Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[Thomas3333]

My thesis, or perhaps rather thesis preoccupation, is that the people of Afghanistan should be granted public access to the universe. So all the idiosyncrasies, of left-wing politics, of marriage maturity, of adult language and conduct, of anti-militarism, of belief in toys and toy shopping even at adult age...
Of internet forum activities, of atheism vs theism culture, of geography demonology (not a political reference, but, a kind of abstract sociological intonation ideal) etc etc.

Can the Afghan public, be given this human democratic right, and moreover, can the UN be the force responsible for attributing the right?

[Count Lucanor]

For a good part of the world, culture has been, at least formally, democratized. Have you seen how they are performing? The intellectual level and character of the one who has been elected recently to lead a global power? I wouldn’t bet on universal access alone.

[Lagayascienza]

Indeed. A dark shadow, or perhaps a pale orange one, has fallen across the face of the earth recently. It does not bode well for our collective wellbeing IMO.

[Gertie]

Modern Diplomacy on the latest post-invasion Taliban law to erase and dehumanise women, and their rights and agency -

''The Taliban, synonymous with its strict interpretation of Islamic law, has issued yet another edict further marginalizing Afghan women. This time, the decree concerns the construction of windows in residential buildings that overlook spaces typically occupied by women, such as courtyards, kitchens, and wells. The directive, issued by the Taliban’s supreme leader, mandates that municipal authorities oversee compliance, and it urges homeowners to block or obscure existing windows that provide views into neighbors’ homes. This measure, purportedly aimed at preventing “obscene acts,” is the latest in a series of draconian policies targeting the visibility and autonomy of women in Afghanistan.

Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban has systematically eroded the rights of Afghan women, effectively erasing their presence from both public and private spheres. The ban on residential windows represents more than just an architectural restriction; it symbolizes the Taliban’s intent to maintain absolute control over women’s lives. Such a measure further segregates women, confining them within increasingly restrictive physical and social boundaries.

The Taliban’s policies are rooted in a deeply conservative and patriarchal ideology that views women as subordinate and in need of constant regulation. This recent window ban is emblematic of the group’s broader agenda, which has already seen women stripped of fundamental rights. Access to education beyond primary school has been denied, employment opportunities severely curtailed, and even simple pleasures like visiting parks or recreational spaces have been banned.

Recent decrees have gone so far as to prohibit women from singing, reciting poetry in public, or using their voices in media broadcasts. These restrictions underscore the Taliban’s resolve to suppress women’s self-expression entirely. In their pursuit of enforcing an extreme interpretation of Islamic morality, the Taliban has effectively criminalized the public existence of women.

The societal implications of these policies are profound and far-reaching. By targeting half the population with oppressive measures, the Taliban undermines Afghanistan’s potential for social and economic development. Women’s participation in public life is crucial for a balanced and progressive society. Their exclusion not only denies them their basic human rights but also hinders the advancement of the nation. Restricting women to confined spaces, now even within their homes, diminishes their role in fostering a healthy, educated, and cohesive society. Such policies send a stark message: women in Afghanistan are viewed as entities to be controlled, rather than as individuals with rights and contributions. This isolation feeds into a larger pattern of regression, pulling the nation further away from global norms of gender equality and personal freedom.

The international community has repeatedly condemned the Taliban’s actions, labeling them as manifestations of “gender apartheid.” Organizations like the United Nations have called for urgent measures to safeguard the fundamental rights of Afghan women and girls. The Taliban’s policies have drawn widespread criticism for their disregard of human dignity and justice, and their alignment with outdated ideologies that are starkly out of step with modern values. Despite this global outcry, the Taliban remains steadfast in its approach, seemingly unbothered by the implications of international isolation. For Afghanistan, this poses a grave dilemma: while these policies strengthen the Taliban’s control domestically, they alienate the country from crucial international support, aid, and development opportunities.

The decision to ban windows overlooking women’s areas is both literal and metaphorical. It serves as a chilling representation of the Taliban’s efforts to obscure women from the public eye, effectively erasing them from society. It also reflects a government prioritizing archaic notions of morality over the well-being and progress of its people. This latest move reveals the Taliban’s obsession with controlling every aspect of women’s lives, from their education and employment to their visibility within their own homes. Such measures are not just violations of rights but are also emblematic of a government that seeks to enforce repression as a state policy.''



Progressive values come with secularisation, and a sense of security and prosperity. People then have the time and confidence to reflect on matters like human rights. Bombing Middle Eastern countries to **** has set things back. Helping them peacefully prosper is the way.

Meanwhile it's so dire in Afghanistan it's hard to see how the UN can help in the short-term.

[Lagayascienza]

It's hard to see how anyone can help. The UN seems powerless and ordinary people like me can only shake their heads in bewilderment and despair. It's religion at it's worst. I guess the best individuals in democratic countries can do is to donate to secular charities that try to advance women's rights in Afghanistan and other such places.

[Gertie]

It's hard to see how anyone can help. The UN seems powerless and ordinary people like me can only shake their heads in bewilderment and despair. It's religion at it's worst. I guess the best individuals in democratic countries can do is to donate to secular charities that try to advance women's rights in Afghanistan and other such places.

Yes that's true, we should never give up no matter how little we can do

[Sy Borg]

It is what it is. Nothing can be done. Nor can anything be done for people in places like North Korea or Turkmenistan, who are the world's other totalitarian regimes. "More than a third of the world's population, or 2.6 billion people, live in nations and territories gripped by repression, corruption and human rights abuses" (Reuters).

It makes no sense to put energy into "saving" them when there are so many people locally unable to find a place to live and rapidly increasing suicides. Maybe the whole 2.6 billion should be sent to Australia, Canada and the UK? Those nations seem keen to save the world at the expense of their own people.

[Thomas3333]

It is what it is. Nothing can be done. Nor can anything be done for people in places like North Korea or Turkmenistan, who are the world's other totalitarian regimes. "More than a third of the world's population, or 2.6 billion people, live in nations and territories gripped by repression, corruption and human rights abuses" (Reuters).

It makes no sense to put energy into "saving" them when there are so many people locally unable to find a place to live and rapidly increasing suicides. Maybe the whole 2.6 billion should be sent to Australia, Canada and the UK? Those nations seem keen to save the world at the expense of their own people.

Tribalism, and territorialism are ostensibly the bane of the hypothesis, of the initiative to call people the cosmos. I say ostensibly, because of the bias of presumption politics, given nationalism's massive cliche indexes.

[Sy Borg]

It is what it is. Nothing can be done. Nor can anything be done for people in places like North Korea or Turkmenistan, who are the world's other totalitarian regimes. "More than a third of the world's population, or 2.6 billion people, live in nations and territories gripped by repression, corruption and human rights abuses" (Reuters).

It makes no sense to put energy into "saving" them when there are so many people locally unable to find a place to live and rapidly increasing suicides. Maybe the whole 2.6 billion should be sent to Australia, Canada and the UK? Those nations seem keen to save the world at the expense of their own people.

Tribalism, and territorialism are ostensibly the bane of the hypothesis, of the initiative to call people the cosmos. I say ostensibly, because of the bias of presumption politics, given nationalism's massive cliche indexes.

No matter which -ism you apply to the situation, the end result is that the Taliban will continue in their controlling, harsh ways and there's nothing anyone can do about it. For years, it looked like the Taliban were done, but they just bided their time in the mountains, which are impossible to scour without extreme measures that no one is interested in doing. The UN can do nothing about it, and it has other priorities.

The Afghan people might rise up and save themselves, but that seems a long way off, if it ever happens.

[Good_Egg]

The Taliban’s policies are rooted in a deeply conservative and patriarchal ideology that views women as subordinate and in need of constant regulation...

...The Taliban’s policies have drawn widespread criticism for their disregard of human dignity and justice, and their alignment with outdated ideologies that are starkly out of step with modern values.

Oh horror of horrors! The ultimate crime - failure to keep up with "modern values"!

Don't get me wrong - sounds like a ghastly regime that I'd hate to live under.

But the position from which you criticise it is one which denies that there are any natural rights, any criteria to which a society should conform.

Your source of authority is, ultimately, your society - the subculture you've grown up in.

And were a Talibanista (or whatever the proper term is for one who believes in the particular form of Islam that is in play here) to say to you "this is our culture; we know it is not the same as your culture, but this is the way we choose to live" then you've nothing left to say.

All the "rights" that you think Afghan women should have are, in your philosophy, only a manifestation of your culture - you believe that there is nothing above that.

Your words of criticism - "out of step with modern values" express your quasi-religion of progressivism, which differs from - but cannot, in its own terms, be better than - the religion of the Taliban.

[Thomas3333]

It is what it is. Nothing can be done. Nor can anything be done for people in places like North Korea or Turkmenistan, who are the world's other totalitarian regimes. "More than a third of the world's population, or 2.6 billion people, live in nations and territories gripped by repression, corruption and human rights abuses" (Reuters).

It makes no sense to put energy into "saving" them when there are so many people locally unable to find a place to live and rapidly increasing suicides. Maybe the whole 2.6 billion should be sent to Australia, Canada and the UK? Those nations seem keen to save the world at the expense of their own people.

Tribalism, and territorialism are ostensibly the bane of the hypothesis, of the initiative to call people the cosmos. I say ostensibly, because of the bias of presumption politics, given nationalism's massive cliche indexes.

No matter which -ism you apply to the situation, the end result is that the Taliban will continue in their controlling, harsh ways and there's nothing anyone can do about it. For years, it looked like the Taliban were done, but they just bided their time in the mountains, which are impossible to scour without extreme measures that no one is interested in doing. The UN can do nothing about it, and it has other priorities.

The Afghan people might rise up and save themselves, but that seems a long way off, if it ever happens.

If American people spoke to other American people, in the United States about this topic, about all people being individually known as a cosmos, would those American people having the conversation still apply to poverty afterwards?

[Sy Borg]

It is what it is. Nothing can be done. Nor can anything be done for people in places like North Korea or Turkmenistan, who are the world's other totalitarian regimes. "More than a third of the world's population, or 2.6 billion people, live in nations and territories gripped by repression, corruption and human rights abuses" (Reuters).

It makes no sense to put energy into "saving" them when there are so many people locally unable to find a place to live and rapidly increasing suicides. Maybe the whole 2.6 billion should be sent to Australia, Canada and the UK? Those nations seem keen to save the world at the expense of their own people.

Tribalism, and territorialism are ostensibly the bane of the hypothesis, of the initiative to call people the cosmos. I say ostensibly, because of the bias of presumption politics, given nationalism's massive cliche indexes.

No matter which -ism you apply to the situation, the end result is that the Taliban will continue in their controlling, harsh ways and there's nothing anyone can do about it. For years, it looked like the Taliban were done, but they just bided their time in the mountains, which are impossible to scour without extreme measures that no one is interested in doing. The UN can do nothing about it, and it has other priorities.

The Afghan people might rise up and save themselves, but that seems a long way off, if it ever happens.

If American people spoke to other American people, in the United States about this topic, about all people being individually known as a cosmos, would those American people having the conversation still apply to poverty afterwards?

Of course. If everyone is special, then no one is. In the end, people sort themselves out, one way or another. Life is not easy. It would be wrong to say there's no manual, for there are many tomes in many cultures passing on the wisdom of the past. Trouble is, the world is moving so fast that there are always more surprises. So we all muddle through, as humans and other species have done for aeons.

All my life I've noticed that justice and fairness were more happy accidents than the norm. I think this has been the situation since forever.

[Thomas3333]

Tribalism, and territorialism are ostensibly the bane of the hypothesis, of the initiative to call people the cosmos. I say ostensibly, because of the bias of presumption politics, given nationalism's massive cliche indexes.

No matter which -ism you apply to the situation, the end result is that the Taliban will continue in their controlling, harsh ways and there's nothing anyone can do about it. For years, it looked like the Taliban were done, but they just bided their time in the mountains, which are impossible to scour without extreme measures that no one is interested in doing. The UN can do nothing about it, and it has other priorities.

The Afghan people might rise up and save themselves, but that seems a long way off, if it ever happens.

If American people spoke to other American people, in the United States about this topic, about all people being individually known as a cosmos, would those American people having the conversation still apply to poverty afterwards?

Of course. If everyone is special, then no one is. In the end, people sort themselves out, one way or another. Life is not easy. It would be wrong to say there's no manual, for there are many tomes in many cultures passing on the wisdom of the past. Trouble is, the world is moving so fast that there are always more surprises. So we all muddle through, as humans and other species have done for aeons.

All my life I've noticed that justice and fairness were more happy accidents than the norm. I think this has been the situation since forever.

I respect your POV. A general framework, of alternative POV, that I have is that news media platforms are a means for stability. Whether or not animal evolution intended for news media platforms to exist for humanity to use, is anyone's guess, at least as of contemporary.

In any event, news media, press conferences would seem to be the prevalent methodology of use; of people finding their feet, of course, a sort of ironic reference owing to the obvious.

How do you feel, about news media being the salvation? Of news media being the avatar system for all people being known as the cosmos? People could use all the tech power, of news media, joining all the branches of news media together in order to enact the cosmos initiative.

[Sy Borg]

No matter which -ism you apply to the situation, the end result is that the Taliban will continue in their controlling, harsh ways and there's nothing anyone can do about it. For years, it looked like the Taliban were done, but they just bided their time in the mountains, which are impossible to scour without extreme measures that no one is interested in doing. The UN can do nothing about it, and it has other priorities.

The Afghan people might rise up and save themselves, but that seems a long way off, if it ever happens.

If American people spoke to other American people, in the United States about this topic, about all people being individually known as a cosmos, would those American people having the conversation still apply to poverty afterwards?

Of course. If everyone is special, then no one is. In the end, people sort themselves out, one way or another. Life is not easy. It would be wrong to say there's no manual, for there are many tomes in many cultures passing on the wisdom of the past. Trouble is, the world is moving so fast that there are always more surprises. So we all muddle through, as humans and other species have done for aeons.

All my life I've noticed that justice and fairness were more happy accidents than the norm. I think this has been the situation since forever.

I respect your POV. A general framework, of alternative POV, that I have is that news media platforms are a means for stability. Whether or not animal evolution intended for news media platforms to exist for humanity to use, is anyone's guess, at least as of contemporary.

In any event, news media, press conferences would seem to be the prevalent methodology of use; of people finding their feet, of course, a sort of ironic reference owing to the obvious.

How do you feel, about news media being the salvation? Of news media being the avatar system for all people being known as the cosmos? People could use all the tech power, of news media, joining all the branches of news media together in order to enact the cosmos initiative.

My opinion of the news media could not be lower. It's full of manipulative, cynical virtue-signalling hypocrites. It lies and misrepresents constantly, ignores inconvenient truths and broadcasts misrepresentations.

Joining all the news media is a good idea. Join them together and compress them until they form a black hole ...

[Thomas3333]

If American people spoke to other American people, in the United States about this topic, about all people being individually known as a cosmos, would those American people having the conversation still apply to poverty afterwards?

Of course. If everyone is special, then no one is. In the end, people sort themselves out, one way or another. Life is not easy. It would be wrong to say there's no manual, for there are many tomes in many cultures passing on the wisdom of the past. Trouble is, the world is moving so fast that there are always more surprises. So we all muddle through, as humans and other species have done for aeons.

All my life I've noticed that justice and fairness were more happy accidents than the norm. I think this has been the situation since forever.

I respect your POV. A general framework, of alternative POV, that I have is that news media platforms are a means for stability. Whether or not animal evolution intended for news media platforms to exist for humanity to use, is anyone's guess, at least as of contemporary.

In any event, news media, press conferences would seem to be the prevalent methodology of use; of people finding their feet, of course, a sort of ironic reference owing to the obvious.

How do you feel, about news media being the salvation? Of news media being the avatar system for all people being known as the cosmos? People could use all the tech power, of news media, joining all the branches of news media together in order to enact the cosmos initiative.

My opinion of the news media could not be lower. It's full of manipulative, cynical virtue-signalling hypocrites. It lies and misrepresents constantly, ignores inconvenient truths and broadcasts misrepresentations.

Joining all the news media is a good idea. Join them together and compress them until they form a black hole ...

The biological structure is the fluxing structure; as a historicity apparatus, news media is a stabilizer of humanity, regardless of its information science of distribution.

I am able to have general empathy, for your anti-news outlook, if the possibility that my own POV of the actual criteria disposition of the news' lack of science regarding information distribution is different to yours.

I bring up the earlier point, about flux and biology, because the sensibility I possess is that minus the industry, of news media, the living condition worldwide would become immeasurably worse than the contemporary.

The fundamental: does news media create innate stability, as a value of stability that's free of the criteria of information veracity, case by case context?