The News Thread

[brownjenkins]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

40% of Internet spam comes from one source...
http://thetechdon.com/40-of-all-spam...st-one-source/

This comment below that article was great...

Good thing the US gov’t doesn’t declare “war on spam”…the botnets would triple in size and output!

[The Gaffer]

Good spot, hector.

That first paragraph reads like some sort of satirical Star Trek techno gobbldegook (sp? - a word that should be used more, I feel)

Apparently there are over 600 million ways to spell Viagra.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

read this headline: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,339270,00.html

Not funny at all. Be careful folks. Does your doctor feel animus towards you?

Yikes! And just a few months ago, a doctor in Romania cut a fellow's dangly bits off! Remind me not to stay the hell out of hospital in Continental Europe!

[Mari]

I never had problems here

[GrayMouser]

Taiwan elections

Ma Ying-jiou of the KMT (Chinese Nationalists) has defeated Frank Hsieh of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 60%-40%, roughly as expected.

The KMT are more pro-unification with China; the DPP are the separatist party.

While basically pro-DPP, I'm not too upset to see Ma's victory.
It'll make for more peaceful relations with China, at least in the short run.

[Mari]

Do you think unification is a viable option then?

[GrayMouser]

Ummmm... China is not going to give Taiwan much choice, and seeing that no-one is willing to intervene-Hello, Tibet!- the most that Taiwan can do now is negotiate favourable surrender terms.

Personally, I feel, given the situation , we should get the best possible terms for local liberties in exchange for political/military concessions.

"Hello, America? Remember when you were crapping on the Taiwan government for seeking independence? Well we've just allowed Chinese subs to operate across your links with Japan -happy?"

[Mari]

Hmm, I wonder about that. As long as there are countries acknowledging Taiwan as a country. But I just know what I learned in class, so...
By the way, in my opinion Tibet is a different case from Taiwan.

I don't understand your last sentence though. Sorry

[hectorberlioz]

Joe Biden's column in the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1206...n_commentaries

[Mari]

Well, it has finally happened, the (insert some not so nice names here) posted his film.

Wilders posts Islam film on web

So far the Muslim community here has responded in a calm manner. Thank heavens.
I saw parts of the film (it's all over the news ) and I think that the people who watch it and think about it, will see that it is a film denouncing terrorism, and doesn't necessarily condemn the Islam. (Nicely within the law)
Of course people who tend not to think about it, or place things in a particular (highly suggested) context will interpret it as the Islam being a threat...

[Earniel]

So, how was it, was it worth all those people getting so worked up about it?

[Mari]

Well, as I said, it is within the law, so though it is highly suggestive, it actually looks quite reasonable. BUT it will make no one happy, that's for sure. For the moment the ruling sentiment is that of relief because it was less bad then imagined (all the ruckus made about it certainly assisted in this ) but many many people won't like it and it will probably provoke some not so nice reactions.
That said, I haven't watched it yet. I do intend to watch it, because I want to be able to have a good argument about it and separating fact and truth from suggestions.

[Earniel]

I suppose people looking to be upset will always find something to be upset about, even if it isn't as bad as everyone was yelling it would be. I saw a short bit of it on the news, not sure what his intensions were with it. It looked a bit like a clip show of not-so-nice-moments of the world's news.

[Mari]

Trust me, with this guy there are no nice moments. (If anyone got the idea that I do not particularly like this man... I wonder why you'd think that... )
But you're right, people will always find something to be upset about. Doesn't mean that you have to feed them ammunition though.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Mari

and doesn't necessarily condemn Islamism.

Note sure if you were aware of this grammatical technical point but: Islamism is in fact a radical ideology within the religion of Islam.

[Mari]

Nope wasn't aware Thanks for mentioning it. I should have said Islam.
What Wilders himself is saying, is that he doesn't condemn the Islam, but Islamism. (I guess)
Still, the film doesn't seem to be making much difference between the two. (Going to watch now)

Link to the movie for those interested. It is in English.
http://fitna-themovie.blogspot.com/2008/03/fitna.html

[The Gaffer]

For sure, these sorts of people who profess these sorts of views are beneat contempt (i.e. terrorists). It is important to know their views, and their justifications. In that sense, this film contains some information.

It is interesting, though, that in spite of this, greater violence is perpetrated against muslims than they perpetrate against others.

I think that the motives behind a film like this are clearly racist. The images used, the quotes, the music, the whole dramatic narrative is very, very familiar and brings nothing new or informative to the debate. It serves merely to create an emotional response. It is as if the film maker assumes that his audience is incapable of drawing conclusions from reading, oh, say, any newspaper at any time in the past 10 years, and instead needs it spelled out with soft focus, music and graphic depictions of death.

I guess the final thing is to recognise that the filmmaker himself has received death threats, and one of his colleagues, who had similar views and received similar threats, was murdered by some religion-fulled nutter. From that point of view, it's courageous and I am glad at least that his right to say whatever he wants has triumphed.

[Mari]

Ugh, I can't watch this. :nauseated: I'll shut up about it.

Gaffer, there really are people who are incapable of drawing conclusions. Or who will base their conclusions on this film. Perhaps out of fear, perhaps because they want a reason, perhaps out of ignorance and faith in what a Dutch person who studied the Koran says.
I still think that this film should not have been made. Not out of fear for the reaction of the Muslim community, but out of respect for all those who are not like this and who will now have to explain that they do not think of these verses quoted in the film as portrayed. It instils fear and creates a rift.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by The Gaffer

I guess the final thing is to recognise that the filmmaker himself has received death threats, and one of his colleagues, who had similar views and received similar threats, was murdered by some religion-fulled nutter. From that point of view, it's courageous and I am glad at least that his right to say whatever he wants has triumphed.

I think this too played an important role in his motivation. I'm not saying this makes all the rest alright. But this too is, I think, a point he's trying to make -if only form himself- that is lost under the controversy.

[The Gaffer]

I wouldn't worry too much. Maybe there are people who would be moved by this film. But I think it's likely they were already of that general paranoid view.

"People who are not like this" don't have to explain it to anybody. Any reasonable person would understand that this view is not shared by the majority. Almost everybody in the world would understand that.

Personally, I'd rather have it out in the open so we can see it. The risk with that is that it legitimises the idea, and gives succour to those with reactionary tendencies. But it's such an important issue that I don't think it should be suppressed.