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Random Thoughts, Random Edition
Feb. 11th, 2013 10:17 amRandom thoughts expressed randomly, because it's a Monday:
Random Thought #1 - Spots the Space Marine
From M. C. A. Hogarth comes news that, after being hit with a clue-bat by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Spots the Space Marine is now back up on Amazon. The grateful author requests that people donate to the EFF so that they can continue their good deeds.
Random Thought #2 - Pope Quits
On the one hand, when an 85-year-old man announces he's retiring, it's not usually news. On the other hand, the last Pope that quit did so in 1415, so it's not exactly common. I have no real insight into what, if anything, other than simply old age is involved in this decision. I look forward to Jeff Duntemann's![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jeff_duntemannthoughts on the matter.
Random Thought #3 - The Beige Dictatorship
Charles Stross has a post discussing what he calls the political failure of democracy. The gist of Charlie's argument is that political parties unconsciously collude to keep the political choices on offer within a narrow band. This is in part, Charlie says, due to the creation of a permanent " class of political apparatchik" and in part due to the influences of corporate money.
To use a British phrase for a British write, "bollocks!" First, the people who fought the American Revolution were largely professional politicians, as were the British leaders they were fighting against. Second, what Stross identifies as a consensus between parties and therefore a bug really is a feature.
You may be against, say, random drone strikes on Americans overseas, but in my experience a majority of Americans are just fine with them. Stross is against the current mania for austerity in government spending, but there's a very sizable minority who is (rightly or wrongly) in favor of austerity. In short, we really are getting the government we deserve. The way to change that is to do the kind of grassroots organizing needed to make or take over parties and build a new consensus. That's hard work and slow going by design.
Random Thought #1 - Spots the Space Marine
From M. C. A. Hogarth comes news that, after being hit with a clue-bat by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Spots the Space Marine is now back up on Amazon. The grateful author requests that people donate to the EFF so that they can continue their good deeds.
Random Thought #2 - Pope Quits
On the one hand, when an 85-year-old man announces he's retiring, it's not usually news. On the other hand, the last Pope that quit did so in 1415, so it's not exactly common. I have no real insight into what, if anything, other than simply old age is involved in this decision. I look forward to Jeff Duntemann's
jeff_duntemannthoughts on the matter.Random Thought #3 - The Beige Dictatorship
Charles Stross has a post discussing what he calls the political failure of democracy. The gist of Charlie's argument is that political parties unconsciously collude to keep the political choices on offer within a narrow band. This is in part, Charlie says, due to the creation of a permanent " class of political apparatchik" and in part due to the influences of corporate money.
To use a British phrase for a British write, "bollocks!" First, the people who fought the American Revolution were largely professional politicians, as were the British leaders they were fighting against. Second, what Stross identifies as a consensus between parties and therefore a bug really is a feature.
You may be against, say, random drone strikes on Americans overseas, but in my experience a majority of Americans are just fine with them. Stross is against the current mania for austerity in government spending, but there's a very sizable minority who is (rightly or wrongly) in favor of austerity. In short, we really are getting the government we deserve. The way to change that is to do the kind of grassroots organizing needed to make or take over parties and build a new consensus. That's hard work and slow going by design.