World's Only Rational Man

Which DC superhero is coming out of the closet?  Yawn.  Such original storytelling.

Dumbledore!

If profits are still important to DC and it’s a major character coming out, then of course it will be Wonder Woman.  Sales losses will be minimal, and they might see a sales boost, at least short-term.

Also…speaking as a storytelling geek, there are serious issues to consider.  A hero who suddenly comes out as gay had better not have a serious hetero-romantic relationship going on.  “Lois, I know we’ve been flirting/dating/married for decades now, but I, Kal El…am actually hot for the dudes.”  And the Diana Prince/Steve Traynor Trevor thing has been trivial for generations now. 

(Diana Prince is Wonder Woman’s non-Amazonian name, for you non-geeks.)

I’d laugh if they made Batman gay, but they wouldn’t dare.  First, because he’s the Gee Dee Batman.  But “I piss on childhood memories” artistes don’t care about that.  No, it’s because Bruce Wayne has adopted, like, three 13 year-old boys over the years.  Heh heh.  Yeah, that’d really advance the gay cause.

As for the other major DC heroes…

…

…there aren’t any. 

Hey!  Assuming Superman isn’t gay, doesn’t that mean Bizarro has always been?!  God, there’s a scary thought. 

I didn’t start this fight; I’m just finishing it.  What fight?  At the excellent WeeklyStandard site, Andrew Ferguson has been following the “conservatives are inferior” trend in social “science”.

The most common working premise of social-psychology research is far-fetched all by itself: The behavior of a statistically insignificant, self-selected number of college students or high schoolers filling out questionnaires and role-playing in a psych lab can reveal scientifically valid truths about human behavior. 

There’s a simple reason why lefty professors can’t tell hokum from science:  they and other leftists are mentally retarded.  This isn’t to insult them.  They are, literally, mentally retarded.

I didn’t have questionnaires and role-playing results, though.  I had to make do with simple biology and simple logic.

“Retarded” means slowed or stopped prior to full maturity.  All creatures need time to mature, human beings most of all.  And what organ is the very last to fully mature?  If it’s not already obvious…you’re probably a social scientist.  Obviously this bad boy slouches in last.

Now check this out.  And roll your cursor over the “Prefrontal Cortex”.  That is the very last part of the very last organ to mature.  And what is it responsible for?  Judgment!  Here are behaviors associated with a not-yet-mature Prefrontal Cortex:

• difficulty holding back or controlling emotions,
• a preference for physical activity,
• a preference for high excitement and low effort activities (video games, sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll),
• poor planning and judgement (rarely thinking of negative consequences),
• more risky, impulsive behaviors, including experimenting with drugs and alcohol.

If you asked me to boil that 5-point list down to three words, a year ago I’d have laughed in your face.  But today?  Occupy Wall Street.  Every aspect of OWS is explained by UPC, Unoccupied Prefrontal Cortex. 

People under the age of 25 are much more likely to be politically “progressive” than mature adults.  Why?  For the same reason they make all their other stupid mistakes.  They either don’t see consequences or don’t care about them. 

Mandatory socialism has profoundly negative consequences.  In fact, the extent of its blight would be unbelievable if it wasn’t so documented.  Government socialism wrecks every economy it touches and murdered more people in one century than is recorded in all the rest of history.  Its record is utterly perfect; it has never failed to fail.

And every single leftist on Earth wants more of it.

Ergo…all progressives older than 25 are mentally retarded.  Their Prefrontal Cortexes never matured, or are doing so very, very, very slowly.

(The only other possiblity is that they are evil, evil, evil, evil people.  No doubt some are.  But most are just mentally retarded.)

After writing this up, I got a bit angry that in America the voting age is 18 but the drinking age is 21.  Kids are too immature to drink but they’re mature enough to vote in my affairs?  Sorry, that’s insane.  If rights are apportioned over an age spectrum, voting must obviously be the last one.  If you’re not old enough for every adult activity you’re not old enough to meddle in adult business.

Given our current knowledge and life spans, voting rights should begin at the age of 25.  Maybe 26.  But I’d certainly make an exception for military volunteers.  Probably those are exceptionally mature people, but if they’re idiots few will live long enough to do much electoral damage.

Yes, if we change the voting age the 18-24 year-olds will shriek and whine and gesticulate wildly and stomp about angrily.  That’s sort of the point. 

Mature-for-their-age kids will be peeved also, but will realize that in exchange for their lost, wise vote, two or three idiotic ones will also vanish. 

So, as a rational American I now request that we change the voting age to 25 years old.   My reason:  Brain Science! 

If we have to buy off youngsters to get this done, it will be worth it.  I advise a combined approach: lower the drinking age to 18 and stay off the streets as much as possible.

The Devil’s Publicist, maybe?

See, if the Devil is on trial somebody has to represent him.  If he can’t afford an attorney one will be appointed to him by law.  But nobody has to do P.R. work for him.  So doesn’t that make his publicist a worse person than his lawyer?

What brings this question on?  One of the reasons for this blog was that I’d quit writing.  I realized that if I kept it up eventually  there’d be enough material for a book.  I’d toyed with “Newmerica”, the “Constitution 2.0″-based country that hopefully will arise from America’s ashes.  But it’s never gotten me fired up enough for the enormous effort a book requires.

Nor am I exactly excited about realizing I’m the “Devil’s Publicist”.  But my parents visited yesterday.  My Mom had been thinking about my argument that letting women vote was a bad idea.  She’s decided she agrees.

(For the record:  I’m only against letting women vote in federal elections.  They can take over all the others for all I care, as long as everyone remains free to travel and live where they desire.  With a properly restrained national government they could control far more government wealth and power than men do.  Although, if you love liberty, it’d be even better if they never voted at all. )

That position, combined with my defense of white privilege, made me think about some other WORMy arguments.  Let’s review, sans links for now:

“White” people deserve their privileged positions.

Women voters are helping to destroy the U.S.A.

The Democratic Party is almost pure evil.

The so-called “United Nations” is almost pure evil.

Islam is almost pure evil.

The “black community” needs to grow the hell up.

Progressives are mentally retarded.  (Wait, I haven’t formally proven that one yet.  Maybe next post?  It’s a very simple and scientific argument.)

The federal government has turned parasitic and needs putting down.

The “Talky Classes”–Government workers, teachers and academia, “journalists”, media, entertainment, have also turned evil and need putting down.

Nuclear power is the least-bad option for electricity.

The Catholic Church has child abuse problems because it departs from the Bible.  And I like most Catholics!

None of these positions are intentionally provocative and outrageous.  They are just where reason has led me.  So obviously I want to know what you guys think is my most offensive writing.  (Giving me a mulligan on the Joe Biden Rapist Rant.)

Also.  The Devil’s Publicist is a good title, maybe a great one, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.  I welcome any and all of you to label…whatever the heck it is we do here.

Fallout!

No, not the radioactive one.

Today we’re going to have a look at the fallout the magnificent statement of El Guapo, pardon, Obummer, pardon, President Obama on gay marriage caused in Japan. Oh yes, we’re going there.

Beat Takeshi, (in)famous movie maker and, from my experience, chauvinist pig extraordinaire, came out with a statement about Obama’s statement. He has been on TBS’s current affairs show “Joho 7 Days, Newscaster” and has been quoted by Japan Zone with saying “If you support same-sex marriage, then eventually you would support a marriage to an animal.”

Of course that quickly drew the ire of the usual suspects who desperately need lessons on free speech. Ishikawa Taiga, Tokyo assembly member and Japan’s first openly gay politician came out with saying “He is a world famous film director. It is disappointing that such an influential figure made that kind of negative comment. As a movie director, he must be a person with a great sense of imagination. I wish he had been able to put himself in the position of gay and lesbian people in society.”

That’s all nice and cute.

But the biggest issue here is not whether one supports gay marriage or opposes to it. The big issue is free speech. Beat Takeshi can have his opinion on things and he has the right to voice it. Simple as that. Of course there is the pseudo-argument that free speech doesn’t give you the right to offend someone, but that is, as I said, ridiculous. Being offended always takes two. One sender, one receiver, and some people today are offended by everything.

Debito Arudo, who is pretty much to me what the red rag is to a bull, came out on the Japan Times with a similar whine where he ranted and raved about “microaggressions” and how horrible it is to be complimented on how well he speaks Japanese by Japanese people who don’t know him. Of course, he, too, took offense from things like that, just like the whiner that he is. No, I have no respect for him and his, as he claims, “big fights” against “racism”.

Free speech. Beat Takeshi’s statement may be offending to some, yes, but as I said he has the right to say it. That’s what free speech is all about and it’s really sad to see that Japan is now slowly falling into the same Newspeak fascism as Europe and the US.

I find it also funny that El Guapo’s, I mean Obama’s statement, was celebrated in Japan. It is funny because his statement is 100% irrelevant. Yes. It is absolutely unimportant and means absolutely nothing. Obama can support gay marriage all he wants, that changes nothing. He is president, he is not congress and senate and can thus not write and pass laws (even though, taking his performance as president into account, he probably believes he is.) Obama has the right to voice his opinion in favor or gay marriage, just like Beat Takeshi has the right to voice his against it.

This is free speech.

And knowing Beat Takeshi, it is very unlikely that he will row back on it. He is, as I said, a chauvinist pig. Some of the comments he made about women in the past are hardly what I would call classy. But the thing is, even then he can say it. It’s free speech.

But we live in a time where free speech has become acceptable only when it follows the mainstream or when the modern Thought Police, aka the media and “activists”, approve of the voiced opinion. The moment it strays from this it becomes “hate speech” (no matter how well voiced or backed up by facts) and people, like Geert Wilders and Susanne Winter, are actually put on trial for saying their opinion.

Fascism is back. It has shed the looks of black and brown shirts marching through the streets under lit torches. It has taken up the looks of “sensitivity”, political correctness and the retarded idea of “if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.”

Ignazio Silone, writer and Socialist, had the right idea. He said: “The new fascism won’t say ‘I am fascism.’ It will say ‘I am anti-fascism’.” (though, there is some discussion whether Silone ever said it or not, there is also discussion on Churchill stating something similar, yet there is no evidence for it, so it might just be a variation of what Huey Long, 1930’s politician from Louisiana, said “When Fascism comes to America, it will (be in the name of/come under the guise of/be called) anti-Fascism!”)

Personally, I hope he doesn’t row back. Not because I support his opinion, no, but simply because I support his right to say his opinion.

Though, here it shall be noted that a search for Kitano’s statement on the net doesn’t reveal anything other than “Outrage Beyond”, his latest movie, which is also acknowledged by Japan Zone.

PS: Gay marriage is not the issue at hand. Seriously, it’s not. El Guapo is just trying to distract everyone again. I mean, Obama is… ah, I really need to pay more attention to this, really. Anyway. It’s not an issue. You know what’s an issue? 16 trillion debt and counting. Record unemployment. No proper budget for three years. But the media and the “activists”, again, bury the real issues under something they’ve hyped up. The media continues to play Obummer’s Dog & Pony Show.

Here’s a link to the article

Hi, John.

First, I’ve read Old Man’s War.  Maybe one other of your books, I’m not sure.  You’re pretty good, though of course nowhere near Vinge or Stephenson.

Likewise, I briefly read your blog.  You can be pretty funny.  But I quit for the same reason I dropped you in general:  your regular little tantrums.  Your self-worshipping, contemptuous, holier-than-thou bitching and moaning.

Like your latest attention-whoring:

In the role playing game known as The Real World, “Straight White Male” is the lowest difficulty setting there is.

Your post did raise questions, John.  Though I doubt you can answer them.  Still, let’s see.  First note that your rampant narcissism is what keeps you from being a great writer.  When you don’t identify with people, your every comment about them drips with contempt.  Neal Stephenson does not do this.  Which is why you’ll never be within shouting distance of Neal or Vernor Vinge.  Not until the snide arrogance is beaten out of you by someone vastly more intelligent than your mewling little self.

Well, I’m here to help.

First question:  what the heck was the purpose of your screed?  If it was anything but “inflate my ego by insulting others”, you failed.  People who agree with you don’t need the post.  Those who don’t are more distant from you than ever, due to you being such an insufferable a-hole.

You breezily tell me that as a white man I am “privileged”.  If I disagree?  I’m “freaking out” or oblivious or something.  Your sub-text is pretty obvious, so can I go ahead and make it text?  It’s your usual message.  “I’m better than you!” 

You’ve told me what I am, John.  Now, can I tell you what I am?  I know you feel that you are the Judge of All, but most self-worshippers can at least pretend other people have the right to self-determination.

So what am I, John Scalzi?  I am a miserable recluse.  I was a four-eyed bookworm geek who grew up in the rural South of the 1960’s and 70’s.  Now, obviously I don’t know why you’re such a racist.  But I do know why I’m not.  It’s because “privileged” white boys…and white girls and all the black and brown kids…mocked me, marginalized me, and ostracized me.  I was emotionally and socially tortured, every day, throughout my childhood.  But you’ll be happy to know that, as they delighted in my suffering, my tormentors forgot their differences in race, creed, and gender.

Isn’t that special?  We could make a Benetton commercial out of it.

I never recovered from the wounding and scarring, John.  I’d say it’s the main reason I’ve abandoned all social life and will die alone and unloved.  Plus, lately?  My tinnitus is so bad that I “joke” about eating a bullet.  And while I’ll never do that, this endless cranial shrieking robs me of what little peace and pleasure remained in my lonely isolation. 

And now you, John Scalzi, come smirking along…telling me how easy I’ve got it. 

If you were capable of empathy, sir, you would fall to your knees and beg my forgiveness.  But then, if you had compassion you couldn’t have written such tripe to begin with. 

And don’t forget:  that contempt of yours is why you remain a second-rate writer.  Get rid of it and you could be among the best.  Which is why, if you ever tell how lucky I am on a day when the tinnitus is particularly bad, I’m going to beat you half to death with my bare hands.  For your own good. 

Seriously. 

Third:  you actually believe that white men have it easier than white women in the 21^st Century?  Bwaaahahaha!  God, you’re whipped.

Fourth:  you’re no better at thinking than you are at empathy, are you?  That’s really sad, in a sci-fi writer.  But you don’t even see the implications of your own freakin’ writing. 

Remember when I said that you could choose your difficulty setting in The Real World? Well, I lied. In fact, the computer chooses the difficulty setting for you. You don’t get a choice; you just get what gets given to you at the start of the game, and then you have to deal with it.

So it turns out World of Warcraft and Real Life aren’t the same thing?  Wow.  That’s…quite insightful.  Nope, you don’t get to choose your parents.  Not their socio-economic status, not their intelligence or other genetic traits, you don’t even get to choose between Type I Diabetes and something even more debilitating.  It’s why some of us judge other people by their choices and not by their conditions. 

Which is why I must ask:  did you choose to become a spoiled whiny bitch, John, or is it a medical problem?  If the second, maybe I owe you the apology.

And I’ll give you this, John:  your vacuous self-worship actually did inspire some useful thought.  Yes, of course for the past few centuries white people, in general, have enjoyed much better lives than others.  It’s an important point and worthy of any amount of analysis.

But what’s your idea of value added, Scalzi?  An extended snarking analogy between human beings and MMORPG characters.  Again…wow.  You really went outside the comfort zone for that one, eh?

But I do know you’re sporadically capable of thought.  So if you ever deign to do so again, John, here’s some more questions to chew on:

Why have white people had generally better lives for the last few hundred years?

How did they get such privilege in the first place? 

If I wanted to improve people’s lives, those are things I’d consider.  Because…for the sake of argument…what if skin color isn’t the only variable here?  I see that you’re a racist, John, but did you know that that there’s more to life than nature?  Something called “nurture”?  Did you know that behavioral choices are important to the quality of life? 

So suppose…just suppose…that white people (in general) stumbled over some tricks for becoming privileged.  “Privileged” here means more and better food, clothing, shelter, transport, education, and entertainment than (mostly non-white) people who don’t possess this occult Ancient Honky Wisdom.

So John, you just keep on mocking and insulting Whitey for being lucky.  I’ll go with trying to teach “unlucky” people how to get “privileged” themselves.  Which of us has the better approach?  Well riddle me this, John:

Why have people of every race immigrated to the United States of America? 

Why, John?  A “privileged” white nation has attracted millions upon millions of non-white immigrants.  From your point of view it makes no sense.  Why would non-white people leave their own racial group and move to lily-white America?  America!  The country that was dreamed up by white men.  Exclusively white men! 

Well, John?  Why did they leave the Old Country knowing they’d have to compete with privileged albinos?

Finally:  John…do you believe in the right of bequeathal?  You have a daughter.  Do you have the right to teach her ideas and skills to bring her advantage in life?  Do you have the right to give her whatever of your goods and wealth you want her to have? 

If bequeathal is a right, then “white people” deserve their privilege.  It’s “deserved” in the sense that hard-working people have the right to bequeath wealth and wisdom to their descendants.

By God, it’s good that white people have (mostly) out-prospered everyone else.  Because it’s white people (mostly) who created the Magna Carta and the Preamble and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and then (mostly) tried to live up to them.

So you just associate white people with “privilege” and leave it at that?  John, you’re an idiot.  Of course white people are (generally) privileged.  But you left out the middle step.  Here, let me Underpants Gnome it for you:

Step One:  white people.

Step Two:  ?????

Step Three:  Privilege!

Ahhh, yes.  “Step Two”.  Our Ancient Honky Wisdom.  I betray the White Code of Secrecy by sharing this, but I’ve always admired Prometheus.  So…our secrets to privilege?  They are human rights, property rights, free speech, the rule of law, equality under the law, presumed innocence until guilt is proven, yadda yadda yadda.  

It’s funny, but “privilege” always follows those practices.  And…this is gonna blow your puny mind, Scalzi…

…it even works for non-white people!

And…I’m out.  But seriously, John, don’t ever call me “privileged” to my face unless you’re a damn sight better at hand-to-hand combat than you appear to be. 

Or you have the cure for tinnitus.

We’ve been overwhelmed at work this week.  And an upcoming parents’ visit means house cleaning in the evenings.  I thought you should know because you’re aware that I have no life.  That makes blogging absences like a slap in the face to regular readers.  Trying to view the entire Netflix catalog is worth my time, but spending a few minutes with you guys isn’t?  It makes me hate me. 

That’s why you always get these apology-slash-explanations.

But I am working on an essay.  Hint:  if “The Fall of the Roman Empire” was properly a Gibbon epic, “The Fall of the American Empire” is a Monster Movie.