Hello, all.About my screen name. I chose it some years ago to reflect (what is most of the time) my philosophical views, and attitude toward life. Also one of my favorite 20th century personalities (Mencken, not Vader). Tho I welcome whatever brightness and niceness comes along, I freely expect, and accept, that s#!^ will always happen, and the most idealistic crusade is inevitably undermined by Human greed, vanity, and unwillingness to compromise (Not naming any R/L persons or parties here, in truth all could show improvement).
I also freely admit, I wouldn't make much of a Sith Lord for real! Not only would I never under any circumstances butcher a bunch of trusting kids with a lightsabre or choke a pregnant woman using the Force, I simply don't see how something that draws upon hatred and anger can ever lead to immortality.
Now, for the BIG confession: I am a long time member of Orions Arm, and am the contributor of a number (not the hugest number, and mostly awhile back) of a number of elements there that some of you are familiar with.
Most particularly, the gengineered Human suicide bombers: Homo Jihadi.
I note that these in particular have been singled-out for special criticism on this forum not too long ago. I'm not gonna whine. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter what it is (a view my non-Dark Side namesake would no doubt identify with).
Let me just say, first and foremost, I intended the Homo Jihadi to be tongue-in-cheek from the outset. OA does pride itself on trying to be hard science. Such does not rule-out, AFAICT, anything in the Jihadi write-up as written. Also, "hard science" by no means equates to being stone-cold serious in all things. I freely admit, some aspects of OA strike me as beyond way-out. As a newb there once upon a time, I criticized some aspects there (the moldies/erotogini, and Wups/Wupistas, spring immediately to mind), but have since tried to be more open-minded and less critical (tho still not sure I'd personally want to jump in the sack with any of the above).
Also, the only aspect of the Homo Jihadi which does not exist in R/L yet, is the genetic engineering done on Humans. Everything else (including indoctrinating kids from as young as preschool age into thinking being a suicide attacker is the most worthwhile vocation there is), is already being done in R/L (no need to say by whom!), and has been for awhile.
Also, besides the most straightforward concealing of a remote-detonated explosive inside a willing subject's rectum (Gawd, before that actually happened, I would've said it was just a sick joke!), Al-Qaeda and other groups with similar MO's (Hamas in particular I believe) are rumored to be experimenting with implantable, or even "injectable" I'm almost sure I heard, explosives! I'm guessing anything from fake kneecaps or other bones, to possibly boob implants for female suicide bombers (Hmm, do female suicide bombers get 72 male virgins in Paradise to service them for eternity?).
One problem here is, almost anything implanted in the body would likely show up on the latest airport scanners and similar devices.
But, if the explosives were dispersed thoughout the subject's body, literally permeating their bones and possibly other tissues, indistinct and inseparable from such . . .
And as pointed-out above, programming tots from pre-school age with the thought that some might be recruits for suicide bombings in 10, 15, or 2o years. Been being done for awhile now.
As I said, the genetic engineering of Humans is THE ONLY thing that isn't reality already, yet.
Once again, greetings, and thank you all
Darth Mencken, Dark Lord of Iconoclasm
