Sometimes, I actually dare to fancy myself a [wannabe-/erstwhile-] writer. And I try to get good ideas for a story or 2 by throwing all manner of ideas up in the air, and seeing where and how they land on the ground. (Recall again my question about a notion of “stigmergic totalitarianism.”)

Here's something I'd like a good “informed” opinion on (an idea that occurred to me at–of all places–at work):

“Godparenthood as an avenue/strategy/gimmick for 5GW.”

As a story idea, is it a good idea, bad idea, or what-not?

Does it sound plausible? Realistic?

Would it make sense as a strategy?

Needless to say, if anyone were to try such a gimmick, there'd be limits on how it could be applied. For one thing, it's almost pretty much a “Christian” [if not "Catholic"] thing.

Anyway, I'd appreciate your–and anyone else's–thoughts on this.

In case one wonders where this idea came from:

It goes all the way from Belmont Club's recent posts regarding the Philippines to recalled early-December '06 discussion on Lidless Eye on possible genetic legacies of the activisms of Willi Munzenberg and Antonio Gramsci (IIRC, I *think* I *might've* forwarded at least part of this to you), all the way through my reflection of the impotances of Godparents and “compadrazco” in Filipino society as well as Hispanic societies, and finally… to Joe Haldeman's short story, “To Howard Hughes: A Modest Proposal” (gotta thank Purpleslog for recommending it–interesting story, interesting premise, but I *hated* this “undercurrent” of “obnoxiousness” I found within it; there was this bad aftertaste to it….).

Anyway, again–thoughts/opinions/comments?

Is it possible that someone or some group may have made an organized effort at this? Say–just to be *hypothetical*–with “liberation theology” types in Latin America and elsewhere in the Third World?

And I'm not *just* talking about the Left or Anti-American/Anti-Western movements–ISTR that Gen. MacArthur was a Godfather to the child of some important political figure in the Philippines (unable to recall the name). American covert agencies can't have been that ignorant about Filipino, Latin American, or overall “Catholic”/”Christian” cultures in Third World areas; *at least* some folks wthin these agencies will have to know *something* about how “important” Godparenthood is in these societies, and I wouldn't be surprised if I learned (perhaps from some rabid-Leftist book or website out there) that *at least* *some* sort of effort may've been tried with regard to this.

There are 2 more things that related to this:
1)the news, reported by folks like Philip Jenkins and others, that Christianity is growing in the Third World, and
2) a suggestion in an essay published in a political journal that the US reformulate foreign aid programs with a view to creating “long-term relationships” with people who receive aid. (Dan, if you want, I'll send you a copy, but I warn you it's a bit of a long read.)

“How much control does Ahmadinejad (or any Iranian president) really maintain over the persian state?”

I was under the impression the “President” of Iran is a press secretary or spokesman for the rulling group of Mullahs.

Indeed, I've been led to believe that the Presidency of Iran is merely a figurehead. As you stated, a representative for the theocratic court that truly rules Iran.

Given this aspect, why the hell does anyone place any credence or lever any political viewpoint based on Iran's elections? Case in point, the recent political “blow” to Ahmadinejad in regional elections as reported by both mainstream and more “practical” medias. Isn't it essentially meaningless?

Is an entire informational network (not to mention government??) missing one hell of a misnomer here or am I way off base?

“To the best of my knowledge, he has never read any science fiction.”

lol, perhaps he could be encouraged to write it? Sounds like an interesting fellow. Too bad you couldn't pursue the discussion further.

Honestly, I think most journalist are pretty stupid. At university, the journalism students I interacted with generally the least knowledge, most ideological, and were well below average in critical thinking skills.

“lol, perhaps he could be encouraged to write it?”

Oh man, I have listened to his poetry for hours – I wanted to bang my head afterwards! I like science fiction, I don't want him to ruin it for me! I can give up poetry.

Iran's elections matter as much as Victorian Britain's elections did — they do not replace the Supreme Leader, but they strengthen or weaken factions of the Establishment. Without Disraeli et al, and the anti-slaver victories, Britain may have substantially supported the Confederacy, for example, changing history.

From December 2006: [1]
“That the British “democracy” a century ago is shoddy by our modern standards really isn't important. What was amazingly important is that peaceful processes were used to set government policy and they reflected the changing preferences of a dispersed, marketized power elite (which incidentally was secular, too).”

From January 2005: [2]
“http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2005/01/20/peers_v_commons.html“
“Iran is a lot like Britain a century ago. An out of touch elite controls one body of council (The House of Lords / The Guardian Council) while everyone else wants to live their lives.”

PS: Mountainrunner is looking at robots [3], too…

[1] http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2006/12/19/global-blogrillas-discover-victory-in-iraq.html

[2] http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2005/01/20/peers_v_commons.html

[3] http://mountainrunner.us/2007/01/linking_robots_and_mercenaries.html

Is he an Asimov fan?

In a sort of related form I'd like to pose a question.

With all the rhetoric, worry and global attention surrounding Iran and it's apparent proliferation I've not seen many address one aspect and I'm interested in those that read and post here's take:

How much control does Ahmadinejad (or any Iranian president) really maintain over the persian state?

My thoughts are working in the same direction as yours. While I have come to realize the necessity of disseminating the rule-sets that we in the West have found, through hard-won experience, to lead to “the Exit”, I also have come to realize that we in the West have secured our own demise (not immediate, but long term) by deconstructing, dumbing down, and deligitimizing the very things that have led to our “Exit”. So I'm with you in thinking that maybe we need to be waging 4GW & 5GW domestically as an essential component of the Long War. We need to be strategizing and organizing a domestic meme campaign to promote a classical liberal vision as the basis of our free and prosperous society. How can we presume to export the rule-sets that have led to our success when half of our population wages a campaign against them? If we really want to shrink the Gap, economically, philosophically, and culturally, then we need to defeat the domestic opponents of “the Exit” in order to have the political will to shrink the Gap.

My sister was hosting for Christmas day for the extended family.

My duty as a good brother was to sit next to him and be the focus/target of his talking (and the occasional rants) to spare the rest of the guests and keep him from leaving early and taking his wife (my Aunt) with him.

He talked to me (I listened only for the most part) about 5 hours: poetry, a little Iran/Persian supremacy (as the other future world super power), economics (he won't admit it, but he has a Marxist economic outlook or understanding), the Milwaukee Murder rate (“no Uncle, I don't think it is 600 per year – it is about 100 actually”) and other stuff I don't remember any alot of it.

Sometimes I can't follow what he saying or how he jumped from topic to topic. Mostly I just listened.

At one point, I thought I had an opportunity to talk economics and point him in a free-market/classical liberal outlook and he yelled “would you just let me say something here”…which I though was funny because I had not spoke a word in 30 minutes before that.

He quickly started talking about how soon robots would do all the work and activity and soon rule over all of us.

At first I thought he was joking…but he was serious. He went into a rant how we would all be slaves to the robots. I told him that being a computer guy, the robots will be cool with me…but he wasn't listening to anything I was saying. He was just talking fast – soon I could only make a few words here and there till he calmed down and moved onto another subject.

He had several glasses of wine and I am sure that didn't help things.

I wish I could have gotten a more coherent robot threat philosophy from him, but I couldn't.

BTW, this is another reason I blog as PurpleSlog and not under my real name.