4951
DnD Central / Re: The Problem with Atheism
Tell me the other way(s).THE other ways??
All of them?
The first five will do.
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Messages - ersi
The first five will do.
4952
DnD Central / Re: The Problem with Atheism
The right ideals invite you to match your behaviour to the ideals.This is a way, but not the only way.
Tell me the other way(s).
Still then, what incites people to favour an ideal to follow?
In a good case, the religion or spiritual ideal organically meets people's spiritual tendencies with favourable effect. In a worse case, there must be a teaching, a dogmatic tenet to explicitly remind thick people that the core of religion is ethical. Such as "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" <-- this is a rather unambiguous invitation to match your claimed ideals and actual behaviour. Vide also the parable of the pharisee and the publican, which knocks directly on the conscience of people in power.
Even the "worse case" as I termed it is actually very good when compared to atheism. Atheism has nothing in it to match this.
4953
DnD Central / Re: The Problem with Atheism
Ideals, not ideas. The right ideals invite you to match your behaviour to the ideals. Wrong ideals fail at this. If the ideology is not making an essentially ethical point - in terms of actual moral behaviour and social stability -, then it is only making empty ideological points.The point here is that when spiritual ideals are missing...You're missing. The point
The point is that atheism is not exactly about your "missing ideas":P And on the contrary, bolsheviks&al. had very SWELL ideas to back their activity.:tutut:
Edit:
O'k, I missed your "spiritual". Though, define "spirit";)
Considering what you are, the preliminary answer is that the word "spiritual" is there to emphasise the distinction between "idea" and "ideal". If you fail to acknowledge the distinction - with appropriate conceptual content -, there's nothing more to talk about.
4954
DnD Central / Re: The Problem with Atheism
This is the right keyword. It applies to all ideological propaganda, with equal effect in case of crusades and witchburnings, French Revolution, bolshevism, the utterly irreligious, purely patriotic expansion of United States, etc.
The keyword is "idea", ideology.
The point here is that when spiritual ideals are missing, then people are psychologically empty on spiritual level and subject to all kinds of other ideologies to fill up the vacant spot. French Revolution is a perfect example. Towards the end Robbespierre's anti-religious fanaticism took explicit religious form, because this is what he was missing. Same goes for personal cults of any dictator: they are replacements of religion, because religion is necessary, cannot be ignored. You cannot eliminate religion without replacing it somehow.
The point of religion is to meet people's spiritual tendencies in an as orderly way as humanly possible. The first step in this is to acknowledge that these spiritual tendencies exist. When you don't acknowledge this, you get all the historical examples that show what happens in case of lack of religion.
4955
DnD Central / Re: The Problem with Atheism
Don't feed me with various bolsheviks - they are not atheists, they are morons (a sect of Bullshit worshippers).The case with historical examples against religion is exactly the same: Choose the historical incidents where idiots and morons prevail and forget the actual teachings and ideals - and also forget times and places where the ideals bore good fruit. Cherry-picking works both ways.
4956
DnD Central / Re: Open-mindedness as per Sam Harris
The problem here is that historical examples against atheism are at least equal, if not worse. So, to prove his point, he really has to make a different argument.All he does is yell that religion is immoral, while he does not put together a single philosophical argument to prove it.
If he said that, he goes overboard, perhaps, but a philosophical argument isn't required. Historical examples are required.
4957
DnD Central / Open-mindedness as per Sam Harris
He cites a recent case where he changed his mind (emphases added):
Quote
I watched Scahill’s Oscar-nominated documentary Dirty Wars—twice. The film isn’t perfect. Despite the gravity of its subject matter, there is something slight about it, and its narrow focus on Scahill seems strangely self-regarding. At moments, I was left wondering whether important facts were being left out. But my primary experience in watching this film was of having my settled views about U.S. foreign policy suddenly and uncomfortably shifted. As a result, I no longer think about the prospects of our fighting an ongoing war on terror in quite the same way. In particular, I no longer believe that a mostly covert war makes strategic or moral sense. Among the costs of our current approach are a total lack of accountability, abuse of the press, collusion with tyrants and warlords, a failure to enlist allies, and an ongoing commitment to secrecy and deception that is corrosive to our politics and to our standing abroad.
Any response to terrorism seems likely to kill and injure innocent people, and such collateral damage will always produce some number of future enemies. But Dirty Wars made me think that the consequences of producing such casualties covertly are probably far worse. This may not sound like a Road to Damascus conversion, but it is actually quite significant. My view of specific questions has changed—for instance, I now believe that the assassination of al-Awlaki set a very dangerous precedent—and my general sense of our actions abroad has grown conflicted. I do not doubt that we need to spy, maintain state secrets, and sometimes engage in covert operations, but I now believe that the world is paying an unacceptable price for the degree to which we are doing these things. The details of how we have been waging our war on terror are appalling.
I conclude from this that my evaluation of Harris was correct. On intellectual grounds I dismissed his case against religion from day one. Reason: All he does is yell that religion is immoral, while he does not put together a single philosophical argument to prove it. His case only consists of citing historical incidents - an emotional cumulative case that can be amounted with equal effect against atheism just as soon as misrepresentations, cherry-picking and double standards are dropped.
Now he has changed his mind about something. Based on what? A film touched his emotions. That's it. It was not a philosophical argument. It was the discovery that he didn't know enough to actually hold the opinion he held on the case. He understood that he had been making a case based on ignorance, not on knowledge. He even developed moral scruples. Notably, "I no longer believe that a mostly covert war makes strategic or moral sense." The proclaimer of morals actually developed a modicum of moral sense at last! This is what happens when morality is a matter of belief and feelings - and when you make noise about how righteous you feel.
Earlier I mentioned the essay contest that Harris announced http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-moral-landscape-challenge1 In keeping with the diagnosis of Harris's character, if an essay wants to win, it should not methodically dismantle Harris's case nor make a coherent logical point. Instead, it should appeal to emotions.
4958
DnD Central / Re: Tripe about Ukraine
Law of stronger breaks jurisdiction. It's not Ukraine interfering with Crimea's affairs there, is it? It's not Ukrainians deposing the administrative and legal institutions in Crimea.Autonomous or not [...]
The legal concept that is the standard for evaluation for me is jurisdiction. Russia crossed the line of jurisdiction.
What autonomy serves for? exactly for delimiting jurisdiction.
It's complex, but taking in account the state of revolution Ukraine is passing by I'm afraid that the law of the stronger will win.
Putin is doing his move, we'll see how the others will answer...
It's right that I have little clue about the concept of autonomy actually, but it's absolutely sure that Russians (and perhaps also Ukrainians) have equally little. You see, many member republics in Soviet Union had their own supposedly autonomous entities while each member republic of Soviet Union was supposedly "sovereign". You can imagine what meaning those words had. Russia calls itself a federation right now and is full of autonomous member republics and other autonomous entities. In imperial times Russia never was a federation, it only had provinces with some regional laws.
So I am sure that these distinctions are merely nominal for Russians. There's no content or context to legal concepts for them. Might makes right and that's it.
4959
DnD Central / Re: Tripe about Ukraine
The agreement concerns Sevastopol, Russian military base in Crimea. The agreement does not concern the status of Crimea. Autonomous or not, the international border runs so that Crimea is Ukraine, not Russia.
As I know, there's an agreement until 2045 for Russian army permanence and Crimea has deep and close cultural attachments wit Russia. Probably also economic.
So, what do people from Crimea wants? That's the first part of the equation I need to know.
What do the people want? As it says in the news, the parliament and govt HQ of Crimea have been overrun. There's nobody now who could with any air of legitimacy claim to be representing the people there.
The legal concept that is the standard for evaluation for me is jurisdiction. Russia crossed the line of jurisdiction.
4960
Forum Administration / Re: Quoting tools
No. It always worked in Elinks. It probably had/has some extra function with JS turned on, but I only tried the basic function to quote the whole post and then tweak the contents of the quote. I contrive manually, that's right.
Ersi, so if the "Quote" (right one) were returned to its previous state, it would cause a trouble for you?
4961
Forum Administration / Re: Quoting tools
In Elinks full quote (the Quote button) works no problemo. I used Opera Presto, too, often with JS off. The forums worked just fine even so.
Without Javascript there is no way to track selection. But you still get the full quote, right?
4962
DnD Central / Re: Tripe about Ukraine
The topic here is #2. Outsiders are interfering. Ukraine is not being allowed to let its own blood and calm down in the manner and time of its own choice. From the point of view of the people of Ukraine, the best that could happen is to keep the matter internal. It should not be anyone else's business, except Cuban doctors sewing up pieces of flesh and Swedish philanthropists sending warm blankets.
What I mean is that Ukrainian riots, and the coup where the army didn't participate, should not be any outsider's military business. There is absolutely no question who stepped over the line here.
All govts are bastards, but being a bastard within their own borders is kinda legitimate. Being a bastard outside its borders is definitely illegitimate, no matter which govt does it, US, Russia, whoever.
4963
Otter Browser Forum / Re: Questions to the Developer
Yes, when it can be called internet suite, not a mere browser
@ersi, it would be best to wait for first beta, when more features will be ready.
By the way, based on what will you implement the email component? On FF's Simplemail extension? Or will you tailor together something unique?
4964
Browsers & Technology / Re: Keeping an eye on Opera
http://www.linuxmint.com/sponsors.php
4965
DnD Central / Re: Tripe about Ukraine
Remember the previous attack Russia made - Ossetia? Also around Olympics, Beijing 2008. In fact both the war and the olympic games opened at the same time. This does not qualify as a copy-paste repetition, but enough elements are in place - for me. Maybe not enough for you.If this doesn't break into WWIII, it defies historical knowledge.
History never repeats dear Ersi
4966
Forum Administration / Re: Quoting tools
For that purpose, there existed the Jump Quote ("(selected)").
What I'd really want is a solution without Javascript. I often use a browser without Javascript. But such solutions are impossible, I suppose.
4967
DnD Central / Re: The Worldwide Politics Thread
Not so important when it's rude, illiterate, and genuinely shallow.When you talk rationally, you are doing it wrong. Haven't you noticed he is already completely totalitarian, instead of taking some first baby steps towards it?
He's no more totalitarian than the others. All the political correctness vomit is by far much worst.
There's something good at the genesis of the American spirit. It's rude and illiterate but they are genuine. That's important.
4968
Browsers & Technology / Re: Keeping an eye on Opera
His claim is that since there are Linux users among Opera workers - even the CEO is that - there's hope. But in this crazy world of ours, this is not an argument any more. For example, the founder of Gentoo distro has always used a Macbook to do "real" work, and has been employed at Microsoft while working on Gentoo, etc. No contribution to Apple though as far as I am aware.
http://ruario.ghost.io/2014/03/02/linux-and-blink-powered-opera/Quote from: ruarioI am really sorry it is taking so long!
Anyway, even if Chropera does eventually have a Linux version, it will be the same bomb as on Win and Mac. Most so-called browsers out there these days are Chromium clones. One more adds nothing.
4969
Otter Browser Forum / Re: Questions to the Developer
For the terms I see in these threads about Otter browser, I suppose it doesn't work in Windows...
You can try it out in Windows using the precompiled binaries here.
"Precompiled binaries"... is that a name to call to a software?
Thanks Frenzie.
I remember now how at first glance I failed to find Linux binaries. I only saw Windows exes.
Otter is at the stage where it should be made more broadly available, like Softpedia or Download.com. It's been ages since I visited those sites, because for a long while I already have everything I need, but I imagine the sites are still around and there might still be people eager to try stuff out.
You'd also accumulate some third opinions this way. In the description it would be best stated that the idea is to re-create Opera somewhat, not to innovate in any random direction.
4970
DnD Central / Re: ISLAM -- The Religion of Peace?
As I thought. We measure those things very differently. I measure education by the quality of books people write. The comparative number of schools and students in successive eras is also a good measure, and evaluations as to what extent rulers support those institutions.
Education and social cohesion (you can pick other terms too if you wanted) are two of the foundations of society. How do you measure them? Growing middle classes, wealth, technological development etc etc.
Social cohesion is measured by lack of internal strife, stability of social and administrative institutions, continuity of traditions. Things like that. Something called middle class is applicable only to this century and previous. It's a rather anacronistic and dubious concept to all earlier times.
Sustained peace? When did that happen? Ever?
There have been times and places. A current immediate example is Sweden - 300 years of peace. This is not unprecedented, depends on how you delimit it. If you desperately refuse to see peace among people and prosperity of arts and sciences in old times, you won't see it.
4971
DnD Central / Re: The Worldwide Politics Thread
4972
DnD Central / Re: What's going on on MyOpera & opera.com
Is it not working for you? It's intended to work just like on My Opera.
Does anybody know what "Quick Quote" is all about?
The Quick reply box does not stay open. At least not in Webkit browsers I use.
The Quick quote procedure is like this:
1. Open up the Quick reply box
2. Select (highlight) some text from someone
3. Press Quick quote (in the corner of the same post, right?)
4. This should throw the highlighted text into Quick reply box as a quote
4973
Browsers & Technology / Good cookies and bad cookies
When a website offers to keep you logged in and you choose to stay in for a specified time, say forever, then there are cookies at work. Good cookies obey your choice.
Good cookies keep you logged in across browser restarts and computer restarts, internet disconnections etc. These are really precious cookies. They are to be cherished. This site's cookies behave like this.
Vivaldi.net's cookies are nasty. The site throws me out even during the same browser session despite me having chosen "forever" at login. This is independent from the browser I use, Presto, Gecko, or Webkit. Anybody else having the same issue? Is this due to some disconnect between the cookie and how the website treats it (because it cannot be due to how the browser treats the cookie)?
4974
DnD Central / Re: Tripe about Ukraine
4975
DnD Central / Re: Tripe about Ukraine
If this doesn't break into WWIII, it defies historical knowledge. All elements are in place: The economic interests (the pipes in Caucasus, across Ukraine, and the Baltic Sea), the ethnic conflicts (everywhere from current Russian borders to the borders of former Soviet Union), even the recent agreements between Russia and Germany and between Russia and the Baltic countries spell out a number of the same details as they did last time.
Does anybody think that this Ukraine business has any wider impact, or is it just a case of Russia dealing with it's relatively local issues? Does it matter what the EU "thinks"?
At least Sweden is getting ready for war:
Must increase the defence budget
It's natural that Russia is coming back