Author: gjreid
DRIVERLESS CARS
It seems to me that a self-driving car will no longer have to be designed as a car, with seats looking forward and a steering-wheel and etc. It could be a mobile office, nursery, playroom, or bedroom. Also, the integration of self-driving cars into public – mass – transport will be interesting and could potentially make the capillary outreach of public transport much more flexible and ramified. The car, of course, is. like the suburbs, a great social isolator, whereas public transport forces one to rub shoulders with all sorts of people. Baron Haussmann’s rebuilding of Paris in 1850-1870, which resulted in the replacement of mixed neighborhoods where social classes cohabited – often vertically in the same building – higgledy-piggledy – with more socially homogeneous – and thus segregated neighborhoods, with the workers all concentrated in certain arrondissements – was one factor enabling the Paris Commune revolt of 1871. When you live cheek-by-jowl with people it is harder to demonize them. One of the rich human and humane sides of historic centers in Italian cities is the fact that due to history, architecture, and rent controls, a whole spectrum of social classes and income levels will live in the same building even, and certainly on the same street, and meet at the corner cafe. This was certainly true of my street in Rome, via Panico. The phenomenon was noted by a French observer of the Italian scene in the 1970s. Didn’t prevent radicalization, though, but radicalization remained a minority – youth – phenomenon. Such social integration is declining.
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DE-RADICALIZATION
Opposing radicalization will I imagine require a broad-spectrum approach: theological arguments against it, and against the Apocalyptic-nihilistic vision which inspires much terrorism, and this to be conducted within the Islamic theological framework; cultural arguments to counter and ‘deconstruct’ the theme of ‘Western decadence’; ethical – and cultural and historical -arguments regarding the role of women in society and regarding too the desirability – or not – of violent, terrorist action; sociological and psychological arguments to counter and explain whatever experiences of racism or prejudice have been encountered; psychological arguments to dissect and counter various forms of ‘identity crisis’ and inner ‘identity conflict’ and ‘status anxiety’ felt by these young men and women; political arguments to counter the various themes of complaint – valid and less valid – about Western behavior and hypocrisy – the history of Western expansion and imperialism; the Israel-Palestine conflict; the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the apparent indifference to Muslim suffering in Bosnia and ex-Yugoslavia, the apparent indifference to the suffering and civil war in Syria, and etc. A critique, too, of the claims of ISIS and other terrorist groups, and a critical – very critical – analysis of their ethics, their aims, the means they use, and so on. A critique – perhaps humorous and satirical, too, of the ‘style’ and pretensions of ISIS and other such groups: make it ridiculous and not sexy; that would be fatal.. All of which will require, on our part, a considerable dose of self-criticism and self-awareness. This comes down to establishing a dialogue – an ‘I-thou’ relationship. Then, too, there the social and family and ideological contexts and the role of evil doctrines and seductive gurus and teachers, and the financial flows which promote and back the preachers of intolerance, hatred, and jihad, all of which must be countered too.
TERRORISM – DE-RADICALIZATION
Opposing radicalization will I imagine require a broad-spectrum approach: theological arguments against it, and against the Apocalyptic-nihilistic vision which inspires much terrorism, and this to be conducted within the Islamic theological framework; cultural arguments to counter and ‘deconstruct’ the theme of ‘Western decadence’; ethical – and cultural and historical -arguments regarding the role of women in society and regarding too the desirability – or not – of violent, terrorist action; sociological and psychological arguments to counter and explain whatever experiences of racism or prejudice have been encountered; psychological arguments to dissect and counter various forms of ‘identity crisis’ and inner ‘identity conflict’ and ‘status anxiety’ felt by these young men and women; political arguments to counter the various themes of complaint – valid and less valid – about Western behavior and hypocrisy – the history of Western expansion and imperialism; the Israel-Palestine conflict; the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the apparent indifference to Muslim suffering in Bosnia and ex-Yugoslavia, the apparent indifference to the suffering and civil war in Syria, and etc. A critique, too, of the claims of ISIS and other terrorist groups, and a critical – very critical – analysis of their ethics, their aims, the means they use, and so on. A critique – perhaps humorous and satirical, too, of the ‘style’ and pretensions of ISIS and other such groups: make it ridiculous and not sexy; that would be fatal.. All of which will require, on our part, a considerable dose of self-criticism and self-awareness. This comes down to establishing a dialogue – an ‘I-thou’ relationship. Then, too, there the social and family and ideological contexts and the role of evil doctrines and seductive gurus and teachers, and the financial flows which promote and back the preachers of intolerance, hatred, and jihad, all of which must be countered too.
Experiment
This is an experimental post, and my first on my WordPress site. I am just trying this out. I will be writing about things here that I often will know little about. It’s just to get going and to say what I think needs to be said and to raise questions that I think need to be raised.