For some insight on suicide bomber culture, see Syriana. Extensive training and brainwashing for months. Similar to Army training... very methodical and efficient. Another similarity, the suicide bombers are the poor and desperate of their own country, their innocence and faith taken advantage of by people with their own agenda and ulterior motives.
How about a class action suit? The iPhone is advertized as a 3G device, on a 3G network with a fast internet connection and there's nothing informing the potential customers about 30+% dropped calls.
AT&T ought to be forced to unlock all iPhones they sold, waive the early termination fee for all iPhone users and have a large warning on all their promotion material saying that they can not guarantee consistent phone service anywhere, with realistic numbers for major metropolitan areas.
If they're not intending to invest in infrastructure and deliver on their promises, how about some f*ing integrity in exchange of my money? And a little competition in the market? Accepting an exclusive deal with a shitty network is a big sellout from Apple, too.
You are right, resistance is futile. The issue is that we, the people, are in reaction mode, only noticing the vermins when they actually start nibbling our toes. I think the only productive action would be to outlaw the existence of these organizations and restructure copyright law.
Anything less than that is not going to make a significant difference. Yes, maybe we can delay the trend for a few years, while the corporations milking the general population are getting richer, stronger and fiercer and the people running them are dead set on extracting what they believe is theirs from the rest of us.
Imaginary property is unlimited, therefore the potential profit is unlimited. We can already see this in the astronomical amounts in copyright infringement cases.
This is what is so *convenient* of copyright, and specifically of criminalizing it. Because it makes 99.999% of the populace guilty, and then it's purely up to the state to use it on a person when they feel like it.
Fixed that for you.
Or, AT&T could offer a paid service to Nook owners and make some extra money?
The natural tendency of Money + Usury = monetizing everything.
Check this essay on the nature of current money implementation, how it robs humanity of true value and alternatives:
Or, license the format for a year, start selling devices they control, then after reaching critical mass, update the format on their devices and lock everyone else out.
There's no lows corporations will not sink to, as long as they turn profit in a way that's marginally legal or cheaper (incl. legal fees) than the alternative.
This is corporate morality by definition.
I know this may sound weird but after spending 8 months learning how to teach nonviolent parenting I can suggest that it has to do with upbringing. Most human children are raised as slaves, broken into obedience which is believed to be a virtue. Violence, distrust, control, punishment and rewards become core relationship tools for generation after generation.
Check out Parenting for a Peaceful World for an insight of where humanity is coming from. Hint: infanticide, child rape, slavery & torture have been the norm for centuries.
Excellent post, thank you.
You may also enjoy reading this essay on the core purpose and arguments of conservatism:
What Is Conservatism and What Is Wrong with It?
Philip E. Agre
August 2004
Liberals in the United States have been losing political debates to conservatives for a quarter century. In order to start winning again, liberals must answer two simple questions: what is conservatism, and what is wrong with it? As it happens, the answers to these questions are also simple:
Q: What is conservatism?
A: Conservatism is the domination of society by an aristocracy.
Q: What is wrong with conservatism?
A: Conservatism is incompatible with democracy, prosperity, and civilization in general. It is a destructive system of inequality and prejudice that is founded on deception and has no place in the modern world.
Because now Veri$on will be able to disconnect anybody for any reason under the pretext of breaking a rule. Quite convenient. Same with government and the thousands of laws.
Not every law is applied to everybody, but when anybody becomes inconvenient, there are enough laws to take them out of the picture.
The more numerous the laws, the more corrupted the state.
This is a censorship law pushed through legislation smartly framed as "Blocking Child Pornography." So, when the question comes up, are you against or for child pornography? Of course, the correct question is, are you for or against blanket policy allowing government censorship of the only free/cheap mass information medium in the world under the pretense of protecting children?
And, in the realm of censorship, Germany seems to have the most sense (amongst Western nations incl. U.S. and England) , probably having already gone through the fiery blindness of mad political rampage in the past.
For more on framing and how it defines the political scene (esp. in the U.S.) check this interview with George Lakoff, professor in linguistics. Here's a list of his lectures on YouTube.
That or throw a mop in their direction. I guarantee they'll scatter to the four corners.
As would anybody.
Or, are you implying that teenage girls are somehow specifically afraid of mops, like in vampires and garlic?
Reminiscing of the good old times, when men were, er, macho jerks and women -- submissive housewives?
Well, news for you: it's 2009, women can vote, have their own jobs and money, and know how to throw a mop back at you.
Cheers,
Another dude.
The title says it all, feels like
I have hardly ever known a mathematician who was capable of reasoning. -- Plato
