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Comment Re:I told you so (Score 1) 303

I will gladly answer your question. Government is certainly not incorruptible; it is comprised of humans, as are corporations (marketing jokes aside). However unlike corporations, government agencies have the potential for transparency, which makes them the preferred solution in some situations. This concept is well-paralleled by the FOSS movement, with which I assume that you are familiar. Open source, if done correctly, often leads to superior results. However, it is not a priori superior, as the catch is how transparent, open, and accountable your government is. The only reason your ISP hasn't restricted your access already is because the FCC is actually doing the proper job of a government agency and fighting for consumer rights. (Aside: they don't have the full authority needed to enforce net neutrality, and therefore a bill from Congress is required)

Comment Re:Bad idea. (Score 1) 636

The majority of your post is good, however the first part is quite wrong.

But there's no way to legislate such technical detail

The metric you seek is anything that measures the average, absolute value of the sound signal amplitude (average loudness). Among other equally apt solutions offered in this thread, as frank_adrian314159 says in reply to you, average sound energy would be a good choice.

because volume is subjective, not objective.

hrm yeah, just like how a hot fart smells is subjective. weird how most people still know it smells bad.

What about people who have hearing problems?

So there's no point in regulating profanity on TV because deaf people can't hear it? (CC aside)

The problem is something called "audio compression"

Basically from this point on I agree with you. Another example of annoying-ass advertising is the "secondary event" shit at the bottom of the screen. Very distracting.

Comment Re:Is it really that necessary? (Score 1) 287

I see some potential in your statement. If I may (changes in bold):

Some people serve their government overlords, not their morality. They step up to service because their government overlords need their service, not because their morality agreed with the current course of action. It's a fairly simple statement of "I'm willing to set aside my beliefs to do what my government overlords believe is the better course of action for it." These people form the basis of the career military service. They don't volunteer for a war. They volunteer for whatever their government overlords require of them. They'll be there before the war starts and they'll be there after it's done. Only fools volunteer for a war, but it is a patriot who signs up for service.

Patriotism is simply a justification for war. It allows those who believe in patriotism to support war without their conscience gnawing at them. It lets them ignore the wounded, the dead, and the human suffering that will follow. It does not avoid any of that.

No one needs war.

Comment Re:Behold, a free market evangelists dream takes f (Score 1) 666

I have no idea why you got modded up and GP down. He was obviously referring only to Somalia with his remark about laissez faire capitalism. There are FAIAP /no/ laws there.

I am also confused by your last sentence, which seems to imply that the UN has direct influence on Somalian law and/or government.

Comment Re:what what the name of that Who song? (Score 1) 214

none of them will ever get anywhere

Jesus, pessimist much? Campaign finance is imho the single biggest problem with American government today and it would be best for starters if people had a more positive attitude in working toward solutions. It's frustrating when I see a lot of people just say "god our system/government/president sucks", throw their arms up and walk away.

Important to note however is our one key advantage over the entrenched powers that be: strength in numbers. We can out-petition them, out-protest them. Make our voice strong. We can out-muscle them if it came to that. But most importantly we can out-vote them. All we have to do (admittedly probably not simple nor easy) is unify and organize ourselves, and change will come.

Comment Re:Most insightful department ever (Score 1) 214

the world is shifting to the right

Why do you say that? If anything I think it is the opposite. But the reason it might appear that way when converting from the American political scale to the European version is that Americans, particularly conservatives, do not realize how much space there is to the left of what they consider the "left". So in actuality it is not the world moving to the right, but the space to the left opening up in the minds of Americans.

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