2013年9月27日金曜日

The power of uncertainty

Being sure is probably the worst thing ever. It sure helps to go along your way in the easiest way, but it does not do much help otherwise, especially to change your path along the way. 

Not being sure means to be always on your guard : aware and awake. It is a little bit tiring, I cannot deny it; but it is rewarding when you understand new things. That doesn't mean you cannot rely on what you know, it just means that, while relying on it, just check a little bit more. Science itself relies on such a pattern, and I sincerely believe that anything in life should be looked at about the same way, trying, being aware and... being awake.

I cannot deny that it does make me feel better to think that I am doing better than all these surrounding religions. That is a little plus I will not let go. But having all of them disappear would be a disaster. If I am mistaken somewhere, who will redress me? You need people to question your choices, so that you can reflect on them. If you were alone in a dancing room, you could do whatever you want, but with a whole crowd surrounding you, you are bound to cross someone else's path, sometimes hitting a little each other, sometimes going up to hurting each other.

And, as long as we don't understand our Dancing Room completely, this Universe, I'd rather have people who disagree with me just to keep me awake and aware. And a little unsure whether I am right or wrong. In the end, I'll end up better anyways.

2013年9月20日金曜日

Pourquoi je veux quitter cette planète?

Pourquoi je veux quitter cette planète?

J'ai des amis, j'ai un relativement bon emploi et pourrais sans doute m'en trouver un meilleur par la suite, je suis en santé et en relative sécurité et j'arrive même à m'amuser. Ma vie va bien, mais votre planète est nulle, plate et, sincèremnt, invivable pour plus de la moirité de la population.

Que vous fassiez vos niaiseries entre vous ne me dérange pas; faites les cons autant que vous le voulez. Mais, être forcé d'endurer vos niaisages sans pouvoir même en sortir ne m'intéresse pas du tout. Cependant, vos sociétés et gouvernements occupent l'entière planète et il n'y a donc aucun endroit pour en sortir et essayer quelque chose de, peut-être, mieux.

Et oublions de vous réformer! Mais je ne veux pas de révolution non plus: vous avez le droit de vivre aussi stupidement que vous le désirez.

Mais je ne vous laisse aucun droit de me forcer à vos niaisages. Si vous voulez me forcer, vous aller me voir me battre. À chaque niaiserie, je vais vous le rappeler en pleine face. Au lieu de Socrate, vous m'aurez moi. Et si vous n'êtes pas contents de vous le faire dire, si vous faire dire en pleine face que vos sociétés, vos gouvernements et vos institutions sont de véritables farces, bring it on

Je ne changerai pas parce vous n'êtes pas capable; j'ai tout autant le droit de vivre que vous. J'ai certainement le droit de critiquer chacune de vos niaiseries, d'autant plus que j'ose proposer d'autres façons de faire.

Et si, malgré tout, vous n'êtes pas contents, vous savez comment on a arrêté Socrate de faire le taon.

2013年9月11日水曜日

Les "signes ostentatoires"

Bien franchement, cet affaire sur les signes ostentatoires est la plus horrible. Que l'Assemblée Nationale commence par retirer son Crucifix. Si l'Assemblée Nationale n'est pas capable de faire ça, elle n'a aucun, mais aucun droit de toucher au reste.

De plus, je crois qu'il faudrait en fait que ce soit plus visible, que les gens puissent vraiment pouvoir afficher leurs croyances. Il faut du débat, et il faut de la franchise. De plus, ça aide à comprendre la diversité. J'ai l'intention d'avoir des enfants, et j'ai bien l'intention de les élever dans ma religion, aussi étrange puisse-t-elle être pour mes concitoyens. (Elle n'a pas de "signes ostentatoires" en soi, cependant, la religion elle-même est très critique. :P)

Mais d'un autre côté, j'espère que tout religieux qui porte un signe comprend aussi qu'il lance un message à son interlocuteur. Quand je déclare ouvertement que je suis Endajuéiste, je déclare en même temps que je considère que les Chrétiens, les Musulmans, les Hindous, les Sikhs, les Shintoistes, les Bouddhistes et autres membres d'autres religions sont dans l'erreur. Est-ce que le porteur sait quel message il envoie? Heureusement, il semble qu'une bonne part sont au courant, et une aussi large part sont prêts à accepter la même chose de la part des autres. Dans une société où il y a de la diversité, il faut accepter que la diversité puisse venir de toute part et de façons qui peuvent nous surprendre.

2013年9月9日月曜日

The loss of liberty, insufferable.

People, when trying to discuss with me, please take some time to read those words. And reread them. And again. Up to 7, or maybe 77 times.

"History shows that hunter-gatherers can learn to do any of the jobs our society offers. I’ve flown in a helicopter piloted by a New Guinean who was born into a traditional society all but innocent of metal. And history is replete with examples of acaemically gifted Native Americans and Aborigines– like John Bungaree, who topped the class in mathematics, geography and writing in early-nineteenth-century Sydney. There are even a few examples of hunter-gatherers giving farming a try. But regardless of their accomplishments, almost all of these went back to their own culture. The truth is that hunter-gatherers find the loss of liberty we routinely endure to be insufferable."
Tim Flannery, Anthropologist

I am not from a hunter-gatherer society but, damn, how much do I understand them! So please shut up with the whole "endure this society" thing. Then, we can discuss.

(Quoted from Mark Rosenfelder's blog : http://zompist.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/why-you-want-to-be-a-hunter-gatherer/

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2013年9月5日木曜日

Un vagin au lieu d'un pénis!

TOUCHEZ PAS UNE MIETTE AUX DROITS DE MA SOEUR DE VIVRE COMME MOI, SIMPLEMENT PARCE QU'ELLE EST NÉE AVEC UN VAGIN AU LIEU D'UN PÉNIS!

Humanity's Unity : Cooperation and Autonomy

At one point, Humanity will have to learn to share this lovely planet. Oceans, the Poles, Pollution etc., these are just starters, small steps into understanding that, if we are all to live together on this planet, we will have to share it. Fairly.

Bu
t, I will tell you something else I believe. You read in my earlier one that I had problems with States. Actually, we, humans, as animals, we live in "bands". For thousands of years, they were nomadic; but at one point, some of those bands built permanent settlements that we call cities. But these bands are the basic structure of humanity. Within them, we have finer distinctions (clans, families, friends, work groups, trades etc.), but in terms of social organization, I believe the basic unit is the Band, which includes all Cities. And one must make sure that these cities stay as autonomous as possible; they are the source of wealth in this world, and autonomous cities are a lot stronger.

Cooperation between cities will always be something good; something to be expected as well. Earth itself, as everyone's home planet, will have to be shared. And we should be able to share people, information and ideas as well. Exchange is important, as one community will have an idea, and this idea can spread to the whole world if it turns out to be the right thing to do. You will need all those forums. But, as far as I am concerned, they should stay forums.

Every city should have its Space Agency in the future (and everything else as well), being able to make its own stuff. Sure, because we have a single planet, we can cooperate, but I do not believe humanity is fully ready yet to cooperate completely : we have nutheads everywhere, and if we turn this whole planet into one single country, if all goes to hell, where can we flee? We can have forums about education, health and everything imaginable. By the Universe, even an International Forum on Live-Action RPGs, if I may joke a little. We will have to share the planet and its ressources (and perhaps, through cooperation, make more ressources available), but we should be able to try many things independently, to test how we can live.

La forêt et les arbres

Un certain astronaute canadien disait que, du haut du ciel, il ne voyait aucune frontière et que, pour ça, il ne voyait aucune bonne raison pour l'indépendance du Québec. Alors pourquoi diable ne demande-t-il pas l'admission du Canada aux États-Unis pour devenir 13 États de plus dans ce gros pays?

Pour moi, il voyait la forêt, mais il était incapable de voir les arbres. Il était incapable de voir les différents milieux de vie qui existent, les différentes possibilités; il était incapable de voir la diversité du monde. Son argument, je le tourne joyeusement en dérision.

On Courts and Justice

On that : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23946945

Daneydzaus : They are pursuing a lot in Africa because, elsewhere, you have ressources and the economy. This court is just a joke to make sure things go right.

Šaupneles :
Not sure where you're getting your information Ugo, but it's not based in reality. The Court has taken cases that were referred to it by African states or one referred by the Security Council. Again, note -- most case before the Court were brought to it be AFRICAN states themselves. There are now investigations, again brought it by the states involved, on other continents and cases may proceed there if the investigations determine there is evidence of crimes against humanity.

Daneydzaus : I do however understand the Kenyan case well, there was some violence going on, people got killed. Someone should be held responsible. Justice isn't just about prosecuting people : I read the article, and in it, they said they actually formed a coalition because nothing else is going well. How do the people feel in the country now? The United States didn't do much better 200 years ago, in a certain Civil War, and yet, they were more than able to get over it. That what they have been doing.

Also, do you think anyone will receive any punishment for the deportation of Acadians almost 300 years ago? The British Crown litterally destroyed a whole people, denying them as much as being able to live, at some point. Canada, only a few years ago, gave a rather empty apology for the whole thing. When I read it, I was actually depressed at the whole matter.

You wish for International Justice, and so do would I, but countries vary in culture and, also, in ways of life. We all think in the West that living peacefully and not killing each other is good thing, but it's novelty that is barely less than 100 years old. Perhaps it is the right solution, to live peacefully. But right now, in some countries, it is not the right time.

People will die, or might : in that case, have these people come over here in peaceful countries and let the others kill each other as much as they want. This world has gone way to far in trying to control everything, and it's going nowhere : in the "peaceful countries", people are getting poorer each passing day; in the countries that aren't part of that, horrible things might be going on that we don't know of. It is a shame that people die, and that is why we created the whole refugee program. And goddammit, use that instead of trying to control the whole world.

Also, for Kenya, according to this site, the case was brought in by the prosecutor himself. It is his right; but maybe, maybe, Kenya wasn't ready after all for it. I can even say that, maybe, they weren't even fully understanding what laws they were actually accepting when joining it. And maybe, perhaps, their solution to form a coalition will lead somewhere.

http://www.iccnow.org/?mod=kenya&lang=fr

Šaupneles :
Your point about the Acadians or suggesting that some countries are ready for the modern world is both uninformed and bordering on racism. All countries have the sovereign right to participate in the global community or not. Those in Africa, including Kenya, went through their own sovereign processes to decide whether to adhere to the Rome Statute. Just because indicted war criminals later joined forced and won an election does not invalidate those negotiations anymore than had a Hutu and Tutsi joined forces and won an election in Rwanda. The victims are still dead and the criminals winning an election doesn't transform them into statesmen. Shame on you!

You're disgusting. How dare you suggest Kenyans were incapable of understanding what laws they were accepting they ratified the Rome Statutes. Perhaps you think they aren't capable of governing themselves, and the British need to come back in and take care of them. Go away!

Daneydzaus : 1. What am I wrong about the Acadians? I know there is a region of Acadia, the people still exists but they are rather on the poor side of Canadians, but it has been a disaster for a society that should have been thriving today if it wasn't for the Deportation : Port-Royal could have been at last an awesome Acadian city.

2. All countries have a sovereign right to do or not, and indeed, Kenya found out it may have been a wrong choice, at least for them, at least at the moment, and IS actually using its sovereign rights to get out of it.

3. Yes, they went through their own sovereign process. But hey, people can and do make mistakes sometimes.

4. People being killed and later joining forces does not negate that the killings happened. I am not suggesting that; the people should be mourned. However, sometimes, Justice does things in other ways. Justice is not just about bringing people to courts and having them prosecuted for the pleasure of our anger and our desire for vengeance. Justice, as best as can be describe, is to make sure that whatever mistakes have been done, we learn from it, we try as much as we can to repair it, and then we move on. Yes, you cannot bring dead people back, but, at least a little, as far as I can tell from their coalition, they seem to have learned for it, are trying to do as much as they can to repair it, and they are moving on. What YOU are asking for, as far as I can see, if for Revenge, a Revenge for those people who are killed. I understand the feeling, more than what you think; but Revenge is not Justice.

5. Have I suggested they were uncapable of understanding what laws they were accepting. Reread what I wrote : "I can even say that, maybe, they weren't even fully understanding what laws they were actually accepting when joining it." (I quote myself verbatim here.) I didn't say that "they couldn't", I said straightforwardly that "they probably didn't"; nowhere in any English dictionnary does it say that what I said mean that they couldn't. I am pretty sure that they could, like any other human being can; I just said that they maybe made a mistake in its understanding. It happens to everyone.

6. They are fully capable of governing themselves; their freaking damned coalition is a proof that they really can. No need for the British to come in, and really, it would be the crapiest thing to do, they were actually able to solve the whole thing on their own, and I find the the ICC is just going in to find some sort of Revenge for the dead people, just in the British stead.

Indeed, if I may add, I will suggest that YOU think that Kenya cannot take care of its own affairs on its own. The case was not brought to the court by any African Country; its was brought in the prosecutor himself, using his write to meddle in a country.

Both sides made mistakes, they are trying to make up for it, and they will try to do things better next time. The very definition of learning from one own's mistakes, and the very goal of most justice systems, I believe.

And yet, you want some outsider to come in, take out both dudes, perhaps wrecking their whole efforts to actually repairs things and do better. Who is the colonialist one, I am entirely free to wonder now.

Šaupneles :
If the Deportation took place 300 years ago and there were laws or treaties in place about it, then by all means, the remaining Acadians need to take action. Like all tribunals, the ICC has jurisdiction only from when the Court came into existence in 2002 for crimes defined at the time. This is ICC 101. If you can't grasp that basic fact, you have no business talking about the Kenya case.

Kenya can indeed remove themselves from the Court statutes. That does not invalidate the indictments made when they were willingly subject to its jurisdiction. This is a matter of law, not revenge. You just believe that the criminals can shake hands, make up and don't have to answer for their crimes. That is not justice. Demanding they be held accountable under a system of justice they accepted is not revenge. If they preferred another avenue to justice, they could have chosen not to ratify. If they withdraw, justice for any further crimes against humanity can be handles however they wish. But they can't UNDO their obligations since it's inconvenient.

And yes, your comment "maybe, they weren't even fully understanding what laws they were actually accepting when joining it" means that participating in the ACTUAL WRITING of the Statute, all the months and years of studying the Rome Statute, having legal and legislative debates domestically, and working with experts about the implications of ratification, and you STILL think they did not understanding what laws they were agreeing to? Are you fucking crazy? If they didn't, who did? You absolutely are stating they it was beyond them. They even have every opportunity to present defense against the allegations. They even took it to the Security Council. No one believes that Kenya is doing anything except trying to avoid justice.

The Prosecutor's "right" to meddle just shows your ignorance of the Court. Once again, Kenya KNEW the Prosecutor could take evidence to a Pre-Trial Chamber and had to prove his case before THREE judges who could reject his claims. The Prosecutor, Deputy Prosecutor (who is now the Prosecutor and happens to be an African) and three judges looked at the evidence before a SINGLE indictment was handed down. This was not someone meddling in a country. You commit a crime, you can't get out of it by apologizing and just say you're "try to do things better next time." That's the most idiotic and uninformed view I've ever read. The Court is not some outsider -- it's a legal tribunal who's jurisdiction the government of Kenya accepted over itself. The two war criminals are not trying to fix things -- they avoiding justice.

Learn something about the Court before you run your mouth like an idiot. Until then, Fuck off!

Daneydzaus : 1. I am aware of what the ICC can do. And I am not saying it should touch the Acadian case; but what I am saying is that many countries did idiotic things.

2. This might be the case; I am not fully aware of how those two dudes are feeling themselves. Perhaps, as you say ("The two war criminals are not trying to fix things -- they avoiding justice."), they are just trying to avoid the court itself without doing anything else. This may be the case. If it is, I can all go for them prosecuted on the spot. But there is nothing in the article that speaks about that, or nothing in the other link that speaks about that as well. Also, I haven't heard about how the Keynans feel themselves about the whole thing. However, the very fact they actually did vote for such a coalition of murderers is kind of telling. Unless you tell me that that election is worthless, in which case you are telling that democracy failed.

3. I can still think that it could have been the case, that they didn't. You can work on years on something, making sure all the details are right and yet, it the end, it can be a complete failure. No matter how much expertise you put in, it can always turn out to be a mistake.

4. First, let us be straight, I do not see courts as the paramount of Justice with a capital J at all. Indeed, Justice is something that is way harder than simply a matter of "following courts" or some easy definition. You're not being for Justice, you're simply being Lawful. Courts are merely an institution, an institution some societies created to try to give Justice to the people. While you might find my view on the Court to be uninformed and idiotic (though I am aware of the basics of the procedures); I find your view on Justice to be quite narrow. Do the words "Turn the other cheek" tell you anything?

If you take the right of telling me to learn something about the Court before I run my mouth like an idiot (using words that are rather insulting while I stayed quite polite), I will take the right to tell you to learn something about Justice before you equate Justice with Court.

Explaining Canada to Japanese and Korean people

When explaining to Japanese people what Canada is, I found a perfect way to explain it. It's as if you placed Japan and Korea in the same country, you call it "Chosen", and it's Head of State is the Japanese Emperor. Japanese people freak out at the idea, I wonder about Korean people.

2013年9月1日日曜日

Pétition pour un meilleur transport en commun au Québec!

Mesdames, Messieurs, concitoyens du Québec,

Enfin, parmi tous ceux qui sont mes amis, et les amis de mes amis, et ainsi que leurs amis qui prendront les quelques minutes nécessaires pour lire ce que j'ai à dire.

Je ne sais pas encore, Concitoyens, ce que vous désirez vraiment. Mais, voici une question que je vous demande : Voulez-vous une ville dynamique, une ville prospère et, surtout, une ville puissante et fière?

Car voyez-vous, c'est bien la ville qui apporte toute la richesse de ce monde. J'en aurais tellement à dire, j'en aurais tellement à vous exprimez, mais bon, un petit message sur Facebook ne doit pas prendre trop de votre temps.

Mais voici, Mesdames, Messieurs, un méchant bout de ce qui est important pour avoir, au Québec, des villes dynamiques, prospères, puissantes et fières. Un méchant bon système de transport en commun. Et je vous invite tous à signer cette pétition,
parce qu'il faut au moins se faire entendre.

C'est un pas pour avoir les villes les plus dynamiques sur Terre. Faisons-le ensemble!


Pétition pour un meilleur transport en commun au Québec!