October 9, 2007

Vototron, the new interactive social contract.

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Click here to enlarge for easy readability.

Nice poster, no? Let's look at the website. The idea is to write and vote on the social contract. Smart and artistic. Let's see how it plays out. Lots of comic stuff now — "Frogs for children! All children will get a froggie. — Joseph Stalin." But it could just as well get serious.

(Photo taken in DUMBO, Brooklyn.)

4 comments:

rhhardin said...

I think Coleridge had the ironic line ``the latest discoveries in morality.''

rhhardin said...

con't

Superb indexing job for _The Collected Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, III : Essays on His Times_ v.2 p345

Many benefits would flow from such a practice. Religion itself would, then, be properly regarded rather as a subject of liberal inquiry than a matter of superstitious observance ; and that foolish old book of fables, ``Fox's Martyrs,'' might be committed to the flames. By these means, too, the hortis siccus of dissent, as Mr. Burke called it, would no doubt be greatly enlarged ; and new religious discoveries and inventions might have the honour of being registered in the Monthly Magazines, as we now do those of Experimental Philosophy. But, Sir, by far the most important advantage, in my opinion, that would arise from such a plan, is, that it would directly lead to the consummation so devoutly wished by me and many more -- the abolition of the Established Church. The very phrase itself would in a short time become as ridiculous as if we should talk of the Established System of Chemistry, in which, as every one knows, the discoveries of this month may overset the doctrines of the last. Then we might hope to see some dissenting Doctor lecturing on Theology at the Royal Institution, and candidly laying before his fashionable auditors the respective merits of Mahomedism, Paganism, and Christianity ; and a few experiments with the Galvanic Battery might tend very much to clear up the supposed mystery of miracles.

``A Modest Proposal'' The Courier : 1 April 1812

Coleridge wrote op-eds in newspapers for many years after 1800. These three volumes, collectively volume III of the collected works, are superb.

halojones-fan said...

I believe I shall run on the "All Your Base Are Belong To Us" platform.

You have no chance to survive! A vote for me is a vote for great justice! If I do not win, I shall set up U.S. the bomb!(*)



(*) joke stolen from 'The Onion'

AmPowerBlog said...

Hey, Panrationalism! Don't delay - login today!

Sounds like global governance...not so new, the U.N.'s all for it.