On 27 Apr 2007 04:38:35 -0700, Denny wrote:

Don, (please take this as kindly rebuttal) what do you think your
paying slavish attention to the news accomplishes?

Does your knowing that Cho butchered a bunch of innocent kids change
one thing? Do you feel better knowing all the details of his deranged
spoutings and savagery? Does your knowing change anything?

Does your knowing that Sunnis and ****es slaughtered each other, once
again, last night contribute to a solution? My gawd, they pray to
the same prophet from the same book and then go out and slaughter each
other in the name of the prophet!

Does knowing that the head of the world bank is stuffing his
girlfriend with money (among other things) do anything at all to
improve your lot in life or that of your family?


The problem is that if I, and other rational people, do not pay
attention, solutions to those problems will be proposed and enacted
which in many cases will be useless if not worse than the problem.

Now I could go on with endless rhetorical questions about current
news, but I've made my point adequately... Not one of these things
that you "are paying attention to for me" is meaningful in any way in
your life or mine... They are all things that have already
happened. Unless you have a time machine they are fait accompli, over,
finished, poof... You cannot in any way change them...


But we can prevent some of them from happening again, or prepare to
deal more effectively with them if we cannot. Much as we analyze
aircraft mishaps to learn from our mistakes and those of others.


Now, lets say you feel that following the news makes you a more
informed voter... OK, so you vote for Goodolboy for Senator because
you feel he represents your interest better than his opponent.. As
soon as Goodolboy hits DC who does he represent? You? hah

Actually, I am gathering signatures to run for the 14th Senate
District in Virginia this fall as the Libertarian Party candidate.

Don