I can't bear to think about the body scanner thing. I'm totally traumatised. I've spoken to the police about it. I'm in too much of a state to go to work.Well, admittedly, that would suck, but she works at the airport. Presumably she is okay with this happening to hundreds, if not thousands, of other people a day. So first, just as pretty much everyone who isn't a fan of sheep-like compliance knew, the system is being abused to get to voyeuristic kicks. Second, what's good for goose is apparently not good for the gander, since it's not okay to have it happen to her.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
I'm just shocked!
No, wait, I'm not. Airport employee gets scanned. For the linkaphobe, a female airport employee accidentally walks through one of the new 'see through your clothes' scanners and the weasel operating it uses it to examine her anatomy a bit more closely than she liked.
Quote of the day
"With politics, as with history, nothing is inevitable. To believe that transnational progressivism is an immutable, unstoppable global trend trend is an ahistorical, defeatist outlook pushed by the very type of people who a generation ago claimed the Soviet Union was a permanent geopolitical fixture. If America ceases to be a great nation, it will be because its people choose sloth, indolence, and mediocrity. That is a choice that I, for one, will never accept." -Mike
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Foot Soldier in The Long War
For years, since learning about the Saracens and Spain, I have described the conflict between Islam and the rest of the world as The Long War. I shall do so no more. The real war, the one that matters, is much, much older. It is the eternal struggle which has described all human history, back to Cain and Able (or the first caveman to force his will upon another, for you atheists). It is the struggle between two conflicting impulses present in all people, the desire to control and to be free of the control of others.
It is a war where there are no clear combatants and battle lines until it is too late, or nearly so, for those who wish freedom to prevail. It is not between religions or religions and secularism, nor opposing political ideologies, not even the conflicting philosophies of collectivism and individualism, but it lies at the heart of each of those conflicts. It is a war with many theaters, reaching into every facet of life.
As society needs authority in order to function, it is impossible for any person, perhaps even any idea short of anarchy or nihilism, to fit neatly into the side of wishing to be free from control, but all too easy for a person or idea to fall completely in the other camp. It is a nebulous struggle with most people being only unwitting participants until the point when the two sides polarize, by then it is almost certainly too late. Worse, a clear victory for either side results in a loss for civilization.
Societies need both conflicting ideals in balance, the correct balance being an issue of much debate, in order to be both free and functional. To one extreme, tyranny, the other, anarchy. Further complicating issues is a force I'll call societal entropy which favors either extreme, but abhors a balance.
Just as maintenance against deterioration in an artifact can only ever end with the ruin of the artifact, so too the maintenance of the precarious balance we call liberty. Balance or not, the struggle is a perpetual one. Historically, those societies which have achieved something resembling an ideal balance have only ever done so temporarily and only in the minority of cases. Entropy always wins eventually, but not on any timetable.
Sunday we saw the balance tip dramatically further in the favor of those who wish control. Any kind of balance in our country is in dire straits. All it would take is anything less than the absolute and fervent work of those who wish for liberty, in a nation of laws, to see our society to slide over into an authoritarian hell hole. Once there, restoring a balance is far less likely than simple bouncing between anarchy and tyranny. We have a rare thing, one we likely won't see again in our or our children's lifetimes if we lose it.
Congratulations, be you man or woman, religious or atheist, individualistic or collectivist you made the cut. You are now soldiers enlisted in fighting the second oldest war in history, second only to the eternal war between good and evil. Just try to remember, no side can be allowed to win.
It is a war where there are no clear combatants and battle lines until it is too late, or nearly so, for those who wish freedom to prevail. It is not between religions or religions and secularism, nor opposing political ideologies, not even the conflicting philosophies of collectivism and individualism, but it lies at the heart of each of those conflicts. It is a war with many theaters, reaching into every facet of life.
As society needs authority in order to function, it is impossible for any person, perhaps even any idea short of anarchy or nihilism, to fit neatly into the side of wishing to be free from control, but all too easy for a person or idea to fall completely in the other camp. It is a nebulous struggle with most people being only unwitting participants until the point when the two sides polarize, by then it is almost certainly too late. Worse, a clear victory for either side results in a loss for civilization.
Societies need both conflicting ideals in balance, the correct balance being an issue of much debate, in order to be both free and functional. To one extreme, tyranny, the other, anarchy. Further complicating issues is a force I'll call societal entropy which favors either extreme, but abhors a balance.
Just as maintenance against deterioration in an artifact can only ever end with the ruin of the artifact, so too the maintenance of the precarious balance we call liberty. Balance or not, the struggle is a perpetual one. Historically, those societies which have achieved something resembling an ideal balance have only ever done so temporarily and only in the minority of cases. Entropy always wins eventually, but not on any timetable.
Sunday we saw the balance tip dramatically further in the favor of those who wish control. Any kind of balance in our country is in dire straits. All it would take is anything less than the absolute and fervent work of those who wish for liberty, in a nation of laws, to see our society to slide over into an authoritarian hell hole. Once there, restoring a balance is far less likely than simple bouncing between anarchy and tyranny. We have a rare thing, one we likely won't see again in our or our children's lifetimes if we lose it.
Congratulations, be you man or woman, religious or atheist, individualistic or collectivist you made the cut. You are now soldiers enlisted in fighting the second oldest war in history, second only to the eternal war between good and evil. Just try to remember, no side can be allowed to win.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Day Two in the New America
Still no brown shirts in the streets confiscating smokes, soda, and booze. Kind of a bummer, I had a whole extra magazine in my pocket and everything. What I did notice is a lot of my less politically savvy/active friends are suddenly wanting to talk politics with me. And they are pissed.
Good. Make 'em mad and keep 'em there. People need to stay angry at least until November.
Good. Make 'em mad and keep 'em there. People need to stay angry at least until November.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Never let them see you bleed
Had a bad moment last night when, against the express wishes of the vast majority of the populace, the authoritarian's wet dream was shoved down our collective throats. For various reasons, I won't be personally effected, directly at least, and I'm sufficiently accomplished at gaming systems to likely emerge unscathed from whatever comes next as well. So I asked myself, "Why not just sit back and watch the whole damn world burn?" My inner nihilist was quite compelling. Hadn't I done enough? I've grown more risk averse and less combative as I've gotten older, there's nothing wrong with that, is there? I mean, I have kids now. Besides, what can anyone do? Every single elected jackass knew damn good and well that the American people wanted no part of their monstrosity.
FUCK that. It's time I remembered who I AM. I have traveled the world fighting for what I believed in and faced, what I thought was, certain death because I believed it was worth any cost. WE as a people need to remember who we are. As a nation we have paid any price, faced any challenge, and never asked anything in return but the room to bury our dead and the continuation of our freedom. Now the battle is on our own shores and is far more difficult and complex than facing down an opposing army.
All is not lost. The reason this came to pass despite overwhelming opposition is not because we are powerless. It is because those who would control have learned about response times. That is why as this year's election grew closer, the push to pass the Obamacare bill grew increasingly frantic. They had to get it passed before the election because they knew they would not be able to afterword. The decision cycle for the government is flexible, however long it takes to get a bill passed. For we the electorate, it is every two years. Well, our turn is coming up. If we can avoid giving in to despair and apathy, we can still make ourselves felt. Everyone who voted for this abomination needs to be tossed out on their asses.
We have three years before this fully goes into effect. Time enough to fight it in the courts. To exorcise the corruption in Congress then demand a repeal. Time enough for hope. But if we just let this slide, give it time to acquire inertia then it will take on the sick, undying life of any other government program. Write your representatives and senators, shower afterwards, attend rallies, learn the details, inform yourself so you can inform others above all, give them no respite. Call them liars and tyrants in the streets, campaign for anyone who opposes them, don't just fight them at the ballet box, fight them from the soapbox, make yourself heard! If they call a rally, attend and call them out.
They have blatantly and knowingly opposed the will of We the People, we owe them nothing.
FUCK that. It's time I remembered who I AM. I have traveled the world fighting for what I believed in and faced, what I thought was, certain death because I believed it was worth any cost. WE as a people need to remember who we are. As a nation we have paid any price, faced any challenge, and never asked anything in return but the room to bury our dead and the continuation of our freedom. Now the battle is on our own shores and is far more difficult and complex than facing down an opposing army.
All is not lost. The reason this came to pass despite overwhelming opposition is not because we are powerless. It is because those who would control have learned about response times. That is why as this year's election grew closer, the push to pass the Obamacare bill grew increasingly frantic. They had to get it passed before the election because they knew they would not be able to afterword. The decision cycle for the government is flexible, however long it takes to get a bill passed. For we the electorate, it is every two years. Well, our turn is coming up. If we can avoid giving in to despair and apathy, we can still make ourselves felt. Everyone who voted for this abomination needs to be tossed out on their asses.
We have three years before this fully goes into effect. Time enough to fight it in the courts. To exorcise the corruption in Congress then demand a repeal. Time enough for hope. But if we just let this slide, give it time to acquire inertia then it will take on the sick, undying life of any other government program. Write your representatives and senators, shower afterwards, attend rallies, learn the details, inform yourself so you can inform others above all, give them no respite. Call them liars and tyrants in the streets, campaign for anyone who opposes them, don't just fight them at the ballet box, fight them from the soapbox, make yourself heard! If they call a rally, attend and call them out.
They have blatantly and knowingly opposed the will of We the People, we owe them nothing.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Don't forget to remember, on this special day:
Happy 233rd We'll Cross the Delaware and Kill You in Your Sleep so Don't Piss Us off Day!
It's my favorite holiday this time of year, although the rest of my family is talking about some silly one tomorrow. Oh well, family, go figure.
It's my favorite holiday this time of year, although the rest of my family is talking about some silly one tomorrow. Oh well, family, go figure.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
True to form...
...our current Commander in Chief of the most powerful military in the world turned a solemn occasion, the return of MY fallen comrades into a photo-op and publicity coup.
I can't believe I actually gave that classless piece of excrement the benefit of the doubt when I first learned of his intention to be present during the return of more of our fallen. I knew his record and his lack of concern for service members, evidenced recently, and I knew about his fatal, for we who serve, dithering about making a F***ing decision in Afghanistan, how he's been avoiding his regional commander for the conflict, but I thought he had to give enough of a damn not to crassly take advantage of the sacrifice of those who gave all for political gain.
Well, not too surprisingly, I was wrong. That son of a bitch brought the White House press corp with him. He was posing for pictures! Then, the damn media covering the event had the audacity to take a cheap shot at Bush because he never went to Dover. Those simpering, fetid, slavering, troglodytes!
There was never any doubt in the minds of those in uniform that W. loved and respected those in the military. He never met the bodies at Dover because he knew it was a solemn time and the families deserved to have a measure of privacy, something impossible in the presence of the POTUS.
He did, however, spend a great deal of time with the families of those who had lost loved ones in the service. He even had a White House photographer with him during those visits. He would stay with those families and talk to them as a peer, about anything they wanted, for as long as they wanted. Then, if they wanted a picture with the President they could have it. NO ONE else ever saw those pictures. They were not for the consumption of the voracious media. They were for those families.
Not so with Dear Leader! By all accounts, all he did was pose for photos and pretend to give a rip.
Well, to Hell with him. If the best he can for those who died and their families is abuse them for political gain, then F*** him. I will never give him the benefit of the doubt again. I will do everything in my power to thwart his plans for this country, I will devote myself to exposing his flaws and mocking his character (or lack thereof). Sure, I'm just a middle class veteran with no real clout, but I will work my damnedest to be as big a thorn in his side as possible. I will encourage others to do the same. I will no longer restrain my dissent out of respect for the office he holds.
It's unlikely the bastard will ever read this, but just in case:
Obama, you bastard, you have spit in the face of those who served this country unto death. You have betrayed the sacred pact between a commander and his troops. Your lack of intestinal fortitude and moral certitude has contributed to more deaths of our comrades in arms. You are unworthy of US, THE OFFICE YOU HOLD, AND THIS COUNTRY.
You sir, can go to Hell.
I can't believe I actually gave that classless piece of excrement the benefit of the doubt when I first learned of his intention to be present during the return of more of our fallen. I knew his record and his lack of concern for service members, evidenced recently, and I knew about his fatal, for we who serve, dithering about making a F***ing decision in Afghanistan, how he's been avoiding his regional commander for the conflict, but I thought he had to give enough of a damn not to crassly take advantage of the sacrifice of those who gave all for political gain.
Well, not too surprisingly, I was wrong. That son of a bitch brought the White House press corp with him. He was posing for pictures! Then, the damn media covering the event had the audacity to take a cheap shot at Bush because he never went to Dover. Those simpering, fetid, slavering, troglodytes!
There was never any doubt in the minds of those in uniform that W. loved and respected those in the military. He never met the bodies at Dover because he knew it was a solemn time and the families deserved to have a measure of privacy, something impossible in the presence of the POTUS.
He did, however, spend a great deal of time with the families of those who had lost loved ones in the service. He even had a White House photographer with him during those visits. He would stay with those families and talk to them as a peer, about anything they wanted, for as long as they wanted. Then, if they wanted a picture with the President they could have it. NO ONE else ever saw those pictures. They were not for the consumption of the voracious media. They were for those families.
Not so with Dear Leader! By all accounts, all he did was pose for photos and pretend to give a rip.
Well, to Hell with him. If the best he can for those who died and their families is abuse them for political gain, then F*** him. I will never give him the benefit of the doubt again. I will do everything in my power to thwart his plans for this country, I will devote myself to exposing his flaws and mocking his character (or lack thereof). Sure, I'm just a middle class veteran with no real clout, but I will work my damnedest to be as big a thorn in his side as possible. I will encourage others to do the same. I will no longer restrain my dissent out of respect for the office he holds.
It's unlikely the bastard will ever read this, but just in case:
Obama, you bastard, you have spit in the face of those who served this country unto death. You have betrayed the sacred pact between a commander and his troops. Your lack of intestinal fortitude and moral certitude has contributed to more deaths of our comrades in arms. You are unworthy of US, THE OFFICE YOU HOLD, AND THIS COUNTRY.
You sir, can go to Hell.
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