"Sic Semper Tyrannis" Policy

This blog seeks to promote reasoned discussion on a wide variety of topics of interest to the proprietor.  All point of view are welcome subject to the following:

- Arguments must be well reasoned.

- Arguments must be supported by evidence if that is possible given the topic.

- Opinion is welcome if well argued.

- Insults are not allowed.

- ad hominem attacks are not allowed.

- Gross language is not allowed unless present in quotation or used in such a way as to not violate other SST policy.

- Excessive length is undesirable.

- SST is for orginal thought.  Do not use the blog as a bulletin board for other blogs.

These policies are subject to revision by the proprietor.  pl 

Comments

[Buzz G]

Pat,
Interesting timing.
It seems that in all human intercourse ,even in a personal blog, reasonable regulations (rules,policies, laws) are necessary to keep us from attacking each other and descending into barbarism.
I prefer appropriate government to anarchism.
Your rules and standards make this site what it is.
An oasis.

[Mike Martin, Yorktown, VA]

Pat,

Roger.

Mike

[Cold War Zoomie]

No mindless venting allowed?

I'll explode!

In all seriousness, it is absolutely amazing how well you keep your blog running, Colonel. The Internet has turned into a haven for the angry and is the new home for the "lunatic fringe" who used to occupy the Short Wave bands and extreme edges of the AM dial. (How I miss listening to those folks from years ago.)

Thanks for keeping this up and running.

Cheers...

PS: The Artists dragged me to the Corcoran on Sunday and what do I see in the gift shop? Rothko greeting cards! One eye twitched uncontrollably while my ears grew flush.

[Fitz]

Could you, or would you like to, write an article about Somali piracy (or high seas piracy in general)? Nearly everyone likes reading about pirates but I haven't found an authoritative over view of the subject.

Best regards

[Dave of Maryland]

Will Pat, Roger & Mike invite the rest of us?

[Patrick Lang]

DoM

Everyone but you. pl

[Farmer Don]

Hello Col. Lang,

I’m racist.

I believe in the inverse penis size to brain size theory. That would place Blacks as having the largest penises, Us Caucasians as middle size, and Orientals as small size. Brain capacity being the inverse.

What facts do I have to back this argument up? Not much really, just a few headlines about some studies somewhere. But that’s the beauty of being racist. The fewer facts you have, the easier it is to hold a belief. Sort of like religion. As a matter of fact it’s little annoying getting to know some one of a different culture or race because then you have a whole group you can no longer stereotype. Another down side is finding out that at least ½ of them are just as smart as you, which is a real bummer.

What divides me from my hard core brothers and sisters is that I do not believe that the smartest Black is still dumber than the stupidest White, or the most corrupt believer is better than the most sensible non believer, because God will lead the believer to the right path). Yah, sure, we’ve seen how that works.

I also have a notion, (Less than a belief, more than a passing fancy) about hybrid vigour. We do it all the time in agriculture. All new crop varieties come from crossing old varieties to bring out the best points of the parents. Barak Obama is ½ black, ½ white. Need I say more!

One final thing, why the heck did Obama pick a black spouse? Didn’t he want to get back on the winning team? Is like he’s happy being black. That’s nuts.

Sincerely
Farmer Don.

Written for the fun of stretching your policy rules.

[Patrick Lang]

All

We make special rules for "Farmer Don." He's from Saskatchewan or however it's spelled. pl

[TR Stone]

As long as you will post my occasional rants, I approve.

[Ormolov]

Colonel,

On another blog I frequent, a basketball blog with nothing better to discuss in the offseason than this or that political cataclysm, there is a single McCain supporter who has been taking all comers.

Now this is a fairly intelligent blog, and the comments supporting Obama and criticizing McCain are quite well-reasoned. But I find myself almost incapable of having a civil discourse with someone who tells us that "McCain will defend the country" and "Obama is one of the elites."

I think civility is necessary for the constructive compromise of good accords, and I can certainly remember times in the past when I have been so outraged at the government that I thought they had reached a new low...

But I honestly believe this fellow (whose basketball IQ is rather high, by the way) is defending a way of life I can't tolerate. He won't SAY he is for wars of adventure or torture and prisoner abuse, for the advent of a new Cold War, or for the continued trampling of the underclass beneath the heel of the--

Well. You get the picture.

I told him about your blog and how, being a veteran, he would gain a great amount of insight from your perspective. What I really hope is that he shows up with his rah rah show and you would clean his clock.

But seriously, I understand that immature outbursts of rage aren't helpful at this juncture, but do we still have to treat these people destroying our country with the calmness and tolerance they've never shown us?

Okay okay... I know the answer to that one too. Perhaps when this is all settled we can still have a truth and reconciliation process like South Africa to finally put all these crimes behind us without burying them unexamined.

[Curious]

Things I learn from this blog:

Horse is much dumber than a bacteria.

I bet the neocons have gigantic size of penises.

[psd]

I'm with Farmer Don. Hybrid vigor is the way to go. After all, haven't you noticed that mutts are brighter and easier to train than pure breds? Same goes for people. Let's mix up them genes, folks! We can only get better!

[J]

Curious,

my arabian gelding resents your remark -- Horse is much dumber than a bacteria.

since when have you seen bacteria cut/herd cattle?

harrumph.

[The Moar You Know]

Good blog, I've been drive-by lurking for a while.

I wish all blogs had such a well-reasoned approach to dealing with their comments. Civility is one of the cornerstones of civilization, after all. I approve very much.

"The Internet has turned into a haven for the angry and is the new home for the "lunatic fringe" who used to occupy the Short Wave bands and extreme edges of the AM dial. "

So true. I miss having a shortwave radio, haven't had one since before Reagan was elected. I think I'll look into getting one.

[Will]

The other Golden Rule

he who hath the Gold Rules- in this case - the Sysop owns the bandwith.

By the way, it has been a while since i put a little الذهب أو الفضة
in the pot.

[alnval]

Col. Lang:

I really like Fitz's 'pirate' idea. I've always seen pirates and piracy a little bit like the canary in the coal mine. Its got lots of ramifications. Maybe we could even discuss reinstituting letters of marque.

[Grimgrin]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/world/africa/01pirates.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Alnval, Fritz, you'll probably be interested in this article from the NYT. It's an interview with the Somali pirates who hijacked the arms shipment recently.

[Charles I]

Man I have been at the cottage all spring and summer, and the few times I checked in here was the same ad hominen story. Unsettling for an erstwhile regular of such a tony joint. Which I just can't fathom, notwithstanding colder swimming resulting in a commensurate expansion of my fathoming powers, according to Farmer Don's er, yardstick. People, this ain't FOX Haaretz, we must behave.

I do agree with you Don, hybrids are the wave of the future, it'll be medium size brown dicks all around, with the delightful and confounding variation you note still befuddling us. Women'll be after us even more to start thinking with the brains the Creator finally gives us, and that includes Play Nice, stick to the point and answer the question.

I feel high on indignation and low on prescription myself, and my rants precede me, so I must think a while before I post. I just haven't a clue what to do or where to begin, so thinking will have to do. I recently heard Janeane Garofalo say that voting for McCain would be a moral failure to her, and emotionally, I agree. Hardly the basis for respectful informed argument.

W/r/t piracy, just saw a squib at Debkafile saying "Somali FM: International community may use force against hijacked ships", There's French, American and Canadian ships reported within a dozen kilometers of the Ukrainian ship, so stay tuned.

[wisedup]

My current wish is for an analysis of how the Pentagon can handle the shortfall expected in Govt. revenues.
Demand that all countries hosting overseas bases pay for all expenses including salary and retirement and dental and etc etc --oh, and a percentage of the Pentagon?

[Arun]

You endorse Obama and he starts hitting 50+% in the daily tracking polls! Amazing!
:)

[Yours Truly]

Col. : sir, I've just arrived from a blog recommendin' YOUR blog. & it's plain for all to see from the "Live traffic feed". How's that for ADVERTIZIN'?

[Michael Torpey]

Thanks for letting me post on your blog Col. Lang. I've been thrown off all the others.

[drongo]

"Gross language is not allowed unless present in quotation or used in such a way as to not violate other SST policy."

A couple of years ago, a group of troubled and troublesome Brit ish teenagers were sent to some sort of boot camp in the US. The "tutors", "guardians", whatever they were called, rightfully operated a policy of penalties against any "client" who transgressed a rule against gross language. Soon, the orrible kids learned not to shout F***, Sh**, C***, etc whenever the going got tough and they were forced to clean latrines or peel spuds. But they learned something else. Their American tutors were utterly unfamiliar with such words as bollocks, wanker, berk (rhyming slang - Berkshire hunt meaning .....)and soon they were merrily indulging in "gross language" without their tutors being aware. I fully agreee with the policy of banning gross language from your blog; too many blogs are marred by unnecessary coarseness and insults. However, I report this tale simply to inquire of you, Colonel, how familiar you are with the foul language of other varieties of English than North American or indeed with the rich vocabularies of insult and coarseness other languages.

[Patrick Lang]

Drongo

My wife is addicted to your television.

We do not seem to be acquiring your popular speech as you are ours but a passive knowledge of wankerisms is hard to avoid.

oh, yes. I once worked for a London based company. pl

[bull205]

This blog is the closest I can get to an enlightenment salon. It is how I imagine Ben Franklin or T. Paine talking and discussing ideas about politics and the natural world order. In this age of the computer, technocrats abound; empty of well developed ethics created as a result of vigourous discourse and self-examination. Where are the men and women of letters....HERE! We need places where things can be discussed with insight, candor, honesty and vigor. Too often the MSM spits out talking points with no substance, and i am infuriated that American people, with degrees (no less), simply repeat them with no thought. Vigorous discussion minus ad hominem (i had to look that one up) attacks are too long missing in our society. If only there were a bar which served some ale or whiskey that loaded up with this webpage....

I am going to piggyback on the hybrid theme. I have long thought that God's (or whatever particular arrangmeents of letters and/or symbols make represent the all powerful energy you use) master plan is fo all of us to interbreed. Hybrid people are always more beautiful than folks with a bland DNA, as are flowers, and let not talk about pear-apples. Interbreeding until we are all one race, finally taking away the last card politicians can use to justify war against the "other". Interbreeding will eventually lead to world peace.

You head it on the Col's site first!