a healthy share of loonies." In fact, it's quite
possible that fundamentalist Christians in the US were always in high
ratios within the population (although I've read some studies that
argue well that there has been a real increase in terms of
percentages.) However, it is the case that the organized expression
of fundamentalist views has changed in my lifetime. Starting more
significantly with several initiatives in the 1950's, as I recall. It
has taken a long time and the availability of cable and a variety of
political initiatives in Washington D.C. to impact the FCC rules (I've
already cited references here in this group to that effect) have
increased their political impact. This was the intent of these
organizations, too. So what has changed may not be so much that
loonies didn't exist before, so much as that they have organized with
the expressed intent of gaining political control.

We can already see the reverse effect, too. With the recent events
about gays in the Republican Party, which is poison to those
fundamentalists, there is a risk that some of these fundamentalists
may increasingly just "stay at home" and not vote this time.
Similarly, for those conservatives who feel that the Bush
administration has simply failed horribly on their principles, too.

The difference between, say, some authoritarian, top-down administered
Southern Baptist organization being involved in expressing political
control and, say, some grass-roots conservative organization doing the
same takes place when their opposition sits down to talk politics. In
the case of conservatives, you can negotiate with respect and
sincerity and discuss objective measures, means and methods, and
evidence as part of those negotiations. And you can expect that the
results of such negotiations will be given a sincere chance. With
fundamentalist religious views entering the discussion, there's
nothing to debate or discuss, except for how quickly you will allow
them to secure their faithful beliefs over everyone else.

The box of wrenches spills into the gear box and politics comes to a
halt.

That's why the separation. Religious government is a bad idea.
Period.

Jon
 
"John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in message
news:ris7j254s9vskcfaag555hditinlcjnl60@4ax.com...
On Sun, 15 Oct 2006 16:06:58 +0100, "T Wake"
usenet.es7at@gishpuppy.com> wrote:


jmfbahciv@aol.com> wrote in message
news:egt5lk$8u0_003@s995.apx1.sbo.ma.dialup.rcn.com...
In article <b972j2hg5vph0kft82futt7v3sd8r5penb@4ax.com>,
John Larkin <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 05:43:04 +0100, Eeyore
rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:



The rest of the world loathes the USA. They didn't used to. You've had
to
work hard to
get to that position.

From a eurocentric point of view, maybe so. But India and China and
Japan and Africa don't count, apparently.

Nor the eastern countries of Europe.

While I don't agree with the rest of the world loathes the US argument, it
is undeniable that most countries in the world have a low opinion of
"America" (as an entity) and it's actions on the world stage.


So all those people are emigrating here accidentally, based on some
misunderstanding about geography?
Sorry, I didn't realise any countries had upped and moved to the US lately.
You are talking about migrations of population which rarely (in modern times
at least) has anything to do with a love of the new country.

Also, you are presenting a strawman based on the very unrepresentative
population samples. To make matters worse it largely supports the claim
because the people left behind in those countries will continue to dislike
the US and feed of each other even more.

As I said, the majority of the countries in the world have a low opinion of
the America an entity.
 
"Jonathan Kirwan" <jkirwan@easystreet.com> wrote in message
news:mrt7j2p1peqedn2mj7del4pqcmg0987q7m@4ax.com...
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:39:24 +0100, "T Wake"
usenet.es7at@gishpuppy.com> wrote:

snip
So I'm curious how some Europeans see this developing.

Oddly from an outsiders perspective, lots of British people think of
Europeans and Europe as an external entity.

This much I decidedly knew. :)
As it should be. There are some advantages to being an island nation.
 
"John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in message
news:eek:v08j299338u1a8v6bvp4t4djj4u40csbs@4ax.com...
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:28:58 +0100, Eeyore
rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:



John Larkin wrote:

Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:
John Larkin wrote:

Ah, your concern is not about peace. It's not about democracy, or
human rights, or the health or nutrition or safety of the poorest
people in the world.

And the USA'a *IS* ?????

Graham

I think the theory is that a democratic world, with free people and
free trade, will be better for everybody, us included. I've heard lots
worse theories.

What's your version of utopia?

Ceertainly one where you don't go to war to change ppls minds.


Not to change Saddam's mind, when he wanted Kuwait? Not to change Pol
Pot's mind, to end the killing fields?
No, the war doesn't change minds. It may alter immediate actions but that is
different. Very little, historically, has been solved through war. Normally
it is just pushed on to a later generation to deal with.

I never realised it was armed US intervention which put paid to Pol Pot's
regime. Sorry. I always thought it was the Vietnamese, who were then opposed
by the Americans.

When did the US invade and arrest Pol Pot?
 
John Larkin wrote:

On a radio program this morning, the subject being gender roles and
specifically transgender issues, a couple of biologists agreed that
Darwin's description of sex roles was totally wrong.
What *was* Darwin's description ?

Graham
 
"John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in message
news:fb18j2pef82gj5f9lucleh02kuss3f8d1e@4ax.com...
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:07:46 +0100, "T Wake"
usenet.es7at@gishpuppy.com> wrote:


That is the heart of the issue. If Idi Amin or Pol Pot decides to kill
a few million of "their own" citizens, do they have the soverign right
to do so? Is there any such thing as universal human rights? Does the
government of China "own" Tibet or Taiwan? Do we stand aside from
genocides and starvation because intervention is, for some reason,
"unacceptable"?

Well, a good question and one that is very difficult to answer.

There are no "universal human rights" as such a concept would be
unenforceable. For example if the right to life is a universal human
right,
the US has violated this every time it's soldiers kill some one. As soon
as
there is an "acceptable" casualty rate the universal right is lost for
everyone.

Thet's the Joan Baez argument: killing is immoral, so you can't kill
one person to save a million.
Not at all. You are now making this a moral judgement call which was never
the initial point. You asked about a "Universal Human Right." For something
to be a Universal Human Right, it must be a right for everyone (the
Universal Human bit). This is the logical fallacy people make when they use
"rights" too much, it becomes a watered down phrase.

If you are asking about Universal Human Morals it is an entirely different
question. Rights do not have a moral value.

If you can kill one to save a million, can you kill a million to save one?

Can you kill ten Africans to save a South American? Can you kill a thousand
Americans to save a million Arabs?

Morals are based on our upbringing and background. What is considered
"moral" behaviour in a fundamental Christian society may well be very
different from mine. As a result morals can not be considered "rights" nor
universal.

If there is a "universal right" which allows the US to intervene in a
country which is acting in a manner in which it disagrees, that right
_must_
also allow other countries to intervene if the US acts in a manner in
which
they disagree. This is obviously not the case so that can't be
enforceable.

I am fairly sure there are no "universal rights" human or otherwise.

OK, then anything goes. Whoever had the most guns and bombs prevails,
and can kill all he wants, and it doesn't matter to you as long as
it's not you he's after. And you don't matter to us at all.

A nice strawman. You said you were serious about this question but it
appears not. You ask about Universal Human Rights but it appears you want to
define a standard and code of behaviour based on moral judgement calls. This
will also never happen because _your_ moral values are based on being
brought up in a western democratic Christian nation and as such are
different to some one who was (for example) brought up a Buddhist in Nepal.

Your attempt at changing the direction of the question ("Whoever had the
most guns and bombs prevails" etc) has nothing to do with universal human
rights.

Do you want to discuss should there be a universal set of behavioural
standards towards others?



As to the second issue, should the US intervene? I think an important
thing
is that the US, if it wishes to intervene for "good reasons" gets the
support of the international community to avoid looking like it is
profiteering.

So why not profiteer, if power is all the matters?
Who said power is all that matters? You are arguing a different topic than
the one here.

If you think power is all that matters then yes, profiteer, but with that
behaviour America would no longer be able to use the "just cause" argument.

For me personally, the _most_ important thing is consistency
in actions. If Country X is subject to regime change because of [INSERT
LEADER] then the US should treat all similar countries in a similar way.
Dealing and trading with oppressive regimes while attacking others is
inconsistent and undermines any "just cause" argument.

Invading a country because the ruler is killing lots of people, then
killing
lots of people undermines the "just cause" argument.

Intervention in sovereign states is not a straight forward matter. Did the
US invade Cambodia to protect people from the Killing Fields?

VietNam did that; good move.

What was the US response? Did the US assist the Vietnamese? Still, there is
(IMHO of course) no point in second guessing actions which were taken by
governements a generation ago.

The only point I wanted to make out of this, and I am sorry I brought it up
if it heads even further away from the question, is the consistency issue.
The Killing Fields were pretty large scale slaughter but no Western
intervention took place. This is what weakens the "Just Cause" argument.



Or is it the case that the US cherry pick the times they will act and the
times they wont, when they do act it is "just cause" when the don't it is
the "international community" at fault.

The fault of the "international community", whatever that may be, is
that there is no accepted definition of human rights, and no concensus
on enforcing them even if there were a definition.
How can there be an accepted definition of human rights? It is hard to
define what a "right" is, let alone what ones there are.

Enforcing rights is another tricky issue as it often involves taking away
peoples "rights" which create a vicious circle.


What criteria should the US use to determine which countries they will
"save" and which they wont?

If there are no standards, and there can't be standards, anything we
damned well please.

The strawman returns. It was an honest question, do you have an honest
answer? Was that your honest answer because the problem is the rest of the
world perceives it as "anything we please."
 
On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 23:53:43 +0100, Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

John Larkin wrote:

On a radio program this morning, the subject being gender roles and
specifically transgender issues, a couple of biologists agreed that
Darwin's description of sex roles was totally wrong.

What *was* Darwin's description ?

Graham
Basicly that males are agressive and demonstrative and that females
are coy and passive, the peacock model. He didn't study enough
species, I guess.

John
 
John Larkin wrote:

Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:
John Larkin wrote:

On a radio program this morning, the subject being gender roles and
specifically transgender issues, a couple of biologists agreed that
Darwin's description of sex roles was totally wrong.

What *was* Darwin's description ?

Graham

Basicly that males are agressive and demonstrative and that females
are coy and passive, the peacock model. He didn't study enough
species, I guess.
LOL or humans it would seem.

Graham
 
Jonathan Kirwan wrote:
The article I read pointed out that the soldiers explicitly were under
a Euro command and that if they were ordered _into_ their own country
for some reason, that they must have already sworn to uphold the Euro
command and not obey those in command in their own home country.

What happens when they are ordered to attack their own country?


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 

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