The University of Arizona has become the latest American educational entity to follow the dictates of the Department of Defense and terminate its relationship with the Chinese Confucius Institute. At one time almost 100 US universities had affiliations with the Confucius Institute but lawmakers feel that these relationships are a way for the godless Commies to disseminate their ideological propaganda to naive Americans whose only interest is learning Chinese language and culture.
The legislative and military analysis of the situation is probably correct, in that academia at all levels, much of the political spectrum and the media complex are all competitors for the same mentalities as the Chinese socialists. It's a Bolshevik/Menshevik sort of thing. The totalitarians don't want any competition from even their own close relatives.
The US itself has never been shy about spreading its own ideas globally via physical presence. The Peace Corps is an example. Over 235,000 American Peace Corps volunteers have spent their two year stint in 141 countries since the organization's inception in 1962. In the first 25 years of its existence 21 countries expelled the Peace Corps. Now the US has withdrawn the Peace Corps from China.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty sends US propaganda over the airwaves daily to 23 countries in 25 languages.
As with other aspects of nation-state coercion, the DoD uses the distribution of taxpayer funds as a carrot-on-a-stick to state educational institutions to gain their compliance in matters of ideology. It would be nice to believe that US citizens, receiving mandatory education in US government-approved schools with approved curricula, would be able to make their own decisions in regard to Chinese political theory while studying Chinese language and culture.
Friday, February 28, 2020
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
A Government Goal, According To Ayn Rand
“Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Reardon, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.”
Supremes Say Mexican Family Can't Sue US Border Patrol Agent
According to this story in the Wall Street Journal, the US Supreme Court has rejected a suit brought by the family of a Mexican teen-ager shot to death by a US Border Patrol agent in 2010. The victim, Sergio Hernandez, was on the Mexican side of the border in Ciudad Juarez, while the agent, Jesus Mesa, Jr., was on the US side in El Paso.
The decision wasn't based on the facts of the incident but because "A cross-border shooting claim has foreign relations and national security implications", according to Justice Alito. He said it was a matter best settled diplomatically between the US and Mexican governments, not in the courts.
If this be the case, it brings to mind some other incidents with citizens of other countries, for instance the Russian hackers that have been indicted by the US for effecting the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the Chinese computer infantrymen that roiled the waters of credit giant Equifax in 2017. Neither of these countries allows extradition of their citizens to the US so they are unlikely to see the inside of a Yankee courtroom.
The US is now attempting to extradite Julian Assange, an Australian/Ecuadorian, from his cell in Belmarsh, England. The US wants to prosecute him for assisting in the publication of classified information illegally released by US soldier Chelsea Manning.
The US and Mexico have an extradition treaty. There is a possibility that the survivors of Mr. Hernandez could convince the Mexican government that an attempt to extradite the agent involved might be successful and worth attempting. One wonders what the response of the US government would be. After all, the Russian and Chinese hackers, and Julian Assange, haven't killed anyone.
The decision wasn't based on the facts of the incident but because "A cross-border shooting claim has foreign relations and national security implications", according to Justice Alito. He said it was a matter best settled diplomatically between the US and Mexican governments, not in the courts.
If this be the case, it brings to mind some other incidents with citizens of other countries, for instance the Russian hackers that have been indicted by the US for effecting the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the Chinese computer infantrymen that roiled the waters of credit giant Equifax in 2017. Neither of these countries allows extradition of their citizens to the US so they are unlikely to see the inside of a Yankee courtroom.
The US is now attempting to extradite Julian Assange, an Australian/Ecuadorian, from his cell in Belmarsh, England. The US wants to prosecute him for assisting in the publication of classified information illegally released by US soldier Chelsea Manning.
The US and Mexico have an extradition treaty. There is a possibility that the survivors of Mr. Hernandez could convince the Mexican government that an attempt to extradite the agent involved might be successful and worth attempting. One wonders what the response of the US government would be. After all, the Russian and Chinese hackers, and Julian Assange, haven't killed anyone.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Face Masks And Arificial Intelligence
The Covid-19 virus that has become a world health concern has pushed along some other trends such as the replacement of filthy, infected currency with digital money and the wearing of face masks. In reality, face masks were already frequently seen among Asians in America even before the Wuhan flu emerged.
What some people will quickly realize, especially the realistically paranoid, is that wearing a face mask for ostensible health reasons has a possible beneficial side effect. That would be the likelihood that a good face mask might foil AI facial recognition technology without alerting law enforcement. In fact, there's no doubt there are some masked souls in China sporting these protective devices for just that reason.
Further more, as these masks are increasingly donned to prevent the spread of disease they will become items of fashion, like other clothes and accessories. Masks adorned with sequins and other decorations are probably already in use somewhere among the millions in the People's Republic.
In fact, the use of face masks may be the only effective way of foiling the efforts of Clearview AI's attempt to spread facial recognition technology across the world. Some of these might help.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Roads For Autonomous Vehicles
The excitement of the advent of autonomous vehicles has subsided somewhat. It's no longer a daily feature of media speculation. Unfortunately, a major aspect of the highways being taken over by driverless cars is the highways themselves.
While automobiles of any kind are, relatively speaking, fairly new technology, roads have been around for a long time, as explained here.
Asphalt was used for road building in Babylon about 625 BC. The crushed rock and asphalt method developed by Scotsman John Macadam paved the roads in the British Isles beginning in 1822. In the latter half of the 19th century roads all over the US were built with the same technique. The only difference between then and now is the sophisticated machinery used to create these highways. The latest examples are virtually the same as those of 150 years ago. One difference, however, is that the current black top highways are covered with more traffic and heavier trucks. This means that these roads quickly develop cracks and pot holes that need frequent repair, closing down long stretches and creating serious traffic problems.
While automobiles have incorporated design changes that have increased their lifespan and reliability dramatically, there's been very little advance in the materials and applications used in highway construction and maintenance. The product used is the same now as it has always been.
Doesn't it seem odd that while cars have developed to the point where people actually have come to expect them to drive themselves, the roads that they drive on have developed not at all?
While automobiles of any kind are, relatively speaking, fairly new technology, roads have been around for a long time, as explained here.
Asphalt was used for road building in Babylon about 625 BC. The crushed rock and asphalt method developed by Scotsman John Macadam paved the roads in the British Isles beginning in 1822. In the latter half of the 19th century roads all over the US were built with the same technique. The only difference between then and now is the sophisticated machinery used to create these highways. The latest examples are virtually the same as those of 150 years ago. One difference, however, is that the current black top highways are covered with more traffic and heavier trucks. This means that these roads quickly develop cracks and pot holes that need frequent repair, closing down long stretches and creating serious traffic problems.
While automobiles have incorporated design changes that have increased their lifespan and reliability dramatically, there's been very little advance in the materials and applications used in highway construction and maintenance. The product used is the same now as it has always been.
Doesn't it seem odd that while cars have developed to the point where people actually have come to expect them to drive themselves, the roads that they drive on have developed not at all?
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
The Elgin Marbles. . . . .Again.
In 1801, Thomas Bruce, Lord Elgin, ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, began the removal of the ancient Greek sculptures that adorned the Parthenon. He claimed to have permission to remove them from the Ottoman authorities governing Greece at the time. Of course these Ottomans were fervent Muslims and had no particular interest in the possession of human imagery from a pre-Mohammedan era.
After much tribulation the marbles arrived in Britain in 1803, became British national property and an exhibit in the British Museum. After the Greek revolution in the years 1821-1832 and consequent Greek independence, there was a movement for return of the marbles. So far, this effort has been futile. The British refuse to consider returning them.
There is some hope that the recent Brexit resolution might and conditions applied by the European Union might aid the Greeks' cause, as speculated here.
ancientorigins.net
We keep hearing this story, that some artifact from the past actually belongs to a nation-state or, as a more palatable option, belongs to the people of that nation. In that sense, the people have the right to look at it in their own land, if that constitutes ownership.
The Obelisk of Luxor, which was once situated in Egypt, was traded to the French by Muhammad Ali Pasha, Ottoman ruler of Egypt, for a mechanical clock. Today it decorates the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Nobody seems to be too devoted to its return to the banks of the Nile.
This type of situation has been explored in Pulverized Concepts before. We still don't know what to make of it.
After all, the current crop of Greeks can hardly be the legitimate heirs of ancestors from 2500 years ago, if they are indeed their descendants.
Just the same, any effort that can complicate the lives of the descendants of the citizens of the colonial empires seems like a good thing.
After much tribulation the marbles arrived in Britain in 1803, became British national property and an exhibit in the British Museum. After the Greek revolution in the years 1821-1832 and consequent Greek independence, there was a movement for return of the marbles. So far, this effort has been futile. The British refuse to consider returning them.
There is some hope that the recent Brexit resolution might and conditions applied by the European Union might aid the Greeks' cause, as speculated here.
ancientorigins.net
We keep hearing this story, that some artifact from the past actually belongs to a nation-state or, as a more palatable option, belongs to the people of that nation. In that sense, the people have the right to look at it in their own land, if that constitutes ownership.
The Obelisk of Luxor, which was once situated in Egypt, was traded to the French by Muhammad Ali Pasha, Ottoman ruler of Egypt, for a mechanical clock. Today it decorates the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Nobody seems to be too devoted to its return to the banks of the Nile.
This type of situation has been explored in Pulverized Concepts before. We still don't know what to make of it.
After all, the current crop of Greeks can hardly be the legitimate heirs of ancestors from 2500 years ago, if they are indeed their descendants.
Just the same, any effort that can complicate the lives of the descendants of the citizens of the colonial empires seems like a good thing.
Monday, February 17, 2020
Corona Virus Next Step In Getting Rid of Cash
The coronavirus being broadcast across the world from Chinese city Wuhan has been having some immediate effects. Although China is already an international leader in cashless retailing and the adoption of smart phone payment systems, the epidemic has furthered this trend by reinforcing popular thought about the unsanitary nature of paper bills, as explained here.
It's been well-known that currency becomes coated with any number of evil bacteria, viruses and even illegal drug residue that can lead to problems with law enforcement. Somehow life has struggled along despite this most valuable part of human existence also being the carrier of its sickness and death. While there's been an international trend to move away from cash, see Sweden, for instance, the motivation for this has been based on economic and convenience factors rather than health concerns.
The Chinese response to the Wuhan flu includes the quarantine and possible destruction of currency that may have been contaminated by viral exposure. This adds another dimension to the efforts of business, and its partner government, to control every aspect of trade, based this time on health concerns.
What could be more effective in encouraging the public to look favorably on digital money than the idea that currency carries the seeds of death? This digital money, unlike the products of the government mints and printing presses, remains under the control of the government. It can't be carried away in the pockets or billfolds of its possessors. It can be reclaimed at any time.
Digital money can be seen as a positive development for the state, at least in the state's terms. Maybe not so much for the citizenry.
There are at least two factors that present themselves in this growing situation. First, bacteria and viruses are all over the place. Every human touches all kinds of things, not just money. Many things are touched by multiple humans. Does this mean that human health requires not touching anything? That door knobs and chairs and restaurant tables should be covered with supposedly sterile latex covers or that patrons should wear disposable lab clothing to the movies? The very thought is absurd, although government and business policies have created an explosion of yellow reflective vests everywhere. We can look forward to bridal tuxedos and gowns made with reflective material. Wouldn't want the happy couple to be crushed by a passing auto on their way to the honeymoon limo.
Second, the adoption of an exclusively digital payment system by the government would immediately lead to efforts to bypass or ultimately thwart it. Individuals and groups opposed to this development, having a knowledge of world history, would create black market forms of barter and exchange to satisfy their needs. We are already seeing this in the Bit Coin phenomenon.
Perhaps anarchists and freedom lovers of all stripes should encourage digital currency. It already exists in the primitive form we see in bank statements. Its expansion will provide a better opportunity to test options outside of state purview and more congenial to freedom.
It's been well-known that currency becomes coated with any number of evil bacteria, viruses and even illegal drug residue that can lead to problems with law enforcement. Somehow life has struggled along despite this most valuable part of human existence also being the carrier of its sickness and death. While there's been an international trend to move away from cash, see Sweden, for instance, the motivation for this has been based on economic and convenience factors rather than health concerns.
The Chinese response to the Wuhan flu includes the quarantine and possible destruction of currency that may have been contaminated by viral exposure. This adds another dimension to the efforts of business, and its partner government, to control every aspect of trade, based this time on health concerns.
What could be more effective in encouraging the public to look favorably on digital money than the idea that currency carries the seeds of death? This digital money, unlike the products of the government mints and printing presses, remains under the control of the government. It can't be carried away in the pockets or billfolds of its possessors. It can be reclaimed at any time.
Digital money can be seen as a positive development for the state, at least in the state's terms. Maybe not so much for the citizenry.
There are at least two factors that present themselves in this growing situation. First, bacteria and viruses are all over the place. Every human touches all kinds of things, not just money. Many things are touched by multiple humans. Does this mean that human health requires not touching anything? That door knobs and chairs and restaurant tables should be covered with supposedly sterile latex covers or that patrons should wear disposable lab clothing to the movies? The very thought is absurd, although government and business policies have created an explosion of yellow reflective vests everywhere. We can look forward to bridal tuxedos and gowns made with reflective material. Wouldn't want the happy couple to be crushed by a passing auto on their way to the honeymoon limo.
Second, the adoption of an exclusively digital payment system by the government would immediately lead to efforts to bypass or ultimately thwart it. Individuals and groups opposed to this development, having a knowledge of world history, would create black market forms of barter and exchange to satisfy their needs. We are already seeing this in the Bit Coin phenomenon.
Perhaps anarchists and freedom lovers of all stripes should encourage digital currency. It already exists in the primitive form we see in bank statements. Its expansion will provide a better opportunity to test options outside of state purview and more congenial to freedom.
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