Friday, April 4th, 2008

Time	Event
6:35p	Column One: Fear of democracy The West stands by idly as its foundations are rent asunder.Last Friday the UN's Human Rights Council took a direct swipe at freedom of expression. In a 32-0 vote, the council instructed its "expert on freedom of expression" to report to the council on all instances in which individuals "abuse" their freedom of speech by giving expression to racial or religious bias. The measure was proposed by paragons of freedom Egypt and Pakistan. It was supported by all Arab, Muslim and African countries - founts of liberty one and all. European states abstained. By seeking to criminalize free speech, the resolution stands in breach of the UN's Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 of that document states explicitly: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." And that is the rub. By squelching debate - out of loathing for its non-leftist political opponents and out of fear of jihadists and the regimes that promote them - the West as a whole undermines not only its own values and foundational creeds. It also undermines the non-jihadists of the Islamic world, who, if ever empowered, would work to promote a form of Islam that does not respond to challenge with violence but rather with the discourse of reason and mutual respect for differences of opinion. ( full article ) (Comment on this)
9:31p	Upped some more songs for the hell of it. http://www.megaupload.com/?d=THMTGRNT -- Oracle, Jacob's Pillow http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YUOS9VCD -- Disturbed, Prayer http://www.megaupload.com/?d=22OK69GW -- DJ Bobo, We Are Angels http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LAJ9GDIX -- Ultraman, Take Me Higher (Japanese) (Comment on this)
9:50p	hat tip agkelos A Satyre against Reason and Mankind by Rochester Were I (who to my cost already am One of those strange, prodigious creatures, man) A spirit free to choose, for my own share, What case of flesh and blood I pleased to wear, I'd be a dog, a monkey or a bear, Or anything but that vain animal Who is so proud of being rational. ( The senses are too gross, and he'll contrive... ) (1 Comment | Comment on this)
10:06p	If you love creepypasta, go to the SCP Series. You will love it. edit: I don't know why, but the anachronistic television creeps me out more than anything else so far. (2 Comments | Comment on this)

<< Previous Day

2008/04/04 [Calendar]

Next Day >>