Straight off the bat I will say that I don’t believe in any one singular omnipotent being as the Theist’s believe, I believe that to be dangerous and unfair. Also I must admit that I feel it’s an inaccuracy for Atheist’s to state that there is “no God” and I shall explain why.
Similar to the way a very young child or a primitive tribe might perceive a thunderstorm, power is always a comparative element to any one entities existence. For the child to grow to adult hood similar to a primitive tribe that shall grow to better knowledge and wisdom, the perception of the thunderstorm becomes far more relative and thus finds itself a neat and tidy partition in our minds, no longer causing that thunderstorm to be so scary or perceived as something to revere.
Similar to this, when we review certain situations of events either past, present or predicted, often (as even the Atheist will admit to saying) we acknowledge in literature of such events by expressing our awe in words such as “Biblical Proportions” or “Wrath of God” so on and so forth, there within I believe lies the key to this.
If one anoints awe causing events as previously described, we have inadvertently created a partition of comprehension with a sense of a value that we recognise most to be able to comprehend or “deal with” the enormity of the situation. We simply label the moment as one thing of such a higher level of all power until such a time when adaption, knowledge and comprehension allows us to see the event as something far much more relative, the range being anything from defeating a phobia right up to seeing a nuclear explosion as nothing more than an expensive science experiment.
So thus this brings me to my point that to believe in only one God or one all powerful deity to be constantly feared and revered, this would essentially rid us of any chance to comprehend greater and more powerful entities, events and creations leading the human race to an ignorant existence, limited of exploration and never learning from ones mistakes, if the outcome is to fall to ones knees and beg forgiveness from something we don’t rightly understand.
However, simultaneously, saying that there is no God at all, I feel does not allow for one to accept power in a spiritual sense. It’s all well and good to occupy exploration within the fields of science and scientific theory but one thing without the other is of course an imbalance. Now it is widely prophesised that in the becoming of the Age of Aquarius, mankind is supposedly to have a great spiritual awakening, this obviously leading itself wide open to interpretation, however, I believe it is that interpretation we know very little about and I feel that the imbalance within humanity and mankind’s existence exists and extends from that ignorance.
That very imbalance and ignorance that allows us to kill or hate other human beings in the name of “God” and that same imbalance that allows science to create some of the most lethal weapons on Earth, yet many dangerous diseases are left to go on infecting without an available cure. So we have two extreme ends of a scale of mankind, one group science loving and the opposition to this God fearing, both of which might I add are utterly incapable of finding mutual cohesion.
So thus I conclude and state as to what I believe, is that God is in fact a label to a jar of which its contents we know very little if nothing about, if be it only in a spiritual sense which in turn is only faith based, the basis of which is a partition of a level of personal reverence on the foundation of individual relevance, so thus I state that if we are to ever comprehend God then Atheist and Theist factions must find a cognitive ability to address science exploration with spiritual understanding, there within lies the key to peace and comprehension, the choice is ultimately yours.
By VisionGhost © 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The War of the Pathetic
For an exceptionally long time, pretty much since YouTube started in February 2005 created by three PayPal employees then bought by Google in November 2006 for $1.65 billion, there has been the most prevalent cyber squabble I have ever witnessed which not only is becoming increasingly boring, seemingly engrossing the opinions of a pretty large majority of users I come across, but has also enveloped from these very people a whole new level of perhaps the most immature practices stemming principally from exploitation of the weaker aspects within YouTube’s function.
YouTube has become not only a haven for Cyber-Bullies but a playground for the ridiculously petty all of which share one similar characteristic, they all behind the invisible sword and shield collectively called “Free Speech!” It’s the greatest yet oldest excuse in the book for the most irrelevant of human communication. I will admit to say that intelligent debate is always healthy and results or theories be analysed thus to reach conclusion of studies and agreeable grounds made for further advancement.
But quite frankly this continual bickering utilising every aspect of YouTube from uploading videos containing not much more than vitriol based insults, false flagging, 1 starring videos and the ultimate so far of filing false DMCA’s which of course we all know is a criminal act punishable by a fine or a jail term, really does demonstrate human natures constant hunger for confrontation even at this belittling social level.
I am of course talking in regards to the ever increasing cyber squabble between Atheists, Theists, Evolutionists, Creationists, Fundamentalists and/or whatever “ist” you wish to throw into the mix for that extra reactive value. Many would ask as to where I stand on this subject, well quite frankly I have to say that religion or any faith based theism is of absolutely no relevance to my life as much as pondering for long wasting hours the theories on evolution equates to a similar value. I have one life; one chance so thus I want to enjoy what I have and what is around me as best as one can for the foreseeable future, I really honestly thought that is what life was for.
But for quite a few more, maybe it isn’t like that, but I have to criticise as only a few days ago a wave of False DMCA’s were filed against some larger YouTube users and threats furthered against others such as, Coughlan666, DPRJones and so on.
Now, for those unfamiliar with what a DMCA is, let me explain.
DMCA stands for Digital Millennium Copyright Act and in short it is an act of two 1996 treaties which prevents broadcast, dissemination, copying for distribution and distribution of material without permission of the original copyright holder.
For a loose example and to the best of my understanding, should I come across a picture or photograph, part of a video what have you, that I wish to use for one of my Vlogs and it happens to be copyrighted from the source of its origin, that copyright holder can file a DMCA against me if I were to use that image in my video without their permission to have it removed, should the plaintiff of the action and the image be outside of any fair use policy as found on YouTube.
However, filing a false DMCA can land you in all sorts of trouble, for instance, if I were to use a sample of someone else’s video here on YouTube or otherwise, which is of course bound by the fair use policy then the original creator, file a DMCA against me, I can thus make a counter claim and should I wish to, I can sue that individual for essentially making false accusations, perjury and damages of which of course I would win.
Unfortunately, not everyone on YouTube knows this and so thus on the basis of pure ignorance, these squabbles start getting really messy. And if it wasn’t for the fact that filing a false DMCA is a very serious illegal act, it would be laughable from the extent of how childish this squabble is really becoming. Yet this action of filing false DMCA’s is just part of the temper tantrum of a knee jerk reaction simply because someone else disagrees with you on here. Much of what I see comes from Atheist’s who complain when they are “VoteBotted” which is the lowering of ratings of a mass majority of their videos or all of them, yet when I review the situation by looking over channels adhering to a Theist way of thinking, i.e. the opposition, I noticed their ratings are pretty much scuppered in a similar fashion. Not to even mention the pettiness of, 1 starring videos and comment voting!
So thus I conclude that from viewing both sides of the arguments, the actions and results, this current cyber squabble is perhaps the most immature and childish game of “six and a half a dozen of the other” I have ever seen in a modern cyber environment.
The war of the pathetic, surely there must be better things to be doing.
By VisionGhost © 2009
YouTube has become not only a haven for Cyber-Bullies but a playground for the ridiculously petty all of which share one similar characteristic, they all behind the invisible sword and shield collectively called “Free Speech!” It’s the greatest yet oldest excuse in the book for the most irrelevant of human communication. I will admit to say that intelligent debate is always healthy and results or theories be analysed thus to reach conclusion of studies and agreeable grounds made for further advancement.
But quite frankly this continual bickering utilising every aspect of YouTube from uploading videos containing not much more than vitriol based insults, false flagging, 1 starring videos and the ultimate so far of filing false DMCA’s which of course we all know is a criminal act punishable by a fine or a jail term, really does demonstrate human natures constant hunger for confrontation even at this belittling social level.
I am of course talking in regards to the ever increasing cyber squabble between Atheists, Theists, Evolutionists, Creationists, Fundamentalists and/or whatever “ist” you wish to throw into the mix for that extra reactive value. Many would ask as to where I stand on this subject, well quite frankly I have to say that religion or any faith based theism is of absolutely no relevance to my life as much as pondering for long wasting hours the theories on evolution equates to a similar value. I have one life; one chance so thus I want to enjoy what I have and what is around me as best as one can for the foreseeable future, I really honestly thought that is what life was for.
But for quite a few more, maybe it isn’t like that, but I have to criticise as only a few days ago a wave of False DMCA’s were filed against some larger YouTube users and threats furthered against others such as, Coughlan666, DPRJones and so on.
Now, for those unfamiliar with what a DMCA is, let me explain.
DMCA stands for Digital Millennium Copyright Act and in short it is an act of two 1996 treaties which prevents broadcast, dissemination, copying for distribution and distribution of material without permission of the original copyright holder.
For a loose example and to the best of my understanding, should I come across a picture or photograph, part of a video what have you, that I wish to use for one of my Vlogs and it happens to be copyrighted from the source of its origin, that copyright holder can file a DMCA against me if I were to use that image in my video without their permission to have it removed, should the plaintiff of the action and the image be outside of any fair use policy as found on YouTube.
However, filing a false DMCA can land you in all sorts of trouble, for instance, if I were to use a sample of someone else’s video here on YouTube or otherwise, which is of course bound by the fair use policy then the original creator, file a DMCA against me, I can thus make a counter claim and should I wish to, I can sue that individual for essentially making false accusations, perjury and damages of which of course I would win.
Unfortunately, not everyone on YouTube knows this and so thus on the basis of pure ignorance, these squabbles start getting really messy. And if it wasn’t for the fact that filing a false DMCA is a very serious illegal act, it would be laughable from the extent of how childish this squabble is really becoming. Yet this action of filing false DMCA’s is just part of the temper tantrum of a knee jerk reaction simply because someone else disagrees with you on here. Much of what I see comes from Atheist’s who complain when they are “VoteBotted” which is the lowering of ratings of a mass majority of their videos or all of them, yet when I review the situation by looking over channels adhering to a Theist way of thinking, i.e. the opposition, I noticed their ratings are pretty much scuppered in a similar fashion. Not to even mention the pettiness of, 1 starring videos and comment voting!
So thus I conclude that from viewing both sides of the arguments, the actions and results, this current cyber squabble is perhaps the most immature and childish game of “six and a half a dozen of the other” I have ever seen in a modern cyber environment.
The war of the pathetic, surely there must be better things to be doing.
By VisionGhost © 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Death Penalty is Hypocrisy
For a long time now I have taken a dim view of the excessive call and use of the Death Penalty or Capital Punishment. For one point, “punishment” is something I always deemed as a corrective measure to ensure the perpetrator sees the wrong in their ways and thus learns not to repeat the crime again. Even saying that now it seems so basic, it is something even a child could fathom. Exactly what can you learn from a punishment that ultimately ends your life?
Many people I find seem to forget themselves when presented with an individual, who undoubtedly has committed a very serious crime, whom we then call for their blood, death, public hangings and such like. Yet where is the justifying in the call for death and violence from those who deem themselves on the correct side of the law, be it judicial or moral. The mistake we make is we are very apt to leaping to the obvious in being so outrageously reactionary without anointing a level of intellect and thinking outside of the box. This is even before realising how vengeful we are as a race of people.
The Death Penalty and the call for it is wrong, inexcusable, unjustifiable and serves no useful purpose in either reducing crime or tackling the causes of crime in the first place. The right to life is inalienable and being that we have no choice to have been born, it serves as a self appointment to God like status to invoke a method to deprive an individual of their life via a judiciary system. After all, should the criminal once tried and found guilty of murder, in no matter what circumstances, be then sentenced to death, it really propels the ideal of two wrongs not making a right, plus, the judge has just made a hypocrite of himself as he has just ordered to have happen to another human being what that human being did to someone else. Yet we hide behind the excuse of “justice” to essentially OK this.
In worst case scenarios, when the wrong person is sentenced to death, killed, but then pardoned moments later, what use is that to the victim or the victims remaining family. The Death Sentence is not only barbaric it is also reflecting a very crude methodology of correction in what is the 21st Century. The years a criminal can wait for their eventual death can be as long as over a decade, in which time the mental anguish I think would break even the most strongest and tolerant of minds. Not to mention the moments before the event and to have their sentence put back again and again. Just imagine for a moment being innocent, on death row, facing that scenario everyday knowing your innocent and seemingly ignored as you live in a world that now bays for your blood, yes this world, this time, which we are and what we have become as a race of people.
Now try to imagine that scenario if you are as young as 14 years old, child inmates on death row is a reality in China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, Uganda, Iran and America also perhaps many other places worldwide that we don’t know about yet. We march in protest against the illegal wars in our time yet seemingly the former be justifiable and goes almost unreported; similar to the current story circulating the internet of Amazonian Tribes burying their own children, alive, in the event of defects or imperfections, which might I add, is being covered up by Brazilian Authorities, supposedly out of respect for tribal culture. Which I think is an utter abomination.
Yet still there’s an even darker side to this, criminals to whom are acquitted only to kill again later but got away with it in the first place due to the ability to pay out for expensive and highly effective legal Council. It reminds me of a saying I once heard,
“Capital Punishment means those without the Capital get the punishment”
Therefore I conclude that there must obviously be an alternative to the Death Penalty. I believe that with a much larger investment and more effective coordination toward large scale prison factories, if trading into the tertiary sectors, thus reducing running costs, we could see an end to the Death Penalty globally. Prison Factories exist today but are often ignored by the authorities and are poorly run; especially in places such as China. Perhaps what we need here is a fresh perspective in dealing with violent criminals and/or repeat offenders. I think the American Government would be good to pave the way toward such an investment, as they have recently announced they are out of the recession; this investment would not only see the Death Penalty eventually abolished, but realise the long term effectiveness and benefits from compiling such a scheme for a modernised system for corrective punishment, which if producing a product or products that can be traded into a tertiary sector, it would literally after time, pay for itself. After all an overcrowded prison that produces nothing is always far more expensive for the tax payer be it death row or otherwise.
The Death Penalty, an expensive and barbaric standard in a 21st Century world, there are potential alternatives. Isn’t it about time we started exploring them?
By VisionGhost © 2009
Many people I find seem to forget themselves when presented with an individual, who undoubtedly has committed a very serious crime, whom we then call for their blood, death, public hangings and such like. Yet where is the justifying in the call for death and violence from those who deem themselves on the correct side of the law, be it judicial or moral. The mistake we make is we are very apt to leaping to the obvious in being so outrageously reactionary without anointing a level of intellect and thinking outside of the box. This is even before realising how vengeful we are as a race of people.
The Death Penalty and the call for it is wrong, inexcusable, unjustifiable and serves no useful purpose in either reducing crime or tackling the causes of crime in the first place. The right to life is inalienable and being that we have no choice to have been born, it serves as a self appointment to God like status to invoke a method to deprive an individual of their life via a judiciary system. After all, should the criminal once tried and found guilty of murder, in no matter what circumstances, be then sentenced to death, it really propels the ideal of two wrongs not making a right, plus, the judge has just made a hypocrite of himself as he has just ordered to have happen to another human being what that human being did to someone else. Yet we hide behind the excuse of “justice” to essentially OK this.
In worst case scenarios, when the wrong person is sentenced to death, killed, but then pardoned moments later, what use is that to the victim or the victims remaining family. The Death Sentence is not only barbaric it is also reflecting a very crude methodology of correction in what is the 21st Century. The years a criminal can wait for their eventual death can be as long as over a decade, in which time the mental anguish I think would break even the most strongest and tolerant of minds. Not to mention the moments before the event and to have their sentence put back again and again. Just imagine for a moment being innocent, on death row, facing that scenario everyday knowing your innocent and seemingly ignored as you live in a world that now bays for your blood, yes this world, this time, which we are and what we have become as a race of people.
Now try to imagine that scenario if you are as young as 14 years old, child inmates on death row is a reality in China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, Uganda, Iran and America also perhaps many other places worldwide that we don’t know about yet. We march in protest against the illegal wars in our time yet seemingly the former be justifiable and goes almost unreported; similar to the current story circulating the internet of Amazonian Tribes burying their own children, alive, in the event of defects or imperfections, which might I add, is being covered up by Brazilian Authorities, supposedly out of respect for tribal culture. Which I think is an utter abomination.
Yet still there’s an even darker side to this, criminals to whom are acquitted only to kill again later but got away with it in the first place due to the ability to pay out for expensive and highly effective legal Council. It reminds me of a saying I once heard,
“Capital Punishment means those without the Capital get the punishment”
Therefore I conclude that there must obviously be an alternative to the Death Penalty. I believe that with a much larger investment and more effective coordination toward large scale prison factories, if trading into the tertiary sectors, thus reducing running costs, we could see an end to the Death Penalty globally. Prison Factories exist today but are often ignored by the authorities and are poorly run; especially in places such as China. Perhaps what we need here is a fresh perspective in dealing with violent criminals and/or repeat offenders. I think the American Government would be good to pave the way toward such an investment, as they have recently announced they are out of the recession; this investment would not only see the Death Penalty eventually abolished, but realise the long term effectiveness and benefits from compiling such a scheme for a modernised system for corrective punishment, which if producing a product or products that can be traded into a tertiary sector, it would literally after time, pay for itself. After all an overcrowded prison that produces nothing is always far more expensive for the tax payer be it death row or otherwise.
The Death Penalty, an expensive and barbaric standard in a 21st Century world, there are potential alternatives. Isn’t it about time we started exploring them?
By VisionGhost © 2009
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