slithers – Page 8 – Medusa kisses

January 31, 2012January 31, 2012

Intentionality vs. Violence

I don’t think intentionality is nearly as important as most people think. Rather, it is actions that really matter. Actions affect others and the world, regardless of intent.

I heard in the news the other day that Turkey is having a fit because France has made it law that people in France cannot deny that Turkey committed genocide against the Armenian people. The newscaster went on to say that Turkey admits to killing a large number of Armenians, but steadfastly denies that it was genocide. Is the term “genocide” really so important that it can make the historical slaughter of large numbers of an ethnic group significant or not?

This is the same with so-called “hate crimes”. If you attack an individual for reasons specific to that individual or for reasons of convenience, that is somehow substantially different than attacking an individual due to some bigotry of the group that individual happens to belong to?

I can see that intentionality matters in terms of regular accidents (e.g., a car crash in icy conditions), but in terms of war or other acts of violence, intentionality should be irrelevant, but is instead used by as complete justification, as if a lack of intent to specifically kill the individuals who died completely excuses “collateral damage” in the case of missiles, drone strikes, carpet-bombing and other weapons of mass destruction.

That said, a mindful intentionality can help reduce the negative effect of one’s actions. If one deeply considers the effects of one’s [unintentional or habitual] actions, then one can change behavior to minimize unintended negative effects.

December 14, 2011June 10, 2017

Epic Fail for the Environment: COP 17

The 17th Conference of Parties (COP 17) for the United Nations attempt to address Climate Change was an Epic Fail.

Basically, rich countries (including the USA) declined to consider any legally binding efforts and what good ideas were discussed were decided to try to agree to in 2015 (not to take effect until 2020). Also, the Kyoto Protocol (the only global legally binding environmental treaty) is expiring next year and Canada, who failed to meet their agreed-upon standards is exiting the Kyoto agreement without paying the fines that they would owe, so even that treaty has proved ineffective.

Here are some links with details:

What does this mean? We cannot count on world governments to help with environmental destruction at the global level – we need to focus our efforts locally and individually. Continue reading “Epic Fail for the Environment: COP 17”

November 21, 2011June 10, 2017

God is Hate (according to some)

As an athiest, I don’t like to bash religion, which I think is mostly benign, but it does sometimes seem like the believers in a benevolent omnipotent god are promoting hate in roundabout ways.

Some weeks back, I overheard a news story about the earthquake in Turkey. They were talking about how a small family (mother, baby and grandmother) had survived the collapse of their building (their couches had provided space for them to lay) and were found alive after a day or two. They were interviewing a man who was some kind of cousin or something and he said it was a “miracle” – that God had specifically saved them. I was shocked – over 300 people died in that Earthquake and this man was saying it was a “miracle”? I’m glad those 3 survived, but that’s a small relief, nothing close to an act of god – unless, of course, God is (mostly) hate and destroyed hundreds of people. Calling a tragedy a miracle simply because it was less than 100% deadly is promoting hate.

The other recent thing that struck me was that I found that the Salvation Army believes that homosexuality is not a choice, but that it is a sin and homosexuals must not act on it. I already knew they opposed homosexuality, but what surprised me was that they realized it is not a choice and still opposed it. So, basically, God chose to torture some people with a sexual attraction that is sinful and must be avoided at all cost, while others may freely enjoy heterosexual sex (within context of marriage) as they desire. So, again, God chooses to hurt some and please/save some. That’s not benevolence; that is hate. Continue reading “God is Hate (according to some)”

October 20, 2011June 10, 2017

Trust v. Politicians

For the entirety of this short century, Americans have dealt with misfortune: dot.com bubble burst and mini-recessions, terrorist attacks, extreme law enforcement response, two extremely long-running (and basically unwinnable) wars, other military conflicts, numerous natural disasters (e.g. Hurricane Katrina) and some unnatural ones (BP oil spill, the budget crisis) and, of course, the world economic disaster that was the sub-prime mortgage crisis, from which we’re still reeling.

This time of hardship should’ve seen the rise of exceptional leaders, but instead has resulted in extreme partisanship, obstructionist politics and a great number of incompetent or completely stymied and powerless politicians. Yes, there may be a few great leaders out there, but in the sea of incompetent or selfish leaders, the great ones are effectively blocked.

Americans have lost trust in our politicians. The banks and automobile companies get bailouts and the CEOs get raises, oil companies make record profits and still receive tax subsidies, but the American people get foreclosures and rampant unemployment while many local governments face bankruptcy. Moreover, the politicians lie with impunity about nearly everything under the sun, in their mad scramble to compete with each other and get elected for the next term.

We need to trust our leaders – the first step is for them to be held accountable for the things they say. Continue reading “Trust v. Politicians”

October 18, 2011June 10, 2017

Pre-Occupied

The recent Occupy Wall Street (and accompanying “Occupy” movements in various cities, such as Occupy Boston) are amazing. Protests are ephemeral – an afternoon, maybe a few days, just a blip (if even mentioned) on the news radar. But the Occupy movement has been able to persist, not unlike the protests in Egypt and other areas of the Middle East.

It’s like people finally had enough, enough of obstructionist politics, of government always helping corporations, letting business and profits drive government. It’s like other people have been thinking along the lines of my “People VS Profit” post and decided to stand up. Continue reading “Pre-Occupied”

September 11, 2011September 11, 2011

Would you like some embryonic fluid with that?

I don’t understand why adult human beings consider it normal/healthy to eat fluids intended for infants or fetuses of other species.

Eggs are embryonic fluid (albumin + yolk) intended for a microscopic organism to grow thousands of times in size into a baby reptile, bird, amphibian or fish.

Milk is infant formula. Human breast milk is meant to help babies develop into semi-autonomous children. Likewise for cow udder milk – intended for mostly helpless newborn calves.

How the unwilling donor animals are treated is sad, but regardless of the treatment, how can these fetus/infant fluids be deemed healthy for daily consumption by adults?

Eggs & animal milk are both over-full of protein, fat and cholesterol – far more than any adult needs. Did you know that excess protein is converted into fat? And that overconsumption of protein can cause kidney stones and leech calcium from bones? And that overconsumption of fat and cholesterol can lead to heart disease? Did you know that USA is #1 in heart disease (primarily due to overconsumption of fatty animal products like milk and eggs)?

{Their} Mother Knows Best

take other species’
reproductive secretions
how can you eat them?

August 29, 2011August 29, 2011

God says “No” to Fundamentalists

More extreme weather is clearly a sign from God to fundamentalists to “cut it out“. Hurricane Irene ransacks the entire East Coast just days after a severe earthquake shook a number of East Coast states and only a few months after a record number of tornadoes swirled about the country (e.g., devastating Joplin, MI).

Obviously, God is tired of the haters, hating on birth control, evolution, homosexuals, government and everything else the fundamentalist zealots (of all religious stripes) love to hate.

This is a clear message of “Can’t we all just get along?”

You know what? It works – in times of severe weather, neighbors actually help each other and don’t concern themselves with each others’ bedroom habits or fight about rituals or philosophy – they just work to help each other get by, clear the debris and get things functioning again. But how soon we forget these lessons.

picture from behind my building – a tree downed power lines and blocks my through street (Aug. 29, 2011)

August 26, 2011June 10, 2017

The Elephants in our Politics

The current political debates, around the debt ceiling, budget deficits and Obama’s leadership are laden with vitriol and zealotry, but are especially frustrating because of the two elephants in the room which never get addressed.

Pretense of colorblindness as concerns our president. Obama is our first non-white president in a country which had widespread race-based slavery less than 200 years ago and widespread legalized racial discrimination until about 50 years ago and which still enjoys a widespread, if subtle, institutionalized racism which exhorts “whiteness” as the norm and regularly punishes those who do not adopt white styles of dress, speech and culture. Non-whites make up a ridiculously high percentage of the prison population, people living in poverty and people affected by the latest recession.

It is utterly absurd to pretend that race has nothing to do with the difficulties faced by our country and by Obama as leader of this white-normative nation. If I could ask for one bold change to Obama’s rhetoric, it would be for him to start openly and honestly addressing the race issue. White racists like Glenn Beck have been calling him “racist” and other epithets for (despite what artificial reasons they cite) taking what is “supposed to be” a white man’s job. Pundits and press frequently claim that Obama is an “elite liberal” which certainly does not reflect on his political record (filled with centrist and compromise positions), but does reflect his existence – as a black president. Continue reading “The Elephants in our Politics”

July 25, 2011July 25, 2011

you get what you don’t pay for

Ladies who expect male dates to pay for everything up front (1st date and beyond) should expect that those men will in turn be expecting things. Perhaps sex, perhaps housewifey things, but certainly some level of sublimation. After all, who would pay for something (that is not charity) and not expect to gain something from their purchases?

If women are serious about gaining equality, it means everything. All the boons of being a “helpless” woman fall away, including the financial ones and all of life, including romantic life, must be balanced. Those who expect to get things without paying, get what you’d expect – debt. Have fun cooking, cleaning and primping for your gentle-man, entitled ladies.

Chivalry Seesaw

privilege prickles
benefits mask detriments
pay in other ways

July 7, 2011July 9, 2011

Murder

Murder is a peculiar and elusive category of killing. It doesn’t simply refer to intentional (non-accidental) killing nor to offensive (non-self-defense) killing. In fact, it really has no objective meaning at all – it’s entirely circumstantial, more of an exception than a category, much like the term “cruelty”.

If killing occurs for a reason or by individual(s) that a specific other person or persons doesn’t approve of, then it’s murder?! If the killing is sanctioned by a government (its law enforcement, military, contracted mercenaries or approved rebel forces), then it’s “war” or “collateral damage”!? If done by a non-sanctioned entity (like by non-approved “insurgents”), then it’s “murder”?!

On the other hand, someone dying of natural causes can be considered murder – such as one’s son dying of cancer (when chemotherapy, a toxic treatment was not applied), but when one’s health insurance withholds potentially life-saving treatments, it’s totally fine! Murder is totally contextual.

Authorized Life-taking

meat isn’t murder
neither is execution
nor kills by soldier