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Nov. 2nd, 2010
Lovecraft on Republicans
Nov. 2nd, 2010 08:32 amIn honor of voting day, and the Day of the Dead/All Souls Day, I offer HP Lovecraft's thoughts on Republicans.
“As for the Republicans—how can one regard seriously a frightened, greedy, nostalgic huddle of tradesmen and lucky idlers who shut their eyes to history and science, steel their emotions against decent human sympathy, cling to sordid and provincial ideals exalting sheer acquisitiveness and condoning artificial hardship for the non-materially-shrewd, dwell smugly and sentimentally in a distorted dream-cosmos of outmoded phrases and principles and attitudes based on the bygone agricultural-handicraft world, and revel in (consciously or unconsciously) mendacious assumptions (such as the notion that real liberty is synonymous with the single detail of unrestricted economic license or that a rational planning of resource-distribution would contravene some vague and mystical ‘American heritage’…) utterly contrary to fact and without the slightest foundation in human experience? Intellectually, the Republican idea deserves the tolerance and respect one gives to the dead.”
“As for the Republicans—how can one regard seriously a frightened, greedy, nostalgic huddle of tradesmen and lucky idlers who shut their eyes to history and science, steel their emotions against decent human sympathy, cling to sordid and provincial ideals exalting sheer acquisitiveness and condoning artificial hardship for the non-materially-shrewd, dwell smugly and sentimentally in a distorted dream-cosmos of outmoded phrases and principles and attitudes based on the bygone agricultural-handicraft world, and revel in (consciously or unconsciously) mendacious assumptions (such as the notion that real liberty is synonymous with the single detail of unrestricted economic license or that a rational planning of resource-distribution would contravene some vague and mystical ‘American heritage’…) utterly contrary to fact and without the slightest foundation in human experience? Intellectually, the Republican idea deserves the tolerance and respect one gives to the dead.”
Voting as Consent
Nov. 2nd, 2010 08:59 pmSome thoughts brought on by my earlier post and some conversations on the internet about "my vote doesn't decide anything".
There is a lot of talk from time to time about how inefficient democracy is, and this is sometimes true. That being said, more and more I've been toying with how voting isn't where you attempt to set policy (That should be done with lots more input to the system through activism and open communication channels, a situation that's pretty terrible in the US right now.), it is your chance to consent to the government.
In other words, if you flip the script of a republic, instead of sending someone to represent you, you consent to that person representing you. Democracy becomes about securing the consent of the governed, preferably in a legitimate manner.
I'm not sure this gives us anything, as I haven't followed it down the warren, but it might have some merit. It does explain why I tend to like the approval voting idea so much.
This might just be a flailing feeling of frustration having to do with the fact that we have so little input into who candidates are and how we steer them. Since they are picked for us, rather than we getting to select them, would viewing it as a consent process work?
This somewhat ties to the None of the Above option which exists in some countries, where NOTA exists as a legitimate part of the ballot. (With different options for deciding a winner if NOTA wins.)
There is a lot of talk from time to time about how inefficient democracy is, and this is sometimes true. That being said, more and more I've been toying with how voting isn't where you attempt to set policy (That should be done with lots more input to the system through activism and open communication channels, a situation that's pretty terrible in the US right now.), it is your chance to consent to the government.
In other words, if you flip the script of a republic, instead of sending someone to represent you, you consent to that person representing you. Democracy becomes about securing the consent of the governed, preferably in a legitimate manner.
I'm not sure this gives us anything, as I haven't followed it down the warren, but it might have some merit. It does explain why I tend to like the approval voting idea so much.
This might just be a flailing feeling of frustration having to do with the fact that we have so little input into who candidates are and how we steer them. Since they are picked for us, rather than we getting to select them, would viewing it as a consent process work?
This somewhat ties to the None of the Above option which exists in some countries, where NOTA exists as a legitimate part of the ballot. (With different options for deciding a winner if NOTA wins.)
November Schedule
Nov. 2nd, 2010 11:21 pmObviously, I have Hope in Chaos through Saturday, but once the play is done, I have things I need to line up. I'm not sure how all this will get scheduled and who goes when, but I should start trying to arrange it. Anyone who has something they want to put on the calendar is welcome to make a pitch.
I'm sure there's more. (New computer, new phone, new glasses)
Maybe I'll pin this up top so I can keep checking it.
- Passport
- Get a boxspring
- Get the toybox
- Get massage from Alyona
- Household clean and furniture reorganization
- Clothing hack and slash with Kendall
- Unthemed photoshoot with Kitty
- Unthemed photoshoot with Bethen
- Unthemed photoshoot with Lea
- Lady K and Mister W photoshoot with Woolie and Kendall
- Sugar Cartel photoshoot
- Romeo and Juliet photoshoot with Lea
- Princess Leia photoshoot with Ally
- Tenth Doctor photoshoot with Alex
- Secretary Interview
- Plan Cicatrix shoot?
- Start work on the Murder Mystery
- 5-Colour silk story
I'm sure there's more. (New computer, new phone, new glasses)
Maybe I'll pin this up top so I can keep checking it.
Random song lyrics
Nov. 2nd, 2010 11:47 pmThese are apropos of nothing lyrics that I heard while on random Grooveshark over the last few days, and I looked up the songs. It was a weird run of "angsty love/heartbreak/we are all damaged" songs. Having them in a row like that struck me, so I hunted the lyrics.
( Oh, the ANGST! )
( Oh, the ANGST! )