Freedom of speech depends on our audience size. The larger the audience, the more we need to regulate. If not, they’ll regulate us. It’s a free society.
Category Archives: Politics
Is modern technology a benefit or a threat to democracy?
Democracy has historically benefited from technology, but in today’s Information Age, we are seeing an increasing misuse of modern technology that could potentially disrupt the function of political Democracy as we know it.
Should politicians pursue the popular viewpoint or their own convictions, if they conflict?
Popular opinion gets a politician more votes, but Democracy isn’t a shop and the customer isn’t always right. In balancing differing people’s differing needs and wants how does decision-making get done in a Democracy?
Given greater levels of international cooperation, how necessary is it for countries to engage in the arms trade?
Global cooperation has increased, true, but not to the point that nations can trust one another enough to finally put the arms trade out of business. We still have too many insecurities, too much paranoia for that to happen.
To what extent can any society claim to be great?
Anyone calling themselves ‘great’ opens themselves to derision, dissection, and a diagnosis of delusions of grandeur. Rather, greatness is deserved and is ascribed as recognition of the magnitude the the good they have done for others. For societies, that’s a very high bar to reach.
‘We shape our buildings, but then our buildings shape us.’ To what extent is this true of your society?
Buildings are costly so we only build when it’s worth the cost to us. The decision of what buildings to erect also reflect their builders’ needs and priorities, so our buildings are, in a way, telling on us too.
‘Individuals achieve sporting success, not nations.’ Discuss.
Individuals win games, nations win at sports. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a nation to raise an Olympic contender. That’s how it works.
To what extent is human life in general about the survival of the fittest?
It’s amazing how our species, comparatively physically weak as it is, could overtake our competing species and finally emerge at the top of the Earth’s food chain. In the game of ‘survival of the fittest’, how did we win? And what did we win?