Letters to the Editor
Etrigone
Published Letters: 133 Editor's Choice: 30
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Closing in on invoking a Godwin-like law
[Read the article: Ann Coulter: Feminist wart hog]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't how precisely to take this. I mean, it kind of strikes me like saying "Hey, look, women can be abusive/rapists/pillagers too!".
I see how one can say that might make some people see women in a more equal light with men, but when that light shines on the gutter, well... ew.
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Wrt cgeiger23's response...
[Read the article: The lost boys of Colorado City]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I agree that "... holding up a group's worst members as typical examples
of that group is probably not a fair or a logical thing to do". I happens
a rather discouraging amount. Without hard data on what the percentage is,
it does more harm than good. Even then it may not be too useful a data point;
there's too many related bits often.
Speaking of 'unfair', however, you later get close to invoking Godwin's Law.
In addition, I'd be curious on the support of the statement "... in terms of
sheer numbers, I think that the non-believers used the 20th century to their
advantage to catch up". When you consider that the number of people who are
truly atheistic (even counting agnostics) isn't that particularly large, and
with most people having some kind of belief in a higher power, well...
Let's just say that I must have been slacking in my evil plans. The amount
of work needed to keep things as mucked up as they are mean us few truly
godless types are rather overloaded. :)
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I would argue...
[Read the article: Area man mistakes Onion story for reality]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]that this is what satire *precisely* is for. For every person like Pete, there are a vast hoard of folks who kinda, sorta agree with him, but haven't cogitated it well. Seeing this kind of thing helps gel out their thoughts.
They may not post about it, but they are affected. It's the 'lurker' hypotheses: for every 1 poster, and every 3 responders, there are at least a dozen folks who just read. This response lets people see what Pete - and people like him - are really like. These chances where people show themselves as what they truly are are precious gifts.
In a similar fashion, in the few instances nowadays that I engage in online debate, I'm not trying to convince or change the opinion of the poster. More often then not (and there are always exceptions), they are there to trumpet their values. I'm there to hopefully poke holes in their logic & let the lurkers judge.
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Keep in mind on Bush
[Read the article: Mocking Bush is my patriotic duty]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]... that although it's true that "we" elected him, it was damn close (& a lot of us *really* tried to get this administration out). On those that voted for him - and somehow think to excuse themselves now with "well, he didn't seem that bad"... I'm in the same state as the above Canadian poster.
That closeness was with, frankly, a not very inspiring democratic option... and a nearly incompetent party machine backing him. As the saying goes, the democrats excel at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
I'd go on about why he hasn't been thrown out subsequently, but it's been mostly covered by those more eloquent than me multiple times.
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Why?
[Read the article: Meet the new imperialists]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Who could better understand the pain that can be inflicted by corporate
colonialism than China or India? But no one appears to be learning the
lessons taught by past tragedies."
The question was very likely rhetorical. However, just in case...
Much like the abusive boss, or the fellow who figured out how to rip off some market segment, or whatever, there isn't an issue of learning. People know what happened, sometimes with alarming clarity.
No, the problem isn't one of understanding. The problem is rather the internal response of "how do I get myself some of that?".
For the most part, we don't take down bullies expect to put ourselves in the bully's place.
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Magic fix, or...
[Read the article: The trouble with ethanol]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As I like to refer to it, "silver bullet" or "magic bullet". This is an area that so many people seem to get lost on, and I'm glad is pointed out as a problem. There's a line in Jared Diamond's _Collapse_ that this makes me think of. When asked what he felt the biggest problem facing us as a species, his response was that we believe there is a *single* problem.
The above paraphrased, but I think the sentiment is correct. The basic idea is people want one-stop solutions - just take this pill and you'll be in perfect health - to any problem.
I don't know too much about Patzek's crusade, but I agree on the point that a portfolio solution seems needed. Maybe we resist the idea because that makes things complicated; maybe we resist because we can't see a way to monpolize a solution & make a bundle. Maybe it's something else - I don't know.
Regardless, that point, plus the general call to 'power down', hmm... again, I don't know enough about Patzek to know if the message is worth whatever he's doing. I doubt biofuels are completely out of our future, no matter what, but the amount they contribute to the solution seems like only a piece of the pie. That's still a piece, though.