OT: For all the genocidal dictators...

[TerranC]

Whew... oh man. That is good.

Now, seriously; to all that have posted here, LET IT DIE! BASH IT TO THE GROUND AND WHACK IT since the use of free speech is an issue that nobody will win and will be debated and discussed till the end of civilization.

It's not an easy issue, since every blade has two sides.

And, if they wanted to make that fun, they should have named it "Who can get carpal tunnel syndrome the fastest project".

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
'Freedom of Speech' is a legal principle and thus has to be applied equally to all.

I feel I must point out here that this is another cherished principle that if in fact were true in the real world, would result in Gt and his associates being significantly less in demand, and thus quite a bit less highly renumerated for their services.

Unfortunately law has very little to do with what is right, and much more to do with what you can prove or how well you state your case.

This seeming lack of fundamental principles in defense of those very principles is likely what results in the less than positive opinion people outside of the field hold for those within it.

But all in all, if I were on trial for my life I'd rather have a lawyer than a man of principle working for me. It's a shame though that those are often mutually exclusive.

Geoschmo

[ July 15, 2002, 19:52: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[Puke]

[quote]Originally posted by geoschmo:

But all in all, if I were on trial for my life I'd rather have a lawyer than a man of principle working for me. It's a shame though that those are often mutually exclusive.

why is that a shame? and why should 'principals' be applied equally to all? that smacks of communism, good man. people of greater means should be able to buy better representation, thus encouraging those of lesser means to strive to better their position. my only complaint is that there is no practical way to enforce a 100% inheritance tax, to keep layabouts from becoming people of significant means.

give me an even playing field, and cut-throat commercialism. its just not as easy to even the playing field as it should be. if only people really were created equal. ah well, better living through chemistry, and someday they will be.

[TerranC]

Originally posted by Puke:
and why should 'principals' be applied equally to all? that smacks of communism, good man.

That's not communism. That's not capitalism.
That is a mixture of both called socialism.

[Will]

Originally posted by Puke:
and why should 'principals' be applied equally to all? that smacks of communism, good man.

And what's really wrong with communism? It seems to me that there is still way too much residual effect from the US anti-communism propaganda campaign during the Cold War. People never stopped and realized that the Soviets were not, and never were going to be, communists. Same with China, North Korea, and whatever other countries currently have what the US has ignorantly labeled "communist government". Communism in its pure form is really a complete lack of government; wealth and power is held equally by all. Of course, because of human nature, communism will never happen in a group of any significant size.

Back to the thread's topic, though... First, I didn't quite expect a reaction as big as this. After all, I can be quite certain that anyone who argued that the subject of the site's satire is wrong and illegal, is being quite a hypocrite. Unless they have NEVER fired a single shot at a planet in SEIV There are countless threads that talk about glassing enemy planets, and I don't recall anyone making a fuss about "killing" sentient alien populations. Only difference really, is fewer clicks.

I actually thought it was more humorous that somebody actually bothered to create a site for that. I didn't dig in deep enough to see it was a mouse manufacturer, I guess.

[Puke]

Originally posted by Will:
And what's really wrong with communism?:

you're kidding? is a crappy economic system based on fantasic ideals. and by fantastic, i mean fantasy. la-la-land.

Communism in its pure form is really a complete lack of government; wealth and power is held equally by all. Of course, because of human nature, communism will never happen in a group of any significant size.

see? you agree.

[QB]Back to the thread's topic, though... [QB]

yep, i agree with everything following the elipsis. ill shut up and go away now.

[d0b]

Of course foreign policy is supposed to benefit your country but the USA being the most powerful country they have far more influence and immunity from their actions than possibly anyone else. So their policy infringes on other countries in ways that you would not accept if a hypothetical more powerful country did to you.

[ July 16, 2002, 08:17: Message edited by: d0b ]