Philosophical Crime

Philosophical Crime
Philosophical Crime: Not a true crime, as in breaking rules/laws outlined and proscribed by a governing body, but a crime in a sense that it breaks with a philosophy, a belief, a viewpoint, creed, some practice, failure to assist or help (negligent or non-malicious depravity...) or other abstraction. Today (yesterday, in particular, Wednesday, October 28, 2009) we became aware of Andre Agassi's stunning and saddening admission of meth use - apparently in his new autobiography. (See our entry: Chemicallball [Era]). To us, the philosophical crime here was that the athlete was once portrayed as a rebel. We were once taught - instructed - that true rebels shun drugs and drug use. Thus, the basis of the charge of a philosophical crime in this instance - the failure of a rebel to shun drugs and their use.


The penalties for said crime or crimes? Disappointment, effects on reputation and conscience, history, the now dreaded asterisk...and possibly more. Don't get us wrong, we like Andre and wish him no harm.


Another Philosophical Crime might be the sin of omission or neglect. Where an individual, group, entity, population or other body fails to recognize or assist in urgent matters that demand attention. For example, we found it interesting to hear of the asteroid impact event in Sulawesi the other day...even though the event took place 3 weeks ago. Where are we - as a race, a people, a species - on this? How few of us recognize and treat an impact event with the deadly seriousness of this. Why are we asleep at the wheel? (Actually, we've written a position paper on asteroid tagging, see our Homeland Currency Security website. We also regularly post updated links to this danger).


World hunger - or hunger, famine, malnutrition in general - are also Philosophical Crimes in that they might be adequately addressed. Over a billion people go to bed hungry each night. Thousands starve to death everyday. Why aren't we doing more about this problem? (Actually, we've started a new concept, called The Food Corridors as a potential solution to this deadly problem. And World Focus and the CBC News does a pretty good job of covering this problem).



Suicide Bombing and Suicide Terrorism we also judge to be Philosophical Crimes. It is wrong (particularly in the name of a religion...) to kill others and oneself in acts of terrorism. It is particularly deplorable - and despicable - for any religious body or governing body to develop schemes of manned suicide attacks. For example, we recently did some historical research (of local interest to our senior editor) into the phenomena of the Japanese Kaiten and the destruction of the U.S.S. Mississinewa...


Sometimes suicide is wrong...particularly in the above cases. In some cases, where it is meant to save lives, it can however be the right option or action. We know this position to be provocative, but look at the case of Jesus Christ.


Warmongering is also a particularly deplorable - and despicable - Philosophical Crime. One or two famous examples are here. Think of the teacher in the scene (All Quiet on the Western Front) who encourages his students to join the war and give up their studies. Specifically, the educator convinces his students to give up education for war and death... We can also think of a recent more modern example given us by a recent US Administration...


Oh, and more on the failure to assist or help: The apparent footdragging see in the current debate on Health Care Reform in the US...such delay may be justifiable in order to write a good law, though.More on this topic later...

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/4zSvG8

Please note: This posting appears simultaneously on sister publication, The Anti-Zen Dictionary.

From the staff: We thought it odd that our senior editor would want to discuss this topic on today, his birthday, but we gave up the ghost.

Give this Lady a Saliva Test?

Sarah Palin image licensed under Creative Commons by earthpro

Pert, perky, cute and possibly quite crazy. Did this lady just accuse Barack Obama of consorting with terrorists - like the Weathermen? Just because he sat on the same charity board as Bill Ayers? (See the links *below). Barack was wearing diapers at the same time the Weathermen were bombing things and killing and maiming people - including one police officer. If the claim is not ridiculous nor crazy - it is just plain dangerous. Give this woman a saliva test, for C****'s sake. Get off the stage miss, the men in white suits with nets are coming now...what's that you say? They're not coming.

Anything goes in politics in the post-financial apocalypse, we guess. It is not satisfactory just to ask this lady to resign from the Republican campaign. It is time for the entire McCain camp to fold up its tents and banners. This party should be declared over - over the top. It's gone too far this time. Making trumped-up charges of consorting with terrorists - radicals, actually is a sign of desperation turned crazy turned dangerous. Every American citizen, nay everybody in the world, should stand up and object to these insane guilt-by-association accusations.

Is this the McCain swipe at terrorism? We haven't heard them complain about the Bush administration failure - nor the failure of Senator McCain - to capture and bring to justice the real terrorists - including Osama bin Laden. Why aren't they playing that terror-card? Because they haven't got the stones to stand up and decry the pitiful and ineffective war on terror. Nor have they managed to bring about the perpetrators of the anthrax scare. No, but they did manage to scare Dr. Bruce Ivins into suicide and the potentially explosive and expensive lawsuit settlements of Steven Hatfill. No, they have managed to ruin a couple of very likely innocent Americans.

In a single statement, this good lady and these bad power-hungry, half-mad Republicans have managed to insult the intelligence of every living and dead American. Also, lest we forget, they have failed to bring to justice those responsible for planning and masterminding the terrorist 9/11 attacks. Lest we forget, they should not be throwing rocks at those they complain are associated with American radicals, when they have failed to do anything for justice for the thousands left dead after the 9/11 attacks and the thousands of American troops left dead and innocent Iraqi and other civilians in the wake of the attacks. They should not be pointing their blood stained fingers at Mr. Obama and accusing him of consorting. They should not take such accusations and slander so lightly when it is they who are largely responsible for failing to live up the appropriate standards of justice for terrorists and terrorism. In biblical times, such accusations would have brought about harsh punishment for those guilty. We tremble with rage at the whole, sorry spectacle these folks have led us into.

Merkel guarantees German savings

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7653317.stm

Europe scrambles to rescue big banks

http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/10/05/german.bank.hypo.rescue.ap/index.html

Europeans scramble to save failing banks

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081005/ap_on_re_eu/eu_europe_meltdown;_ylt=Ah2dK8dOBBZY4NDEN0FlXGGs0NUE

*Palin makes Obama terrorist claim

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7653132.stm

Palin: Obama 'palling around with terrorists'

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27022487/

Doubts remain about Palin

http://www.newsweek.com/id/162396

Obama campaign rejects Palin's terrorist claim

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/05/palin.obama.terrorist.claim/index.html

Ticker: Obama camp calls McCain 'erratic'

http://www.cnn.com/linkto/ticker.html

Analysis: Palin's words may backfire on McCain

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081005/ap_on_el_pr/palin_s_words_analysis;_ylt=ArmmCyXDiAhQ955S5ikN8Sqs0NUE

The Weathermen

Charlie Black and the 'Terror' Card

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/06/playing_the_terror_card.html