I think every child goes through a stage in which they develop a keen sense of injustice. More specifically, they become keenly attuned to the slightest lapse in what they see as equality. This stage is marked by frequent, incensed outbursts centering around three little words: “it’s not fair!”
In my experience upbringing has little effect. Even a child who has been taught about life’s essential unfairness since birth by jaded, disallusioned parents will launch into full-on ACLU dignified-outrage mode when his sister is given a 50.03% share of the french fries. Somewhere between the “cause and effect” stage and the “maybe kissing isn’t icky after all” stage, kids’ minds just naturally develop a finely honed sense of fairness, followed immediately by the capacity for wounded dignity.
John McCain, I think, never grew out of that stage.
I pity the other parents at the kindergarten he sent his kids to. He was probably the kind of parent who would insist on forming a blue-ribbon panel to resolve playground squabbles in the most equitable possible fashion.
A child develops the ability for abstract thought somewhere around 5th grade, so the Jr. High years are exciting times for developing a sense of justice versus injustice, trying out different sets of possibilities and theories therein.
Yep, it is partially biological.
A child develops the ability for abstract thought somewhere around 5th grade, so the Jr. High years are exciting times for developing a sense of justice versus injustice, trying out different sets of possibilities and theories therein.
Yep, it is partially biological.
Possibly relevent…
Near my office is the state fairgrounds. And in the summer, they hold a big fair with carnival rides and cows and all sorts of things. (I’m pretty sure that you cannot ride the cows, though.)
Parking is, of course, a problem for the local neighborhoods. During the fair, people post signs on their properties, telling others not to park. These signs usually say: “No Fair Parking”
The fairgrounds has a number of parking lots, some close and some further out.n To direct people to the more remote lots, they put up signs: “More Fair Parking”
I’m still waiting for the “Unfair Parking” and “Fairer Parking” signs.
Possibly relevent…
Near my office is the state fairgrounds. And in the summer, they hold a big fair with carnival rides and cows and all sorts of things. (I’m pretty sure that you cannot ride the cows, though.)
Parking is, of course, a problem for the local neighborhoods. During the fair, people post signs on their properties, telling others not to park. These signs usually say: “No Fair Parking”
The fairgrounds has a number of parking lots, some close and some further out.n To direct people to the more remote lots, they put up signs: “More Fair Parking”
I’m still waiting for the “Unfair Parking” and “Fairer Parking” signs.
In fact, there is a psychological stage that children go through that is exactly that 🙂
In fact, there is a psychological stage that children go through that is exactly that 🙂
Once again the media is trying to groom McCain for the presidential bid. Wow,do they love this guy. Well why shouldn’t they love a registered Rep who swings Dem on almost every issue? And boy-howdy am I glad that the government has seen fit to involve itself in steroids in sports. I cannot think of a better use of taxpayer’s money.
Don’t forget he was a POW. That’s even better than having three purple hearts as far as the media’s concerned. This guy’s golden.
Don’t forget he was a POW. That’s even better than having three purple hearts as far as the media’s concerned. This guy’s golden.
Once again the media is trying to groom McCain for the presidential bid. Wow,do they love this guy. Well why shouldn’t they love a registered Rep who swings Dem on almost every issue? And boy-howdy am I glad that the government has seen fit to involve itself in steroids in sports. I cannot think of a better use of taxpayer’s money.
Avdi,
Thank God someone still stands up and calls right right, wrong wrong, and fair, fair. You’ve obviously not read his autobiography. I’m a bit dim on all the details, but as I recall, McCain spent years rotting in a POW camp with a cracked spine that was never allowed to heal, most of his teeth were deliberately shattered at the gumline, his hands and fingers repeatedly broken, and he himself brutally beaten.
Now that’s actually pretty standard for POW stuff, but get this.
Because his father was CINC-PAC, McCain got offered a chance to go home early. The Vietnamese, in fact, told him they’d let him go–all he had to do was denounce the war.
He wouldn’t do it.
I happen to have agreed with the vast majority of his political opinions, so I’m also a fan in those regards–but even if I wasnt’, I’d say that Mcain has demonstrated a sense of honor and obligation rare today. Its one of the reasons I respect him most.
Good soldier, lousy politician. *shrug* the two are not incompatible. Others have gone so far as to call him opportunistic, but as far as I’ve seen he sincerely believes he is doing what is right. I just happen to believe that however good-hearted, his recent actions have been deeply misguided. Campaign finance reform was one of the greatest blows to free speech this country has seen, and the government does not need to be involved in sports, pro or otherwise.
As someone who spent 8 months studying the campaign finance reform system and wrote a 35 page paper on it back a few years ago, I have to honestly say that I don’t buy the “Campaign finance limits free speech of corporation” arguments one damn bit.
If you examine the American political system 50-60 years ago, you’d discover that corporate donations, soft money, and special interest groups did not exist in number or in influence in anything remotely approaching their current form.
All three have grown over the past generation or so, and all three have grown together. Its not a coincedence. I’m not saying I agree with all the particulars of the McCain-Feingold act, but I sure as hell agree with its goal.
Corporations Schmorporations. McCain-Feingold keeps the freakin’ Sierra club from posting billboards that say “Candidate X is bad for the environment” before an election. Regardless of what I think of the Sierra Club, that’s just lame.
It may do that, but that’s not the problem. No one is reasonably trying to stop such displays, at least not really.
If you take a look at how much it costs to run for an election in the US I think you’ll be staggered. Even on the regional or local level, costs rise into the hundreds of thousands of dollars quickly. Senate or House seats cost millions or even tens of millions.
The problem isn’t when Sierra Club runs a billboard, its when the Sierra Club is effectively buying candidates. And unfortunately, the latter is far more common than the former.
Well yes, actually they are. Groups like the Sierra Club, MoveOn.org, Swift Boat Vets for Truth, George Soros, etc. are the next on McCain’s hit list. He’s been vocally pissed off about the fact that these groups could still raise millions of dollars with which to campaign for and against candidates (i.e. run ads) even after McCain-Feingold. He doesn’t want any group or individual collecting and spending large quantities of money to push their own political views.
MoveOn.org sponsoring rallies and Swift Boat Vets buying full-page ads is not “buying a candidate”, but McCain has voiced his intentions to shut them down. And I’m sorry, that is expressly against the principle of free political speach that this nation has cherished (if not always guarded) since it’s inception.
Well yes, actually they are. Groups like the Sierra Club, MoveOn.org, Swift Boat Vets for Truth, George Soros, etc. are the next on McCain’s hit list. He’s been vocally pissed off about the fact that these groups could still raise millions of dollars with which to campaign for and against candidates (i.e. run ads) even after McCain-Feingold. He doesn’t want any group or individual collecting and spending large quantities of money to push their own political views.
MoveOn.org sponsoring rallies and Swift Boat Vets buying full-page ads is not “buying a candidate”, but McCain has voiced his intentions to shut them down. And I’m sorry, that is expressly against the principle of free political speach that this nation has cherished (if not always guarded) since it’s inception.
It may do that, but that’s not the problem. No one is reasonably trying to stop such displays, at least not really.
If you take a look at how much it costs to run for an election in the US I think you’ll be staggered. Even on the regional or local level, costs rise into the hundreds of thousands of dollars quickly. Senate or House seats cost millions or even tens of millions.
The problem isn’t when Sierra Club runs a billboard, its when the Sierra Club is effectively buying candidates. And unfortunately, the latter is far more common than the former.
Corporations Schmorporations. McCain-Feingold keeps the freakin’ Sierra club from posting billboards that say “Candidate X is bad for the environment” before an election. Regardless of what I think of the Sierra Club, that’s just lame.
As someone who spent 8 months studying the campaign finance reform system and wrote a 35 page paper on it back a few years ago, I have to honestly say that I don’t buy the “Campaign finance limits free speech of corporation” arguments one damn bit.
If you examine the American political system 50-60 years ago, you’d discover that corporate donations, soft money, and special interest groups did not exist in number or in influence in anything remotely approaching their current form.
All three have grown over the past generation or so, and all three have grown together. Its not a coincedence. I’m not saying I agree with all the particulars of the McCain-Feingold act, but I sure as hell agree with its goal.
Good soldier, lousy politician. *shrug* the two are not incompatible. Others have gone so far as to call him opportunistic, but as far as I’ve seen he sincerely believes he is doing what is right. I just happen to believe that however good-hearted, his recent actions have been deeply misguided. Campaign finance reform was one of the greatest blows to free speech this country has seen, and the government does not need to be involved in sports, pro or otherwise.
Avdi,
Thank God someone still stands up and calls right right, wrong wrong, and fair, fair. You’ve obviously not read his autobiography. I’m a bit dim on all the details, but as I recall, McCain spent years rotting in a POW camp with a cracked spine that was never allowed to heal, most of his teeth were deliberately shattered at the gumline, his hands and fingers repeatedly broken, and he himself brutally beaten.
Now that’s actually pretty standard for POW stuff, but get this.
Because his father was CINC-PAC, McCain got offered a chance to go home early. The Vietnamese, in fact, told him they’d let him go–all he had to do was denounce the war.
He wouldn’t do it.
I happen to have agreed with the vast majority of his political opinions, so I’m also a fan in those regards–but even if I wasnt’, I’d say that Mcain has demonstrated a sense of honor and obligation rare today. Its one of the reasons I respect him most.