Getting a word in edgewise
I think I just had a minor, if obvious, revelation.
An evolutionarily produced pro-corporate (read: pro-management, if you prefer) political platform would oppose guaranteed essentials of life (food, housing, and health care) no matter how minimal, because it weakens the corporation’s hold over its employees if the employees can leave the corporate teat and not be totally fucked. How’s that for a cynical conspiracy theory?
In response to a comment on a protected post in someone’s journal. It was discussing pacifism. Among many things, he said pacifists, by which he meant those unwilling to defend themselves, ought to be killed (I hope he was being hyperbolic). I replied identifying myself as a pacifist, and willing to defend myself. He said aversion to violence is normal, and shouldn’t be labeled pacifism…
Yeah, I see what you’re saying, and it’s certainly a valid point, most people are averse to violence. I regard it as a question of degrees: How far does this have to go, before I react with violence? I use pacifist to mean someone who has a higher threshold for violent response than most.
Now, to bring it a little closer to reality, let’s consider this as part of a richer world. In any given problem, there are multiple avenues of possible action. Someone starts badmouthing your mother, you a) slug the jerk, b) take it c) leave d) insult his mother e) tell him to shut up f) etc…. Alternate example, someone kills your best friend in front of you, do you try to a) kill him, b) run and hide, c) call the cops, d) negotiate with him, e) surrender, f) try to disarm him, g) etc…
Obviously, there are a ton of circumstantial variables to consider. And more than one course of action can be taken in response. But if you have a high threshold against violence, maybe you’ll attempt to run and hide, or disarm your friend’s murderer rather than kill him, even if that is a riskier move on your part. Then call the cops.
One can have a threshold on violent action that they would sooner die than kill, or sooner let thousands die than kill one person. I’m a pretty close call on the first one, but I’ll unenthusiastically choose my life over someone else’s if it ever comes down to it. I’ll definitely choose one life lost to 1,000 lives lost.
But, I think I have a higher threshold than most on violent action.
And I think pacifists serve a valuable function. I doubt either the civil rights movement, or the Indian liberation movement would have achieved the success they did without the (publicized) victimization of non-violent protesters.
I likewise suspect those non-violent activists probably wouldn’t have made it anywhere without the violent resisters operating in parallel. Someone to scare people into paying attention and thinking it might be worth the cost to change, and someone to express the desired change in an understandable, sympathizable, non-threatening way.
I may be blowing smoke there, and it may just be that these are two natural responses to being in an undesireable situation, so both spring up when people desperately want change, and, due to only one of these mechanisms, or, for that matter, divine intervention, the change happens. This is theory unsupported by hard evidence. It is plausible, but is it true? Is there any way to find out?
Banging steer carcasses? Macaroni & cheese? This relates in any way to erotic imagery in many people’s brains? Bleh.
I got some bright shiny new shoes. They are also the most expensive shoes I’ve acquired in my life, I think. $80. Montrail Vitesse trail runners, with perfect arch support which simply will not let me underpronate, so maybe this will help with my knee problems. Turns out they were the 2nd cheapest of the shoes I checked out, and the best fit.
I also really appreciate my co-op discount. 84 cents per (already discounted) clif bar means that I can stock up for uber cheap. Sweet. Hiho, hiho, it’s off to the gym I go.
(about 6 or 7 responses to the roommate ad thus far. woohoo =)
productivity taking a nosedive. (hah, as if that’s possible).
I’m thinking it’s time to hit the eject button.
Intriguingly, I’ve discovered the cube farms cultivate misanthropy in me even better than driving does. Driving may take the lead in extended gridlock. I would prefer not to perform extensive testing.
Fortunately I got in here early this morning (yay swim practice). And I can go to the gym this afternoon. (yay sweatiness).
I’m going to establish a new goal. A minimum of two chapters of the piece on transportation cooridors, and two articles from the BRT edition of public transit I have, each day. I’m not going to tie it to a reward. That never works for me. If the task isn’t it’s own reward, I won’t fucking do it. Nature of the beast. But I am a creature of powerful habits. And I do need something to break me out of the habits. Particularly the habit of Slack.
Few nibbles on the roommate ad. I realize I’m being impatient, but we have only two weeks, and I want a decent field from which to select. I’ll certainly give craigslist a chance to work its magic. Still, I suspect a couple more versions may be forthcoming. Something emphasizing the fun, cool, video games and comic books nature of the people assembled, and another one which mentions our homo-ness and my gym-tastic nature.
Soon Brian and I will be departing the land of smelly plastics packaging plants for the lush fields of Uptown. We are looking for a third
So here’s the ad we will be posting in various locations:
No class today. But because I structured my day around expecting it, I still can’t go to the gym. Another strike against the computer people here. WTF was I thinking going to a dreamweaver class anyway? It’s not like I don’t already have emacs installed on the computer at work.
More resigned than angry. I want my gym time back. *pout*.
So, I have barely enough time to make this entry, and absolutely no time to go to the gym between now and closing. Co-op, dreamweaver class (unless it’s canceled, like two other computer ed class I signed up for has been, which would be kind of yay), then a meeting on the survey that’s being conducted for my project, then it’s off to check out uptown apartments.
I would be surprised if I’m not cranky by the end of the day. And I really want to go swimming tomorrow, so that means early to bed, too. Today really is an aberration, though. Usually I have plenty of time for slack. I suppose if I hadn’t stayed up to all hours playing san juan and settlers last night, I might have had time to go gyming this morning, but I woudln’t change that for the world.
Time for me to go. See you all on the flipside. =)
So, I spent a great deal of time saying that if Bush was elected again, I’d move to Canada. But really, why wait? Gay marriage (not available everywhere in canada, and available in MA, I realize), universal health care, fewer insane military commitments, decent public transportation (at least in toronto), a less theistic state, and relatively low cost cultural adaptation. Plus I can go for dual citizenship and keep voting against the bigger asshat in the States, as well as do my bit for Canada.
It’s a pity I can’t find an international ranking of grad schools. Because, of course, those rankings are exactly tailored to my interests. Which is why I went to one of the lowest ranked places that accepted me. =)
And furthermore, I started on this path in the hopes of being able to help out here, where we, as humanity, need it most desperately, I think. If I believe I can make a difference (and why would I be doing what I’m doing if I didn’t?) then perhaps I ought to ask not which country can do best for me, but what I can best do for my country.
Ponder, ponder, ponder.
Something about keeping my heartrate pegged just past its recommended max for 20 minutes (I burned 600 calories over 30 minutes) is rejuvenating. I hope that I’m not going to need to keep this up for the rest of my life to stay at a reasonable emotional equilibrium. But even if it is necessary, assuming this habit gives me another 5 years of quality life, it’s a break even situation on the waking time lost to exercise and the number of years gained.
Hmmm, so maybe I will keep it up.