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Comment Failed 'Democracy' (Score 1) 273

Strategists must recognise that the Western model of 'Democracy' has failed. Governments no longer enjoy the tacit 'consent' of their political opponents. Not suggesting web-polls could replace the failed representation/lobby/debate model, but someting will have to adapt soon to avoid massive popular disengagement. What will evolve?

Comment No point (Score 1) 277

It's a splendid accident that humanity has self-awareness, but I would ask how much of the information to be preserved could ever have any relevance except to humanity with curiosity very like our own. Faulty descriptions of the universe? No. Understanding of our very own genetics? No. Ancient books of ancient 'gods'? Probably not.

Comment Re:Why? (Score 1) 276

Light already travels instantly, provided you sit on the massless photon and check your massless watch (time dilation). It's only when you stand back and admire it passing that 'c' comes into play. And that's not a 'speed', it's a constant like 'pi'. Saying you can go faster than light is like saying you can be rounder than 'pi'.

Comment Re:Geography (Score 1) 322

In 'Economic History' we were taught that the widespread use of cheap barbed wire (to tame the prairies) was what gave the USA its biggest boost. And when that wire came to Europe, it changed WW1 from a fast war of cavalry charges to a slow war of trench attrition, and ruined several other empires as a result.

Comment XP ecology (Score 1) 438

We all know that for some years to come there will be a lively XP 'refusenik' ecology. I for one will not be going out to replace the six computers that work perfectly well here now (and each have Mint as backup). Will that ecology become a grey market? Will Microsoft conspire to sabotage it? Will it be killed by some huge penetration? Will some clone finally work properly?

Comment Re:Start here (Score 1) 1145

A lot of older people are perfectly capable of using metric. Centigrade (we call it) seems much more logical, but kitchen units measured in millimetres are plain silly. The aliens of Brussels force motor advertisers to quote 'litres per 100 km' - most Brits have no intuition for what that means. The reason there is no 'political will' is that there would be a political backlash here. Seems the White House have judged their 'freedom fries' about right.

Comment Re:Indonesian, Korean and french (Score 5, Interesting) 230

My work colleague had rudimentary Mandarin. Whenever we had an official Chinese delegation in London, she would help me in the Boardroom. They were hugely delighted with her greetings, and the meetings became much more sociable. I was amazed that Chinese/Brit subtle humour had much in common, too. Of course we had a professional interpreter also on the team, but do NOT underrate the value of effort to learn some sounds in Mandarin, and (never mind the business) to laugh along with your ancient-world counterparts.

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