OT: For all the genocidal dictators...

[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 ]

[Growltigga]

Crime has been a global problem for a lot longer than the Internet has existed. Computers merely speed up the transactions, and enable a few new ones

This is exactly what I said

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

Ooh, I think you need to get off your anti-lawyer kick.. lawyers are not overpaid compared to other professionals (eg accountants, actuaries and venture capitalists particularily). Given that it takes most of us 6-8 years to even qualify (and we take loans to fund university and law school) and then you can be assured of 70-80 hour weeks for the rest of your life, together with the second highest work levels of stress going, we are then criminally underpaid. The legal profession, certainly in the UK, has the highest number of people wanting to change jobs but cant due to preciseness of training, why would we want to due that if we were so overpaid?

another point, the new trainee in my room is 25, earn about $18K a year and has just started her career, after law school, she says she is $42K in debt...

my next door neighbour is an accountant, he has a mercedes and a BMW.. I drive a 9 year old Renault clio that is frankly held together by rust and stubborn understains

wow, ease up guys. lets not get angry with each other about dancing styles, sports brawls, and income brackets. i cant dance, im unsporting, and i make more money than i deserve. go ahead and get mad at me for it, both of you.

Puke, it sounds like you have enough problems of your own... the point I want to make here Geo is that I showed your post on our sports behaviour to 2 germans, 1 belgian and 3 english colleagues... it really was better than laughing gas.. to accuse us of jingoism and patriotric fervour in our sports is an absolute classic, do the words "pot", "kettle" and "black" mean anything to you.

The rest of the world praised Salt Lake for the cracking winter olympics earlier this year. Brilliantly organised, excellent for world sport.. the rest of the world also pointedfly remarked that US supporters should really learn to be less partisan.. it is just insulting the lengths it is taken to (booing other teams?? yeah, really sporting)

WRONG.

Pax, wake up and smell the roses. YOur statements are frighteningly naive (or idealistic, I am not sure)

Freedom of Speech is constitutionalised in the US, rather than legislated as it is in most european countries.

So you think this means you can say what you like about what you like when you like.

Fine, try it. You try and take your soap box to the middle of your town today and preach on something like kiddy porn. You think you will be free to do so?

WRONG. You will be arrested. Try looking at the US public order offences and see what they really say.

We actually have more "freedom of speech" as you define in in europe. If our rights are breached, it is illegal and we can take the police to the lower courts. In the US, any constittuional breach goes to the Federal Supreme COurt...

Are your principles backed up by enbough cash to do this?