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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Hippocampe
Published Letters: 14 Editor's Choice: 1
What angered me most about the outcome of the California election was that voters were able dramatically and fundamentally to revise the State Constitution by simple majority. That it so unfair! Such a revision to the constitution should require at least a two-thirds majority, not only of the citizenry, but of both houses of state government. Furthermore, this extreme kind of initiative should not have been proposed by the "people" in the first place. The legislators are responsible for making such difficult decisions. That is their job. California is not a "democracy" as many claim. It is a "republic." We are supposed to elect more knowledgeable individuals to take care of issues like this. I'm sure many political scientists would disagree with me, but I don't believe democracy is a form of government. In fact, I don't think there has ever been a true democracy in the history of civilization. Not even in Ancient Greece. Democracy is an ideal, something we should strive for in our republican government. Our goal should be to protect all groups, majorities and minorities, grant them equal rights, let them "pursue happiness."
The current situation illustrates perfectly that age-old criticism of democracy: "the tyranny of the majority." Don't you all realize that our democracy is essentially flawed? The LGBT community is such a small and vulnerable group. In this case, it was just trampled upon by the stupid and ignorant majority. Stupid and ignorant! But it's not really all their fault. Most of them didn't know any better. A lot of them probably don't understand what "gay rights" are and why gays would want them. That's because they've never really thought about it before...I mean truly and deeply reflected on the subject. Why would they?
In this case, however, they have made a very terrible mistake. They just wrote discrimination into the constitution. That was very wrong. It has undermined years of civil rights work and I deplore them for it. But I also pity them. It is unfortunate that they were asked to vote about this in the first place.
Stop the tyranny!
I can't believe that this guy actually teaches philosophy on the university level! So glad am I that I didn't spend the thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition required of studies at this university.
This is so ridiculous. What an honor to have any president come and speak at any commencement ceremony! These silly catholics, with all their religious, political nonsense, have ruined it for the students of Notre Dame.
This reminds me of the the time that America "boycotted" the Olympic games because of Cold War silliness. When will these idiots ever learn...
I found most of the comments posted here much more interesting than this interview (and Mr. Moussaieff's book, which I do not plan on reading). I am a vegetarian. I have been one for many years. Moussaieff's philosophy seems to focus specifically on the ethical aspects of diet. He would like us to avoid animal suffering at all costs, which is indeed a noble and righteous desire.
BUT, there is more too this issue! There are the practical aspects: what are the environmental consequences of mass-farming animals? What are the economical costs?
How many acres of land are destroyed each day to raise ever more cattle to meet the demands of the hungry and growing US population? When will US consumers understand that they can't always have it all? that the meat industry in unsustainable? We can't go on eating the way we eat today in the future. For this reason we must also start to buy produce locally. Do we even know where most of our food items come from any more? Raising animals is also expensive.
To cut costs, because, again, in this Walmart culture of ours, US consumers believe that everything should be cheap! cheap! cheap! mega-farms are genetically modifying the genes of these animals and lowering the standards of their living conditions, which, in the end, decreases the quality of the products.
I encourage you all to research these other aspects of the foods industry. You may change your minds.
Some comments here seem to reiterate common misconceptions about vegetarianism. I have read here that vegetarianism is a "uniquely western" phenomenon... whatever that may mean. Listen, vegetarianism exists and has existed for a very long time in cultures throughout the world. Take India or Japan, for example.
Furthermore, to equate vegetarianism in other countries with malnutrition is inaccurate. Malnourishment is not the result of an herbivorous diet, but rather of a great number of unrelated problems. The human is omnivorous and is able to metabolize food of many kinds. Mother Nature has provided us with everything we need to survive successfully and healthfully on only grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, etc. As long as the vegetarian diet is balanced and nutritious, adults as well as children can live in wonderful health on this diet.
The only reason some of you claim otherwise is due to the lack of information and social acceptance in our society of this alternative to consumption. The meat industry, like big oil, is an omnipresent force in our country, that controls the way we live our lives in many ways we fail to even recognize.
Some commenters claim that vegetarians are a fringe that has lost touch with "reality." On the contrary, if you are everyday consumers of meat, you are the ones not living realistically. Your way of life is an illusion, meticulously crafted over the years by these giant monopolies.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
