Hurricane Katrina
laeshanin:
Quote from: Bane~Child on 2005 September 22, 11:11:03
Quote from: reggikko on 2005 August 27, 20:57:47
Look at this article that appeared (unsolicited) in my personal email:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Unnatural Disaster: A Hurricane Exposes the Man-Made Disaster of the Welfare State
An Objectivist Review
by Robert Tracinski | The Intellectual Activist
When confronted with a disaster, people usually rise to the occasion. They work together to rescue people in danger, and they spontaneously organize to keep order and solve problems. This is especially true in America. We are an enterprising people, used to relying on our own initiative rather than waiting around for the government to take care of us. I have seen this a hundred times, in small examples (a small town whose main traffic light had gone out, causing ordinary citizens to get out of their cars and serve as impromptu traffic cops, directing cars through the intersection) and large ones (the spontaneous response of New Yorkers to September 11).
I think there may well be a smidgeon of truth in that essay, but I can see plenty of distortion in it too. After all, I live in the UK which is known for its extensive welfare system and while there are troublesome areas, and people, it is not the welfare state that has caused this. There has always been a part of society that is less than salubrious, and there have always been murderers, thieves and poor. Society was a damn sight less safe two hundred years ago than it is today, and violent crime common. Mugging is not, contrary to belief, a new thing and has been around in all its nasty glory for quite some time.
I wonder if what we're seeing here is the power of the media and journalism? We live in an century were news is the norm and everyone has instant access to it (well, in the developed nations). That news is edited to within an inch of its life, so who knows what we're really seeing or hearing. Could be anything they bloody well want to feed to us! :P Or is my paranoia showing?
witch:
Welcome back Reggikko, glad to hear your life is beginning to return to normal. It might even seem extra good for a while, gives you an extra appreciation of what you have I reckon. :)
So now Reggikko's back, where in hell are Zephyr Zodiac and Veilchen?
witch:
Quote from: laeshanin on 2005 September 24, 21:46:38
Or is my paranoia showing?
Yes. Healthy paranoia I reckon. ;D
kim:
Quote from: laeshanin on 2005 September 24, 21:46:38
I wonder if what we're seeing here is the power of the media and journalism? We live in an century were news is the norm and everyone has instant access to it (well, in the developed nations). That news is edited to within an inch of its life, so who knows what we're really seeing or hearing. Could be anything they bloody well want to feed to us! :P Or is my paranoia showing?
note that the major "news" source cited is the washington times. that newspaper is owned by and operates in accordance with the philosophy of the reverend sun myung moon, who claims to be more awesome than pescado claims to be. well, actually, moon claims to be the messiah, and to have saved the souls of hitler and stalin, so i guess that would trump even some pretty good programming skills.
DuckSpeak:
Quote from: kim on 2005 September 25, 02:38:36
Quote from: laeshanin on 2005 September 24, 21:46:38
I wonder if what we're seeing here is the power of the media and journalism? We live in an century were news is the norm and everyone has instant access to it (well, in the developed nations). That news is edited to within an inch of its life, so who knows what we're really seeing or hearing. Could be anything they bloody well want to feed to us! :P Or is my paranoia showing?
note that the major "news" source cited is the washington times. that newspaper is owned by and operates in accordance with the philosophy of the reverend sun myung moon, who claims to be more awesome than pescado claims to be. well, actually, moon claims to be the messiah, and to have saved the souls of hitler and stalin, so i guess that would trump even some pretty good programming skills.
Ha! The thing is there are many more Korean-Christian sects like that out there, it's just that they don't go international. ;)
At least Moon doesn't go around beating the living daylights out of people in subway stations because they didn't listen to him preach.
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