Comments for Playing the Devil's Advocate

Comment on Drunk Driving Laws are Not Driven by Concerns for Public Safety by Hamsta

Hamsta — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:43:37 +0000

One major source of this “nannyism” is the rise of feminism. As women gain more and more influence public life and business, they bring with them the natural female tendency to seek maximum safety.

The rise of feminism exactly parallels the enormous efforts (to the point of inanity) to reduce risk in all areas of activity. Many of these measures are illogical and rather flimsy in effectiveness. But this is rarely a deterent to the feminine sense of logic.

Even the legal system has fallen prey to the feminine mindset.

Comment on Drunk Driving Laws are Not Driven by Concerns for Public Safety by Webe

Webe — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:52:37 +0000

Definitely. Drunking driving is only an example.
Several years ago they announced “zero tolerance” and re-introduction of “norms and values” in society as part of the political agenda here. I was impressed by the results:
e.g. A mother (on a bicycle) takes a right turn on a red light at 15:30, obviously in a hurry to pick up children at day care … Traffic ticket! Everybody knows this will dent crime, as criminals are usually women, travel by bicycle, and are in a rush.
e.g. Ticket first grade children with a team of policemen ready and waiting 50 yards from the school, for going home (accompanied by their parents) after a Christmas dinner the last day of school for not having the required bicycle lights, even though these children are never out after dark on a normal day. Makes it clear once and for all that the most serious problems facing society are not corruption, organized crime, or white collar crime, but bicycle lights for first graders.
e.g. Woman with a pram boards empty tram. Is required to fold the pram and take the child out, even though she is getting off two stops down, and the pram will only get in the way of other people after another hundred or so passengers board. Comment by conductor: “Rules are Rules. We all have to respect norms and values”.
Yep, it’s all about the illusion of order and control: a gob of spit on your windshield is worth more fuss than a murder a block away. It’s the domino effect: Just think what it would lead to if we permit teen-agers to gob!

Comment on Drunk Driving Laws are Not Driven by Concerns for Public Safety by Steve P

Steve P — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:55:36 +0000

Well, sure. The Road Rules are not there primarily to protect road users’ safety; they are the to protect the state’s investment in the infrastructure.

stonerwithaboner: “employers need their people to work long hours over long commutes for low pay…”. Exactly.

Certainly where I live (and no doubt it’s common elsewhere), if you lose your license through drink driving you can, on payment of the appropriate lawyer and government fees, get an exemption to allow you to drive to work. So what is purportedly one of the most serious driving offences is suddenly not so serious if it means you can’t go to work, earn your money… and pay your taxes.

Comment on Drunk Driving Laws are Not Driven by Concerns for Public Safety by aaronclarey

aaronclarey — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:44:19 +0000

The psychological explanation you’re looking for with all these people on crusades to solve “non-problems” is called “Crusaderism.” Can be found here and is KEY to understanding what drives these nanny nazis:

This is just part 2 of a 7 part series but gives you general idea
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It is the need for useless work and fake productivity inherent in Capitalism that is the real problem.

Comment on Were Genocidal Tyrants Especially Evil? by asdf

asdf — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:36:27 +0000

The evidence for the 40 million number is reasonably strong. Whether its 30 million or 50 million doesn’t change the fact that these people killed a lot more then Hitler or Stalin.

“It also explains why their genocides ended up with such high body counts. People who kill for personal profit typically kill the bare minimum necessary for obtaining whatever they want- respect, money, women etc. But those who do it for implementing their personal ideology or vision will not be content until they have removed every single person who stands in the way of their ideological utopia. You might have noticed that both Hitler and Stalin were into heavily invested in destroying the previous order because they hated it with a passion. They wanted to get rid of anyone who represented the old power structures and institutions. This is very different from your typical despot, populist or not, who merely seeks to install himself and his family/friends at the top of the old structures and institutions.”

This data point and others seem to invalidate your idea that ideologies are more deadly then plain old greed. I think you’re just getting shocked by big numbers and the recentness of it all. People who killed other people for land, booty, and slaves were committing genocide and wiping out large proportions of the earths population long before -isms. I can name plenty of historical regimes that were deadlier and far more brutal then the Nazis and Communists. And most of these guys had no real ideology to speak of.

It’s easy to speak of -isms as the problem when you’re benefiting from their assumptions in your everyday life. If people in society truly pursued their self interest without any regard for morality the result wouldn’t be Galt’s Gulch or some such thing, it would be Lord of the Flies.

Comment on Batman and Robin as a Gay Couple by Sammy

Sammy — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:28:57 +0000

They’re friggin’ comic book characters! They can be whatever you want them to be! Personally, the idea of the Caped Crusader giving the Boy Wonder some personal attention below the utility belts always gets my cock hard! I loved the way in the TV series Alfred always referred to Robin as “Master Dick” . Indeed!

Comment on Were Genocidal Tyrants Especially Evil? by asdf

asdf — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:54:23 +0000

What a bunch of nonsense.

The Mongol’s killed something like 40 million people. If we adjusted that to mid 20th century population levels it would mean that killed 300 million people! Far more then Hitler and Stalin combined.

I don’t think people understand how brutal pre-modern people were to one another, mostly for the purposes of securing loot and slaves.
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Sure, they were brutal.. but who was keeping records then? In any case, the mongols used to destroy a major city or two to convince the others to surrender without fighting. They were interested in conquest, not genocide.

Comment on Drunk Driving Laws are Not Driven by Concerns for Public Safety by stonerwithaboner

stonerwithaboner — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:07:52 +0000

oh, most peeps I know who got DUI’s wound up paying 10k before they were done…

it is a huge cash cow and even lower income people need wheels…
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and bingo!

Comment on Drunk Driving Laws are Not Driven by Concerns for Public Safety by stonerwithaboner

stonerwithaboner — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:05:03 +0000

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/9932151/Crash-test-mummies-women-mustnt-sacrifice-sleep-when-having-it-all.html

a couple things come to mind…

it’s easier to measure BAC than fatique…

employers need their people to work long hours over long commutes for low pay…

many people get tired around mid-day, they aren’t allowed to have siesta’s… they are often on the road in 5 o’clock traffic or powering through the day with more coffee-probably affecting their ability to get a full night’s sleep…

also due to puritanical views, someone who works hard and falls asleep behind the wheel is morally superior to someone who parties hard and causes just as destructive an accident…
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Bingo!

Comment on Drunk Driving Laws are Not Driven by Concerns for Public Safety by FlybyNight

FlybyNight — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:48:35 +0000

agree…

Comment on Why Real-Life “Friends” Are Useless by sushantbhargav

sushantbhargav — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:17:36 +0000

I am experiencing the same situation,
few days back one of my close friend and I ended a long college time friendship. The reason being that me and my family noticed a pattern of refusal whenever he is asked of any favor or any work.
I never noticed because I never actually needed any favors from him. He was from out of town and I helped him a lot settling in, Few days back I was super busy and couldn’t get my household work done so I thought this friend might be of some help; but with some very stupid excuses he always backed out, no one cared his uselessness until his lie was caught one day, this is a funny and sad coincidence, My mother asked him to pick up some groceries as he was on his way to market, guy pretended that he is on call with someone, and now he has to change his route, and during this fake phone conversation, guess what could happen; HIS PHONE RANG, and this was the vantage point; everyone (friends and family members ) started noticing when this guy is useful, and he always had some good reason to not help.
When I confronted him guy went all accusing my family of being unjust and what not. Even then I kept relation with the guy casual and he got nerve to barge in my house and use my computer. one day my folks decided enough is enough and this was it,
he never came back.
But then there are friends who are there for no matter what, I think you may live with a million enemies but with a jerk friend, there are slim chances that you will make it through.
Point is there are all kind of people around the world, it’s up to you how you choose your friends, some may take bullet for you, most will throw you under the bus for no good reason.

Comment on Old Media Has Always Served the Moneyed and Powerful by zoussef

zoussef — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:09:15 +0000

What you say about the old media is certainly true, but this doesn’t affect or decrease the truth of criticisms of the new media’s weaknesses in the areas of investigative reporting, professionalism, and lack of verification procedures.

Comment on Old Media Has Always Served the Moneyed and Powerful by stonerwithaboner

stonerwithaboner — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:51:34 +0000

um, advipoops…

you are leaving out on fact…

with the Vietnam war, they constantly showed footage-turning even the average ameircan against it as it dragged on and on…

if the footage was as prolific for what is going on now…

Comment on NSFW Links: May 12, 2013 by Franny

Franny — Mon, 13 May 2013 02:41:17 +0000

Thanks, AD.

Love your blog, especially the spanking stuff.

http://frannysfashion.wordpress.com/

Comment on NSFW Links: May 12, 2013 by Franny

Franny — Mon, 13 May 2013 00:49:36 +0000

I hope you don’t mind. I have pinched one of the brunettes working hard for my blog.

Franny

http://frannysfashion.wordpress.com/
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Sure, I found them Tumblr.