Steve Wozniak's opinion of Religion

Woz is an pretty open minded guy.

Talk in Class Turns to God

So much for a secular Government, listen to what is going on in American schools. Indoctrination at its best, Mel Gibson's name is even invoked!

Yay, another gay marriage

Lets just call it what is it, a gay marriage. Congratulations!

Defending Hate Speech

A controversial title like that should have got somebodies attention, and I seriously mean it.

I was at a party a few weeks ago and I got into a bit of a debate about people's right to hate speech. I was arguing that if we try and stop any types of speech, not only are we just addressing the symptoms of "hate" we are also curbing free speech, and the slope is very slippery when Governments are defining what is "hate" and what isn't.

Hate speech is free speech. While stopping the public espousing of hateful views, and holding a firm belief that people are influenced easily in crowds, and tend not to think for themselves (see the Cronulla Riots) I would say these people were thinking, were relying on bigotry that they had learnt from previous memes they had been exposed to, and in some cases previous experience. This was no doubt encourage by Alan Jones' hate speech, however, it is important to protect his right to say it, so we have the right to challenge it with equally compelling ideas of how to deal with tribal conflicts.

It would seem the ACLU agree with me, according to the article on their website. It explains in a much more eloquent fashion, why hate speech needs to be protected. hopefully with its protection, all of our competing ideas and memes can evolve through a Darwinian/ Wilson memetic evolution. More ideas, not less will accomplish our goals of eradicating hate.

The other war we can't win

Here is a great article explaining the irrational stance and the damage caused by America's War on drugs. The funny thing is that this war is fueling the growth in the strength in the Taliban in Afghanistan by allowing them to profit off a black market that is essential, and economically incentivised for opium farmers in Afghanistan all as a result of America's war. So they are essentially providing the means for the Talibans power by creating the economic circumstances where they have no control, and it is costing them a lot of money to keep disturbing the demand/ supply equilibrium of a free market, and as a result keeping prices high, and plenty of innocent citizens in jail.

It isn't particularly based in religion, but it is morally reprehensible to try and control people in this way. The only way to win the war on drugs is too treat it as a health issue. I suggest a licensing scheme, such as the one that I have anecdotally been told has been implemented on Aboriginal Australians for the control of alcohol (If anybody knows if this is true, please send me an article). Why is it that people see it as OK to regulate Aboriginal behavior in this way, but not white people? However, I do endorse this kind of regulation, we have it for other powerful freedoms in society - ie Guns and cars.

It is strange that a drink driver has their drivers license taken off them, which makes it difficult for them to work, and takes away some of their freedom of movement (which they have abused), but they have really abused the drug alcohol, but not allowing themselves to control their better judgment. So we take their car privilege, but still allow them their drinking privilege - which has a disastrous health effect, and societal effect when abused.

Would it not make more sense to give a warning, and leave them their car license, take some points off, and take away their drinking/ drug license for a time period?

Just a thought. Regulating alcohol and cigarettes with a license would alleviate many problems when you think about it, and whilst appearing like a greater restriction of a nanny state, it could actually open the door for introduction of the rest of the illicit drugs into a free market.

Religious hate groups stopped by Indian sovereignty

I always new tribal sovereignty was a good thing, now it is being used to stop the weird and wacky world of Christian fundamentalists.