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myphilosophy

I have been hearing more about the crime against civilisation, known as honour killing...

Should someone be convincted of honour killing then they should be treated as someone who has done the horrific crimes they have perpetraited.

• Brutal, senseless and justificationless crime


• Generally in the lead up to the death, the victim will have been savaged


• Systematic pyschological abuse and repression of the victim for their prior life


• Abuse of a position of trust as someone who is meant to care and protect the victim


• In the case of using pre-adult male family members, they have commited brainwashing on a minor, and convinced them to kill an innocent


• Harrassment and use of bounty hunters to hunt down the victim


• Acted as though their actions are noble, honourable and justifiable

These men (and occasionally women) have no place in our society, they are not suffering from any psychological distortion, or other miasma. I think if they commit such acts, then once they have completed life sentances, they should be flown to a deserted island, have their passport, birth certificate and any other identity documents shredded, and told to enjoy the lack of civilisation they clearly crave.

I've just finished watching Sicko, by Michael Moore, and after feeling scared and worried about my impending job in the United States for most of the film, the ending left me feeling warm, fuzzy and full of hope.

This was a typical "Michael Moore" investigation, admitedly he did leave out the fact that the French economy is in a state of collapse, that the British government seems adamant to destroy the NHS (and Primary Care Trusts do oppose treatments they think they can get away with not treating), and that in Canada the system is not as efficient as if you were a legacy trying to get into the Mayo Clinic.

However, that said, i'm currently feeling very proud of the NHS, and i think we should be more proud, because we do have some very good doctors, nurses, consultants, secretaries, janitors, and even probably a couple of good mangers in the NHS.

I watched Fahrenheit 911, and i wasn't hugely impressed, yes i did find out things i didn't know before, but it was preaching to the converted, i would have (if i were an American voter) voted for Dick Cheney for president before i voted for the dumb plank they have in power now.

This film was about Michael being Michael, and what Michael does very well is make people feel bad about themselves for being bastards.

The art of the political stunt to make a point is a very difficult one, and this time he is a past master, even down to the way he used homeland security to make themselves look foolish with their "hiding" of Guantanamo Bay's location.

Nobody forced the politicians to not treat those volunteers, but by not doing right by their "heroes", it turned a good point, into an earth shattering point.

Every country has its problems, and US of A has more than most. Its people, while passionate and even occasionally compassionate, are very good at missing chances for greatness. However i don't think this is one of those times. Now is the time for change, look at your leaders, your rulers, your masters,

would you deny a man his life just to get another million dollar bonus?
would you celebrate every failure in the principles on which healthcare is founded?
would you be happy that the least among you cannot risk the cost of going to see the doctor they "choose"?

These are not your compatriots, equals or fellows, they are the kind of people who would deny you air if they could make a profit out of it.

It is your time.

The way i see it, a human life (one born and self aware), is sacred, i don't know whether that means the same as holy, i just know that it is something not perhaps inviolate, but certainly something to be revered.

I feel that executing someone is no different than murder, its just done in medically applied, doctor conducted, state sanctioned fashion.

There are many arguments that are put forward for the death penalty (justice, deterrent, lack of burden on the state), but the one i feel actually stands up is revenge. This is not a punishment of justice, if it were a deterrent nobody would be on death row, and as far as burden on the state, how about the endless and near eternal appeals process, surely that is a greater burden...

So if its about revenge, what does that mean...

Despite rabbinical law having opposed the death penalty for almost 2000 years, states (and federal entities) that practice are condoning and participating in vengeance. For the better part of 2 millenia, we have been ruled by theocratic constraints based on the corrupted teachings of a man who said "Turn the other cheek", did we learn nothing about compassion, forgiveness and mercy from that time?

I could never murder someone in cold blood, i couldn't make the same confirmation if it were a matter of life and death for me or someone i cared about, but when someone is locked in a prison cell, or in some other way prevented from causing harm, i am totally opposed to murder in the name of the state.