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News Rants
Sep. 19th, 2006 06:56 pmThe Pope: Apparently, as a Cardinal, Ratzinger was not all that comfortable with JPII's dialog with other religions (JPII, for example, was the first Pope (like, ever) to set foot in a mosque). Ratzinger, the man, is not someone who will happily bow toward Mecca in respect, which makes things difficult for Benedict, the Pope.
Still, the number one quote in all the current stories about Benedict isn't what the man said himself, it's a quote from someone else who said it 600 years ago. Any real quotes from Benedict's mouth, such as "Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul" no longer appear in news articles. So much for fair and balanced in the media of anywhere.
All in all, the whole mess is a perfect example of the potential of the minority of any organized religion to appear to represent the whole. There are a billion Muslims, and the few that are rioting and murdering are proving the worst interpretation of Benedict's speech. There are a few xenophobic Catholics who are now saying that the worst interpretation of Benedict's speech is the correct one, as evidenced by a minority of Muslims. Meanwhile, 90+% of both religions are just trying to practice their religion without requiring that anyone die over it. That's a higher percentage, per capita, than registered Democrats and Republicans, combined.
If the attitudes of 600 years ago were in place today, there would be crusade and jihad between a billion Catholics and a billion Muslims. Now, it's a news event fanning riots. Not to belittle murdered nuns, but there is a clear historical improvement.
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Skinny Models: There is a proven link between impressionable minds, and media images. On the other hand, the majority of humanity, at least those who do not need to fend for themselves for existence, is clinically neurotic about something. Fear of hyenas, among African nomads, is justified. Fear of spiders, in Brooklyn, is neurosis.
Spain is banning skinny models from fashion shows due to the idea that they do not want to promote eating disorders among young women. But -- the libertarian in me is pointing out -- what is being celebrated here is that the government is telling people they cannot work, based solely on the way they look. There has to be a better way to deal with this. I'm moderate enough that I might be able to philosophically accept government involvement in some way. For example, designers whose models are below a certain body fat ratio might be fined, giving the proceeds directly toward (privatized) eating disorder clinics. Maybe that way, government involvement might actually fight a social problem, instead of just banning it and thinking they've actually achieved something.
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Iran: Tell me why the second largest oil producer in the mideast is talking about peaceful nuclear power generation? Does a country whose leader denies the Holocaust and whose religious leaders start every prayer with "Death to America" really worry about the fallout from petroleum-based power and how it is affecting the world? Does a country where gas is 34 cents a gallon really think that nuclear energy is going to help their citizens' electric bills?
They want nukes. All the big powers have them, and some of the scrappers like North Korea and Israel do as well, leaving one of the most cultured people throughout ancient history, the Persians, looking (in their minds) like sand-farming Arabs. For a leader who truly believes that the Muslim equivalent of End Times and Revelation will happen in his lifetime, speeches of peaceful power generation are as false as a revivalist preacher curing blindness.
The best decisions on policy toward Iran requires playing the Devil's Advocate: If they do have a nuke, will they use it for politics, like India and Pakistan? Or will they set the sucker off?
Still, the number one quote in all the current stories about Benedict isn't what the man said himself, it's a quote from someone else who said it 600 years ago. Any real quotes from Benedict's mouth, such as "Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul" no longer appear in news articles. So much for fair and balanced in the media of anywhere.
All in all, the whole mess is a perfect example of the potential of the minority of any organized religion to appear to represent the whole. There are a billion Muslims, and the few that are rioting and murdering are proving the worst interpretation of Benedict's speech. There are a few xenophobic Catholics who are now saying that the worst interpretation of Benedict's speech is the correct one, as evidenced by a minority of Muslims. Meanwhile, 90+% of both religions are just trying to practice their religion without requiring that anyone die over it. That's a higher percentage, per capita, than registered Democrats and Republicans, combined.
If the attitudes of 600 years ago were in place today, there would be crusade and jihad between a billion Catholics and a billion Muslims. Now, it's a news event fanning riots. Not to belittle murdered nuns, but there is a clear historical improvement.
-------
Skinny Models: There is a proven link between impressionable minds, and media images. On the other hand, the majority of humanity, at least those who do not need to fend for themselves for existence, is clinically neurotic about something. Fear of hyenas, among African nomads, is justified. Fear of spiders, in Brooklyn, is neurosis.
Spain is banning skinny models from fashion shows due to the idea that they do not want to promote eating disorders among young women. But -- the libertarian in me is pointing out -- what is being celebrated here is that the government is telling people they cannot work, based solely on the way they look. There has to be a better way to deal with this. I'm moderate enough that I might be able to philosophically accept government involvement in some way. For example, designers whose models are below a certain body fat ratio might be fined, giving the proceeds directly toward (privatized) eating disorder clinics. Maybe that way, government involvement might actually fight a social problem, instead of just banning it and thinking they've actually achieved something.
-------
Iran: Tell me why the second largest oil producer in the mideast is talking about peaceful nuclear power generation? Does a country whose leader denies the Holocaust and whose religious leaders start every prayer with "Death to America" really worry about the fallout from petroleum-based power and how it is affecting the world? Does a country where gas is 34 cents a gallon really think that nuclear energy is going to help their citizens' electric bills?
They want nukes. All the big powers have them, and some of the scrappers like North Korea and Israel do as well, leaving one of the most cultured people throughout ancient history, the Persians, looking (in their minds) like sand-farming Arabs. For a leader who truly believes that the Muslim equivalent of End Times and Revelation will happen in his lifetime, speeches of peaceful power generation are as false as a revivalist preacher curing blindness.
The best decisions on policy toward Iran requires playing the Devil's Advocate: If they do have a nuke, will they use it for politics, like India and Pakistan? Or will they set the sucker off?
