Shadows of mankind

Ever wonder about the fascination with pirates that young and old seem to have? Found this neat series of articles arguing

"that piracy functions not as the enemy of all mankind (hostis humanis generis) but as the shadow of mankind: umbris humanis generis. As rebels against a social order that is oppressing them, those who turn to piracy are critiquing the economic and political systems that have seen them disenfranchised".

"...piracy as a rupture in an already corrupt system – as a shadow that makes the Empire uncomfortable -"

"What pirates do, as a rule, is emerge from the underbelly of a ’stuck’ orthodoxy and, by way of actions that are initially perceived as heretical, reinvigorate that practice. The heresy of Napster becomes the orthodoxy of Spotify. The pirate DJs of Radio Caroline join Aunty at the BBC and create Radio 1."

A Plea for Christian Piracy.

A-corny

Glenn Greenwald puts it in perspective.

"Claiming you're worried about large government and taxpayer waste while fixating on ACORN proves the insincerity of the ostensible concern, let alone doing so while cheering on the same Wall Street banks, defense contractors, and insurance industries that control and expand government power for their own benefit."

For those of us who have been truly concerned for years about government expansion, the current conservative movement is a waste of time. As the rhetoric increases, real discussion on this and many issues slips away. Like a dull hum from a street lamp against the roar of traffic below, so goes the conversation.

There are voices, left and right of issues worth listening to. Becoming harder to find though just as it is to remain thoughtful myself.

Two steps from Hell.

No, not me, the artists.

Two Steps from Hell make music for Movie trailers. I had to find them when I saw the new (March released but yet unseen by me) Star Trek movie trailer.

Listen.

Bout time.

The New York Times over the weekend reported that the anti-war movement is gearing up to challenge President Obama on Afghanistan.

Long since dormant, they are finally finding a voice.

h/t to Derrick, at Return Good for Evil.