*backup=<div style="background:#000000;width:440px;height:272px"></div><div style="font-size:12px;">Ocean's Twelve - Laser Dance - Awesome video clips here</div></div>

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Fair enough. Ghengis Khan just can't compete with Jon Stewart. Would have been a hulluva interesting discussion in that poll though.>> ^dag:

This poll is admittedly borderline - but we have a he'll of a lot of Daily Show videos on here - so I thought it would pass.
In a related whinge- must we always run the precedence test against anything posted? My kids are always ferreting out potentially impartial or unjust parental decisions. Maybe it's human nature.

Very good point Tymberwulf. Awhile back I tried to start a poll about who the most influential person in world history was, and @dag removed it because it didn't fit guidelines or something.>> ^Tymbrwulf:

Ah, so the poll can also be used for useless sensationalist polls? Duly noted.
Next week's poll.
"Do you think Lindsey Lohan should go to jail?"
Followed by
"Is Brad and Angelina's relationship going to last? Have we seen the last of Jennifer?"

I mostly agree Doc. Allow me to explain;

Libertarianism is not the antonym of socialism, but of authoritarianism. Yes, I know - so why paint socialism as 'nanny state' government-runs-everything-and-makes-all-decisions-for-you authoritarianism? I know you didn't, but blankfist and many others do.

The "minimum" clearly includes infrastructure, security, and justice. Yup, right on. What is 'infrastructure'? Some would say roads and airports. Others (like me) would expand it to include hospitals, schools, etc. Security would include protection from exterior forces, but also from the elements, from starvation, from criminals, etc. Security has to mean security for people, not just property. Justice is the fun one. Justice is not just prisons, justice is not just laws - justice includes a human element, an element of dignity.

Many 'socialist' states are generous and compassionate - many are very generous. Socialism does not preclude generosity or compassion, just like libertarianism does not guarantee it. In fact, many socialist countries are far more charitable than the U.S. Would you suggest people in Sweden or Norway (which both give the most to charity by % of GNI) are apathetic zombies?

This is the problem I have with rhetoric - it often ignores easily verifiable facts. I would gladly support a libertarian society with minimal government if all people were in good health with access to good educations and a level-playing field, but that doesn't exist anywhere I know of. Oddly enough, the closest thing to just, equal societies I can think of are the socialist countries at the top of that ^ wikipedia list.

I went ahead and answered Blankfist's loaded questions, I hope he can answer mine.>> ^Doc_M:

Libertarianism is not the antonym of socialism, but of authoritarianism.
It is as broad as any other political ideology. Libertarianism is not anarchism, just as socialism is not communism.
Minimizing government is not eliminating government. The "minimum" clearly includes infrastructure, security, and justice, amongst other things.
In a small society, charity is the libertarian welfare, a personal decision to care for those who need care. In a large society such as ours, some level of gov't involvement and social organization is useful (quite possibly even required) for support of those who would otherwise slip through the cracks. Given good enough organization, charity could manage care, but some amount of socialism seems to be required for the simple fact that not all people are generous or compassionate. However, to generate a society in which these two virtues are completely irrelevant is socially self-destructive, perpetuating a child-like state of apathetic obedience. When government enforces compassion, the word becomes meaningless.

I guess that makes sense. TBH, just wanted some more discussion on the variable speed of light. I don't fully understand the implications of it - but I'm sure some folks around here would.

Leaving on a jet plane on Wednesday, probably not going to be around too much after that, so I'll take this opportunity to thank you for creating this thing. I spent way too much time here, but it's a great place. I'll drop you a line if I ever get down under.

Throbbin

In reply to this comment by dag:
Well - the thing is, we don't want it used often. Being on the top of the front page should be a Big Deal - not something to be done lightly. I see where you're coming from though.

In reply to this comment by Throbbin:
Hey Dag. Would you be open to a review of the frontpage invocation? 4 PP's is pretty steep. Not sure if there was already a discussion around this (if there was I missed it).

Artists can get away with anything. It's so not fair.

I have found the ultimate 'is it porn?' test - ask the wife. If she starts yelling at me, it's porn. If not, it's art.

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*discard

Yeah, I liked it. Have you seen the other videos by that group? They're pretty good.

In reply to this comment by garmachi:
Hey dude, your video submission http://videosift.com/video/Flower-Warfare-Psychedelic-Action-Scene is awesome. I would promote it if I could.

http://videosift.com/video/Racist-Cat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DypnQQDAaU&annotation_id=annotation_651847&feature=iv

Damn good movie.

That was pretty good.

Pop quiz hotshots - is my gaydar acting up, or does this guy play for the other team?

Hi quantum! Long time no see! How's that right-wing going for ya?

Communism eh? What about fascism? Huh? What? Yeah, that's right, I can deal in hyperbole too! So there!

Or are you going to go on a tangent about how the fascists were actually left-wing?>> ^quantumushroom:

Ironic? No. Iconic? Ha ha ha.
Didn't the American left learn anything from the soviet experiment? Russia was/is a country with vast natural resources--far more than the USA has--and under communism they had to import grain. Putting aside the gulags, planned famines and secret police for a moment, the centralized soviet government controlled EVERYTHING. It's fair to say the men and women running the soviet empire weren't fools...they tried their best because failure meant death.
The soviet empire deservedly collapsed because it failed to recognize the dignity of the individual, and individual freedom.
Are American Progressives all communists? Of course not. Are they in tune with the consequences resulting from what they support? No, or they wouldn't be Progressives.
Either you believe in utopia or you understand there are no solutions in life, only trade-offs.

>> ^NetRunner:
>> ^quantumushroom:
You're not winning any converts by calling anyone morons.
That's probably the most ironic thing I think I've ever read.

Fixed, thanks.

In reply to this comment by Hybrid:
err *dead