Comments for Still Truckin'

Comment on On giving a hand up by bruce Clark

bruce Clark — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:06:48 +0000

Hi – sending this to people I think might be interested – hope yo dont’ mind – hoping to generate some interest in my two anti-war songs – the first, “George and Tony” about the illegal Iraq invasion and the second, “Letter to Mr Obama” concerns the escalation by his administration of the Afghanistan conflict – unfortunately, should have written it earlier. Have a listen – hopefully the sentiments will resonate, and , if so, please pass this on to anyone who may be interested. If it can be used in any way in the debate concerning Afghanistan/related issues, I would be more than pleased.( Anyones welcome to sing/record them, if htey want – )
http://www.myspace.com/subversifpoet

Best wishes
Bruce
hamilton
ps hoping to add some NZ songs – “Hikoi’ adn “Going Back to Orewa” – which mgiht be to your liking

Comment on On giving a hand up by Ari

Ari — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:55:44 +0000

If you think it’s aspiration that limits children from reaching their potential, I’m not sure there’s any agreement to be had.

Aspiration and ambition are easy. It’s the skills to realise your ambitions that make the difference. Speaking from experience, resentment isn’t a symptom of lack of ambition- you can’t have resentment for someone doing better than yourself unless you have an ambition to be better than you are.

Given the way adult society works, I’d say that both children will benefit if you give both children as many resources as you can, putting priority onto the most urgent issues without neglecting anyone. Right now that is most certainly not the philosophy our society follows.

Comment on On giving a hand up by Deus ex Machina

Deus ex Machina — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:59:26 +0000

Cute analogy, but it assumes that both children have equal aspirations – or at least accord with the aspirations the parents have for them.

Where one child wants to get ahead but the other, with equal potential, would prefer to enjoy the moment with toys or trivial pursuits, or sits around sullenly refusing to participate because of resentment over past punishments or injustices it believes now entitle it to privileges or advantages, which of the two is more deserving of your limited resources?

Comment on More likely to be raped than shot by Ari

Ari — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:39:21 +0000

Hey Rocque/Uzi-

While I had in the back of my mind when I wrote this that women often end up affected by conflicts they don’t actively participate in, (often through rape and violence by aggressors, but also as PoWs) it’s certainly worth pointing out as you did that many women have served a supporting role in armed combat before actually being allowed into the armed forces, and often put themselves in considerable danger to do so.

I’m not saying that’s exactly the same thing as serving on the front lines, of course, but I think it shows there will be people who have what it takes if a more sensible policy is put in place.

This was one of my posts about the USA, so no big deal on the whole international perspective thing.

Comment on More likely to be raped than shot by Rocque

Rocque — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:56:06 +0000

First of all I am in the USA, and so will post based on that. I recently took my cousin to the VA hospital (Veteran’s Hospital), and while I was waiting for him, I met a man who landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in World War 2. I have seem movies, documentaries, and read about that day. It always impressed me at the courage displayed there. However meeting someone who actually survived that day in person was something I will not soon forget.
What does this have to do with women serving? I feel any woman who will do what it takes to get into the front lines will do what it takes to survive there and to help others survive there, too.

How many women placed their lives in jeopardy serving as nurses in all wars? How many were POWs in all wars? Women serve and die in war no matter if they are actually on the front lines or in an area where it is considered “safe”.

However women do not get the recognition for being heroic. Maybe they just don’t need that. However more respect would be great for the sacrifices they make.

(PS. This is your gamer friend “uzi”)

Comment on More likely to be raped than shot by Sean

Sean — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:55:10 +0000

“but it makes much more sense to just have straight-up physical requirements for frontline service”
- sure, and you would accept that probably means a higher proportion of female applicants being rejected then male? I guess it depends on on the calibre of applicants, but my point is I agree with this as long as you are not advocating special places for women based on their gender. Sort of like you have done with Maori seats.

I am sure being smaller may help in occasions, if that’s what you mean.

Comment on More likely to be raped than shot by Ari

Ari — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:30:00 +0000

Men and women are different to each other physically and emotionally so it would be foolish to assume that – in general terms – that one can be as capable as the other.

I think that’s a bit of an unintentional strawman- we’re not talking about the general population. The armed forces don’t recruit a representative sample, they recruit from the elite. Women who fit the requirements to go into front-line combat and who want to go into combat shouldn’t be barred from it. I’m glad you agree with me on that score. Arbitrary rules may be quick to make and easy to apply, but it makes much more sense to just have straight-up physical requirements for frontline service if that is the reason the arbitrary rule is in place, as it would also more reliably eliminate male soldiers who fell short of the standard.

I should also point out that there are certain physical advantages that the female body has over the male body, and that modern combat takes better advantage of them in many ways than the previous eras of warfare that were a precursor to modern armed forces and resulted in them being male-dominated.

Comment on More likely to be raped than shot by Sean

Sean — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:08:21 +0000

Hard to know where to stand on this one For me all war is bad so by definition noone should be on the front-line. But sometimes I guess the situation might arise where we have to defend ourselves. Men and women are different to each other physically and emotionally so it would be foolish to assume that – in general terms – that one can be as capable as the other. For those women who can stack up on the front-line as much as a capable male would, then they should be given the opportunity based on ability. To draw a silly “man = woman” argument is simply denying human nature. This is not a criticism of either sex, but an a recognition of how things are. We all have our strengths and weaknesses.

Comment on More likely to be raped than shot by AJ

AJ — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:42:50 +0000

I completely agree with this article. Women are not inferior to men. Its true, the people keepin women from the frontline are the men who are scared that a woman can do it just as well as any man. It might make them look small or weak if a woman could do a tougher job than them. It is sad when people have problems with this kind of thing its because they are not comfortable with their own sex. THAT SHOWS NOTHING BUT WEAKNESS.

Comment on Little problems are big problems by Sean

Sean — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:13:14 +0000

Well according to the Wikipedia article on Godwin’s Law I am correct. And according to dictionary.com one definition of “apartheid” is:

“2. any system or practice that separates people according to race, caste, etc.”

They also refer to South Africa which of course had an infamous application of the term and this example would be a reckless comparison with the Maori seats issue.

So I do understand what you are trying to say, but also feel it unfair to say I invoked Godwin’s law.