| A new Enlightenment versus a new Confucianism? |
[Dec. 11th, 2007|01:19 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | china, east v west, memewar, politics, us | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | tired but perky | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Drone Zone: Atmospheric ambient space music. Serve Best Chilled. Safe with most medications. [SomaFM] | ] |
Brin on the possible memewar once the People of the Book have got all that macho shit out of their systems. Long, smart, worth considering.
A quote:
"How will Earthlings, who are eager to get on with planetary -- and interplanetary -- life, settle their issues, allocate resources, and generally handle the problems of running a complex civilization?
The crux: with the fading of both the empires of paranoia and male frenzy, we’ll be left with an East-West dichotomy ... one that ought to be settled peacefully, since both of these final “sides” recognize the inefficiency and cost and inherent uncertainty of violence.
Non-violence sounds great, for a change. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be a struggle. Because a whole lot will be at stake. In fact, just about everything....
...if the Chinese leadership clade does succeed at translating Lee Kwan Yew’s method into a successfully stable mode for a billion and a half Chinese, then humanity will be offered a genuinely interesting choice, by mid-century. On the one hand, the very best version of oldstyle, oligarchy-led governance possible.
On the other hand, Earth citizens will be offered an updated version of the Western Enlightenment. One that has weathered the trials of a Cold War, a Machismo Meme War, and (we can hope) a successful self renewal, after years of despoliation by the recent Neoconservative Putsch." |
|
|
| From the in-tray |
[Nov. 28th, 2007|12:24 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | brains, memewar, science, tv | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | spent. weren't you paying attention? | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Drone Zone: Atmospheric ambient space music. Serve Best Chilled. Safe with most medications. [SomaFM] | ] |
A few fun links from my hiatus:
"A multi-national team of biologists has concluded that developmental evolution is deterministic and orderly, rather than random, based on a study of different species of roundworms."
They accomplished this by studying minute vatiations in roundworm vulvas. Imagine the date potential in that profession- "What do you do?" "I study invertebtate cunts. No, wait, come back..."
Carnegie Mellon neuroscientist proposes new theory of brain flexibility
The theory explains how the brain compensates for damage from injuries such as stroke. Nice model, could take in more on other work in neural plasticity.
Brainsturbrator, always a mensh, offers, "10 Ways YOU Can Fight Fascism Around the World" This is good basic survival meme-kit.
I am sure the tale of "Mayor Resigns, Claims Abduction By Satan Worshippers" will run and run...
Technoccult's brief but provoking piece on vaule judgements in occultism - which is not entirely cynical but does offer the now-stolen term for most art in Newage shops, "ooh-ahh pictures", which I think should be more sung than enunciated. In a high, mystic, Stevie Nicks kind of "ooh-aah!!!" stylee.
Latest sign of the End Times - Dog perfume. IdiotToys News is there.
Penultimate End Times sign - Rose back on Doctor Who (for 3 or 4 eps?), official. Click will lead to new DW season spoilers, most of which are rubbish except for the bit about ( REDACTED )
And finally... an elegant expression masculine pain. Not at feminists, loss of jobs or status or even at foofie. At accidentally getting Deep Heat on your bollocks. He wax most elegantly on the subject. Coments display some nice delayed-minimal-responses too.
And I'm spent! |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
catvincent's journal