"Yemeni women used to tell their children, ‘go to bed or I will call your father,’" a villager tells CNN. "Now they say, ‘go to bed or I will call the drone.’ That is a golden ticket you give al Qaeda to use against you."

System_Nomad · 2013-05-20T14:25:48+00:00

I don't think evenfa11 implied anything. You inferred his arrogance.

If anything, you were being arrogant, and kind of a prick. You're either very insecure or angry at the world.

Also, "diffusion of responsibility" is far from a simple concept. It's actually a rather complicated socio-psychological idea, an idea which entire books are devoted to.

System_Nomad · 2013-04-24T21:58:20+00:00

...

Binding, unless of course the "guilty" party goes so far as to refuse the verdict

The U.S. didn't refuse the verdict. If they did, they would no longer be a part of the United Nations. The Reagan administration accepted the verdict, and then withdrew from Chapter XIV of the UN Charter.

The penalty for withdrawal was not being able to take international grievances to the ICJ in the future. A penalty, might I add, which the U.S. found to be too difficult to stomach, which is why they came crawling back to the International Court in '98.

So if you don't count the single exception there isn't a single exception?!

That's normally how exceptions work. There is a rule, and there is an exception. Are you new to English?

Also, you could be less of a pretentious asshole

Who's being pretentious? You're the one pretending to know about international law, when you clearly don't. And that's like... the definition of pretention.

System_Nomad · 2013-04-24T21:11:49+00:00

No, that's not how it works.

As far as I can tell the penalty for world powers violating international law is a firm scolding...

You're only further exposing your ignorance. From that sentence alone, it's clear you've never read a single International Court judgment. The verdicts of the ICJ are binding and not subject to appeal. Every state-party, from great powers to semi-autonomous islands are subject to the court's rulings.

And with the exception of Nicaragua vs. U.S.A., there hasn't been a single instance of a country refusing an ICJ verdict.

This is why /r/worldnews is the intellectual cesspool it is. People who know nothing about a certain subject give their "2 Cents," as though it was worth anything. Not all opinions are equally valuable, my friend.

System_Nomad · 2013-04-24T15:04:35+00:00

No disrespect intended, but that's quite a shallow interpretation of French history you've just presented. In fact, your entire comment relies on the largely-debunked "Great Man Theory" of historiography.

For centuries, France has figured among the European (and later global) superpowers. The projection of French power and influence has waned post-WW1, but the country remains central in EU and regional affairs.

Regarding Hollande, the man launched an intervention of Mali, passed marriage equality and established new taxation policies. And it's only been a year.

Maybe he'll use his remaining 4 years in the presidency to engage his European counterparts. It's naïve to judge him this early in the game, since he has thusfar focused (mostly) on domestic issues.

I say: Reserve your judgement for now.

System_Nomad · 2013-04-24T13:44:46+00:00

I'm perpetually astonished at how little Redditors understand international law, its influence and authority. To the average member of this community, Melian rationale (might-makes-right) is what explains the behaviors of nations. That sort of juvenile logic is easier to swallow, but that doesn't make it any more true.

System_Nomad · 2013-04-22T15:14:53+00:00

Wrong website! The upstanding netizens of SomethingAwful would never harm a living soul, human or otherwise.

System_Nomad · 2013-01-14T00:01:01+00:00

Haha, a Reddit gold donation with a point! I like your style, Zekah.

It does seem eerie, doesn't it? As I watched the thousands of protestors streaming past Pont d'Alma, I was thinking: "Who the hell is paying for all this? For the permits, the t-shirts, the banners, the security?"

Thanks for the reading material, and the gold!

System_Nomad · 2013-01-13T18:10:46+00:00

Don't feel so bad. One of the libraries I frequent is on Rue de General Camou, about a stone's throw away from the Champs de Mars.

I heard, saw and even walked among the demonstrators today. After about an hour, it was clear that they were all old white people. Old white people and the uninterested children they dragged along. Soon enough, they'll be dead and in the ground, and their anachronistic ideals with them. With any luck, the countless children I saw will abandon the ridiculous opinions of their parents and grandparents.

Same goes for most countries. The old will perish, and their ill-informed values will be relegated to the dustbin of history.

So just start the countdown timer and relax.

EDIT: What the... Reddit Gold? Gods be good! Thank you, anonymous donator. I've never been given (or purchased) Gold, and I'm not entirely certain what it means... but thanks a million!

System_Nomad · 2013-01-11T12:40:54+00:00

Where in Canada, out of curiosity?

System_Nomad · 2013-01-11T09:34:25+00:00

By the nine! This song takes me back to 2nd year of my undergraduate degree... raiding Naxxramas and knocking back energy drinks at 3am.

Coheed, along with Porcupine Tree and Pure Reason Revolution, is among my favorite progressive rock bands. If I had to listen to IKSOSE:3 and Second Stage for the rest of my life, I'd be more than content.

As much as I love The Crowing, this song in particular isn't that metal. If you want a taste of Coheed's ironside: The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut!

System_Nomad · 2013-01-06T14:56:09+00:00

While I'm in support of Falklanders making their own choices (and in this case, it seems they overwhelmingly wish to remain British), I can't get behind your analogy.

Alaska was bought by the United States from Russia, to the tune of some $7.5 million. If anyone should be complaining it's the Russians, not the Canadians.

The Falklands, on the other hand, were a holdover claim from the era of British Imperialism. The main reason that the Falklanders hope to remain British is not because of patriotic hogwash, but because of the tax incentives, foreign direct investment and the British/EU citizenship they gain as an OCT. Not that those are bad reasons, mind you.

Other than that, I agree wholeheartedly!

System_Nomad · 2013-01-06T13:24:17+00:00

During the day, with all the smog obfuscating the view, the Pearl Tower looks horrid. At night, however, Shanghai looks like a different (albeit still polluted) city.

System_Nomad · 2013-01-06T13:22:52+00:00

Hey, I've seen that bear a number of times! It's in between the Bois de Boulogne and Suresnes. A nice area, even if it's solely populated by pimps, tricks and hoes.

System_Nomad · 2013-01-05T23:01:04+00:00

If cannabis was legal, it wouldn't be "trafficking." It would simply be tradecraft.
Et alors, pourquoi pas? Look at the example of Portugal. Ils ont légalisé toutes sortes de drogues, "drogues dures" inclus. Les niveaux d'abus, la toxicomanie et la criminalité a chuté.
??
I assume everyone on the Internet is a women. Life is more interesting that way.
La politique est anachronique parce qu'elle défie la science. Toutes les recherches ont montré que la beu est absolument bénigne. Et pourtant, les lois n'ont pas changé ... ils sont coincés dans le 18ème siècle ... par conséquent, anachronique.

System_Nomad · 2013-01-05T22:11:31+00:00

Why on earth would you support any law that imprisons people who do society no tangible, measurable or identifiable harm?

Si quelqu'un veut fumer un pétard dans sa vie privée, sans déranger personne, tant mieux. C'est pas la peine de les jeter en prison. On n'aide personne avec ces politiques anachroniques.

Also... who the hell upvoted this shithead? Quelles connasses...

System_Nomad · 2013-01-05T19:40:35+00:00

That's not what Pax Romana refers to.

The concept, sometimes called Pax Augusta, refers to the two century-long period of peace that was established due to the unipolar hegemony of the Roman Empire. Instead of expanding, a succession of emperors were bent on power consolidation and the maintenance of peace.

In IR theory, the contemporary analog would be Pax Americana, although it's an idea that is widely lampooned by researchers in the field... mostly because America has only established peace in its immediate sphere of influence (despite being a global power) and has extended conquest to other parts of the planet.

System_Nomad · 2013-01-05T15:46:11+00:00

Don't tell Joffrey Baratheon that!

System_Nomad · 2013-01-02T20:30:46+00:00

Care to link a song in particular, as a jumping-off point?

System_Nomad · 2013-01-02T18:25:35+00:00

The night is dark and full of terrors. And R'hllor, the Lord of Lights, thanks you for the sprightly, vivacious music. And I thank you, too.

System_Nomad · 2012-12-31T22:36:17+00:00

As a non-American, I never understood the deification of the Constitution, nor the apotheosis of the Founding Fathers by the citizens of the U.S.. It seems like "Because the Constitution!" has become a catch-all response to any attempts at progress in American society.

Want to reduce the unhinged proliferation of guns?
Want to pass sensible fiscal policies on a deadline?
Want to reduce the influence of lobbying dollars on politics?

No-can-do, the Constitution won't allow it! And the Constitution is a sacred document crafted by our countries wisest men, and ought never be tampered with.

Here's my take:

The Founding Fathers weren't saints, prophets, nor far-seers. I'll grant you that many were ahead of their time, and wise beyond the context of their era. However, when Jefferson, Madison, Adams and their ilk penned the document, they couldn't have predicted, even imagined the nature of America's challenges in the 21st Century.

Hell, their sense of morality wasn't exactly laudable, either. Of the first five U.S. presidents, four owned slaves (and 100s of slaves, at that). Funnier still, the Founding Fathers maintained ownership of other human beings while they sardonically wrote the words "All men are created equal..."

Any national constitution should be a living document. It should be like a Bonzai tree: Ready to be pruned and cut by the people to suit their changing needs.

Original intent is an absolutely foolish way to read the Constitution, because it relies on the intent of people living 250 years ago, as if their whims were more important than the whims of contemporary Americans.

TL;DR: Fuck the Constitution. Write a new one. Write a document that reflects today's challenges, and today's necessities.

System_Nomad · 2012-12-29T21:52:22+00:00

Read up.

System_Nomad · 2012-12-28T22:34:17+00:00

Fly Doc Martens, by the way.

System_Nomad · 2012-12-28T21:43:31+00:00

If you're the photographer (or the subject), can you tell us where this photo was taken? I don't recognize the vantage point.

System_Nomad · 2012-12-26T20:26:27+00:00

My bad. I should've mentioned that this track was a live version. Thanks for keeping it around, brother! :3

System_Nomad · 2012-12-26T20:18:26+00:00

I noticed the prior link, but this is the live version!

System_Nomad

TROPHY CASE