Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.
— Thomas Jefferson
Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.
— Thomas Jefferson
Computer simulations of the planes impacting the twin towers on 9-11 are yielding additional insights on what happened and how five years ago: “Current findings from the simulation have identified the destruction of 11 [central steel support] columns on the 94th floor, 10 columns on the 95th floor and nine columns on the 96th floor,” the project leader said. “This is a major insight. When you lose close to 25 percent of your columns at a given level, the building is significantly weakened and vulnerable to collapse.”
Why is there war? It’s in the hard wiring, it seems… Psychological experiments under controlled conditions confirm the tendency for men to compete against each other until faced with a common enemy, at which time they become altruistic towards members of their group and pull together as a team …or an army. This behavior, also exhibited by chimps, apparently evolved in the common ancestor to the two species.
Russia and China may conclude a Moon exploration agreement by the end of the year, the head of the Russian Space Agency said. China has already successfully launched into orbit two manned space vehicles. Its first manned flight three years ago made it the third country to launch a human being into space on its own, after Russia and the U.S.
Food allergies could be virtually eradicated in 10 years, according to scientists at a major conference.
“the tendency for men to compete against each other until faced with a common enemy, at which time they become altruistic towards members of their group and pull together as a team …or an army. “
I’m glad that comment clearly says “men” and not “mankind”. Most women I know are already altruistic, without being competitive. 😉
Kidding aside, I’m not so sure that “hardwired for war” isn’t an excuse on some level. I truely believe that mankind can evolve above the urges to make war, one man-chimp at a time.
Russia and China going to the moon makes me happy. That’s exactly what those man-chimps at NASA need… a little healthy competition. 😉
If you check out the link the article says women don’t seem to think that way – they didn’t get swept up into the “us versus them” mindset the same way … consistent with the historical and literary record from ancient Greek drama to Code Pink and our wonderful outspoken womenfolk here.
🙂
When I posted that story I expected a lot of reaction to it. I found it not a pleasant pill to consider swallowing either, but not as bad to contemplate as Stanley Milgram’s “Obedience to Authority” experiments, or Philip Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment with the students as prisoners and guards that are almost eerie in their prediction of what happened at Abu Ghraib (although there are valid scientific issues over the latter study, as discussed at the link).
Link to Atlanta Journal Constitution article behind free subscription.
An exodus of key leaders and scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has raised “great concern” among five of the six former directors who led the agency over the past 40 years.
Their concerns, expressed in a rare joint letter to current CDC Director Julie Gerberding, come amid growing staff complaints about whether her strategic shifts in the agency’s focus are putting public health at risk, according to interviews with current and former CDC officials and documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Critics say the agency is changing to a top-down management style that stifles science and that new layers of bureaucracy are being created that make agency operations more cumbersome.
The most visible sign of potential trouble at CDC is the loss of more than a dozen high-profile leaders and scientists since 2004. By the end of this year, all but two of the directors of CDC’s eight primary scientific centers will have left the Atlanta-based federal agency. The wave of departures — which numerous CDC leaders call unprecedented — also includes the agency’s top vaccine expert and world experts in several diseases. Just last week CDC’s pandemic flu coordinator said he’s leaving.
As the nation’s 9-1-1 for public health, CDC is responsible for preventing and tackling outbreaks, bioterrorism and pandemics, along with the more routine, deadly threats of seasonal flu, HIV, rabies, injuries and obesity.
I can vouch for the degraded state of the CDC myself. Yesterday I went online to access a map of the incidents of rabies for this year. The most recent map that’s available is from 2001! Today we find out if my husband, myself, our vet, and one of his assistants has to go for rabies shots. Now the CDC is so degraded under the leadership of a Bush stooge that they can’t handle routine issues. I hope the public health network here in state is better than the CDC.
Another example of the Bush crony capitalism view of America. Public service and common good are meaningless. Money, the mythic “Family,” and PLUs (People Like Us) are what matter.
Of course, I hope all of you are free of rabies. What a mess.
The vet and his or her assistant probably are already vaccinated against rabies – according to Mrs. K.P., DVM, “It wouldn’t be very swift to be in this line of work and not be vaccinated against rabies.”
How were you (potentially) exposed?
The cat was indeed rabid. The vet only needs a booster, the assistant, I’m not sure. Hubby and I went to a local ER for initial shots last night (5 shots each… yuck). The cat was a stray raising one kitten in our fields. It took awhile, but I got them both inside. They were isolated in my basement for almost 2 weeks before Momma kitty went into heat and started to get aggressive. That was the ONLY symptom. Even fooled the vet. By the time I got her to the vet for shots, she ended up scratching the vet and biting the assistant through heavy gloves. That afternoon, (Saturday) she ran across the cellar to attack me, biting me in the ankle and the hand. We knew she was very sick by Sunday and by Monday morning she was dead, so I took her body in for testing. We had seperated the kitten when she first showed a little aggression… a week today. So far the kitten is fine. We should know in a few days for sure.
I didn’t know Mrs KP is a vet! That’s great. Thanks for asking, I know this diary is long gone. It’s been kind of traumatic. I still have to deal with the Dept of Health, update all rabies shots for my cats and horses, watch the kitten, and still have to go for 4 or 5 more shots over the next month. Yuk
Link
CHICAGO – Mayor Richard Daley vetoed an ordinance Monday that would have required mega-retailers to pay their workers more than other employers after some of the nation’s largest stores including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. warned the measure would keep them from opening their doors within the city’s limits.
Supporters said the measure would guarantee employees a “living wage,” but in a letter to City Council members released Monday, Daley said the ordinance would drive businesses from the city.
“I understand and share a desire to ensure that everyone who works in the city of Chicago earns a decent wage,” Daley wrote. “But I do not believe that this ordinance, well intentioned as it may be, would achieve that end.”[snip]
Chicago has been at the epicenter of a debate about the wages at large retailers ever since the city rejected a proposal by Wal-Mart to open a store on the South Side, prompting the company to open a store just outside the city limits.
Monday’s veto — the first-ever for Daley in his 17 years as mayor — will like set up a showdown during Wednesday’s Chicago City Council meeting.
It takes 34 votes to override a mayoral veto. The measure passed 35-14, but some aldermen have since indicated they might be open to changing their votes and acting against the ordinance.
Let’s hope that the City Council is more creative and has bigger cojones than their whimpy mayor. It would take some thinking outside the box, but if Chicago could successfully kick Walmart’s ass, it could start an avalanche of cities following suit.
I am very upset about this.
I telephoned my alderman and I was told that the City of Chicago was going to get a better wage for workers another way. When I asked how. The person answering the phone said that there were many ways to skin a cat. Then she had to hang up because she had another call.
I also called the mayor’s office and complained.
I believe the working class has been abandoned.
I’m glad you made that call. It gave me such hope when I heard that Chicago was going to lead the way for our lowest paid workers. I hope that many voices in Chicago will raise hell over this.
I think you are correct, M-E. The working class is seen as an expense to be minimized and a drain of profits, which hurts the shareholders. So much for the dignity of labor.
Good luck pressuring the aldermen. Wal-Mart has deep pockets and huge clout. I think the size and economic power of today’s corporations eclipse national political power, much less that of a city, even a great city like Chicago.
I just read XicanoPwr’s diary, The Green Card Draft. I think that excellent diary dovetails with your concerns about the working class.
Note: Damnit Janet asked me to post this for her.
Your Jefferson quote has warmed this teacher’s heart.That difficult, problematic man so often hit the nail on the head.
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
One of my favorites related to teaching is a Chinese proverb that I heard back when I was involved with an environmental group in Kansas City years ago:
If you’re planning one year ahead, plant rice.
If you’re planning 10 years ahead, plant [fruit] trees.
If you’re planning a century ahead, educate the people.