If scientific “output” is any measure of a country’s future capabilities, then it appears that China is headed for the #1 spot, taking over the USA’s top position as soon as 2013. But what is even more interesting, and surprising, is that Iran has the fastest growth of scientific output in the world:
China Marching Ahead in Science
Since news of the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords (and others) broke, I have been reading various “interpretations” as to motives. This type of event always makes me suspicious, and the fact we are so “compassionate” about the shooting of a politician, while virtually ignoring the others also killed, does nothing to calm my unsettled uncertainty.
I was going to write something on this subject – but when I read this post by Larken Rose, I decided he’d said it for me.
Butler Shaffer also notes the link with the violence inherent in the state, in his essay: When Will They Figure it Out
From Stefan Molyneux over at Freedomain Radio
As is usual at this time of year, a number of commentators are making their predictions for 2011.
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard is his usual intelligent self in, Overheating East to falter before the bankrupt West recovers
Marc Faber looks at the markets in his 2011 Outlook – Correction Imminent
Justin Raimondo takes a broader look at the general geopolitical scene in Predictions, 2011
Peter Schiff gets to argue his predictions on this CNBC Video
I came across this video, entitled Ignite Your Soul, while browsing the blog of a friend – and felt it was worth sharing at this time of the year.
Here’s an excerpt from a thought-provoking speech given by Doug Casey, at the 2009 Freedom Fest, on the subject of stupidity, criminality, and the nature of evil.
The novel, 1984, by George Orwell is truly prophetic. And if he were alive today, he’d be aghast at how prescient he was.
One of the most heinous crimes in 1984 were “thought” crimes – thinking the wrong things. In other words, it was a crime to think things that the regime didn’t approve of.
Nothing new here of course, as the Christian Church used to prosecute thought crimes with gay abandon – as in the notorious Inquisition.
However, such thought crimes have made a come-back and in our modern age, thinking the “unthinkable” is again a thought crime – one that can even put you in jail.
Some thought crimes only invite ridicule and smear tactics, while others may even invite assassination or imprisonment – depending on how serious your crime is. But the fact remains, even in this supposedly enlightened and democratic age, thought crimes are on the political agenda again.
So what are thought crimes? I can think of a few obvious one’s straight off the bat.
Holocaust denial is perhaps the number one thought crime. Ask David Irving, the British historian who spent time in jail for such thoughts. It’s not relevant as to whether his views are odious, stupid or even true. What’s relevant is that he’s not allowed to hold them – and that the holding of them is a crime in itself.
My view on this is that freedom of speech is sacrosanct, and that includes freedom of thought. The moment we allow the “powers that be” to dictate our thoughts, we may as well give up the notion of freedom and democracy and bow down to the gods of totalitarianism.
Believing that 9/11 was an “inside” job is fast becoming another thought crime – one which is labelled “traitorous” – and something that could put you on the Homeland Security “watch list”.
Taking the side of the Palestinians as opposed to the Israelis, in the ever-festering Middle East conflict, is fast becoming a thought crime. And within America it is certainly a sure way to terminate any ambitions you may have for holding public office.
There are lots of lesser thought crimes as well. Not believing in global warming. Not believing in the global monetary order. Not believing in the all-powerful nation state. Not supporting the troops.
The essence of truly serious thought crimes is that they run up against powerful vested interests, those that stand to gain by such thoughts being “banned”.
In my book it is imperative that we all become “thought criminals” – in order to stave off the paralysis that comes from being a totalitarian government stooge, or stand-in for some horrendous conformity-of-belief system.
Ask yourself this pertinent question: why is it a thought crime to deny the Holocaust, but not deny the existence of God – as any atheist obviously does? Is God less important than the well-documented Jewish suffering?
It doesn’t matter that people deny things – that’s their prerogative. You should be able to deny whatever you like – rational or otherwise. Of course you’ll offend some people when denying God, or certain ethnic groups, or alien abductions, or even government conspiracies – but we either have the freedom to think what we think, or we do not.
Thought crimes are a blight on our self-appointed superiority as regards to being “free”. Without the freedom to think what we will – even if it’s stupid, vile, or worse – we have no freedom at all.
And my defence of such freedom of thought does not mean I agree with those who commit “thought crimes” – or sign on to their particular thought “oddities” or “realities” – but that I defend their right to think as they will – and refuse to consider them criminals for having such thoughts.
Defending freedom demands nothing less.
Given the state of the world, and how religious fanaticism lends its hand to violent extremism – it’s a relief to find that Stephen Hawking has finally come to the conclusion that a God is not necessary in the earthly or cosmological scheme of things: Why God Did Not Create The Universe
A fascinating article by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard – Obama could kill fossil fuels overnight with a nuclear dash for thorium - looks at the idea of using thorium instead of uranium as fuel for nuclear power stations. Sounds like real breakthrough technology – if vested interests can get out of the way.
