~augi01

I've been fairly inactive as of late, the pass few months have seen little to no progress in my philosophical/political work due to other obligations. However I read another new article this morning that dealt with the current state of the US Presidential race, I suppose it's time for a rant...

[link]

NBC Nightly News reported McCain "accused him [read: Obama] of calling for a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq so he can win the Democratic nomination, even if it meant losing the war."

There's a number of topics surrounding the so-called "War on Terror" that I could sit here and complain about to an empty crowd, but today it happens to be one in particular.

I am tired of hearing about, or having war referred to, as a "game". As something to be won or lost as if I was sitting around playing Mario Kart. Yet time and time again the media spews forth this message of our progress in Iraq, time and time again declaring that we are "winning the war on terror". Their ignorance is astounding.

You cannot win a "war on terror" by bringing more terror. This notion that at the end of the day there is some finish line to be crossed as which point America will stand upon a step holding a trophy representing peace and justice is absurd.

You got nowhere left to run,
The battle is on and the war has begun,
Smoke clouds are rising in the air,
And a mother cries in death's despair..

War isn't a game, and there's nothing to be won from it. It is a brutal, horrific event that involves not a fight of good against evil, the just against the unjust, but human beings against human beings. War is "legal" mass murder brought about by an unwillingness to communicate and listen to reason from all sides.

Blank.

- Augi

Decided to update this journal and note that I am working on a new piece tentatively titled 'The New Hedonistic Paradox: A Response to Hills'. Alison Hills, a professor at Oxford, has recently published an article that, if not adequately responded to would blow Utilitarianism into tiny little pieces. At least prima facie. Hopefully I'll have my response to her critique done within a week and I'll post it here for comments. I'm not a Utilitarian per se though I do find the theory attractive. Having recently committed to Consequentialism I'm starting at the beginning and based on various problems posed to me will either a) defend my view against them or b) accept the criticism and make the necessary changes to my view in order to avoid them. Let the exploration begin!

- Augi

Submitted my other term paper today, you can find it under 'A Critique of Lorenz'. The other paper I submitted for my Consequentialism seminar was returned to me yesterday, and I quote, "A solid A across the board." - Woohoo.

Now that classes are nearly over I'll have time to get back to writing works that are less than too-many-pages-I-don't-want-to-read-it.

- Augi

The end of the semester approaches and with that said I have uploaded a copy of one of my term papers. The paper [see: Consequentialism and Friendship] was written for a seminar class I took on the topic of Consequentialism. I'm proud of it.

On another note my second term paper should be up either Monday or Tuesday.

- Augi