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I Had No Idea These Guys Were Still Around

In the 7/20 ODE, there’s this little gem from the Students for a Democratic Society. It’s formatted as an open letter to Das Frohn, and urges him to refuse DoD funding for University research. Right. Well, at least they managed to slip “eschew” in there, I have to give them props for that.

For those of you who don’t know, SDS was one of many anti-war groups in the 1960s. Now, there’s nothing wrong with being anti-war, but as an outgrowth of the early 20th century radical socialist movement, SDS picked a bit of an ironic name for itself. David Horowitz, former revolutionary and current right-wing ideologue, has quite a bit to say about his radical days, none of it good.

SDS were the sort of people who were actively rooting for the Viet Cong, and their ideological successors at International ANSWER and the Worker’s World Party have defended the actions of everyone from Stalin to Kim Jong Il. Not to mention Pol Pot, fans of Pol Pot they are. By their own admission, SDS were rooting for the totalitarian forces of South East Asia in the 1960s, and it’s somewhat hilarious that their revival movement is reduced to quibbling about grant money in 2006. Or maybe it means that I was right about the Red Menace all along.

  1. Timothy says:

    I hope we can agree that the human being is just fine the way it is, and that introducing technologies which change us physically and mentally is immoral and undemocratic.

    Well, you hope in vain. Every technology changes the human, as Andy mentioned: in a “natural” environment we die of typhoid or malaria usually by the time we’re 40. Agricultural technology has made us taller (better nutrition), we can replace joints with titanium and improve the lives of millions of people, we have bionic limbs, a technology that seems only likely to improve.

    Eric, people like you locked up Galileo. Technology is morally neutral, anything will and can be used for good or for ill. The real enemy are the luddites, if they’d had their way all along we’d still think that the sun revolved around the Earth, that the world was flat, and that flies spontaneously generated out of garbabe.

  2. Andy says:

    Is Gatorade an “unnatural” improvement to the soldier? What about radios? What about vehicles? You don’t even have a point to your post other than let’s all get along.

    I disagree with your premise that technologies that change us physically and mentally are wrong. Drugs and immunizations extended life expectancies, and birth control affected morality. Alcohol did both.

    The question is, “is it wrong for the UO to accept ‘DoD’ grants?” Obviously no – and for many reasons. We get grants from many other departments which are no less evil than the DoD.

    Another might be, “is it wrong to create technologies that change humans physically and/or morally?” Obviously no too. The morality come from the choice of the individual. Do I think it’s wrong to use these technologies? To a certain extent yes. Is it wrong they exist – No.

    Any other questions you need answered?

  3. eric says:

    DoD research has produced good things for society. This is an unavoidable historical truth. However, nano-research for military purposes is not limited to machines, programs or new technologies. In drastic contrast, nano promises to reinvent the soldier, leaving little room for personal considerations, ethics, humanity concerns or morality. It is important to debate the impact of nanotech innovations on American citizens in the military, and its implications of “improving the human.” While I most likely stand on the left side of most of this publications readers, I hope we can agree that the human being is just fine the way it is, and that introducing technologies which change us physically and mentally is immoral and undemocratic. Let us just say that nano can become a “good thing” even if we skip the military’s involvement. Does anyone really believe that technologies like the internet and gsp would have gone undiscovered if not for military funding.

  4. Andy says:

    Pithy Tyler? I think you’ve been watching too much O’Reily.

  5. Andy says:

    WTF are you talking about? The point was some good things have come from military research. Maybe you haven’t read any of my “right-brained” articles, or followed my ASUO campain, or even talked to me – but what’s wrong with that argument? Huh? Isn’t that a good point for DoD funded research grants for the UO?

    Apprently you haven’t read the debate FAQ from wiki:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_fallacy

    I believe your argument suffers from “Ad hominem” fallacy.

    Another argument? The military is a good thing to have and so is increased University funding…so the military pays for research and both sides win? I mean, the taxpayers always lose but hey at least it isn’t going to [insert socialist welfare program here].

  6. Tyler says:

    Thanks for the pithy insight, Poo. Do you also subscribe to the Crazy Town Newsletter?

  7. Poo says:

    Andy, you’re a twit (a foolishly annoying person). I saw on television the other day these children talking about how they’d rather live in a world with good and evil than one of just good, because life would be boring, without challenge and lacking the rare moments of really feeling alive. These were 8th graders, Andy. You remind me of the college students having this same discussion. Get a new argument. Of course the military created the Internet. And what a gift from God GPS is. But if you’re going to speak, or blog, use a little more of your right brain, if you have one.

  8. Shaheen A. Al-Haddad says:

    Olly,

    Please do yourself a huge favor and watch the videos at http://www.universalseed.org.

  9. Timothy says:

    Maybe we should form an evil 80s cover band and call it Disinformation Society.

  10. Olly says:

    Are you a disinformation tool? Or are you just extremely misguided? It really is one or the other.

    You got me, Shaheen: I’m part of the conspiracy. We call ourselves the Sacred Order of Occam’s Razor.

    That

  11. Bryan says:

    Shaheen, Andy has a point. In the hypothetical scenario in which you were in possession of an indisputable paper trail leading all the way to 9/11’s proverbial smoking gun, the Oregon Commentator would simply not be the most advantageous outlet for your set of information. We’re a college publication– a nominally conservative publication on a notoriously radical campus. Assume, for a moment, an unqualified acceptance on our part of the scenario you posit here. Our hypothetical championing of your cause could not conceivably benefit your goal of introducing the information as credible before the American people.

    Maybe I can only speak for myself, but I’m honored that you thought of us. We all enjoyed your previous contribution, which we printed. For my part, I’d be glad to brainstorm with you regarding your perception of this tragedy.

    bryan.roberts@gmail.com

    That being said: Weldon is a highly unusual congressperson. That’s not to say he’s wrong– but it’s telling that he also professes to be convinced that WMD’s are still hiding someplace in Iraq.

    Also: Cynthia McKinney is sort of awesome.
    Since the link was posted twice: Cynthia McKinney is sort of awesome.

  12. Niedermeyer says:

    Shaheen-

    A world in which every cause taken up by every congressperson were true/worth taking up would be scarier than a world in which 9/11 was carried out by Supreme Court justices.

    case in point
    case in point
    case in point

    Just a few recent examples of why being in congress hurts your credibility more than it helps.

  13. Shaheen A. Al-Haddad says:

    Olly,

    Are you a disinformation tool? Or are you just extremely misguided? It really is one or the other.

  14. Olly says:

    Republican Representative Curt Weldon calls the 9/11 cover up the biggest story of our lifetime. Imagine running that on the front page of your magazine. You

  15. Andy says:

    Those fucking idiots, SDS, realize the internet was created by the military too right? And GPS?

  16. Andy says:

    Uhm, I’m not sure you understand our target audience or even distribution capabilities, but I greatly appreciate your compliment. The belief that the Commentator can affect national change is a common, yet misguided ideal. But really, thanks Shaheen!

  17. Shaheen Al-Haddad says:

    9/11, boys. 9/11.

    Republican Representative Curt Weldon calls the 9/11 cover up the biggest story of our lifetime. Imagine running that on the front page of your magazine. You’d be hailed as heroes.

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