Herr Klugscheissermann

So here I am in Germany having the time of my life, and you are all still in the states... Man are you guys missing out!!!!!  ok ok so I won´t rub it in too much...

I have been thinking lately about Georg Büchner... he was a scientist... well a doctor really, but he wrote on politics, and people actually recognize that he had some good things to say... Maybe I could also be recognized in the same way... If I can ever think of anzthing good to say....  Or maybe a good play to write or something like that....  i should probably start if I am going to do it though.  I mean he died at 27... so I guess I´ve got some more time, but he wrote a lot.. so I should think of something pretty quick if I want to astand up to his rep.  oh well I can´t think of anything right now maybe I´ll write something tomorrow....

that was it.

tchüß

So today I met up with Silke, and we were talking, and it turns out hey need a lightboard operator for the play....  So I got soemthing to do.  Also, as I was talking to her Fedor cam up and started talking to her too.  WOAH so now I have met up with one of my old friends from way back...  And in a few moments we are going to all meet up at the cafe and have a drink!!!!

Oh and Silke says hi to you all that know her.  MO, Paul, Luke.... everyone!!!

So my friend just sent me a invitation to join a group called ONE.  This group challenges the US government to devote 1% of the national budget to fight AIDS and extreme poverty in third world countries.  I admit this posses a problem with my previous argument.  My argument accounted for those who are capable of caring for themselves but are for whatever reasons unmotivated, or think they can't.  People that perhaps had an accident, and don't work anymore because they can't do their old job anymore... etc. 

There are however circumstances like AIDS and extreme disabilities that require attention.  I am not totally solid on these issues at this point, but bare with me as I set the ground work.

The first question we need to consider is:  "What do we do with those that are suffering from disease and disability in our country?" then "What about other countries?"

I am not a heartless asshole, contrary to popular belief, so I think something does in fact need to be done.  What exactly should be done is not something I am trying to answer here.  I am simply giving the ground work for deciding the correct course(s) of action.

First of all I would like to, again, base my argument on human nature. 

1.)  Humans are social, caring, and sympathetic animals.  We posses the ability to discriminate between right and wrong, and develop methods of improving not only the individuals life but the life of the community of the whole.

2.)  A successful community is one in which all do their part for the whole.  This is not to say that the community takes precedence over the individual, but the individual is looking out for himself and the community, because the individual benefits from a healthy community.  ( this is also represented in the earlier argument.)

3.)  By helping another one is in fact also helping himself.  Each person who is capable of increasing economic stability, increases the individual's ability to increase his own status/ quality of life.

(this is not the same as socialism... those being helped are not entitled to this help, but it is given in the interest of the overall wellbeing of the community, and the individual's interest.  The help being offered is such that it encourages the person to work towards the goal of helping himself.  This is summed up perfectly by the Chinese saying "give a man a fish, and he eats for a day.  Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime."  I am talking about teaching people how to fish, not just giving them a fish so they stop begging for another day.)

So what about people who are diseased...?  Starving?  Disabled?

What would Jonathan Swift say...?  "Collect all the people with AIDS and feed them to the people that are starving..."

Umm I think we all agree that this is not an option... and obviously Swift wasn't being serious when he wrote "A Modest Proposal."

If we can't just let them die, what are our options?  Do we devote massive amounts of money to help them, and sacrifice from ourselves?  Or do we give what little pocket change we have in our wallets, and when they all die anyway... Oh well we did our part....?  I think these are both out of the question, but at least we have set some boundaries.

Let us ask ourselves, is there a way to profit from an enterprise that works towards treating AIDS and starvation in impoverished countries...?  Unfortunately this option also looks bleak.  So what do we do?

The one venture that provides for a potential profit is education.  If we help to create schools and educational facilities in these countries, we can ensure that people will have a means of bettering their existence. 

So education is a go.  What about AIDS and poverty?  How can we effectively fight this epidemic?  I am not talking about just giving money to the organizations that are already in place, but work towards reforming the plan of action.  Create a system in which people actually get things done.  Perhaps set aside the welfare money that has been previously devoted to those in our country in positions that are referred to in my earlier argument.  This is a feasible start for where the money will come from, but we haven't figured out how to create a better system.

What can we do to improve the efficiency?  This is the hardest part.  The drugs that are currently available are expensive, and moderately effective at best.  With these drugs we are not really saving lives or curing AIDS, we are simply prolonging their lives, albeit for a short time.  It is time for new treatments, but this is also a very far fetched plan.  We cannot reasonably expect a better treatment of adequate quality to emerge in the next 5-10 years.  (After the Nano boom there are many more possibilities that will emerge, but we can expect that in no less than 12-15 years.)

Honestly I think at the current time our focus needs to be on prevention more than actual treatment and curing.  I know it is not a cosy prospect, but we are fighting a loosing battle here.  If we focus only on those that are already in the ditches, then we are wasting our time.  This goes for starving and other diseases as well.  For example, prevent desertification by planting hardier crops that can not only withstand the dry climate and sandy soil, but produce a source of food as well.  Such solutions provide for a solution of two dominant problems at the same time.  These are much more favorable than simply "sending food."  Water purification is also another problem we can work towards solving.  not by sending UN troops over to India to put in sewers or water treatment facilities, but to work hand in hand with India to create programs that allow the Indians to work for themselves and profit from the project more than just getting clean water.

In short, I have reached no conclusions, and feel rather silly for going on so long to not solve any problems with reasonable arguments.  In fact I feel as if I have talked in circles for long enough.

I don't have much to build on here for making reasonable proposals for solutions, but I have started it.

More to come.

Now it is time to talk science.... (yay)

If you have an electric field through the point x=4, y=5, z=7 and a Gaussian surface with the area A=3x*4y*6z.... what is the electro static flux through this region......................  ok f it.... I am getting so fed up with physics.....

OK here's what I think...  Men have no brains....

first of all men are always saying "I can't understand women man."  and yet they keep trying..

Women cannot be understood, because they don not adhere to the basic principles of logic, which governs all things that can be understood...

therefore men are obviously very stupid because they cannot recognize that they are attempting the impossible.... and therefore have no brains...

Shit...

I just proved that I took into consideration that women cannot be understood, proving that I have a brain, and I am a man..... so therefore women cannot be understood.... but men still have brains!!!!!!!!!

Tchuss

So here's my take on it....  Socialism (welfare state) encourages discontent... defies human nature

This is based on several main points.

1.)  Humans are the only animals to strive for a better existence beyond the bare necessities.

2.) A person who is idle is discontent.  It is true, and you know from experience.  When you are left alone for long periods of time, and have nothing to do.... you go crazy.  In fact most of the time human beings cannot remain completely idle for more than a short period of time... and if you can well good for you!

3.)  A person that strives to better his own existence, achieves a sense of contentment, regardless of how little he actually betters his existence.

4.)  Socialism (welfare state) provides money for those without work, by taxing those who do work, therefore providing them with an opportunity to depend on other people, and not strive to attain their own goals by their own means....

From these 4 points....

We can form....

A.)  It is human nature to strive for a better existence....

B.) A welfare state enables a person to remain stagnant, or decrease the quality of life.

C.) The money from the taxes cannot go towards an individuals pursuit, and must be put aside for those who are not bettering themselves.  Therefore taking away from the ability of the taxpayer to increase his quality of life.

D.)  The money going to said people is also stagnant, all must pay, and it carries no economical value.  In other words, the person who receives the money did not contribute to the economy in any way like those that work do.

In conclusion....

Since B, C, and D directly counter a person's ability to achieve a better state of existence through his own work, they in turn cancel A.

Therefore the welfare state is defying human nature by enabling the welfare receiver to continue his stagnant life, and by reducing the ability of the tax payer to achieve his goals...

I know its sketchy, and I'm no politician, or philosopher, but it gets a point across, wrong or right....

I await your commentary.....

In light of current circumstances, I decided to get a Live Journal.  Being in Germany without many friends, and nobody to really hang out with... I have reverted to sitting in front of my computer all the time.....  So yeah, expect crazy philosophical rantings, and of course random scientific quips....