The Stranger has learned that last month the $37-billion Redmond-based software behemoth quietly withdrew its support for House bill 1515, the anti-gay-discrimination bill currently under consideration by the Washington State legislature, after being pressured by the Evangelical Christian pastor of a suburban megachurch.
You mean it's that easy? I got an idea...Let's all march on Redmond and threaten to boycott Microsoft...unless they fix all of these unnecessary s
The point is that Microsoft's market share is secure enough that they can do things that their customers wouldn't necessarily approve of; the Rev. and Mrs. Goodfaith are still going to buy a PC with MS Windows and MS Office, regardless.
I can't believe MS is really afraid of a religious-right boycott, especially when they're still the darlings of the other side of the Republican party (the economic right).
Check out the Bill of Rights. Now check out the people involved in its creation. Not a poor man in the bunch, by the standards of the times.
Learn this in your bones before you try to make any changes in the world: GOVERNMENT IS BY THE WEALTHY AND POWERFUL, FOR THE WEALTHY AND POWERFUL. (That's descriptive, not prescriptive, by the way.)
It's kinda pointless trying to change a system that you don't understand; your actions my even be counter-productive. Once you've understood the purpose of the system, you can begin to see that it is rational and internally consistent. THEN you can begin to formulate your plans to change it.
Alexander Hamilton was a poor bastard (literally) who went to college on a scholarship. He didn't write the Bill of Rights, but he sure as hell helped Madison write a lot of the Constitution.
My awful memory does not allow me to remember such details as the author, but I think I've heard a very similar quote from a Roman writer from the classical times.
I disagree with you. If I had mod points I would mod this down, not up.
Folks, *someone* had to write the rules. I thank God that it was done by a group of people that had as much foresight as the founding fathers did.
These attempts at "tearing down society" sicken me, since folks who do this do this in the name of "preserving culture" with complete disregard to actuall doing any preserving of culture. The folks who are waving their arms up and down are the new liberals... "whine until you get your way"
So, who is tearing down society? The people for the bill, against the bill? Were you being sarcastic? I can't tell!
Perhaps it's just nationalistic pride, but I am really proud the the job our Founding Fathers did constructing our nation. They might have been composed primarily of wealthy landowners, but they decided not to maximize their quality of life, but the maximize the collective quality of life for all the people of the country. Specifically, they hated the idea of nobility and dictatorship and thus
What does he have on you, Bill? (Score:4, Interesting)
You mean it's that easy? I got an idea...Let's all march on Redmond and threaten to boycott Microsoft...unless they fix all of these unnecessary s
Re:What does he have on you, Bill? (Score:5, Insightful)
Would that be the same consumer market that passed anti-gay marriage laws in 11 different states last November?
Re:What does he have on you, Bill? (Score:5, Insightful)
I can't believe MS is really afraid of a religious-right boycott, especially when they're still the darlings of the other side of the Republican party (the economic right).
Re:What does he have on you, Bill? (Score:5, Insightful)
The point is that Microsoft's market share is
Surely not - shouldn't the real point be why does a human rights bill need the financial backing of a big company to get passed?
That's the issue as far as I'm concerned. Has the US ideals of democracy sunk so low that this is just a given now and not worthy of comment?
Re:What does he have on you, Bill? (Score:5, Insightful)
Learn this in your bones before you try to make any changes in the world: GOVERNMENT IS BY THE WEALTHY AND POWERFUL, FOR THE WEALTHY AND POWERFUL. (That's descriptive, not prescriptive, by the way.)
It's kinda pointless trying to change a system that you don't understand; your actions my even be counter-productive. Once you've understood the purpose of the system, you can begin to see that it is rational and internally consistent. THEN you can begin to formulate your plans to change it.
Re:What does he have on you, Bill? (Score:1, Insightful)
Sad but true (Score:2)
My awful memory does not allow me to remember such details as the author, but I think I've heard a very similar quote from a Roman writer from the classical times.
Re:Sad but true (Score:2)
Folks, *someone* had to write the rules. I thank God that it was done by a group of people that had as much foresight as the founding fathers did.
These attempts at "tearing down society" sicken me, since folks who do this do this in the name of "preserving culture" with complete disregard to actuall doing any preserving of culture. The folks who are waving their arms up and down are the new liberals... "whine until you get your way"
Re:Sad but true (Score:2)
Perhaps it's just nationalistic pride, but I am really proud the the job our Founding Fathers did constructing our nation. They might have been composed primarily of wealthy landowners, but they decided not to maximize their quality of life, but the maximize the collective quality of life for all the people of the country. Specifically, they hated the idea of nobility and dictatorship and thus