Gee, that is a tough question, isn’t it? And one that a lot of people (but probably NOT enough) have asked over the years.
And it has answers that have changed a whole lot over the years – even the last 20-30 years. At all levels of society and government.
Over at Reference.com, their “staff writer” says, “The Democratic Party operates according to a philosophy that emphasizes positive rights and the notion that people are entitled to certain things and that government is obliged to create the conditions in which people can achieve these things. Thus, Democrats tend to favor the expansion of government and its involvement in most areas of human activity.”
At the same time, an unknown commentator (after the 2021 general elections), wrote, “…their entire theory of governance is based on paternalism, hysteria, conspiracy theories, censorship, moral superiority, virtue signaling, and a complete indifference to people’s material well-being.” Well, obviously NOT a fan of the Democratic Party, eh?
At first, the two definitions seem mutually exclusive, even contradictory. But let’s dig deeper. They are more complementary than mutually exclusive.
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The robotic censor – a reality at last?
The Daily Mail reports on a new device called Themis, which apparently lets rip a loud obnoxious two-minute alarm sound when “Through the use of speech recognition and sound sensors we were able to program Themis to detect offensive terms – racial slurs, offensive jokes – through the microphone,” according to the company showing off the device at a trade show in Dubai.
(Themis is supposedly the Greek goddess of “justice and social order.” According to wickedpedia, she is “one of the twelve Titan children born to Gaia and Uranus. She is described as “[the Lady] of good counsel,” and is the personification of divine order, fairness, law, natural law, and custom. Her symbols are the Scales of Justice, tools used to remain balanced and pragmatic.” Themis, the Greek goddess of justice, is blindfolded for impartiality and traditionally holds balanced scales and a sword. This proposal seems to be anything BUT good counsel, fairness, and all that. (Be aware, that there are dozens of acronyms and endeavors named Themis online.))
The purpose? Apparently, after Themis’ alarm turns off, the people subjected to the two-minute alarm are supposed to have “an open, understanding discussion among people on the possible trigger matter and the potential reasons behind Themis’s activation.” Of course, if you use the same “offensive” words or phrases, or refer to WHAT was and was not a racial slur or a disgusting joke, will not Themis, in its godly wisdom, again blast everyone’s ears? So much for “open discussion.” (This company better have a really vandal proof device and a great insurance policy: even the most mild of people would be ready to rip it out of the wall and trample it to pieces.)
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