Stares at the World

Category: Philosophy

Low Maintenance Troop 0

Philosophy

Low Maintenance Troop

A long time ago, in another lifetime perhaps, I remember being tasked with the Leading of Young Soldiers.  Hard work, dedication, discipline; all of those were important parts of the military ethos which I tried to instill in them.  But above all of them, more important by far, I wanted each and every one of them to be a Low Maintenance Troop. There’s an old saying in the army: “Solve it at the lowest level!” It’s usually offered up as a rebuke to some hapless Private, who in terror of all things brass just asked his section commander whether he...

“Math Class is Hard” Sayeth 3rd Wave Feminism 4

Philosophy

“Math Class is Hard” Sayeth 3rd Wave Feminism

I’ve pointed it out before; it’s usually the people who claim to be the most moralistic/progressive/unprejudiced who are the worst offenders.  No surprise really.  Anyone making a big stink about discrimination is probably doing so to cover up the knobby, bigoted cherry-pit they have instead of a heart.  But a recent post by Katja Grace got me thinking about feminism specifically and why it irritates me more than having an aroused ferret shoved down my pants.  She comments on some of the ‘pro-women’ statements she’s seen in the past: Some examples from the advertising and equity policies of various academic...

My Path to Anarchy… and the Liars Who Usurp the Label 1

Philosophy

My Path to Anarchy… and the Liars Who Usurp the Label

My father once said to me, “Son… I’ve always had a strong sense of Justice.  And I think that you have that too.” He was right.  But when you care about Justice, you’re forced to seek after something more, something indispensable to it.  Before you can find Justice, you need to find Truth. I’ve always believed in an Objective Reality.  That outside of oneself, things are the way they are, without regard for our beliefs or opinions.  And that the first step in achieving Grace, or Honour, or Nobility, or whatever you want to call it, is to go out...

Happy Consumerism Day 2

Philosophy

Happy Consumerism Day

Well thank God, the damned thing’s finally over.  Eleven months of peace before another one of these awful holiday seasons rolls around , complete with its tacky displays, embarrassing traditions, and the constant insistence that you stretch your face into an ugly, manic grin. I cannot begin to tell you how much I hate Christmas. But it did get me thinking a lot about Consumerism – and what better day to talk about it than Boxing Day?*

Feminism and Firefly 2

Philosophy

Feminism and Firefly

I ran into this article the other day about supposed misogynist themes in the television program Firefly. For those of you who don’t know, its creator, Joss Whedon, had previously worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and is a self-identified feminist known for his portrayals of strong female characters. _allecto_, the author of the above article, begs to disagree. While her article is worth a chuckle overall, there are a couple of specific passages (and comment-replies) I’d like to draw your attention to: the first involves the character Inara, a future-world prostitute/courtesan and self-employed entrepreneur: Our first introduction to Inara...

The Ten Principles of Leadership 4

Philosophy

The Ten Principles of Leadership

A young man planning to join our nation’s military recently emailed me asking for advice on how to be the best officer he could be. While the focus of this blog is mainly political, Leadership is an element that runs through all aspects of human society, including the political and economic. It’s a standard of learned moral behaviour which is just as important as comprehending Heuristics and Biases. What follows is my reply to him. One thing you’re going to internalize during your time in the forces, is a document called the Ten Principles of Leadership. It’s a great list,...

Compromises Part 1 2

Philosophy

Compromises Part 1

Never mistake a Motel for a Hotel. That’s what I did today, and now I’m paying for it. The wallpaper is peeling, the air smells of Clorox, and there’s no bucket for the ice machine; just a spare garbage bag the front desk girl gave me. On the plus side, though, I saved some time after my jog; during my shower the shampoo and conditioner came in the same packet. But despite all of this, I’m not feeling that bad, because today I escaped the City. For one thing, that means I was able to get a smoking hotel room,...

Whisky fuelled ramblings 0

Philosophy

Whisky fuelled ramblings

Loneliness is a brutal state of affairs. When the glowing power LEDs of your laptop, and the comforting growl of your car’s engine are your only companions, you’re on your own. But at least you’re self defined. Mars. Mars! The planet’s name breathes through me like the voice of destiny. The Red Planet; our second home; another basket for our eggs. Luna; the spacefarer’s waypoint. Where are Heinlein’s Lunatics? The colonizers? The scientist-adventurers? The Northern Lights shon brilliantly tonight. Blue, green, even amber curtains – solar wind sucked in by our planet’s magnetic field. Ions flaring out in one final...

The Amoral Society 2

Philosophy / Society

The Amoral Society

How can one be moral in an amoral society? The question plagues me. I don’t have the answer. Not yet. But I’ve realized there’s another question implicit within it. Namely: to what degree can principles be compromised without betraying them? Is expediency – sacrificing values to the needs of the moment – ever justified? If one is to take action – to rebel through moral behaviour – at what point should the action begin, and to what degree should it be taken? My context must be defined. At other times, and in other places, the solution came more easily. When...