Commodore Remix

A sudden spark of inspiration to write...

I wonder about Iran. Do you think if pressure is increased upon Iran, possibly a military ultimatum is given, that Iran will expand its state sponsored terroristic actions to western nations? I mean it's already been implicated in sponsoring terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it has a negative influence in other parts of the middle-east with its influence on Hamas. I even think Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has put forth a veiled threat about terrorism in the west from islamists and of course the famous call for Israel to be wiped off the map.

At the same time things are going backwards in Russia with anti-democratic moves and assasination of system critics as well as a heavily growing intelligence agency, replacing the old KGB. The usage of oil resources to coerce and pressure other countries. And engaging with anti-western interests to lessen european and american power in the world.

China is a mixed picture, some positive things are happening there, but it's hunger for oil can pose some problems and friction with other countries. Including it's disregard of the general state of affairs in the countries it wishes to get oil from.

That's not speaking of North Korea et al.

The future really doesn't look that bright from where I'm standing. It looks like problems are growing, not shrinking. Saddam is gone but anti-democratic fundamentalist forces are getting stronger and stronger.

Some questions.

A1 - Is "the west" loosing the grip on the situation?
A2 - Are we heading toward a darker time?
A3 - Are there more positive things going on than negative, do you think?

B1 - Do you think setting an example is important?
B2 - Is the use of torture in the war against terrorism compromising our moral platform?
B3 - Does it impact progress in the middle-east and the rest of the world?
B4 - Does hipocracy matter?

C1 - How important is the Israel-Palestine crisis really for world peace and stability?
C2 - Is it continuation just being used as an excuse for anti-western rhetoric?

D1 - Do you believe this state of affairs will mean millions will die as a result of climate changes in the future, because we do not have the global political alignment of interests, needed to work together, to build infrastructure capable of withstanding the fierce environment of the future?
D2 - Do you belive global warming, which is happening, is the result of human endeavor, or the effect of changes in solar activity?

E1 - Do you believe humanity will outlast the sun?
E2 - Do you believe humanity will colonise space?
E3 - Do you believe humanity is alone in the universe?

As I look on the world through news, it appears that while some progress happens in some parts of the world. There are major conflicts, powers and interests clashing together and it doesn't appear as if military solutions are all that effective, possibly because of the scope of the conflicts - attacking Iraq while other countries like Iran and Syria heavily impacting the middle-east situation and inciting sectarian violence.

So what do you think?

Please excuse me for writing this here, but it doesn't belong in the fun forum, and is not at all related to the remix and retro scene in any way, shape or form.

To put my point of view across as bluntly as possible without going into a rant and on this issue seriously.. i could write a very long novel on what i think and feel and probably offend quite a few people.

Before 2010 we will as a world be engaged in military action, there is NOTHING that can be done about the rise in terrorismn, catch one .. two more pop up in their place, we only have ourselves to blame in the long run.

The inevitable will happen, what happens beyond that will be up to the survivors to decide.

And frankly, dont expect many of them.

what infamous said.

Infamous wrote:To put my point of view across as bluntly as possible without going into a rant and on this issue seriously.. i could write a very long novel on what i think and feel and probably offend quite a few people.

well, i think i have to do it then...

even if it's old news it's still valid for me: the source of every described threat is human overpopulation.

but although we try hard to see ourselves standing above nature, nature cannot be fooled and will correct the imbalance (nature IS imbalance, but extreme states can only last for a short time).

the "lead actor" of the show is still kept secret but there are several hot candidates...

the climate change could be it, but i think it might be too slow to be more than the background of the stage setting. maybe it could have a catalytic function to keep things going...

climate change's relation to overpopulation: if one million people pollute the earth she can handle it, but 6,5 billions do have an impact.
if you consider that today's effects are caused by pollution done 25 years ago, the 1 billion chinese who are buying a car these days instead of a bike are a great guarantee that we won't be freezing in the future.

as for natural catastrophes: you might have noticed the increase of extreme weather the last years (floods, storms). i wonder why it's so disregarded that the forests have a big influence on weather. not only because of their co2-transformation but because they store humidity and therefore have a great buffer function.
small buffer = more extreme weather.
in brazil, within every minute they are still deforesting areas of the size of six football fields.

a pandemic is another possible candidate because a big number of potentially victims means an interesting target for every disease agent. if that happens it could postpone the third possibility which seems the most likely to me:

we will do what we are best at and kill ourselves actively.
the reason: since the days of the industrial revolution, when we created our new god called "technological advance", the religion built around this god has led to the need of economic growth.
to generate economic growth, new things have to be created, may they be useful or not. exhaustible raw materials, produced by solar energy in billions of years, have been wasted and still are being wasted to create those things.
in order of the cult of the things, people changed their style of life from "to be" into "to have", so that we, the "modern" humans, who are leading a "slave to the product"-life, define ourselves by what we have.

as a consequence we have all become some sort of drug addicts. our drug is called "mass consumption" and its usage gives us the feeling of "to be" which makes us happy. of course we will never tolerate anything that keeps us from getting our daily dose of happiness.

that means there will be a big final battle for the last resources and to defend what we have against each other. this is inevitable because the last decades have shown that we are too egoistic to change back and now it actually has become impossible because our economic system is based on exploitation of poor nations and is not able to self-sufficiently feed ourselves anymore.
because we (europe) have too less people by now to win the battle with our fists (or at least hold our "fortress") i won't be surprised to see the nuclear bomb having a grand comeback.

about the terrorists: they might be a product of overpopulation too.
i watched a discussion recently and the underlying phenomenon was called "youth bulge" (at least 30% of the population is under 20 years old). in the islamic countries the population has risen from 150 millions to 1,2 billions in the last 100 years. they have too much young sons now. while the first son can stay in the family and replace the father, the second and the third are needless. in the best case they find a new place to settle down, but in the worst case they become part of the "critical mass" and can be influenced by people with certain interests (who seem to use them as some sort of terroristic advance guard).
when there were those youth bulges in europe, which were politically forced after the pest in the middle age, unlike today there was the chance of sending the needless sons away to the colonies later (not to mention war).

we can only hope that those angry young men will kill each other in civil wars (with our weapons) before they think of visiting us. that's what i think the hypocracy is about when we officially tell them not to kill themselves but secretly hope they do.

xo wrote:Please excuse me for writing this here, but it doesn't belong in the fun forum, and is not at all related to the remix and retro scene in any way, shape or form.

too bad we have no "offtopic"-forum here...

A1 - Is "the west" loosing the grip on the situation?

Yes.

A2 - Are we heading toward a darker time?

Yes.

A3 - Are there more positive things going on than negative, do you think?

Dunno.

B1 - Do you think setting an example is important?

No.

B2 - Is the use of torture in the war against terrorism compromising our moral platform?

No. Our 'western' moral platform is already compromised from centuries of history.

B3 - Does it impact progress in the middle-east and the rest of the world?

Yes.

B4 - Does hipocracy matter?

Yes.

C1 - How important is the Israel-Palestine crisis really for world peace and stability?

Close to zero. It's a symptom, not the disease.

C2 - Is it continuation just being used as an excuse for anti-western rhetoric?

No. Also that isn't the real disease.

D1 - Do you believe this state of affairs will mean millions will die as a result of climate changes in the future, because we do not have the global political alignment of interests, needed to work together, to build infrastructure capable of withstanding the fierce environment of the future?

Humanity will self-destruct (at least, as we know it) much before radical changes in climate will become a real harm.

D2 - Do you belive global warming, which is happening, is the result of human endeavor, or the effect of changes in solar activity?

Yes, it is, but for a real minimal percentage.

E1 - Do you believe humanity will outlast the sun?

No.

E2 - Do you believe humanity will colonise space?

No, if you mean, going beyond solar system.

E3 - Do you believe humanity is alone in the universe?

Absolutely yes, in it's stupidity.
If you ask if there are other life forms, the answer is yes.

DOOMSDAY!

We'll see... who knows what tomorrow will bring? In the end, the mere potential of destruction humankind posesses has forced us to become more civilised. There is no human empire that has lasted, they always rot from within, new generations repeat the mistakes of the old ones. Let's face it: the human is but an animal with a little higher intelligence - driven by basic instincts, cloaked by trained civilised behaviour. Catastrophes, manmade or not, might come or not - is that a reason for us to despair? It has always been like that and will always be like that, earth is not a safe place to live on. We still need to make the best out of our lives and try not to make earth a worse place. Humans will not change. They never have. There's always the good people trying to get around and the assholes, regardless of race, nation, religion, gender, sexual preference, shoesize, whatever.

The borderline between asshole and good people is drawn when you knowingly deprive others of anything to gain for your own desires. Being an asshole makes it more likely to reach a power position, so most people in power positions are assholes, and that's the problem of the world. What do you want to do about it?

I'm with Lman on this one. Nothing lasts forever, good or bad. If things turn bad, it wont last. Things have always been bad for someone in some country somwhere - everybody gets a turn...

It's a waste of time hoping for better days or worrying and trying to control things that are beyond your immeidate control.

We all need to learn to embrace impermanence. The chips are going to fall wherever the hell they want to whether we like it or not...

Let's just try to enjoy the ride.

Vroom, vroom!

Amen.

Sure, in the short run, problems appear large but in a historic context they become minor. But these are just some of the problems I see. If we just say "time will fix all problems", discussions will become pretty boring. I'm not trying to be fatalistic though. I just see the bigger picture of how things are going and how it might impact our future.

@xo:

A1 - Is "the west" loosing the grip on the situation?
Yup. Had we ever a 'grip' on anything?

A2 - Are we heading toward a darker time?
Yup. It's already there, you just didn't know.

A3 - Are there more positive things going on than negative, do you think?
Nope. War. Famine. Pestilence. Death. All ready to go. PARTY!

B1 - Do you think setting an example is important?
Nope. Nobody really cares.

B2 - Is the use of torture in the war against terrorism compromising our moral platform?
Yup. But that's purely theoretical. We are just more sissy about it in Germany since Adolf made such a mess. I don't like torture as a political tool but it's quite fun with the right client.

B3 - Does it impact progress in the middle-east and the rest of the world?
Yup. But everything else does, too.

B4 - Does hipocracy matter?
Yup. But shouldn't. Makes them big time winners feel bad... for a moment.

C1 - How important is the Israel-Palestine crisis really for world peace and stability?
Completely irrelevant but a nice excuse for some carnage.

C2 - Is it continuation just being used as an excuse for anti-western rhetoric?
Sometimes. But it's irrelevant. See C1.

D1 - Do you believe this state of affairs will mean millions will die as a result of climate changes in the future, because we do not have the global political alignment of interests, needed to work together, to build infrastructure capable of withstanding the fierce environment of the future?

Hundred millions of humans will die. Cooperation on a global level will never happen.

D2 - Do you belive global warming, which is happening, is the result of human endeavor, or the effect of changes in solar activity?

Yup, but irrelevant in numbers. General pollution is far worse.

E1 - Do you believe humanity will outlast the sun?

Nope. The sun could last for another 5.000.000.000 years but it will toast the earth in approx. 900.000.000 years and there will be no human anymore to enjoy the show.

E2 - Do you believe humanity will colonise space?

Nope. This would require global cooperation and technology which is probably (even theoretically) not possible to build with the exception of 'generation'- or 'sleeper ships' which have also loads of problems (hard radiation outside the sun system). Maybe digging deep into the moon and hurling it across space could be an option, but ... naaah!

E3 - Do you believe humanity is alone in the universe?

Yup, if you think of human-like lifeforms. There is loads of life out there, that's statistically a positive.
But think about it, Pinky - You'll never see some of them aliens!

@Lman:
Even if all power positions are in the hands of assholes this wouldn't be THAT worse. It's the fact that most of them are COMPLETELY INCOMPETENT of managing simple affairs that makes them STUPID ASSHOLES - THAT will cap our all asses!

@Tonka & xo:
I don't think time will heal these wounds. Ever heard of the 'Lemmings effect'? We are on a train to nowhere, we have to destroy ourselves as a species because we are too many.

(Not aimed at somebody in particular:)
No, Mr. Fascist Supremacist, it's NOT a solution to annihilate some 'races' or nations. We may try this theory of yours by exterminating assholes, fascists, supremacists and the like right at the start.

Oh, I forgot Lawyers... everybody hates lawyers, even lawyers do (at least OTHER lawyers).

Yes, we ARE DOOMED!!!

First of all I think that Jan will soon be a happy man. I have heard him talk about in a podcast that he missed a Blues remix of a SID tune, and with these posts my guess is that we will see one soon.

But for the questions:
A1 - Is "the west" loosing the grip on the situation?
We are certainly victims of our own selfish culture

A2 - Are we heading toward a darker time?
Perhaps, it is often at dark times that new ideas comes along, that makes the world a better place. But we have not seen the last terrorist attack yet, or the last horrible disease.

A3 - Are there more positive things going on than negative, do you think?
That depends on how you look at it. Shortage of oil for example is bad because we are so dependent on it. It could be good because it encourage investments and research in alternatives. So the answer is probably no.

B1 - Do you think setting an example is important?
Always, but the question is will the people that we set an example for listen?

B2 - Is the use of torture in the war against terrorism compromising our moral platform?
Yes

B3 - Does it impact progress in the middle-east and the rest of the world?
It makes the anti-democratic anti-peace forces grow stronger.

B4 - Does hipocracy matter?
Yes

C1 - How important is the Israel-Palestine crisis really for world peace and stability?
It is very important, it is a showcase of anger against the west. Peace here would make it more difficult to convince people of the badness of the west

C2 - Is it continuation just being used as an excuse for anti-western rhetoric?
It is part of it, but also because so many years of war cannot be forgotten easily, and both parts have extreme groupings that does not want peace

D1 - Do you believe this state of affairs will mean millions will die as a result of climate changes in the future, because we do not have the global political alignment of interests, needed to work together, to build infrastructure capable of withstanding the fierce environment of the future?
NO!

D2 - Do you belive global warming, which is happening, is the result of human endeavor, or the effect of changes in solar activity?
Human endeavor with out a doubt

E1 - Do you believe humanity will outlast the sun?
The sun lives for 4 more billions of years, right? So don't know.

E2 - Do you believe humanity will colonise space?
In 100 hundred years perhaps we will have 50 people on the moon and 10 on Mars, but that is as far as we will come for many years to come

E3 - Do you believe humanity is alone in the universe?
No there is birds also! But statistically speaking there must be intelligent life on other planets too.

But doomed, lets see in 1000 years. Then we can talk about it again.

I suppose the course and progression of my questions lead to and embed fatalistic thinking, but really, it's just an attempt to zoom out from minor temporal affairs to large future affairs. If that makes any sense to any of you. The "AC" part is not as religious as it is symbolic in nature, an attempt to hint at the some values for the discussion.

But I understand some of you think but it's a discussion, there is no fatalism filter which only accepts fatalistic points of view, so please.

Oh, by the way, fac, about that blues comment: .

I apologise for the , did not want to put off the discussion or to make fun of it... I realise it was out of place.

No worries LMan. It was probably due to Vosla's fatalistic reply. Vosla, you're my kind of guy!

Huh? And I thought I had a good day...

I don't beleive I've done this here yet. I've read your questions, and they're good questions - and I don't have answers for them, as they're written. So instead, I'll share with you one of the little cornerstones of my life, written by a science-fiction author (who for some reason has accusations of racism and facism aimed at him, for no reason that I - who've read all his books (and I do mean all, took me a damn while and some were definately better than others) can see.

Here's what he said, a long while ago. I read it, and you know what? This I Believe.

Robert Anson Heinlein wrote: "I am not going to talk about religious beliefs but about matters so obvious that it has gone out of style to mention them. I believe in my neighbors. I know their faults, and I know that their virtues far outweigh their faults.

"Take Father Michael down our road a piece. I'm not of his creed, but I know that goodness and charity and loving kindness shine in his daily actions. I believe in Father Mike. If I'm in trouble, I'll go to him.

"My next-door neighbor is a veterinary doctor. Doc will get out of bed after a hard day to help a stray cat. No fee -- no prospect of a fee -- I believe in Doc.

"I believe in my townspeople. You can knock on any door in our town saying, 'I'm hungry,' and you will be fed. Our town is no exception. I've found the same ready charity everywhere. But for the one who says, 'To heck with you -- I got mine,' there are a hundred, a thousand who will say, 'Sure, pal, sit down.'

"I know that despite all warnings against hitchhikers I can step up to the highway, thumb for a ride and in a few minutes a car or a truck will stop and someone will say, 'Climb in Mac -- how far you going?'

"I believe in my fellow citizens. Our headlines are splashed with crime yet for every criminal there are 10,000 honest, decent, kindly men. If it were not so, no child would live to grow up. Business could not go on from day to day. Decency is not news. It is buried in the obituaries, but is a force stronger than crime. I believe in the patient gallantry of nurses and the tedious sacrifices of teachers. I believe in the unseen and unending fight against desperate odds that goes on quietly in almost every home in the land.

"I believe in the honest craft of workmen. Take a look around you. There never were enough bosses to check up on all that work. From Independence Hall to the Grand Coulee Dam, these things were built level and square by craftsmen who were honest in their bones.

"I believe that almost all politicians are honest ... there are hundreds of politicians, low paid or not paid at all, doing their level best without thanks or glory to make our system work. If this were not true we would never have gotten past the 13 colonies.

"I believe in Rodger Young. You and I are free today because of endless unnamed heroes from Valley Forge to the Yalu River. I believe in -- I am proud to belong to -- the United States. Despite shortcomings from lynchings to bad faith in high places, our nation has had the most decent and kindly internal practices and foreign policies to be found anywhere in history.

"And finally, I believe in my whole race. Yellow, white, black, red, brown. In the honesty, courage, intelligence, durability, and goodness of the overwhelming majority of my brothers and sisters everywhere on this planet. I am proud to be a human being. I believe that we have come this far by the skin of our teeth. That we always make it just by the skin of our teeth, but that we will always make it. Survive. Endure. I believe that this hairless embryo with the aching, oversize brain case and the opposable thumb, this animal barely up from the apes will endure. Will endure longer than his home planet -- will spread out to the stars and beyond, carrying with him his honesty and his insatiable curiosity, his unlimited courage and his noble essential decency.

"This I believe."