Okay, so I'm not a fan of religion. It's no secret, I'm not afraid to say it. However, I can tell you that religion, by the merit of its very existence, has resulted in some positive things. Anyone can go on and on about the awful things that have been committed in the name of faith, but really, no one mentions the positive things that have occurred. Although, the fact that many of these things happened because something awful was going on must be mentioned, as well. Still, one can't deny that, were the many varied churches of the Middle Ages (Christian, Muslin, Hindu, etc.) unable to convince the uneducated populace to commit their very lives to the cause of their church, our world would be a very different; and it is likely, more savage; place.
Ultimately, however, it seems that the great faiths are dying off. I feel that my generation has little need for religion as we have sought out other outlets for emotional reliance. Ask the average 35-year-old male on the street who the Patron Saint of Safe Travel or what John 3:16 actually says, and you wouldn't get much of an answer (unless, of course, they had their smart phone on them). However, ask this same male which members of the G.I. Joe team stayed behind in the alternate universe on the cartoon, and they would probably tell you "Steeler, Grunt, and Clutch" without thinking. I'm not even saying this is a bad thing, I just think it's interesting. For hundreds of generations, people have thought about their faith before anything else in their lives, with the possible exception of their families, and my generation has simply chosen not to in favor of pop culture, sports, and the camaraderie of their friends.
I feel that this means an end to the world of faith, in many ways. Certainly, there will be a maintained religious base for the world's most powerful faiths for many years to come, but the sheer puissance of these organizations will begin to wane with the passing of my parents' generation. Perhaps this is due to an increased importance of "spirituality" over sheer, unquestioning "faith" or perhaps it is due to a greater deal of knowledge at the push of a button. Perhaps it is evolution.
Regardless, I feel that the end of faith in this world will leave a hole that may never be filled by its like. For the ignorant, this will necessitate learning and growing and changing and accepting that change. For the educated, this will mean having no worthy, un-malleable foe on which to hone one's intellect. It is likely that it is for the best, but I can't help and look at a future where religions are powerless and think about the end of the Soviet Union.
It didn't feel like we won, it felt like we had nothing to fight, anymore.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Bloodworld Episode 1
Although it was limited to one player for most of the session (and two, early on) I feel that my first Bloodworld game went quite well. The world is dynamically different from the one in which I played many years ago, but I think it has a similar feel.
No ocean going adventuring, as of yet, but I think that exploring the strange City of Wyrmspire will be something to concentrate on for a little while. I have established a number of NPCs that I think are interesting and will be playing with the various politics for a short while.
No ocean going adventuring, as of yet, but I think that exploring the strange City of Wyrmspire will be something to concentrate on for a little while. I have established a number of NPCs that I think are interesting and will be playing with the various politics for a short while.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Making RPGs Pointless
So I was reading through some old issues of Digital Hero and I discovered an article from Issue #3 by Theron Bretz called "Pointless Champions." The idea is that with the Champions setting for HERO System, foregoing the actual point costs could be beneficial to keep the feel of comic books and other super-hero related source material which inspired the creation of Champions in the first place. The article details how to build and run a campaign in which the characters don't have the standard creation and advancement that one would find in more standard campaigns. This system foregoes the idea of Character Points altogether and allows players to create exactly what they want from the beginning while knowing that continued advancement will be limited in some ways throughout the campaign.
Now, there are two types of people who could potentially read this blog entry: those familiar with HERO System (and role-playing games in general) and those unfamiliar with HERO System. Either way, you're probably saying: "What the hell are you talking about?"
I'll explain.
For those not yet initiated in the workings of HERO System (or role-playing games), the game revolves around a series of points called Character Points which are used to determine what a characters capabilities and weaknesses are. Strength, Dexterity, skills, powers, and other useful abilities are all determined by the spending of these points. The more points spent, the more capable a character is. In this way, a character built using 350 points would be, theoretically, weaker than a character built on 500 or 1000 points.
Example: Particle Man is built on 250 points. He's pretty bad-ass because he has capabilities based on subatomic particles. In fact, it's rumored that when he is submerged, he doesn't get wet but, rather, the water gets Particle Manned. However, Triangle Man (one of Particle Man's Hunteds) is built on 500 points, to when they do battle, Particle Man is soundly handed a defeat. Universe Man, however, is built on 2000 points and is well above and beyond the scale of either Particle Man or Triangle Man. Were he to fight either one of them, Particle or Triangle would be beaten. Meanwhile, Person Man, who was struck in the skull with a blunt object and lives in a refuse container, is built on, oh, let's say -50 points. He is absolutely pathetic. Because he's a jerk, Triangle Man beats up Person Man for no reason. Then an accordion plays.
This is a way of handling game balance which is great when games are played with players competing against each other (think Monopoly or Chess). There are many varied ways to deal with this between different RPG systems, not all of them using points. Some rely on a leveled basis to do this. Leveled games (such as Dungeons & Dragons... you might have heard of it from the movie, or something) can be incredibly easy to play, but are also very limited in scope. Point-based games (GURPS or HERO System) can have a much wider degree of variation but can be significantly more complex to play. In addition, many other solutions have been developed in order to create games which ensure that every player has a character that is balanced with every other player's characters; no one is supposed to be better than anyone else. Overall, this balance works fine, but there have been, are, and always will be those players that are able to beat the system and create unbalanced characters through manipulation or even outright cheating (BOO! HISS!).
While "playing the points" may work in some settings and not over-balance things, in a superhero setting, where players are making with world-shaking characters, such a thing can ruin the entire game. From another point of view, it's not entirely true to the subject matter. Often, in super-powered stories, those heroes banding together are NOT completely equal. Although the less powerful characters will have capabilities and skills that the more powerful may lack. I will illustrate this with three examples:
The Avengers are known for their diverse membership, but let us examine the "big three," Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor. These three characters are, by no means, exactly equal in power level. Captain America could be around 500 or 600 points in HERO, Thor around 700 or 800, Iron Man, with his resources and various armors available, probably upwards of 1000 points. However, the three characters work together well, with the two more powerful characters often deferring to Cap's experience, even. The fact is, these characters are balanced in the fact that each lacks skills that the others possess. Thor would be all but useless in a situation that required technical know-how and Iron Man's knowledge of magic is limited, but together with Cap's leadership, they can take on anything. Alongside other members of the Avengers, who probably waver somewhere between 300 to 500 points, these characters make an unstoppable force of heroes.
The Legion of Super-Heroes is made up of a huge and diverse roster, each having a unique set of abilities. Is it likely that Mon-El (who has the powers of Superboy), Saturn Girl (who has telepathic abilities like Professor X of the X-Men), and Karate Kid (who has the martial skill of a post-trilogy Ralph Macchio) are of differing power levels. However, each has skills and abilities that are missing from other members. Another key component of the Legion is that the most powerful members have interesting weaknesses. Both Ultra Boy and Mon-El have the same powers as Superboy, but Ultra Boy can only use one ability at a time (super-strength, invulnerability, flight, etc.) and Mon-El has can be killed by exposure to lead! This evens out the board and allows the Legion to realistically operate as a team.
On the TV show "Heroes," a diverse group of normal people gained superhuman abilities, but not all of these abilities were equal. Although much of the show was about how characters were split up and dealing with various aspects of the plot, there were a few team ups. Certainly, Claire Bennet's ability to regenerate from death and Nathan Petrelli's ability to fly, while both extremely practical, is not nearly as potent as Hiro's control over space and time and Peter Petrelli's ability to mimic the powers of others! Despite this, each character had an important role to fill when dealing with whatever threat was rearing its head and even the unpowered Noah Bennet and Ando played a very important role in the plot. Without being equal, the characters managed to work together and utilize their capabilities in concert.
So, in this way, I see the idea of taking the points out of HERO System for super-powered games; and, indeed taking them out of any System; as both important to the genre and workable. My recent Marvel Super Heroes game relied a great deal on a limited point advancement system. I really didn't want to deal with the point system as I saw it a hinderance to actually building a plot. However, I didn't allow the players to build characters in ways they might have wanted to. Using a random system to create characters might not have been the best way to experiment with something like this. Also, I think a certain one of the players may have been problematic in a point-free system... or maybe better, now that I think of it.
Anyways, I intend to test this at some point in the coming year. Perhaps this will be the superhero game I've always wanted to run.
Now, there are two types of people who could potentially read this blog entry: those familiar with HERO System (and role-playing games in general) and those unfamiliar with HERO System. Either way, you're probably saying: "What the hell are you talking about?"
I'll explain.
For those not yet initiated in the workings of HERO System (or role-playing games), the game revolves around a series of points called Character Points which are used to determine what a characters capabilities and weaknesses are. Strength, Dexterity, skills, powers, and other useful abilities are all determined by the spending of these points. The more points spent, the more capable a character is. In this way, a character built using 350 points would be, theoretically, weaker than a character built on 500 or 1000 points.
Example: Particle Man is built on 250 points. He's pretty bad-ass because he has capabilities based on subatomic particles. In fact, it's rumored that when he is submerged, he doesn't get wet but, rather, the water gets Particle Manned. However, Triangle Man (one of Particle Man's Hunteds) is built on 500 points, to when they do battle, Particle Man is soundly handed a defeat. Universe Man, however, is built on 2000 points and is well above and beyond the scale of either Particle Man or Triangle Man. Were he to fight either one of them, Particle or Triangle would be beaten. Meanwhile, Person Man, who was struck in the skull with a blunt object and lives in a refuse container, is built on, oh, let's say -50 points. He is absolutely pathetic. Because he's a jerk, Triangle Man beats up Person Man for no reason. Then an accordion plays.
This is a way of handling game balance which is great when games are played with players competing against each other (think Monopoly or Chess). There are many varied ways to deal with this between different RPG systems, not all of them using points. Some rely on a leveled basis to do this. Leveled games (such as Dungeons & Dragons... you might have heard of it from the movie, or something) can be incredibly easy to play, but are also very limited in scope. Point-based games (GURPS or HERO System) can have a much wider degree of variation but can be significantly more complex to play. In addition, many other solutions have been developed in order to create games which ensure that every player has a character that is balanced with every other player's characters; no one is supposed to be better than anyone else. Overall, this balance works fine, but there have been, are, and always will be those players that are able to beat the system and create unbalanced characters through manipulation or even outright cheating (BOO! HISS!).
While "playing the points" may work in some settings and not over-balance things, in a superhero setting, where players are making with world-shaking characters, such a thing can ruin the entire game. From another point of view, it's not entirely true to the subject matter. Often, in super-powered stories, those heroes banding together are NOT completely equal. Although the less powerful characters will have capabilities and skills that the more powerful may lack. I will illustrate this with three examples:
The Avengers are known for their diverse membership, but let us examine the "big three," Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor. These three characters are, by no means, exactly equal in power level. Captain America could be around 500 or 600 points in HERO, Thor around 700 or 800, Iron Man, with his resources and various armors available, probably upwards of 1000 points. However, the three characters work together well, with the two more powerful characters often deferring to Cap's experience, even. The fact is, these characters are balanced in the fact that each lacks skills that the others possess. Thor would be all but useless in a situation that required technical know-how and Iron Man's knowledge of magic is limited, but together with Cap's leadership, they can take on anything. Alongside other members of the Avengers, who probably waver somewhere between 300 to 500 points, these characters make an unstoppable force of heroes.
The Legion of Super-Heroes is made up of a huge and diverse roster, each having a unique set of abilities. Is it likely that Mon-El (who has the powers of Superboy), Saturn Girl (who has telepathic abilities like Professor X of the X-Men), and Karate Kid (who has the martial skill of a post-trilogy Ralph Macchio) are of differing power levels. However, each has skills and abilities that are missing from other members. Another key component of the Legion is that the most powerful members have interesting weaknesses. Both Ultra Boy and Mon-El have the same powers as Superboy, but Ultra Boy can only use one ability at a time (super-strength, invulnerability, flight, etc.) and Mon-El has can be killed by exposure to lead! This evens out the board and allows the Legion to realistically operate as a team.
On the TV show "Heroes," a diverse group of normal people gained superhuman abilities, but not all of these abilities were equal. Although much of the show was about how characters were split up and dealing with various aspects of the plot, there were a few team ups. Certainly, Claire Bennet's ability to regenerate from death and Nathan Petrelli's ability to fly, while both extremely practical, is not nearly as potent as Hiro's control over space and time and Peter Petrelli's ability to mimic the powers of others! Despite this, each character had an important role to fill when dealing with whatever threat was rearing its head and even the unpowered Noah Bennet and Ando played a very important role in the plot. Without being equal, the characters managed to work together and utilize their capabilities in concert.
So, in this way, I see the idea of taking the points out of HERO System for super-powered games; and, indeed taking them out of any System; as both important to the genre and workable. My recent Marvel Super Heroes game relied a great deal on a limited point advancement system. I really didn't want to deal with the point system as I saw it a hinderance to actually building a plot. However, I didn't allow the players to build characters in ways they might have wanted to. Using a random system to create characters might not have been the best way to experiment with something like this. Also, I think a certain one of the players may have been problematic in a point-free system... or maybe better, now that I think of it.
Anyways, I intend to test this at some point in the coming year. Perhaps this will be the superhero game I've always wanted to run.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Heh... Huh... Ho!
Well, not much of a post today. I've been working on my new campaign that I begin on Friday. It's a new version of the first great RPG campaign in which I participated. The adventure should be interesting and has several possible directions it can go in with the campaign. I am setting no expectations for the players, but I am setting the motivations, goals, and plans of the various NPCs and factions. It's entirely possible that the players will never encounter the most major plots, but it is unlikely unless they make very unusual decisions. I'm trying to avoid concentrating on any one character, but if one is more proactive than the other, I will have no option but to do so.
I have also been compiling superhero and villain characters for a campaign that I am hoping to run in 2011. I know it may seem a bit extreme to plan that far ahead, but, frankly, I have had enough superhero campaigns go awry and I want this to be bigger and cooler than the rest. I also want to offer options when it comes to players creating characters. If they want to play typical four-color heroes, they will be able to do so. If they want to play villains, they could, as well. Killer supers, street-level vigilantes, extremists, mercenaries, bounty hunters; anything would be available as a possibility and, ultimately, the players will be determining the very campaign. I haven't decided what system this would be in, possibly 3D-RPG or my own D200 System, but maybe just GURPS.
Well, that's it. Not as verbose as yesterday, but a little less insane.
I have also been compiling superhero and villain characters for a campaign that I am hoping to run in 2011. I know it may seem a bit extreme to plan that far ahead, but, frankly, I have had enough superhero campaigns go awry and I want this to be bigger and cooler than the rest. I also want to offer options when it comes to players creating characters. If they want to play typical four-color heroes, they will be able to do so. If they want to play villains, they could, as well. Killer supers, street-level vigilantes, extremists, mercenaries, bounty hunters; anything would be available as a possibility and, ultimately, the players will be determining the very campaign. I haven't decided what system this would be in, possibly 3D-RPG or my own D200 System, but maybe just GURPS.
Well, that's it. Not as verbose as yesterday, but a little less insane.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
My Brain on Sin
Okay, so it's 4 in the AM. I just thought I would get today's post out of the way. I've been thinking a lot about religion. It's funny: hardcore religious people think I have no spiritual side, but atheists seem to think I'm just another religious weirdo. Frankly, this seems to be the case in everything I do. People don't know where to place me on scales. I don't fit into easy categories and this is a problem for most people.
Why is this?
It was suggested when I was young that I might have Asperger's to a degree. This was not, as far as I am aware, followed up upon and I don't really talk about it much. As I have encountered people that use whatever mental issue some quack diagnosed them with as a crutch, I don't want to end up the same way. I DO make jokes about my dyslexia, but I feel that I have properly overcome it to such a degree that I don't rely on it to explain my failures in life.
I think, perhaps, that I just have a different way of viewing things than the vast majority of the population and this can be problematic for people to deal with. I will offer an example:
Three major, ongoing social issues, worldwide, are drugs, prostitution, and gambling. Anyone engaged in these activities is a willing party. No one goes into it without any choice in the matter (I don't care what anyone says, choice comes up, even if only at the beginning). Those offering illegal services related to such vices are in it willingly and those paying for the vice are also in it willingly. This is what is classically referred to as a "victimless crime." Because I think religions are, in general, self-serving and detrimental to a free society, I refer to laws against acts such as buying, selling, and using drugs, prostitution, and gambling as "sin laws."
Ultimately, these things go on, no matter what. If people didn't want to take part in these activities, then Las Vegas would go bankrupt and there would be no need for a Federal organization called the Drug Enforcement Agency. Despite laws against doing this stuff, people still do it and someone else makes a profit. However, since these activities are illegal, those profiting off of them are criminals.
That said, they are merely providing a desired service in a free-market economy and denying them this through government regulation is tantamount to government controlling what a business can do. The crimes covered by "sin laws" are not directly leading to actions that would harm someone who is not willingly involved, thus they could not be considered "crime against humanity." By supporting sin laws, one is ultimately supporting control of government over private economy and, thus, a form of Communism.
Ultimately, there is little or no difference in the prohibition of marijuana or cocaine than there would be in banning alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, fatty foods, sugar, or whatever other substance health Nazis are going on about this week. In addition, there is no difference in selling one's body for private sexual favors and selling one's body for pornographic purposes or even for more mundane services such as cleaning or landscaping. Nor is there any difference between playing poker for money or betting in a football pool or playing the lottery. The only reason these actions are against the law is that someone who stood to lose money on them being legal convinced a large group of people (generally members of religious groups) that they were morally wrong. By supporting the continued illegal status of such activities, one is further giving into those profiteers controlling government, meaning one is supporting a form of Fascism.
In addition, as I have mentioned and inferred, supporting laws such as those that oppose legal status for drug sales and usage, prostitution, and gambling ultimately provides governmental power to a secular organization or group of organizations. Although "separation of church and state" is not explicitly stated in the Constitution, it is stated that freedom to practice religion is an important freedom. In order for everyone to be able to practice according to their own faith (or lack thereof), a separation of church and state MUST be in place. Otherwise, this nation is not truly free and we are, instead, in a form of Theocracy.
Therefore, by supporting the laws against drugs, prostitution, and gambling, not only are the faithful, "holier-than-thou," "moral majority," working implicitly against the spirit of the Constitution of the United States, but they are supporting; somehow, at the exact same time; Communisim, Fascism, and the idea of a Theocratic government; all concept that would have sickened the Founding Fathers if they were able to see this.
With all that in mind, I would also like to say that the good religious folks of this great nation are also granting the scumbags who would profit off of illegal activities (not all of them would be scum bags, but I would bet a top-heavy ratio of them would be) a huge boon. You see, everything that is covered by sin laws goes on, regardless of what legal status it happens to be in whatever part of the world or place in history you happen to be in. Frankly, there is no way to stop it from going on. Forcing those brave souls who protect us and uphold the law to deal with these people puts heroic individuals in danger and, clearly, does not stop the activity. Because drugs, prostitution, and gambling are illegal in most places in the United States, those individuals and organizations that maintain profits from such goings-on do not pay taxes on them and, rather, rely on a careful system of money laundering to ensure that they do not need to deal with a government organization they truly fear: the Internal Revenue Service.
I think it interesting that the DEA, FBI, and various police organizations seem to strike no fear into the hearts of those who deal in vice, but the IRS seemingly does. Of course, when you examine it, it becomes clear. Criminals in the United States have a much higher degree of rights than taxpayers. The IRS is answerably to NO organization or authority and can incarcerate people with only the bare minimum of precedent. They do not have to rely on "innocent until proven guilty" and have no restrictions as to time limits on when they can deal with those who do not pay proper taxes.
Criminal organizations do not want the various sin laws to be repealed because, if they are, then they will be forced to open their books to the IRS for the first time. Instead of having underpaid, overworked, mortally endangered police to deal with, they will have to work with the efficient and dangerous investigators of the IRS (the only part of the organization that IS efficient, as far as I can tell). Legalization of drugs, prostitution, and gambling does something having the laws in place certainly never could: hit the bad guys where it counts - their wallets.
In addition, the fact that there are already organizations meant to deal with these activities means that they could be re-tasked to monitor rather than persecute. This would minimize the danger that the decent people who try to deal with vice are currently in and would improve the quality of and safety of the products themselves. It would also add jobs to the market; civil service positions to assist with monitoring, testing, and enforcing strict restrictions that would reduce the incidents of poisoning, overdosing, and spread of STDs.
Oh, by the way, all of those new jobs would be paid for by the inconceivable increase in tax revenue. If the sin laws were repealed and new sin taxes put in place, it is entirely possibly that the entire population of the United States would see a massive reduction in taxes. We could pay of debts, we could create jobs, we could win wars; in essence, our nation would be back to being the most powerful nation on the planet and not just saying it and hoping it's true.
To summarize: repealing the laws on drugs, prostitution, and gambling would ensure that we were supporting a free market economy; strengthening Democracy and freedom; helping this nation get out of debt and improve financially; and hitting criminal organizations harder than they have ever been hit before in one fell swoop.
I am not a religious person and, frankly, I like a little chaos. After thinking about this such a great deal, I have come to actually support these laws. I like the fact that the patriots and religious pundits are shooting themselves in the foot in order for some fruitless battle that they are destined to lose. However, this doesn't mean I won't bring it up.
I like to tell smart people how stupid they're being.
So that is an example of what I think about. Maybe it's because I was an only child with a minimal amount of friends and was unable to really interact with people until I learned how to create a persona that appealed to folks. Maybe I have Asperger's to the degree that was indicated when I was young. Whatever it is, I don't think like normal people. I am not a normal person and I accept this.
Frankly, I feel that normal people tend to be boring and suck.
As I write this, I think about some folks I know who may be the dumbest couple I have ever met. They are going to the Glenn Beck rally in Washington that coincides with the anniversary of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. This duo have never impressed upon my anything but the most rudimentary intellect and hearing about how pleased they are to head out to this travesty cements my thought that whatever pre-animate matter they utilize for neurological impulses must, in fact, be a miracle of science to allow them to ambulate of their own volition and actually manage a semblance of communication with sentient beings.
I feel as though this blog does something that no speech given by Mr. Beck has managed to do: offer hypothesis, proof, and a proper, intelligible summary. Also, I didn't cry like a bitch once while I was writing it.
I think I will send a note and a link to Beck about this blog and see what happens. IF he actually does read it, I want him to especially note this last paragraph, because it's really just for him. If you are not Glen Beck, feel free to end here and I'll see you tomorrow.
Mr. Beck - What you do is lie and spread hate by trying to cement your close-minded way of thinking to the good American people. I am certain that you think I am scum and, thanks to holier-than-thou garbage like yourself, I am inclined to agree with you on every level. I have no illusions about what I am, but I also see through all the illusions you offer and understand exactly what you are. Put on whatever face you want and cry a river of crocodile tears whilst the lost, dispossessed, fearing, and angry all tune in to try to fill the void left by faith in something... I know you. I am not the only one.
Why is this?
It was suggested when I was young that I might have Asperger's to a degree. This was not, as far as I am aware, followed up upon and I don't really talk about it much. As I have encountered people that use whatever mental issue some quack diagnosed them with as a crutch, I don't want to end up the same way. I DO make jokes about my dyslexia, but I feel that I have properly overcome it to such a degree that I don't rely on it to explain my failures in life.
I think, perhaps, that I just have a different way of viewing things than the vast majority of the population and this can be problematic for people to deal with. I will offer an example:
Three major, ongoing social issues, worldwide, are drugs, prostitution, and gambling. Anyone engaged in these activities is a willing party. No one goes into it without any choice in the matter (I don't care what anyone says, choice comes up, even if only at the beginning). Those offering illegal services related to such vices are in it willingly and those paying for the vice are also in it willingly. This is what is classically referred to as a "victimless crime." Because I think religions are, in general, self-serving and detrimental to a free society, I refer to laws against acts such as buying, selling, and using drugs, prostitution, and gambling as "sin laws."
Ultimately, these things go on, no matter what. If people didn't want to take part in these activities, then Las Vegas would go bankrupt and there would be no need for a Federal organization called the Drug Enforcement Agency. Despite laws against doing this stuff, people still do it and someone else makes a profit. However, since these activities are illegal, those profiting off of them are criminals.
That said, they are merely providing a desired service in a free-market economy and denying them this through government regulation is tantamount to government controlling what a business can do. The crimes covered by "sin laws" are not directly leading to actions that would harm someone who is not willingly involved, thus they could not be considered "crime against humanity." By supporting sin laws, one is ultimately supporting control of government over private economy and, thus, a form of Communism.
Ultimately, there is little or no difference in the prohibition of marijuana or cocaine than there would be in banning alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, fatty foods, sugar, or whatever other substance health Nazis are going on about this week. In addition, there is no difference in selling one's body for private sexual favors and selling one's body for pornographic purposes or even for more mundane services such as cleaning or landscaping. Nor is there any difference between playing poker for money or betting in a football pool or playing the lottery. The only reason these actions are against the law is that someone who stood to lose money on them being legal convinced a large group of people (generally members of religious groups) that they were morally wrong. By supporting the continued illegal status of such activities, one is further giving into those profiteers controlling government, meaning one is supporting a form of Fascism.
In addition, as I have mentioned and inferred, supporting laws such as those that oppose legal status for drug sales and usage, prostitution, and gambling ultimately provides governmental power to a secular organization or group of organizations. Although "separation of church and state" is not explicitly stated in the Constitution, it is stated that freedom to practice religion is an important freedom. In order for everyone to be able to practice according to their own faith (or lack thereof), a separation of church and state MUST be in place. Otherwise, this nation is not truly free and we are, instead, in a form of Theocracy.
Therefore, by supporting the laws against drugs, prostitution, and gambling, not only are the faithful, "holier-than-thou," "moral majority," working implicitly against the spirit of the Constitution of the United States, but they are supporting; somehow, at the exact same time; Communisim, Fascism, and the idea of a Theocratic government; all concept that would have sickened the Founding Fathers if they were able to see this.
With all that in mind, I would also like to say that the good religious folks of this great nation are also granting the scumbags who would profit off of illegal activities (not all of them would be scum bags, but I would bet a top-heavy ratio of them would be) a huge boon. You see, everything that is covered by sin laws goes on, regardless of what legal status it happens to be in whatever part of the world or place in history you happen to be in. Frankly, there is no way to stop it from going on. Forcing those brave souls who protect us and uphold the law to deal with these people puts heroic individuals in danger and, clearly, does not stop the activity. Because drugs, prostitution, and gambling are illegal in most places in the United States, those individuals and organizations that maintain profits from such goings-on do not pay taxes on them and, rather, rely on a careful system of money laundering to ensure that they do not need to deal with a government organization they truly fear: the Internal Revenue Service.
I think it interesting that the DEA, FBI, and various police organizations seem to strike no fear into the hearts of those who deal in vice, but the IRS seemingly does. Of course, when you examine it, it becomes clear. Criminals in the United States have a much higher degree of rights than taxpayers. The IRS is answerably to NO organization or authority and can incarcerate people with only the bare minimum of precedent. They do not have to rely on "innocent until proven guilty" and have no restrictions as to time limits on when they can deal with those who do not pay proper taxes.
Criminal organizations do not want the various sin laws to be repealed because, if they are, then they will be forced to open their books to the IRS for the first time. Instead of having underpaid, overworked, mortally endangered police to deal with, they will have to work with the efficient and dangerous investigators of the IRS (the only part of the organization that IS efficient, as far as I can tell). Legalization of drugs, prostitution, and gambling does something having the laws in place certainly never could: hit the bad guys where it counts - their wallets.
In addition, the fact that there are already organizations meant to deal with these activities means that they could be re-tasked to monitor rather than persecute. This would minimize the danger that the decent people who try to deal with vice are currently in and would improve the quality of and safety of the products themselves. It would also add jobs to the market; civil service positions to assist with monitoring, testing, and enforcing strict restrictions that would reduce the incidents of poisoning, overdosing, and spread of STDs.
Oh, by the way, all of those new jobs would be paid for by the inconceivable increase in tax revenue. If the sin laws were repealed and new sin taxes put in place, it is entirely possibly that the entire population of the United States would see a massive reduction in taxes. We could pay of debts, we could create jobs, we could win wars; in essence, our nation would be back to being the most powerful nation on the planet and not just saying it and hoping it's true.
To summarize: repealing the laws on drugs, prostitution, and gambling would ensure that we were supporting a free market economy; strengthening Democracy and freedom; helping this nation get out of debt and improve financially; and hitting criminal organizations harder than they have ever been hit before in one fell swoop.
I am not a religious person and, frankly, I like a little chaos. After thinking about this such a great deal, I have come to actually support these laws. I like the fact that the patriots and religious pundits are shooting themselves in the foot in order for some fruitless battle that they are destined to lose. However, this doesn't mean I won't bring it up.
I like to tell smart people how stupid they're being.
So that is an example of what I think about. Maybe it's because I was an only child with a minimal amount of friends and was unable to really interact with people until I learned how to create a persona that appealed to folks. Maybe I have Asperger's to the degree that was indicated when I was young. Whatever it is, I don't think like normal people. I am not a normal person and I accept this.
Frankly, I feel that normal people tend to be boring and suck.
As I write this, I think about some folks I know who may be the dumbest couple I have ever met. They are going to the Glenn Beck rally in Washington that coincides with the anniversary of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. This duo have never impressed upon my anything but the most rudimentary intellect and hearing about how pleased they are to head out to this travesty cements my thought that whatever pre-animate matter they utilize for neurological impulses must, in fact, be a miracle of science to allow them to ambulate of their own volition and actually manage a semblance of communication with sentient beings.
I feel as though this blog does something that no speech given by Mr. Beck has managed to do: offer hypothesis, proof, and a proper, intelligible summary. Also, I didn't cry like a bitch once while I was writing it.
I think I will send a note and a link to Beck about this blog and see what happens. IF he actually does read it, I want him to especially note this last paragraph, because it's really just for him. If you are not Glen Beck, feel free to end here and I'll see you tomorrow.
Mr. Beck - What you do is lie and spread hate by trying to cement your close-minded way of thinking to the good American people. I am certain that you think I am scum and, thanks to holier-than-thou garbage like yourself, I am inclined to agree with you on every level. I have no illusions about what I am, but I also see through all the illusions you offer and understand exactly what you are. Put on whatever face you want and cry a river of crocodile tears whilst the lost, dispossessed, fearing, and angry all tune in to try to fill the void left by faith in something... I know you. I am not the only one.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Everything is Stupid
Okay. This is my new blog. This is a place that I can vent my thoughts. I'm trying to keep up with a friend of mine who is updating his blog every day. Can I do it? If I'm lame, probably. Frankly, no one will ever read this so I feel that it won't be much of an issue.
Some friends of mine were robbed over the weekend. The scumbags who broke into their place stole all their electronics. There are ways to track this stuff as long as the people that stole it are idiots. I hope they are.
Real life superheroes piss me off. There is someone I used to play role-playing games with who is attempting to be a superhero. A plan is forming. I'll not say more.
The first draft of my short story has been finished for a while. I gave it to three people to read. I have received feedback from one of them and am looking forward to the thoughts of the others. Draft 2 should be even better and, if I think that's good enough, I'll submit it.
First blog. Sucks. Whatever.
Some friends of mine were robbed over the weekend. The scumbags who broke into their place stole all their electronics. There are ways to track this stuff as long as the people that stole it are idiots. I hope they are.
Real life superheroes piss me off. There is someone I used to play role-playing games with who is attempting to be a superhero. A plan is forming. I'll not say more.
The first draft of my short story has been finished for a while. I gave it to three people to read. I have received feedback from one of them and am looking forward to the thoughts of the others. Draft 2 should be even better and, if I think that's good enough, I'll submit it.
First blog. Sucks. Whatever.
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