Politics

Will The Fetus Be Aborted, By Jello Biafra

Shahms E. King — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 07:42:00 GMT

I just thought I'd post a tune everyone can enjoy.

Mary Lou she got pregnant
And was addicted to fifteen drugs
She went down to the abortion clinic
And was accosted by right-wing thugs

(chorus)
Will the foetus be aborted
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home awaitin'
In the sky, Lord, in the sky

Little Mary was just fourteen
And she was raped by her own dad
Danny Quayle said, "Have that baby!"
But another choice she had....
(chorus)

Annie's pregnancy would have killed her
The doctor's warning gave her strife
Fundamentalists said, "Have that baby!"
But she said, "I want my right to life!"
(chorus)

Bridgett had ten kids already
And an abortion is what she chose
The christians showed her a bloody foetus
She said "That's fine, I'll have one of those."
(chorus)

Tania lived for the revolution
Wanted to overthrow the state
She had fifteen commie babies
Jerry Falwell ain't that great (or)
(chorus)

Reverend Goodman hated abortion
And for a peaceful end he searched
He said he'd never bomb our clinics
We said, "OK, we won't bomb your church!"
(chorus)

A man walked into an abortion clinic
Said he was gonna rape the boss
Then he'd make her have his baby
And then he'd hang it on his cross

Insecurity For All

Shahms E. King — Wed, 11 May 2005 08:01:00 GMT

I know, lets fight terrorism by making it easier to get a completely unquestionable ID. Repeat after me:

It is (nearly) impossible to make an unforgeable ID card.
It is impossible to ensure no valid, but false, ID cards are issued.
A unified ID is more valuable to forgers, and there is, consequently, a higher incentive to forge.
The more faith we have that a document saying who someone is can be used to determine what they are doing, the less secure we all are.

If a national ID card (which is what this is, don't try and soft-pedal it) actually had any security benefits, I'd say go for it. But it doesn't. In fact, the scheme will result in less security and less privacy. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that yet-another-bad-idea was pushed through the Congress when the Idiots are in power. Do Republicans actually think? Or are they satisfied by short-sighted, asinine, knee-jerk reactions? Given their behavior and rhetoric during the last 70 years, I'm forced to conclude the latter.

From The "Well Duh" Department...

Shahms E. King — Tue, 10 May 2005 09:10:00 GMT

I saw this article linked from Google News today: Japan says kidnapping won't lead to withdrawal from Iraq. Of all the idiotic things to do. What possible effect do they think kidnapping a single person from Japan will have? These are the people who are famous for two things: their love of fish and their almost complete disregard for their own lives. These are the people renowned for flying Kamikazi missions. The ones who refused to surrender until we nuked two of their cities. The ones who, despite ample opportunity, chose to remain in caves as the oxygen was sucked out by fire rather than surrender. I mean, seriously, how dumb do you have to be?

Terrorist: We will kill you unless your country withdraws its troops.
Prisoner: Thank you for giving me the honor of dying for my country.
Terrorist: We will kill this prisoner unless you withdraw your troops.
Japan: You do his family a great honor by allowing him to die for his country.

What, do the terrorists think they have a monopoly on loony loyalty? I don't care what kind of religious zealot you are, there is no way your faith in Allah is going to out loony thousands of years of cultural indoctrination. What are you going to do to the Japanese? Suicide bombers? They fucking invented that. And they didn't do it with one or two people. They sent entire squadrons. In waves. Torture? There's little you can do to a man who would prefer to die in one of the most painful ways possible than to live in dishonor. Seriously, get over yourselves and get back to kidnapping people who might give a damn.

I think this passage summarizes the situation best:

''I am so sorry that my brother Akihiko caused lots of concerns and troubles to the Japanese government, the people of the Foreign Ministry, and the Japanese people. I am sorry,'' Hironobu said, sobbing.

The man's own brother is more concerned with troubling the government than his brother's life. Terrorism only works when the people are more affraid of you than they are of being dishonored.

The Final Word In The "Intellectual Property" Debate

Shahms E. King — Tue, 03 May 2005 09:03:00 GMT

If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of everyone, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it. Its peculiar character, too, is that no one possesses the less, because every other possesses the whole of it. He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. That ideas should freely spread from one to another over the globe, for the moral and mutual instruction of man, and improvement of his condition, seems to have been peculiarly and benevolently designed by nature, when she made them, like fire, expansible over all space, without lessening their density at any point, and like the air in which we breathe, move, and have our physical being, incapable of confinement or exclusive appropriation. Inventions then cannot, in nature, be a subject of property.
--Thomas Jefferson

What A Loony Country...

Shahms E. King — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 08:09:00 GMT

So apparently, writing short stories for English class constitutes a terrorist threat now... At least if your grandparents turn you over to the Gestapo for doing it that is: Student in High School zombie terror threat.

No Child Left Alive

Shahms E. King — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 08:04:00 GMT

The stupidest "education" bill ever, the No Child Left Behind Act, apparently has some interesting provisions buried in it. Along with meeting the unrealistic (some would say, impossible) standards of the act, schools also have to provide confidential student records to military recruiters or be denied federal funds. This bill is completely indefensible and was clearly drafted by an idiot or someone who was activitly trying to sabotage education. If you disagree, you either haven't read the bill or are an idiot. There can be no discussion on those points. Okay, there is always a third possibility: you are a deeply disturbed individual whose continued existence threatens the viability of the human race. The Nationalist party is a menace to the health and well-being of this country, and thanks to the slow decline of the US hegemony, the entire world. Fortunately for the rest of the world, (and unfortunately for US) the actions of the "Red Menace" are rapidly hastening the decline.

India Takes a Positive Step

Shahms E. King — Wed, 17 Nov 2004 08:07:00 GMT

It isn't very often I get to read good news on the international front, but it seems India has realized sometimes you have to take the first step on the road to peace and pulled 1,000 troops from Kashmir. I know it's inate in primate psychology that the best response when threatened is to puff out your chest and make a lot of noise, but that instinctual reaction only ever inspires a similar response from the assumed aggressor. And things always escalate from there. We have higher brain functions, so why do world leaders so frequently resort to territorial pissing matches and primitive displays of power to deter aggression? Hopefully, India has realized (and it seems they have) that they only way to begin rational discussions over ending years of aggression and violence is to reduce the "threat level" enough so that the "enemy" no longer feels cornered and trapped. Let them relax, then begin the dicussions over what needs to be done so that the conflict can be resolved in a fair comprimise. Lets just hope both sides realize that in a situation like the one in Kashmir (or *ahem* Palestine) a "fair comprimise" means that both sides have to be flexible and be willing to give up something in exchange for peace.

There is hope that the situation in Kashmir can be resolved with a minimum of violence on either side at this point; Palestine is more difficult. Neither Arafat nor Sharon were willing to comprimise. Even if they had been, the amount of fear inspired on both sides of the conflict is going to make (and has made) any token reduction in the violence essentially meaningless. Perhaps with Arafat gone there will be a better chance for an eventual resolution. Unfortunately, Sharon's behavior makes this nearly impossible. Make no mistake, the Jews may have been persecuted by the Ancient Egyptians and the Nazis (among others), that, however, does not make them the eternally oppressed. They are the oppressors and are most assuredly "in the wrong" in this situation. That doesn't excuse the inflexibility on the part of the Palestinians. Neither side has behaved reasonably. Both sides have slaughtered civilians and tried to justify it with "they started it". Retaliation always breeds retaliation. Sometimes there comes a point when you have to ask yourself: how many more of my people have to die before I'm willing to end this?

Don't Ever Question My Outrage

Shahms E. King — Sat, 13 Nov 2004 12:29:00 GMT

While reading my usual daily online comics, I came across this gem:

It really captures my present mood over the election quite well. Sure, I'm outraged about Bush's re-election. But that doesn't mean I have to walk around irritated and pissed off for the next four years. Just let it drop. The Nationalists might be ignorant and despicable, but just being outraged about it isn't going to accomplish anything. On a more positive note, they're all just people; they don't know they're evil. In fact, they think their actions are good and a manifestation of a loving God. As with all people, they are blind to their own hypocrisy because they're far more focused on the hypocrisy and evil of others. As Jesus (is reported to have) said: "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3). Man, quoting the Bible makes me feel dirty; but just because it has inspired horrendous evil and contains much that is revolting, doesn't mean it is entirely devoid of wisdom...

Bush Supporters Have a Poor Grasp on Reality

Shahms E. King — Mon, 25 Oct 2004 07:30:00 GMT

Confirming something we were all pretty sure of already, PIPA (Program on International Policy Attitudes) released the results of two polls today that confirm: Bush Supporters are Morons. The title is mine, not their's, but it is still an accurate summary. I'm not sure which is more frightening, the fact that 75% of Bush supporters believe we have found actual WMD in Iraq, or that 25% know the truth and still support Bush's moronic ass.

Good Triumphs Over Evil!

Shahms E. King — Wed, 20 Oct 2004 21:58:00 GMT

There's hope for November yet. . . .

The Red Sox managed to win a record breaking series. Never, in the history of baseball, has a team come back from 3-0 in a post-season series to either force a game 7 or, and this is far more important, win the championship!

Every single player managed to pull it out in the last four games to overcome insurmountable odds and win. Lowe, who's had a . . . less than spectacular year pitched an amazing game. Menkewietcz, Bellhorn, and Damon were having a miserable series, but finally managed to own the Yankees pitchers.. Being alive for an amazing series of statistical anomalies is a great feeling. To recount:

Longest back-to-back games (4 and 5)
Longest post-series game (game 4).
Longest post-series game (game 5)
Only team to overcome a 3-0 deficit and force a game 7
Only team to overcome a 3-0 deficit and win the League Championship
Only team to beat the Yankees in back-to-back extra-innings games.

I'm sure there are more that I just don't know about, probably including most Yankee pitchers hammered, and most amazing game by a seriously injured pitcher....

Update: It's a stretch, but the series gives me hope for November; if the Sox can beat the Yankees, Kerry might be able to beat Bush. If Good can defeat Evil once, there's hope that it can happen again...