Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Spectrum’s plan to move `Olelo and Capitol TV channels into upper digital oblivion will affect seniors most
by Larry Geller
I learned quite a bit as a board member and past president of a senior advocacy organization (Kokua Council): many elders don’t tweet, many don’t access the Internet very much or at all, and some still have flip phones.
This will change as the generations advance, but it’s where we are now.
And those who want to stay active politically in Hawaii depend on the public access channels for information and to monitor legislative hearings.
Now it seems that Spectrum, which gobbled up Oceanic Time Warner, wants to snatch the analog `Olelo channels (including Capitol TV) and banish them to upper digital assignments with new numbers.
In the past it was a rule (federal?) that the public access channels had to be available to the lowest tier of subscribers. That’s still analog—those who have one or more TVs without digital access. These days Spectrum is still subject to regulation, but whether the regulating body, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), will stick up for cable users is not known. At least they should hear the voices of the users on this plan.
The issue is on the next agenda and public testimony is accepted in person or via email.
The meeting is Friday, February 2, right in the magical “news hole” of 5 p.m., the time when politicians release statements they don’t want to see in the next day’s paper. In Hawaii it’s pau hana time on an Aloha Friday. I suspect they hope few people will show up.
I’d rather be elsewhere, but I’m going to the meeting to urge that the DCCA not allow the cable channel move. Won’t you join me?
Written testimony can be sent to DCCA Cable Television <cabletv@dcca.hawaii.gov>.
If you didn’t know about this change, you’re not alone. It could start as early as February 6. I have not been notified by Spectrum but did see an op-end in the Star-Advertiser (which is locked behind their paywall, sorry).
I did call Spectrum and learned that digital adapter boxes will be required for TVs that do not already have them. Here’s where many older people will get cut off. Most of us will have no trouble installing the boxes, but some people will not be able to cope. Imagine grandpa or granny, who do not yet even have a cell phone, wielding a wrench and arranging one more electrical power connection. They may not even have that wrench.
Or granny or grampa can pay $49.99 for installation.
Undoubtedly, some viewers will choose to just do without.
Spectrum could (and should) just leave the channels where they have been for around 20 years.
If you think the channel move is wrong, send a comment to DCCA Cable Television <cabletv@dcca.hawaii.gov> before the hearing. If you can, come down to the meeting location (see agenda) and weigh in personally.
Oh… I nearly forgot. In the future Spectrum could begin to charge for the digital adapter boxes. Isn’t your cable bill already creeping up a few bucks every so often? If they can charge, they will, and older folks are often on a fixed income.
Your voice can make a difference. Please send an email or come to the hearing if you can.
Monday, January 29, 2018
Johan Galtung’s view from Europe: Meanwhile, Around the World
Meanwhile, Around the World
29 Jan 2018
Nobody less than Lawrence Summers writes (WP 11 Dec 2017): “Don’t Expect the Economy’s Sugar High to Last” in spite of economic growth of 2.3% and stock market rise by more than 25% after election and the tax cuts. Where workers’ take home pay is concerned, there are two missing measures: raising productivity and raising equality.
David Leonhardt (NYT 8 Sep 2017) “A Broken US Economy in One Simple Chart”: the poor and middle class annual income growth dropping from 3.5 to 1.2%, with the “very affluent” (0.001%) rising from 0 to 5.5%.
One thing is wealth, another is life expectancy: Japan and Spain are Nos. 1 and 2, Norway No. 14, USA No. 25. No doubt the Japanese diet based on le cru, not le cuit, and the Spanish Mediterranean diet, also based on the sea, the plains and the mountains, play major roles.
That leads to the “Hartford Aging Index” based on productivity, well-being, equity, cohesion, security, with 18 top countries on each. If we add the ranks on those five dimensions Norway scores 23, Spain 29, Japan and USA both 42. Sorry for being personal, but it looks good for a Japanese-Norwegian couple living in Spain. Please join, at least as tourists, Spain being No. 1 in tourism as part of GNP.
Also on a personal note: it was drawn to my attention that the concept of structural violence—I introduced in 1965 to show racial violence in “Rhodesia” even if there had been no direct inter-racial murder since domestic independence 1923–scores 1.4 million hits.
The concept seems to have fallen on fertile soil. It makes the world look different when properly understood: violence with no subject, but with zillions objects, starving, dying for lack of care.
A small but important signal from La Nucia, neighbor municipality to Alfàs del Pi in Spain: no more permits to build new houses for some time. La Nucia wants to stop growing. 30,000 inhabitants in 2030 is the limit; with no limitation on restoration, beauty, art, well-being.
“Outlawing war? It actually worked”, an article by Oona Hathaway and Scott Shapiro (NYT 5 Sep 2017) refers to the 1928 Kellogg-Briand pact that brought “an end to the right of conquest and changed the way states behave”. The pact did not abolish war but tried to make it illegal–except for self-defense, a concept that can be stretched–making war for conquest a crime. Like slavery, like colonialism. And yet their countries engage in warfare, France in Africa, USA all over.
The pact should have brought in its wake a flood of court-cases. It did not, but that is now coming with the ICC. High time.
Somehow Israel always comes up, one way or the other. Not always as Israel vs Palestine but, for instance, as “American Jews vs. the Israeli government”, by Richard Cohen (WP 6 Dec 2017). He points out how Jewish students on US campuses often play a leading role in the criticism of Israeli conquest-colonialism in general and its treatment of Arabs in particular, finding it increasingly difficult to support Netanyahu policies. Their sharp critique is joined by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak recently calling “the Netanyahu government ‘irrational, bordering on messianic'”. The critics will team together.
Sooner rather than later that will have an impact on US policy, and with that on the test of the West. But the US bipartisan policy fact is today treating almost all of Jerusalem as capital of Israel, followed by its client state Saudi Arabia.
However. That policy is obviously based on somebody–guess who!–having been able to manipulate president Trump with unlimited appetite for headline-causing sensations. Gone Trump, gone that policy. And that may happen sooner rather than later with Trump’s “America First” shedding international treaties, in fact making “America Last”, less and less being invited to participate. Others do not follow Trump, but stick to old agreements and make new ones. The more Trump the more self-inflicted US isolation. But a saner USA will be welcomed back.
Meanwhile, meanwhile what? The rest of the world, some 95%, is too small to attract much Western media attention. Like the 24 November 2017 talk by Li Hui, the Chinese ambassador to Moscow–from the biggest in population to the biggest in territory–downloaded from RIAC, the Russian International Affairs Council. His headlines convey a lot:
- First, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era
- Second, the Communist Party of China has its new guiding thought
- Third, a new grand blueprint for China’s development is unfolding
- Fourth, China is Making New Commitment to the World in Paying Its Part as a Major and Responsible Country
And the talk ends with “aligning Belt and Road initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union”. Quite a lot. Better read the talk.
China, whatever its basic motives, expands its model in circles centered on its capital–like it did for millennia–with some kind of partnership the West needed centuries to develop. Even among Western nations and states; EU is still heavily France-Germany dominated.
What else? Kashmir again: 225,000 km2, with India dominating 101,000, Pakistan 86,000 and China 38,000 km2. An overriding KAFTA, Kashmir Area Free Trade Association, could move toward independence.
The major issues, nuclear war and rampant inequality are explored by Russell Goldman, “There is No Button” (NYT 3 Jan 2018) and Roberto Savio, “Of Billionaires, Fiscal Paradises, World Debt, and the Victims. Goldman’s point: Trump, Kim Jung-Un can order nuclear strikes alone; decision-sharing indispensable. Savio’s points: the 500 US richest grew 2017 23% to 5 trillion (US budget 3.7 trillion) taken from the rest as no more money is printed. China now tops USA in billionaires. World debt is 226 trillion-3 times global annual output. The poor pay.
Norwegian parliament 5 Dec 2017 on the Nobel Peace Prize: not on peace of which with one exception they know little, but nomination to the prestigious committee. Miracle: sometimes the prize makes sense.
________________________________________________
Johan Galtung, a professor of peace studies, dr hc mult, is founder of TRANSCEND International and rector of TRANSCEND Peace University. Prof. Galtung has published more than 1500 articles and book chapters, over 500 Editorials for TRANSCEND Media Service, and more than 170 books on peace and related issues, of which more than 40 have been translated to other languages, including 50 Years – 100 Peace and Conflict Perspectives published by TRANSCEND University Press. More information about Prof. Galtung and all of his publications can be found at transcend.org/galtung.
This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Maui Environmental Court rules in favor of Native Hawaiian waterman and against the state Board of Land and Natural Resources
The following is from a statement by attorney Lance Collins, representing Native Hawaiian fisherman Malama Chun. An OCR copy of the judge’s order is here. Note that the OCR process may introduce some errors.
Wailuku, Maui – Maui Environmental Court Judge Joseph E. Cardoza ruled in favor of Native Hawaiian waterman Malama Chun and against the state Board of Land and Natural Resources regarding his petition challenging DLNR's Division of Aquatic Resources practice of issuing licenses to foreign fisherman who have been refused permission to land in Hawai'i by U.S. authorities and have been ordered deported.
The BLNR had denied the petition on the grounds that Chun lacked standing to file the petition. The Court reversed that decision, finding he had made a sufficient case to establish standing and remanded it back to the BLNR to decide the merits of Chun's petition.
State law restricts the issuance of commercial fishing licenses to persons “lawfully admitted to the United States.” Foreign fishermen working in the longline fishing industry are refused permission to land in the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and are also ordered deported. However, using a loophole, they authorize the fisherman's boat captain to hold the fisherman's passport and the deportation order and allow the boat captain to determine when the deportation is to occur. To enforce the deportation order, the piers at which the fishing boats dock are heavily militarized and access is restricted.
Malama Chun said, “I would like to express my gratitude to the Environmental Court for upholding my civil rights. I hope the Land Board will do the same for these less fortunate fishermen on these boats.”
Chun's attorney, Lance D. Collins, added: “The statute is clear. The practice is illgeal. We look forward to a timely decision on the merits by the Land Board according to law.”
The Court had previously denied the Hawaii Longline Association's attempt to intervene in the case.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Hawaii Emergency Management declined to dedicate a Twitter account for emergency notifications
by Larry Geller
Kokua Council’s November 2017 meeting was on the subject “Disaster preparedness—can we protect our seniors?” The panel never got around to that topic, instead holding a typical “organize your emergency kit” presentation.
At the end there was space given to questions from the audience. I asked Vern Miyagi why HEMA did not have a Twitter account dedicated to emergency notification.
If they did, and if they publicized it, people across the state could follow the account and have the messages sent to their smartphone or handset. Yes, even the older technology is capable of receiving SMS (text) messages.
While there is no substitute for HEMA sending a proper cancellation notice after a false or real alert (say, if the missile misses or if it is blown up in flight), a widely followed Twitter account can reach many people. And those people can spread the word to neighbors, for example.
Miyagi said they have a Twitter account. To that, I countered that it is useless for the purpose because they are using it for all manner of frivolous messages.
I don’t want all the “Happy Aloha Friday” messages sent to my phone. Only the emergency messages, please.
Caldwell nixes Nixle notification service
As long as you’re here – did you know that Honolulu Mayor Caldwell has removed the island from the Nixle warning system? That system also could have been used last Saturday to let people know about the false missile alert.
From a Wikipedia page:
Nixle offers free and paid notification services for local police departments, county emergency management offices, municipal governments and their agencies within the United States. The Nixle service allows government agencies to send messages to local residents via phone, email and web. Information is delivered almost instantly. Nixle serves government agencies and organizations in all 50 states. By June 1, 2017 over 8,100 government agencies and over 3,000,000 subscribers were registered to use the Nixle location based service.
Miyagi didn’t. They still don’t have an account dedicated to emergency notification.
My suggestion is not perfect, it’s not intended as a cure-all. But it is very easy to do. Real easy. Then they can publicize it. They can use their existing account to spread the word. They can create public service messages. Newspapers will report the account to readers, as will the local cable TV news and radio news and talk shows.
Now, especially, after the false alarm last weekend, people might flock to follow a dedicated emergency account.
But Hawaii EMA just doesn’t get it. I don’t think they understand.
So let’s not fire the operator who “pushed the wrong button.” Let’s replace anyone in management who is found not competent to hold the position.
Cancelling a missile alert should not be rocket science.
What was MSNBC doing in the bunker before the Hawaii missile scare?
by Larry Geller
What was an NBC news crew doing at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency on Friday and perhaps Saturday, the day of the false nuclear missile alert?
What was their interaction with the computer operator, and could it have contributed to the “human error” that resulted in widespread panic in Hawaii?
An NBC "Left Field" camera crew was present at the Hawaii Civil Defense Diamond Head bunker on Friday morning and perhaps on Saturday, the day of the false nuclear attack warning. I tried to get more information. NBC, however, at least those I queried, did not respond.
MSNBC producer Jacob Soboroff spilled the beans during his report via cellphone during the panic on Saturday. He mentioned the “Left Field” visit during his report.There’s no doubt that the crew visited HEMA on Friday, the day before the alert, because videos are still on the web of their report. Here’s a screen cap of one:
As Hawaii News Now noted, there should certainly not be a password visible when a news crew is present. Or at any other time, of course, but that’s an illustration of how computer savvy the HEMA folks may be.
There is no way, without an investigation, to know what the interaction between the news crew and HEMA staff might have been. What might HEMA have changed or modified for the interview? As the state reacted to news reports, it turned out that it had faked not one but two screen shots of the computer system menu that was involved in the incident:
Were one or both of these created to show to the camera crew? Curious minds want to know. Was the alert software modified for a demonstration?
When I learned from a tip that a news crew may possibly have been present in the command center, I tried to learn more. I was not successful, so it is possible that there is no news here, nothing of concern. But I am chagrined that NBC ignored my inquiries.
I did what I have done before when I wanted to contact a news team or reporter when there was no email available—I emailed NBC’s media office for assistance on Monday. But after a bit, there was no reply, so I called them only to get a voice mail message.
Ok, it was a holiday. So I called again on Tuesday, asked my question, and did not get help—they advised me to email. So I emailed again. No reply. I also sent a message via the Signal app to their tip line, which is always monitored. Again, no reply.
Now, Disappeared News is just this little blog. If a professional journalist had been asking, perhaps NBC would have responded.
Most likely there is nothing interesting in this, but it would have been reassuring to get some reply from NBC. As this incident is investigated by various state and federal agencies it would not hurt to check if HEMA might have been showing off for the camera crew, for example, and in some way set themselves up for the false alarm incident. Remember, they gave more than one version of what their menu looked like, by way of explanation for the “human error.” We need to know why there were multiple versions of this menu.
As to the “human error,” the death threats the operator has received and the calls for the employee to be fired, I think it’s been established by now that the design of the emergency alert system and its supervision by Hawaii EMA management was totally defective. What is dismissed as “human error” is very often defective design.
I can add to that my evaluation that the lack of a quick and easy way to send a cancellation message was a failure we should be concerned about if we care about our state government’s apparent inability to create modern computer software systems. Suppose a missile was launched—and blew up enroute. Suppose it landed way off target. Suppose it was a false alarm from the get-go. You’d think the system could routinely handle those and other situations by transmitting the cancellation. But no.
Finally, I’m also mildly curious why some NBC reports formerly available on the web can no longer be accessed. Here’s one that I googled again just before writing this article:
When I clicked on the link, I found that it is no longer publicly available:
Why?
Monday, January 08, 2018
Johan Galtung’s view from Europe: American Diplomacy with North Korea and Vietnam
American Diplomacy with North Korea and Vietnam
8 Jan 2018
#516 | Johan Galtung – TRANSCEND Media Service
Foreword to Michael Haas’ Book
This very rich, well researched book by Michael Haas–a senior, major US political scientist–gives detailed “softer” empirical, factual answers in Part II. Indeed, highly recommended.
In this foreword, however, I will explore US deep culture implications for US foreign policy, close to “American Diplomacy”.
The US self-image as successor to Israel as MFN–most favored nation–by God, with Chosen People-Promised Land, CPPL, status, is from 1620, on Mayflower. Since about Year 70 Israel clearly no longer enjoyed CPPL status; that was under King David and under King Solomon.
The position as CPPL was empty, may those with credentials apply. Puritan Pilgrims from East Anglia via Leiden in Holland, did, and according to themselves successfully so. London, with no chosen people but command of the Promised Land was beaten in a War of Independence 1775-1812 for Promised Land for Chosen People, ushering in 141 years of wars for “unconditional surrender”. The USA looks invincible.
Till 1953. The Korea war 1950-53 with a Uniting for Peace UN mandate ended not with victory but cease-fire, armistice, DMZ; strongly resisted by Northern Korea and China. The war in Vietnam 1961 till 30 April 1975 ended with the US Army withdrawing unconditionally.
Four stages can be recognized in this very recent history:
- French then Japanese colonization of Vietnam, Japanization of Korea;
- Defeat of Japan, Vietnam back to France, Korea divided USSR-USA;
- Nationalisms in both against France and USSR-USA, for independence;
- USA belligerence against that; keeping South Korea, losing Vietnam.
The role of “American Diplomacy”? To justify US warfare, and, if it does not work, to justify “softer approaches”, like negotiation.
The role of “American Democracy”? A real life story about that.
Dennis Kucinich, House Representative (D) from Ohio before he was gerrymandered away–another aspect of US democracy, FAFE [Free And Fair Elections] in practice–called a meeting in his office suite in the building across the street from the US Congress. I was asked to tell some representatives about a meeting with leading Taliban in Afghanistan. To them, the problem was the 1893 Durand Line between the British empire–now Pakistan–and Afghanistan, cutting in two the lands of the biggest nation without a state, the Pashtuns. Making Pashtuns and Taliban almost synonymous.
Solution: eliminate that line; create a Central Asian Community, border-free, with Afghanistan-Pakistan inviting the other “stans”, Iran, Assad-Kashmir; all in Afghanistan and Afghanistan in them.
A Representative said: “Taliban may think like that. But I am an elected representative in US democracy. The people elected me for this–he made the V sign–then we will tell them what the solution is.
A decade later the USA is still fighting, with NATO allies, for a victory and solution in Afghanistan they will never obtain, because:
- Afghanistan is 98% Muslim, USA is national evangelist.
- Afghans can draw upon the solidarity of 1650 million Muslims; the USA has deep problems even with its NATO allies.
- Their time horizon is unlimited, the US an administration or two.
- There are strong Muslim groups in USA and allies, not vice versa.
- Muslims know the West, the languages, cultures, not vice versa.
- They are up against an “unleveled” US president.
This unequal fight may tempt some in USA to use nukes against a very invulnerable country, leading to revenge in vulnerable USA. The outcome will be more isolation, decline and fall of the US Republic.
That process has already started, as witnessed by the many major conferences to which the USA is no longer invited. The ball is in other courts: in Russia, India, China–in BRICS in general.
“American Diplomacy” seams to go through four stages:
- Telling other states what to do; if they comply, that is.
- If they do not comply, attack them as anti-American enemies.
- If winning, see to it that they comply and reward the compliers.
- If not winning, try “softer approaches”, negotiation, diplomacy.
What will happen if US thinking about North Korea and Vietnam is at the same level as for Afghanistan? CIA? “Central” no doubt, and “Agency”, but how about the “Intelligence”? USA withdrew badly wounded from Vietnam and is now heading for the same in Afghanistan.
North Korea: there seems to be a stalemate, with 8 million or so in and around Seoul being as hostages to North Korean artillery should there be a US attack. North Korea will not launch a first strike, but they want to show USA-Japan-the World that they are equal to USA in offensive capability with an invulnerability of force and value–people–unmatched in human history. Mantra: “1952” NEVER AGAIN!
Peace is around the corner if American Diplomacy were able to think-speak-act peace. Take North Korea on their word. Ask them for the details of converting an armistice to a peace treaty; of normalizing diplomatic relations with Seoul-Tokyo-Washington; of an UN-inspected nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. And then: Negotiate. Much “American Diplomacy” is used to fight this; USA wants to control South Korea.
Vietnam: the US defeat was total as opposed to in Korea; there will be no war in the foreseeable future in spite of theories about how that unwinnable war could have been won. But there was some basis for the imposed division between North and South Vietnam; how Vietnam overcame it may teach a USA divided North-South some lessons. Vietnam improved its karma with USA; USA may learn to improve its karma with the world. Peace is around the corner.
Conclusion: the general problem is a US deep culture as Chosen People with a Promised World. Time has come, USA, to become normal.
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Johan Galtung, a professor of peace studies, dr hc mult, is founder of TRANSCEND International and rector of TRANSCEND Peace University. Prof. Galtung has published more than 1500 articles and book chapters, 500 Editorials for TRANSCEND Media Service, and more than 170 books on peace and related issues, of which more than 40 have been translated to other languages, including 50 Years – 100 Peace and Conflict Perspectives published by TRANSCEND University Press. More information about Prof. Galtung and all of his publications can be found at transcend.org/galtung.
This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.
Monday, January 01, 2018
Johan Galtung’s view from Europe: Two Ways of Being Western: Christianity and Science
Two Ways of Being Western: Christianity and Science
1 Jan 2018
Farewell Seminar SCAR, George Mason University, Arlington-VA 6 Dec 2017
Two basic institutions in Western history and individual lives: Christianity offering Salvation to those following Laws, Commandments, and Science offering Truth to those who believe in scientific laws.
After Enlightenment ushered in a godless world, one is waning and the other vexing, seen as antithetical to each other. Is evolution being contested by “intelligent design”? By “diversity and symbiosis”? Neither one nor the other? Or both? We do not know, nor do we come to grips with evolution beyond homo sapiens. Neither did Christianity.
But we are used in history to successors carrying the imprints of predecessors, and vice versa. We are used to plus ça change plus ça este la même chose (the more it changes, the more it stays the same). And the more intended Italian cambiamo le cose affinche se mantengono le stesse (we change the things so that they remain the same).
Christianity and science have both been marked (and marred) by the heavy institutionalizations known as churches and universities. They are certainly Western in the sense of carrying the trade mark of competitive individualism: to bishop-archbishop-cardinal-Pope in one, to professor-dean-rector-Nobel in the other. But that is not our focus, however Western. Our focus is how they both relate to Time.
Western time is often seen as linear or curvilinear upwards, progressing, even exponentially, or logistically petering out. However, for Western history this is much too simplistic. There are declines with falls, and discontinuous jumps, upward or downward. Western history is dramatic, with Antiquity and Modernity being so similar and different from the “Middle Ages” that we have used the term “Occident I” for the former and Occident II for the latter.
The task is now to spell out some time aspects of the predecessor Christianity, and then show how Science followed in its footsteps.
One way is to postulate a Western Time with six recurring phases:
- Normality
- Decline and Fall
- Awakening
- Progress
- CRISIS: make it (normality) or break it (decline and fall)
- If “make it:” new decline and fall; if “break it” new awakening.
And so on and so forth, as long as West exists, because:
Western time is finite; it has a beginning and an end.
Other civilizations postulate time from eternity to eternity, also Hinduism with its complex recurring patterns and some similarity to the West. Not strange, given the Indo-European meta-civilization.
Science followed the Christian universe; Creation beginning with a Big Bang beginning, and like Christianity did not answer in which universe the Creation or the Big Bang took place. Ex nihilo?
Science followed the Christian Armageddon ending with a 2nd Law of thermodynamics conversion of big bang energy to entropy, chaos.
There is no final, definitive “Christianity”, but Christianities in accordance with Western Time: of the Gospels, of St Augustine, of St Thomas Aquinas, of Luther-Zwingli-Calvin-Anglicans &c, evangelists including the US National Evangelism (like the First Baptist church). Each was-is tapped to exhaustion for its salvation potential.
The Catholic-Orthodox gap was bridged by Pope Francis-Patriarch Kirill at the expense of deepening the gap to US-UK-Nordic evangelism, deepening Anglo-America/Russia rifts in circles of mutual causation.
Science followed suit, changing paradigms for thought-discourses for speech (Thomas Kuhn), tapping to exhaustion their truth potential. From Aristotelian stasis with everything in places commanded by nature to Galilean dynamism according to laws of nature; from 3-dimensional space in time to einsteinian 4-dimensional spacetime; from continuity to planckian discontinuous quantum jumps (Einstein protest: Natura non facit saltus); from Euclidean points-planes-spaces to strings. There will be more, also as West opens up for other civilizations.
Then, exploring science for deeper understanding of Christianity.
Science has produced many laws of the Y=f(X) type, like s=1/2gt2, with chronological time as variable and g as parameter, also variable. The number of parameters knows no limits, some known, others unknown, still others unknowable, beyond limited human comprehension.
Science tries to beat the parameter tyranny by locking two of them in the standard context of [0C-760mm]. Chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs, close to that are non-toxic, inflammable, ideal for fridges. Released into the ozone layer they are broken down by ultraviolet radiation, freeing chlorine to make holes in the ozone layer; the planet–with humans in it-is seriously damaged by that radiation.
That raises the question of a “normal” context for the Creation. It must be in God, and we get a glimpse in Genesis 1:30: God was a vegetarian. He created animals and humans, and they should all be herbivorous, not carnivorous. In other words, God defined a normalcy for humans and other animals. Animals basically obey God’s intent. Judaism-Christianity-Islam share Genesis, so all believing Jews, Christians and Muslims should be vegetarian. They are not.
The point is the idea of normality for Christianity and science. God could have been different. So could [0C-760mm]. Christianity and science, both, could have been different. We have made choices.
We got from those two a salvation with no truth to it, and truth with no salvation in it. Fortunately there is more to Western reality.
People create salvations and truths by choosing countless values-goals, and building NGOs for their realization. Like TRANSCEND, for peace as salvation from violence, pursued pragmatically-empirically.
But we are not limited to empirical reality. Between that and unreality are potential realities to be created. By humans, as gods.
The strength of the West lies in that multiplicity of the goals pursued in a pluralistic society. May it long last.
NOTE:
* I am grateful to Hajo Schmidt for a critical-constructive reading.
_________________________________________________
Johan Galtung, a professor of peace studies, dr hc mult, is founder of TRANSCEND International and rector of TRANSCEND Peace University. Prof. Galtung has published more than 1500 articles and book chapters, 500 Editorials for TRANSCEND Media Service, and more than 170 books on peace and related issues, of which more than 40 have been translated to other languages, including 50 Years – 100 Peace and Conflict Perspectives published by TRANSCEND University Press. More information about Prof. Galtung and all of his publications can be found at transcend.org/galtung.
This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.
