Hitler Chic

Adolf Hitler...
A truly hated and despised man.
A historical figure.
A fashion statement....
Wait, what the hell?
Yeah. Hitler is now a fashion statement in Bangkok. Hitler t-shirts. Hitler logos. Hitler Ronald McDonald. Thailand didn't go through Adolf Hitler's WW2. They saw Japan's war instead, so cultural sensitivity is, for a very good reason, lacking. But does this excuse Thailand's youths from turning such a hated man into an icon?

Super Powers - Ages of Humanity

Think of the largest powers in the world, otherwise known as Super Powers. I think of the U.S., as does everyone, Cold War Russia..... and China.

That last country is one few people think of when we think of the most powerful nations of the world. We otherwise think, they are an emergent economy that continues trade practices that harm the economies in the West. We perhaps think so because of how critical the U.S. is of the trade balance and the monetary basket the Chinese government keeps to inflate the value of the Yuan. When we then hear about China buying parts of infrastructure, we feel threatened by the Red Giant taking over. We protest. We pass laws. We pressure them to play our game instead. Yet, this is an acknowledgment of their position in the world, even if we are not self aware enough to realize it.

China today is an economy that is rapidly developing. Components for our goods are produced in China in ever increasing ratios. China sits on rare earth metals and other natural resources that the world demands be mined. It is educating and training people for a market reformation to compete with the State's knowledge and innovation economy. It is what the United States was in the 70's and it is rapidly making up ground, and we should be happy they are doing so. Please allow me to explain why we should forget our fears and be ecstatic.

We have gone through ages and states. We have gone through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and now we have recently had our Industrial Revolution and live in the Information Age. The last two I believe are mislabeled. In the last hundred years, the west has seen a rapid development with electricity and running water reaching nearly every single town on the map. We enjoy the newest of technology. Computers, mobile phones and paved roads. We have learned this is normal for us. We forget, what is normal for us is luxury for most of the world. Electricity is only common in the West and most developed part of the East.A significant part of the world is unconnected to a source of electricity. Even China, a work horse of manufacturing, is yet to connect everyone. The problem is most apparent in Africa, where only thirty percent have access to electricity in the Sahara. I so propose, we call our current age the Electric Age until 99% of the world has access to electricity and celebrate the progress China is making towards developing itself, building power networks to make a mains common and producing a significant portion of its energy from renewable sources. It is the first step towards star treks perfect world.

- Servus

The Quick Three - Evolution of Science

Marie Curie was turned down by the French Academy because she was a woman from Poland. Word went around she also was Jewish. Science back then was a gentleman's pursuit and the French were as stubernly nationalistic as we assume they are today, if not more so. There were short sighted assumptions about her abilities because other felt they knew better. These people also control the progress and direction of the sciences. If people today hold these same assumptions - they knew best - when setting limits on others, then the task carried out by institutions will be to limit and prevent good science.

Research related to deadlier flu virii has been put on hold at the behest of the scientific community. The researchers are open to debate on the ethics and risks involved. People can take sides. I will take the side of free speech and free access over censorship and restriction. One should not be restricted because one was born with a skin color, name or to parents of a centain nationality, yesterday's gender. However, the researchers did not help their own cause by saying they use the highest security standards (they do not) or by pausing it for only sixty days. Opponents are not helping their case by stating they do not need to hear from the researchers involved, but the researchers must hear from the opponents. Both sides are taking the low road.
Big Think

However, even though censorship looms large, why bother? A study in National Geographic points out scientists do far more informal censorship than any current law. Arthur Caplan could learn a thing or two. This is something many do not see happen.

Well, that is all for today. Cya tomorrow, maybe.

Iran and the EU - A story of moot points

The European Union recently declared it will impose sanctions on Iran... in ten months... pointedly to let both European refineries find new suppliers of crude... and let Iran find new buyers for its crude... so oil prices would not fluctuate.

If you were annoyed by my repeated use of aposiopesis, my thoughts keep falling short when tasked with finding a point to what the EU is doing. If the EU wishes to defund the Iranian nuclear program, then the EU should accept some consequences to unilateral actions. Instead, Iran will turn to China and China will get cheaper oil, improving its own economy and ability to compete against made in EU and made in the US products. Iran gains closer relations to a nuclear power who doesn't dance to the west's beat.

Great job EU.

The Correspondence

I will be restarting something I did on a blog while Obama was a Senator. I will write with and post my correspondence with senators in the US about issues in a more pointed manner. I will seek quantitative statements and I will start with Dick Durbin, a guy I kinda embarrassed myself to when I first started this. Hope he doesn't hold a grudge.

Quick Format - Three comments in three paragraphs

I am going to introduce a new format to this blog. I will continue the more in depth comments I have so far made, but there are some stories that deserve a comment here, but only a paragraph. Sooo, I will choose three stories to comment on and write three paragraphs about them.

So here we go. Today's subject is love.

A Maine man went into an operation to have a little body party removed only to find out he has cancer. He decided, at 59, life is too short to hesitate and decided to marry less than a week later. I hope he has found happiness. Some will say he is selfish for making his now wife a soon to be widow. I think those people fail to realize her feelings for him would have been the same married or unmarried. Right now, he is just waiting for death to take him. It is a very touching story.
Cancer patient marries in hospital

A man moved into a tent in his back yard and gave his home to his dogs. He found out it is possible to love too much. The dogs were taken care for and well off. However, for his love he lost his job at the local animal shelter. I much admit however, it is impressive he took care of 40 dogs on his own without letting them suffer. I would sooner let him continue doing what he does best. The dogs are right now up for adoption and he is looking for a new job. Some publicity can be a very bad thing, but I fail to see how this story could harm him too much. At least his home wasn't a pig sty cleared out by the police.
Man moves into tent, dogs into house

Pay It Forward was an award winning film, but there are plenty of examples of the same in every day life. One man intends to pay it forward 366 times this year with random acts of kindness. I wish him all the luck because he is showing love for his fellow man. I hope he inspires people to change their behaviour. The very least that can happen is a Hollywood film based on his project. Check out his blog and show support.
366 Acts

Iran fires a missile (again)

CNN reports Iran test fired missiles in the strait of Hormuz on Monday during naval exercises, to which the world has responded to by condemning Iran for threatening to close the international passage that supplies the west with oil, a strategic resource which drives the economies that provide the resources that support the west's capacity for war. Smart move Iran, except for the fact you reported on your own news network you have no intention of closing the water way.

You heard me correctly. Iran is huffing and puffing, but he will not blow our door down.

While I agree with the strategy as legal in war time, I also see the act as closing the strait as an act of war and starting a war is an illegal act for any nation. While my American audience will feel morally at ease about war with Iran, please keep in mind sanctions on Iran are a prelude to war and the U.S. is quite aware of this. If the U.S. wants to start a fight with Iran, it knows exactly what it has to do. If you think of the U.S. and Iran as two kids bickering in the back seat of a car you are driving, the U.S. is keeping a pointed finger an inch from touching Iran and taunting 'Not touching, not touching!'

So the ethical dilemma the United States is faced with is what tool can it use to negotiate Iran way from a legal civil nuclear program to ensure Iran isn't pursuing a nuclear weapons program. Sanctions will right now lead to war. Pride will always keep the U.S. from humbling itself and forming a close tie with Iran within Iran's program. Is war ethical if humble diplomacy can keep the peace?

More important to me is how will this affect the development of human civilization as we reach for the stars. We are a type zero civilization who has yet to survive the transition to type one. How the world handles this crisis will affect how we handle this kind of situation in the future and have a say in how often we go to war. We also will give a bad first impression during our first contact with aliens who may decide to be our judge and jury.

I think the world should cry out, no against Iran at the moment, but against the world itself for how we are handling the very real crisis of Iran with nuclear weapons.